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Bonfim LPF, Correa TR, Freire BCC, Pedroso TM, Pereira DN, Fernandes TB, Kopittke L, de Oliveira CRA, Teixeira AL, Marcolino MS. Post-COVID-19 cognitive symptoms in patients assisted by a teleassistance service: a retrospective cohort study. Front Public Health 2024; 12:1282067. [PMID: 38689777 PMCID: PMC11060150 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1282067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2023] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Four years after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the frequency of long-term post-COVID-19 cognitive symptoms is a matter of concern given the impact it may have on the work and quality of life of affected people. Objective To evaluate the incidence of post-acute COVID-19 cognitive symptoms, as well as the associated risk factors. Methods Retrospective cohort, including outpatients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 and who were assisted by a public telehealth service provided by the Telehealth Network of Minas Gerais (TNMG), during the acute phase of the disease, between December/2020 and March/2022. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire, applied via phone calls, regarding the persistence of COVID-19 symptoms after 12 weeks of the disease. Cognitive symptoms were defined as any of the following: memory loss, problems concentrating, word finding difficulties, and difficulty thinking clearly. Results From 630 patients who responded to the questionnaire, 23.7% presented cognitive symptoms at 12 weeks after infection. These patients had a higher median age (33 [IQR 25-46] vs. 30 [IQR 24-42] years-old, p = 0.042) with a higher prevalence in the female sex (80.5% vs. 62.2%, p < 0.001) when compared to those who did not present cognitive symptoms, as well as a lower prevalence of smoking (8.7% vs. 16.2%, p = 0.024). Furthermore, patients with persistent cognitive symptoms were more likely to have been infected during the second wave of COVID-19 rather than the third (31.0% vs. 21.3%, p = 0.014). Patients who needed to seek in-person care during the acute phase of the disease were more likely to report post-acute cognitive symptoms (21.5% vs. 9.3%, p < 0,001). In multivariate logistic regression analysis, cognitive symptoms were associated with female sex (OR 2.24, CI 95% 1.41-3.57), fatigue (OR 2.33, CI 95% 1.19-4.56), depression (OR 5.37, CI 95% 2.19-13.15) and the need for seek in-person care during acute COVID-19 (OR 2.23, CI 95% 1.30-3.81). Conclusion In this retrospective cohort of patients with mostly mild COVID-19, cognitive symptoms were present in 23.7% of patients with COVID-19 at 12 weeks after infection. Female sex, fatigue, depression and the need to seek in-person care during acute COVID-19 were the risk factors independently associated with this condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lívia Paula Freire Bonfim
- Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease Program, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Thais Rotsen Correa
- Statistics Department, Institute of Exact Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Bruno Cabaleiro Cortizo Freire
- Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease Program, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Thais Marques Pedroso
- Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease Program, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
- Telehealth Center, University Hospital, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Daniella Nunes Pereira
- Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease Program, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | | | - Luciane Kopittke
- Hospital Nossa Senhora da Conceição, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Clara Rodrigues Alves de Oliveira
- Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease Program, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
- Telehealth Center, University Hospital, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Antonio Lucio Teixeira
- Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease Program, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
- Neuropsychiatry Program, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UT Health Houston, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Milena Soriano Marcolino
- Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease Program, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
- Telehealth Center, University Hospital, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
- National Institute for Health Technology Assessment (IATS), Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
