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Frasier RM, De Oliveira Sergio T, Starski PA, Grippo AJ, Hopf FW. Heart rate variability measures indicating sex differences in autonomic regulation during anxiety-like behavior in rats. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:1244389. [PMID: 38025424 PMCID: PMC10644002 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1244389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Mental health conditions remain a substantial and costly challenge to society, especially in women since they have nearly twice the prevalence of anxiety disorders. However, critical mechanisms underlying sex differences remain incompletely understood. Measures of cardiac function, including heart rate (HR) and HR variability (HRV), reflect balance between sympathetic (SNS) and parasympathetic (PNS) systems and are potential biomarkers for pathological states. Methods To better understand sex differences in anxiety-related autonomic mechanisms, we examined HR/HRV telemetry in food-restricted adult rats during novelty suppression of feeding (NSF), with conflict between food under bright light in the arena center. To assess HRV, we calculated the SDNN (reflective of both SNS and PNS contribution) and rMSSD (reflective of PNS contribution) and compared these metrics to behaviors within the anxiety task. Results Females had greater HR and lower SNS indicators at baseline, as in humans. Further, females (but not males) with higher basal HR carried this state into NSF, delaying first approach to center. In contrast, males with lower SNS measures approached and spent more time in the brightly-lit center. Further, females with lower SNS indicators consumed significantly more food. In males, a high-SNS subpopulation consumed no food. Among consumers, males with greater SNS ate more food. Discussion Together, these are congruent with human findings suggesting women engage PNS more, and men SNS more. Our previous behavior-only work also observed female differences from males during initial movement and food intake. Thus, high basal SNS in females reduced behavior early in NSF, while subsequent reduced SNS allowed greater food intake. In males, lower SNS increased engagement with arena center, but greater SNS predicted higher consumption. Our findings show novel and likely clinically relevant sex differences in HRV-behavior relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raizel M. Frasier
- Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
| | | | - Phillip A. Starski
- Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
| | - Angela J. Grippo
- Department of Psychology, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL, United States
| | - F. Woodward Hopf
- Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
- Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN, United States
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Wu F, Dong P, Wu G, Deng J, Gao X, Song X, Yuan J, Sun H. The disruption of white matter integrity of systemic striatal circuits in alcohol-dependent males with physiological cue reactivity. Addict Biol 2023; 28:e13273. [PMID: 37016754 DOI: 10.1111/adb.13273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2022] [Revised: 02/05/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 04/06/2023]
Abstract
Alcohol dependence (AD) is a chronic and relapsing disorder. Conditioned cues associated with the rewarding properties of drugs could trigger motivational/physiological reactions and render subjects vulnerable to relapse. Striatal circuit dysfunction has been implicated in alcohol addiction behaviours. However, little is known about the striatal tracts structural connectivity changes underlying cue induced reactivity in AD. In our present study, we recruited 51 patients with AD; 31 individuals had physiological response. We used seed-based classification by probabilistic tractography with nine target masks to explore the white matter integrity of striatal circuits in physiological responders (N = 31), non-responders (N = 20), and healthy controls (N = 27). Compared with healthy controls, physiological responders showed lower fractional anisotropy (FA) and/or higher mean diffusivity in the striatum-dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC), striatum-ventral lateral prefrontal cortex, striatum-supplementary motor area (SMA), and striatum-insular. Considering age and smoking are potential nuisances to diffusion parameters, an analysis of covariance also was conducted and similar results were found. We also found the cue-induced physiological response was negatively associated with the FA of the striatum-SMA (r = -0.287; p = 0.045) and left striatum-dlPFC (r = -0.253; p = 0.079) in AD. In our study, we found abnormal integrity of striatal circuit structural connectivity in AD with physiological cue reactivity, especially trajectory from prefrontal cortex and insular. We also found the FA of striatal tracks was negatively associated with the degree of cue reactivity. Our findings provide further evidence for reduced white matter integrity of striatal circuits for cue reactivity in male individuals with AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fei Wu
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Ping Dong
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Guowei Wu
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, China
| | - Jiahui Deng
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Xuejiao Gao
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaopeng Song
- McLean Imaging Center, McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Junliang Yuan
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Peking University, Beijing, China
- Department of Neurology, Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Hongqiang Sun
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Peking University, Beijing, China
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De Oliveira Sergio T, Frasier RM, Hopf FW. Animal models of compulsion alcohol drinking: Why we love quinine-resistant intake and what we learned from it. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:1116901. [PMID: 37032937 PMCID: PMC10080007 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1116901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2022] [Accepted: 02/17/2023] [Indexed: 04/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) ranks among the most prevalent mental disorders, extracting ~$250 billion/year in the US alone and producing myriad medical and social harms. Also, the number of deaths related to problem drinking has been increasing dramatically. Compulsive alcohol drinking, characterized by intake that persists despite negative consequences, can be particularly important and a major obstacle to treatment. With the number of people suffering from AUD increasing during the past years, there is a critical need to understand the neurobiology related to compulsive drives for alcohol, as well as the development of novel AUD pharmacological therapies. Here we discuss rodent compulsion-like alcohol drinking (CLAD) models, focusing on the two most widely used adverse stimuli to model rodent compulsion-like responding, quinine adulteration of alcohol and footshook-resistant alcohol intake. For both cases, the goal is to uncover behavior patterns and brain circuits that underlie drive for alcohol even in the face of negative consequences. We discuss caveats, benefits, and potential brain mechanisms, of models for consequence-resistant responding for alcohol more generally, and especially highlight some advantages of quinine-resistance over footshook-resistance. Further, since this review contributes to a Special issue focused on Molecular Aspects of Compulsive Drug Use, we discuss our new findings showing how the noradrenergic system is related to CLAD responding. In particular, we comment on the importance of α1 and β adrenergic receptors (ARs) as potential targets for treating AUD.
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Martins de Carvalho L, Chen H, Sutter M, Lasek AW. Sexually dimorphic role for insular perineuronal nets in aversion-resistant alcohol consumption. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:1122423. [PMID: 36926460 PMCID: PMC10011443 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1122423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Compulsive alcohol drinking is a key symptom of alcohol use disorder (AUD) that is particularly resistant to treatment. An understanding of the biological factors that underly compulsive drinking will allow for the development of new therapeutic targets for AUD. One animal model of compulsive alcohol drinking involves the addition of bitter-tasting quinine to an ethanol solution and measuring the willingness of the animal to consume ethanol despite the aversive taste. Previous studies have demonstrated that this type of aversion-resistant drinking is modulated in the insular cortex of male mice by specialized condensed extracellular matrix known as perineuronal nets (PNNs), which form a lattice-like structure around parvalbumin-expressing neurons in the cortex. Several laboratories have shown that female mice exhibit higher levels of aversion-resistant ethanol intake, but the role of PNNs in females in this behavior has not been examined. Here we compared PNNs in the insula of male and female mice and determined if disrupting PNNs in female mice would alter aversion-resistant ethanol intake. PNNs were visualized in the insula by fluorescent labeling with Wisteria floribunda agglutinin (WFA) and disrupted in the insula by microinjecting chondroitinase ABC, an enzyme that digests the chondroitin sulfate glycosaminoglycan component of PNNs. Mice were tested for aversion-resistant ethanol consumption by the addition of sequentially increasing concentrations of quinine to the ethanol in a two-bottle choice drinking in the dark procedure. PNN staining intensity was higher in the insula of female compared to male mice, suggesting that PNNs in females might contribute to elevated aversion-resistant drinking. However, disruption of PNNs had limited effect on aversion-resistant drinking in females. In addition, activation of the insula during aversion-resistant drinking, as measured by c-fos immunohistochemistry, was lower in female mice than in males. Taken together, these results suggest that neural mechanisms underlying aversion-resistant ethanol consumption differ in males and females.
