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Kong CH, Lee JW, Jeon M, Kang WC, Kim MS, Park K, Bae HJ, Park SJ, Jung SY, Kim SN, Kleinfelter B, Kim JW, Ryu JH. D-Pinitol mitigates post-traumatic stress disorder-like behaviors induced by single prolonged stress in mice through mineralocorticoid receptor antagonism. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2024; 132:110990. [PMID: 38467326 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2024.110990] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2023] [Revised: 02/24/2024] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024]
Abstract
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental illness that can occur in individuals who have experienced trauma. Current treatments for PTSD, typically serotonin reuptake inhibitors, have limited effectiveness for patients and often cause serious adverse effects. Therefore, a novel class of treatment with better pharmacological profile is necessary. D-Pinitol has been reported to be effective for depression and anxiety disorders, but there are no reports associated with PTSD. In the present study, we investigated the effects of D-pinitol in a mouse model of PTSD induced by a single prolonged stress (SPS) protocol. We examined the therapeutic effects of D-pinitol on emotional and cognitive impairments in the SPS mouse model. We also investigated the effects of D-pinitol on fear memory formation. Mineralocorticoid receptor transactivation assay, Western blot, and quantitative PCR were employed to investigate how D-pinitol exerts its pharmacological activities. D-Pinitol ameliorated PTSD-like behaviors in a SPS mouse model. D-Pinitol also normalized the increased mRNA expression levels and protein levels of the mineralocorticoid receptor in the amygdala. A mineralocorticoid receptor agonist reversed the effects of D-pinitol on fear extinction and recall, and the antagonistic property of D-pinitol against the mineralocorticoid receptor was confirmed in vitro. Our findings suggest that D-pinitol could serve as a potential therapeutic agent for PTSD due to its antagonistic effect on the mineralocorticoid receptor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chang Hyeon Kong
- Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, Republic of Korea
| | - Jin Woo Lee
- Natural Products Research Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Gangneung-si 25451, Republic of Korea
| | - Mijin Jeon
- Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, Republic of Korea
| | - Woo Chang Kang
- Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, Republic of Korea
| | - Min Seo Kim
- Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, Republic of Korea
| | - Keontae Park
- Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, Republic of Korea
| | - Ho Jung Bae
- Agriculture and Life Science Research Institute, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 24341, Republic of Korea
| | - Se Jin Park
- School of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 24341, Republic of Korea
| | - Seo Yun Jung
- Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, Republic of Korea
| | - Su-Nam Kim
- Natural Products Research Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Gangneung-si 25451, Republic of Korea
| | - Benjamin Kleinfelter
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37240, United States of America
| | - Ji-Woon Kim
- Department of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Kyung Hee Univeristy, Seoul 02447, Republic of Korea.
| | - Jong Hoon Ryu
- Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, Republic of Korea; Department of Oriental Pharmaceutical Science, College of Pharmacy, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, Republic of Korea.
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2
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Martínez-Pacheco H, Zepeda RC, Picazo O, Quirarte GL, Roldán-Roldán G. Class I histone deacetylases inhibition reverses memory impairment induced by acute stress in mice. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0302374. [PMID: 38635564 PMCID: PMC11025869 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0302374] [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: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024] Open
Abstract
While chronic stress induces learning and memory impairments, acute stress may facilitate or prevent memory consolidation depending on whether it occurs during the learning event or before it, respectively. On the other hand, it has been shown that histone acetylation regulates long-term memory formation. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of two inhibitors of class I histone deacetylases (HDACs), 4-phenylbutyrate (PB) and IN14 (100 mg/kg/day, ip for 2 days), on memory performance in mice exposed to a single 15-min forced swimming stress session. Plasma corticosterone levels were determined 30 minutes after acute swim stress in one group of mice. In another experimental series, independent groups of mice were trained in one of three different memory tasks: Object recognition test, Elevated T maze, and Buried food location test. Subsequently, the hippocampi were removed to perform ELISA assays for histone deacetylase 2 (HDAC2) expression. Acute stress induced an increase in plasma corticosterone levels, as well as hippocampal HDAC2 content, along with an impaired performance in memory tests. Moreover, PB and IN14 treatment prevented memory loss in stressed mice. These findings suggest that HDAC2 is involved in acute stress-induced cognitive impairment. None of the drugs improved memory in non-stressed animals, indicating that HDACs inhibitors are not cognitive boosters, but rather potentially useful drugs for mitigating memory deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heidy Martínez-Pacheco
- Departamento de Neurobiología Conductual y Cognitiva, Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Campus Juriquilla, Juriquilla, Querétaro, México
| | | | - Ofir Picazo
- Escuela Superior de Medicina, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Gina L. Quirarte
- Departamento de Neurobiología Conductual y Cognitiva, Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Campus Juriquilla, Juriquilla, Querétaro, México
| | - Gabriel Roldán-Roldán
- Laboratorio de Neurobiología Conductual, Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, México
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3
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Deuter CE, Kaczmarczyk M, Hellmann-Regen J, Kuehl LK, Wingenfeld K, Otte C. The influence of pharmacological mineralocorticoid and glucocorticoid receptor blockade on the cortisol response to psychological stress. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2024; 129:110905. [PMID: 38043634 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2023.110905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2023] [Revised: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/05/2023]
Abstract
The glucocorticoid cortisol is the end product of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and crucial for the stress response in humans. Cortisol regulates numerous biological functions by binding to two different types of receptors: the mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) and the glucocorticoid receptor (GR). Both receptors are found in the brain where they are crucially involved in various mental functions and in feedback inhibition of cortisol release. The precise role of both receptors in the human stress response is not completely understood. In this study, we examined the effects of pharmacological blockade of the MR or the GR on stress-induced cortisol release in a sample of 318 healthy young men (M = 25.42, SD = 5.01). Participants received the MR antagonist spironolactone (300 mg), the GR antagonist mifepristone (600 mg), or a placebo and were subjected 90 min later to a social-evaluative stressor (Trier Social Stress Test) or a non-stressful control condition. We found significantly higher stress-induced cortisol release in the spironolactone group, whereas participants after mifepristone administration did not differ from the control groups. These results suggest that MR blockade results in attenuated fast negative feedback processes and emphasize the important role of the MR during the early phase of the stress response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian E Deuter
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin Institute of Health, Klinik für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Michael Kaczmarczyk
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin Institute of Health, Klinik für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Julian Hellmann-Regen
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin Institute of Health, Klinik für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Berlin, Germany; DZPG (German Center for Mental Health), Germany
| | | | - Katja Wingenfeld
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin Institute of Health, Klinik für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Berlin, Germany; DZPG (German Center for Mental Health), Germany
| | - Christian Otte
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin Institute of Health, Klinik für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Berlin, Germany; DZPG (German Center for Mental Health), Germany
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4
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Sjouwerman R, Illius S, Kuhn M, Lonsdorf TB. A data multiverse analysis investigating non-model based SCR quantification approaches. Psychophysiology 2022; 59:e14130. [PMID: 35780077 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.14130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2021] [Revised: 03/11/2022] [Accepted: 04/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Electrodermal signals are commonly used outcome measures in research on arousal, emotion, and habituation. Recently, we reported on heterogeneity in skin conductance response quantification approaches and its impact on replicability. Here we provide complementary work focusing on within-approach heterogeneity of specifications for skin conductance response quantification. We focus on heterogeneity within the baseline-correction approach (BLC) which appeared as particularly heterogeneous-for instance with respect to the pre-CS baseline window duration, the start, and end of the peak detection window. We systematically scrutinize the robustness of results when applying different BLC approach specifications to one representative pre-existing data set (N = 118) in a (partly) pre-registered study. We report high agreement between different BLC approaches for US and CS+ trials, but moderate to poor agreement for CS- trials. Furthermore, a specification curve of the main effect of CS discrimination during fear acquisition training from all potential and reasonable combinations of specifications (N = 150) and a prototypical trough-to-peak (TTP) approach indicates that resulting effect sizes are largely comparable. A second specification curve (N = 605 specific combinations) highlights a strong impact of different transformation types. Crucially, however, we show that BLC approaches often misclassify the peak value-particularly for CS- trials, leading to stimulus-specific biases and challenges for post-processing and replicability of CS discrimination across studies applying different approaches. Lastly, we investigate how negative skin conductance values in BLC, appearing most frequently for CS- (CS- > CS+ > US), correspond to values in TTP quantification. We discuss the results considering prospects and challenges of the multiverse approach and future directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Sjouwerman