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Huckleberry KA, Calitri R, Li AJ, Mejdell M, Singh A, Bhutani V, Laine MA, Nastase AS, Morena M, Hill MN, Shansky RM. CB1R blockade unmasks TRPV1-mediated contextual fear generalization in female, but not male rats. Neuropsychopharmacology 2023; 48:1500-1508. [PMID: 37460772 PMCID: PMC10425366 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-023-01650-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2023] [Revised: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 07/28/2023]
Abstract
Increasing evidence suggests that the neurobiological processes that govern learning and memory can be different in males and females, but many of the specific mechanisms underlying these sex differences have not been fully defined. Here we investigated potential sex differences in endocannabinoid (eCB) modulation of Pavlovian fear conditioning and extinction, examining multiple defensive behaviors, including shock responsivity, conditioned freezing, and conditioned darting. We found that while systemic administration of drugs acting on eCB receptors did not influence the occurrence of darting, females that were classified as Darters responded differently to the drug administration than those classified as Non-darters. Most notably, CB1R antagonist AM251 produced an increase in cue-elicited freezing and context generalization selectively in female Non-darters that persisted across extinction and extinction retrieval tests but was prevented by co-administration of TRPV1R antagonist Capsazepine. To identify a potential synaptic mechanism for these sex differences, we next employed biochemical and neuroanatomical tracing techniques to quantify anandamide (AEA), TRPV1R, and perisomatic CB1R expression, focusing on the ventral hippocampus (vHip) given its known role in mediating contextual fear generalization. These assays identified sex-specific effects of both fear conditioning-elicited AEA release and vHip-BLA circuit structure. Together, our data support a model in which sexual dimorphism in vHip-BLA circuitry promotes a female-specific dependence on CB1Rs for context processing that is sensitive to TRPV1-mediated disruption when CB1Rs are blocked.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Roberto Calitri
- Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Anna J Li
- Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Mackenna Mejdell
- Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ashna Singh
- Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Vasvi Bhutani
- Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Mikaela A Laine
- Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Andrei S Nastase
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Maria Morena
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Matthew N Hill
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
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Huckleberry KA, Calitri R, Li AJ, Mejdell M, Singh A, Bhutani V, Laine MA, Nastase AS, Morena M, Hill MN, Shansky RM. CB1R blockade unmasks TRPV1-mediated contextual fear generalization in female, but not male rats. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.04.12.536625. [PMID: 37090594 PMCID: PMC10120634 DOI: 10.1101/2023.04.12.536625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/25/2023]
Abstract
Increasing evidence suggests that the neurobiological processes that govern learning and memory can be different in males and females, and here we asked specifically whether the endocannabinoid (eCB) system could modulate Pavlovian fear conditioning in a sex-dependent manner. Systemic (i.p.) injection of CB1R antagonist AM251 in adult male and female Sprague Dawley rats prior to auditory cued fear conditioning produced a female-specific increase in freezing that persisted across extinction and extinction retrieval tests but was prevented by co-administration of TRPV1R antagonist Capsazepine. Notably, AM251 also produced robust freezing in a novel context prior to auditory cue presentation the day following drug administration, but not the day of, suggesting that CB1R blockade elicited contextual fear generalization in females. To identify a potential synaptic mechanism for these sex differences, we next used liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry, Western Blot, and confocal-assisted immunofluorescence techniques to quantify anandamide (AEA), TRPV1R, and perisomatic CB1R expression, respectively, focusing on the ventral hippocampus (vHip). Fear conditioning elicited increased vHip AEA levels in females only, and in both sexes, CB1R expression around vHip efferents targeting the basolateral amygdala (BLA) was twice that at neighboring vHip neurons. Finally, quantification of the vHip-BLA projections themselves revealed that females have over twice the number of neurons in this pathway that males do. Together, our data support a model in which sexual dimorphism in vHip-BLA circuitry promotes a female-specific dependence on CB1Rs for context processing that is sensitive to TRPV1-mediated disruption when CB1Rs are blocked.