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de Carvalho LM, Chen H, Sutter M, Lasek AW. Sexually Dimorphic Role for Insular Perineuronal Nets in Aversion-Resistant Ethanol Consumption. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.01.27.525899. [PMID: 36747687 PMCID: PMC9901005 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.27.525899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Compulsive alcohol drinking is a key symptom of alcohol use disorder (AUD) that is particularly resistant to treatment. An understanding of the biological factors that underly compulsive drinking will allow for the development of new therapeutic targets for AUD. One animal model of compulsive alcohol drinking involves the addition of bitter-tasting quinine to an ethanol solution and measuring the willingness of the animal to consume ethanol despite the aversive taste. Previous studies have demonstrated that this type of aversion-resistant drinking is modulated in the insular cortex of male mice by specialized condensed extracellular matrix known as perineuronal nets (PNNs), which form a lattice-like structure around parvalbumin-expressing neurons in the cortex. Several laboratories have shown that female mice exhibit higher levels of aversion-resistant ethanol intake but the role of PNNs in females in this behavior has not been examined. Here we compared PNNs in the insula of male and female mice and determined if disrupting PNNs in female mice would alter aversion-resistant ethanol intake. PNNs were visualized in the insula by fluorescent labeling with Wisteria floribunda agglutinin (WFA) and disrupted in the insula by microinjecting chondroitinase ABC, an enzyme that digests the chondroitin sulfate glycosaminoglycan component of PNNs. Mice were tested for aversion-resistant ethanol consumption by the addition of sequentially increasing concentrations of quinine to the ethanol in a two-bottle choice drinking in the dark procedure. PNN staining intensity was higher in the insula of female compared to male mice, suggesting that PNNs in females might contribute to elevated aversion-resistant drinking. However, disruption of PNNs had limited effect on aversion-resistant drinking in females. In addition, activation of the insula during aversion-resistant drinking, as measured by c-fos immunohistochemistry, was lower in female mice than in males. Taken together, these results suggest that neural mechanisms underlying aversion-resistant ethanol consumption differ in males and females.
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Shi T, Feng S, Zhou Z, Li F, Fu Y, Zhou W. Stress-altering anterior insular cortex activity affects risk decision-making behavior in mice of different sexes. Front Cell Neurosci 2023; 17:1094808. [PMID: 36761354 PMCID: PMC9902351 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2023.1094808] [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: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Stress can affect people's judgment and make them take risky decisions. Abnormal decision-making behavior is a core symptom of psychiatric disorders, such as anxiety, depression, and substance abuse. However, the neuronal mechanisms underlying such impairments are largely unknown. The anterior insular cortex (AIC) is a crucial structure to integrate sensory information with emotional and motivational states. These properties suggest that AIC can influence a subjective prediction in decision-making. In this study, we demonstrated that stressed mice prefer to take more risky choices than control mice using a gambling test. Manipulating the neural activity of AIC or selectively inhibiting the AIC-BLA pathway with chemogenetic intervention resulted in alterations in risk decision-making in mice. Different sexes may have different decision-making strategies in risky situations. Endogenous estrogen levels affect emotional cognition by modulating the stress system function in women. We observed decision-making behavior in mice of different sexes with or without stress experience. The result showed that female mice did not change their choice strategy with increasing risk/reward probability and performed a lower risk preference than male mice after stress. Using the pharmacological method, we bilaterally injected an estrogen receptor (ER) antagonist that resulted in more risky behavior and decreased synaptic plasticity in the AIC of female mice. Our study suggested that the AIC is a crucial region involved in stress-induced alteration of decision-making, and estrogen in the AIC may regulate decision-making behavior by regulating synaptic plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianyao Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Beijing, China,*Correspondence: Tianyao Shi,
| | - Shufang Feng
- Department of Medical Psychology, The Third Medical Center, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Zhonglin Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Beijing, China
| | - Fengan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Beijing, China,Department of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Yuan Fu
- State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Beijing, China,Department of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Wenxia Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Beijing, China,Wenxia Zhou,
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Starski P, Maulucci D, Mead H, Hopf F. Adaptation of the 5-choice serial reaction time task to measure engagement and motivation for alcohol in mice. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:968359. [PMID: 36187376 PMCID: PMC9522902 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.968359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is related to excessive binge alcohol consumption, and there is considerable interest in associated factors that promote intake. AUD has many behavioral facets that enhance inflexibility toward alcohol consumption, including impulsivity, motivation, and attention. Thus, it is important to understand how these factors might promote responding for alcohol and can change after protracted alcohol intake. Previous studies have explored such behavioral factors using responding for sugar in the 5-Choice Serial Reaction Time Task (5-CSRTT), which allows careful separation of impulsivity, attention, and motivation. Importantly, our studies uniquely focus on using alcohol as the reward throughout training and testing sessions, which is critical for beginning to answer central questions relating to behavioral engagement for alcohol. Alcohol preference and consumption in male C57BL/6 mice were determined from the first 9 sessions of 2-h alcohol drinking which were interspersed among 5-CSRTT training. Interestingly, alcohol preference but not consumption level significantly predicted 5-CSRTT responding for alcohol. In contrast, responding for strawberry milk was not related to alcohol preference. Moreover, high-preference (HP) mice made more correct alcohol-directed responses than low-preference (LP) during the first half of each session and had more longer reward latencies in the second half, with no differences when performing for strawberry milk, suggesting that HP motivation for alcohol may reflect “front-loading.” Mice were then exposed to an Intermittent Access to alcohol paradigm and retested in 5-CSRTT. While both HP and LP mice increased 5-CSRTT responding for alcohol, but not strawberry milk, LP performance rose to HP levels, with a greater change in correct and premature responding in LP versus HP. Overall, this study provides three significant findings: (1) alcohol was a suitable reward in the 5-CSRTT, allowing dissection of impulsivity, attention, and motivation in relation to alcohol drinking, (2) alcohol preference was a more sensitive indicator of mouse 5-CSRTT performance than consumption, and (3) intermittent alcohol drinking promoted behavioral engagement with alcohol, especially for individuals with less initial engagement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phillip Starski
- Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
| | - Danielle Maulucci
- Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
| | - Hunter Mead
- Department of Psychology, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI), Indianapolis, IN, United States
| | - Frederic Hopf
- Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
- *Correspondence: Frederic Hopf,
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Katner SN, Sentir AM, Steagall KB, Ding ZM, Wetherill L, Hopf FW, Engleman EA. Modeling Aversion Resistant Alcohol Intake in Indiana Alcohol-Preferring (P) Rats. Brain Sci 2022; 12:brainsci12081042. [PMID: 36009105 PMCID: PMC9406111 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12081042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2022] [Revised: 07/26/2022] [Accepted: 08/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
With the substantial social and medical burden of addiction, there is considerable interest in understanding risk factors that increase the development of addiction. A key feature of alcohol use disorder (AUD) is compulsive alcohol (EtOH) drinking, where EtOH drinking becomes “inflexible” after chronic intake, and animals, such as humans with AUD, continue drinking despite aversive consequences. Further, since there is a heritable component to AUD risk, some work has focused on genetically-selected, EtOH-preferring rodents, which could help uncover critical mechanisms driving pathological intake. In this regard, aversion-resistant drinking (ARD) takes >1 month to develop in outbred Wistar rats (and perhaps Sardinian-P EtOH-preferring rats). However, ARD has received limited study in Indiana P-rats, which were selected for high EtOH preference and exhibit factors that could parallel human AUD (including front-loading and impulsivity). Here, we show that P-rats rapidly developed compulsion-like responses for EtOH; 0.4 g/L quinine in EtOH significantly reduced female and male intake on the first day of exposure but had no effect after one week of EtOH drinking (15% EtOH, 24 h free-choice paradigm). Further, after 4−5 weeks of EtOH drinking, males but not females showed resistance to even higher quinine (0.5 g/L). Thus, P-rats rapidly developed ARD for EtOH, but only males developed even stronger ARD with further intake. Finally, rats strongly reduced intake of quinine-adulterated water after 1 or 5 weeks of EtOH drinking, suggesting no changes in basic quinine sensitivity. Thus, modeling ARD in P-rats may provide insight into mechanisms underlying genetic predispositions for compulsive drinking and lead to new treatments for AUDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon N. Katner
- Department of Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatric Research, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
- Stark Neuroscience Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Alena M. Sentir
- Department of Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatric Research, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
- Stark Neuroscience Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Kevin B. Steagall
- Department of Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatric Research, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
- Stark Neuroscience Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Zheng-Ming Ding
- Departments of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine and Pharmacology, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, 700 HMC Crescent Road, Hershey, PA 17033, USA
| | - Leah Wetherill
- Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Frederic W. Hopf
- Department of Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatric Research, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
- Stark Neuroscience Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Eric A. Engleman
- Department of Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatric Research, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
- Stark Neuroscience Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
- Correspondence:
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Oliverio R, Fitzgerald J, Velazquez-Cruz R, Whitehead B, Karelina K, Weil ZM. Ovarian Steroids Mediate Sex Differences in Alcohol Reward After Brain Injury in Mice. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:907552. [PMID: 35801094 PMCID: PMC9253769 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.907552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Intoxication is a leading risk factor for injury, and TBI increases the risk for later alcohol misuse, especially when the injury is sustained in childhood. Previously, we modeled this pattern in mice, wherein females injured at postnatal day 21 drank significantly more than uninjured females, while we did not see this effect in males. However, the biological underpinnings of this sex difference have remained elusive. In this study, we utilize this preclinical model and traditional endocrine manipulations to assess the effect of perinatal sex steroids on post-injury ethanol response. We found that perinatal androgen administration and adult ovariectomy prevented the development of conditioned place preference to ethanol in females, while there was not an effect of gonadectomy either developmental time point on the severity of axonal degeneration. Finally, although TBI increased the number of microglia in males, there was no corresponding effect of gonadectomy, which suggests that males exhibit prolonged neuroinflammation after brain injury irrespective of circulating sex steroids. Taken together, our results indicate a potential role for ovarian sex steroids in the development of greater alcohol preference after a juvenile TBI in female mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robin Oliverio
- Department of Neuroscience and Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, United States
- *Correspondence: Robin Oliverio,
| | - Julie Fitzgerald
- Department of Neuroscience, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - Ruth Velazquez-Cruz
- Department of Neuroscience and Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, United States
| | - Bailey Whitehead
- Department of Neuroscience and Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, United States
| | - Kate Karelina
- Department of Neuroscience and Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, United States
| | - Zachary M. Weil
- Department of Neuroscience and Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, United States
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Lovelock DF, Liu W, Langston SE, Liu J, Van Voorhies K, Giffin KA, Vetreno RP, Crews FT, Besheer J. The Toll-like receptor 7 agonist imiquimod increases ethanol self-administration and induces expression of Toll-like receptor related genes. Addict Biol 2022; 27:e13176. [PMID: 35470561 PMCID: PMC9286850 DOI: 10.1111/adb.13176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2021] [Revised: 02/24/2022] [Accepted: 04/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
There is growing evidence that immune signalling may be involved in both the causes and consequences of alcohol abuse. Toll-like receptor (TLR) expression is increased by alcohol consumption and is implicated in AUD, and specifically TLR7 may play an important role in ethanol consumption. We administered the TLR7-specific agonist imiquimod in male and female Long-Evans rats to determine (1) gene expression changes in brain regions involved in alcohol reinforcement, the nucleus accumbens core and anterior insular cortex, in rats with and without an alcohol history, and (2) whether TLR7 activation could modulate operant alcohol self-administration. Interferon regulatory factor 7 (IRF7) was dramatically increased in both sexes at both 2- and 24-h post-injection regardless of alcohol history and TLR3 and 7 gene expression was increased as well. The proinflammatory cytokine TNFα was increased 24-h post-injection in rats with an alcohol self-administration history, but this effect did not persist after four injections, suggesting molecular tolerance. Ethanol consumption was increased 24 h after imiquimod injections but did not occur until the third injection, suggesting adaptation to repeated TLR7 activation is necessary for increased drinking to occur. Notably, imiquimod reliably induced weight loss, indicating that sickness behaviour persisted across repeated injections. These findings show that TLR7 activation can modulate alcohol drinking in an operant self-administration paradigm and suggest that TLR7 and IRF7 signalling pathways may be a viable druggable target for treatment of AUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dennis F. Lovelock
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill North Carolina USA
| | - Wen Liu
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill North Carolina USA
| | - Sarah E. Langston
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill North Carolina USA
| | - Jiaqi Liu
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill North Carolina USA
| | - Kalynn Van Voorhies
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill North Carolina USA
| | - Kaitlin A. Giffin
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill North Carolina USA
| | - Ryan P. Vetreno
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill North Carolina USA
- Department of Psychiatry University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill North Carolina USA
| | - Fulton T. Crews
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill North Carolina USA
- Department of Psychiatry University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill North Carolina USA
- Department of Pharmacology University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill North Carolina USA
| | - Joyce Besheer
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill North Carolina USA
- Department of Psychiatry University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill North Carolina USA
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Creswell KG, Sayette MA. How laboratory studies of cigarette craving can inform the experimental alcohol craving literature. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2022; 46:344-358. [PMID: 35037262 PMCID: PMC8920775 DOI: 10.1111/acer.14773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2021] [Revised: 01/03/2022] [Accepted: 01/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Interest in alcohol and other drug craving has flourished over the past two decades, and evidence has accumulated showing that craving can be meaningfully linked to both drug use and relapse. Considerable human experimental alcohol craving research since 2000 has focused on craving as a clinical phenomenon. Self-reported craving to drink typically has served as a catch-all for the craving construct in these studies, whereas few studies have considered craving as a process (or hypothetical construct) that interacts with other phenomena to affect use. In contrast to alcohol, we believe that recently there has been more mechanistic work targeting cigarette craving-related processes. Here, we briefly present a narrative review of studies of acute alcohol craving in humans that have been conducted during the past two decades. We then specify important ways in which alcohol and tobacco differ (e.g., the role of withdrawal), and we note the unique challenges in inducing robust alcohol craving states in the laboratory. Finally, we offer recommendations for how the alcohol field might advance its conceptual understanding of craving by adopting ideas and methods drawn from the smoking research literature. Specifically, we suggest that researchers extend their studies to not only examine the link between alcohol craving and relapse but also to focus on why and, in some instances, how alcohol cravings matter clinically, and the circumstances under which craving especially matters. We propose research to investigate the shifts in alcohol-related cognitive and affective processing that occur during alcohol craving states. Furthermore, we highlight the value of research examining the level of insight that individuals with varying levels of alcohol involvement possess about their own craving-related processing shifts. We believe that laboratory studies can provide rich opportunities to examine conceptual questions about alcohol craving that are central to addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kasey G. Creswell
- Department of PsychologyCarnegie Mellon UniversityPittsburghPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Michael A. Sayette
- Department of PsychologyUniversity of PittsburghPittsburghPennsylvaniaUSA
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12
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Grundinger N, Gerhardt S, Karl D, Mann K, Kiefer F, Vollstädt-Klein S. The effects of nalmefene on the impulsive and reflective system in alcohol use disorder: A resting-state fMRI study. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2022; 239:2471-2489. [PMID: 35426492 PMCID: PMC9293828 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-022-06137-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2021] [Accepted: 03/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Central aspects of alcohol use disorder (AUD) are the irresistible desire for alcohol and impaired control over its intake. According to the triadic neurocognitive model of addiction, this arises from aberrant functioning of different neural and cognitive systems: an impulsive system, a reflective system, and the abnormal dynamics between both systems based on an insular-dependent system. OBJECTIVES In this study, we examined the effects of a single dose of nalmefene on resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) patterns within and between these addiction-related neural systems in AUD. METHODS Non-treatment seeking participants with AUD (N = 17; 19-66 years, 6 female) took part in a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, crossover study and received either a single dose of 18 mg nalmefene or a placebo. Using seed-based correlation analyses on resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data, we examined the effects of nalmefene on key nodes related to the (1) impulsive system; (2) reflective system; (3) salience network; and (4) default mode network. RESULTS Under nalmefene, participants showed reduced rsFC between components of the impulsive system (Nucleus accumbens-putamen/pallidum/insula). Reduced rsFC was found between elements of the reflective system and impulsive system (orbitofrontal cortex-insula/putamen/pallidum), salience network (orbitofrontal cortex-insula/inferior frontal gyrus), and default mode network (lateral prefrontal cortex-precuneus/cuneus). Components of the salience network showed both increased (anterior cingulate cortex) and decreased (insular cortex) rsFC to elements of the reflective system. CONCLUSION A single dose of nalmefene impacts rsFC and alters the interaction between key nodes of addiction-related neural systems in non-treatment seeking participants with AUD. Nalmefene may normalize rsFC patterns by weakening the impulsive system while strengthening the reflective system. TRIAL REGISTRATION clinicaltrials.gov: NCT02372318.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadja Grundinger
- grid.413757.30000 0004 0477 2235Department of Addictive Behavior and Addiction Medicine, Central Institute of Mental Health, University of Heidelberg, Medical Faculty Mannheim, PO Box 12 21 20, 68072 Mannheim, Germany
| | - Sarah Gerhardt
- grid.413757.30000 0004 0477 2235Department of Addictive Behavior and Addiction Medicine, Central Institute of Mental Health, University of Heidelberg, Medical Faculty Mannheim, PO Box 12 21 20, 68072 Mannheim, Germany
| | - Damian Karl
- grid.413757.30000 0004 0477 2235Department of Addictive Behavior and Addiction Medicine, Central Institute of Mental Health, University of Heidelberg, Medical Faculty Mannheim, PO Box 12 21 20, 68072 Mannheim, Germany
| | - Karl Mann
- grid.413757.30000 0004 0477 2235Department of Addictive Behavior and Addiction Medicine, Central Institute of Mental Health, University of Heidelberg, Medical Faculty Mannheim, PO Box 12 21 20, 68072 Mannheim, Germany
| | - Falk Kiefer
- grid.413757.30000 0004 0477 2235Department of Addictive Behavior and Addiction Medicine, Central Institute of Mental Health, University of Heidelberg, Medical Faculty Mannheim, PO Box 12 21 20, 68072 Mannheim, Germany ,grid.7700.00000 0001 2190 4373Feuerlein Center On Translational Addiction Medicine (FCTS), University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany ,grid.7700.00000 0001 2190 4373Mannheim Center for Translational Neurosciences (MCTN), Medical Faculty of Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Sabine Vollstädt-Klein
- Department of Addictive Behavior and Addiction Medicine, Central Institute of Mental Health, University of Heidelberg, Medical Faculty Mannheim, PO Box 12 21 20, 68072, Mannheim, Germany. .,Mannheim Center for Translational Neurosciences (MCTN), Medical Faculty of Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany.
