1
|
Hou WH, Jariwala M, Wang KY, Seewald A, Lin YL, Liou YC, Ricci A, Ferraguti F, Lien CC, Capogna M. Inhibitory fear memory engram in the mouse central lateral amygdala. Cell Rep 2024; 43:114468. [PMID: 39106862 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.114468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2022] [Revised: 04/29/2024] [Accepted: 06/24/2024] [Indexed: 08/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Engrams, which are cellular substrates of memory traces, have been identified in various brain areas, including the amygdala. While most identified engrams are composed of excitatory, glutamatergic neurons, GABAergic inhibitory engrams have been relatively overlooked. Here, we report the identification of an inhibitory engram in the central lateral amygdala (CeL), a key area for auditory fear conditioning. This engram is primarily composed of GABAergic somatostatin-expressing (SST(+)) and, to a lesser extent, protein kinase C-δ-expressing (PKC-δ(+)) neurons. Fear memory is accompanied by a preferential enhancement of synaptic inhibition onto PKC-δ(+) neurons. Silencing this CeL GABAergic engram disinhibits the activity of targeted extra-amygdaloid areas, selectively increasing the expression of fear. Our findings define the behavioral function of an engram formed exclusively by GABAergic inhibitory neurons in the mammalian brain.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wen-Hsien Hou
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark; DANDRITE, The Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark; Center for Proteins in Memory - PROMEMO, Danish National Research Foundation, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Meet Jariwala
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark; Center for Proteins in Memory - PROMEMO, Danish National Research Foundation, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Kai-Yi Wang
- Institute of Neuroscience, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Anna Seewald
- Department of Pharmacology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Yu-Ling Lin
- Institute of Neuroscience, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Chen Liou
- Institute of Neuroscience, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Alessia Ricci
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Francesco Ferraguti
- Department of Pharmacology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Cheng-Chang Lien
- Institute of Neuroscience, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan; Brain Research Center, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan.
| | - Marco Capogna
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark; DANDRITE, The Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark; Center for Proteins in Memory - PROMEMO, Danish National Research Foundation, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Cheng Z, Nie W, Leng J, Yang L, Wang Y, Li X, Guo L. Amygdala and cognitive impairment in cerebral small vessel disease: structural, functional, and metabolic changes. Front Neurol 2024; 15:1398009. [PMID: 39070051 PMCID: PMC11275956 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2024.1398009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2024] [Accepted: 06/27/2024] [Indexed: 07/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) is a prevalent vascular disorder that has been consistently associated with vascular cognitive impairment (VCI). The diagnosis of CSVD continues to rely on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Epidemiological data indicate that the characteristic MRI features of CSVD, including white matter hyperintensity (WMH) and lacunar infarction, are very common among individuals over 40 years of age in community studies. This prevalence poses a significant burden on many low- and middle-income families. The amygdala plays a crucial role in integrating sensory and associative information to regulate emotional cognition. Although many previous studies have linked alterations in the amygdala to various diseases, such as depression, there has been little research on CSVD-associated alterations in the amygdala due to the complexity of CSVD. In this paper, we summarize the various imaging features of CSVD and discuss the correlation between amygdala changes and VCI. We also explore how new neuroimaging methods can assess amygdala changes early, laying a foundation for future comprehensive exploration of the pathogenesis of CSVD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhenyu Cheng
- School of Medical Imaging, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, Shandong, China
| | - Wenying Nie
- Jinan Maternity and Child Care Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Junhong Leng
- Jinan Maternity and Child Care Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Linfeng Yang
- Jinan Maternity and Child Care Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Yuanyuan Wang
- School of Medical Imaging, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, Shandong, China
| | - Xianglin Li
- School of Medical Imaging, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, Shandong, China
| | - Lingfei Guo
- Key Laboratory of Endocrine Glucose & Lipids Metabolism and Brain Aging, Ministry of Education, Department of Radiology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Fu X, Tasker JG. Neuromodulation of inhibitory synaptic transmission in the basolateral amygdala during fear and anxiety. Front Cell Neurosci 2024; 18:1421617. [PMID: 38994327 PMCID: PMC11236696 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2024.1421617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2024] [Accepted: 06/18/2024] [Indexed: 07/13/2024] Open
Abstract
The basolateral amygdala plays pivotal roles in the regulation of fear and anxiety and these processes are profoundly modulated by different neuromodulatory systems that are recruited during emotional arousal. Recent studies suggest activities of BLA interneurons and inhibitory synaptic transmission in BLA principal cells are regulated by neuromodulators to influence the output and oscillatory network states of the BLA, and ultimately the behavioral expression of fear and anxiety. In this review, we first summarize a cellular mechanism of stress-induced anxiogenesis mediated by the interaction of glucocorticoid and endocannabinoid signaling at inhibitory synapses in the BLA. Then we discuss cell type-specific activity patterns induced by neuromodulators converging on the Gq signaling pathway in BLA perisomatic parvalbumin-expressing (PV) and cholecystokinin-expressing (CCK) basket cells and their effects on BLA network oscillations and fear learning.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xin Fu
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Jeffrey G. Tasker
- Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, United States
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, United States
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Báldi R, Muthuswamy S, Loomba N, Patel S. Synaptic Organization-Function Relationships of Amygdala Interneurons Supporting Associative Learning. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.18.599631. [PMID: 38948865 PMCID: PMC11212985 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.18.599631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/02/2024]
Abstract
Coordinated activity of basolateral amygdala (BLA) GABAergic interneurons (INs) and glutamatergic principal cells (PCs) is critical for associative learning, however the microcircuit organization-function relationships of distinct IN classes remain uncertain. Here, we show somatostatin (SOM) INs provide inhibition onto, and are excited by, local PCs, whereas vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) INs are driven by extrinsic afferents. Parvalbumin (PV) INs inhibit PCs and are activated by local and extrinsic inputs. Thus, SOM and VIP INs exhibit complementary roles in feedback and feedforward inhibition, respectively, while PV INs contribute to both microcircuit motifs. Functionally, each IN subtype reveals unique activity patterns across fear- and extinction learning with SOM and VIP INs showing most divergent characteristics, and PV INs display an intermediate phenotype parallelling synaptic data. Finally, SOM and PV INs dynamically track behavioral state transitions across learning. These data provide insight into the synaptic microcircuit organization-function relationships of distinct BLA IN classes.
Collapse
|
5
|
Duggins P, Eliasmith C. A scalable spiking amygdala model that explains fear conditioning, extinction, renewal and generalization. Eur J Neurosci 2024; 59:3093-3116. [PMID: 38616566 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.16338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2023] [Revised: 02/03/2024] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/16/2024]
Abstract
The amygdala (AMY) is widely implicated in fear learning and fear behaviour, but it remains unclear how the many biological components present within AMY interact to achieve these abilities. Building on previous work, we hypothesize that individual AMY nuclei represent different quantities and that fear conditioning arises from error-driven learning on the synapses between AMY nuclei. We present a computational model of AMY that (a) recreates the divisions and connections between AMY nuclei and their constituent pyramidal and inhibitory neurons; (b) accommodates scalable high-dimensional representations of external stimuli; (c) learns to associate complex stimuli with the presence (or absence) of an aversive stimulus; (d) preserves feature information when mapping inputs to salience estimates, such that these estimates generalize to similar stimuli; and (e) induces a diverse profile of neural responses within each nucleus. Our model predicts (1) defensive responses and neural activities in several experimental conditions, (2) the consequence of artificially ablating particular nuclei and (3) the tendency to generalize defensive responses to novel stimuli. We test these predictions by comparing model outputs to neural and behavioural data from animals and humans. Despite the relative simplicity of our model, we find significant overlap between simulated and empirical data, which supports our claim that the model captures many of the neural mechanisms that support fear conditioning. We conclude by comparing our model to other computational models and by characterizing the theoretical relationship between pattern separation and fear generalization in healthy versus anxious individuals.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Peter Duggins
- Centre for Theoretical Neuroscience, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Systems Design Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
| | - Chris Eliasmith
- Centre for Theoretical Neuroscience, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Systems Design Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Philosophy, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Luo RH, Su F, Zhao XY, Cao TH, Liao J, Xue YX, Huang GD, Yang JL. Impairment in acquisition of conditioned fear in people with depressive symptoms. Front Psychol 2024; 15:1384053. [PMID: 38863669 PMCID: PMC11166000 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1384053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2024] [Accepted: 05/08/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Depression is one of the primary global public health issues, and there has been a dramatic increase in depression levels among young people over the past decade. The neuroplasticity theory of depression postulates that a malfunction in neural plasticity, which is responsible for learning, memory, and adaptive behavior, is the primary source of the disorder's clinical manifestations. Nevertheless, the impact of depression symptoms on associative learning remains underexplored. Methods We used the differential fear conditioning paradigm to investigate the effects of depressive symptoms on fear acquisition and extinction learning. Skin conductance response (SCR) is an objective evaluation indicator, and ratings of nervousness, likeability, and unconditioned stimuli (US) expectancy are subjective evaluation indicators. In addition, we used associability generated by a computational reinforcement learning model to characterize the skin conductance response. Results The findings indicate that individuals with depressive symptoms exhibited significant impairment in fear acquisition learning compared to those without depressive symptoms based on the results of the skin conductance response. Moreover, in the discrimination fear learning task, the skin conductance response was positively correlated with associability, as estimated by the hybrid model in the group without depressive symptoms. Additionally, the likeability rating scores improved post-extinction learning in the group without depressive symptoms, and no such increase was observed in the group with depressive symptoms. Conclusion The study highlights that individuals with pronounced depressive symptoms exhibit impaired fear acquisition and extinction learning, suggesting a possible deficit in associative learning. Employing the hybrid model to analyze the learning process offers a deeper insight into the associative learning processes of humans, thus allowing for improved comprehension and treatment of these mental health problems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rui-Han Luo
- Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Feng Su
- Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Xin-Yue Zhao
- Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Tian-Hui Cao
- Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Jing Liao
- Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Yan-Xue Xue
- National Institute on Drug Dependence and Beijing Key Laboratory of Drug Dependence, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Geng-Di Huang
- Department of Addiction Medicine, Shenzhen Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Shenzhen Kangning Hospital, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Jian-Li Yang
- Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Kundu S, Paul B, Reuevni I, Lamprecht R, Barkai E. Learning-induced bidirectional enhancement of inhibitory synaptic metaplasticity. J Physiol 2024; 602:2343-2358. [PMID: 38654583 DOI: 10.1113/jp284761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2023] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Training rodents in a particularly difficult olfactory-discrimination (OD) task results in the acquisition of the ability to perform the task well, termed 'rule learning'. In addition to enhanced intrinsic excitability and synaptic excitation in piriform cortex pyramidal neurons, rule learning results in increased synaptic inhibition across the whole cortical network to the point where it precisely maintains the balance between inhibition and excitation. The mechanism underlying such precise inhibitory enhancement remains to be explored. Here, we use brain slices from transgenic mice (VGAT-ChR2-EYFP), enabling optogenetic stimulation of single GABAergic neurons and recordings of unitary synaptic events in pyramidal neurons. Quantal analysis revealed that learning-induced enhanced inhibition is mediated by increased quantal size of the evoked inhibitory events. Next, we examined the plasticity of synaptic inhibition induced by long-lasting, intrinsically evoked spike firing in post-synaptic neurons. Repetitive depolarizing current pulses from depolarized (-70 mV) or hyperpolarized (-90 mV) membrane potentials induced long-term depression (LTD) and long-term potentiation (LTP) of synaptic inhibition, respectively. We found a profound bidirectional increase in the ability to induce both LTD, mediated by L-type calcium channels, and LTP, mediated by R-type calcium channels after rule learning. Blocking the GABAB receptor reversed the effect of intrinsic stimulation at -90 mV from LTP to LTD. We suggest that learning greatly enhances the ability to modify the strength of synaptic inhibition of principal neurons in both directions. Such plasticity of synaptic plasticity allows fine-tuning of inhibition on each particular neuron, thereby stabilizing the network while maintaining the memory of the rule. KEY POINTS: Olfactory discrimination rule learning results in long-lasting enhancement of synaptic inhibition on piriform cortex pyramidal neurons. Quantal analysis of unitary inhibitory synaptic events, evoked by optogenetic minimal stimulation, revealed that enhanced synaptic inhibition is mediated by increased quantal size. Surprisingly, metaplasticity of synaptic inhibition, induced by intrinsically evoked repetitive spike firing, is increased bidirectionally. The susceptibility to both long-term depression (LTD) and long-term potentiation (LTP) of inhibition is enhanced after learning. LTD of synaptic inhibition is mediated by L-type calcium channels and LTP by R-type calcium channels. LTP is also dependent on activation of GABAB receptors. We suggest that learning-induced changes in the metaplasticity of synaptic inhibition enable the fine-tuning of inhibition on each particular neuron, thereby stabilizing the network while maintaining the memory of the rule.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sankhanava Kundu
- Sagol Department of Neurobiology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Blesson Paul
- Sagol Department of Neurobiology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Iris Reuevni
- Sagol Department of Neurobiology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Raphael Lamprecht
- Sagol Department of Neurobiology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Edi Barkai
- Sagol Department of Neurobiology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Matsumoto Y, Miwa H, Katayama KI, Watanabe A, Yamada K, Ito T, Nakagawa S, Aruga J. Slitrk4 is required for the development of inhibitory neurons in the fear memory circuit of the lateral amygdala. Front Mol Neurosci 2024; 17:1386924. [PMID: 38736483 PMCID: PMC11082273 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2024.1386924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2024] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/14/2024] Open
Abstract