- Institute for Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
- Experimental Health Psychology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Sabrina Illius
- Institute for Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
- ICAN Institute for Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, Medical School Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Manuel Kuhn
- Institute for Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Center for Depression, Anxiety and Stress, Research, McLean Hospital, Belmont, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Tina B Lonsdorf
- Institute for Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
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5
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Kuhn M, Gerlicher AMV, Lonsdorf TB. Navigating the manyverse of skin conductance response quantification approaches - A direct comparison of trough-to-peak, baseline correction, and model-based approaches in Ledalab and PsPM. Psychophysiology 2022; 59:e14058. [PMID: 35365863 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.14058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2021] [Revised: 02/21/2022] [Accepted: 03/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Raw data are typically required to be processed to be ready for statistical analyses, and processing pipelines are often characterized by substantial heterogeneity. Here, we applied seven different approaches (trough-to-peak scoring by two different raters, script-based baseline correction, Ledalab as well as four different models implemented in the software PsPM) to two fear conditioning data sets. Selection of the approaches included was guided by a systematic literature search by using fear conditioning research as a case example. Our approach can be viewed as a set of robustness analyses (i.e., same data subjected to different processing pipelines) aiming to investigate if and to what extent these different quantification approaches yield comparable results given the same data. To our knowledge, no formal framework for the evaluation of robustness analyses exists to date, but we may borrow some criteria from a framework suggested for the evaluation of "replicability" in general. Our results from seven different SCR quantification approaches applied to two data sets with different paradigms suggest that there may be no single approach that consistently yields larger effect sizes and could be universally considered "best." Yet, at least some of the approaches employed show consistent effect sizes within each data set indicating comparability. Finally, we highlight substantial heterogeneity also within most quantification approaches and discuss implications and potential remedies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuel Kuhn
- Institute for Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.,Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, and Center for Depression, Anxiety and Stress Research, McLean Hospital, Belmont, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Anna M V Gerlicher
- Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Department of Experimental Psychology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Tina B Lonsdorf
- Institute for Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
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6
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Michela A, van Peer JM, Brammer JC, Nies A, van Rooij MMJW, Oostenveld R, Dorrestijn W, Smit AS, Roelofs K, Klumpers F, Granic I. Deep-Breathing Biofeedback Trainability in a Virtual-Reality Action Game: A Single-Case Design Study With Police Trainers. Front Psychol 2022; 13:806163. [PMID: 35222194 PMCID: PMC8868154 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.806163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2021] [Accepted: 01/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
It is widely recognized that police performance may be hindered by psychophysiological state changes during acute stress. To address the need for awareness and control of these physiological changes, police academies in many countries have implemented Heart-Rate Variability (HRV) biofeedback training. Despite these trainings now being widely delivered in classroom setups, they typically lack the arousing action context needed for successful transfer to the operational field, where officers must apply learned skills, particularly when stress levels rise. The study presented here aimed to address this gap by training physiological control skills in an arousing decision-making context. We developed a Virtual-Reality (VR) breathing-based biofeedback training in which police officers perform deep and slow diaphragmatic breathing in an engaging game-like action context. This VR game consisted of a selective shoot/don’t shoot game designed to assess response inhibition, an impaired capacity in high arousal situations. Biofeedback was provided based on adherence to a slow breathing pace: the slower and deeper the breathing, the less constrained peripheral vision became, facilitating accurate responses to the in-game demands. A total of nine male police trainers completed 10 sessions over a 4-week period as part of a single-case experimental ABAB study-design (i.e., alternating sessions with and without biofeedback). Results showed that eight out of nine participants showed improved breathing control in action, with a positive effect on breathing-induced low frequency HRV, while also improving their in-game behavioral performance. Critically, the breathing-based skill learning transferred to subsequent sessions in which biofeedback was not presented. Importantly, all participants remained highly engaged throughout the training. Altogether, our study showed that our VR environment can be used to train breathing regulation in an arousing and active decision-making context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abele Michela
- Behavioral Science Institute, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | | | - Jan C Brammer
- Behavioral Science Institute, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Anique Nies
- Behavioral Science Institute, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Marieke M J W van Rooij
- Faculty of Behavioral, Management and Social Sciences, University of Twente, Twente, Netherlands
| | - Robert Oostenveld
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands.,NatMEG, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | - Annika S Smit
- Police Academy of the Netherlands, Apeldoorn, Netherlands.,Humanism and Social Resilience, University of Humanistic Studies, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Karin Roelofs
- Behavioral Science Institute, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands.,Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Floris Klumpers
- Behavioral Science Institute, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands.,Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Isabela Granic
- Behavioral Science Institute, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands.,Faculty of Social Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
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7
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Dolfen N, Veldman MP, Gann MA, von Leupoldt A, Puts NAJ, Edden RAE, Mikkelsen M, Swinnen S, Schwabe L, Albouy G, King BR. A role for GABA in the modulation of striatal and hippocampal systems under stress. Commun Biol 2021; 4:1033. [PMID: 34475515 PMCID: PMC8413374 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-021-02535-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2021] [Accepted: 08/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous research has demonstrated that stress modulates the competitive interaction between the hippocampus and striatum, two structures known to be critically involved in motor sequence learning. These earlier investigations, however, have largely focused on blood oxygen-level dependent (BOLD) responses. No study to date has examined the link between stress, motor learning and levels of striatal and hippocampal gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). This knowledge gap is surprising given the known role of GABA in neuroplasticity subserving learning and memory. The current study thus examined: a) the effects of motor learning and stress on striatal and hippocampal GABA levels; and b) how learning- and stress-induced changes in GABA relate to the neural correlates of learning. To do so, fifty-three healthy young adults were exposed to a stressful or non-stressful control intervention before motor sequence learning. Striatal and hippocampal GABA levels were assessed at baseline and post-intervention/learning using magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Regression analyses indicated that stress modulated the link between striatal GABA levels and functional plasticity in both the hippocampus and striatum during learning as measured with fMRI. This study provides evidence for a role of GABA in the stress-induced modulation of striatal and hippocampal systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina Dolfen
- Movement Control and Neuroplasticity Research Group, Department of Movement Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Leuven Brain Institute, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Menno P Veldman
- Movement Control and Neuroplasticity Research Group, Department of Movement Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Leuven Brain Institute, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Mareike A Gann
- Movement Control and Neuroplasticity Research Group, Department of Movement Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Leuven Brain Institute, Leuven, Belgium
| | | | - Nicolaas A J Puts
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
- MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, London, UK
- Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Richard A E Edden
- Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- F. M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Mark Mikkelsen
- Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- F. M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Stephan Swinnen
- Movement Control and Neuroplasticity Research Group, Department of Movement Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Leuven Brain Institute, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Lars Schwabe
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, Institute of Psychology, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Geneviève Albouy
- Movement Control and Neuroplasticity Research Group, Department of Movement Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
- Leuven Brain Institute, Leuven, Belgium.