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13
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Bağci B, Düsmez S, Zorlu N, Bahtiyar G, Isikli S, Bayrakci A, Heinz A, Schad DJ, Sebold M. Computational analysis of probabilistic reversal learning deficits in male subjects with alcohol use disorder. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:960238. [PMID: 36339830 PMCID: PMC9626515 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.960238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2022] [Accepted: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alcohol use disorder is characterized by perseverative alcohol use despite negative consequences. This hallmark feature of addiction potentially relates to impairments in behavioral flexibility, which can be measured by probabilistic reversal learning (PRL) paradigms. We here aimed to examine the cognitive mechanisms underlying impaired PRL task performance in patients with alcohol use disorder (AUDP) using computational models of reinforcement learning. METHODS Twenty-eight early abstinent AUDP and 27 healthy controls (HC) performed an extensive PRL paradigm. We compared conventional behavioral variables of choices (perseveration; correct responses) between groups. Moreover, we fitted Bayesian computational models to the task data to compare differences in latent cognitive variables including reward and punishment learning and choice consistency between groups. RESULTS AUDP and HC did not significantly differ with regard to direct perseveration rates after reversals. However, AUDP made overall less correct responses and specifically showed decreased win-stay behavior compared to HC. Interestingly, AUDP showed premature switching after no or little negative feedback but elevated proneness to stay when accumulation of negative feedback would make switching a more optimal option. Computational modeling revealed that AUDP compared to HC showed enhanced learning from punishment, a tendency to learn less from positive feedback and lower choice consistency. CONCLUSION Our data do not support the assumption that AUDP are characterized by increased perseveration behavior. Instead our findings provide evidence that enhanced negative reinforcement and decreased non-drug-related reward learning as well as diminished choice consistency underlie dysfunctional choice behavior in AUDP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Başak Bağci
- Department of Psychiatry, Katip Celebi University Ataturk Education and Research Hospital, İzmir, Turkey
| | - Selin Düsmez
- Department of Psychiatry, Midyat State Hospital, Mardin, Turkey
| | - Nabi Zorlu
- Department of Psychiatry, Katip Celebi University Ataturk Education and Research Hospital, İzmir, Turkey
| | - Gökhan Bahtiyar
- Department of Psychiatry, Bingöl State Hospital, Bingöl, Turkey
| | - Serhan Isikli
- Department of Psychiatry, Katip Celebi University Ataturk Education and Research Hospital, İzmir, Turkey
| | - Adem Bayrakci
- Department of Psychiatry, Katip Celebi University Ataturk Education and Research Hospital, İzmir, Turkey
| | - Andreas Heinz
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Charité Campus Mitte (CCM), Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Daniel J Schad
- Department of Psychology, Health and Medical University, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Miriam Sebold
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Charité Campus Mitte (CCM), Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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14
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Zamboni L, Toldo S, Fusina F, Mattiello M, Mannari V, Campagnari S, Schiavone V, Congiu A, Verlato G, Chiamulera C, Lugoboni F. Study protocol-Evoked craving in high-dose benzodiazepine users. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:956892. [PMID: 36311534 PMCID: PMC9608779 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.956892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Benzodiazepine (BDZ) abuse, especially concerning high doses of BDZs, is an impairing substance use disorder (SUD) that is often difficult to treat. Craving and cue reactivity (CR) are two important phenomena that have a prominent role in maintaining addiction and triggering relapses in BDZ abuse; nevertheless, they have rarely been addressed in scientific literature. The present study aims to fill these gaps by implementing a highly innovative virtual reality (VR) design to assess the impact of substance-related environmental cues on BDZ craving, as well as their influence on patients' affective states. Therefore, on one hand, this research will contribute to the assessment of VR feasibility in the study of these phenomena, and, on the other, it will help disentangle the role that CR and craving have on mood and attention, which are equally important factors to consider when treating SUDs. We will recruit a healthy control group and a patient group comprising people seeking treatment for BDZ detoxification. The experimental design will consist of the presentation of three VR scenarios, one neutral, one BDZ-related but without BDZ cues, and another with BDZ cues. The craving will be measured through a virtual analog scale (VAS); the Profile of Mood States (POMS) and Alcohol Attention Scale (AAS) questionnaires in a modified version will also be administered. We will additionally control for VR-induced feelings of sickness by administering the Simulator Sickness Questionnaire (SSQ), and the Presence Questionnaire (PQ) will be used to investigate participants' sense of presence in virtual environments. We expect patients to exhibit higher levels of craving, and that the craving will be higher after exposure to a cue-related virtual environment as compared to a neutral scenario.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorenzo Zamboni
- Unit of Addiction Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Integrated University Hospital of Verona, Policlinico "G.B. Rossi", Verona, Italy.,Department of Neurosciences, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Silvia Toldo
- Department of Diagnostics and Public Health, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Francesca Fusina
- Padova Neuroscience Center, University of Padua, Padua, Italy.,Department of General Psychology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Matteo Mattiello
- Unit of Addiction Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Integrated University Hospital of Verona, Policlinico "G.B. Rossi", Verona, Italy.,Department of Diagnostics and Public Health, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Vanessa Mannari
- Department of Diagnostics and Public Health, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Simone Campagnari
- Unit of Addiction Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Integrated University Hospital of Verona, Policlinico "G.B. Rossi", Verona, Italy
| | - Valentina Schiavone
- Department of Diagnostics and Public Health, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Alessio Congiu
- Unit of Addiction Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Integrated University Hospital of Verona, Policlinico "G.B. Rossi", Verona, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Verlato
- Diagnostics and Public Health-Unit of Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Cristiano Chiamulera
- Department of Diagnostics and Public Health, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Fabio Lugoboni
- Unit of Addiction Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Integrated University Hospital of Verona, Policlinico "G.B. Rossi", Verona, Italy
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15
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Wiśniewski P, Maurage P, Jakubczyk A, Trucco EM, Suszek H, Kopera M. Alcohol use and interoception - A narrative review. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2021; 111:110397. [PMID: 34224795 PMCID: PMC8380667 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2021.110397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2021] [Revised: 05/31/2021] [Accepted: 06/29/2021] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Interoception, defined as the ability to perceive and interpret body signals, may play an important role in alcohol use disorder (AUD). Earlier studies suggested an association between interoception impairment and known risk factors for AUD (e.g., alexithymia, emotion dysregulation, impulsivity, pain). Neurobiological studies show that the neurotoxicity of alcohol affects various elements of the interoceptive system (especially the insula) at structural and functional levels, with differential short/long term impacts. Conversely, primary interoceptive impairments may promote alcohol consumption and foster the evolution towards addiction. Despite convincing evidence demonstrating that interoception impairment may be an important contributor to the development and course of AUD, only a few studies directly evaluated interoceptive abilities in AUD. The research shows that interoceptive accuracy, the objective component of interoception, is lower in AUD individuals, and is correlated with craving and emotion dysregulation. Interoceptive sensibility is in turn higher in AUD individuals compared to healthy controls. Moreover, there is evidence that therapy focused on improving the ability to sense signals from the body in addiction treatment is effective. However, important methodological limitations in interoceptive measures persist, and it is therefore necessary to further investigate the associations between interoception and AUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paweł Wiśniewski
- Department of Psychiatry, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Pierre Maurage
- Louvain Experimental Psychopathology research group (LEP), Psychological Sciences Research Institute, UCLouvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Andrzej Jakubczyk
- Department of Psychiatry, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Elisa M Trucco
- Department of Psychology, Center for Children and Families, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Addiction Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Hubert Suszek
- Department of Psychology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Maciej Kopera
- Department of Psychiatry, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
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16
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Domi E, Xu L, Toivainen S, Nordeman A, Gobbo F, Venniro M, Shaham Y, Messing RO, Visser E, van den Oever MC, Holm L, Barbier E, Augier E, Heilig M. A neural substrate of compulsive alcohol use. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:7/34/eabg9045. [PMID: 34407947 PMCID: PMC8373126 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abg9045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Alcohol intake remains controlled in a majority of users but becomes "compulsive," i.e., continues despite adverse consequences, in a minority who develop alcohol addiction. Here, using a footshock-punished alcohol self-administration procedure, we screened a large population of outbred rats to identify those showing compulsivity operationalized as punishment-resistant self-administration. Using unsupervised clustering, we found that this behavior emerged as a stable trait in a subpopulation of rats and was associated with activity of a brain network that included central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA). Activity of PKCδ+ inhibitory neurons in the lateral subdivision of CeA (CeL) accounted for ~75% of variance in punishment-resistant alcohol taking. Activity-dependent tagging, followed by chemogenetic inhibition of neurons activated during punishment-resistant self-administration, suppressed alcohol taking, as did a virally mediated shRNA knockdown of PKCδ in CeA. These findings identify a previously unknown mechanism for a core element of alcohol addiction and point to a novel candidate therapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esi Domi
- Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience, BKV, Linköping University, Linköping 581 85, Sweden.
