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Vierkant V, Xie X, Huang Z, He L, Bancroft E, Wang X, Nguyen T, Srinivasan R, Zhou Y, Wang J. Optogenetic inhibition of light-captured alcohol-taking striatal engrams facilitates extinction and suppresses reinstatement. ALCOHOL, CLINICAL & EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH 2024. [PMID: 39095328 DOI: 10.1111/acer.15412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2024] [Revised: 07/09/2024] [Accepted: 07/16/2024] [Indexed: 08/04/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a complex condition, and it remains unclear which specific neuronal substrates mediate alcohol-seeking and -taking behaviors. Engram cells and their related ensembles, which encode learning and memory, may play a role in this process. We aimed to assess the precise neural substrates underlying alcohol-seeking and -taking behaviors and determine how they may affect one another. METHODS Using FLiCRE (Fast Light and Calcium-Regulated Expression; a newly developed technique which permits the trapping of acutely activated neuronal ensembles) and operant self-administration (OSA), we tagged striatal neurons activated during alcohol-taking behaviors. We used FLiCRE to express an inhibitory halorhodopsin in alcohol-taking neurons, permitting loss-of-function manipulations. RESULTS We found that the inhibition of OSA-tagged alcohol-taking neurons decreased both alcohol-seeking and -taking behaviors in future OSA trials. In addition, optogenetic inhibition of these OSA-tagged alcohol-taking neurons during extinction training facilitated the extinction of alcohol-seeking behaviors. Furthermore, inhibition of these OSA-tagged alcohol-taking neurons suppressed the reinstatement of alcohol-seeking behaviors, but, interestingly, it did not significantly suppress alcohol-taking behaviors during reinstatement. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that alcohol-taking neurons are crucial for future alcohol-seeking behaviors during extinction and reinstatement. These results may help in the development of new therapeutic approaches to enhance extinction and suppress relapse in individuals with AUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valerie Vierkant
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, School of Medicine, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Bryan, Texas, USA
| | - Xueyi Xie
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, School of Medicine, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Bryan, Texas, USA
| | - Zhenbo Huang
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, School of Medicine, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Bryan, Texas, USA
| | - Lian He
- Center for Translational Cancer Research, Institute of Biosciences and Technology, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Eric Bancroft
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, School of Medicine, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Bryan, Texas, USA
| | - Xuehua Wang
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, School of Medicine, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Bryan, Texas, USA
| | - Tran Nguyen
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, School of Medicine, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Bryan, Texas, USA
| | - Rahul Srinivasan
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, School of Medicine, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Bryan, Texas, USA
| | - Yubin Zhou
- Center for Translational Cancer Research, Institute of Biosciences and Technology, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Jun Wang
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, School of Medicine, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Bryan, Texas, USA
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2
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Pierce-Messick ZJ, Corbit LH. Manipulations of the context-response relationship reduce the expression of response habits. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2024; 214:107962. [PMID: 39067807 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2024.107962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2024] [Revised: 07/18/2024] [Accepted: 07/23/2024] [Indexed: 07/30/2024]
Abstract
Habitual instrumental behaviour is believed to rely on stimulus-response (S-R) associations. However, the method most commonly used to identify habitual behaviour, outcome devaluation, provides only indirect evidence of S-R control. Therefore, it is important to have a better understanding of the S-R association believed to underlie habitual responding. Under free-operant conditions, the context itself likely serves as at least part of the relevant stimuli in the association, and so modifications to the predictive power of the context should alter the expression of habits. The following experiments investigated how changes to the relationship between the training context and performance of the response, either by changing the context during testing or by exposing animals to the context alone, without the response lever present, impacted behavioural control during a devaluation test. We found evidence that the training context is important for the expression of habits; testing animals in a different context than where they were trained resulted in increased goal-directed control (Experiment 1). Furthermore, context alone exposure also increased goal-directed control with animals that received context alone exposure showing stronger devaluation effects, whether the context alone exposure happened on the last day of training (Experiment 2) or throughout training (Experiment 3). These findings are consistent with prior reports that the training context is important for the expression of habits and extends these findings by using sensory-specific satiety as a means for devaluation and by using context alone exposure to alter behavioural control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary J Pierce-Messick
- Department of Psychology, The University of Toronto, 100 St. George Street, Toronto, ON M5S 3G3, Canada
| | - Laura H Corbit
- Department of Psychology, The University of Toronto, 100 St. George Street, Toronto, ON M5S 3G3, Canada.
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3
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Giannone F, Ebrahimi C, Endrass T, Hansson AC, Schlagenhauf F, Sommer WH. Bad habits-good goals? Meta-analysis and translation of the habit construct to alcoholism. Transl Psychiatry 2024; 14:298. [PMID: 39030169 PMCID: PMC11271507 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-024-02965-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2023] [Revised: 05/19/2024] [Accepted: 05/24/2024] [Indexed: 07/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Excessive alcohol consumption remains a global public health crisis, with millions suffering from alcohol use disorder (AUD, or simply "alcoholism"), leading to significantly reduced life expectancy. This review examines the interplay between habitual and goal-directed behaviors and the associated neurobiological changes induced by chronic alcohol exposure. Contrary to a strict habit-goal dichotomy, our meta-analysis of the published animal experiments combined with a review of human studies reveals a nuanced transition between these behavioral control systems, emphasizing the need for refined terminology to capture the probabilistic nature of decision biases in individuals with a history of chronic alcohol exposure. Furthermore, we distinguish habitual responding from compulsivity, viewing them as separate entities with diverse roles throughout the stages of the addiction cycle. By addressing species-specific differences and translational challenges in habit research, we provide insights to enhance future investigations and inform strategies for combatting AUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Giannone
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, 68159, Mannheim, Germany
| | - C Ebrahimi
- Faculty of Psychology, Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, 01062, Dresden, Germany
| | - T Endrass
- Faculty of Psychology, Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, 01062, Dresden, Germany
| | - A C Hansson
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, 68159, Mannheim, Germany
| | - F Schlagenhauf
- Department of Psychotherapy, Campus Charité Mitte, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin & St. Hedwig Hospital, 10117, Berlin, Germany
| | - W H Sommer
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, 68159, Mannheim, Germany.
- Bethania Hospital for Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Greifswald, Germany.
- German Center for Mental Health (DZPG), Partner Site Mannheim-Heidelberg-Ulm, 68159, Mannheim, Germany.
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4
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Sitzia G, Bariselli S, Gracias A, Lovinger DM. Chronic alcohol induces subcircuit-specific striatonigral plasticity enhancing the sensorimotor basal ganglia role in action execution. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadm6951. [PMID: 38941461 PMCID: PMC11212723 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adm6951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2024] [Indexed: 06/30/2024]
Abstract
Functional deficits in basal ganglia (BG) circuits contribute to cognitive and motor dysfunctions in alcohol use disorder. Chronic alcohol exposure alters synaptic function and neuronal excitability in the dorsal striatum, but it remains unclear how it affects BG output that is mediated by the substantia nigra pars reticulata (SNr). Here, we describe a neuronal subpopulation-specific synaptic organization of striatal and subthalamic (STN) inputs to the medial and lateral SNr. Chronic alcohol exposure (CIE) potentiated dorsolateral striatum (DLS) inputs but did not change dorsomedial striatum and STN inputs to the SNr. Chemogenetic inhibition of DLS direct pathway neurons revealed an enhanced role for DLS direct pathway neurons in execution of an instrumental lever-pressing task. Overall, we reveal a subregion-specific organization of striatal and subthalamic inputs onto the medial and lateral SNr and find that potentiated DLS-SNr inputs are accompanied by altered BG control of action execution following CIE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giacomo Sitzia
- Laboratory for Integrative Neuroscience, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Sebastiano Bariselli
- Laboratory for Integrative Neuroscience, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, USA
- IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Via Manzoni 56, 20089 Rozzano, Milan, Italy
| | - Alexa Gracias
- Laboratory for Integrative Neuroscience, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - David M. Lovinger
- Laboratory for Integrative Neuroscience, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, USA
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Duffus BLM, Haggerty DL, Doud EH, Mosley AL, Yamamoto BK, Atwood BK. The impact of abstinence from chronic alcohol consumption on the mouse striatal proteome: sex and subregion-specific differences. Front Pharmacol 2024; 15:1405446. [PMID: 38887549 PMCID: PMC11180734 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2024.1405446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2024] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Alcohol misuse is the third leading preventable cause of death in the world. The World Health Organization currently estimates that 1 in 20 deaths are directly alcohol related. One of the ways in which consuming excessive levels of alcohol can both directly and indirectly affect human mortality and morbidity, is through chronic inflammation. Recently, studies have suggested a link between increased alcohol use and the incidence of neuroinflammatory-related diseases. However, the mechanism in which alcohol potentially influences neuroinflammatory processes is still being uncovered. We implemented an unbiased proteomics exploration of alcohol-induced changes in the striatum, with a specific emphasis on proteins related to inflammation. The striatum is a brain region that is critically involved with the progression of alcohol use disorder. Using mass spectrometry following voluntary alcohol self-administration in mice, we show that distinct protein abundances and signaling pathways in different subregions of the striatum are disrupted by chronic exposure to alcohol compared to water drinking control mice. Further, in mice that were allowed to experience abstinence from alcohol compared to mice that were non-abstinent, the overall proteome and signaling pathways showed additional differences, suggesting that the responses evoked by chronic alcohol exposure are dependent on alcohol use history. To our surprise we did not find that chronic alcohol drinking or abstinence altered protein abundance or pathways associated with inflammation, but rather affected proteins and pathways associated with neurodegeneration and metabolic, cellular organization, protein translation, and molecular transport processes. These outcomes suggest that in this drinking model, alcohol-induced neuroinflammation in the striatum is not a primary outcome controlling altered neurobehavioral function, but these changes are rather mediated by altered striatal neuronal structure and cellular health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brittnie-lee M. Duffus
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
| | - David L. Haggerty
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
| | - Emma H. Doud
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
| | - Amber L. Mosley
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
| | - Bryan K. Yamamoto
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
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Vierkant V, Xie X, Huang Z, He L, Bancroft E, Wang X, Srinivisan R, Zhou Y, Wang J. Optogenetic inhibition of light-captured alcohol-taking striatal engrams facilitates extinction and suppresses reinstatement. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.02.597021. [PMID: 38853893 PMCID: PMC11160798 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.02.597021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2024]
Abstract
Background Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a complex condition, and it remains unclear which specific neuronal substrates mediate alcohol-seeking and -taking behaviors. Engram cells and their related ensembles, which encode learning and memory, may play a role in this process. We aimed to assess the precise neural substrates underlying alcohol-seeking and -taking behaviors and determine how they may affect one another. Methods Using FLiCRE (Fast Light and Calcium-Regulated Expression; a newly developed technique which permits the trapping of acutely activated neuronal ensembles) and operant-self administration (OSA), we tagged striatal neurons activated during alcohol-taking behaviors. We used FLiCRE to express an inhibitory halorhodopsin in alcohol-taking neurons, permitting loss-of-function manipulations. Results We found that the inhibition of OSA-tagged alcohol-taking neurons decreased both alcohol-seeking and -taking behaviors in future OSA trials. In addition, optogenetic inhibition of these OSA-tagged alcohol-taking neurons during extinction training facilitated the extinction of alcohol-seeking behaviors. Furthermore, inhibition of these OSA-tagged alcohol-taking neurons suppressed the reinstatement of alcohol-seeking behaviors, but, interestingly, it did not significantly suppress alcohol-taking behaviors during reinstatement. Conclusions Our findings suggest that alcohol-taking neurons are crucial for future alcohol-seeking behaviors during extinction and reinstatement. These results may help in the development of new therapeutic approaches to enhance extinction and suppress relapse in individuals with AUD.