- Department of Health and Kinesiology, College of Health, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
| | - Bradley R King
- Movement Control and Neuroplasticity Research Group, Department of Movement Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Leuven Brain Institute, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Health and Kinesiology, College of Health, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
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8
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Böhm R, Westermann P, Gleim M, Cascorbi I, Gruenewald M, Herdegen T, Ohnesorge H. High-dose spironolactone lacks effectiveness in treatment of fibromyalgia (RCT). Eur J Pain 2021; 25:1739-1750. [PMID: 33909330 DOI: 10.1002/ejp.1784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Spironolactone (SPL) is a reversible mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) and androgen receptor (AR) antagonist which attracts pharmacotherapeutic interest not only because of its beneficial effects in heart failure but also because of the pathogenetic roles of MR and AR activities in neuropsychiatric diseases. Recently, beneficial and rapid-onset effects of SPL have been documented in a case series of women with fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS). To reaffirm this observation, we performed a double-blind placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial (RCT). METHODS A total of 69 patients were screened, 56 patients were eligible and randomized to SPL or placebo (each n = 28). Forty-three patients completed the clinical trial to the last visit (n = 21 and n = 22). After a run-in phase of 50 and 100 mg/day, 200 mg/day SPL or placebo were applied between days 7 and 28. Primary outcome was the change in the FIQ-G score (Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire, German version). Secondary outcome parameters were the changes in pain (numeric rating scale, NRS), mood (ADS), quality of life (SF-36) and change in FIQ scores 14 days after the end of the medication. RESULTS SPL of 200 mg/day did not change significantly either the primary or the secondary end points. SPL evoked a transient rise in serum potassium and a transient fall in GFR maximal after 2 weeks, but without clinical relevance. CONCLUSIONS SPL at 200 mg/day does not improve symptoms in women with FMS, but was considered not to cause harm. SIGNIFICANCE The mineralocorticoid receptor and androgen receptor antagonist spironolactone is repeatedly tested for its therapeutic effectivity against neuropsychiatric disorders. The present RCT demonstrated that 200 mg spironolactone does not change the symptoms of the fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) in adult women. Between 2 and 4 weeks, spironolactone evokes a transient decrease in GFR and increase in serum potassium. Spironolactone cannot be recommended for the treatment of FMS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruwen Böhm
- Institute for Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology, University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany
| | - Paul Westermann
- Clinic for Anesthesiology, University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany
| | - Martin Gleim
- Clinic for Anesthesiology, University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany
| | - Ingolf Cascorbi
- Institute for Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology, University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany
| | - Matthias Gruenewald
- Institute for Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology, University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany
| | - Thomas Herdegen
- Institute for Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology, University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany
| | - Henning Ohnesorge
- Clinic for Anesthesiology, University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany
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9
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Kalafatakis K, Russell GM, Ferguson SG, Grabski M, Harmer CJ, Munafò MR, Marchant N, Wilson A, Brooks JC, Thakrar J, Murphy P, Thai NJ, Lightman SL. Glucocorticoid ultradian rhythmicity differentially regulates mood and resting state networks in the human brain: A randomised controlled clinical trial. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2021; 124:105096. [PMID: 33296841 PMCID: PMC7895801 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2020.105096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2020] [Revised: 10/23/2020] [Accepted: 11/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Adrenal glucocorticoid secretion into the systematic circulation is characterised by a complex rhythm, composed of the diurnal variation, formed by changes in pulse amplitude of an underlying ultradian rhythm of short duration hormonal pulses. To elucidate the potential neurobiological significance of glucocorticoid pulsatility in man, we have conducted a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, three-way crossover clinical trial on 15 healthy volunteers, investigating the impact of different glucocorticoid rhythms on measures of mood and neural activity under resting conditions by recruiting functional neuroimaging, computerised behavioural tests and ecological momentary assessments. Endogenous glucocorticoid biosynthesis was pharmacologically suppressed, and plasma levels of corticosteroid restored by hydrocortisone replacement in three different regimes, either mimicking the normal ultradian and circadian profile of the hormone, or retaining the normal circadian but abolishing the ultradian rhythm of the hormone, or by our current best oral replacement regime which results in a suboptimal circadian and ultradian rhythm. Our results indicate that changes in the temporal mode of glucocorticoid replacement impact (i) the morning levels of self-perceived vigour, fatigue and concentration, (ii) the diurnal pattern of mood variation, (iii) the within-network functional connectivity of various large-scale resting state networks of the human brain, (iv) the functional connectivity of the default-mode, salience and executive control networks with glucocorticoid-sensitive nodes of the corticolimbic system, and (v) the functional relationship between mood variation and underlying neural networks. The findings indicate that the pattern of the ultradian glucocorticoid rhythm could affect cognitive psychophysiology under non-stressful conditions and opens new pathways for our understanding on the neuropsychological effects of cortisol pulsatility with relevance to the goal of optimising glucocorticoid replacement strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Konstantinos Kalafatakis
- Laboratories of Integrative Neuroscience and Endocrinology, School of Clinical Sciences, University of Bristol, BS1 3NY Bristol, United Kingdom; Clinical Research and Imaging Centre, University of Bristol and University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust, BS2 8DX Bristol, United Kingdom; Royal Bristol Infirmary, University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust, BS2 8HW Bristol, United Kingdom.
| | - Georgina M Russell
- Laboratories of Integrative Neuroscience and Endocrinology, School of Clinical Sciences, University of Bristol, BS1 3NY Bristol, United Kingdom; Royal Bristol Infirmary, University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust, BS2 8HW Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Stuart G Ferguson
- School of Medicine, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS 7000, Australia
| | - Meryem Grabski
- Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, WC1E 6BT London, United Kingdom; MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, School of Psychological Science, University of Bristol, BS8 1TU Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Catherine J Harmer
- Department of Psychiatry, Oxford University and Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, OX3 7JX Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Marcus R Munafò
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, School of Psychological Science, University of Bristol, BS8 1TU Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Nicola Marchant
- Laboratories of Integrative Neuroscience and Endocrinology, School of Clinical Sciences, University of Bristol, BS1 3NY Bristol, United Kingdom; Royal Bristol Infirmary, University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust, BS2 8HW Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Aileen Wilson
- Clinical Research and Imaging Centre, University of Bristol and University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust, BS2 8DX Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Jonathan C Brooks
- Clinical Research and Imaging Centre, University of Bristol and University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust, BS2 8DX Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Jamini Thakrar
- Laboratories of Integrative Neuroscience and Endocrinology, School of Clinical Sciences, University of Bristol, BS1 3NY Bristol, United Kingdom; Clinical Research and Imaging Centre, University of Bristol and University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust, BS2 8DX Bristol, United Kingdom; Royal Bristol Infirmary, University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust, BS2 8HW Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Patrick Murphy
- Laboratories of Integrative Neuroscience and Endocrinology, School of Clinical Sciences, University of Bristol, BS1 3NY Bristol, United Kingdom; Royal Bristol Infirmary, University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust, BS2 8HW Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Ngoc J Thai
- Clinical Research and Imaging Centre, University of Bristol and University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust, BS2 8DX Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Stafford L Lightman
- Laboratories of Integrative Neuroscience and Endocrinology, School of Clinical Sciences, University of Bristol, BS1 3NY Bristol, United Kingdom; Royal Bristol Infirmary, University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust, BS2 8HW Bristol, United Kingdom