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Nieto AM, Catalfio AM, Papacostas Quintanilla H, Alonso‐Caraballo Y, Ferrario CR. Transient effects of junk food on NAc core MSN excitability and glutamatergic transmission in obesity-prone female rats. Obesity (Silver Spring) 2023; 31:434-445. [PMID: 36575127 PMCID: PMC9877139 DOI: 10.1002/oby.23613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2021] [Revised: 08/25/2022] [Accepted: 09/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The nucleus accumbens (NAc) plays critical roles in eating and food seeking in rodents and humans. Diets high in fats and sugars ("junk food") produce persistent increases in NAc function in male obesity-prone rats. This study examines effects of junk food and junk food deprivation on NAc core medium spiny neuron (MSN) excitability and glutamate transmission in females. METHODS Obesity-prone female rats were given access to ad libitum junk food for 10 days, and recordings were made from MSNs in the NAc core immediately or after a short (27-72 hours) or long (14-16 days) junk food deprivation period in which rats were returned to ad libitum standard chow. Controls remained on chow throughout. Whole-cell slice electrophysiology was used to examine MSN intrinsic membrane and firing properties and glutamatergic transmission. RESULTS The study found that intrinsic excitability was reduced, whereas glutamatergic transmission was enhanced, after the short, but not long, junk food deprivation period. A brief junk food deprivation period was necessary for increases in NAc calcium-permeable-AMPA receptor transmission and spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic current (sEPSC) frequency, but not for increases in sEPSC amplitude. CONCLUSIONS This study reveals that females are protected from long-lasting effects of sugary fatty foods on MSN neuronal function and provides evidence for sex-specific effects on plasticity in brain centers that influence food-seeking and feeding behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allison M. Nieto
- Department of PharmacologyUniversity of Michigan Medical SchoolAnn ArborMichiganUSA
| | - Amanda M. Catalfio
- Department of PharmacologyUniversity of Michigan Medical SchoolAnn ArborMichiganUSA
| | - Helena Papacostas Quintanilla
- Department of PharmacologyUniversity of Michigan Medical SchoolAnn ArborMichiganUSA
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversité du Québec à MontréalMontrealQuébecCanada
| | - Yanaira Alonso‐Caraballo
- Department of PharmacologyUniversity of Michigan Medical SchoolAnn ArborMichiganUSA
- Neuroscience DepartmentUniversity of MinnesotaMinneapolisMinnesotaUSA
| | - Carrie R. Ferrario
- Department of PharmacologyUniversity of Michigan Medical SchoolAnn ArborMichiganUSA
- Department of Psychology, Biopsychology AreaUniversity of MichiganAnn ArborMichiganUSA
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Bauer EP. Sex differences in fear responses: Neural circuits. Neuropharmacology 2023; 222:109298. [PMID: 36328063 PMCID: PMC11267399 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2022.109298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2022] [Revised: 09/26/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Women have increased vulnerability to PTSD and anxiety disorders compared to men. Understanding the neurobiological underpinnings of these disorders is critical for identifying risk factors and developing appropriate sex-specific interventions. Despite the clear clinical relevance of an examination of sex differences in fear responses, the vast majority of pre-clinical research on fear learning and memory formation has exclusively used male animals. This review highlights sex differences in context and cued fear conditioning, fear extinction and fear generalization with a focus on the neural circuits underlying these behaviors in rodents. There are mixed reports of behavioral sex differences in context and cued fear conditioning paradigms, which can depend upon the behavioral indices of fear. However, there is greater evidence of differential activation of the hippocampus, amygdalar nuclei and the prefrontal cortical regions in male and female rodents during context and cued fear conditioning. The bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST), a sexually dimorphic structure, is of particular interest as it differentially contributes to fear responses in males and females. In addition, while the influence of the estrous cycle on different phases of fear conditioning is delineated, the clearest modulatory effect of estrogen is on fear extinction processes. Examining the variability in neural responses and behavior in both sexes should increase our understanding of how that variability contributes to the neurobiology of affective disorders. This article is part of the Special Issue on 'Fear, anxiety and PTSD'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth P Bauer
- Departments of Biology and Neuroscience & Behavior, Barnard College of Columbia University, 3009 Broadway, New York, NY, 10027, United States.
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6
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Yagi S, Lee A, Truter N, Galea LAM. Sex differences in contextual pattern separation, neurogenesis, and functional connectivity within the limbic system. Biol Sex Differ 2022; 13:42. [PMID: 35870952 PMCID: PMC9308289 DOI: 10.1186/s13293-022-00450-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2022] [Accepted: 07/05/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Females are more likely to present with anxiety disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) compared to males, which are associated with disrupted hippocampal integrity. Sex differences in the structure and function of hippocampus exist. Here, we examined sex differences in contextual pattern separation, functional connectivity, and activation of new neurons during fear memory. Methods Two-month-old male and female Sprague-Dawley rats were injected with the DNA synthesis markers, iododeoxyuridine (IdU) and chlorodeoxyuridine (CldU) 3 weeks and 4 weeks before perfusion, respectively. One week after CldU injection, the rats underwent a context discrimination task in which rats were placed in context A (shock) and context A’ (no shock) every day for 12 days. On the test day, rats were placed in the shock context (context A) to measure fear memory and expression of zif268, an immediate early gene across 16 different limbic and reward regions. Repeated-measures or factorial analysis of variance was conducted on our variables of interest. Pearson product-moment calculations and principal component analyses on zif268 expression across regions were also performed. Results We found that females, but not males, showed contextual discrimination during the last days of training. On the test day, both sexes displayed similar levels of freezing, indicating equivalent fear memory for context A. Despite similar fear memory, males showed more positive correlations of zif268 activation between the limbic regions and the striatum, whereas females showed more negative correlations among these regions. Females showed greater activation of the frontal cortex, dorsal CA1, and 3-week-old adult-born dentate granular cells compared to males. Conclusions These results highlight the importance of studying sex differences in fear memory and the contribution of adult neurogenesis to the neuronal network and may contribute to differences in susceptibility to fear-related disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder. HighlightsFemale rats, but not male rats, show faster discrimination during a contextual pattern separation task. Three-week-old adult-born neurons are more active in response to fear memory in females compared to males. Females had greater neural activation compared to males in the frontal cortex and dorsal CA1 region of the hippocampus in response to fear memory. Males and females show distinct patterns in functional connectivity for fear memory across limbic regions. Males have many positive correlations between activated new neurons of different ages between the dorsal and ventral hippocampus, while females show more correlations between activated new neurons and other limbic regions.
Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13293-022-00450-2.
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Tronson NC, Schuh KM. Hormonal contraceptives, stress, and the brain: The critical need for animal models. Front Neuroendocrinol 2022; 67:101035. [PMID: 36075276 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2022.101035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2022] [Revised: 07/26/2022] [Accepted: 09/01/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Hormonal contraceptives are among the most important health and economic developments in the 20thCentury, providing unprecedented reproductive control and a range of health benefits including decreased premenstrual symptoms and protections against various cancers. Hormonal contraceptives modulate neural function and stress responsivity. These changes are usually innocuous or even beneficial, including their effects onmood. However, in approximately 4-10% of users, or up to 30 million people at any given time, hormonal contraceptives trigger depression or anxiety symptoms. How hormonal contraceptives contribute to these responses and who is at risk for adverse outcomes remain unknown. In this paper, we discussstudies of hormonal contraceptive use in humans and describe the ways in which laboratory animal models of contraceptive hormone exposure will be an essential tool for expanding findings to understand the precise mechanisms by which hormonal contraceptives influence the brain, stress responses, and depression risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalie C Tronson
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
| | - Kristen M Schuh
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
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Sex Differences in the Spatial Behavior Functions of Adult-Born Neurons in Rats. eNeuro 2022; 9:ENEURO.0054-22.2022. [PMID: 35473765 PMCID: PMC9116935 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0054-22.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2022] [Revised: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 04/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Adult neurogenesis modifies hippocampal circuits and behavior, but removing newborn neurons does not consistently alter spatial processing, a core function of the hippocampus. Additionally, little is known about sex differences in neurogenesis since few studies have compared males and females. Since adult-born neurons regulate the stress response, we hypothesized that spatial functions may be more prominent under aversive conditions and may differ between males and females given sex differences in stress responding. We therefore trained intact and neurogenesis-deficient rats in the spatial water maze at temperatures that vary in their degree of aversiveness. In the standard water maze, ablating neurogenesis did not alter spatial learning in either sex. However, in cold water, ablating neurogenesis had divergent sex-dependent effects: relative to intact rats, male neurogenesis-deficient rats were slower to escape the maze and female neurogenesis-deficient rats were faster. Neurogenesis promoted temperature-related changes in search strategy in females, but it promoted search strategy stability in males. Females displayed greater recruitment (Fos expression) of the dorsal hippocampus than males, particularly in cold water. However, blocking neurogenesis did not alter Fos expression in either sex. Finally, morphologic analyses revealed greater experience-dependent plasticity in males. Adult-born neurons in males and females had similar morphology at baseline but training increased spine density and reduced presynaptic terminal size, specifically in males. Collectively, these findings indicate that adult-born neurons contribute to spatial learning in stressful conditions and they provide new evidence for sex differences in their behavioral functions.