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7
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Mondragón-González SL, Schreiweis C, Burguière E. Closed-loop recruitment of striatal interneurons prevents compulsive-like grooming behaviors. Nat Neurosci 2024; 27:1148-1156. [PMID: 38693349 PMCID: PMC11156588 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-024-01633-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2022] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 05/03/2024]
Abstract
Compulsive behaviors have been associated with striatal hyperactivity. Parvalbumin-positive striatal interneurons (PVIs) in the striatum play a crucial role in regulating striatal activity and suppressing prepotent inappropriate actions. To investigate the potential role of striatal PVIs in regulating compulsive behaviors, we assessed excessive self-grooming-a behavioral metric of compulsive-like behavior-in male Sapap3 knockout mice (Sapap3-KO). Continuous optogenetic activation of PVIs in striatal areas receiving input from the lateral orbitofrontal cortex reduced self-grooming events in Sapap3-KO mice to wild-type levels. Aiming to shorten the critical time window for PVI recruitment, we then provided real-time closed-loop optogenetic stimulation of striatal PVIs, using a transient power increase in the 1-4 Hz frequency band in the orbitofrontal cortex as a predictive biomarker of grooming onsets. Targeted closed-loop stimulation at grooming onsets was as effective as continuous stimulation in reducing grooming events but required 87% less stimulation time, paving the way for adaptive stimulation therapeutic protocols.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sirenia Lizbeth Mondragón-González
- Institut du Cerveau - Paris Brain Institute - ICM, Sorbonne Université, Inserm, CNRS, AP-HP Hôpital de la Pitié Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Christiane Schreiweis
- Institut du Cerveau - Paris Brain Institute - ICM, Sorbonne Université, Inserm, CNRS, AP-HP Hôpital de la Pitié Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Eric Burguière
- Institut du Cerveau - Paris Brain Institute - ICM, Sorbonne Université, Inserm, CNRS, AP-HP Hôpital de la Pitié Salpêtrière, Paris, France.
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Moke BI, Shipman ML, Lui S, Corbit L. Ceftriaxone reverses diet-induced deficits in goal-directed control. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2024:10.1007/s00213-024-06621-w. [PMID: 38822850 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-024-06621-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 05/16/2024] [Indexed: 06/03/2024]
Abstract
RATIONALE Obesity is associated with numerous health risks and ever-increasing rates are a significant global concern. However, despite weight loss attempts many people have difficulty maintaining weight loss. Previous studies in animals have shown that chronic access to an obesogenic diet can disrupt goal-directed behavior, impairing the ability of animals to flexibly adjust food-seeking behavior following changes in the value of earned outcomes. Changes in behavioral control have been linked to disruption of glutamate transmission in the dorsal medial striatum (DMS), a region critical for the acquisition and expression of goal-directed behavior. OBJECTIVES The goal of this study was to test whether ceftriaxone, a beta-lactam antibiotic shown elsewhere to upregulate the expression of the glutamate transporter GLT-1, would improve goal-directed control following long-term exposure to an obesogenic diet. METHODS Male and female rats were given access to either standard chow or chow plus sweetened condensed milk (SCM) for 6 weeks. Access to SCM was ended and rats received daily injections of either ceftriaxone or saline for 6 days. Rats were then trained to press a lever to earn a novel food reward and, finally, were assessed for sensitivity to outcome devaluation. Histological analyses examined changes to GLT-1 protein levels and morphological changes to astrocytes, within the DMS. RESULTS We found that ceftriaxone robustly restored goal-directed behavior in animals following long-term exposure to SCM. While we did not observe changes in protein levels of GLT-1 in the DMS, we observed that SCM induced changes in the morphology of astrocytes in the DMS, and that ceftriaxone mitigated these changes. CONCLUSIONS These results demonstrate that long-term access to a SCM diet impairs goal-directed behavior while also altering the morphology of astrocytes in the DMS. Furthermore, these results suggest that ceftriaxone administration can reverse the impairment of goal-directed behavior potentially through its actions on astrocytes in decision-making circuitry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin-Israel Moke
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, The University of Toronto, 25 Harbord Street, ON, M5S 3G5, Toronto, Canada
| | - Megan L Shipman
- Department of Psychology, The University of Toronto, 100 St. George Street, Toronto, ON, M5S 3G3, Canada
| | - Simon Lui
- Department of Psychology, The University of Toronto, 100 St. George Street, Toronto, ON, M5S 3G3, Canada
| | - Laura Corbit
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, The University of Toronto, 25 Harbord Street, ON, M5S 3G5, Toronto, Canada.
- Department of Psychology, The University of Toronto, 100 St. George Street, Toronto, ON, M5S 3G3, Canada.
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9
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Cofresí RU, Upton S, Brown AA, Piasecki TM, Bartholow BD, Froeliger B. Mesocorticolimbic system reactivity to alcohol use-related visual cues as a function of alcohol sensitivity phenotype: A pilot fMRI study. ADDICTION NEUROSCIENCE 2024; 11:100156. [PMID: 38938269 PMCID: PMC11209874 DOI: 10.1016/j.addicn.2024.100156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/29/2024]
Abstract
Low sensitivity (LS) to alcohol is a risk factor for alcohol use disorder (AUD). Compared to peers with high sensitivity (HS), LS individuals drink more, report more problems, and exhibit potentiated alcohol cue reactivity (ACR). Heightened ACR suggests LS confers AUD risk via incentive sensitization, which is thought to take place in the mesocorticolimbic system. This study examined neural ACR in LS and HS individuals. Young adults (N = 32, M age=20.3) were recruited based on the Alcohol Sensitivity Questionnaire (HS: n = 16; LS: n = 16; 9 females/group). Participants completed an event-related fMRI ACR task. Group LS had higher ACR in left ventrolateral prefrontal cortex than group HS. In group LS, ACR in left caudomedial orbitofrontal cortex or left putamen was low at low alcohol use levels and high at heavier or more problematic alcohol use levels, whereas the opposite was true in group HS. Alcohol use level also was associated with the level of ACR in left substantia nigra among males in group LS. Taken together, results suggest elevated mesocorticolimbic ACR among LS individuals, especially those using alcohol at hazardous levels. Future studies with larger samples are warranted to determine the neurobiological loci underlying LS-based amplified ACR and AUD risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto U. Cofresí
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri - Columbia, USA
| | - Spencer Upton
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri - Columbia, USA
| | - Alexander A. Brown
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri - Columbia, USA
| | - Thomas M. Piasecki
- Center for Tobacco Research and Intervention and Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin - Madison, USA
| | | | - Brett Froeliger
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri - Columbia, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Missouri - Columbia, USA
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10
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Jones BO, Paladino MS, Cruz AM, Spencer HF, Kahanek PL, Scarborough LN, Georges SF, Smith RJ. Punishment resistance for cocaine is associated with inflexible habits in rats. ADDICTION NEUROSCIENCE 2024; 11:100148. [PMID: 38859977 PMCID: PMC11164474 DOI: 10.1016/j.addicn.2024.100148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2024]
Abstract
Addiction is characterized by continued drug use despite negative consequences. In an animal model, a subset of rats continues to self-administer cocaine despite footshock consequences, showing punishment resistance. We sought to test the hypothesis that punishment resistance arises from failure to exert goal-directed control over habitual cocaine seeking. While habits are not inherently permanent or maladaptive, continued use of habits under conditions that should encourage goal-directed control makes them maladaptive and inflexible. We trained male and female Sprague Dawley rats on a seeking-taking chained schedule of cocaine self-administration. We then exposed them to four days of punishment testing in which footshock was delivered randomly on one-third of trials. Before and after punishment testing (four days pre-punishment and ≥ four days post-punishment), we assessed whether cocaine seeking was goal-directed or habitual using outcome devaluation via cocaine satiety. We found that punishment resistance was associated with continued use of habits, whereas punishment sensitivity was associated with increased goal-directed control. Although punishment resistance for cocaine was not predicted by habitual responding pre-punishment, it was associated with habitual responding post-punishment. In parallel studies of food self-administration, we similarly observed that punishment resistance was associated with habitual responding post-punishment but not pre-punishment in males, although it was associated with habitual responding both pre- and post-punishment in females, indicating that punishment resistance was predicted by habitual responding in food-seeking females. These findings indicate that punishment resistance is related to habits that have become inflexible and persist under conditions that should encourage a transition to goal-directed behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bradley O Jones
- Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Morgan S Paladino
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Adelis M Cruz
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Haley F Spencer
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Payton L Kahanek
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Lauren N Scarborough
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Sandra F Georges
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Rachel J Smith
- Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
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11
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Bender BN, Stringfield SJ, Torregrossa MM. Changes in dorsomedial striatum activity during expression of goal-directed vs. habit-like cue-induced cocaine seeking. ADDICTION NEUROSCIENCE 2024; 11:100149. [PMID: 38957402 PMCID: PMC11218864 DOI: 10.1016/j.addicn.2024.100149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/04/2024]
Abstract
A preclinical model of cue exposure therapy, cue extinction, reduces cue-induced cocaine seeking that is goal-directed but not habit-like. Goal-directed and habitual behaviors differentially rely on the dorsomedial striatum (DMS) and dorsolateral striatum (DLS), but the effects of cue extinction on dorsal striatal responses to cue-induced drug seeking are unknown. We used fiber photometry in rats trained to self-administer cocaine paired with an audiovisual cue to examine how dorsal striatal intracellular calcium and extracellular dopamine activity differs between goal-directed and habit-like cue-induced cocaine seeking and how it is impacted by cue extinction. After minimal fixed-ratio training, rats showed enhanced DMS and DLS calcium responses to cue-reinforced compared to unreinforced lever presses. After rats were trained on goal-promoting fixed ratio schedules or habit-promoting second-order schedules of reinforcement, different patterns of dorsal striatal calcium and dopamine responses to cue-reinforced lever presses emerged. Rats trained on habit-promoting second-order schedules showed reduced DMS calcium responses and enhanced DLS dopamine responses to cue-reinforced lever presses. Cue extinction reduced calcium responses during subsequent drug seeking in the DMS, but not in the DLS. Therefore, cue extinction may reduce goal-directed behavior through its effects on the DMS, whereas habit-like behavior and the DLS are unaffected.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brooke N. Bender
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, 450 Technology Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, United States
- Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, 4200 Fifth Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, United States
| | - Sierra J. Stringfield
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, 450 Technology Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, United States
| | - Mary M. Torregrossa
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, 450 Technology Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, United States
- Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, 4200 Fifth Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, United States
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12