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10
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Dolfen N, King BR, Schwabe L, Gann MA, Veldman MP, von Leupoldt A, Swinnen SP, Albouy G. Stress Modulates the Balance between Hippocampal and Motor Networks during Motor Memory Processing. Cereb Cortex 2021; 31:1365-1382. [PMID: 33106842 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhaa302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2020] [Revised: 09/02/2020] [Accepted: 09/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The functional interaction between hippocampo- and striato-cortical regions during motor sequence learning is essential to trigger optimal memory consolidation. Based on previous evidence from other memory domains that stress alters the balance between these systems, we investigated whether exposure to stress prior to motor learning modulates motor memory processes. Seventy-two healthy young individuals were exposed to a stressful or nonstressful control intervention prior to training on a motor sequence learning task in a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner. Consolidation was assessed with an MRI retest after a sleep episode. Behavioral results indicate that stress prior to learning did not influence motor performance. At the neural level, stress induced both a larger recruitment of sensorimotor regions and a greater disengagement of hippocampo-cortical networks during training. Brain-behavior regression analyses showed that while this stress-induced shift from (hippocampo-)fronto-parietal to motor networks was beneficial for initial performance, it was detrimental for consolidation. Our results provide the first experimental evidence that stress modulates the neural networks recruited during motor memory processing and therefore effectively unify concepts and mechanisms from diverse memory fields. Critically, our findings suggest that intersubject variability in brain responses to stress determines the impact of stress on motor learning and subsequent consolidation.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Dolfen
- Department of Movement Sciences, Movement Control and Neuroplasticity Research Group, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - B R King
- Department of Movement Sciences, Movement Control and Neuroplasticity Research Group, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - L Schwabe
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, Institute of Psychology, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - M A Gann
- Department of Movement Sciences, Movement Control and Neuroplasticity Research Group, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - M P Veldman
- Department of Movement Sciences, Movement Control and Neuroplasticity Research Group, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - A von Leupoldt
- Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Health Psychology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - S P Swinnen
- Department of Movement Sciences, Movement Control and Neuroplasticity Research Group, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - G Albouy
- Department of Movement Sciences, Movement Control and Neuroplasticity Research Group, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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11
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Lightman SL, Birnie MT, Conway-Campbell BL. Dynamics of ACTH and Cortisol Secretion and Implications for Disease. Endocr Rev 2020; 41:bnaa002. [PMID: 32060528 PMCID: PMC7240781 DOI: 10.1210/endrev/bnaa002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 154] [Impact Index Per Article: 38.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2019] [Accepted: 02/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The past decade has seen several critical advances in our understanding of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis regulation. Homeostatic physiological circuits need to integrate multiple internal and external stimuli and provide a dynamic output appropriate for the response parameters of their target tissues. The HPA axis is an example of such a homeostatic system. Recent studies have shown that circadian rhythmicity of the major output of this system-the adrenal glucocorticoid hormones corticosterone in rodent and predominately cortisol in man-comprises varying amplitude pulses that exist due to a subhypothalamic pulse generator. Oscillating endogenous glucocorticoid signals interact with regulatory systems within individual parts of the axis including the adrenal gland itself, where a regulatory network can further modify the pulsatile release of hormone. The HPA axis output is in the form of a dynamic oscillating glucocorticoid signal that needs to be decoded at the cellular level. If the pulsatile signal is abolished by the administration of a long-acting synthetic glucocorticoid, the resulting disruption in physiological regulation has the potential to negatively impact many glucocorticoid-dependent bodily systems. Even subtle alterations to the dynamics of the system, during chronic stress or certain disease states, can potentially result in changes in functional output of multiple cells and tissues throughout the body, altering metabolic processes, behavior, affective state, and cognitive function in susceptible individuals. The recent development of a novel chronotherapy, which can deliver both circadian and ultradian patterns, provides great promise for patients on glucocorticoid treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stafford L Lightman
- Translational Health Science, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Matthew T Birnie
- Translational Health Science, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
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12
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Fehlner P, Bilek E, Harneit A, Böhringer A, Moessnang C, Meyer-Lindenberg A, Tost H. Neural responses to social evaluative threat in the absence of negative investigator feedback and provoked performance failures. Hum Brain Mapp 2020; 41:2092-2103. [PMID: 31958212 PMCID: PMC7268032 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.24932] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2019] [Revised: 12/19/2019] [Accepted: 01/07/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Functional neuroimaging of social stress induction has considerably furthered our understanding of the neural risk architecture of stress‐related mental disorders. However, broad application of existing neuroimaging stress paradigms is challenging, among others due to the relatively high intensity of the employed stressors, which limits applications in patients and longitudinal study designs. Here, we introduce a less intense neuroimaging stress paradigm in which subjects anticipate, prepare, and give speeches under simulated social evaluation without harsh investigator feedback or provoked performance failures (IMaging Paradigm for Evaluative Social Stress, IMPRESS). We show that IMPRESS significantly increases perceived arousal as well as adrenergic (heart rate, pupil diameter, and blood pressure) and hormonal (cortisol) responses. Amygdala and perigenual anterior cingulate cortex (pACC), two key regions of the emotion and stress regulatory circuitry, are significantly engaged by IMPRESS. We further report associations of amygdala and pACC responses with measures of adrenergic arousal (heart rate, pupil diameter) and social environmental risk factors (adverse childhood experiences, urban living). Our data indicate that IMPRESS induces benchmark psychological and endocrinological responses to social evaluative stress, taps into core neural circuits related to stress processing and mental health risk, and is promising for application in mental illness and in longitudinal study designs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phöbe Fehlner
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Edda Bilek
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Anais Harneit
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Andreas Böhringer
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Carolin Moessnang
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Andreas Meyer-Lindenberg
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Heike Tost
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
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13
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Hillerer KM, Slattery DA, Pletzer B. Neurobiological mechanisms underlying sex-related differences in stress-related disorders: Effects of neuroactive steroids on the hippocampus. Front Neuroendocrinol 2019; 55:100796. [PMID: 31580837 PMCID: PMC7115954 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2019.100796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2018] [Revised: 09/26/2019] [Accepted: 09/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Men and women differ in their vulnerability to a variety of stress-related illnesses, but the underlying neurobiological mechanisms are not well understood. This is likely due to a comparative dearth of neurobiological studies that assess male and female rodents at the same time, while human neuroimaging studies often don't model sex as a variable of interest. These sex differences are often attributed to the actions of sex hormones, i.e. estrogens, progestogens and androgens. In this review, we summarize the results on sex hormone actions in the hippocampus and seek to bridge the gap between animal models and findings in humans. However, while effects of sex hormones on the hippocampus are largely consistent in animals and humans, methodological differences challenge the comparability of animal and human studies on stress effects. We summarise our current understanding of the neurobiological mechanisms that underlie sex-related differences in behavior and discuss implications for stress-related illnesses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina M Hillerer
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Salzburger Landeskrankenhaus (SALK), Paracelsus Medical University (PMU), Clinical Research Center Salzburg (CRCS), Salzburg, Austria.