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Harry GJ, McBride S, Witchey SK, Mhaouty-Kodja S, Trembleau A, Bridge M, Bencsik A. Roadbumps at the Crossroads of Integrating Behavioral and In Vitro Approaches for Neurotoxicity Assessment. FRONTIERS IN TOXICOLOGY 2022; 4:812863. [PMID: 35295216 PMCID: PMC8915899 DOI: 10.3389/ftox.2022.812863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2021] [Accepted: 01/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
With the appreciation that behavior represents the integration and complexity of the nervous system, neurobehavioral phenotyping and assessment has seen a renaissance over the last couple of decades, resulting in a robust database on rodent performance within various testing paradigms, possible associations with human disorders, and therapeutic interventions. The interchange of data across behavior and other test modalities and multiple model systems has advanced our understanding of fundamental biology and mechanisms associated with normal functions and alterations in the nervous system. While there is a demonstrated value and power of neurobehavioral assessments for examining alterations due to genetic manipulations, maternal factors, early development environment, the applied use of behavior to assess environmental neurotoxicity continues to come under question as to whether behavior represents a sensitive endpoint for assessment. Why is rodent behavior a sensitive tool to the neuroscientist and yet, not when used in pre-clinical or chemical neurotoxicity studies? Applying new paradigms and evidence on the biological basis of behavior to neurobehavioral testing requires expertise and refinement of how such experiments are conducted to minimize variability and maximize information. This review presents relevant issues of methods used to conduct such test, sources of variability, experimental design, data analysis, interpretation, and reporting. It presents beneficial and critical limitations as they translate to the in vivo environment and considers the need to integrate across disciplines for the best value. It proposes that a refinement of behavioral assessments and understanding of subtle pronounced differences will facilitate the integration of data obtained across multiple approaches and to address issues of translation.
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Affiliation(s)
- G. Jean Harry
- Neurotoxicology Group, Molecular Toxicology Branch, Division National Toxicology Program, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Sandra McBride
- Social & Scientific Systems, Inc., a DLH Holdings Company, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Shannah K. Witchey
- Division National Toxicology Program, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Sakina Mhaouty-Kodja
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, INSERM, Neuroscience Paris Seine – Institut de Biologie Paris Seine, Paris, France
| | - Alain Trembleau
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS UMR8246, Inserm U1130, Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (IBPS), Neuroscience Paris Seine (NPS), Paris, France
| | - Matthew Bridge
- Social & Scientific Systems, Inc., a DLH Holdings Company, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Anna Bencsik
- Anses Laboratoire de Lyon, French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (ANSES), Université de Lyon 1, Lyon, France
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Posillico CK. Three's Company: Neuroimmune activation, sex, and memory at the tripartite synapse. Brain Behav Immun Health 2021; 16:100326. [PMID: 34589812 PMCID: PMC8474433 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbih.2021.100326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2021] [Revised: 08/07/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The neuroimmune system is required for normal cognitive functions such as learning and memory in addition to its critical role in detecting and responding to invading pathogens and injury. Understanding the functional convergence of neurons, astrocytes, and microglia at the synapse, particularly in the hippocampus, is key to understanding the nuances of such diverse roles. In the healthy brain, communication between all three cells is important for regulating neuronal activation and synaptic plasticity mechanisms, and during neuroinflammation, the activity and functions of all three cells can produce and be modulated by inflammatory cytokines. An important remaining component to this system is the conclusive evidence of sex differences in hippocampal plasticity mechanisms, hormone modulation of synaptic plasticity, functional properties of hippocampal neurons, and in neuroimmune activation. Sex as a biological variable here is necessary to consider given sex differences in the prevalence of memory-related disorders such as Alzheimer's disease and Post-Traumatic Stress disorder, both of which present with neuroimmune dysregulation. To make meaningful progress towards a deeper understanding of sex biases in memory-related disease prevalence, I propose that the next chapter of psychoneuroimmune research must focus on the signal integration and transduction at the synapse between experience-dependent plasticity mechanisms, neuroimmune activation, and the influence of biological sex.