| | - Li Xu
- Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience, BKV, Linköping University, Linköping 581 85, Sweden
- Psychosomatic Medicine Center, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Sanne Toivainen
- Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience, BKV, Linköping University, Linköping 581 85, Sweden
| | - Anton Nordeman
- Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience, BKV, Linköping University, Linköping 581 85, Sweden
| | - Francesco Gobbo
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, 1 George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK
| | - Marco Venniro
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Yavin Shaham
- Behavioral Neuroscience Branch Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), NIH, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Robert O Messing
- Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research and Departments of Neuroscience and Neurology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Esther Visser
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 HV Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Michel C van den Oever
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 HV Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Lovisa Holm
- Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience, BKV, Linköping University, Linköping 581 85, Sweden
| | - Estelle Barbier
- Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience, BKV, Linköping University, Linköping 581 85, Sweden
| | - Eric Augier
- Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience, BKV, Linköping University, Linköping 581 85, Sweden
| | - Markus Heilig
- Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience, BKV, Linköping University, Linköping 581 85, Sweden
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17
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Hernández-Serrano O, Ghiţă A, Fernández-Ruiz J, Monràs M, Gual A, Gacto M, Porras-García B, Ferrer-García M, Gutiérrez-Maldonado J. Determinants of Cue-Elicited Alcohol Craving and Perceived Realism in Virtual Reality Environments among Patients with Alcohol Use Disorder. J Clin Med 2021; 10:2241. [PMID: 34064120 PMCID: PMC8196721 DOI: 10.3390/jcm10112241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2021] [Revised: 05/17/2021] [Accepted: 05/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The identification of variables that can modulate the efficacy of cue exposure using virtual reality (VR) is crucial. This study aimed to explore determinant variables of cue-elicited alcohol craving and perceived realism (PR) of environments and alcoholic beverages during a VR cue-exposure session among alcohol use disorder (AUD) outpatients. A prospective cohort study was conducted amongst 72 outpatients with AUD from a clinical setting. Alcohol craving experienced during VR exposure and PR of virtual environments and alcoholic drinks were evaluated after a VR session of exposure to alcohol-related contexts and cues. Sociodemographic, psychological and consumption characteristics were examined as possible predicting variables. Multiple linear regression analyses showed that the AUD severity and PR of beverages were predictors of cue-elicited alcohol craving. Educational level, PR of beverages and age were predictors of the PR of VR environments. In relation to the PR of VR beverages, cue-elicited alcohol craving and the PR of environments were predictors. A simple mediational model was also performed to analyze the influence of the PR of beverages on the relationship between the AUD severity and alcohol craving experienced during VR exposure: an indirect or mediational effect was found. PR of alcoholic beverages was (1) a key predictor of the PR of VR environments (and vice versa) and the alcohol craving (and vice versa) experienced during VR cue-exposure sessions using ALCO-VR software among AUD patients and (2) a mediator between AUD severity and cue-elicited alcohol craving.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga Hernández-Serrano
- Department of Psychology, Catholic University of Saint Anthony, Av. de los Jerónimos, 135, Guadalupe de Maciascoque, 30107 Murcia, Spain;
| | - Alexandra Ghiţă
- Department of Psychology, Health and Technology, University of Twente, Drienerlolaan, 5, 7522 NB Enschede, The Netherlands;
| | - Jolanda Fernández-Ruiz
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Barcelona, Passeig de Vall d’Hebron 175, 08035 Barcelona, Spain; (J.F.-R.); (B.P.-G.); (M.F.-G.)
| | - Miquel Monràs
- Addictive Behaviors Unit, Hospital Clinic of Barcelona, Carrer de Villarroel, 170, 08036 Barcelona, Spain; (M.M.); (A.G.)
| | - Antoni Gual
- Addictive Behaviors Unit, Hospital Clinic of Barcelona, Carrer de Villarroel, 170, 08036 Barcelona, Spain; (M.M.); (A.G.)
| | - Mariano Gacto
- Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Medicine, Campus Espinardo, University of Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain;
| | - Bruno Porras-García
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Barcelona, Passeig de Vall d’Hebron 175, 08035 Barcelona, Spain; (J.F.-R.); (B.P.-G.); (M.F.-G.)
| | - Marta Ferrer-García
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Barcelona, Passeig de Vall d’Hebron 175, 08035 Barcelona, Spain; (J.F.-R.); (B.P.-G.); (M.F.-G.)
| | - José Gutiérrez-Maldonado
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Barcelona, Passeig de Vall d’Hebron 175, 08035 Barcelona, Spain; (J.F.-R.); (B.P.-G.); (M.F.-G.)
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18
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Radke AK, Sneddon EA, Frasier RM, Hopf FW. Recent Perspectives on Sex Differences in Compulsion-Like and Binge Alcohol Drinking. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22073788. [PMID: 33917517 PMCID: PMC8038761 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22073788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2021] [Revised: 03/31/2021] [Accepted: 04/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Alcohol use disorder remains a substantial social, health, and economic problem and problem drinking levels in women have been increasing in recent years. Understanding whether and how the underlying mechanisms that drive drinking vary by sex is critical and could provide novel, more targeted therapeutic treatments. Here, we examine recent results from our laboratories and others which we believe provide useful insights into similarities and differences in alcohol drinking patterns across the sexes. Findings for binge intake and aversion-resistant, compulsion-like alcohol drinking are considered, since both are likely significant contributors to alcohol problems in humans. We also describe studies regarding mechanisms that may underlie sex differences in maladaptive alcohol drinking, with some focus on the importance of nucleus accumbens (NAcb) core and shell regions, several receptor types (dopamine, orexin, AMPA-type glutamate), and possible contributions of sex hormones. Finally, we discuss how stressors such as early life stress and anxiety-like states may interact with sex differences to contribute to alcohol drinking. Together, these findings underscore the importance and critical relevance of studying female and male mechanisms for alcohol and co-morbid conditions to gain a true and clinically useful understanding of addiction and neuropsychiatric mechanisms and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna K. Radke
- Department of Psychology and Center for Neuroscience and Behavior, Miami University, Oxford, OH 45040, USA;
- Correspondence:
| | - Elizabeth A. Sneddon
- Department of Psychology and Center for Neuroscience and Behavior, Miami University, Oxford, OH 45040, USA;
| | - Raizel M. Frasier
- Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA; (R.M.F.); (F.W.H.)
| | - Frederic W. Hopf
- Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA; (R.M.F.); (F.W.H.)
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19
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Sneddon EA, Schuh KM, Frankel JW, Radke AK. The contribution of medium spiny neuron subtypes in the nucleus accumbens core to compulsive-like ethanol drinking. Neuropharmacology 2021; 187:108497. [PMID: 33582151 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2021.108497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2020] [Revised: 01/18/2021] [Accepted: 02/05/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Compulsive alcohol use, or drinking that persists despite negative or aversive consequences, is a defining characteristic of alcohol use disorder. Here, chemogenetic technology (i.e. Designer Receptors Exclusively Activated by Designer Drugs; DREADDs) was used to inhibit or excite the NAc core or selectively inhibit D1-or D2 receptor-expressing neurons in the NAc core to understand the role of the NAc core and how these subpopulations of neurons may influence compulsive-like ethanol (EtOH) drinking using C57BL/6J, Drd1-cre, and Drd2-cre male and female mice. Compulsive-like EtOH drinking was modeled with a two-bottle choice, drinking in the dark paradigm. The major finding of this study was that mice decreased compulsive-like EtOH intake when the NAc core was inhibited and there was no change of EtOH + quinine intake when the NAc core was excited. Interestingly, inhibition of D1-or D2 receptor-expressing neurons did not alter compulsive-like EtOH intake. Control experiments showed that NAc core excitation and selective inhibition of D1-or D2-receptor-expressing neurons had no effect on baseline EtOH drinking, intake of water, or intake of quinine-adulterated water. CNO reduced amphetamine-induced locomotion in the D1-CRE+ (but not the D2CRE+) group in a control experiment. Finally, pharmacological antagonism of D1 and D2 receptors together, but not separately, reduced quinine-resistant EtOH drinking. These results suggest that the NAc core is a critical region involved in compulsive-like EtOH consumption, and that both D1-and D2 receptor-expressing medium spiny neurons participate in controlling this behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth A Sneddon
- Department of Psychology and Center for Neuroscience and Behavior, Miami University, Oxford, OH, USA
| | - Kristen M Schuh
- Department of Psychology and Center for Neuroscience and Behavior, Miami University, Oxford, OH, USA
| | - John W Frankel
- Department of Psychology and Center for Neuroscience and Behavior, Miami University, Oxford, OH, USA
| | - Anna K Radke
- Department of Psychology and Center for Neuroscience and Behavior, Miami University, Oxford, OH, USA.