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Spitta G, Gleich T, Rosenthal A, Schubert F, Aydin S, Heinz A, Buchert R, Gallinat J. Correlation of striatal dopamine D2/3 receptor availability with GABA level in the anterior cingulate cortex in healthy controls but not in alcohol-dependent subjects and individuals at high risk: A multimodal magnetic resonance spectroscopy and positron emission tomography study. Addict Biol 2024; 29:e13424. [PMID: 38899357 PMCID: PMC11187479 DOI: 10.1111/adb.13424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2024] [Revised: 05/15/2024] [Accepted: 06/04/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The association of impaired dopaminergic neurotransmission with the development and maintenance of alcohol use disorder is well known. More specifically, reduced dopamine D2/3 receptors in the striatum of subjects with alcohol dependence (AD) compared to healthy controls have been found in previous studies. Furthermore, alterations of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and glutamate (Glu) levels in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) of AD subjects have been documented in several studies. However, the interaction between cortical Glu levels and striatal dopamine D2/3 receptors has not been investigated in AD thus far. METHODS This study investigated dopamine D2/3 receptor availability via 18F-fallypride positron emission tomography (PET) and GABA as well as Glu levels via magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) in 19 detoxified AD subjects, 18 healthy controls (low risk, LR) controls and 19 individuals at high risk (HR) for developing AD, carefully matched for sex, age and smoking status. RESULTS We found a significant negative correlation between GABA levels in the ACC and dopamine D2/3 receptor availability in the associative striatum of LR but not in AD or HR individuals. Contrary to our expectations, we did not observe a correlation between Glu concentrations in the ACC and striatal D2/3 receptor availability. CONCLUSIONS The results may reflect potential regulatory cortical mechanisms on mesolimbic dopamine receptors and their disruption in AD and individuals at high risk, mirroring complex neurotransmitter interactions associated with the pathogenesis of addiction. This is the first study combining 18F-fallypride PET and MRS in AD subjects and individuals at high risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gianna Spitta
- Department of Psychiatry and PsychotherapyCharité Campus Mitte (CCM), Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität and Humboldt Universität BerlinGermany
| | - Tobias Gleich
- Department of Psychiatry and PsychotherapyCharité Campus Mitte (CCM), Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität and Humboldt Universität BerlinGermany
- Epilepsy‐Center Berlin‐Brandenburg, Institute for Diagnostics of EpilepsyBerlinGermany
| | - Annika Rosenthal
- Department of Psychiatry and PsychotherapyCharité Campus Mitte (CCM), Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität and Humboldt Universität BerlinGermany
| | | | - Semiha Aydin
- Physikalisch‐Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB)BerlinGermany
| | - Andreas Heinz
- Department of Psychiatry and PsychotherapyCharité Campus Mitte (CCM), Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität and Humboldt Universität BerlinGermany
- German Center for Mental Health (DZPG) Partner Site Berlin‐PotsdamBerlinGermany
| | - Ralph Buchert
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology and Nuclear MedicineUniversity Medical Center Hamburg‐EppendorfHamburgGermany
| | - Jürgen Gallinat
- Department of Psychiatry and PsychotherapyUniversity Medical Center Hamburg‐Eppendorf (UKE)HamburgGermany
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13
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Loetscher KB, Goldfarb EV. Integrating and fragmenting memories under stress and alcohol. Neurobiol Stress 2024; 30:100615. [PMID: 38375503 PMCID: PMC10874731 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2024.100615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2023] [Revised: 02/03/2024] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 02/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Stress can powerfully influence the way we form memories, particularly the extent to which they are integrated or situated within an underlying spatiotemporal and broader knowledge architecture. These different representations in turn have significant consequences for the way we use these memories to guide later behavior. Puzzlingly, although stress has historically been argued to promote fragmentation, leading to disjoint memory representations, more recent work suggests that stress can also facilitate memory binding and integration. Understanding the circumstances under which stress fosters integration will be key to resolving this discrepancy and unpacking the mechanisms by which stress can shape later behavior. Here, we examine memory integration at multiple levels: linking together the content of an individual experience, threading associations between related but distinct events, and binding an experience into a pre-existing schema or sense of causal structure. We discuss neural and cognitive mechanisms underlying each form of integration as well as findings regarding how stress, aversive learning, and negative affect can modulate each. In this analysis, we uncover that stress can indeed promote each level of integration. We also show how memory integration may apply to understanding effects of alcohol, highlighting extant clinical and preclinical findings and opportunities for further investigation. Finally, we consider the implications of integration and fragmentation for later memory-guided behavior, and the importance of understanding which type of memory representation is potentiated in order to design appropriate interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Elizabeth V. Goldfarb
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University, USA
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, USA
- Wu Tsai Institute, Yale University, USA
- National Center for PTSD, West Haven VA, USA
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14
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Hynes T, Fouyssac M, Puaud M, Joshi D, Chernoff C, Stiebahl S, Michaud L, Belin D. Pan-striatal reduction in the expression of the astrocytic dopamine transporter precedes the development of dorsolateral striatum dopamine-dependent incentive heroin seeking habits. Eur J Neurosci 2024; 59:2502-2521. [PMID: 38650303 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.16354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2023] [Revised: 03/28/2024] [Accepted: 03/31/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
The emergence of compulsive drug-seeking habits, a hallmark feature of substance use disorder, has been shown to be predicated on the engagement of dorsolateral striatal control over behaviour. This process involves the dopamine-dependent functional coupling of the anterior dorsolateral striatum (aDLS) with the nucleus accumbens core, but the mechanisms by which this coupling occurs have not been fully elucidated. The striatum is tiled by a syncytium of astrocytes that express the dopamine transporter (DAT), the level of which is altered in individuals with heroin use disorder. Astrocytes are therefore uniquely placed functionally to bridge dopamine-dependent mechanisms across the striatum. Here we tested the hypothesis that exposure to heroin influences the expression of DAT in striatal astrocytes across the striatum before the development of DLS-dependent incentive heroin seeking habits. Using Western-blot, qPCR, and RNAscope™, we measured DAT protein and mRNA levels in whole tissue, culture and in situ astrocytes from striatal territories of rats with a well-established cue-controlled heroin seeking habit and rats trained to respond for heroin or food under continuous reinforcement. Incentive heroin seeking habits were associated with a reduction in DAT protein levels in the anterior aDLS that was preceded by a heroin-induced reduction in DAT mRNA and protein in astrocytes across the striatum. Striatal astrocytes were also shown to be susceptible to direct dopamine- and opioid-induced downregulation of DAT expression. These results suggest that astrocytes may critically regulate the striatal dopaminergic adaptations that lead to the development of incentive heroin seeking habits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tristan Hynes
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Maxime Fouyssac
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Mickaël Puaud
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Dhaval Joshi
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Chloe Chernoff
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Sonja Stiebahl
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Lola Michaud
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - David Belin
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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15
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Yin Y, Haggerty DL, Zhou S, Atwood BK, Sheets PL. Converging Effects of Chronic Pain and Binge Alcohol Consumption on Anterior Insular Cortex Neurons Projecting to the Dorsolateral Striatum in Male Mice. J Neurosci 2024; 44:e1287232024. [PMID: 38453466 PMCID: PMC11026341 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1287-23.2024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2023] [Revised: 02/19/2024] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Chronic pain and alcohol use disorder (AUD) are highly comorbid, and patients with chronic pain are more likely to meet the criteria for AUD. Evidence suggests that both conditions alter similar brain pathways, yet this relationship remains poorly understood. Prior work shows that the anterior insular cortex (AIC) is involved in both chronic pain and AUD. However, circuit-specific changes elicited by the combination of pain and alcohol use remain understudied. The goal of this work was to elucidate the converging effects of binge alcohol consumption and chronic pain on AIC neurons that send projections to the dorsolateral striatum (DLS). Here, we used the Drinking-in-the-Dark (DID) paradigm to model binge-like alcohol drinking in mice that underwent spared nerve injury (SNI), after which whole-cell patch-clamp electrophysiological recordings were performed in acute brain slices to measure intrinsic and synaptic properties of AIC→DLS neurons. In male, but not female, mice, we found that SNI mice with no prior alcohol exposure consumed less alcohol compared with sham mice. Electrophysiological analyses showed that AIC→DLS neurons from SNI-alcohol male mice displayed increased neuronal excitability and increased frequency of miniature excitatory postsynaptic currents. However, mice exposed to alcohol prior to SNI consumed similar amounts of alcohol compared with sham mice following SNI. Together, our data suggest that the interaction of chronic pain and alcohol drinking have a direct effect on both intrinsic excitability and synaptic transmission onto AIC→DLS neurons in mice, which may be critical in understanding how chronic pain alters motivated behaviors associated with alcohol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuexi Yin
- Medical Neurosciences Graduate Program, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana 46202
- Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana 46202
| | - David L Haggerty
- Medical Neurosciences Graduate Program, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana 46202
- Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana 46202
| | - Shudi Zhou
- Medical Neurosciences Graduate Program, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana 46202
- Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana 46202
| | - Brady K Atwood
- Medical Neurosciences Graduate Program, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana 46202
- Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana 46202
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana 46202
| | - Patrick L Sheets
- Medical Neurosciences Graduate Program, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana 46202
- Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana 46202
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana 46202
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16
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McCane AM, Kronheim L, Torrado Pacheco A, Moghaddam B. Adolescents rats engage the orbitofrontal-striatal pathway differently than adults during impulsive actions. Sci Rep 2024; 14:8605. [PMID: 38615065 PMCID: PMC11016110 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-58648-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Adolescence is characterized by increased impulsive and risk-taking behaviors. To better understand the neural networks that subserves impulsivity in adolescents, we used a reward-guided behavioral model that quantifies age differences in impulsive actions in adult and adolescent rats of both sexes. Using chemogenetics, we identified orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) projections to the dorsomedial striatum (DMS) as a critical pathway for age-related execution of impulsive actions. Simultaneous recording of single units and local field potentials in the OFC and DMS during task performance revealed an overall muted response in adolescents during impulsive actions as well as age-specific differences in theta power and OFC-DMS functional connectivity. Collectively, these data reveal that the OFC-DMS pathway is critical for age-differences in reward-guided impulsive actions and provide a network mechanism to enhance our understanding of how adolescent and adult brains coordinate behavioral inhibition.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lo Kronheim
- Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | | | - Bita Moghaddam
- Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA.