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Zaręba-Kozioł M, Bartkowiak-Kaczmarek A, Roszkowska M, Bijata K, Figiel I, Halder AK, Kamińska P, Müller FE, Basu S, Zhang W, Ponimaskin E, Włodarczyk J. S-Palmitoylation of Synaptic Proteins as a Novel Mechanism Underlying Sex-Dependent Differences in Neuronal Plasticity. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22126253. [PMID: 34200797 PMCID: PMC8230572 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22126253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2021] [Revised: 06/04/2021] [Accepted: 06/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Although sex differences in the brain are prevalent, the knowledge about mechanisms underlying sex-related effects on normal and pathological brain functioning is rather poor. It is known that female and male brains differ in size and connectivity. Moreover, those differences are related to neuronal morphology, synaptic plasticity, and molecular signaling pathways. Among different processes assuring proper synapse functions are posttranslational modifications, and among them, S-palmitoylation (S-PALM) emerges as a crucial mechanism regulating synaptic integrity. Protein S-PALM is governed by a family of palmitoyl acyltransferases, also known as DHHC proteins. Here we focused on the sex-related functional importance of DHHC7 acyltransferase because of its S-PALM action over different synaptic proteins as well as sex steroid receptors. Using the mass spectrometry-based PANIMoni method, we identified sex-dependent differences in the S-PALM of synaptic proteins potentially involved in the regulation of membrane excitability and synaptic transmission as well as in the signaling of proteins involved in the structural plasticity of dendritic spines. To determine a mechanistic source for obtained sex-dependent changes in protein S-PALM, we analyzed synaptoneurosomes isolated from DHHC7-/- (DHHC7KO) female and male mice. Our data showed sex-dependent action of DHHC7 acyltransferase. Furthermore, we revealed that different S-PALM proteins control the same biological processes in male and female synapses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monika Zaręba-Kozioł
- Laboratory of Cell Biophysics, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Science, Pasteur Str. 3, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland; (A.B.-K.); (M.R.); (K.B.); (I.F.); (P.K.)
- Correspondence: (M.Z.-K.); (J.W.)
| | - Anna Bartkowiak-Kaczmarek
- Laboratory of Cell Biophysics, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Science, Pasteur Str. 3, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland; (A.B.-K.); (M.R.); (K.B.); (I.F.); (P.K.)
| | - Matylda Roszkowska
- Laboratory of Cell Biophysics, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Science, Pasteur Str. 3, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland; (A.B.-K.); (M.R.); (K.B.); (I.F.); (P.K.)
| | - Krystian Bijata
- Laboratory of Cell Biophysics, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Science, Pasteur Str. 3, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland; (A.B.-K.); (M.R.); (K.B.); (I.F.); (P.K.)
- Faculty of Chemistry, University of Warsaw, Pasteura 1, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Izabela Figiel
- Laboratory of Cell Biophysics, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Science, Pasteur Str. 3, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland; (A.B.-K.); (M.R.); (K.B.); (I.F.); (P.K.)
| | - Anup Kumar Halder
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Jadvapur University, Kolkata 700032, India; (A.K.H.); (S.B.)
| | - Paulina Kamińska
- Laboratory of Cell Biophysics, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Science, Pasteur Str. 3, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland; (A.B.-K.); (M.R.); (K.B.); (I.F.); (P.K.)
| | - Franziska E. Müller
- Cellular Neurophysiology, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg Str. 1, 30625 Hannover, Germany; (F.E.M.); (E.P.)
| | - Subhadip Basu
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Jadvapur University, Kolkata 700032, India; (A.K.H.); (S.B.)
| | - Weiqi Zhang
- Department of Mental Health, University of Münster, Albert-Schweitzer-Campus 1/A9, 48149 Munster, Germany;
| | - Evgeni Ponimaskin
- Cellular Neurophysiology, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg Str. 1, 30625 Hannover, Germany; (F.E.M.); (E.P.)
| | - Jakub Włodarczyk
- Laboratory of Cell Biophysics, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Science, Pasteur Str. 3, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland; (A.B.-K.); (M.R.); (K.B.); (I.F.); (P.K.)
- Correspondence: (M.Z.-K.); (J.W.)