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20
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Campbell EJ, Lawrence AJ. It's more than just interoception: The insular cortex involvement in alcohol use disorder. J Neurochem 2021; 157:1644-1651. [PMID: 33486788 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.15310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2020] [Revised: 01/13/2021] [Accepted: 01/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Understanding brain structures and circuits impacted by alcohol use disorder is critical for improving our future prevention techniques and treatment options. A brain region that has recently gained traction for its involvement in substance use disorder is the insular cortex. This brain region is multi-functional and spatially complex, resulting in a relative lack of understanding of the involvement of the insular cortex in alcohol use disorder. Here we discuss the role of the insular cortex in alcohol use disorder, particularly during periods of abstinence and in response to alcohol and alcohol-related cues and contexts. We also discuss a broader role of the insular in alcohol-associated risky decision making and impulse control. Finally, we canvas potential challenges associated with targeting the insular cortex to treat individuals with alcohol use disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin J Campbell
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Vic, Australia.,Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Vic, Australia
| | - Andrew J Lawrence
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Vic, Australia.,Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Vic, Australia
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21
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Haaranen M, Schäfer A, Järvi V, Hyytiä P. Chemogenetic Stimulation and Silencing of the Insula, Amygdala, Nucleus Accumbens, and Their Connections Differentially Modulate Alcohol Drinking in Rats. Front Behav Neurosci 2020; 14:580849. [PMID: 33328918 PMCID: PMC7671963 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2020.580849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2020] [Accepted: 09/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The anterior insular cortex is hypothesized to represent interoceptive effects of drug reward in the service of goal-directed behavior. The insula is richly connected, but the insula circuitry in addiction remains poorly characterized. We examined the involvement of the anterior insula, amygdala, and nucleus accumbens, as well as the projections of the anterior insula to the central amygdala, basolateral amygdala (BLA), and nucleus accumbens core in voluntary alcohol drinking. We trained alcohol-preferring Alko Alcohol (AA) rats to drink alcohol during intermittent 2-h sessions. We then expressed excitatory or inhibitory designer receptors [designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs (DREADDs)] in the anterior insula, nucleus accumbens, or amygdala by means of adenovirus-mediated gene transfer and activated the DREADDs with clozapine-N-oxide (CNO) prior to the drinking sessions. Next, to examine the role of specific insula projections, we expressed FLEX-DREADDs in the efferent insula → nucleus accumbens core, insula → central amygdala, and insula → BLA projections by means of a retrograde AAV-Cre vector injected into the insula projection areas. In the anterior insula and amygdala, excitatory Gq-DREADDs significantly attenuated alcohol consumption. In contrast, in the nucleus accumbens, the Gq-DREADD stimulation increased alcohol drinking, and the inhibitory Gi-DREADDs suppressed it. The Gq-DREADDs expressed in the insula → nucleus accumbens core and insula → central amygdala projections increased alcohol intake, whereas inhibition of these projections had no effect. These data demonstrate that the anterior insula, along with the amygdala and nucleus accumbens, has a key role in controlling alcohol drinking by providing excitatory input to the central amygdala and nucleus accumbens to enhance alcohol reward.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mia Haaranen
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Medicum, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Annika Schäfer
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Medicum, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Vilja Järvi
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Medicum, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Petri Hyytiä
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Medicum, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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22
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Chen H, Lasek AW. Perineuronal nets in the insula regulate aversion-resistant alcohol drinking. Addict Biol 2020; 25:e12821. [PMID: 31433552 DOI: 10.1111/adb.12821] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2019] [Revised: 06/13/2019] [Accepted: 07/17/2019] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
One of the most pernicious characteristics of alcohol use disorder is the compulsion to drink despite negative consequences. The insular cortex controls decision making under conditions of risk or conflict. Cortical activity is tightly controlled by inhibitory interneurons that are often enclosed by specialized extracellular matrix structures known as perineuronal nets (PNNs), which regulate neuronal excitability and plasticity. The density of PNNs in the insula increases after repeated bouts of binge drinking, suggesting that they may play a role in the transition from social to compulsive, or aversion-resistant, drinking. Here, we investigated whether insular PNNs play a role in aversion-resistant alcohol drinking using a mouse model in which ethanol was adulterated with the bitter tastant quinine. Disrupting PNNs in the insula rendered mice more sensitive to quinine-adulterated ethanol but not ethanol alone. Activation of the insula, as measured by c-fos expression, occurred during aversion-resistant drinking and was further enhanced by elimination of PNNs. These results demonstrate that PNNs control the activation of the insula during aversion-resistant drinking and suggest that proper excitatory/inhibitory balance is important for decision making under conditions of conflict. Disrupting PNNs in the insula or optimizing insula activation may be a novel strategy to reduce aversion-resistant drinking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hu Chen
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry University of Illinois at Chicago Chicago Illinois USA
| | - Amy W. Lasek
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry University of Illinois at Chicago Chicago Illinois USA
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Abstract
Sex differences may play a critical role in modulating how chronic or heavy alcohol use impacts the brain to cause the development of alcohol use disorder (AUD). AUD is a multifaceted and complex disorder driven by changes in key neurobiological structures that regulate executive function, memory, and stress. A three-stage framework of addiction (binge/intoxication; withdrawal/negative affect; preoccupation/anticipation) has been useful for conceptualizing the complexities of AUD and other addictions. Initially, alcohol drinking causes short-term effects that involve signaling mediated by several neurotransmitter systems such as dopamine, corticotropin releasing factor, and glutamate. With continued intoxication, alcohol leads to dysfunctional behaviors that are thought to be due in part to alterations of these and other neurotransmitter systems, along with alterations in neural pathways connecting prefrontal and limbic structures. Using the three-stage framework, this review highlights examples of research examining sex differences in drinking and differential modulation of neural systems contributing to the development of AUD. New insights addressing the role of sex differences in AUD are advancing the field forward by uncovering the complex interactions that mediate vulnerability.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Heather N Richardson
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts
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24
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Zhang HB, Zheng H, Zhang Y, Zhao D. Commentary: Compulsive drug use is associated with imbalance of orbitofrontal- and prelimbic-striatal circuits in punishment-resistant individuals. Front Neural Circuits 2020; 14:49. [PMID: 32982697 PMCID: PMC7477089 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2020.00049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2020] [Accepted: 07/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Hang-Bin Zhang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Hui Zheng
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yi Zhang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Di Zhao
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
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25
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Darevsky D, Hopf FW. Behavioral indicators of succeeding and failing under higher-challenge compulsion-like alcohol drinking in rat. Behav Brain Res 2020; 393:112768. [PMID: 32544510 PMCID: PMC7444822 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2020.112768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2020] [Revised: 06/05/2020] [Accepted: 06/07/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Intake despite negative consequences (compulsivity) contributes strongly to the harm of alcohol use disorder, making the underlying psychological and circuit mechanisms of great importance. To gain insight into possible underlying action strategies, we compared rat licking microstructure across compulsion-like and non-compulsive conditions. We previously showed that drinking under a moderate-challenge, quinine-alcohol model (Alc-ModQ) shows less variable responding in many measures, suggesting a more automatic strategy to overcome challenge. Here, we reanalyzed our original data, newly focusing on the behavioral profile of higher-challenge intake (100 mg/L quinine in alcohol, Alc-HighQ). Alc-HighQ greatly dropped consumption, yet retained aspects of greater automaticity and drive seen with Alc-ModQ, including earlier bout initiation and measures suggesting more stereotyped tongue control. In contrast, Alc-HighQ disordered bout generation and timing. Importantly, only fast-starting bouts persisted under Alc-HighQ, and while there were many fewer longer Alc-HighQ bouts, they still contributed >50 % of consumption. Also, longer bouts under Alc-HighQ had an early, several-second period with greater chance of stopping, but afterwards showed similar persistence and recovery from slow licking as other drinking conditions. Together, our findings elucidate novel behavioral indicators of successful and unsuccessful epochs of Alc-HighQ, compulsion-like intake. We also relate findings to congruent human and animal work implicating anterior insula and medial prefrontal cortices as critical for compulsion-like alcohol responding, and where ventral frontal cortex has been more associated with overall action plan and tongue control (retained under Alc-HighQ), with medial cortex more related to proximal action timing (disrupted under Alc-HighQ except after faster bout initiation).