The Slitrk family consists of six synaptic adhesion molecules, some of which are associated with neuropsychiatric disorders. In this study, we aimed to investigate the physiological role of Slitrk4 by analyzing Slitrk4 knockout (KO) mice. The Slitrk4 protein was widely detected in the brain and was abundant in the olfactory bulb and amygdala. In a systematic behavioral analysis, male Slitrk4 KO mice exhibited an enhanced fear memory acquisition in a cued test for classical fear conditioning, and social behavior deficits in reciprocal social interaction tests. In an electrophysiological analysis using amygdala slices, Slitrk4 KO mice showed enhanced long-term potentiation in the thalamo-amygdala afferents and reduced feedback inhibition. In the molecular marker analysis of Slitrk4 KO brains, the number of calretinin (CR)-positive interneurons was decreased in the anterior part of the lateral amygdala nuclei at the adult stage. In in vitro experiments for neuronal differentiation, Slitrk4-deficient embryonic stem cells were defective in inducing GABAergic interneurons with an altered response to sonic hedgehog signaling activation that was involved in the generation of GABAergic interneuron subsets. These results indicate that Slitrk4 function is related to the development of inhibitory neurons in the fear memory circuit and would contribute to a better understanding of osttraumatic stress disorder, in which an altered expression of Slitrk4 has been reported.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yoshifumi Matsumoto
- Laboratory for Behavioral and Developmental Disorders, RIKEN Brain Science Institute, Wako-shi, Japan
| | - Hideki Miwa
- Department of Genetic and Behavioral Neuroscience, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Maebashi, Japan
- Department of Neuropsychopharmacology, National Institute of Mental Health, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kei-ichi Katayama
- Laboratory for Behavioral and Developmental Disorders, RIKEN Brain Science Institute, Wako-shi, Japan
| | - Arata Watanabe
- Department of Medical Pharmacology, Nagasaki University Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Kazuyuki Yamada
- Support Unit for Animal Experiments, RIKEN Brain Science Institute, Wako-shi, Japan
| | - Takashi Ito
- Department of Biochemistry, Nagasaki University Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Shinsuke Nakagawa
- Department of Medical Pharmacology, Nagasaki University Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Jun Aruga
- Laboratory for Behavioral and Developmental Disorders, RIKEN Brain Science Institute, Wako-shi, Japan
- Department of Medical Pharmacology, Nagasaki University Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Poggi G, Klaus F, Pryce CR. Pathophysiology in cortico-amygdala circuits and excessive aversion processing: the role of oligodendrocytes and myelination. Brain Commun 2024; 6:fcae140. [PMID: 38712320 PMCID: PMC11073757 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcae140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2023] [Revised: 12/27/2023] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 05/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Stress-related psychiatric illnesses, such as major depressive disorder, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder, present with alterations in emotional processing, including excessive processing of negative/aversive stimuli and events. The bidirectional human/primate brain circuit comprising anterior cingulate cortex and amygdala is of fundamental importance in processing emotional stimuli, and in rodents the medial prefrontal cortex-amygdala circuit is to some extent analogous in structure and function. Here, we assess the comparative evidence for: (i) Anterior cingulate/medial prefrontal cortex<->amygdala bidirectional neural circuits as major contributors to aversive stimulus processing; (ii) Structural and functional changes in anterior cingulate cortex<->amygdala circuit associated with excessive aversion processing in stress-related neuropsychiatric disorders, and in medial prefrontal cortex<->amygdala circuit in rodent models of chronic stress-induced increased aversion reactivity; and (iii) Altered status of oligodendrocytes and their oligodendrocyte lineage cells and myelination in anterior cingulate/medial prefrontal cortex<->amygdala circuits in stress-related neuropsychiatric disorders and stress models. The comparative evidence from humans and rodents is that their respective anterior cingulate/medial prefrontal cortex<->amygdala circuits are integral to adaptive aversion processing. However, at the sub-regional level, the anterior cingulate/medial prefrontal cortex structure-function analogy is incomplete, and differences as well as similarities need to be taken into account. Structure-function imaging studies demonstrate that these neural circuits are altered in both human stress-related neuropsychiatric disorders and rodent models of stress-induced increased aversion processing. In both cases, the changes include altered white matter integrity, albeit the current evidence indicates that this is decreased in humans and increased in rodent models. At the cellular-molecular level, in both humans and rodents, the current evidence is that stress disorders do present with changes in oligodendrocyte lineage, oligodendrocytes and/or myelin in these neural circuits, but these changes are often discordant between and even within species. Nonetheless, by integrating the current comparative evidence, this review provides a timely insight into this field and should function to inform future studies-human, monkey and rodent-to ascertain whether or not the oligodendrocyte lineage and myelination are causally involved in the pathophysiology of stress-related neuropsychiatric disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Poggi
- Preclinical Laboratory for Translational Research into Affective Disorders, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zurich, CH-8008 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Federica Klaus
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA 92093, USA
- Desert-Pacific Mental Illness Research Education and Clinical Center, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA 92093, USA
| | - Christopher R Pryce
- Preclinical Laboratory for Translational Research into Affective Disorders, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zurich, CH-8008 Zurich, Switzerland
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
- URPP Adaptive Brain Circuits in Development and Learning (AdaBD), University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Wang C, Wang Q, Xu G, Sun Z, Zhang D, Ma C, Li Y, Wen D, Zhang X, Cong B. Circular RNA expression profiles and functional predication after restraint stress in the amygdala of rats. Front Mol Neurosci 2024; 17:1381098. [PMID: 38685915 PMCID: PMC11056511 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2024.1381098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2024] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Prolonged or repeated exposure to stress elevates the risk of various psychological diseases, many of which are characterized by central nervous system dysfunction. Recent studies have demonstrated that circular RNAs (circRNAs) are highly abundant in the mammalian brain. Although their precise expression and function remain unknown, they have been hypothesized to regulate transcriptional and post-transcriptional gene expression. In this investigation, we comprehensively analyzed whether restraint stress for 2 days altered the circRNA expression profile in the amygdala of male rats. The impact of restraint stress on behavior was evaluated using an elevated plus maze and open field test. Serum corticosterone levels were measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. A total of 10,670 circRNAs were identified using RNA sequencing. Ten circRNAs were validated by reverse transcription and quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis. Gene ontology and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes pathway analyzes supported the notion that genes associated with differentially expressed circRNAs are primarily implicated in neuronal activity and neurotransmitter transport. Moreover, the three differentially expressed circRNAs showed high specificity in the amygdala. Overall, these findings indicate that differentially expressed circRNAs are highly enriched in the amygdala and offer a potential direction for further research on restraint stress.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chuan Wang
- College of Forensic Medicine, Hebei Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, Collaborative Innovation Center of Forensic Medical Molecular Identification, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Qian Wang
- College of Forensic Medicine, Hebei Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, Collaborative Innovation Center of Forensic Medical Molecular Identification, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Guangming Xu
- College of Forensic Medicine, Hebei Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, Collaborative Innovation Center of Forensic Medical Molecular Identification, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, China
- Department of Forensic Medicine, The National Police University for Criminal Justice, Baoding, China
| | - Zhaoling Sun
- College of Forensic Medicine, Hebei Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, Collaborative Innovation Center of Forensic Medical Molecular Identification, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Dong Zhang
- College of Forensic Medicine, Hebei Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, Collaborative Innovation Center of Forensic Medical Molecular Identification, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, China
- College of Integrative Medicine, Hebei University of Chinese Medicine, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Chunling Ma
- College of Forensic Medicine, Hebei Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, Collaborative Innovation Center of Forensic Medical Molecular Identification, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Yingmin Li
- College of Forensic Medicine, Hebei Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, Collaborative Innovation Center of Forensic Medical Molecular Identification, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Di Wen
- College of Forensic Medicine, Hebei Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, Collaborative Innovation Center of Forensic Medical Molecular Identification, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Xiaojing Zhang
- College of Forensic Medicine, Hebei Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, Collaborative Innovation Center of Forensic Medical Molecular Identification, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Bin Cong
- College of Forensic Medicine, Hebei Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, Collaborative Innovation Center of Forensic Medical Molecular Identification, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, China
- Hainan Tropical Forensic Medicine Academician Workstation, Haikou, China
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Fournier LA, Phadke RA, Salgado M, Brack A, Nocon JC, Bolshakova S, Grant JR, Padró Luna NM, Sen K, Cruz-Martín A. Overexpression of the schizophrenia risk gene C4 in PV cells drives sex-dependent behavioral deficits and circuit dysfunction. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.27.575409. [PMID: 38328248 PMCID: PMC10849664 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.27.575409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
Fast-spiking parvalbumin (PV)-positive cells are key players in orchestrating pyramidal neuron activity, and their dysfunction is consistently observed in myriad brain diseases. To understand how immune complement dysregulation - a prevalent locus of brain disease etiology - in PV cells may drive disease pathogenesis, we have developed a transgenic mouse line that permits cell-type specific overexpression of the schizophrenia-associated complement component 4 (C4) gene. We found that overexpression of mouse C4 (mC4) in PV cells causes sex-specific behavioral alterations and concomitant deficits in synaptic connectivity and excitability of PV cells of the prefrontal cortex. Using a computational network, we demonstrated that these microcircuit deficits led to hyperactivity and disrupted neural communication. Finally, pan-neuronal overexpression of mC4 failed to evoke the same deficits in behavior as PV-specific mC4 overexpression, suggesting that C4 perturbations in fast-spiking neurons are more harmful to brain function than pan-neuronal alterations. Together, these results provide a causative link between C4 and the vulnerability of PV cells in brain disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Luke A. Fournier
- Neurobiology Section in the Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Rhushikesh A. Phadke
- Molecular Biology, Cell Biology & Biochemistry Program, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Maria Salgado
- Neurobiology Section in the Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Alison Brack
- Molecular Biology, Cell Biology & Biochemistry Program, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Jian Carlo Nocon
- Neurophotonics Center, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
- Center for Systems Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
- Hearing Research Center, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
| | - Sonia Bolshakova
- Neurobiology Section in the Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States
- Bioinformatics MS Program, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Jaylyn R. Grant
- Biological Sciences, Eastern Illinois University, Charleston, IL, United States
- The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Program, Boston University, Boston, United States
| | - Nicole M. Padró Luna
- The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Program, Boston University, Boston, United States
- Biology Department, College of Natural Sciences, University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico
| | - Kamal Sen
- Neurophotonics Center, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
- Center for Systems Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
- Hearing Research Center, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
| | - Alberto Cruz-Martín
- Neurobiology Section in the Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States
- Molecular Biology, Cell Biology & Biochemistry Program, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Cattani A, Arnold DB, McCarthy M, Kopell N. Basolateral amygdala oscillations enable fear learning in a biophysical model. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.04.28.538604. [PMID: 37163011 PMCID: PMC10168360 DOI: 10.1101/2023.04.28.538604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
The basolateral amygdala (BLA) is a key site where fear learning takes place through synaptic plasticity. Rodent research shows prominent low theta (~3-6 Hz), high theta (~6-12 Hz), and gamma (>30 Hz) rhythms in the BLA local field potential recordings. However, it is not understood what role these rhythms play in supporting the plasticity. Here, we create a biophysically detailed model of the BLA circuit to show that several classes of interneurons (PV, SOM, and VIP) in the BLA can be critically involved in producing the rhythms; these rhythms promote the formation of a dedicated fear circuit shaped through rhythmic gating of spike-timing-dependent plasticity. Each class of interneurons is necessary for the plasticity. We find that the low theta rhythm is a biomarker of successful fear conditioning. Finally, we discuss how the peptide released by the VIP cell may alter the dynamics of plasticity to support the necessary fine timing.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anna Cattani
- Department of Mathematics & Statistics, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
| | - Don B Arnold
- Department of Biology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, United States
| | - Michelle McCarthy
- Department of Mathematics & Statistics, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
| | - Nancy Kopell
- Department of Mathematics & Statistics, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Kelly TJ, Bonniwell EM, Mu L, Liu X, Hu Y, Friedman V, Yu H, Su W, McCorvy JD, Liu QS. Psilocybin analog 4-OH-DiPT enhances fear extinction and GABAergic inhibition of principal neurons in the basolateral amygdala. Neuropsychopharmacology 2024; 49:854-863. [PMID: 37752222 PMCID: PMC10948882 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-023-01744-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2023] [Revised: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023]
Abstract
Psychedelics such as psilocybin show great promise for the treatment of depression and PTSD, but their long duration of action poses practical limitations for patient access. 4-OH-DiPT is a fast-acting and shorter-lasting derivative of psilocybin. Here we characterized the pharmacological profile of 4-OH-DiPT and examined its impact on fear extinction learning as well as a potential mechanism of action. First, we profiled 4-OH-DiPT at all 12 human 5-HT GPCRs. 4-OH-DiPT showed strongest agonist activity at all three 5-HT2A/2B/2C receptors with near full agonist activity at 5-HT2A. Notably, 4-OH-DiPT had comparable activity at mouse and human 5-HT2A/2B/2C receptors. In a fear extinction paradigm, 4-OH-DiPT significantly reduced freezing responses to conditioned cues in a dose-dependent manner with a greater potency in female mice than male mice. Female mice that received 4-OH-DiPT before extinction training had reduced avoidance behaviors several days later in the light dark box, elevated plus maze and novelty-suppressed feeding test compared to controls, while male mice did not show significant differences. 4-OH-DiPT produced robust increases in spontaneous inhibitory postsynaptic currents (sIPSCs) in basolateral amygdala (BLA) principal neurons and action potential firing in BLA interneurons in a 5-HT2A-dependent manner. RNAscope demonstrates that Htr2a mRNA is expressed predominantly in BLA GABA interneurons, Htr2c mRNA is expressed in both GABA interneurons and principal neurons, while Htr2b mRNA is absent in the BLA. Our findings suggest that 4-OH-DiPT activates BLA interneurons via the 5-HT2A receptor to enhance GABAergic inhibition of BLA principal neurons, which provides a potential mechanism for suppressing learned fear.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Thomas J Kelly
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, 53226, USA
| | - Emma M Bonniwell
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, 53226, USA
| | - Lianwei Mu
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, 53226, USA
| | - Xiaojie Liu
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, 53226, USA
| | - Ying Hu
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, 53226, USA
| | - Vladislav Friedman
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, 53226, USA
| | - Hao Yu
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, 53226, USA
| | - Wantang Su
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, 53226, USA
| | - John D McCorvy
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, 53226, USA.