| | - David A Slattery
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Belinda Pletzer
- Department of Psychology, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria; Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
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14
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Kaldewaij R, Koch SBJ, Zhang W, Hashemi MM, Klumpers F, Roelofs K. Frontal Control Over Automatic Emotional Action Tendencies Predicts Acute Stress Responsivity. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY: COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2019; 4:975-983. [PMID: 31492567 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2019.06.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2019] [Revised: 06/18/2019] [Accepted: 06/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The ability to control social-emotional actions is relevant for everyday social interaction and may be indicative of responsiveness to actual social stress situations. This is particularly relevant for predicting stress responsiveness of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, known to be dysregulated in various stress-related affective disorders. Here we tested, in a large sample, whether reduced frontal control over social approach-avoidance actions can indeed signal increased hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis reactivity to subsequent social stress exposure. METHODS A total of 279 subjects (214 men) participated in a functional magnetic resonance imaging social-emotional approach-avoidance task that involved impulsive and controlled emotional actions. Subsequently, participants underwent a stress induction including a socially evaluated cold pressor task and a mental arithmetic task. Salivary cortisol and α-amylase levels, as well as self-reported negative affect, were measured before and after stress induction. RESULTS Emotion control was successfully induced by the approach-avoidance task. Namely, instrumental overriding of automatic social approach-avoidance actions was associated with the typical increased bilateral anterior prefrontal cortex activation, longer reaction times, and more errors. Moreover, subsequent stress induction led to significant increases in all stress measures. Critically, bilateral anterior prefrontal cortex activation during emotion control was associated with reduced responses to the subsequent stressor in not only cortisol but also α-amylase and negative affect. CONCLUSIONS The ability to recruit prefrontal regions during social-emotion regulation predicts cortisol responses to an actual social stress situation. This finding provides the first evidence that instrumental control over social approach avoidance actions can signal stress responsiveness in major stress systems, providing a promising biomarker in stress vulnerability and resilience research relevant for affective disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reinoud Kaldewaij
- Donders Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
| | - Saskia B J Koch
- Donders Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Wei Zhang
- Donders Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Mahur M Hashemi
- Donders Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Floris Klumpers
- Donders Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Karin Roelofs
- Donders Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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15
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Wingenfeld K, Otte C. Mineralocorticoid receptor function and cognition in health and disease. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2019; 105:25-35. [PMID: 30243757 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2018.09.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2018] [Revised: 09/06/2018] [Accepted: 09/10/2018] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
The steroid hormone cortisol is released in response to stress and exerts its effects in the brain via two different receptors: the mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) and the glucocorticoid receptor (GR). This review - dedicated to Dirk Hellhammer - focusses on the role of MR on cognitive and emotional function in healthy individuals and in stress-associated disorders such as major depressive disorder (MDD) or borderline personality disorder (BPD). Animal data and studies from healthy individuals converge such that MR play an important role in the appraisal of new situations and the following response selection. Decision-making and empathy are important determinants of this response selection and both are affected by MR function. Furthermore, MR are crucially involved in visuospatial navigation and memory in young and elderly healthy individuals whereas the exact physiological role of MR in verbal learning and verbal memory needs to be further characterized. In contrast to studies in healthy participants, age played a moderating role on the effects of MR stimulation on cognition in depressed patients. In young depressed patients, MR stimulation exerted beneficial effects on verbal memory and executive function, whereas in elderly depressed patients MR stimulation led to impaired verbal learning and visuospatial memory. Similar to healthy controls, BPD patients showed enhanced emotional empathy but not cognitive empathy after MR stimulation. Accordingly, this make MR an interesting target for potential pharmacological augmentation of psychotherapy in BPD. Given the important role MR play in cognitive and emotional function in health and disease, further studies should examine whether MR modulation can alleviate cognitive and emotional problems in patients with stress-associated disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katja Wingenfeld
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Klinik für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Christian Otte
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Klinik für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Berlin, Germany
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16
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Richter-Levin G, Stork O, Schmidt MV. Animal models of PTSD: a challenge to be met. Mol Psychiatry 2019; 24:1135-1156. [PMID: 30816289 PMCID: PMC6756084 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-018-0272-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 117] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2017] [Revised: 08/13/2018] [Accepted: 09/11/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Recent years have seen increased interest in psychopathologies related to trauma exposure. Specifically, there has been a growing awareness to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in part due to terrorism, climate change-associated natural disasters, the global refugee crisis, and increased violence in overpopulated urban areas. However, notwithstanding the increased awareness to the disorder, the increasing number of patients, and the devastating impact on the lives of patients and their families, the efficacy of available treatments remains limited and highly unsatisfactory. A major scientific effort is therefore devoted to unravel the neural mechanisms underlying PTSD with the aim of paving the way to developing novel or improved treatment approaches and drugs to treat PTSD. One of the major scientific tools used to gain insight into understanding physiological and neuronal mechanisms underlying diseases and for treatment development is the use of animal models of human diseases. While much progress has been made using these models in understanding mechanisms of conditioned fear and fear memory, the gained knowledge has not yet led to better treatment options for PTSD patients. This poor translational outcome has already led some scientists and pharmaceutical companies, who do not in general hold opinions against animal models, to propose that those models should be abandoned. Here, we critically examine aspects of animal models of PTSD that may have contributed to the relative lack of translatability, including the focus on the exposure to trauma, overlooking individual and sex differences, and the contribution of risk factors. Based on findings from recent years, we propose research-based modifications that we believe are required in order to overcome some of the shortcomings of previous practice. These modifications include the usage of animal models of PTSD which incorporate risk factors and of the behavioral profiling analysis of individuals in a sample. These modifications are aimed to address factors such as individual predisposition and resilience, thus taking into consideration the fact that only a fraction of individuals exposed to trauma develop PTSD. We suggest that with an appropriate shift of practice, animal models are not only a valuable tool to enhance our understanding of fear and memory processes, but could serve as effective platforms for understanding PTSD, for PTSD drug development and drug testing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gal Richter-Levin
- Sagol Department of Neurobiology, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel. .,The Integrated Brain and Behavior Research Center (IBBR), University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel. .,Psychology Department, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel.
| | - Oliver Stork
- 0000 0001 1018 4307grid.5807.aDepartment of Genetics & Molecular Neurobiology, Institute of Biology, Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg, Leipziger Str. 44, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany ,grid.452320.2Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Universitätsplatz 2, 39106 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Mathias V. Schmidt
- 0000 0000 9497 5095grid.419548.5Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
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17
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Lesuis SL, Hoeijmakers L, Korosi A, de Rooij SR, Swaab DF, Kessels HW, Lucassen PJ, Krugers HJ. Vulnerability and resilience to Alzheimer's disease: early life conditions modulate neuropathology and determine cognitive reserve. Alzheimers Res Ther 2018; 10:95. [PMID: 30227888 PMCID: PMC6145191 DOI: 10.1186/s13195-018-0422-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2018] [Accepted: 08/15/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder with a high prevalence among the elderly and a huge personal and societal impact. Recent epidemiological studies have indicated that the incidence and age of onset of sporadic AD can be modified by lifestyle factors such as education, exercise, and (early) stress exposure. Early life adversity is known to promote cognitive decline at a later age and to accelerate aging, which are both primary risk factors for AD. In rodent models, exposure to 'negative' or 'positive' early life experiences was recently found to modulate various measures of AD neuropathology, such as amyloid-beta levels and cognition at later ages. Although there is emerging interest in understanding whether experiences during early postnatal life also modulate AD risk in humans, the mechanisms and possible substrates underlying these long-lasting effects remain elusive. METHODS We review literature and discuss the role of early life experiences in determining later age and AD-related processes from a brain and cognitive 'reserve' perspective. We focus on rodent studies and the identification of possible early determinants of later AD vulnerability or resilience in relation to early life adversity/enrichment. RESULTS Potential substrates and mediators of early life experiences that may influence the development of AD pathology and cognitive decline are: programming of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, priming of the neuroinflammatory response, dendritic and synaptic complexity and function, overall brain plasticity, and proteins such as early growth response protein 1 (EGR1), activity regulated cytoskeleton-associated protein (Arc), and repressor element-1 silencing transcription factor (REST). CONCLUSIONS We conclude from these rodent studies that the early postnatal period is an important and sensitive phase that influences the vulnerability to develop AD pathology. Yet translational studies are required to investigate whether early life experiences also modify AD development in human studies, and whether similar molecular mediators can be identified in the sensitivity to develop AD in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylvie L. Lesuis
- Brain Plasticity Group, SILS-CNS, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Lianne Hoeijmakers
- Brain Plasticity Group, SILS-CNS, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Aniko Korosi
- Brain Plasticity Group, SILS-CNS, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Susanne R. de Rooij
- Brain Plasticity Group, SILS-CNS, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Biostatistics & Bio informatics, Academic Medical Centre, University of Amsterdam, Meibergdreef 9, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Dick F. Swaab
- The Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, an Institute of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, KNAW, Meibergdreef 47, 1105 BA Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Helmut W. Kessels
- The Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, an Institute of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, KNAW, Meibergdreef 47, 1105 BA Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Cellular and Computational Neuroscience, SILS-CNS, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Paul J. Lucassen
- Brain Plasticity Group, SILS-CNS, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Harm J. Krugers
- Brain Plasticity Group, SILS-CNS, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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18
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Mifsud KR, Reul JMHM. Mineralocorticoid and glucocorticoid receptor-mediated control of genomic responses to stress in the brain. Stress 2018; 21:389-402. [PMID: 29614900 DOI: 10.1080/10253890.2018.1456526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Successful coping with stressful events involves adaptive and cognitive processes in the brain that make the individual more resilient to similar stressors in the future. Stressful events result in the secretion of glucocorticoids (GCs) from the adrenal glands into the blood stream. Early work proved instrumental for developing the concept that these hormones act in the brain to coordinate physiological and behavioral responses to stress through binding to two different GC-binding receptors. Once activated these receptors translocate to the nucleus where they act on target genes to facilitate (or sometimes inhibit) transcription. There are two types of receptors in the brain, the mineralocorticoid receptor (MR), and glucocorticoid receptor (GR). This review summarizes recent work which provides new insights regarding the genomic action of these receptors, both under baseline conditions and following exposure to acute stress. This work is discussed alongside the extensive studies undertaken in this field previously and new, and exciting "big data" studies which have generated a wealth of relevant data. The consequence of these new insights will challenge existing assumptions about the role of MRs and GRs and pave the way for the implementation of novel and improved methodologies to identify the role these corticosteroid receptors have in stress-related behavioral adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen R Mifsud
- a Neuro-Epigenetics Research Group, Bristol Medical School , University of Bristol , Bristol , UK
| | - Johannes M H M Reul
- a Neuro-Epigenetics Research Group, Bristol Medical School , University of Bristol , Bristol , UK
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19
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Ultradian rhythmicity of plasma cortisol is necessary for normal emotional and cognitive responses in man. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2018; 115:E4091-E4100. [PMID: 29632168 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1714239115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Glucocorticoids (GCs) are secreted in an ultradian, pulsatile pattern that emerges from delays in the feedforward-feedback interaction between the anterior pituitary and adrenal glands. Dynamic oscillations of GCs are critical for normal cognitive and metabolic function in the rat and have been shown to modulate the pattern of GC-sensitive gene expression, modify synaptic activity, and maintain stress responsiveness. In man, current cortisol replacement therapy does not reproduce physiological hormone pulses and is associated with psychopathological symptoms, especially apathy and attenuated motivation in engaging with daily activities. In this work, we tested the hypothesis that the pattern of GC dynamics in the brain is of crucial importance for regulating cognitive and behavioral processes. We provide evidence that exactly the same dose of cortisol administered in different patterns alters the neural processing underlying the response to emotional stimulation, the accuracy in recognition and attentional bias toward/away from emotional faces, the quality of sleep, and the working memory performance of healthy male volunteers. These data indicate that the pattern of the GC rhythm differentially impacts human cognition and behavior under physiological, nonstressful conditions and has major implications for the improvement of cortisol replacement therapy.