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Affiliation(s)
- David Darevsky
- University of California at Berkeley, University of California at San Francisco (UCSF), Graduate Program in Bioengineering, United States; UCSF Medical Scientist Training Program, San Francisco, CA, United States; Department of Neurology, UCSF, United States
| | - Frederic W Hopf
- Department of Neurology, UCSF, United States; Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States.
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Vena AA, Zandy SL, Cofresí RU, Gonzales RA. Behavioral, neurobiological, and neurochemical mechanisms of ethanol self-administration: A translational review. Pharmacol Ther 2020; 212:107573. [PMID: 32437827 PMCID: PMC7580704 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2020.107573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Alcohol use disorder has multiple characteristics including excessive ethanol consumption, impaired control over drinking behaviors, craving and withdrawal symptoms, compulsive seeking behaviors, and is considered a chronic condition. Relapse is common. Determining the neurobiological targets of ethanol and the adaptations induced by chronic ethanol exposure is critical to understanding the clinical manifestation of alcohol use disorders, the mechanisms underlying the various features of the disorder, and for informing medication development. In the present review, we discuss ethanol's interactions with a variety of neurotransmitter systems, summarizing findings from preclinical and translational studies to highlight recent progress in the field. We then describe animal models of ethanol self-administration, emphasizing the value, limitations, and validity of commonly used models. Lastly, we summarize the behavioral changes induced by chronic ethanol self-administration, with an emphasis on cue-elicited behavior, the role of ethanol-related memories, and the emergence of habitual ethanol seeking behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley A Vena
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Chicago, United States of America
| | | | - Roberto U Cofresí
- Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri, United States of America
| | - Rueben A Gonzales
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy and Institute for Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, United States of America.
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27
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Ray L, Du H, Grodin E, Bujarski S, Meredith L, Ho D, Nieto S, Wassum K. Capturing habitualness of drinking and smoking behavior in humans. Drug Alcohol Depend 2020; 207:107738. [PMID: 31816490 PMCID: PMC8063853 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2019.107738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2019] [Revised: 10/13/2019] [Accepted: 11/13/2019] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recent findings suggest that overreliance on habit may be common in individuals diagnosed with addiction. To advance our understanding of habit in clinical samples and from behavioral measures, this study examines the interrelations between self-reported habit index for smoking and drinking as well as behavioral measures of intraindividual variability in smoking and drinking. METHODS Treatment-seeking heavy drinking smokers (N = 416) completed the Self-Report Habit Index (SRHI) adapted for both smoking and drinking. "Behavioral habitualness" was computed from the degree of intraindividual variability in patterns of smoking and drinking over the past month. Using the 28-day Timeline-Follow Back (TLFB) interview, we derived two measures of intraindividual variability: interclass correlation (ICC) and autocorrelation [AR(7) coefficients]. RESULTS Self-report measures of habit were robustly associated with clinical severity of drinking and smoking with higher habit scores indicating greater severity of drinking and smoking, respectively. ICC and AR(7) coefficients, the behavioral measure of "patterness" and putative habit, were not associated with SRHI scores. While ICC for smoking was associated with higher nicotine dependence scores, this pattern was not found for drinking ICC and alcohol problem severity. CONCLUSIONS These results support the construct validity of the self-report measures of habit for smoking and drinking, as well an initial evaluation of behavioral measure of smoking "patterness" as a potential proxy for habit smoking. Because habit represents a complex phenotype with limited clinical translation, additional studies capturing a wider range of substance use severity and coupled with brain-based validation methods are warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lara Ray
- University of California Los Angeles, Department of Psychology, Los Angeles, CA, USA,University of California, Los Angeles, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Los Angeles, CA, USA,University of California Los Angeles, Brain Research Institute, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Han Du
- University of California Los Angeles, Department of Psychology, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Erica Grodin
- University of California Los Angeles, Department of Psychology, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Spencer Bujarski
- University of California Los Angeles, Department of Psychology, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Lindsay Meredith
- University of California Los Angeles, Department of Psychology, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Diana Ho
- University of California Los Angeles, Department of Psychology, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Steven Nieto
- University of California Los Angeles, Department of Psychology, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Kate Wassum
- University of California Los Angeles, Department of Psychology, Los Angeles, CA, USA,University of California Los Angeles, Brain Research Institute, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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28
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Perry CJ, Lawrence AJ. An imperfect model is still useful. Addiction 2020; 115:14-16. [PMID: 31496025 DOI: 10.1111/add.14790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2019] [Accepted: 08/16/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Christina J Perry
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Andrew J Lawrence
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
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29
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Grodin EN, Bujarski S, Venegas A, Baskerville WA, Nieto SJ, Jentsch JD, Ray LA. Reward, Relief and Habit Drinking: Initial Validation of a Brief Assessment Tool. Alcohol Alcohol 2019; 54:574-583. [PMID: 31557278 PMCID: PMC7306183 DOI: 10.1093/alcalc/agz075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2019] [Revised: 08/13/2019] [Accepted: 08/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
AIMS Alcohol use disorder is highly heterogeneous. One approach to understanding this heterogeneity is the identification of drinker subtypes. A candidate classification consists of reward and relief subtypes. The current study examines a novel self-report measure of reward, relief, and habit drinking for its clinical correlates and subjective response (SR) to alcohol administration. METHODS Non-treatment-seeking heavy drinkers (n = 140) completed the brief reward, relief, habit drinking scale (RRHDS). A subset of this sample (n = 67) completed an intravenous alcohol administration. Individuals were classified into drinker subtypes. A crowdsourced sample of heavy drinkers (n = 187) completed the RRHDS and a validated reward relief drinking scale to compare drinking classification results. RESULTS The majority of the sample was classified as reward drinkers (n = 100), with fewer classified as relief (n = 19) and habit (n = 21) drinkers. Relief and habit drinkers reported greater tonic alcohol craving compared to reward drinkers. Reward drinkers endorsed drinking for enhancement, while relief drinkers endorsed drinking for coping. Regarding the alcohol administration, the groups differed in negative mood, such that relief/habit drinkers reported a decrease in negative mood during alcohol administration, compared to reward drinkers. The follow-up crowdsourcing study found a 62% agreement in reward drinker classification between measures and replicated the tonic craving findings. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that reward drinkers are dissociable from relief/habit drinkers using the brief measure. However, relief and habit drinkers were not successfully differentiated, which suggests that these constructs may overlap phenotypically. Notably, measures of dysphoric mood were better at detecting group differences than measures capturing alcohol's rewarding effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erica N Grodin
- Department of Psychology, University of California 1285 Franz Hall, Box 951563 Los Angeles, CA 90095
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences University of California 760 Westwood Plaza Los Angeles, CA 90095
| | - Spencer Bujarski
- Department of Psychology, University of California 1285 Franz Hall, Box 951563 Los Angeles, CA 90095
| | - Alexandra Venegas
- Department of Psychology, University of California 1285 Franz Hall, Box 951563 Los Angeles, CA 90095
| | - Wave-Ananda Baskerville
- Department of Psychology, University of California 1285 Franz Hall, Box 951563 Los Angeles, CA 90095
| | - Steven J Nieto
- Department of Psychology, University of California 1285 Franz Hall, Box 951563 Los Angeles, CA 90095
| | - J David Jentsch
- Department of Psychology Binghamton University State University of New York PO Box 6000 Binghamton NY 13902
| | - Lara A Ray
- Department of Psychology, University of California 1285 Franz Hall, Box 951563 Los Angeles, CA 90095
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences University of California 760 Westwood Plaza Los Angeles, CA 90095
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30
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly Nixon
- The University of Texas at Austin, College of Pharmacy, Division of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Austin, TX, USA.