| | - Qing-Song Liu
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, 53226, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Lin TY, Zhang YH, Zhang YN, Yang Y, Du L, Li QY, He Y, Liu FC, Tang XY, Tang LL, Sun YS. Resting state functional connectome in breast cancer patients with fear of cancer recurrence. Cereb Cortex 2024; 34:bhae062. [PMID: 38436464 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhae062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2023] [Revised: 01/31/2024] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024] Open
Abstract
This study aimed to investigate network-level brain functional changes in breast cancer patients and their relationship with fear of cancer recurrence (FCR). Resting-state functional MRI was collected from 43 patients with breast cancer and 40 healthy controls (HCs). Graph theory analyses, whole-brain voxel-wise functional connectivity strength (FCS) analyses and seed-based functional connectivity (FC) analyses were performed to identify connection alterations in breast cancer patients. Correlations between brain functional connections (i.e. FCS and FC) and FCR level were assessed to further reveal the neural mechanisms of FCR in breast cancer patients. Graph theory analyses indicated a decreased clustering coefficient in breast cancer patients compared to HCs (P = 0.04). Patients with breast cancer exhibited significantly higher FCS in both higher-order function networks (frontoparietal, default mode, and dorsal attention systems) and primary somatomotor networks. Among the hyperconnected regions in breast cancer, the left inferior frontal operculum demonstrated a significant positive correlation with FCR. Our findings suggest that breast cancer patients exhibit less segregation of brain function, and the left inferior frontal operculum is a key region associated with FCR. This study offers insights into the neural mechanisms of FCR in breast cancer patients at the level of brain connectome.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tian-Ye Lin
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Department of Radiology, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, No. 52 Fu Cheng Road, Hai Dian District, Beijing 100142, China
| | - Yi-He Zhang
- School of Artificial Intelligence, Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications, No. 10 Xitucheng Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100876, China
| | - Ye-Ning Zhang
- Key laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Department of Psycho-Oncology, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, No. 52 Fu Cheng Road, Hai Dian District, Beijing 100142, China
| | - Yang Yang
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Breast Center, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, No. 52 Fu Cheng Road, Hai Dian District, Beijing 100142, China
| | - Lei Du
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Department of Radiology, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, No. 52 Fu Cheng Road, Hai Dian District, Beijing 100142, China
| | - Qing-Yang Li
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Department of Radiology, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, No. 52 Fu Cheng Road, Hai Dian District, Beijing 100142, China
| | - Yi He
- Key laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Department of Psycho-Oncology, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, No. 52 Fu Cheng Road, Hai Dian District, Beijing 100142, China
| | - Fu-Chao Liu
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Department of Radiology, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, No. 52 Fu Cheng Road, Hai Dian District, Beijing 100142, China
| | - Xiao-Yu Tang
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Department of Radiology, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, No. 52 Fu Cheng Road, Hai Dian District, Beijing 100142, China
| | - Li-Li Tang
- Key laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Department of Psycho-Oncology, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, No. 52 Fu Cheng Road, Hai Dian District, Beijing 100142, China
| | - Ying-Shi Sun
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Department of Radiology, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, No. 52 Fu Cheng Road, Hai Dian District, Beijing 100142, China
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Piantadosi SC, Zhou ZC, Pizzano C, Pedersen CE, Nguyen TK, Thai S, Stuber GD, Bruchas MR. Holographic stimulation of opposing amygdala ensembles bidirectionally modulates valence-specific behavior via mutual inhibition. Neuron 2024; 112:593-610.e5. [PMID: 38086375 PMCID: PMC10984369 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.11.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2022] [Revised: 10/04/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
The basolateral amygdala (BLA) is an evolutionarily conserved brain region, well known for valence processing. Despite this central role, the relationship between activity of BLA neuronal ensembles in response to appetitive and aversive stimuli and the subsequent expression of valence-specific behavior has remained elusive. Here, we leverage two-photon calcium imaging combined with single-cell holographic photostimulation through an endoscopic lens to demonstrate a direct causal role for opposing ensembles of BLA neurons in the control of oppositely valenced behavior in mice. We report that targeted photostimulation of either appetitive or aversive BLA ensembles results in mutual inhibition and shifts behavioral responses to promote consumption of an aversive tastant or reduce consumption of an appetitive tastant, respectively. Here, we identify that neuronal encoding of valence in the BLA is graded and relies on the relative proportion of individual BLA neurons recruited in a stable appetitive or quinine ensemble.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sean C Piantadosi
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA; Center for the Neurobiology of Addiction, Pain, and Emotion, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Zhe Charles Zhou
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA; Center for the Neurobiology of Addiction, Pain, and Emotion, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Carina Pizzano
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA; Center for the Neurobiology of Addiction, Pain, and Emotion, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Christian E Pedersen
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA; Center for the Neurobiology of Addiction, Pain, and Emotion, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Tammy K Nguyen
- Center for the Neurobiology of Addiction, Pain, and Emotion, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Sarah Thai
- Center for the Neurobiology of Addiction, Pain, and Emotion, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Garret D Stuber
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA; Center for the Neurobiology of Addiction, Pain, and Emotion, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA; Department of Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Michael R Bruchas
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA; Center for the Neurobiology of Addiction, Pain, and Emotion, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA; Department of Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA; Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Palchaudhuri S, Osypenko D, Schneggenburger R. Fear Learning: An Evolving Picture for Plasticity at Synaptic Afferents to the Amygdala. Neuroscientist 2024; 30:87-104. [PMID: 35822657 DOI: 10.1177/10738584221108083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Unraveling the neuronal mechanisms of fear learning might allow neuroscientists to make links between a learned behavior and the underlying plasticity at specific synaptic connections. In fear learning, an innocuous sensory event such as a tone (called the conditioned stimulus, CS) acquires an emotional value when paired with an aversive outcome (unconditioned stimulus, US). Here, we review earlier studies that have shown that synaptic plasticity at thalamic and cortical afferents to the lateral amygdala (LA) is critical for the formation of auditory-cued fear memories. Despite the early progress, it has remained unclear whether there are separate synaptic inputs that carry US information to the LA to act as a teaching signal for plasticity at CS-coding synapses. Recent findings have begun to fill this gap by showing, first, that thalamic and cortical auditory afferents can also carry US information; second, that the release of neuromodulators contributes to US-driven teaching signals; and third, that synaptic plasticity additionally happens at connections up- and downstream of the LA. Together, a picture emerges in which coordinated synaptic plasticity in serial and parallel circuits enables the formation of a finely regulated fear memory.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shriya Palchaudhuri
- Laboratory of Synaptic Mechanisms, Brain Mind Institute, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Denys Osypenko
- Laboratory of Synaptic Mechanisms, Brain Mind Institute, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Ralf Schneggenburger
- Laboratory of Synaptic Mechanisms, Brain Mind Institute, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Ozsvár A, Sieburg MC, Sietam MD, Hou WH, Capogna M. A combinatory genetic strategy for targeting neurogliaform neurons in the mouse basolateral amygdala. Front Cell Neurosci 2024; 18:1254460. [PMID: 38362542 PMCID: PMC10867116 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2024.1254460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024] Open
Abstract
The mouse basolateral amygdala (BLA) contains various GABAergic interneuron subpopulations, which have distinctive roles in the neuronal microcircuit controlling numerous behavioral functions. In mice, roughly 15% of the BLA GABAergic interneurons express neuropeptide Y (NPY), a reasonably characteristic marker for neurogliaform cells (NGFCs) in cortical-like brain structures. However, genetically labeled putative NPY-expressing interneurons in the BLA yield a mixture of interneuron subtypes besides NGFCs. Thus, selective molecular markers are lacking for genetically accessing NGFCs in the BLA. Here, we validated the NGFC-specific labeling with a molecular marker, neuron-derived neurotrophic factor (NDNF), in the mouse BLA, as such specificity has been demonstrated in the neocortex and hippocampus. We characterized genetically defined NDNF-expressing (NDNF+) GABAergic interneurons in the mouse BLA by combining the Ndnf-IRES2-dgCre-D transgenic mouse line with viral labeling, immunohistochemical staining, and in vitro electrophysiology. We found that BLA NDNF+ GABAergic cells mainly expressed NGFC neurochemical markers NPY and reelin (Reln) and exhibited small round soma and dense axonal arborization. Whole-cell patch clamp recordings indicated that most NDNF+ interneurons showed late spiking and moderate firing adaptation. Moreover, ∼81% of BLA NDNF+ cells generated retroaxonal action potential after current injections or optogenetic stimulations, frequently developing into persistent barrage firing. Optogenetic activation of the BLA NDNF+ cell population yielded both GABAA- and GABAB receptor-mediated currents onto BLA pyramidal neurons (PNs). We demonstrate a combinatory strategy combining the NDNF-cre mouse line with viral transfection to specifically target adult mouse BLA NGFCs and further explore their functional and behavioral roles.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Attila Ozsvár
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Meike Claudia Sieburg
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience - DANDRITE, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Monica Dahlstrup Sietam
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience - DANDRITE, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Wen-Hsien Hou
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience - DANDRITE, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Marco Capogna
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience - DANDRITE, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Center for Proteins in Memory (PROMEMO), Danish National Research Foundation, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Kim T, Choi DI, Choi JE, Lee H, Jung H, Kim J, Sung Y, Park H, Kim MJ, Han DH, Lee SH, Kaang BK. Activated somatostatin interneurons orchestrate memory microcircuits. Neuron 2024; 112:201-208.e4. [PMID: 37944516 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.10.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2023] [Revised: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
Despite recent advancements in identifying engram cells, our understanding of their regulatory and functional mechanisms remains in its infancy. To provide mechanistic insight into engram cell functioning, we introduced a novel local microcircuit labeling technique that enables the labeling of intraregional synaptic connections. Utilizing this approach, we discovered a unique population of somatostatin (SOM) interneurons in the mouse basolateral amygdala (BLA). These neurons are activated during fear memory formation and exhibit a preference for forming synapses with excitatory engram neurons. Post-activation, these SOM neurons displayed varying excitability based on fear memory retrieval. Furthermore, when we modulated these SOM neurons chemogenetically, we observed changes in the expression of fear-related behaviors, both in a fear-associated context and in a novel setting. Our findings suggest that these activated SOM interneurons play a pivotal role in modulating engram cell activity. They influence the expression of fear-related behaviors through a mechanism that is dependent on memory cues.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- TaeHyun Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, South Korea
| | - Dong Il Choi
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, South Korea
| | - Ja Eun Choi
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, South Korea
| | - Hoonwon Lee
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, South Korea; Center for Cognition and Sociality, Life Science Institute, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Daejeon 34141, South Korea
| | - Hyunsu Jung
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, South Korea; Center for Cognition and Sociality, Life Science Institute, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Daejeon 34141, South Korea
| | - Jooyoung Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, South Korea; Center for Cognition and Sociality, Life Science Institute, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Daejeon 34141, South Korea
| | - Yongmin Sung
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, South Korea; Center for Cognition and Sociality, Life Science Institute, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Daejeon 34141, South Korea
| | - HyoJin Park
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, South Korea; Center for Cognition and Sociality, Life Science Institute, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Daejeon 34141, South Korea
| | - Min Jung Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, South Korea
| | - Dae Hee Han
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, South Korea; Center for Cognition and Sociality, Life Science Institute, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Daejeon 34141, South Korea
| | - Seung-Hee Lee
- Center for Synaptic Brain Dysfunctions, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Daejeon 34141, South Korea
| | - Bong-Kiun Kaang
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, South Korea; Center for Cognition and Sociality, Life Science Institute, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Daejeon 34141, South Korea.