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20
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Uhernik AL, Montoya ZT, Balkissoon CD, Smith JP. Learning and memory is modulated by cannabidiol when administered during trace fear-conditioning. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2018; 149:68-76. [PMID: 29432803 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2018.02.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2017] [Revised: 01/25/2018] [Accepted: 02/08/2018] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Cannabidiol (CBD) is thought to have therapeutic potential for treating psychiatric conditions that affect cognitive aspects of learning and memory, including anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Studies have shown that CBD enhances extinction of fear memory when given after conditioning. This led us to hypothesize that CBD, if administered prior to fear conditioning, might modulate cognitive learning and memory processes in additional ways that would further guide its potential use for treating PTSD. Therefore, we designed a study to investigate effects of CBD on fear learning and memory when administered to mice prior to administering a trace fear conditioning protocol which imposes cognitive demands on the learning and memory process. We show that CBD-treated animals had increased levels of freezing during conditioning, enhanced generalized fear, inhibited cue-dependent memory extinction, slightly increased levels of freezing during an auditory-cued memory test, and increased contextual fear memory. Because synaptic plasticity is the fundamental mechanism of learning and memory, we also evaluated the impact of CBD on trace conditioning-dependent dendritic spine plasticity which occurred in the dorsal lateral amygdala and CA1 region of the ventral hippocampus. We showed that CBD mildly enhanced spine densities independent of conditioning, and inhibited conditioning-dependent spine increases in the hippocampi, but not the amygdala of fear conditioned animals. Overall, the memory-modulating effects of a single pre-conditioning dose of CBD, which we show here, demonstrate the need to more fully characterize its basic effects on memory, suggest caution when using it clinically as an anxiolytic, and point to a need for more research into its potential as a therapeutic for treating memory-loss disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- A L Uhernik
- Colorado State University-Pueblo, United States
| | - Z T Montoya
- Colorado State University-Pueblo, United States
| | | | - J P Smith
- Colorado State University-Pueblo, United States.
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21
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Luo Y, Fernández G, Hermans E, Vogel S, Zhang Y, Li H, Klumpers F. How acute stress may enhance subsequent memory for threat stimuli outside the focus of attention: DLPFC-amygdala decoupling. Neuroimage 2018; 171:311-322. [PMID: 29329979 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2018.01.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2017] [Revised: 12/20/2017] [Accepted: 01/07/2018] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Stress-related disorders, e.g., anxiety and depression, are characterized by decreased top-down control for distracting information, as well as a memory bias for threatening information. However, it is unclear how acute stress biases mnemonic encoding and leads to prioritized storage of threat-related information even if outside the focus of attention. In the current study, healthy adults (N = 53, all male) were randomly assigned to stress induction using the socially evaluated cold-pressor test (SECPT) or a control condition. Participants performed a task in which they were required to identify a target letter within a string of letters that were either identical to the target and thereby facilitating detection (low distractor load) or mixed with other letters to complicate the search (high load). Either a fearful or neutral face was presented on the background, outside the focus of attention. Twenty-four hours later, participants were asked to perform a surprise recognition memory test for those background faces. Stress induction resulted in increased cortisol and negative subjective mood ratings. Stress did not affect visual search performance, however, participants in the stress group showed stronger memory compared to the control group for fearful faces in the low attentional load condition. Critically, the stress induced memory bias was accompanied by decoupling between amygdala and DLFPC during encoding, which may represent a mechanism for decreased ability to filter task-irrelevant threatening background information. The current study provides a potential neural account for how stress can produce a negative memory bias for threatening information even if presented outside the focus of attention. Despite of an adaptive advantage for survival, such tendencies may ultimately also lead to generalized fear, a possibility requiring additional investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Luo
- Department of Psychology, School of Educational Science, Guizhou Normal University, Guizhou, PR China; Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Radboud University, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Guillén Fernández
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Radboud University, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Erno Hermans
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Radboud University, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Susanne Vogel
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Radboud University, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Yu Zhang
- Department of Psychology, School of Educational Science, Guizhou Normal University, Guizhou, PR China.
| | - Hong Li
- College of Psychology and Sociology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, PR China.