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17
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Cheng Y, Magnard R, Langdon AJ, Lee D, Janak PH. Chronic Ethanol Exposure Produces Persistent Impairment in Cognitive Flexibility and Decision Signals in the Striatum. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.10.584332. [PMID: 38585868 PMCID: PMC10996555 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.10.584332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/09/2024]
Abstract
Lack of cognitive flexibility is a hallmark of substance use disorders and has been associated with drug-induced synaptic plasticity in the dorsomedial striatum (DMS). Yet the possible impact of altered plasticity on real-time striatal neural dynamics during decision-making is unclear. Here, we identified persistent impairments induced by chronic ethanol (EtOH) exposure on cognitive flexibility and striatal decision signals. After a substantial withdrawal period from prior EtOH vapor exposure, male, but not female, rats exhibited reduced adaptability and exploratory behavior during a dynamic decision-making task. Reinforcement learning models showed that prior EtOH exposure enhanced learning from rewards over omissions. Notably, neural signals in the DMS related to the decision outcome were enhanced, while those related to choice and choice-outcome conjunction were reduced, in EtOH-treated rats compared to the controls. These findings highlight the profound impact of chronic EtOH exposure on adaptive decision-making, pinpointing specific changes in striatal representations of actions and outcomes as underlying mechanisms for cognitive deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yifeng Cheng
- Department Psychological and Brain Sciences, Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
| | - Robin Magnard
- Department Psychological and Brain Sciences, Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
| | - Angela J. Langdon
- Intramural Research Program, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - Daeyeol Lee
- Department Psychological and Brain Sciences, Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
- Zanvyl Krieger Mind/Brain Institute, Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
- Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
- Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
| | - Patricia H. Janak
- Department Psychological and Brain Sciences, Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
- Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
- Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
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18
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Ali DN, Ali HM, Lopez MR, Kang S, Choi DS. Astrocytic GABAergic Regulation in Alcohol Use and Major Depressive Disorders. Cells 2024; 13:318. [PMID: 38391931 PMCID: PMC10887002 DOI: 10.3390/cells13040318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2023] [Revised: 01/26/2024] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is the major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system (CNS). Most GABAergic neurons synthesize GABA from glutamate and release it in the synaptic cleft in the CNS. However, astrocytes can also synthesize and release GABA, activating GABA receptors in the neighboring neurons in physiological and pathological conditions. As the primary homeostatic glial cells in the brain, astrocytes play a crucial role in regulating GABA homeostasis and synaptic neurotransmission. Accumulating evidence demonstrates that astrocytic GABA dysregulation is implicated in psychiatric disorders, including alcohol use disorder (AUD) and major depressive disorder (MDD), the most prevalent co-occurring psychiatric disorders. Several current medications and emerging pharmacological agents targeting GABA levels are in clinical trials for treating AUD and MDD. This review offers a concise summary of the role of astrocytic GABA regulation in AUD and MDD. We also provide an overview of the current understanding and areas of debate regarding the mechanisms by which astrocytes regulate GABA in the CNS and their potential significance in the molecular basis of AUD and MDD, paving the way toward future research directions and potential therapeutic target areas within this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dina N. Ali
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Rochester, MN 55905, USA; (D.N.A.); (H.M.A.); (M.R.L.); (S.K.)
| | - Hossam M. Ali
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Rochester, MN 55905, USA; (D.N.A.); (H.M.A.); (M.R.L.); (S.K.)
| | - Matthew R. Lopez
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Rochester, MN 55905, USA; (D.N.A.); (H.M.A.); (M.R.L.); (S.K.)
| | - Shinwoo Kang
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Rochester, MN 55905, USA; (D.N.A.); (H.M.A.); (M.R.L.); (S.K.)
| | - Doo-Sup Choi
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Rochester, MN 55905, USA; (D.N.A.); (H.M.A.); (M.R.L.); (S.K.)
- Neuroscience Program, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
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19
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Gilger MD, Hellrung L, Neukam PT, Kroemer NB, Nebe S, Pooseh S, Deza-Lougovski YI, Smolka MN. Arbitration between model-free and model-based control is not affected by transient changes in tonic serotonin levels. J Psychopharmacol 2024; 38:178-187. [PMID: 38151862 PMCID: PMC10863371 DOI: 10.1177/02698811231216325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Serotonin has been suggested to modulate decision-making by influencing the arbitration between model-based and model-free control. Disruptions in these control mechanisms are involved in mental disorders such as drug dependence or obsessive-compulsive disorder. While previous reports indicate that lower brain serotonin levels reduce model-based control, it remains unknown whether increases in serotonergic availability might thus increase model-based control. Moreover, the mediating neural mechanisms have not been studied yet. AIM The first aim of this study was to investigate whether increased/decreased tonic serotonin levels affect the arbitration between model-free and model-based control. Second, we aimed to identify the underlying neural processes. METHODS We employed a sequential two-stage Markov decision-task and measured brain responses during functional magnetic resonance imaging in 98 participants in a randomized, double-blind cross-over within-subject design. To investigate the influence of serotonin on the balance between model-free and model-based control, we used a tryptophan intervention with three intervention levels (loading, balanced, depletion). We hypothesized that model-based behaviour would increase with higher serotonin levels. RESULTS We found evidence that neither model-free nor model-based control were affected by changes in tonic serotonin levels. Furthermore, our tryptophan intervention did not elicit relevant changes in Blood-Oxygenation-Level Dependent activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maximilian D. Gilger
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Lydia Hellrung
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Zurich Center for Neuroeconomics, Department of Economics, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Philipp T. Neukam
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Depression and Anxiety Center for Discovery and Treatment, Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Nils B. Kroemer
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Section of Medical Psychology, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Tübingen Center for Mental Health, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- German Center for Mental Health (DZPG), Tübingen, Germany
| | - Stephan Nebe
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Zurich Center for Neuroeconomics, Department of Economics, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Shakoor Pooseh
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Freiburg Center for Data Analysis and Modelling, Institute of Physics, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Yacila I. Deza-Lougovski
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Institute of Psychology, University of the Bundeswehr München, Neubiberg, Germany
| | - Michael N. Smolka
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
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20
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Handel SN, Smith RJ. Making and breaking habits: Revisiting the definitions and behavioral factors that influence habits in animals. J Exp Anal Behav 2024; 121:8-26. [PMID: 38010353 PMCID: PMC10842199 DOI: 10.1002/jeab.889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
Habits have garnered significant interest in studies of associative learning and maladaptive behavior. However, habit research has faced scrutiny and challenges related to the definitions and methods. Differences in the conceptualizations of habits between animal and human studies create difficulties for translational research. Here, we review the definitions and commonly used methods for studying habits in animals and humans and discuss potential alternative ways to assess habits, such as automaticity. To better understand habits, we then focus on the behavioral factors that have been shown to make or break habits in animals, as well as potential mechanisms underlying the influence of these factors. We discuss the evidence that habitual and goal-directed systems learn in parallel and that they seem to interact in competitive and cooperative manners. Finally, we draw parallels between habitual responding and compulsive drug seeking in animals to delineate the similarities and differences in these behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophia N Handel
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Rachel J Smith
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
- Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
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21
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Bouton ME. Habit and persistence. J Exp Anal Behav 2024; 121:88-96. [PMID: 38149526 PMCID: PMC10842266 DOI: 10.1002/jeab.894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 11/26/2023] [Indexed: 12/28/2023]
Abstract
Voluntary behaviors (operants) can come in two varieties: Goal-directed actions, which are emitted based on the remembered value of the reinforcer, and habits, which are evoked by antecedent cues and performed without the reinforcer's value in active memory. The two are perhaps most clearly distinguished with the reinforcer-devaluation test: Goal-directed actions are suppressed when the reinforcer is separately devalued and responding is tested in extinction, and habitual behaviors are not. But what is the function of habit learning? Habits are often thought to be strong and unusually persistent. The present selective review examines this idea by asking whether habits identified by the reinforcer-devaluation test are more resistant to extinction, resistant to the effects of other contingency change, vulnerable to relapse, resistant to the weakening effects of context change, or permanently in place once they are learned. Surprisingly little evidence supports the idea that habits are permanent or more persistent. Habits are more context-specific than goal-directed actions are. Methods that make behavior persistent do not necessarily work by encouraging habit. The function of habit learning may not be to make a behavior strong or more persistent but to make it automatic and efficient in a particular context.
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22
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Bryant KG, Singh B, Barker JM. Sex and individual differences in the effect of chronic low-dose ethanol on behavioral strategy selection. ALCOHOL, CLINICAL & EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 48:132-141. [PMID: 38206280 PMCID: PMC10784635 DOI: 10.1111/acer.15218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2023] [Revised: 10/03/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The development of an alcohol use disorder (AUD) involves impaired behavioral control and flexibility. Behavioral inflexibility includes an inability to shift behavior in response to changes in behavioral outcomes. Low levels of ethanol drinking may promote the formation of inflexible, habitual reward seeking, but this may depend on the timing of ethanol exposure in relation to learning. The goal of this study was to determine whether a history of low-dose ethanol exposure promoted contingency-insensitive sucrose seeking and altered behavioral strategy selection. METHODS Male and female C57BL/6J mice were trained to perform a response (lever press) for sucrose on two different reinforcement schedules: one that is thought to promote inflexible responding (random interval) and one that maintains flexible responding (variable ratio [VR]). Following instrumental training each day, mice were exposed to saline or low-dose ethanol (0.5 g/kg; i.p.) either proximal (1 h after) or distal (4 h after) to learning. Mice were then tested for sensitivity to changes in contingency in a contingency degradation test. RESULTS A history of low-dose ethanol exposure shifted behavioral strategy selection, as measured by reward tracking behavior, but this depended on sex and reinforcement schedule history. Both male and female mice used different strategies depending on the reinforcement schedule, but only males exhibited ethanol-induced shifts in strategy selection. A history of low-dose ethanol exposure did not impact contingency sensitivity in males but promoted insensitivity in females specifically on the VR lever. CONCLUSIONS Female mice show distinct behavioral effects of repeated, low-dose ethanol exposure as compared to males, with sex differences in the use of reward tracking strategies to guide behavior. Future studies should investigate sex differences in the neural consequences of chronic low-dose ethanol exposure that may underlie behavioral changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen G. Bryant
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19102
- Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology, and Physiology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202
| | - Binay Singh
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19102
| | - Jacqueline M. Barker
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19102
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23
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Bryant KG, Barker JM. Positive correlation between measures of habitual responding and motivated responding in mice. J Exp Anal Behav 2024; 121:74-87. [PMID: 38105634 PMCID: PMC10841761 DOI: 10.1002/jeab.895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
Habit and motivation are thought to be separate processes, with motivated behavior often considered to be goal directed, whereas habits are defined by the absence of goal-directed control over behavior. However, there has been increasing interrogation of the binary nature of habitual versus goal-directed behavior. Furthermore, although drug and alcohol exposure can promote the formation of habits, drug seeking itself can also be highly flexible, pointing toward the need for complex consideration of the parallel processes that drive behavior. The goal of the current study was to determine whether there was a relation between motivation-as measured by progressive ratio-and habit-as measured by contingency degradation-and whether this relation was affected by ethanol exposure history and sex. The results showed that these measures were positively correlated such that greater contingency insensitivity was associated with achieving higher break points on the progressive-ratio task. However, this relation depended on reinforcement schedule history, ethanol exposure history, and sex. These point to potential relations between measures of habit and motivation and stress the importance of carefully parsing behavioral findings and assays. These findings are also expected to inform future substance use research, as drug history may affect these relations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen G Bryant
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology, and Physiology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Jacqueline M Barker
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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24
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Sherman BE, Turk-Browne NB, Goldfarb EV. Multiple Memory Subsystems: Reconsidering Memory in the Mind and Brain. PERSPECTIVES ON PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2024; 19:103-125. [PMID: 37390333 PMCID: PMC10756937 DOI: 10.1177/17456916231179146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/02/2023]
Abstract
The multiple-memory-systems framework-that distinct types of memory are supported by distinct brain systems-has guided learning and memory research for decades. However, recent work challenges the one-to-one mapping between brain structures and memory types central to this taxonomy, with key memory-related structures supporting multiple functions across substructures. Here we integrate cross-species findings in the hippocampus, striatum, and amygdala to propose an updated framework of multiple memory subsystems (MMSS). We provide evidence for two organizational principles of the MMSS theory: First, opposing memory representations are colocated in the same brain structures; second, parallel memory representations are supported by distinct structures. We discuss why this burgeoning framework has the potential to provide a useful revision of classic theories of long-term memory, what evidence is needed to further validate the framework, and how this novel perspective on memory organization may guide future research.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Elizabeth V Goldfarb
- Department of Psychology, Yale University
- Wu Tsai Institute, Yale University
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University
- National Center for PTSD, West Haven, USA
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25
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Doyle MA, Taylor A, Winder DG. Neural Circuitries and Alcohol Use Disorder: Cutting Corners in the Cycle. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2023. [PMID: 38082108 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2023_454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/19/2024]
Abstract
An implicit tenet of the alcohol use disorder (AUD) research field is that knowledge of how alcohol interacts with the brain is critical to the development of an understanding of vulnerability to AUD and treatment approaches. Gaining this understanding requires the mapping of brain function critical to specific components of this heterogeneous disorder. Early approaches in humans and animal models focused on the determination of specific brain regions sensitive to alcohol action and their participation in AUD-relevant behaviors. Broadly speaking, this research has focused on three domains, Binge/Intoxication, Negative Affect/Withdrawal, and Preoccupation/Anticipation, with a number of regions identified as participating in each. With the generational advances in technologies that the field of neuroscience has undergone over the last two decades, this focus has shifted to a circuit-based analysis. A wealth of new data has sharpened the field's focus on the specific roles of the interconnectivity of multiple brain regions in AUD and AUD-relevant behaviors, as well as demonstrating that the three major domains described above have much fuzzier edges than originally thought.In this chapter, we very briefly review brain regions previously implicated in aspects of AUD-relevant behavior from animal model research. Next, we move to a more in-depth overview of circuit-based approaches, and the utilization of these approaches in current AUD research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie A Doyle
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Anne Taylor
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Danny G Winder
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA.
- Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA.
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA.
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26
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Baltz ET, Renteria R, Gremel CM. Chronic alcohol exposure differentially alters calcium activity of striatal cell populations during actions. ADDICTION NEUROSCIENCE 2023; 8:100128. [PMID: 37842013 PMCID: PMC10569208 DOI: 10.1016/j.addicn.2023.100128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2023]
Abstract
Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) can induce long lasting alterations to executive function. This includes altered action control, which can manifest as dysfunctional goal-directed control. Cortical and striatal circuits mediate goal-directed control over behavior, and prior research has found chronic alcohol disrupts these circuits. In particular, prior in vivo and ex vivo work have identified alterations to function and activity of dorsal medial striatum (DMS), which is necessary for goal-directed control. However, unknown is whether these alterations manifest as altered activity of select DMS populations during behavior. Here we examine effects of prior chronic alcohol exposure on calcium activity modulation during action-related behaviors via fiber photometry of genetically-identified DMS populations including the direct and indirect output pathways, and fast-spiking interneurons. We find that prior chronic alcohol exposure leads to increased calcium modulation of the direct pathway during action related behavior. In contrast, prior chronic alcohol exposure led to decreased calcium activity modulation of the indirect pathway and the fast-spiking interneuron population around action-related events. Together, our findings suggest an imbalance in striatal activity during action control. This disruption may contribute to the altered goal-directed control previously reported.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily T. Baltz
- The Neurosciences Graduate Program, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Rafael Renteria
- Department of Psychology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Christina M. Gremel
- The Neurosciences Graduate Program, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
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27
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Marti-Prats L, Giuliano C, Domi A, Puaud M, Peña-Oliver Y, Fouyssac M, McKenzie C, Everitt BJ, Belin D. The development of compulsive coping behavior depends on dorsolateral striatum dopamine-dependent mechanisms. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:4666-4678. [PMID: 37770577 PMCID: PMC10914627 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-023-02256-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2023] [Revised: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/30/2023]
Abstract
Humans greatly differ in how they cope with stress, a natural behavior learnt through negative reinforcement. Some individuals engage in displacement activities, others in exercise or comfort eating, and others still in alcohol use. Across species, adjunctive behaviors, such as polydipsic drinking, are used as a form of displacement activity that reduces stress. Some individuals, in particular those that use alcohol to self-medicate, tend to lose control over such coping behaviors, which become excessive and compulsive. However, the psychological and neural mechanisms underlying this individual vulnerability have not been elucidated. Here we tested the hypothesis that the development of compulsive adjunctive behaviors stems from the functional engagement of the dorsolateral striatum (DLS) dopamine-dependent habit system after a prolonged history of adjunctive responding. We measured in longitudinal studies in male Sprague Dawley rats the sensitivity of early established vs compulsive polydipsic water or alcohol drinking to a bilateral infusion into the anterior DLS (aDLS) of the dopamine receptor antagonist α-flupentixol. While most rats acquired a polydipsic drinking response with water, others only did so with alcohol. Whether drinking water or alcohol, the acquisition of this coping response was insensitive to aDLS dopamine receptor blockade. In contrast, after prolonged experience, adjunctive drinking became dependent on aDLS dopamine at a time when it was compulsive in vulnerable individuals. These data suggest that habits may develop out of negative reinforcement and that the engagement of their underlying striatal system is necessary for the manifestation of compulsive adjunctive behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucia Marti-Prats
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute and Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK
| | - Chiara Giuliano
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute and Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK
- Astra Zeneca, R&D Biopharmaceuticals, Fleming Building (B623), Babraham Research Park, Babraham, Cambridgeshire, CB22 3AT, UK
| | - Ana Domi
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute and Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy University of Gothenburg, Box 410, Gothenburg, 405 30, Sweden
| | - Mickaël Puaud
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute and Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK
| | - Yolanda Peña-Oliver
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute and Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK
- Research and Enterprise Services, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK
| | - Maxime Fouyssac
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute and Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK
| | - Colin McKenzie
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute and Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK
| | - Barry J Everitt
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute and Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK
| | - David Belin
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute and Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK.
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28
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Giovanniello JR, Paredes N, Wiener A, Ramírez-Armenta K, Oragwam C, Uwadia HO, Lim K, Nnamdi G, Wang A, Sehgal M, Reis FM, Sias AC, Silva AJ, Adhikari A, Malvaez M, Wassum KM. A dual-pathway architecture enables chronic stress to promote habit formation. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.10.03.560731. [PMID: 37873076 PMCID: PMC10592885 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.03.560731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2023]
Abstract
Chronic stress can change how we learn and, thus, how we make decisions by promoting the formation of inflexible, potentially maladaptive, habits. Here we investigated the neuronal circuit mechanisms that enable this. Using a multifaceted approach in male and female mice, we reveal a dual pathway, amygdala-striatal, neuronal circuit architecture by which a recent history of chronic stress shapes learning to disrupt flexible goal-directed behavior in favor of inflexible habits. Chronic stress inhibits activity of basolateral amygdala projections to the dorsomedial striatum to impede the action-outcome learning that supports flexible, goal-directed decisions. Stress also increases activity in direct central amygdala projections to the dorsomedial striatum to promote the formation of rigid, inflexible habits. Thus, stress exerts opposing effects on two amygdala-striatal pathways to promote premature habit formation. These data provide neuronal circuit insights into how chronic stress shapes learning and decision making, and help understand how stress can lead to the disrupted decision making and pathological habits that characterize substance use disorders and other psychiatric conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Anna Wiener
- Dept. of Psychology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095
| | | | | | | | - Kayla Lim
- Dept. of Biological Chemistry, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095
| | - Gift Nnamdi
- Dept. of Psychology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095
| | - Alicia Wang
- Dept. of Psychology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095
| | - Megha Sehgal
- Dept. of Psychology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095
| | | | - Ana C Sias
- Dept. of Psychology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095
| | - Alcino J Silva
- Dept. of Psychology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095
- Brain Research Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Integrative Center for Learning and Memory, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Avishek Adhikari
- Dept. of Psychology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095
- Brain Research Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Integrative Center for Learning and Memory, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | | | - Kate M Wassum
- Dept. of Psychology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095
- Brain Research Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Integrative Center for Learning and Memory, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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29
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Chevée M, Kim CJ, Crow N, Follman EG, Leonard MZ, Calipari ES. Food Restriction Level and Reinforcement Schedule Differentially Influence Behavior during Acquisition and Devaluation Procedures in Mice. eNeuro 2023; 10:ENEURO.0063-23.2023. [PMID: 37696663 PMCID: PMC10537440 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0063-23.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2023] [Revised: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 09/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Behavioral strategies are often classified based on whether reinforcer value controls reinforcement. Value-sensitive behaviors, in which animals update their actions when reinforcer value is changed, are classified as goal-directed; conversely, value-insensitive actions, where behavior remains consistent when the reinforcer is removed or devalued, are considered habitual. Basic reinforcement schedules can help to bias behavior toward either process: random ratio (RR) schedules are thought to promote the formation of goal-directed behaviors while random intervals (RIs) promote habitual control. However, how the schedule-specific features of these tasks interact with other factors that influence learning to control behavior has not been well characterized. Using male and female mice, we asked how distinct food restriction levels, a strategy often used to increase task engagement, interact with RR and RI schedules to control performance during task acquisition and devaluation procedures. We determined that food restriction level has a stronger effect on the behavior of mice following RR schedules compared with RI schedules, and that it promotes a decrease in response rate during devaluation procedures that is best explained by the effects of extinction rather than devaluation. Surprisingly, food restriction accelerated the decrease in response rates observed following devaluation across sequential extinction sessions, but not within a single session. Our results support the idea that the relationships between schedules and behavioral control strategies are not clear-cut and suggest that an animal's engagement in a task must be accounted for, together with the structure of reinforcement schedules, to appropriately interpret the cognitive underpinnings of behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maxime Chevée
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville TN 37232
| | - Courtney J Kim
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville TN 37232
| | - Nevin Crow
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville TN 37232
| | - Emma G Follman
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville TN 37232
| | - Michael Z Leonard
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville TN 37232
| | - Erin S Calipari
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville TN 37232
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232
- Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232
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30
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Han J, Keedy S, de Wit H. Stimulant-like subjective effects of alcohol are not related to resting-state connectivity in healthy men. Cereb Cortex 2023; 33:9478-9488. [PMID: 37339883 PMCID: PMC10656944 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhad218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Revised: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Individual differences in subjective, stimulant-like effects of alcohol are associated with the risk of developing alcohol use disorder. Specifically, individuals who experience more pronounced stimulant-like effects from alcohol are more likely to continue and escalate their usage. The neural basis for these individual differences in subjective response is not yet known. Using a within-subject design, 27 healthy male social drinkers completed three fMRI scans after ingesting a placebo, 0.4 and 0.8 g/kg alcohol, in a randomized order under double-blind conditions. Subjective stimulant effects of alcohol were assessed at regular intervals during each session. Seed-based and regional homogeneity analyses were conducted to evaluate changes in resting-state functional connectivity in relation to the stimulant effect of alcohol. Results indicated that 0.4 g/kg alcohol increased the connectivity to thalamus, and 0.8 g/kg alcohol decreased the connectivity to ventral anterior insula, primarily from the superior parietal lobule. Both doses reduced regional homogeneity in the superior parietal lobule but without an exact overlap with clusters showing connectivity changes in the seed-based analyses. The self-reported stimulant effect of alcohol was not significantly related to changes in seed-based connectivity or regional homogeneity. These findings suggest that alcohol-induced stimulation effects are not related to these indices of neural activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaxu Han
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Chicago, 5841 S Maryland Ave, Chicago, IL 60637, United States
| | - Sarah Keedy
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Chicago, 5841 S Maryland Ave, Chicago, IL 60637, United States
| | - Harriet de Wit
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Chicago, 5841 S Maryland Ave, Chicago, IL 60637, United States
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31
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Lewitus VJ, Blackwell KT. Estradiol Receptors Inhibit Long-Term Potentiation in the Dorsomedial Striatum. eNeuro 2023; 10:ENEURO.0071-23.2023. [PMID: 37487741 PMCID: PMC10405883 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0071-23.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Revised: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Estradiol, a female sex hormone and the predominant form of estrogen, has diverse effects throughout the brain including in learning and memory. Estradiol modulates several types of learning that depend on the dorsomedial striatum (DMS), a subregion of the basal ganglia involved in goal-directed learning, cued action-selection, and motor skills. A cellular basis of learning is synaptic plasticity, and the presence of extranuclear estradiol receptors ERα, ERβ, and G-protein-coupled estrogen receptor (GPER) throughout the DMS suggests that estradiol may influence rapid cellular actions including those involved in plasticity. To test whether estradiol affects synaptic plasticity in the DMS, corticostriatal long-term potentiation (LTP) was induced using theta-burst stimulation (TBS) in ex vivo brain slices from intact male and female C57BL/6 mice. Extracellular field recordings showed that female mice in the diestrous stage of the estrous cycle exhibited LTP similar to male mice, while female mice in estrus did not exhibit LTP. Furthermore, antagonists of ERα or GPER rescued LTP in estrous females and agonists of ERα or GPER reduced LTP in diestrous females. In males, activating ERα but not GPER reduced LTP. These results uncover an inhibitory action of estradiol receptors on cellular learning in the DMS and suggest a cellular mechanism underlying the impairment in certain types of DMS-based learning observed in the presence of high estradiol. Because of the dorsal striatum's role in substance use disorders, these findings may provide a mechanism underlying an estradiol-mediated progression from goal-directed to habitual drug use.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kim T Blackwell