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Vishnubhotla RV, Ahmad ST, Zhao Y, Radhakrishnan R. Impact of prenatal marijuana exposure on adolescent brain structural and functional connectivity and behavioural outcomes. Brain Commun 2024; 6:fcae001. [PMID: 38444906 PMCID: PMC10914455 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcae001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2023] [Revised: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024] Open
Abstract
There has been an increase in the number of women using marijuana whilst pregnant. Previous studies have shown that children with prenatal marijuana exposure have developmental deficits in memory and decreased attentiveness. In this study, we assess whether prenatal marijuana exposure is associated with alterations in brain regional morphometry and functional and structural connectivity in adolescents. We downloaded behavioural scores and subject image files from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive DevelopmentSM Study. A total of 178 anatomical and diffusion magnetic resonance imaging files (88 prenatal marijuana exposure and 90 age- and gender-matched controls) and 152 resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging files (76 prenatal marijuana exposure and 76 controls) were obtained. Behavioural metrics based on the parent-reported child behavioural checklist were also obtained for each subject. The associations of prenatal marijuana exposure with 17 subscales of the child behavioural checklist were calculated. We assessed differences in brain morphometry based on voxel-based and surface-based morphometry in adolescents with prenatal marijuana exposure versus controls. We also evaluated group differences in structural and functional connectivity in adolescents for region-to-region connectivity and graph theoretical metrics. Interactions of prenatal marijuana exposure and graph networks were assessed for impact on behavioural scores. Multiple comparison correction was performed as appropriate. Adolescents with prenatal marijuana exposure had greater abnormal or borderline child behavioural checklist scores in 9 out of 17 subscales. There were no significant differences in voxel- or surface-based morphometry, structural connectivity or functional connectivity between prenatal marijuana exposure and controls. However, there were significant differences in prenatal marijuana exposure-graph network interactions with respect to behavioural scores. There were three structural prenatal marijuana exposure-graph network interactions and seven functional prenatal marijuana exposure-graph network interactions that were significantly associated with behavioural scores. Whilst this study was not able to confirm anatomical or functional differences between prenatal marijuana exposure and unexposed pre-adolescent children, there were prenatal marijuana exposure-brain structural and functional graph network interactions that were significantly associated with behavioural scores. This suggests that altered brain networks may underlie behavioural outcomes in adolescents with prenatal marijuana exposure. More work needs to be conducted to better understand the prognostic value of brain structural and functional network measures in prenatal marijuana exposure.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ramana V Vishnubhotla
- Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Sidra T Ahmad
- Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Yi Zhao
- Department of Biostatistics and Health Data Science, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Rupa Radhakrishnan
- Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Lonnberg A, Logrip ML, Kuznetsov A. Mechanisms of alcohol influence on fear conditioning: a computational model. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.12.30.573310. [PMID: 38260700 PMCID: PMC10802259 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.30.573310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
A connection between stress-related illnesses and alcohol use disorders is extensively documented. Fear conditioning is a standard procedure used to study stress learning and links it to the activation of amygdala circuitry. However, the connection between the changes in amygdala circuit and function induced by alcohol and fear conditioning is not well established. We introduce a computational model to test the mechanistic relationship between amygdala functional and circuit adaptations during fear conditioning and the impact of acute vs. repeated alcohol exposure. In accordance with experiments, both acute and prior repeated alcohol decreases speed and robustness of fear extinction in our simulations. The model predicts that, first, the delay in fear extinction in alcohol is mostly induced by greater activation of the basolateral amygdala (BLA) after fear acquisition due to alcohol-induced modulation of synaptic weights. Second, both acute and prior repeated alcohol shifts the amygdala network away from the robust extinction regime by inhibiting the activity in the central amygdala (CeA). Third, our model predicts that fear memories formed in acute or after chronic alcohol are more connected to the context. Thus, the model suggests how circuit changes induced by alcohol may affect fear behaviors and provides a framework for investigating the involvement of multiple neuromodulators in this neuroadaptive process.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Adam Lonnberg
- University of Evansville, Department of Mathematics, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
| | - Marian L. Logrip
- Indiana University-Purdue University, Department of Psychology, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
| | - Alexey Kuznetsov
- Indiana University-Purdue University, Department of Mathematical Sciences, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Iqbal J, Huang GD, Xue YX, Yang M, Jia XJ. The neural circuits and molecular mechanisms underlying fear dysregulation in posttraumatic stress disorder. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1281401. [PMID: 38116070 PMCID: PMC10728304 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1281401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a stress-associated complex and debilitating psychiatric disorder due to an imbalance of neurotransmitters in response to traumatic events or fear. PTSD is characterized by re-experiencing, avoidance behavior, hyperarousal, negative emotions, insomnia, personality changes, and memory problems following exposure to severe trauma. However, the biological mechanisms and symptomatology underlying this disorder are still largely unknown or poorly understood. Considerable evidence shows that PTSD results from a dysfunction in highly conserved brain systems involved in regulating stress, anxiety, fear, and reward circuitry. This review provides a contemporary update about PTSD, including new data from the clinical and preclinical literature on stress, PTSD, and fear memory consolidation and extinction processes. First, we present an overview of well-established laboratory models of PTSD and discuss their clinical translational value for finding various treatments for PTSD. We then highlight the research progress on the neural circuits of fear and extinction-related behavior, including the prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, and amygdala. We further describe different molecular mechanisms, including GABAergic, glutamatergic, cholinergic, and neurotropic signaling, responsible for the structural and functional changes during fear acquisition and fear extinction processes in PTSD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Javed Iqbal
- Shenzhen Graduate School, Peking University Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
- Department of Addiction Medicine, Shenzhen Engineering Research Center for Precision Psychiatric Technology, Shenzhen Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Shenzhen Kangning Hospital and Shenzhen Mental Health Center; Clinical College of Mental Health, Shenzhen University Health Science Center; Affiliated Mental Health Center, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Geng-Di Huang
- Shenzhen Graduate School, Peking University Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
- Department of Addiction Medicine, Shenzhen Engineering Research Center for Precision Psychiatric Technology, Shenzhen Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Shenzhen Kangning Hospital and Shenzhen Mental Health Center; Clinical College of Mental Health, Shenzhen University Health Science Center; Affiliated Mental Health Center, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Yan-Xue Xue
- National Institute on Drug Dependence and Beijing Key Laboratory of Drug Dependence, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Mei Yang
- Department of Addiction Medicine, Shenzhen Engineering Research Center for Precision Psychiatric Technology, Shenzhen Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Shenzhen Kangning Hospital and Shenzhen Mental Health Center; Clinical College of Mental Health, Shenzhen University Health Science Center; Affiliated Mental Health Center, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Xiao-Jian Jia
- Department of Addiction Medicine, Shenzhen Engineering Research Center for Precision Psychiatric Technology, Shenzhen Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Shenzhen Kangning Hospital and Shenzhen Mental Health Center; Clinical College of Mental Health, Shenzhen University Health Science Center; Affiliated Mental Health Center, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Hochgerner H, Singh S, Tibi M, Lin Z, Skarbianskis N, Admati I, Ophir O, Reinhardt N, Netser S, Wagner S, Zeisel A. Neuronal types in the mouse amygdala and their transcriptional response to fear conditioning. Nat Neurosci 2023; 26:2237-2249. [PMID: 37884748 PMCID: PMC10689239 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-023-01469-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023]
Abstract
The amygdala is a brain region primarily associated with emotional response. The use of genetic markers and single-cell transcriptomics can provide insights into behavior-associated cell state changes. Here we present a detailed cell-type taxonomy of the adult mouse amygdala during fear learning and memory consolidation. We perform single-cell RNA sequencing on naïve and fear-conditioned mice, identify 130 neuronal cell types and validate their spatial distributions. A subset of all neuronal types is transcriptionally responsive to fear learning and memory retrieval. The activated engram cells upregulate activity-response genes and coordinate the expression of genes associated with neurite outgrowth, synaptic signaling, plasticity and development. We identify known and previously undescribed candidate genes responsive to fear learning. Our molecular atlas may be used to generate hypotheses to unveil the neuron types and neural circuits regulating the emotional component of learning and memory.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hannah Hochgerner
- Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Engineering, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Shelly Singh
- Sagol Department of Neurobiology, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Muhammad Tibi
- Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Engineering, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Zhige Lin
- Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Engineering, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Niv Skarbianskis
- Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Engineering, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Inbal Admati
- Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Engineering, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Osnat Ophir
- Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Engineering, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Nuphar Reinhardt
- Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Engineering, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Shai Netser
- Sagol Department of Neurobiology, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Shlomo Wagner
- Sagol Department of Neurobiology, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Amit Zeisel
- Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Engineering, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel.
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Bertocchi I, Rocha-Almeida F, Romero-Barragán MT, Cambiaghi M, Carretero-Guillén A, Botta P, Dogbevia GK, Treviño M, Mele P, Oberto A, Larkum ME, Gruart A, Sprengel R, Delgado-García JM, Hasan MT. Pre- and postsynaptic N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors are required for sequential printing of fear memory engrams. iScience 2023; 26:108050. [PMID: 37876798 PMCID: PMC10590821 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.108050] [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: 03/08/2023] [Revised: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 09/22/2023] [Indexed: 10/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The organization of fear memory involves the participation of multiple brain regions. However, it is largely unknown how fear memory is formed, which circuit pathways are used for "printing" memory engrams across brain regions, and the role of identified brain circuits in memory retrieval. With advanced genetic methods, we combinatorially blocked presynaptic output and manipulated N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) in the basolateral amygdala (BLA) and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) before and after cued fear conditioning. Further, we tagged fear-activated neurons during associative learning for optogenetic memory recall. We found that presynaptic mPFC and postsynaptic BLA NMDARs are required for fear memory formation, but not expression. Our results provide strong evidence that NMDAR-dependent synaptic plasticity drives multi-trace systems consolidation for the sequential printing of fear memory engrams from BLA to mPFC and, subsequently, to the other regions, for flexible memory retrieval.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ilaria Bertocchi
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, Jahnstrasse 29, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Neuroscience "Rita Levi Montalcini", Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri Ottolenghi (NICO), University of Turin, 10043 Turin, Italy
| | - Florbela Rocha-Almeida
- Division of Neurosciences, University Pablo de Olavide, Ctra. de Utrera, km. 1 41013 Seville, Spain
| | | | - Marco Cambiaghi
- Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Strada le Grazie 8, Verona, Italy
| | - Alejandro Carretero-Guillén
- Laboratory of Brain Circuits Therapeutics, Achucarro Basque Center for Neuroscience, Science Park of the UPV/EHU, Sede Building, Barrio Sarriena, s/n, 48940 Leioa, Spain
| | - Paolo Botta
- CNS drug development, Copenhagen, Capital Region, Denmark
| | - Godwin K. Dogbevia
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, Jahnstrasse 29, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
- Health Canada, 70 Colombine Driveway, Ottawa, ON K1A0K9, Canada
| | - Mario Treviño
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, Jahnstrasse 29, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
- Laboratorio de Plasticidad Cortical y Aprendizaje Perceptual, Instituto de Neurociencias, Universidad de Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Mexico
| | - Paolo Mele
- Department of Neuroscience "Rita Levi Montalcini", Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri Ottolenghi (NICO), University of Turin, 10043 Turin, Italy
| | - Alessandra Oberto
- Department of Neuroscience "Rita Levi Montalcini", Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri Ottolenghi (NICO), University of Turin, 10043 Turin, Italy
| | - Matthew E. Larkum
- NeuroCure, Charité-Universitatsmedizin, Virchowweg 6, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Agnes Gruart
- Division of Neurosciences, University Pablo de Olavide, Ctra. de Utrera, km. 1 41013 Seville, Spain
| | - Rolf Sprengel
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, Jahnstrasse 29, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | | | - Mazahir T. Hasan
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, Jahnstrasse 29, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
- Laboratory of Brain Circuits Therapeutics, Achucarro Basque Center for Neuroscience, Science Park of the UPV/EHU, Sede Building, Barrio Sarriena, s/n, 48940 Leioa, Spain
- Ikerbasque – Basque Foundation for Science, Bilbao, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Kaplan GB, Thompson BL. Neuroplasticity of the extended amygdala in opioid withdrawal and prolonged opioid abstinence. Front Pharmacol 2023; 14:1253736. [PMID: 38044942 PMCID: PMC10690374 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1253736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 12/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Opioid use disorder is characterized by excessive use of opioids, inability to control its use, a withdrawal syndrome upon discontinuation of opioids, and long-term likelihood of relapse. The behavioral stages of opioid addiction correspond with affective experiences that characterize the opponent process view of motivation. In this framework, active involvement is accompanied by positive affective experiences which gives rise to "reward craving," whereas the opponent process, abstinence, is associated with the negative affective experiences that produce "relief craving." Relief craving develops along with a hypersensitization to the negatively reinforcing aspects of withdrawal during abstinence from opioids. These negative affective experiences are hypothesized to stem from neuroadaptations to a network of affective processing called the "extended amygdala." This negative valence network includes the three core structures of the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA), the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST), and the nucleus accumbens shell (NAc shell), in addition to major inputs from the basolateral amygdala (BLA). To better understand the major components of this system, we have reviewed their functions, inputs and outputs, along with the associated neural plasticity in animal models of opioid withdrawal. These models demonstrate the somatic, motivational, affective, and learning related models of opioid withdrawal and abstinence. Neuroadaptations in these stress and motivational systems are accompanied by negative affective and aversive experiences that commonly give rise to relapse. CeA neuroplasticity accounts for many of the aversive and fear-related effects of opioid withdrawal via glutamatergic plasticity and changes to corticotrophin-releasing factor (CRF)-containing neurons. Neuroadaptations in BNST pre-and post-synaptic GABA-containing neurons, as well as their noradrenergic modulation, may be responsible for a variety of aversive affective experiences and maladaptive behaviors. Opioid withdrawal yields a hypodopaminergic and amotivational state and results in neuroadaptive increases in excitability of the NAc shell, both of which are associated with increased vulnerability to relapse. Finally, BLA transmission to hippocampal and cortical regions impacts the perception of conditioned aversive effects of opioid withdrawal by higher executive systems. The prevention or reversal of these varied neuroadaptations in the extended amygdala during opioid withdrawal could lead to promising new interventions for this life-threatening condition.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gary B Kaplan
- Mental Health Service, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Psychiatry, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States
| | | |
Collapse
|
25
|
Chen APF, Chen L, Shi KW, Cheng E, Ge S, Xiong Q. Nigrostriatal dopamine modulates the striatal-amygdala pathway in auditory fear conditioning. Nat Commun 2023; 14:7231. [PMID: 37945595 PMCID: PMC10636191 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43066-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2023] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The auditory striatum, a sensory portion of the dorsal striatum, plays an essential role in learning and memory. In contrast to its roles and underlying mechanisms in operant conditioning, however, little is known about its contribution to classical auditory fear conditioning. Here, we reveal the function of the auditory striatum in auditory-conditioned fear memory. We find that optogenetically inhibiting auditory striatal neurons impairs fear memory formation, which is mediated through the striatal-amygdala pathway. Using calcium imaging in behaving mice, we find that auditory striatal neuronal responses to conditioned tones potentiate across memory acquisition and expression. Furthermore, nigrostriatal dopaminergic projections plays an important role in modulating conditioning-induced striatal potentiation. Together, these findings demonstrate the existence of a nigro-striatal-amygdala circuit for conditioned fear memory formation and expression.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Allen P F Chen
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, SUNY Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, USA
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Renaissance School of Medicine at SUNY Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, USA
| | - Lu Chen
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, SUNY Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, USA
| | - Kaiyo W Shi
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, SUNY Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, USA
| | - Eileen Cheng
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, SUNY Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, USA
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, SUNY Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, USA
| | - Shaoyu Ge
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, SUNY Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, USA
| | - Qiaojie Xiong
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, SUNY Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Pan Y, Zong Q, Li G, Wu Z, Du T, Zhang Y, Huang Z, Ma K. Nuclear localization of alpha-synuclein induces anxiety-like behavior in mice by decreasing hippocampal neurogenesis and pathologically affecting amygdala circuits. Neurosci Lett 2023; 816:137490. [PMID: 37742940 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2023.137490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Revised: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
Fear and anxiety are common in Parkinson's disease (PD) and may be caused by pathologies outside the dopaminergic system. Increasing evidence has shown that alpha-synuclein (α-syn) is involved in the development of anxiety in PD. In this study, we examined the effects of α-syn nuclear translocation on anxiety-like behavior in mice by overexpressing α-syn in the nuclei of the cell in the hippocampus. Our results show that α-syn overexpression in the nuclei increased the excitability of hippocampal neurons and activated NG2 glial cells and promoted the synthesis and release of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA). And nuclear localization of α-syn led to the loss of neurotrophic factors and decreased neurogenesis. Meanwhile, the hippocampus and amygdala acted synergistically, resulting in pathologic accumulation of α-syn and gliosis in the amygdala and caused loss of interneurons. These events led to the impairments of hippocampus and amygdala function, which ultimately induced anxiety-like behavior in mice. The findings obtained in our present study indicate that excessive nuclear translocation of α-syn in hippocampal neurons and damage to the amygdala circuits may be important in the development of anxiety in PD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yue Pan
- Institute of Medical Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Kunming 650118, China
| | - Qinglan Zong
- Institute of Medical Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Kunming 650118, China
| | - Guoxiang Li
- Institute of Medical Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Kunming 650118, China
| | - Zhengcun Wu
- Institute of Medical Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Kunming 650118, China
| | - Tingfu Du
- Institute of Medical Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Kunming 650118, China
| | - Ying Zhang
- Institute of Medical Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Kunming 650118, China.