| | - Regina A Mangieri
- The University of Texas at Austin, College of Pharmacy, Division of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Austin, TX, USA
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31
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Burunat E. Love is a physiological motivation (like hunger, thirst, sleep or sex). Med Hypotheses 2019; 129:109225. [PMID: 31371074 DOI: 10.1016/j.mehy.2019.05.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2018] [Revised: 04/17/2019] [Accepted: 05/12/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
The multitude of terms associated with love has given rise to a false perception of love. In this paper, only maternal and romantic love are considered. Love is usually regarded as a feeling, motivation, addiction, passion, and, above all, an emotion. This confusion has consequences in the lives of human beings, leading not only to divorces, suicides, femicides but possibly also to a number of mental illnesses and suffering. Therefore, it is crucial to first clarify what is meant by emotion, motivation and love. This work aims to finally place love within the category of physiological motivations, such as hunger, thirst, sleep, or sex, on the basis that love is also essential for human survival, especially in childhood. Love is presented from an evolutionary perspective. Some other similarities between love and other physiological motivations are pointed out, such as its importance for appropriate human development, both its ontogeny and its permanence, and the long-lasting consequences of abuse and neglect. There are summarized reasons that account for this, such as the fact that physiological motivations are essential for survival and that love is an essential motivation for the survival of human offspring. Other reasons are that minimum changes in the quantity and quality of love alters development, that there can be a variety of neurophysiological and behavioural states within a motivation, and that motivations (also love) appear and change throughout development. Also, motivations and love sometimes may lead to an addictive behaviour. Finally, it is recognized that once physiological motivations (and love) appear, they become permanent. In a third section, some potential social, cultural, clinical and scientific consequences of the proposed consideration of love as a motivation are discussed. Accordingly, love's recognition as a motivation in the clinical field would imply a better understanding of its disorders and its inclusion in classifications manuals such as The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), or in the International Classification of Diseases (ICD). Considering love as a motivation rather than an emotion could also impact the results of scientific research (an example is included). A comprehensive understanding of these questions could potentially allow for a new therapeutic approach in the treatment of mental illness, while offering an all-inclusive evolutionary explanation of cultural phenomena such as the origin and diffusion of both language and art. Love should be understood as a physiological motivation, like hunger, sleep or sex, and not as an emotion as it is commonly considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enrique Burunat
- School of Health Sciences/School of Psychology, Department of Clinical Psychology, Psychobiology and Methodology, University of La Laguna, P.O. Box 456, 38200 Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain.
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Burchi E, Makris N, Lee MR, Pallanti S, Hollander E. Compulsivity in Alcohol Use Disorder and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: Implications for Neuromodulation. Front Behav Neurosci 2019; 13:70. [PMID: 31139059 PMCID: PMC6470293 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2019.00070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2019] [Accepted: 03/22/2019] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Alcohol use Disorder (AUD) is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The progression of the disorder is associated with the development of compulsive alcohol use, which in turn contributes to the high relapse rate and poor longer term functioning reported in most patients, even with treatment. While the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) defines AUD by a cluster of symptoms, parsing its heterogeneous phenotype by domains of behavior such as compulsivity may be a critical step to improve outcomes of this condition. Still, neurobiological underpinnings of compulsivity need to be fully elucidated in AUD in order to better design targeted treatment strategies. In this manuscript, we review and discuss findings supporting common mechanisms between AUD and OCD, dissecting the construct of compulsivity and focusing specifically on characteristic disruptions in habit learning and cognitive control in the two disorders. Finally, neuromodulatory interventions are proposed as a probe to test compulsivity as key pathophysiologic feature of AUD, and as a potential therapy for the subgroup of individuals with compulsive alcohol use, i.e., the more resistant stage of the disorder. This transdiagnostic approach may help to destigmatize the disorder, and suggest potential treatment targets across different conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabetta Burchi
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY, United States.,Department of Health Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Nikolaos Makris
- Center for Morphometric Analysis, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States.,Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Mary R Lee
- Section on Clinical Psychoneuroendocrinology and Neuropsychopharmacology, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and National Institute on Drug Abuse, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Stefano Pallanti
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University Medical Center, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Eric Hollander
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY, United States
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Campbell EJ, Flanagan JPM, Walker LC, Hill MKRI, Marchant NJ, Lawrence AJ. Anterior Insular Cortex is Critical for the Propensity to Relapse Following Punishment-Imposed Abstinence of Alcohol Seeking. J Neurosci 2019; 39:1077-1087. [PMID: 30509960 PMCID: PMC6363928 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1596-18.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2018] [Revised: 10/15/2018] [Accepted: 11/04/2018] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Humans with alcohol use disorder typically abstain because of the negative consequences associated with excessive drinking, and exposure to contexts previously associated with alcohol use can trigger relapse. We used a rat model that captures a characteristic of this human condition: namely voluntary abstinence from alcohol use because of contingent punishment. There is substantial variability in the propensity to relapse following extended periods of abstinence, and this is a critical feature preventing the successful treatment of alcohol use disorder. Here we examined relapse following acute or prolonged abstinence. In male alcohol preferring P rats, we found an increased propensity to relapse in Context B, the punishment context after prolonged abstinence. Next, we found that neither alcohol intake history nor the motivational strength of alcohol predicted the propensity to relapse. We next examined the putative circuitry of context-induced relapse to alcohol seeking following prolonged abstinence using Fos as a marker of neuronal activation. The anterior insular cortex (AI) was the only brain region examined where Fos expression correlated with alcohol seeking behavior in Context B after prolonged abstinence. Finally, we used local infusion of GABAA and GABAB receptor agonists (muscimol + baclofen) to show a causal role of the AI in context-induced relapse in Context B, the punishment context after prolonged abstinence. Our results show that there is substantial individual variability in the propensity to relapse in the punishment-associated context after prolonged abstinence, and this is mediated by activity in the AI.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT A key feature of alcohol use disorder is that sufferers show an enduring propensity to relapse throughout their lifetime. Relapse typically occurs despite the knowledge of adverse consequences including health complications or relationship breakdowns. Here we use a recently developed rodent model that recapitulates this behavior. After an extended period of abstinence, relapse propensity is markedly increased in the "adverse consequence" environment, akin to humans with alcohol use disorder relapsing in the face of adversity. From a circuitry perspective, we demonstrate a causal role of the anterior insular cortex in relapse to alcohol seeking after extended abstinence following punishment imposed voluntary cessation of alcohol use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin J Campbell
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia,
- Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia, and
| | - Jeremy P M Flanagan
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
- Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia, and
| | - Leigh C Walker
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
- Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia, and
| | - Mitchell K R I Hill
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
- Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia, and
| | - Nathan J Marchant
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
- Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia, and
- Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, 1081 HZ, The Netherlands
| | - Andrew J Lawrence
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia,
- Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia, and
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Zhornitsky S, Zhang S, Ide JS, Chao HH, Wang W, Le TM, Leeman RF, Bi J, Krystal JH, Li CSR. Alcohol Expectancy and Cerebral Responses to Cue-Elicited Craving in Adult Nondependent Drinkers. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY: COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2018; 4:493-504. [PMID: 30711509 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2018.11.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2018] [Revised: 11/21/2018] [Accepted: 11/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Positive alcohol expectancy (AE) contributes to excessive drinking. Many imaging studies have examined cerebral responses to alcohol cues and how these regional processes related to problem drinking. However, it remains unclear how AE relates to cue response and whether AE mediates the relationship between cue response and problem drinking. METHODS A total of 61 nondependent drinkers were assessed with the Alcohol Expectancy Questionnaire and Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test and underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging while exposed to alcohol and neutral cues. Imaging data were processed and analyzed with published routines, and mediation analyses were conducted to examine the interrelationships among global positive score of the Alcohol Expectancy Questionnaire, Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test score, and regional responses to alcohol versus neutral cues. RESULTS Alcohol as compared with neutral cues engaged the occipital, retrosplenial, and medial orbitofrontal cortex as well as the left caudate head and red nucleus. The bilateral thalamus showed a significant correlation in cue response and in left superior frontal cortical connectivity with global positive score in a linear regression. Mediation analyses showed that global positive score completely mediated the relationship between thalamic cue activity as well as superior frontal cortical connectivity and Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test score. The alternative models that AE contributed to problem drinking and, in turn, thalamic cue activity and connectivity were not supported. CONCLUSIONS The findings suggest an important role of the thalamic responses to alcohol cues in contributing to AE and at-risk drinking in nondependent drinkers. AEs may reflect a top-down modulation of the thalamic processing of alcohol cues, influencing the pattern of alcohol use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Zhornitsky
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Sheng Zhang
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Jaime S Ide
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Herta H Chao
- Department of Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut; VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, Connecticut
| | - Wuyi Wang
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Thang M Le
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Robert F Leeman
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut; Department of Health Education & Behavior, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
| | - Jinbo Bi
- Department of Computer Science & Engineering, School of Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut; Department of Community Medicine and Health Care, School of Medicine, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, Connecticut
| | - John H Krystal
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut; Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut; Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Chiang-Shan R Li
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut; Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut; Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut.
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Gilman JM. What Can Neuroimaging of Human Alcohol Drinkers Tell Us About Compulsive Alcohol Use? BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY: COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2018; 3:983-984. [PMID: 30526944 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2018.09.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2018] [Accepted: 09/26/2018] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jodi M Gilman
- Massachusetts General Hospital Center for Addiction Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.
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