- Interdisciplinary Neuroscience PhD Program
- Department of Bioengineering, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA 22030
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32
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Bender BN, Stringfield SJ, Torregrossa MM. Changes in dorsomedial striatum activity mediate expression of goal-directed vs. habit-like cue-induced cocaine seeking. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.07.24.550364. [PMID: 37546826 PMCID: PMC10402009 DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.24.550364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/08/2023]
Abstract
A preclinical model of cue exposure therapy, cue extinction, reduces cue-induced cocaine seeking when drug seeking is goal-directed but not habitual. Goal-directed and habitual behaviors differentially rely on the dorsomedial striatum (DMS) and dorsolateral striatum (DLS), but the effects of cue extinction on dorsal striatal responses to cue-induced drug seeking are unknown. We used fiber photometry to examine how dorsal striatal intracellular calcium and extracellular dopamine activity differs between goal-directed and habitual cue-induced cocaine seeking and how it is impacted by cue extinction. Rats trained to self-administer cocaine paired with an audiovisual cue on schedules of reinforcement that promote goal-directed or habitual cocaine seeking had different patterns of dorsal striatal calcium and dopamine responses to cue-reinforced lever presses. Cue extinction reduced calcium and dopamine responses during subsequent drug seeking in the DMS, but not in the DLS. Therefore, cue extinction may reduce goal-directed behavior through its effects on the DMS, whereas habitual behavior and the DLS are unaffected.
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33
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Baker M, Kang S, Hong SI, Song M, Yang MA, Peyton L, Essa H, Lee SW, Choi DS. External globus pallidus input to the dorsal striatum regulates habitual seeking behavior in male mice. Nat Commun 2023; 14:4085. [PMID: 37438336 PMCID: PMC10338526 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39545-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2022] [Accepted: 06/16/2023] [Indexed: 07/14/2023] Open
Abstract
The external globus pallidus (GPe) coordinates action-selection through GABAergic projections throughout the basal ganglia. GPe arkypallidal (arky) neurons project exclusively to the dorsal striatum, which regulates goal-directed and habitual seeking. However, the role of GPe arky neurons in reward-seeking remains unknown. Here, we identified that a majority of arky neurons target the dorsolateral striatum (DLS). Using fiber photometry, we found that arky activities were higher during random interval (RI; habit) compared to random ratio (RR; goal) operant conditioning. Support vector machine analysis demonstrated that arky neuron activities have sufficient information to distinguish between RR and RI behavior. Genetic ablation of this arkyGPe→DLS circuit facilitated a shift from goal-directed to habitual behavior. Conversely, chemogenetic activation globally reduced seeking behaviors, which was blocked by systemic D1R agonism. Our findings reveal a role of this arkyGPe→DLS circuit in constraining habitual seeking in male mice, which is relevant to addictive behaviors and other compulsive disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Baker
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
| | - Seungwoo Kang
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, 30912, USA
| | - Sa-Ik Hong
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
| | - Minryung Song
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Minsu Abel Yang
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Lee Peyton
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
| | - Hesham Essa
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
| | - Sang Wan Lee
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
- Department of Bio and Brain Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Doo-Sup Choi
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA.
- Neuroscience Program, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA.
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34
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Patton MS, Sheats SH, Siclair AN, Mathur BN. Alcohol potentiates multiple GABAergic inputs to dorsal striatum fast-spiking interneurons. Neuropharmacology 2023; 232:109527. [PMID: 37011784 PMCID: PMC10122715 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2023.109527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2022] [Revised: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 04/04/2023]
Abstract
Parvalbumin-expressing dorsal striatal fast-spiking interneurons, comprising ∼1% of the total dorsal striatal neuronal population, are necessary for the expression of compulsive-like ethanol consumption mice. Fast-spiking interneurons are driven to fire by glutamatergic inputs derived primarily from the cortex. However, these neurons also receive substantial GABAergic input from two sources: the globus pallidus and the reticular nucleus of the thalamus. How ethanol modulates inhibitory input onto fast-spiking neurons is unclear and, more broadly, alcohol effects on GABAergic synaptic transmission onto GABAergic interneurons are understudied. Examining this, we found that acute bath application of ethanol (50 mM) potentiated GABAergic transmission from both the globus pallidus and the reticular nucleus of the thalamus onto fast-spiking interneurons in mouse of both sexes. This ethanol-induced potentiation required postsynaptic calcium and was not accompanied by a sustained change in presynaptic GABA release probability. Examining whether this ethanol effect persisted following chronic intermittent ethanol exposure, we found attenuated acute-ethanol potentiation of GABAergic transmission from both the globus pallidus and the reticular nucleus of the thalamus onto striatal fast-spiking interneurons. These data underscore the impact of ethanol on GABAergic signaling in the dorsal striatum and support the notion that ethanol may disinhibit the dorsolateral striatum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael S Patton
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
| | - Samuel H Sheats
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
| | - Allison N Siclair
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
| | - Brian N Mathur
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA.
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35
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Jones BO, Paladino MS, Cruz AM, Spencer HF, Kahanek PL, Scarborough LN, Georges SF, Smith RJ. Punishment resistance for cocaine is associated with inflexible habits in rats. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.06.08.544242. [PMID: 37333299 PMCID: PMC10274925 DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.08.544242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/20/2023]
Abstract
Addiction is characterized by continued drug use despite negative consequences. In an animal model, a subset of rats continues to self-administer cocaine despite footshock consequences, showing punishment resistance. We sought to test the hypothesis that punishment resistance arises from failure to exert goal-directed control over habitual cocaine seeking. While habits are not inherently permanent or maladaptive, continued use of habits under conditions that should encourage goal-directed control makes them maladaptive and inflexible. We trained male and female Sprague Dawley rats on a seeking-taking chained schedule of cocaine self-administration (2 h/day). We then exposed them to 4 days of punishment testing, in which footshock (0.4 mA, 0.3 s) was delivered randomly on one-third of trials, immediately following completion of seeking and prior to extension of the taking lever. Before and after punishment testing (4 days pre-punishment and ≥4 days post-punishment), we assessed whether cocaine seeking was goal-directed or habitual using outcome devaluation via cocaine satiety. We found that punishment resistance was associated with continued use of habits, whereas punishment sensitivity was associated with increased goal-directed control. Although punishment resistance was not predicted by habitual responding pre-punishment, it was associated with habitual responding post-punishment. In parallel studies of food self-administration, we similarly observed that punishment resistance was associated with habitual responding post-punishment but not pre-punishment. These findings indicate that punishment resistance is related to habits that have become inflexible and persist under conditions that should encourage a transition to goal-directed behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bradley O. Jones
- Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Morgan S. Paladino
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Adelis M. Cruz
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Haley F. Spencer
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Payton L. Kahanek
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Lauren N. Scarborough
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Sandra F. Georges
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Rachel J. Smith
- Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
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36
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McNally GP, Jean-Richard-Dit-Bressel P, Millan EZ, Lawrence AJ. Pathways to the persistence of drug use despite its adverse consequences. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:2228-2237. [PMID: 36997610 PMCID: PMC10611585 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-023-02040-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2022] [Revised: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 04/01/2023]
Abstract
The persistence of drug taking despite its adverse consequences plays a central role in the presentation, diagnosis, and impacts of addiction. Eventual recognition and appraisal of these adverse consequences is central to decisions to reduce or cease use. However, the most appropriate ways of conceptualizing persistence in the face of adverse consequences remain unclear. Here we review evidence that there are at least three pathways to persistent use despite the negative consequences of that use. A cognitive pathway for recognition of adverse consequences, a motivational pathway for valuation of these consequences, and a behavioral pathway for responding to these adverse consequences. These pathways are dynamic, not linear, with multiple possible trajectories between them, and each is sufficient to produce persistence. We describe these pathways, their characteristics, brain cellular and circuit substrates, and we highlight their relevance to different pathways to self- and treatment-guided behavior change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gavan P McNally
- School of Psychology, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia.
| | | | - E Zayra Millan
- School of Psychology, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Andrew J Lawrence
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
- Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia
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Grinchii D, Levin-Greenwald M, Lezmy N, Gordon T, Paliokha R, Khoury T, Racicky M, Herburg L, Grothe C, Dremencov E, Barak S. FGF2 activity regulates operant alcohol self-administration and mesolimbic dopamine transmission. Drug Alcohol Depend 2023; 248:109920. [PMID: 37224676 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2023.109920] [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: 10/24/2022] [Revised: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) is involved in the development and maintenance of the brain dopamine system. We previously showed that alcohol exposure alters the expression of FGF2 and its receptor, FGF receptor 1 (FGFR1) in mesolimbic and nigrostriatal brain regions, and that FGF2 is a positive regulator of alcohol drinking. Here, we determined the effects of FGF2 and of FGFR1 inhibition on alcohol consumption, seeking and relapse, using a rat operant self-administration paradigm. In addition, we characterized the effects of FGF2-FGFR1 activation and inhibition on mesolimbic and nigrostriatal dopamine neuron activation using in vivo electrophysiology. We found that recombinant FGF2 (rFGF2) increased the firing rate and burst firing activity of dopaminergic neurons in the mesolimbic and nigrostriatal systems and led to increased operant alcohol self-administration. In contrast, the FGFR1 inhibitor PD173074 suppressed the firing rate of these dopaminergic neurons, and reduced operant alcohol self-administration. Alcohol seeking behavior was not affected by PD173074, but this FGFR1 inhibitor reduced post-abstinence relapse to alcohol consumption, albeit only in male rats. The latter was paralleled by the increased potency and efficacy of PD173074 in inhibiting dopamine neuron firing. Together, our findings suggest that targeting the FGF2-FGFR1 pathway can reduce alcohol consumption, possibly via altering mesolimbic and nigrostriatal neuronal activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniil Grinchii
- Institute of Molecular Physiology and Genetics, Center of Biosciences, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | | | - Noa Lezmy
- The Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv69978, Israel
| | - Tamar Gordon
- The Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv69978, Israel
| | - Ruslan Paliokha
- Institute of Molecular Physiology and Genetics, Center of Biosciences, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Talah Khoury
- Institute of Molecular Physiology and Genetics, Center of Biosciences, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Matej Racicky
- Institute of Molecular Physiology and Genetics, Center of Biosciences, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Leonie Herburg
- Institute of Neuroanatomy and Cell Biology, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Straße 1, Hanover30625, Germany; Center for Systems Neuroscience (ZSN), Hanover, Germany
| | - Claudia Grothe
- Institute of Neuroanatomy and Cell Biology, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Straße 1, Hanover30625, Germany; Center for Systems Neuroscience (ZSN), Hanover, Germany
| | - Eliyahu Dremencov
- Institute of Molecular Physiology and Genetics, Center of Biosciences, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia.
| | - Segev Barak
- School of Psychological Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv69978, Israel; The Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv69978, Israel.