| | - Zhangqiong Huang
- Institute of Medical Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Kunming 650118, China.
| | - Kaili Ma
- Institute of Medical Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Kunming 650118, China.
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Asokan MM, Watanabe Y, Kimchi EY, Polley DB. Potentiation of cholinergic and corticofugal inputs to the lateral amygdala in threat learning. Cell Rep 2023; 42:113167. [PMID: 37742187 PMCID: PMC10879743 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2023] [Revised: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The amygdala, cholinergic basal forebrain, and higher-order auditory cortex (HO-AC) regulate brain-wide plasticity underlying auditory threat learning. Here, we perform multi-regional extracellular recordings and optical measurements of acetylcholine (ACh) release to characterize the development of discriminative plasticity within and between these brain regions as mice acquire and recall auditory threat memories. Spiking responses are potentiated for sounds paired with shock (CS+) in the lateral amygdala (LA) and optogenetically identified corticoamygdalar projection neurons, although not in neighboring HO-AC units. Spike- or optogenetically triggered local field potentials reveal enhanced corticofugal-but not corticopetal-functional coupling between HO-AC and LA during threat memory recall that is correlated with pupil-indexed memory strength. We also note robust sound-evoked ACh release that rapidly potentiates for the CS+ in LA but habituates across sessions in HO-AC. These findings highlight a distributed and cooperative plasticity in LA inputs as mice learn to reappraise neutral stimuli as possible threats.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Meenakshi M Asokan
- Eaton-Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Division of Medical Sciences, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA.
| | - Yurika Watanabe
- Eaton-Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Eyal Y Kimchi
- Eaton-Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Daniel B Polley
- Eaton-Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Division of Medical Sciences, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Zernov N, Popugaeva E. Role of Neuronal TRPC6 Channels in Synapse Development, Memory Formation and Animal Behavior. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:15415. [PMID: 37895105 PMCID: PMC10607207 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242015415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2023] [Revised: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The transient receptor potential cation channel, subfamily C, member 6 (TRPC6), has been believed to adjust the formation of an excitatory synapse. The positive regulation of TRPC6 engenders synapse enlargement and improved learning and memory in animal models. TRPC6 is involved in different synaptoprotective signaling pathways, including antagonism of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR), activation of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and postsynaptic store-operated calcium entry. Positive regulation of TRPC6 channels has been repeatedly shown to be good for memory formation and storage. TRPC6 is mainly expressed in the hippocampus, particularly in the dentate granule cells, cornu Ammonis 3 (CA3) pyramidal cells and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic interneurons. It has been observed that TRPC6 agonists have a great influence on animal behavior including memory formation and storage The purpose of this review is to collect the available information on the role of TRPC6 in memory formation in various parts of the brain to understand how TRPC6-specific pharmaceutical agents will affect memory in distinct parts of the central nervous system (CNS).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Elena Popugaeva
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurodegeneration, Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, 195251 St. Petersburg, Russia
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Crestani AP, Cicvaric A, Yiu AP. Editorial: New insights into synaptic plasticity in fear conditioning. Front Synaptic Neurosci 2023; 15:1270701. [PMID: 37779862 PMCID: PMC10535560 DOI: 10.3389/fnsyn.2023.1270701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Ana P. Crestani
- Center for Neuroscience, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Ana Cicvaric
- Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | | |
Collapse
|
30
|
Yau JOY, McNally GP. The Rescorla-Wagner model, prediction error, and fear learning. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2023; 203:107799. [PMID: 37442411 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2023.107799] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2023] [Revised: 05/01/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023]
Abstract
The Rescorla-Wagner model remains one of the most important and influential theoretical accounts of the conditions under which Pavlovian learning occurs. Moreover, the experimental approaches that inspired the model continue to provide powerful behavioral tools to advance mechanistic understanding of how we and other animals learn to fear and learn to reduce fear. Here we consider key features of the Rescorla-Wagner model as applied to study of fear learning. We review evidence for key insights of the model. First, learning to fear and learning to reduce fear are governed by a common, signed prediction error. Second, this error drives variations in effectiveness of the shock US that are causal to whether and how much fear is learned or lost during a conditioning trial. We also consider behavioral and neural findings inconsistent with the model and which will be essential to understand and advance understanding of fear learning.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Gavan P McNally
- School of Psychology, The University of New South Wales, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Penzo MA, Moscarello JM. From aversive associations to defensive programs: experience-dependent synaptic modifications in the central amygdala. Trends Neurosci 2023; 46:701-711. [PMID: 37495461 PMCID: PMC10529247 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2023.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2023] [Revised: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 06/29/2023] [Indexed: 07/28/2023]
Abstract
Plasticity elicited by fear conditioning (FC) is thought to support the storage of aversive associative memories. Although work over the past decade has revealed FC-induced plasticity beyond canonical sites in the basolateral complex of the amygdala (BLA), it is not known whether modifications across distributed circuits make equivalent or distinct contributions to aversive memory. Here, we review evidence demonstrating that experience-dependent synaptic plasticity in the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) has a circumscribed role in memory expression per se, guiding the selection of defensive programs in response to acquired threats. We argue that the CeA may be a key example of a broader phenomenon by which synaptic plasticity at specific nodes of a distributed network makes a complementary contribution to distinct memory processes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mario A Penzo
- Unit on the Neurobiology of Affective Memory, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Justin M Moscarello
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Zheng G, Zhou Y, Zhou J, Liang S, Li X, Xu C, Xie G, Liang J. Abnormalities of the Amygdala in schizophrenia: a real world study. BMC Psychiatry 2023; 23:615. [PMID: 37608255 PMCID: PMC10463851 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-023-05031-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 08/24/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Amygdala plays an important role in schizophrenia (SC), but its mechanisms are still unclear. Therefore, we investigated the relationship between the resting-state magnetic resonance imaging (rsMRI) signals of the amygdala and cognitive functions, providing references for future research in this area. METHODS We collected 40 drug-naïve SC patients and 33 healthy controls (HC) from the Third People's Hospital of Foshan. We used rsMRI and the automatic segmentation tool to extract the structural volume and local neural activity values of the amygdala and conducted Pearson correlation analysis with the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) and the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS) scores. Finally, we compared the clinical data, as well as the volume and functional changes of the amygdala in SC patients before and after treatment. RESULTS Compared with HC, SC had widespread cognitive impairments, significant abnormalities in left amygdala function, while the reduction in volume of SC was not significant. Further Pearson correlation analysis with Bonferroni correction showed that only Immediate memory (learning) was significantly negatively correlated with fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (FALFF, r = -0.343, p = 0.001, p' = 0.014 (Bonferroni correction)). When compared and analyzed the data difference of SC before and after treatment, we found that immediate memory and delayed memory of SC showed varying degrees of recovery after treatment (tlearning = -2.641, plearning = 0.011; tstory memory = -3.349, pstory memory = 0.001; tlist recall = -2.071, plist recall = 0.043; tstory recall = -2.424, pstory recall = 0.018). But the brain structure and function did not recover. CONCLUSION There was significant dysfunction in the amygdala in SC, and after conventional treatment, the function of the amygdala did not improve with the improvement of clinical symptoms and cognitive function.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Guangen Zheng
- Department of Psychiatry, The Third People's Hospital of Foshan, Guangdong, People's Republic of China
- Nanhai Public Health Hospital of Foshan City, Guangdong, People's Republic of China
| | - Yang Zhou
- Nanhai Public Health Hospital of Foshan City, Guangdong, People's Republic of China
| | - Jieming Zhou
- Department of Psychiatry, The Third People's Hospital of Foshan, Guangdong, People's Republic of China
| | - Shuting Liang
- Department of Psychiatry, The Third People's Hospital of Foshan, Guangdong, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaoling Li
- Department of Psychiatry, The Third People's Hospital of Foshan, Guangdong, People's Republic of China
| | - Caixia Xu
- Department of Psychiatry, The Third People's Hospital of Foshan, Guangdong, People's Republic of China
| | - Guojun Xie
- Department of Psychiatry, The Third People's Hospital of Foshan, Guangdong, People's Republic of China.
| | - Jiaquan Liang
- Department of Psychiatry, The Third People's Hospital of Foshan, Guangdong, People's Republic of China.
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Forkmann K, Wiech K, Schmidt K, Schmid-Köhler J, Bingel U. Neural underpinnings of preferential pain learning and the modulatory role of fear. Cereb Cortex 2023; 33:9664-9676. [PMID: 37408110 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhad236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2023] [Revised: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Due to its unique biological relevance, pain-related learning might differ from learning from other aversive experiences. This functional magnetic resonance imaging study compared neural mechanisms underlying the acquisition and extinction of different threats in healthy humans. We investigated whether cue-pain associations are acquired faster and extinguished slower than cue associations with an equally unpleasant tone. Additionally, we studied the modulatory role of stimulus-related fear. Therefore, we used a differential conditioning paradigm, in which somatic heat pain stimuli and unpleasantness-matched auditory stimuli served as US. Our results show stronger acquisition learning for pain- than tone-predicting cues, which was augmented in participants with relatively higher levels of fear of pain. These behavioral findings were paralleled by activation of brain regions implicated in threat processing (insula, amygdala) and personal significance (ventromedial prefrontal cortex). By contrast, extinction learning seemed to be less dependent on the threat value of the US, both on the behavioral and neural levels. Amygdala activity, however, scaled with pain-related fear during extinction learning. Our findings on faster and stronger (i.e. "preferential") pain learning and the role of fear of pain are consistent with the biological relevance of pain and may be relevant to the development or maintenance of chronic pain.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Katarina Forkmann
- Department of Neurology, Center for Translational Neuro- and Behavioural Sciences, University Hospital Essen, University Duisburg Essen, Hufelandstraße 55, Essen 45147, Germany
| | - Katja Wiech
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Headley Way, Oxford OX3 9DU, United Kingdom
| | - Katharina Schmidt
- Department of Neurology, Center for Translational Neuro- and Behavioural Sciences, University Hospital Essen, University Duisburg Essen, Hufelandstraße 55, Essen 45147, Germany
| | - Julia Schmid-Köhler
- Department of Neurology, Center for Translational Neuro- and Behavioural Sciences, University Hospital Essen, University Duisburg Essen, Hufelandstraße 55, Essen 45147, Germany
| | - Ulrike Bingel
- Department of Neurology, Center for Translational Neuro- and Behavioural Sciences, University Hospital Essen, University Duisburg Essen, Hufelandstraße 55, Essen 45147, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Li Y, Zhi W, Qi B, Wang L, Hu X. Update on neurobiological mechanisms of fear: illuminating the direction of mechanism exploration and treatment development of trauma and fear-related disorders. Front Behav Neurosci 2023; 17:1216524. [PMID: 37600761 PMCID: PMC10433239 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2023.1216524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Fear refers to an adaptive response in the face of danger, and the formed fear memory acts as a warning when the individual faces a dangerous situation again, which is of great significance to the survival of humans and animals. Excessive fear response caused by abnormal fear memory can lead to neuropsychiatric disorders. Fear memory has been studied for a long time, which is of a certain guiding effect on the treatment of fear-related disorders. With continuous technological innovations, the study of fear has gradually shifted from the level of brain regions to deeper neural (micro) circuits between brain regions and even within single brain regions, as well as molecular mechanisms. This article briefly outlines the basic knowledge of fear memory and reviews the neurobiological mechanisms of fear extinction and relapse, which aims to provide new insights for future basic research on fear emotions and new ideas for treating trauma and fear-related disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ying Li
- College of Education, Hebei University, Baoding, China
- Laboratory of Experimental Pathology, Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Weijia Zhi
- Laboratory of Experimental Pathology, Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Bing Qi
- College of Education, Hebei University, Baoding, China
| | - Lifeng Wang
- Laboratory of Experimental Pathology, Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Xiangjun Hu
- College of Education, Hebei University, Baoding, China
- Laboratory of Experimental Pathology, Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, Beijing, China
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Birolini G, Valenza M, Ottonelli I, Talpo F, Minoli L, Cappelleri A, Bombaci M, Caccia C, Canevari C, Trucco A, Leoni V, Passoni A, Favagrossa M, Nucera MR, Colombo L, Paltrinieri S, Bagnati R, Duskey JT, Caraffi R, Vandelli MA, Taroni F, Salmona M, Scanziani E, Biella G, Ruozi B, Tosi G, Cattaneo E. Chronic cholesterol administration to the brain supports complete and long-lasting cognitive and motor amelioration in Huntington's disease. Pharmacol Res 2023; 194:106823. [PMID: 37336430 PMCID: PMC10463277 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2023.106823] [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: 04/12/2023] [Revised: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 06/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/21/2023]
Abstract
Evidence that Huntington's disease (HD) is characterized by impaired cholesterol biosynthesis in the brain has led to strategies to increase its level in the brain of the rapidly progressing R6/2 mouse model, with a positive therapeutic outcome. Here we tested the long-term efficacy of chronic administration of cholesterol to the brain of the slowly progressing zQ175DN knock-in HD mice in preventing ("early treatment") or reversing ("late treatment") HD symptoms. To do this we used the most advanced formulation of cholesterol loaded brain-permeable nanoparticles (NPs), termed hybrid-g7-NPs-chol, which were injected intraperitoneally. We show that one cycle of treatment with hybrid-g7-NPs-chol, administered in the presymptomatic ("early treatment") or symptomatic ("late treatment") stages is sufficient to normalize cognitive defects up to 5 months, as well as to improve other behavioral and neuropathological parameters. A multiple cycle treatment combining both early and late treatments ("2 cycle treatment") lasting 6 months generates therapeutic effects for more than 11 months, without severe adverse reactions. Sustained cholesterol delivery to the brain of zQ175DN mice also reduces mutant Huntingtin aggregates in both the striatum and cortex and completely normalizes synaptic communication in the striatal medium spiny neurons compared to saline-treated HD mice. Furthermore, through a meta-analysis of published and current data, we demonstrated the power of hybrid-g7-NPs-chol and other strategies able to increase brain cholesterol biosynthesis, to reverse cognitive decline and counteract the formation of mutant Huntingtin aggregates. These results demonstrate that cholesterol delivery via brain-permeable NPs is a therapeutic option to sustainably reverse HD-related behavioral decline and neuropathological signs over time, highlighting the therapeutic potential of cholesterol-based strategies in HD patients. DATA AVAILABILITY: This study does not include data deposited in public repositories. Data are available on request to the corresponding authors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Birolini
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, 20133 Milan, Italy; Istituto Nazionale di Genetica Molecolare "Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi", 20122 Milan, Italy
| | - Marta Valenza
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, 20133 Milan, Italy; Istituto Nazionale di Genetica Molecolare "Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi", 20122 Milan, Italy.