| | - Floris Klumpers
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Radboud University, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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22
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Koch SBJ, Klumpers F, Zhang W, Hashemi MM, Kaldewaij R, van Ast VA, Smit AS, Roelofs K. The role of automatic defensive responses in the development of posttraumatic stress symptoms in police recruits: protocol of a prospective study. Eur J Psychotraumatol 2017; 8:1412226. [PMID: 29321826 PMCID: PMC5757225 DOI: 10.1080/20008198.2017.1412226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2017] [Accepted: 11/20/2017] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Control over automatic tendencies is often compromised in challenging situations when people fall back on automatic defensive reactions, such as freeze-fight-flight responses. Stress-induced lack of control over automatic defensive responses constitutes a problem endemic to high-risk professions, such as the police. Difficulties controlling automatic defensive responses may not only impair split-second decisions under threat, but also increase the risk for and persistence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. However, the significance of these automatic defensive responses in the development and maintenance of trauma-related symptoms remains unclear due to a shortage of large-scale prospective studies. Objective: The 'Police-in-Action' study is conducted to investigate the role of automatic defensive responses in the development and maintenance of PTSD symptomatology after trauma exposure. Methods: In this prospective study, 340 police recruits from the Dutch Police Academy are tested before (wave 1; pre-exposure) and after (wave 2; post-exposure) their first emergency aid experiences as police officers. The two waves of data assessment are separated by approximately 15 months. To control for unspecific time effects, a well-matched control group of civilians (n = 85) is also tested twice, approximately 15 months apart, but without being frequently exposed to potentially traumatic events. Main outcomes are associations between (changes in) behavioural, psychophysiological, endocrine and neural markers of automatic defensive responses and development of trauma-related symptoms after trauma exposure in police recruits. Discussion: This prospective study in a large group of primary responders enables us to distinguish predisposing from acquired neurobiological abnormalities in automatic defensive responses, associated with the development of trauma-related symptoms. Identifying neurobiological correlates of (vulnerability for) trauma-related psychopathology may greatly improve screening for individuals at risk for developing PTSD symptomatology and offer valuable targets for (early preventive) interventions for PTSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saskia B. J. Koch
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Floris Klumpers
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Wei Zhang
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Mahur M. Hashemi
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Reinoud Kaldewaij
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Vanessa A. van Ast
- Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Annika S. Smit
- Police Academy of the Netherlands, Apeldoorn, The Netherlands
| | - Karin Roelofs
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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23
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Maran T, Sachse P, Martini M, Weber B, Pinggera J, Zuggal S, Furtner M. Lost in Time and Space: States of High Arousal Disrupt Implicit Acquisition of Spatial and Sequential Context Information. Front Behav Neurosci 2017; 11:206. [PMID: 29170634 PMCID: PMC5684831 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2017.00206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2017] [Accepted: 10/10/2017] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Biased cognition during high arousal states is a relevant phenomenon in a variety of topics: from the development of post-traumatic stress disorders or stress-triggered addictive behaviors to forensic considerations regarding crimes of passion. Recent evidence indicates that arousal modulates the engagement of a hippocampus-based "cognitive" system in favor of a striatum-based "habit" system in learning and memory, promoting a switch from flexible, contextualized to more rigid, reflexive responses. Existing findings appear inconsistent, therefore it is unclear whether and which type of context processing is disrupted by enhanced arousal. In this behavioral study, we investigated such arousal-triggered cognitive-state shifts in human subjects. We validated an arousal induction procedure (three experimental conditions: violent scene, erotic scene, neutral control scene) using pupillometry (Preliminary Experiment, n = 13) and randomly administered this method to healthy young adults to examine whether high arousal states affect performance in two core domains of contextual processing, the acquisition of spatial (spatial discrimination paradigm; Experiment 1, n = 66) and sequence information (learned irrelevance paradigm; Experiment 2, n = 84). In both paradigms, spatial location and sequences were encoded incidentally and both displacements when retrieving spatial position as well as the predictability of the target by a cue in sequence learning changed stepwise. Results showed that both implicit spatial and sequence learning were disrupted during high arousal states, regardless of valence. Compared to the control group, participants in the arousal conditions showed impaired discrimination of spatial positions and abolished learning of associative sequences. Furthermore, Bayesian analyses revealed evidence against the null models. In line with recent models of stress effects on cognition, both experiments provide evidence for decreased engagement of flexible, cognitive systems supporting encoding of context information in active cognition during acute arousal, promoting reduced sensitivity for contextual details. We argue that arousal fosters cognitive adaptation towards less demanding, more present-oriented information processing, which prioritizes a current behavioral response set at the cost of contextual cues. This transient state of behavioral perseverance might reduce reliance on context information in unpredictable environments and thus represent an adaptive response in certain situations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Maran
- Department of Psychology, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria.,Department of Educational Sciences and Research, Alps-Adria University of Klagenfurt, Klagenfurt, Austria
| | - Pierre Sachse
- Department of Psychology, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Markus Martini
- Department of Psychology, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Barbara Weber
- Department of Applied Mathematics and Computer Science, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Jakob Pinggera
- Department of Computer Science, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Stefan Zuggal
- Department of Computer Science, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Marco Furtner
- Department of Psychology, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria.,Department of Entrepreneurship, University of Liechtenstein, Vaduz, Liechtenstein
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24
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Joëls M, de Kloet ER. 30 YEARS OF THE MINERALOCORTICOID RECEPTOR: The brain mineralocorticoid receptor: a saga in three episodes. J Endocrinol 2017. [PMID: 28634266 DOI: 10.1530/joe-16-0660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
In 1968, Bruce McEwen discovered that 3H-corticosterone administered to adrenalectomised rats is retained in neurons of hippocampus rather than those of hypothalamus. This discovery signalled the expansion of endocrinology into the science of higher brain regions. With this in mind, our contribution highlights the saga of the brain mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) in three episodes. First, the precloning era dominated by the conundrum of two types of corticosterone-binding receptors in the brain, which led to the identification of the high-affinity corticosterone receptor as the 'promiscuous' MR cloned in 1987 by Jeff Arriza and Ron Evans in addition to the classical glucocorticoid receptor (GR). Then, the post-cloning period aimed to disentangle the function of the brain MR from that of the closely related GR on different levels of biological complexity. Finally, the synthesis section that highlights the two faces of brain MR: Salt and Stress. 'Salt' refers to the regulation of salt appetite, and reciprocal arousal, motivation and reward, by a network of aldosterone-selective MR-expressing neurons projecting from nucleus tractus solitarii (NTS) and circumventricular organs. 'Stress' is about the limbic-forebrain nuclear and membrane MRs, which act as a switch in the selection of the best response to cope with a stressor. For this purpose, activation of the limbic MR promotes selective attention, memory retrieval and the appraisal process, while driving emotional expressions of fear and aggression. Subsequently, rising glucocorticoid concentrations activate GRs in limbic-forebrain circuitry underlying executive functions and memory storage, which contribute in balance with MR-mediated actions to homeostasis, excitability and behavioural adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marian Joëls
- Department of Translational NeuroscienceBrain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- University of GroningenUniversity Medical Center, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - E Ronald de Kloet
- Division of EndocrinologyDepartment of Internal Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
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25
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Kanatsou S, Karst H, Kortesidou D, van den Akker RA, den Blaauwen J, Harris AP, Seckl JR, Krugers HJ, Joels M. Overexpression of Mineralocorticoid Receptors in the Mouse Forebrain Partly Alleviates the Effects of Chronic Early Life Stress on Spatial Memory, Neurogenesis and Synaptic Function in the Dentate Gyrus. Front Cell Neurosci 2017; 11:132. [PMID: 28611594 PMCID: PMC5447008 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2017.00132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2017] [Accepted: 04/19/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Evidence from human studies suggests that high expression of brain mineralocorticoid receptors (MR) may promote resilience against negative consequences of stress exposure, including childhood trauma. We examined, in mice, whether brain MR overexpression can alleviate the effects of chronic early life stress (ELS) on contextual memory formation under low and high stress conditions, and neurogenesis and synaptic function of dentate gyrus granular cells. Male mice were exposed to ELS by housing the dam with limited nesting and bedding material from postnatal day (PND) 2 to 9. We investigated the moderating role of MRs by using forebrain-specific transgenic MR overexpression (MR-tg) mice. Low-stress contextual (i.e., object relocation) memory formation was hampered by ELS in wildtype but not MR-tg mice. Anxiety like behavior and high-stress contextual (i.e., fear) memory formation were unaffected by ELS and/or MR expression level. At the cellular level, an interaction effect was observed between ELS and MR overexpression on the number of doublecortin-positive cells, with a significant difference between the wildtype ELS and MR-tg ELS groups. No interaction was found regarding Ki-67 and BrdU staining. A significant interaction between ELS and MR expression was further observed with regard to mEPSCs and mIPSC frequency. The ratio of evoked EPSC/IPSC or NMDA/AMPA responses was unaffected. Overall, these results suggest that ELS affects contextual memory formation under low stress conditions as well as neurogenesis and synaptic transmission in dentate granule cells, an effect that can be alleviated by MR-overexpression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofia Kanatsou
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center UtrechtUtrecht, Netherlands.,Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences - Center for Neuroscience, University of AmsterdamAmsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Henk Karst
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center UtrechtUtrecht, Netherlands
| | - Despoina Kortesidou
- Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences - Center for Neuroscience, University of AmsterdamAmsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Rachelle A van den Akker
- Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences - Center for Neuroscience, University of AmsterdamAmsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Jan den Blaauwen
- Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences - Center for Neuroscience, University of AmsterdamAmsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Anjanette P Harris
- Endocrinology Unit, Centre for Cardiovascular Science, Queen's Medical Research Institute, The University of EdinburghEdinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Jonathan R Seckl
- Endocrinology Unit, Centre for Cardiovascular Science, Queen's Medical Research Institute, The University of EdinburghEdinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Harm J Krugers
- Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences - Center for Neuroscience, University of AmsterdamAmsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Marian Joels
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center UtrechtUtrecht, Netherlands.,University of Groningen, University Medical Center GroningenGroningen, Netherlands
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26
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Stress Induces a Shift Towards Striatum-Dependent Stimulus-Response Learning via the Mineralocorticoid Receptor. Neuropsychopharmacology 2017; 42:1262-1271. [PMID: 27876790 PMCID: PMC5437884 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2016.262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2015] [Revised: 09/21/2016] [Accepted: 11/14/2016] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Stress is assumed to cause a shift from flexible 'cognitive' memory to more rigid 'habit' memory. In the spatial memory domain, stress impairs place learning depending on the hippocampus whereas stimulus-response learning based on the striatum appears to be improved. While the neural basis of this shift is still unclear, previous evidence in rodents points towards cortisol interacting with the mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) to affect amygdala functioning. The amygdala is in turn assumed to orchestrate the stress-induced shift in memory processing. However, an integrative study testing these mechanisms in humans is lacking. Therefore, we combined functional neuroimaging of a spatial memory task, stress-induction, and administration of an MR-antagonist in a full-factorial, randomized, placebo-controlled between-subjects design in 101 healthy males. We demonstrate that stress-induced increases in cortisol lead to enhanced stimulus-response learning, accompanied by increased amygdala activity and connectivity to the striatum. Importantly, this shift was prevented by an acute administration of the MR-antagonist spironolactone. Our findings support a model in which the MR and the amygdala play an important role in the stress-induced shift towards habit memory systems, revealing a fundamental mechanism of adaptively allocating neural resources that may have implications for stress-related mental disorders.