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van Timmeren T, Piray P, Goudriaan AE, van Holst RJ. Goal-directed and habitual decision making under stress in gambling disorder: An fMRI study. Addict Behav 2023; 140:107628. [PMID: 36716563 DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2023.107628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2022] [Revised: 12/02/2022] [Accepted: 01/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
The development of addictive behaviors has been suggested to be related to a transition from goal-directed to habitual decision making. Stress is a factor known to prompt habitual behavior and to increase the risk for addiction and relapse. In the current study, we therefore used functional MRI to investigate the balance between goal-directed 'model-based' and habitual 'model-free' control systems and whether acute stress would differentially shift this balance in gambling disorder (GD) patients compared to healthy controls (HCs). Using a within-subject design, 22 patients with GD and 20 HCs underwent stress induction or a control condition before performing a multistep decision-making task during fMRI. Salivary cortisol levels showed that the stress induction was successful. Contrary to our hypothesis, GD patients did not show impaired goal-directed 'model-based' decision making, which remained similar to HCs after stress induction. Bayes factors provided three times more evidence against a difference between the groups or a group-by-stress interaction on the balance between model-based and model-free decision making. Similarly, no differences were found between groups and conditions on the neural estimates of model-based or model-free decision making. These results challenge the notion that GD is related to an increased reliance on habitual (or decreased goal-directed) control, even during stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim van Timmeren
- Amsterdam Institute for Addiction Research, Amsterdam UMC, Department of Psychiatry, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Habit Lab, Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Social Health and Organizational Psychology, Utrecht University, The Netherlands.
| | - Payam Piray
- Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, USA
| | - Anna E Goudriaan
- Amsterdam Institute for Addiction Research, Amsterdam UMC, Department of Psychiatry, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Arkin Mental Health, The Netherlands
| | - Ruth J van Holst
- Amsterdam Institute for Addiction Research, Amsterdam UMC, Department of Psychiatry, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Characterizing habit learning in the human brain at the individual and group levels: a multi-modal MRI study. Neuroimage 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.120002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/04/2023] Open
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Chandrasekaran J, Jacquez B, Wilson J, Brigman JL. Reinforcer value moderates the effects of prenatal alcohol exposure on learning and reversal. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1147536. [PMID: 37179543 PMCID: PMC10166816 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1147536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) are the leading cause of preventable developmental disability and are commonly characterized by alterations in executive function. Reversal learning tasks are reliable, cross-species methods for testing a frequently impaired aspect of executive control, behavioral flexibility. Pre-clinical studies commonly require the use of reinforcers to motivate animals to learn and perform the task. While there are several reinforcers available, the most commonly employed are solid (food pellets) and liquid (sweetened milk) rewards. Previous studies have examined the effects of different solid rewards or liquid dietary content on learning in instrumental responding and found that rodents on liquid reward with higher caloric content performed better with increased response and task acquisition rate. The influence of reinforcer type on reversal learning and how this interacts with developmental insults such as prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) has not been explored. Methods We tested whether reinforcer type during learning or reversal would impact an established deficit in PAE mice. Results We found that all male and female mice on liquid reward, regardless of prenatal exposure were better motivated to learn task behaviors during pre-training. Consistent with previous findings, both male and female PAE mice and Saccharine control mice were able to learn the initial stimulus reward associations irrespective of the reinforcer type. During the initial reversal phase, male PAE mice that received pellet rewards exhibited maladaptive perseverative responding whereas male mice that received liquid rewards performed comparable to their control counterparts. Female PAE mice that received either reinforcer types did not exhibit any deficits on behavioral flexibility. Female saccharine control mice that received liquid, but not pellet, rewards showed increased perseverative responding during the early reversal phase. Discussion These data suggest that reinforcer type can have a major impact on motivation, and therefore performance, during reversal learning. Highly motivating rewards may mask behavioral deficits seen with more moderately sought rewards and gestational exposure to the non-caloric sweetener, saccharine, can impact behavior motivated by those reinforcers in a sex-dependent manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jayapriya Chandrasekaran
- Department of Neurosciences, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM, United States
| | - Belkis Jacquez
- Department of Neurosciences, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM, United States
- New Mexico Alcohol Research Center, UNM Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM, United States
| | - Jennifer Wilson
- Department of Neurosciences, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM, United States
| | - Jonathan L. Brigman
- Department of Neurosciences, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM, United States
- New Mexico Alcohol Research Center, UNM Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM, United States
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Goldway N, Eldar E, Shoval G, Hartley CA. Computational Mechanisms of Addiction and Anxiety: A Developmental Perspective. Biol Psychiatry 2023; 93:739-750. [PMID: 36775050 PMCID: PMC10038924 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2023.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Revised: 02/05/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2023]
Abstract
A central goal of computational psychiatry is to identify systematic relationships between transdiagnostic dimensions of psychiatric symptomatology and the latent learning and decision-making computations that inform individuals' thoughts, feelings, and choices. Most psychiatric disorders emerge prior to adulthood, yet little work has extended these computational approaches to study the development of psychopathology. Here, we lay out a roadmap for future studies implementing this approach by developing empirically and theoretically informed hypotheses about how developmental changes in model-based control of action and Pavlovian learning processes may modulate vulnerability to anxiety and addiction. We highlight how insights from studies leveraging computational approaches to characterize the normative developmental trajectories of clinically relevant learning and decision-making processes may suggest promising avenues for future developmental computational psychiatry research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noam Goldway
- Department of Psychology, New York University, New York, New York
| | - Eran Eldar
- Department of Psychology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel; Department of Cognitive and Brain Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Gal Shoval
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey; Child and Adolescent Division, Geha Mental Health Center, Petah Tikva, Israel; Department of Psychiatry, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Catherine A Hartley
- Department of Psychology, New York University, New York, New York; Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, New York.
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Chen YY, Yim H, Lee TH. Negative impact of daily screen use on inhibitory control network in preadolescence: A two-year follow-up study. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2023; 60:101218. [PMID: 36821878 PMCID: PMC9933860 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2023.101218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2022] [Revised: 02/15/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has made an unprecedented shift in children's daily lives. Children are increasingly spending time with screens to learn and connect with others. As the online environment rapidly substitutes in-person experience, understanding children's neuropsychological trajectories associated with screen experiences is important. Previous findings suggest that excessive screen use can lead children to prefer more immediate rewards over delayed outcomes. We hypothesized that increased screen time delays a child's development of inhibitory control system in the brain (i.e., fronto-striatal circuitry). By analyzing neuropsychological data from 8324 children (9-11ys) from the ABCD Study, we found that children who had more screen time showed a higher reward orientation and weaker fronto-striatal connectivity. Importantly, we found that the daily screen exposure mediated the effect of reward sensitivity on the development of the inhibitory control system in the brain over a two year period. These findings suggest possible negative long-term impacts of increased daily screen time on children's neuropsychological development. The results further demonstrated that screen time influences dorsal striatum connectivity, which suggests that the effect of daily screen use is a habitual seeking behavior. The study provides neural and behavioral evidence for the negative impact of daily screen use on developing children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ya-Yun Chen
- Department of Psychology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Hyungwook Yim
- Department of Cognitive Sciences, Hanyang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
| | - Tae-Ho Lee
- Department of Psychology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA; School of Neuroscience, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA.
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Barnett WH, Kuznetsov A, Lapish CC. Distinct cortico-striatal compartments drive competition between adaptive and automatized behavior. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0279841. [PMID: 36943842 PMCID: PMC10030038 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0279841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2022] [Accepted: 12/15/2022] [Indexed: 03/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Cortical and basal ganglia circuits play a crucial role in the formation of goal-directed and habitual behaviors. In this study, we investigate the cortico-striatal circuitry involved in learning and the role of this circuitry in the emergence of inflexible behaviors such as those observed in addiction. Specifically, we develop a computational model of cortico-striatal interactions that performs concurrent goal-directed and habit learning. The model accomplishes this by distinguishing learning processes in the dorsomedial striatum (DMS) that rely on reward prediction error signals as distinct from the dorsolateral striatum (DLS) where learning is supported by salience signals. These striatal subregions each operate on unique cortical input: the DMS receives input from the prefrontal cortex (PFC) which represents outcomes, and the DLS receives input from the premotor cortex which determines action selection. Following an initial learning of a two-alternative forced choice task, we subjected the model to reversal learning, reward devaluation, and learning a punished outcome. Behavior driven by stimulus-response associations in the DLS resisted goal-directed learning of new reward feedback rules despite devaluation or punishment, indicating the expression of habit. We repeated these simulations after the impairment of executive control, which was implemented as poor outcome representation in the PFC. The degraded executive control reduced the efficacy of goal-directed learning, and stimulus-response associations in the DLS were even more resistant to the learning of new reward feedback rules. In summary, this model describes how circuits of the dorsal striatum are dynamically engaged to control behavior and how the impairment of executive control by the PFC enhances inflexible behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- William H. Barnett
- Department of Psychology, Indiana University—Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, Indiana, United States of America
| | - Alexey Kuznetsov
- Department of Mathematics, Indiana University—Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, Indiana, United States of America
| | - Christopher C. Lapish
- Department of Psychology, Indiana University—Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, Indiana, United States of America
- Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University—Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, Indiana, United States of America
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Ghrelin/GHS-R1A antagonism in memory test and its effects on central molecular signaling involved in addiction in rats. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2023; 224:173528. [PMID: 36870422 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2023.173528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2022] [Revised: 12/23/2022] [Accepted: 02/12/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023]
Abstract
Central ghrelin signaling seems to play important role in addiction as well as memory processing. Antagonism of the growth hormone secretagogue receptor (GHS-R1A) has been recently proposed as a promising tool for the unsatisfactory drug addiction therapy. However, molecular aspects of GHS-R1A involvement in specific brain regions remain unclear. The present study demonstrated for the first time that acute as well as subchronic (4 days) administration of the experimental GHS-R1A antagonist JMV2959 in usual intraperitoneal doses including 3 mg/kg, had no influence on memory functions tested in the Morris Water Maze in rats as well as no significant effects on the molecular markers linked with memory processing in selected brain areas in rats, specifically on the β-actin, c-Fos, two forms of the calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII, p-CaMKII) and the cAMP-response element binding protein (CREB, p-CREB), within the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), nucleus accumbens (NAc), dorsal striatum, and hippocampus (HIPP). Furthermore, following the methamphetamine intravenous self-administration in rats, the 3 mg/kg JMV2959 pretreatment significantly reduced or prevented the methamphetamine-induced significant decrease of hippocampal β-actin and c-Fos as well as it prevented the significant decrease of CREB in the NAC and mPFC. These results imply, that the GHS-R1A antagonist/JMV2959 might reduce/prevent some of the memory-linked molecular changes elicited by methamphetamine addiction within brain structures associated with memory (HIPP), reward (NAc), and motivation (mPFC), which may contribute to the previously observed significant JMV2959-induced reduction of the methamphetamine self-administration and drug-seeking behavior in the same animals. Further research is necessary to corroborate these results.