| | - Ilaria Ottonelli
- Nanotech Lab, Te.Far.T.I. Center, Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41125 Modena, Italy
| | - Francesca Talpo
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Lucia Minoli
- Pathology Department, Evotec, 37135 Verona, Italy; Mouse & Animal Pathology Lab (MAPLab), Fondazione UniMi, 20139 Milan, Italy
| | - Andrea Cappelleri
- Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria e Scienze Animali, Università degli Studi di Milano, 26900 Lodi, Italy; Mouse & Animal Pathology Lab (MAPLab), Fondazione UniMi, 20139 Milan, Italy
| | - Mauro Bombaci
- Istituto Nazionale di Genetica Molecolare "Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi", 20122 Milan, Italy
| | - Claudio Caccia
- Unit of Medical Genetics and Neurogenetics. Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, 20131 Milan, Italy
| | - Caterina Canevari
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Arianna Trucco
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Valerio Leoni
- Laboratory of Clinical Chemistry, Hospital Pio XI of Desio, ASST-Brianza and Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano Bicocca, 20900 Monza, Italy
| | - Alice Passoni
- Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, 20156 Milan, Italy
| | - Monica Favagrossa
- Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, 20156 Milan, Italy
| | - Maria Rosaria Nucera
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, 20133 Milan, Italy; Istituto Nazionale di Genetica Molecolare "Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi", 20122 Milan, Italy
| | - Laura Colombo
- Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, 20156 Milan, Italy
| | - Saverio Paltrinieri
- Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria e Scienze Animali, Università degli Studi di Milano, 26900 Lodi, Italy
| | - Renzo Bagnati
- Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, 20156 Milan, Italy
| | - Jason Thomas Duskey
- Nanotech Lab, Te.Far.T.I. Center, Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41125 Modena, Italy
| | - Riccardo Caraffi
- Nanotech Lab, Te.Far.T.I. Center, Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41125 Modena, Italy
| | - Maria Angela Vandelli
- Nanotech Lab, Te.Far.T.I. Center, Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41125 Modena, Italy
| | - Franco Taroni
- Unit of Medical Genetics and Neurogenetics. Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, 20131 Milan, Italy
| | - Mario Salmona
- Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, 20156 Milan, Italy
| | - Eugenio Scanziani
- Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria e Scienze Animali, Università degli Studi di Milano, 26900 Lodi, Italy; Mouse & Animal Pathology Lab (MAPLab), Fondazione UniMi, 20139 Milan, Italy
| | - Gerardo Biella
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Barbara Ruozi
- Nanotech Lab, Te.Far.T.I. Center, Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41125 Modena, Italy
| | - Giovanni Tosi
- Nanotech Lab, Te.Far.T.I. Center, Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41125 Modena, Italy
| | - Elena Cattaneo
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, 20133 Milan, Italy; Istituto Nazionale di Genetica Molecolare "Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi", 20122 Milan, Italy.
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Wang LY, Wang XP, Lv JM, Shan YD, Jia SY, Yu ZF, Miao HT, Xin Y, Zhang DX, Zhang LM. NLRP3-GABA signaling pathway contributes to the pathogenesis of impulsive-like behaviors and cognitive deficits in aged mice. J Neuroinflammation 2023; 20:162. [PMID: 37434240 DOI: 10.1186/s12974-023-02845-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/02/2023] [Indexed: 07/13/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Perioperative neurocognitive disorders (PND), such as delirium and cognitive impairment, are commonly encountered complications in aged patients. The inhibitory neurotransmitter γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is aberrantly synthesized from reactive astrocytes following inflammatory stimulation and is implicated in the pathophysiology of neurodegenerative diseases. Additionally, the activation of NOD-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome is involved in PND. Herein, we aimed to investigate whether the NLRP3-GABA signaling pathway contributes to the pathogenesis of aging mice's PND. METHODS 24-month-old C57BL/6 and astrocyte-specific NLRP3 knockout male mice were used to establish a PND model via tibial fracture surgery. The monoamine oxidase-B (MAOB) inhibitor selegiline (1 mg/kg) was intraperitoneally administered once a day for 7 days after the surgery. PND, including impulsive-like behaviors and cognitive impairment, was evaluated by open field test, elevated plus maze, and fear conditioning. Thereafter, pathological changes of neurodegeneration were explored by western blot and immunofluorescence assays. RESULTS Selegiline administration significantly ameliorated TF-induced impulsive-like behaviors and reduced excessive GABA production in reactive hippocampal astrocytes. Moreover, astrocyte-specific NLRP3 knockout mice reversed TF-induced impulsive-like and cognitive impairment behaviors, decreased GABA levels in reactive astrocytes, ameliorated NLRP3-associated inflammatory responses during the early stage, and restored neuronal degeneration in the hippocampus. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that anesthesia and surgical procedures trigger neuroinflammation and cognitive deficits, which may be due to NLRP3-GABA activation in the hippocampus of aged mice.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lu-Ying Wang
- Department of Anesthesia and Trauma Research, Department of Anesthesiology, Hebei Province Cangzhou Hospital of Integrated Traditional and Western Medicine, Cangzhou, China
| | - Xu-Peng Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Third Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China
| | - Jin-Meng Lv
- Department of Anesthesia and Trauma Research, Department of Anesthesiology, Hebei Province Cangzhou Hospital of Integrated Traditional and Western Medicine, Cangzhou, China
| | - Yu-Dong Shan
- Department of Anesthesia and Trauma Research, Department of Anesthesiology, Hebei Province Cangzhou Hospital of Integrated Traditional and Western Medicine, Cangzhou, China
| | - Shi-Yan Jia
- Department of Anesthesia and Trauma Research, Department of Anesthesiology, Hebei Province Cangzhou Hospital of Integrated Traditional and Western Medicine, Cangzhou, China
| | - Zhi-Fang Yu
- Department of Anesthesia and Trauma Research, Department of Anesthesiology, Hebei Province Cangzhou Hospital of Integrated Traditional and Western Medicine, Cangzhou, China
| | - Hui-Tao Miao
- Department of Anesthesiology, Hebei Province Cangzhou Hospital of Integrated Traditional and Western Medicine, Cangzhou, China
| | - Yue Xin
- Department of Anesthesiology, Hebei Province Cangzhou Hospital of Integrated Traditional and Western Medicine, Cangzhou, China
| | - Dong-Xue Zhang
- Department of Gerontology, Cangzhou Central Hospital, Cangzhou, China
| | - Li-Min Zhang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Hebei Province Cangzhou Hospital of Integrated Traditional and Western Medicine, Cangzhou, China.
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Cen XQ, Li P, Wang B, Chen X, Zhao Y, Yang N, Peng Y, Li CH, Ning YL, Zhou YG. Knockdown of adenosine A2A receptors in hippocampal neurons prevents post-TBI fear memory retrieval. Exp Neurol 2023; 364:114378. [PMID: 36907351 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2023.114378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2022] [Revised: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 03/13/2023]
Abstract
The formation of fear memory is crucial in emotional disorders such as PTSD and anxiety. Traumatic brain injury (TBI) can cause emotional disorders with dysregulated fear memory formation; however, their cross-interaction remains unclear and hurdled the treatment against TBI-related emotional disorders. While adenosine A2A receptor(A2AR) contributes to the physiological regulation of fear memory, this study aimed to evaluate the A2AR role and possible mechanisms in post-TBI fear memory formation using a craniocerebral trauma model, genetically modified A2AR mutant mice, and pharmacological A2AR agonist CGS21680 and antagonist ZM241385. Our finding showed (i) TBI enhanced mice freezing levels (fear memory) at seven days post-TBI; (ii) The A2AR agonist CGS21680 enhanced the post-TBI freezing levels; conversely, the A2AR antagonist ZM241385 reduced mice freezing level; further (iii) Genetic knockdown of neuronal A2AR in the hippocampal CA1, CA3, and DG regions reduced post-TBI freezing levels, while A2AR knockout in DG region yielded the most reduction in fear memory; finally, (iv) AAV-CaMKII-Cre virus-mediated DG deletion of A2AR on excitatory neurons led to a significant decreased freezing levels post-TBI. These findings indicate that brain trauma increases fear memory retrieval post-TBI, and A2AR on DG excitatory neurons plays a crucial role in this process. Importantly, inhibition of A2AR attenuates fear memory enhancement, which provides a new strategy to prevent fear memory formation/enhancement after TBI.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Qing Cen
- The College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, No.174 Shazheng Street, Shapingba District, Chongqing 400044, China; Department of Army Occupational Disease, State Key Laboratory of Trauma, Burns and Combined Injury, Research Institute of Surgery and Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Ping Li
- Department of Army Occupational Disease, State Key Laboratory of Trauma, Burns and Combined Injury, Research Institute of Surgery and Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China; Institute of Brain and Intelligence, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Bo Wang
- Department of Army Occupational Disease, State Key Laboratory of Trauma, Burns and Combined Injury, Research Institute of Surgery and Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Xing Chen
- Department of Army Occupational Disease, State Key Laboratory of Trauma, Burns and Combined Injury, Research Institute of Surgery and Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yan Zhao
- Department of Army Occupational Disease, State Key Laboratory of Trauma, Burns and Combined Injury, Research Institute of Surgery and Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Nan Yang
- Department of Army Occupational Disease, State Key Laboratory of Trauma, Burns and Combined Injury, Research Institute of Surgery and Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yan Peng
- Department of Army Occupational Disease, State Key Laboratory of Trauma, Burns and Combined Injury, Research Institute of Surgery and Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Chang-Hong Li
- Department of Army Occupational Disease, State Key Laboratory of Trauma, Burns and Combined Injury, Research Institute of Surgery and Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Ya-Lei Ning
- Department of Army Occupational Disease, State Key Laboratory of Trauma, Burns and Combined Injury, Research Institute of Surgery and Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China; Institute of Brain and Intelligence, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China.
| | - Yuan-Guo Zhou
- Department of Army Occupational Disease, State Key Laboratory of Trauma, Burns and Combined Injury, Research Institute of Surgery and Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China; Institute of Brain and Intelligence, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China.