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27
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Vose LR, Stanton PK. Synaptic Plasticity, Metaplasticity and Depression. Curr Neuropharmacol 2017; 15:71-86. [PMID: 26830964 PMCID: PMC5327460 DOI: 10.2174/1570159x14666160202121111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2015] [Revised: 08/13/2015] [Accepted: 01/30/2016] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The development of a persistent depressive affective state has for some time been thought to result from persistent alterations in neurotransmitter-mediated synaptic transmission. While the identity of those transmitters has changed over the years, the literature has lacked mechanistic connections between the neurophysiological mechanisms they regulate, and how these mechanisms alter neuronal function, and, hence, affective homeostasis. This review will examine recent work that suggests that both long-term activity-dependent changes in synaptic strength (“plasticity”), and shifting set points for the ease of induction of future long-term changes (“metaplasticity”), may be critical to establishing and reversing a depressive behavioral state. Activity-dependent long-term synaptic plasticity involves both strengthening and weakening of synaptic connections associated with a dizzying array of neurochemical alterations that include synaptic insertion and removal of a number of subtypes of AMPA, NMDA and metabotropic glutamate receptors, changes in presynaptic glutamate release, and structural changes in dendritic spines. Cellular mechanisms of metaplasticity are far less well understood. Here, we will review the growing evidence that long-term synaptic changes in glutamatergic transmission, in brain regions that regulate mood, are key determinants of affective homeostasis and therapeutic targets with immense potential for drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Patric K Stanton
- Department of Cell Biology & Anatomy, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY, 10595, USA
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28
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Deuter CE, Wingenfeld K, Schultebraucks K, Hellmann-Regen J, Piber D, Otte C. Effects of mineralocorticoid-receptor stimulation on risk taking behavior in young healthy men and women. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2017; 75:132-140. [PMID: 27825068 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2016.10.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2016] [Revised: 10/20/2016] [Accepted: 10/21/2016] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Risk taking is influenced by stress, with riskier decisions after exposure to an acute stressor and consecutively elevated cortisol levels. In the brain, cortisol acts on two receptors with different functional profiles: the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and the mineralocorticoid receptor (MR). In the current study we investigated the effect of MR stimulation on risk taking behavior in 80 young healthy participants (40 women, mean age=23.9). We administered 0.4mg fludrocortisone, a MR agonist, in a between-subjects, placebo controlled design. Subsequently, participants conducted an established risk taking paradigm, the Balloon-Analogue-Risk-Task (BART). We also used two questionnaires to assess risk taking and decision behavior as trait measures. We found a treatment effect with riskier decisions in the fludrocortisone group. Furthermore, we found a sex effect with more risk taking in men. There was no statistically significant interaction between both factors. Our results indicate that acute MR stimulation leads to riskier decisions in women and men. Our findings argue for an important role of the MR in decision making processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Eric Deuter
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité University Medicine, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Katja Wingenfeld
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité University Medicine, Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Julian Hellmann-Regen
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité University Medicine, Berlin, Germany
| | - Dominique Piber
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité University Medicine, Berlin, Germany
| | - Christian Otte
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité University Medicine, Berlin, Germany
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29
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Dandolo LC, Schwabe L. Stress-induced cortisol hampers memory generalization. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016; 23:679-683. [PMID: 27918271 PMCID: PMC5110983 DOI: 10.1101/lm.042929.116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2016] [Accepted: 08/17/2016] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Integrative encoding and generalization across past experiences depends largely on the hippocampus, an area known to be particularly sensitive to stress. Yet, whether stress influences the ability to generalize memories is unknown. We exposed volunteers to a stressor or a control manipulation before they completed an acquired equivalence task probing memory generalization. While stress left learning performance intact, it reduced participants' ability to generalize and this deficit was directly linked to the cortisol response to the stressor. These findings show that stress, presumably through the action of glucocorticoids, creates rather rigid memories that are difficult to transfer to novel situations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa C Dandolo
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, Institute of Psychology, University of Hamburg, 20146 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Lars Schwabe
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, Institute of Psychology, University of Hamburg, 20146 Hamburg, Germany
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30
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Effects of mineralocorticoid receptor blockade on empathy in patients with major depressive disorder. COGNITIVE AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2016; 16:902-10. [DOI: 10.3758/s13415-016-0441-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
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31
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Cognitive Adaptation under Stress: A Case for the Mineralocorticoid Receptor. Trends Cogn Sci 2016; 20:192-203. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2015.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 137] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2015] [Revised: 11/19/2015] [Accepted: 12/08/2015] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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32
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Overexpression of Mineralocorticoid Receptors Partially Prevents Chronic Stress-Induced Reductions in Hippocampal Memory and Structural Plasticity. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0142012. [PMID: 26600250 PMCID: PMC4658081 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0142012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2015] [Accepted: 09/11/2015] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Exposure to chronic stress is a risk factor for cognitive decline and psychopathology in genetically predisposed individuals. Preliminary evidence in humans suggests that mineralocorticoid receptors (MRs) may confer resilience to these stress-related changes. We specifically tested this idea using a well-controlled mouse model for chronic stress in combination with transgenic MR overexpression in the forebrain. Exposure to unpredictable stressors for 21 days in adulthood reduced learning and memory formation in a low arousing hippocampus-dependent contextual learning task, but enhanced stressful contextual fear learning. We found support for a moderating effect of MR background on chronic stress only for contextual memory formation under low arousing conditions. In an attempt to understand potentially contributing factors, we studied structural plasticity. Chronic stress altered dendritic morphology in the hippocampal CA3 area and reduced the total number of doublecortin-positive immature neurons in the infrapyramidal blade of the dentate gyrus. The latter reduction was absent in MR overexpressing mice. We therefore provide partial support for the idea that overexpression of MRs may confer resilience to the effects of chronic stress on hippocampus-dependent function and structural plasticity.
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33
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van den Bos R, Flik G. Editorial: Decision-making under stress: the importance of cortico-limbic circuits. Front Behav Neurosci 2015; 9:203. [PMID: 26347623 PMCID: PMC4539523 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2015.00203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2015] [Accepted: 07/13/2015] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Ruud van den Bos
- Department of Organismal Animal Physiology, Radboud University Nijmegen Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Gert Flik
- Department of Organismal Animal Physiology, Radboud University Nijmegen Nijmegen, Netherlands
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