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Sitzia G, Lovinger DM. Circuit dysfunctions of associative and sensorimotor basal ganglia loops in alcohol use disorder: insights from animal models. ADDICTION NEUROSCIENCE 2023; 5:100056. [PMID: 36567745 PMCID: PMC9788651 DOI: 10.1016/j.addicn.2022.100056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Persons that develop Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) experience behavioral changes that include compulsion to seek and take alcohol despite its negative consequences on the person's psychosocial, health and economic spheres, inability to limit alcohol intake and a negative emotional/ motivational state that emerges during withdrawal. During all the stages of AUD executive functions, i.e. the person's ability to direct their behavior towards a goal, working memory and cognitive flexibility are eroded. Animal models of AUD recapitulate aspects of action selection impairment and offer the opportunity to benchmark the underlying circuit mechanisms. Here we propose a circuit-based approach to AUD research focusing on recent advances in behavioral analysis, neuroanatomy, genetics, and physiology to guide future research in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giacomo Sitzia
- Current Address: Laboratory for Integrative Neuroscience, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, US National Institutes of Health, Rockville, USA
- Molecular Neurophysiology Laboratory, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, 17164 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - David M. Lovinger
- Current Address: Laboratory for Integrative Neuroscience, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, US National Institutes of Health, Rockville, USA
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Emtage JA, Shipman ML, Corbit LH. The role of dorsomedial striatum adenosine 2A receptors in the loss of goal-directed behaviour. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2023; 240:547-559. [PMID: 36129491 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-022-06220-7] [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: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Adenosine A2A receptors (A2AR) in the dorsal striatum have been implicated in goal-directed behaviour. While activation of these receptors with several methods has resulted in an insensitivity to outcome devaluation, particular explanations for how they disrupt behaviour have not been explored. We both confirm a role for A2A receptors in goal-directed responding and evaluate additional behavioural aspects of goal-directed control to more fully understand the role of A2A receptors in instrumental behaviour. OBJECTIVES To examine the effects of the adenosine A2A agonist CGS-21680 in the DMS on response-outcome encoding, updating representations of outcome value and on the ability to inhibit behaviour when reward is not available. METHODS Male rats were trained to lever press for food reward. The A2AR agonist CGS-21680 was infused into the dorsomedial striatum either before an outcome devaluation test, prior to training with two distinct response-outcome associations or prior to a test of discriminative stimulus control over instrumental performance. RESULTS Intra-DMS administration of CGS-21680 impaired sensitivity to outcome devaluation. CGS-21680 treatment did not impair acquisition of specific response-outcome associations, selective control of responding based on the presence of stimuli that signaled when reward was or was not available, discrimination between stimuli or lever choices nor did it influence the effect of devaluation on the amounts of food eaten in a consumption test. CONCLUSIONS CGS-21680 impairs the ability to modulate responding based on recent changes to outcome value, an effect that is not accounted for by impairments in behavioural inhibition, discrimination, encoding the specific outcome of a response or the effectiveness of specific satiety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaec A Emtage
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, 25 Harbord Street, Toronto, ON, M5S 3G5, Canada
| | - Megan L Shipman
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, 100 St. George Street, Toronto, ON, M5S 3G3, Canada
| | - Laura H Corbit
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, 25 Harbord Street, Toronto, ON, M5S 3G5, Canada. .,Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, 100 St. George Street, Toronto, ON, M5S 3G3, Canada.
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Chevée M, Kim CJ, Crow N, Follman EG, Calipari ES. Sensitivity to outcome devaluation in operant tasks is better predicted by food restriction level than reinforcement training schedule in mice. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.02.23.529699. [PMID: 36865193 PMCID: PMC9980049 DOI: 10.1101/2023.02.23.529699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/25/2023]
Abstract
Behavioral strategies are often classified based on whether reinforcement is controlled by the value of the reinforcer. Value-sensitive behaviors, in which animals update their actions when reinforcer value is changed, are classified as goal-directed; conversely, value-insensitive actions, where behavior remains consistent when the reinforcer is removed or devalued, are considered habitual. Understanding the features of operant training that bias behavioral control toward either strategy is essential to understanding the cognitive and neuronal processes on which they rely. Using basic reinforcement principles, behavior can be biased toward relying on either process: random ratio (RR) schedules are thought to promote the formation of goal-directed behaviors while random intervals (RI) promote habitual control. However, how the schedule-specific features of these task structures relate to external factors to influence behavior is not well understood. Using male and female mice on distinct food restriction levels, we trained each group on RR schedules with responses-per-reinforcer rates matched to their RI counterparts to control for differences in reinforcement rate. We determined that food restriction level has a stronger effect on the behavior of mice following RR schedules than mice following RI schedules and that food restriction better predicted sensitivity to outcome devaluation than training schedule. Our results support the idea the relationships between RR or RI schedules with goal-directed or habitual behaviors, respectively, are more nuanced than previously appreciated and suggest that an animal's engagement in a task must be accounted for, together with the structure of reinforcement schedules, to appropriately interpret the cognitive underpinnings of behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maxime Chevée
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Courtney J. Kim
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Nevin Crow
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Emma G. Follman
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Erin S. Calipari
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
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Chronic Voluntary Alcohol Consumption Alters Promoter Methylation and Expression of Fgf-2 and Fgfr1. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24043336. [PMID: 36834747 PMCID: PMC9963845 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24043336] [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: 01/19/2023] [Revised: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 02/04/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Alcohol abuse accounts for 3.3 million deaths annually, rendering it a global health issue. Recently, fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF-2) and its target, fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 (FGFR1), were discovered to positively regulate alcohol-drinking behaviors in mice. We tested whether alcohol intake and withdrawal alter DNA methylation of Fgf-2 and Fgfr1 and if there is a correlation regarding mRNA expression of these genes. Blood and brain tissues of mice receiving alcohol intermittently over a six-week period were analyzed using direct bisulfite sequencing and qRT-PCR analysis. Assessment of Fgf-2 and Fgfr1 promoter methylation revealed changes in the methylation of cytosines in the alcohol group compared with the control group. Moreover, we showed that the altered cytosines coincided with binding motives of several transcription factors. We also found that Fgf-2 and Fgfr1 gene expression was significantly decreased in alcohol-receiving mice compared with control littermates, and that this effect was specifically detected in the dorsomedial striatum, a brain region involved in the circuitry of the reward system. Overall, our data showed alcohol-induced alterations in both mRNA expression and methylation pattern of Fgf-2 and Fgfr1. Furthermore, these alterations showed a reward system regional specificity, therefore, resembling potential targets for future pharmacological interventions.
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de Guglielmo G, Simpson S, Kimbrough A, Conlisk D, Baker R, Cantor M, Kallupi M, George O. Voluntary and forced exposure to ethanol vapor produces similar escalation of alcohol drinking but differential recruitment of brain regions related to stress, habit, and reward in male rats. Neuropharmacology 2023; 222:109309. [PMID: 36334765 PMCID: PMC10022477 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2022.109309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2022] [Revised: 10/13/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
A major limitation of the most widely used current animal models of alcohol dependence is that they use forced exposure to ethanol including ethanol-containing liquid diet and chronic intermittent ethanol (CIE) vapor to produce clinically relevant blood alcohol levels (BAL) and addiction-like behaviors. We recently developed a novel animal model of voluntary induction of alcohol dependence using ethanol vapor self-administration (EVSA). However, it is unknown whether EVSA leads to an escalation of alcohol drinking per se, and whether such escalation is associated with neuroadaptations in brain regions related to stress, reward, and habit. To address these issues, we compared the levels of alcohol drinking during withdrawal between rats passively exposed to alcohol (CIE) or voluntarily exposed to EVSA and measured the number of Fos+ neurons during acute withdrawal (16 h) in key brain regions important for stress, reward, and habit-related processes. CIE and EVSA rats exhibited similar BAL and similar escalation of alcohol drinking and motivation for alcohol during withdrawal. Acute withdrawal from EVSA and CIE recruited a similar number of Fos+ neurons in the Central Amygdala (CeA), however, acute withdrawal from EVSA recruited a higher number of Fos+ neurons in every other brain region analyzed compared to acute withdrawal from CIE. In summary, while the behavioral measures of alcohol dependence between the voluntary (EVSA) and passive (CIE) model were similar, the recruitment of neuronal ensembles during acute withdrawal was very different. The EVSA model may be particularly useful to unveil the neuronal networks and pharmacology responsible for the voluntary induction and maintenance of alcohol dependence and may improve translational studies by providing preclinical researchers with an animal model that highlights the volitional aspects of alcohol use disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sierra Simpson
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Adam Kimbrough
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47906, USA
| | - Dana Conlisk
- Univ. Bordeaux, INSERM, Neurocenter Magendie, Psychobiology of Drug Addiction Group, U1215, F-33000, Bordeaux, France
| | - Robert Baker
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Maxwell Cantor
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Marsida Kallupi
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Olivier George
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
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Lack of action monitoring as a prerequisite for habitual and chunked behavior: Behavioral and neural correlates. iScience 2022; 26:105818. [PMID: 36636348 PMCID: PMC9830217 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.105818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2022] [Revised: 11/01/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
We previously reported the rapid development of habitual behavior in a discrete-trials instrumental task in which lever insertion and retraction act as reward-predictive cues delineating sequence execution. Here we asked whether lever cues or performance variables reflective of skill and automaticity might account for habitual behavior in male rats. Behavior in the discrete-trials habit-promoting task was compared with two task variants lacking the sequence-delineating cues of lever extension and retraction. We find that behavior is under goal-directed control in absence of sequence-delineating cues but not in their presence, and that skilled performance does not predict goal-directed vs. habitual behavior. Neural activity recordings revealed an engagement of dorsolateral striatum and a disengagement of dorsomedial striatum during the sequence execution of the habit-promoting task, specifically. Together, these results indicate that sequence delineation cues promote habit and differential engagement of striatal subregions during instrumental responding, a pattern that may reflect cue-elicited behavioral chunking.
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