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Joyce MKP, Wang J, Barbas H. Subgenual and Hippocampal Pathways in Amygdala Are Set to Balance Affect and Context Processing. J Neurosci 2023; 43:3061-3080. [PMID: 36977583 PMCID: PMC10146557 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2066-22.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2022] [Revised: 03/02/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The amygdala, hippocampus, and subgenual cortex area 25 (A25) are engaged in complex cognitive-emotional processes. Yet pathway interactions from hippocampus and A25 with postsynaptic sites in amygdala remain largely unknown. In rhesus monkeys of both sexes, we studied with neural tracers how pathways from A25 and hippocampus interface with excitatory and inhibitory microcircuits in amygdala at multiple scales. We found that both hippocampus and A25 innervate distinct as well as overlapping sites of the basolateral (BL) amygdalar nucleus. Unique hippocampal pathways heavily innervated the intrinsic paralaminar basolateral nucleus, which is associated with plasticity. In contrast, orbital A25 preferentially innervated another intrinsic network, the intercalated masses, an inhibitory reticulum that gates amygdalar autonomic output and inhibits fear-related behaviors. Finally, using high-resolution confocal and electron microscopy (EM), we found that among inhibitory postsynaptic targets in BL, both hippocampal and A25 pathways preferentially formed synapses with calretinin (CR) neurons, which are known for disinhibition and may enhance excitatory drive in the amygdala. Among other inhibitory postsynaptic sites, A25 pathways innervated the powerful parvalbumin (PV) neurons which may flexibly regulate the gain of neuronal assemblies in the BL that affect the internal state. In contrast, hippocampal pathways innervated calbindin (CB) inhibitory neurons, which modulate specific excitatory inputs for processing context and learning correct associations. Common and unique patterns of innervation in amygdala by hippocampus and A25 have implications for how complex cognitive and emotional processes may be selectively disrupted in psychiatric disorders.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The hippocampus, subgenual A25, and amygdala are associated with learning, memory, and emotions. We found that A25 is poised to affect diverse amygdalar processes, from emotional expression to fear learning by innervating the basal complex and the intrinsic intercalated masses. Hippocampal pathways uniquely interacted with another intrinsic amygdalar nucleus which is associated with plasticity, suggesting flexible processing of signals in context for learning. In the basolateral (BL) amygdala, which has a role in fear learning, both hippocampal and A25 interacted preferentially with disinhibitory neurons, suggesting a boost in excitation. The two pathways diverged in innervating other classes of inhibitory neurons, suggesting circuit specificities that could become perturbed in psychiatric diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mary Kate P Joyce
- Neural Systems Laboratory, Department of Health Sciences, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 022152
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Boston University and School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts 02118
| | - Jingyi Wang
- Neural Systems Laboratory, Department of Health Sciences, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 022152
| | - Helen Barbas
- Neural Systems Laboratory, Department of Health Sciences, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 022152
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Boston University and School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts 02118
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts 02118
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Liu Q, Song X, Zhou X, Huang L, Zhang X, Wang L, Zhu S, Lan C, Yang W, Zhao W. Regional superficial amygdala resting-state functional connectivity in adults infers childhood maltreatment severity. PSYCHORADIOLOGY 2023; 3:kkad004. [PMID: 38666120 PMCID: PMC11003424 DOI: 10.1093/psyrad/kkad004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Revised: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
Background Childhood maltreatment (CM) is a potential risk factor for some neuropsychiatric disorders in adulthood (e.g. depression and anxiety) and alters trajectories of brain development. Accumulating evidence suggests that functional connectivity of the limbic system, especially the amygdala, is highly associated with childhood maltreatment, although not all studies have found this. These inconsistent results may be due to differential alterations of amygdala resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) following childhood maltreatment. Objective Our aim was to investigate the relationship between the rsFC of amygdala subregions and CM severity, as well as to develop a stable rsFC-based model for inferring the severity of CM. Methods In this study, we employed the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) to assess CM severity in each individual. We explored the relationship between the rsFC of amygdala subregions (i.e. centromedial -CMA, basolateral -BLA, superficial-SFA amygdala) and CM experience in a discovery dataset of n = 110 healthy Chinese participants by linear multiple regression analysis. Subsequent dimensional and categorical approach were performed to elucidate the relationship between rsFCs and CM severity and CM subtypes, respectively. A support vector regression model was then conducted to validate the associations between rsFCs and total CTQ scores. Moreover, we also verified the model into another independent replication dataset (n = 38). Results Our findings suggested that childhood maltreatment was negatively associated with rsFC between the right superficial amygdala and perigenual anterior cingulate cortex (pgACC)/postcentral gyrus (PCG) but not the other two amygdala subregions. Moreover, SFA-pgACC coupling was more associated with physical neglect whereas the SFA-PCG was more related to emotional neglect. In addition, supervised machine learning confirmed that using these two rsFCs as predictors could stably estimate continuous maltreatment severity in both discovery and replication datasets. Conclusion The current study supports that the rsFCs of superficial amygdala are related to childhood maltreatment and which may be a potential biomarker for the effects of childhood maltreatment-related psychiatric disorders (i.e. depression and anxiety).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Qi Liu
- The Center of Psychosomatic Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China
| | - Xinwei Song
- The Center of Psychosomatic Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China
| | - Xinqi Zhou
- Institute of Brain and Psychological Sciences, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu 610066, China
| | - Linghong Huang
- The Center of Psychosomatic Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China
| | - Xiaodong Zhang
- The Center of Psychosomatic Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China
| | - Lan Wang
- The Center of Psychosomatic Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China
| | - Siyu Zhu
- The Center of Psychosomatic Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China
| | - Chunmei Lan
- The Center of Psychosomatic Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China
| | - Wenxu Yang
- Chengdu Women's and Children's Central Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China
| | - Weihua Zhao
- The Center of Psychosomatic Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China
- Institute of Electronic and Information Engineering of UESTC in Guangdong, Dongguan 523808, China
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Babb JA, Zuberer A, Heinrichs S, Rumbika KK, Alfiler L, Lakis GA, Leite-Morris KA, Kaplan GB. Disturbances in fear extinction learning after mild traumatic brain injury in mice are accompanied by alterations in dendritic plasticity in the medial prefrontal cortex and basolateral nucleus of the amygdala. Brain Res Bull 2023; 198:15-26. [PMID: 37031792 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2023.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2023] [Revised: 03/25/2023] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 04/11/2023]
Abstract
Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have emerged as the signature injuries of the U.S. veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, and frequently co-occur in both military and civilian and populations. To better understand how fear learning and underlying neural systems might be altered after mTBI we examined the acquisition of cued fear conditioning and its extinction along with brain morphology and dendritic plasticity in a mouse model of mTBI. To induce mTBI in adult male C57BL/6J mice, a lateral fluid percussive injury (LFP 1.7) was produced using a fluid pulse of 1.7 atmosphere force to the right parietal lobe. Behavior in LFP 1.7 mice was compared to behavior in mice from two separate control groups: mice subjected to craniotomy without LFP injury (Sham) and mice that did not undergo surgery (Unoperated). Following behavioral testing, neural endpoints (dendritic structural plasticity and neuronal volume) were assessed in the basolateral nucleus of the amygdala (BLA), which plays a critical sensory role in fear learning, and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), responsible for executive functions and inhibition of fear behaviors. No gross motor abnormalities or increased anxiety-like behaviors were observed in LFP or Sham mice after surgery compared to Unoperated mice. We found that all mice acquired fear behavior, assessed as conditioned freezing to auditory cue in a single session of 6 trials, and acquisition was similar across treatment groups. Using a linear mixed effects analysis, we showed that fear behavior decreased overall over 6 days of extinction training with no effect of treatment group across extinction days. However, a significant interaction was demonstrated between the treatment groups during within-session freezing behavior (5 trials per day) during extinction training. Specifically, freezing behavior increased across within-session extinction trials in LFP 1.7 mice, whereas freezing behavior in control groups did not change on extinction test days, reflecting a dissociation between within-trial and between-trial fear extinction. Additionally, LFP mice demonstrated bilateral increases in dendritic spine density in the BLA and decreases in dendritic complexity in the PFC. The translational implications are that individuals with TBI undergoing fear extinction therapy may demonstrate within-session aberrant learning that could be targeted for more effective treatment interventions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jessica A Babb
- Research Service, VA Boston Healthcare System, West Roxbury, MA, 02132 USA; Mental Health Service, VA Boston Healthcare System, West Roxbury, MA, 02132 USA; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115 USA.
| | - Agnieszka Zuberer
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Jena University Hospital, 07743 Jena, Germany.
| | - Stephen Heinrichs
- Research Service, VA Boston Healthcare System, West Roxbury, MA, 02132 USA.
| | - Kendra K Rumbika
- Research Service, VA Boston Healthcare System, West Roxbury, MA, 02132 USA.
| | - Lauren Alfiler
- Research Service, VA Boston Healthcare System, West Roxbury, MA, 02132 USA.
| | - Gabrielle A Lakis
- Research Service, VA Boston Healthcare System, West Roxbury, MA, 02132 USA; Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 02218 USA.
| | - Kimberly A Leite-Morris
- Research Service, VA Boston Healthcare System, West Roxbury, MA, 02132 USA; Department of Psychiatry, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 02118 USA.
| | - Gary B Kaplan
- Research Service, VA Boston Healthcare System, West Roxbury, MA, 02132 USA; Mental Health Service, VA Boston Healthcare System, West Roxbury, MA, 02132 USA; Department of Psychiatry, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 02118 USA; Department of Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 02118 USA.
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Venkataraman A, Dias BG. Expanding the canon: An inclusive neurobiology of thalamic and subthalamic fear circuits. Neuropharmacology 2023; 226:109380. [PMID: 36572176 PMCID: PMC9984284 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2022.109380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2022] [Revised: 12/09/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Appropriate expression of fear in the face of threats in the environment is essential for survival. The sustained expression of fear in the absence of threat signals is a central pathological feature of trauma- and anxiety-related disorders. Our understanding of the neural circuitry that controls fear inhibition coalesces around the amygdala, hippocampus, and prefrontal cortex. By discussing thalamic and sub-thalamic influences on fear-related learning and expression in this review, we suggest a more inclusive neurobiological framework that expands our canonical view of fear. First, we visit how fear-related learning and expression is influenced by the aforementioned canonical brain regions. Next, we review emerging data that shed light on new roles for thalamic and subthalamic nuclei in fear-related learning and expression. Then, we highlight how these neuroanatomical hubs can modulate fear via integration of sensory and salient stimuli, gating information flow and calibrating behavioral responses, as well as maintaining and updating memory representations. Finally, we propose that the presence of this thalamic and sub-thalamic neuroanatomy in parallel with the tripartite prefrontal cortex-amygdala-hippocampus circuit allows for dynamic modulation of information based on interoceptive and exteroceptive signals. This article is part of the Special Issue on "Fear, Anxiety and PTSD".
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Archana Venkataraman
- Department of Cellular & Molecular Pharmacology, University of San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Brian George Dias
- Department of Pediatrics, Keck School of Medicine of USC, Los Angeles, CA, United States; Division of Endocrinology, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States; Developmental Neuroscience and Neurogenetics Program, The Saban Research Institute, Los Angeles, CA, United States.
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Feng P, Becker B, Zhou F, Feng T, Chen Z. Sleep deprivation altered encoding of basolateral amygdala on fear acquisition. Cereb Cortex 2023; 33:2655-2668. [PMID: 35699604 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhac233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2021] [Revised: 05/15/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Sleep deprivation (SD) may lead to the development of fear- and anxiety-related emotional disorders. However, the neural mechanisms underlying the effects of SD on fear acquisition are unclear. Here, we tested whether and how SD influences the behavioral and neural manifestations of fear acquisition. We found that subjective fear ratings and objective fear indices (skin conductance response [SCR]) in the SD group were greater than those in the control group during fear acquisition, suggesting that SD facilitated fear acquisition (nSD = 18 and ncontrol = 23 for self-reported rating analysis; nSD = 10 and ncontrol = 10 for SCR analysis). Neuroimaging data showed that the SD group exhibited stronger activity in the left basolateral amygdala (BLA) and left superficial amygdala (SFA). Moreover, the left BLA activity, which positively correlated with the objective fear indices, significantly mediated the effect of SD on fear acquisition. Together, the present findings indicate that SD facilitates fear acquisition by augmenting threat-specific encoding in the BLA, which may be a potential biomarker of the risk of developing fear-related disorders under traumatic and distressing situations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pan Feng
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Ministry of Education, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Benjamin Becker
- High-Field Magnetic Resonance Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, Chengdu 611731, China
| | - Feng Zhou
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Ministry of Education, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Tingyong Feng
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Ministry of Education, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Zhiyi Chen
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Ministry of Education, Chongqing 400715, China
- Department of Psychology, Army Medical University, Chongqing 400000, China
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Asokan MM, Watanabe Y, Kimchi EY, Polley DB. Potentiated cholinergic and corticofugal inputs support reorganized sensory processing in the basolateral amygdala during auditory threat acquisition and retrieval. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.01.31.526307. [PMID: 36778308 PMCID: PMC9915656 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.31.526307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Reappraising neutral stimuli as environmental threats reflects rapid and discriminative changes in sensory processing within the basolateral amygdala (BLA). To understand how BLA inputs are also reorganized during discriminative threat learning, we performed multi-regional measurements of acetylcholine (ACh) release, single unit spiking, and functional coupling in the mouse BLA and higher-order auditory cortex (HO-AC). During threat memory recall, sounds paired with shock (CS+) elicited relatively higher firing rates in BLA units and optogenetically targeted corticoamygdalar (CAmy) units, though not in neighboring HO-AC units. Functional coupling was potentiated for descending CAmy projections prior to and during CS+ threat memory recall but ascending amygdalocortical coupling was unchanged. During threat acquisition, sound-evoked ACh release was selectively enhanced for the CS+ in BLA but not HO-AC. These findings suggest that phasic cholinergic inputs facilitate discriminative plasticity in the BLA during threat acquisition that is subsequently reinforced through potentiated auditory corticofugal inputs during memory recall.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Meenakshi M. Asokan
- Eaton-Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Boston MA 02114 USA
- Division of Medical Sciences, Harvard Medical School, Boston MA 02114 USA
| | - Yurika Watanabe
- Eaton-Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Boston MA 02114 USA
| | - Eyal Y. Kimchi
- Eaton-Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Boston MA 02114 USA
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Daniel B. Polley
- Eaton-Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Boston MA 02114 USA
- Division of Medical Sciences, Harvard Medical School, Boston MA 02114 USA
- Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Boston MA 02114 USA
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
de Almeida C, Chabbah N, Eyraud C, Fasano C, Bernard V, Pietrancosta N, Fabre V, El Mestikawy S, Daumas S. Absence of VGLUT3 Expression Leads to Impaired Fear Memory in Mice. eNeuro 2023; 10:ENEURO.0304-22.2023. [PMID: 36720646 PMCID: PMC9953049 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0304-22.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2022] [Revised: 01/08/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2023] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Fear is an emotional mechanism that helps to cope with potential hazards. However, when fear is generalized, it becomes maladaptive and represents a core symptom of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Converging lines of research show that dysfunction of glutamatergic neurotransmission is a cardinal feature of trauma and stress related disorders such as PTSD. However, the involvement of glutamatergic co-transmission in fear is less well understood. Glutamate is accumulated into synaptic vesicles by vesicular glutamate transporters (VGLUTs). The atypical subtype, VGLUT3, is responsible for the co-transmission of glutamate with acetylcholine, serotonin, or GABA. To understand the involvement of VGLUT3-dependent co-transmission in aversive memories, we used a Pavlovian fear conditioning paradigm in VGLUT3-/- mice. Our results revealed a higher contextual fear memory in these mice, despite a facilitation of extinction. In addition, the absence of VGLUT3 leads to fear generalization, probably because of a pattern separation deficit. Our study suggests that the VGLUT3 network plays a crucial role in regulating emotional memories. Hence, VGLUT3 is a key player in the processing of aversive memories and therefore a potential therapeutic target in stress-related disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Camille de Almeida
- Sorbonne Université, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Neuroscience Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS - IBPS), Paris 75005, France
| | - Nida Chabbah
- Sorbonne Université, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Neuroscience Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS - IBPS), Paris 75005, France
| | - Camille Eyraud
- Sorbonne Université, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Neuroscience Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS - IBPS), Paris 75005, France
| | - Caroline Fasano
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montréal QC H4H 1R3, Quebec, Canada
| | - Véronique Bernard
- Sorbonne Université, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Neuroscience Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS - IBPS), Paris 75005, France
| | - Nicolas Pietrancosta
- Sorbonne Université, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Neuroscience Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS - IBPS), Paris 75005, France
| | - Véronique Fabre
- Sorbonne Université, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Neuroscience Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS - IBPS), Paris 75005, France
| | - Salah El Mestikawy
- Sorbonne Université, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Neuroscience Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS - IBPS), Paris 75005, France
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montréal QC H4H 1R3, Quebec, Canada
| | - Stephanie Daumas
- Sorbonne Université, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Neuroscience Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS - IBPS), Paris 75005, France
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Intrinsic Excitability in Layer IV-VI Anterior Insula to Basolateral Amygdala Projection Neurons Correlates with the Confidence of Taste Valence Encoding. eNeuro 2023; 10:ENEURO.0302-22.2022. [PMID: 36635250 PMCID: PMC9850927 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0302-22.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2022] [Revised: 09/01/2022] [Accepted: 09/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Avoiding potentially harmful, and consuming safe food is crucial for the survival of living organisms. However, the perceived valence of sensory information can change following conflicting experiences. Pleasurability and aversiveness are two crucial parameters defining the perceived valence of a taste and can be impacted by novelty. Importantly, the ability of a given taste to serve as the conditioned stimulus (CS) in conditioned taste aversion (CTA) is dependent on its valence. Activity in anterior insula (aIC) Layer IV-VI pyramidal neurons projecting to the basolateral amygdala (BLA) is correlated with and necessary for CTA learning and retrieval, as well as the expression of neophobia toward novel tastants, but not learning taste familiarity. Yet, the cellular mechanisms underlying the updating of taste valence representation in this specific pathway are poorly understood. Here, using retrograde viral tracing and whole-cell patch-clamp electrophysiology in trained mice, we demonstrate that the intrinsic properties of deep-lying Layer IV-VI, but not superficial Layer I-III aIC-BLA neurons, are differentially modulated by both novelty and valence, reflecting the subjective predictability of taste valence arising from prior experience. These correlative changes in the profile of intrinsic properties of LIV-VI aIC-BLA neurons were detectable following both simple taste experiences, as well as following memory retrieval, extinction learning, and reinstatement.
Collapse
|
46
|
Kaplan GB, Dadhi NA, Whitaker CS. Mitochondrial dysfunction in animal models of PTSD: Relationships between behavioral models, neural regions, and cellular maladaptation. Front Physiol 2023; 14:1105839. [PMID: 36923289 PMCID: PMC10009692 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2023.1105839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a trauma-related condition that produces distressing fear memory intrusions, avoidance behaviors, hyperarousal, stress responses, insomnia and other symptoms. This review of rodent models of PTSD examines trauma effects on fear-related learning, cognition, and avoidance, emotional and arousal behaviors and on mitochondrial dysfunction in relevant neural pathways. The review focuses on research that includes four elements: consensus PTSD rodent models, behavioral phenotyping, mitochondrial dysfunction within key neural regions. This approach allows for the integration of behavioral, neural and cellular findings in PTSD models. The PTSD models reviewed include fear conditioning, predator/social stress, chronic restraint stress, single prolonged stress, social isolation, chronic unpredictable stress and early life stress. These models produce a variety of PTSD-related behaviors that include associative and non-associative fear- and stress-related responses, hyperarousal, avoidance behaviors, cognitive disturbances, social withdrawal, compulsive behaviors, anhedonia-, anxiety- and depression-related behaviors. Neural regions included fear- and stress-related regions of the prefrontal cortex, hippocampal, amygdala, nucleus accumbens and hypothalamus. PTSD models produced mitochondrial dysfunction that includes dysregulation of oxidative phosphorylation and other metabolic pathways including β-oxidation of fatty acids and the tricarboxylic acid pathway. These models generated neural reactive oxygen species that damage DNA, proteins, and lipids. Trauma models further altered mitochondrial structure and replication and affected neuroinflammatory responses, signal transduction and apoptosis. Antidepressant medications used for the treatment of PTSD reversed stress-induced changes in some PTSD-like behaviors and many elements of brain mitochondrial dysfunction. Future studies can develop PTSD models which are ecologically valid and result in a broader manifestation of PTSD-related behaviors as it is clinically defined. This review highlights mitochondrial mechanisms associated with PTSD-like behaviors that have been produced in an array of consensus PTSD models and identifies putative circuit-based targets for more effective treatment for this debilitating disorder.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gary B Kaplan
- Mental Health Service, VA Boston Healthcare System, West Roxbury, MA, United States.,Department of Psychiatry, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States.,Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
47
|
Amygdala Intercalated Cells: Gate Keepers and Conveyors of Internal State to the Circuits of Emotion. J Neurosci 2022; 42:9098-9109. [PMID: 36639901 PMCID: PMC9761677 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1176-22.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2022] [Revised: 09/19/2022] [Accepted: 10/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Generating adaptive behavioral responses to emotionally salient stimuli requires evaluation of complex associations between multiple sensations, the surrounding context, and current internal state. Neural circuits within the amygdala parse this emotional information, undergo synaptic plasticity to reflect learned associations, and evoke appropriate responses through their projections to the brain regions orchestrating these behaviors. Information flow within the amygdala is regulated by the intercalated cells (ITCs), which are densely packed clusters of GABAergic neurons that encircle the basolateral amygdala (BLA) and provide contextually relevant feedforward inhibition of amygdala nuclei, including the central and BLA. Emerging studies have begun to delineate the unique contribution of each ITC cluster and establish ITCs as key loci of plasticity in emotional learning. In this review, we summarize the known connectivity and function of individual ITC clusters and explore how different neuromodulators conveying internal state act via ITC gates to shape emotionally motivated behavior. We propose that the behavioral state-dependent function of ITCs, their unique genetic profile, and rich expression of neuromodulator receptors make them potential therapeutic targets for disorders, such as anxiety, schizophrenia spectrum, and addiction.
Collapse
|
48
|
Mineur YS, Mose TN, Maibom KL, Pittenger ST, Soares AR, Wu H, Taylor SR, Huang Y, Picciotto MR. ACh signaling modulates activity of the GABAergic signaling network in the basolateral amygdala and behavior in stress-relevant paradigms. Mol Psychiatry 2022; 27:4918-4927. [PMID: 36050437 PMCID: PMC10718266 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-022-01749-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2022] [Revised: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 08/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
The balance between excitatory and inhibitory (E/I) signaling is important for maintaining homeostatic function in the brain. Indeed, dysregulation of inhibitory GABA interneurons in the amygdala has been implicated in human mood disorders. We hypothesized that acetylcholine (ACh) signaling in the basolateral amygdala (BLA) might alter E/I balance resulting in changes in stress-sensitive behaviors. We therefore measured ACh release as well as activity of calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CAMKII)-, parvalbumin (PV)-, somatostatin (SOM)- and vasoactive intestinal protein (VIP)-expressing neurons in the BLA of awake, behaving male mice. ACh levels and activity of both excitatory and inhibitory BLA neurons increased when animals were actively coping, and decreased during passive coping, in the light-dark box, tail suspension and social defeat. Changes in neuronal activity preceded behavioral state transitions, suggesting that BLA activity may drive the shift in coping strategy. In contrast to exposure to escapable stressors, prolonging ACh signaling with a cholinesterase antagonist changed the balance of activity among BLA cell types, significantly increasing activity of VIP neurons and decreasing activity of SOM cells, with little effect on CaMKII or PV neurons. Knockdown of α7 or β2-containing nAChR subtypes in PV and SOM, but not CaMKII or VIP, BLA neurons altered behavioral responses to stressors, suggesting that ACh signaling through nAChRs on GABA neuron subtypes contributes to stress-induced changes in behavior. These studies show that ACh modulates the GABAergic signaling network in the BLA, shifting the balance between SOM, PV, VIP and CaMKII neurons, which are normally activated coordinately during active coping in response to stress. Thus, prolonging ACh signaling, as occurs in response to chronic stress, may contribute to maladaptive behaviors by shifting the balance of inhibitory signaling in the BLA.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yann S Mineur
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, 34 Park Street, 3rd Floor Research, New Haven, CT, 06508, USA
| | - Tenna N Mose
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, 34 Park Street, 3rd Floor Research, New Haven, CT, 06508, USA
| | - Kathrine Lefoli Maibom
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, 34 Park Street, 3rd Floor Research, New Haven, CT, 06508, USA
| | - Steven T Pittenger
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, 34 Park Street, 3rd Floor Research, New Haven, CT, 06508, USA
| | - Alexa R Soares
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, 34 Park Street, 3rd Floor Research, New Haven, CT, 06508, USA
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale University School of Medicine, 34 Park Street, 3rd Floor Research, New Haven, CT, 06508, USA
| | - Hao Wu
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, 34 Park Street, 3rd Floor Research, New Haven, CT, 06508, USA
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale University School of Medicine, 34 Park Street, 3rd Floor Research, New Haven, CT, 06508, USA
| | - Seth R Taylor
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, 34 Park Street, 3rd Floor Research, New Haven, CT, 06508, USA
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale University School of Medicine, 34 Park Street, 3rd Floor Research, New Haven, CT, 06508, USA
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Yaqing Huang
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, 34 Park Street, 3rd Floor Research, New Haven, CT, 06508, USA
- Experimental Pathology Graduate Program, Yale University School of Medicine, 34 Park Street, 3rd Floor Research, New Haven, CT, 06508, USA
| | - Marina R Picciotto
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, 34 Park Street, 3rd Floor Research, New Haven, CT, 06508, USA.
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale University School of Medicine, 34 Park Street, 3rd Floor Research, New Haven, CT, 06508, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
49
|
Schwartz S, Clerget A, Perogamvros L. Enhancing imagery rehearsal therapy for nightmares with targeted memory reactivation. Curr Biol 2022; 32:4808-4816.e4. [PMID: 36306786 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.09.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2022] [Revised: 07/14/2022] [Accepted: 09/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Nightmare disorder (ND) is characterized by dreams with strong negative emotions occurring during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. ND is mainly treated by imagery rehearsal therapy (IRT), where the patients are asked to change the negative story line of their nightmare to a more positive one. We here used targeted memory reactivation (TMR) during REM sleep to strengthen IRT-related memories and accelerate remission of ND. Thirty-six patients with ND were asked to perform an initial IRT session and, while they generated a positive outcome of their nightmare, half of the patients were exposed to a sound (TMR group), while no such pairing took place for the other half (control group). During the next 2 weeks, all patients performed IRT every evening at home and were exposed to the sound during REM sleep with a wireless headband, which automatically detected sleep stages. The frequency of nightmares per week at 2 weeks was used as the primary outcome measure. We found that the TMR group had less frequent nightmares and more positive dream emotions than the control group after 2 weeks of IRT and a sustained decrease of nightmares after 3 months. By demonstrating the effectiveness of TMR during sleep to potentiate therapy, these results have clinical implications for the management of ND, with relevance to other psychiatric disorders too. Additionally, these findings show that TMR applied during REM sleep can modulate emotions in dreams.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sophie Schwartz
- Department of Basic Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, 1202 Geneva, Switzerland; Swiss Center for Affective Sciences, University of Geneva, 1202 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Alice Clerget
- Department of Basic Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, 1202 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Lampros Perogamvros
- Department of Basic Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, 1202 Geneva, Switzerland; Swiss Center for Affective Sciences, University of Geneva, 1202 Geneva, Switzerland; Center for Sleep Medicine, Geneva University Hospitals, 1225 Geneva, Switzerland; Department of Psychiatry, Geneva University Hospitals, 1225 Geneva, Switzerland.
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
Zafiri D, Duvarci S. Dopaminergic circuits underlying associative aversive learning. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:1041929. [PMID: 36439963 PMCID: PMC9685162 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.1041929] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Associative aversive learning enables animals to predict and avoid threats and thus is critical for survival and adaptive behavior. Anxiety disorders are characterized with deficits in normal aversive learning mechanisms and hence understanding the neural circuits underlying aversive learning and memory has high clinical relevance. Recent studies have revealed the dopamine system as one of the key modulators of aversive learning. In this review, we highlight recent advances that provide insights into how distinct dopaminergic circuits contribute to aversive learning and memory.
Collapse
|