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12
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Shansky RM, Murphy AZ. Considering sex as a biological variable will require a global shift in science culture. Nat Neurosci 2021; 24:457-464. [PMID: 33649507 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-021-00806-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 218] [Impact Index Per Article: 72.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2020] [Accepted: 01/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
For over half a century, male rodents have been the default model organism in preclinical neuroscience research, a convention that has likely contributed to higher rates of misdiagnosis and adverse side effects from drug treatment in women. Studying both sexes could help to rectify these public health problems, but incentive structures in publishing and career advancement deter many researchers from doing so. Moreover, funding agency directives to include male and female animals and human participants in grant proposals lack mechanisms to hold recipients accountable. In this Perspective, we highlight areas of behavioral, cellular and systems neuroscience in which fundamental sex differences have been identified, demonstrating that truly rigorous science must include males and females. We call for a cultural and structural change in how we conduct research and evaluate scientific progress, realigning our professional reward systems and experimental standards to produce a more equitable, representative and therefore translational body of knowledge.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Anne Z Murphy
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
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13
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An Adolescent Sensitive Period for Threat Responding: Impacts of Stress and Sex. Biol Psychiatry 2021; 89:651-658. [PMID: 33342545 PMCID: PMC7954972 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2020.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2020] [Revised: 09/30/2020] [Accepted: 10/05/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Anxiety and fear-related disorders peak in prevalence during adolescence, a window of rapid behavioral development and neural remodeling. However, understanding of the development of threat responding and the underlying neural circuits remains limited. Preclinical models of threat conditioning and extinction have provided an unparalleled glimpse into the developing brain. In this review we discuss mouse and rat studies on the development of threat response regulation, with a focus on the adolescent period. Evidence of nonlinear patterns of threat responding during adolescence and the continued development of the underlying circuitry is highly indicative of an adolescent sensitive period for threat response regulation. While we highlight literature in support of this unique developmental window, we also emphasize the need for causal studies to clarify the parameters defining such a sensitive period. In doing so, we explore how stress and biological sex affect the development and expression of threat response regulation during adolescence and beyond. Ultimately, a deeper understanding of how these factors interact with and affect developmental trajectories of learning and memory will inform treatment and prevention strategies for pediatric anxiety disorders.
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14
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Montoya ZT, Uhernik AL, Smith JP. Comparison of cannabidiol to citalopram in targeting fear memory in female mice. J Cannabis Res 2020; 2:48. [PMID: 33526146 PMCID: PMC7819293 DOI: 10.1186/s42238-020-00055-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2020] [Accepted: 11/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Cannabidiol (CBD) and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are currently used to treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, these drugs are commonly studied after dosing just prior to extinction training, and there are gaps in our understanding of how they affect fear memory formation, their comparative effects on various types of memory, and of sexual dimorphisms in effects. Also, more studies involving female subjects are needed to balance the gender-inequality in the literature. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to directly compare the effects of CBD to citalopram in affecting the formation of auditory cued, contextual, and generalized fear memory, and to evaluate how extinction of these different memories was altered by pre-acquisition treatment in female mice. We also evaluated the impact of the estrous cycle on each of these. Methods Auditory-cued trace fear conditioning was conducted shortly after dosing female C57BL/6 mice, with either CBD or citalopram (10 mg/kg each), by pairing auditory tones with mild foot shocks. Auditory-cued, contextual, and generalized fear memory was assessed by measuring freezing responses, with an automated fear conditioning system, 24 h after conditioning. Each memory type was then evaluated every 24 h, over a 4-day period in total, to create an extinction profile. Freezing outcomes were statistically compared by ANOVA with Tukey HSD post hoc analysis, N = 12 mice per experimental group. Evaluation of sexual dimorphism was by comparison to historical data from male mice. Results Auditory cue-associated fear memory was not affected with CBD or citalopram; however, contextual memory was reduced with CBD by 11%, p < 0.05, but not citalopram, and generalized fear memory was reduced with CBD and citalopram, 20% and 22%, respectively, p < 0.05. Extinction learning was enhanced with CBD and citalopram, but, there was considerable memory-type variability between drug effects, with freezing levels reduced at the end of training by 9 to 17% for CBD, and 10 to 12% with citalopram. The estrous cycle did not affect any outcomes. Conclusions Both drugs are potent modifiers of fear memory formation; however, there is considerable divergence in their targeting of different memory types which, overall, could support the use of CBD as an alternative to SSRIs for treating PTSD in females, but not males. A limitation of the study was that it compared data from experiments done at different times to evaluate sexual dimorphism. Overall, this suggests that more research is necessary to guide any therapeutic approach involving CBD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zackary T Montoya
- Colorado State University-Pueblo, 2200 Bonforte Blvd, Pueblo, CO, 81001, USA
| | - Amy L Uhernik
- Colorado State University-Pueblo, 2200 Bonforte Blvd, Pueblo, CO, 81001, USA
| | - Jeffrey P Smith
- Colorado State University-Pueblo, 2200 Bonforte Blvd, Pueblo, CO, 81001, USA.
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15
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Warner EJ, Padmanabhan K. Sex differences in head-fixed voluntary running behavior in C57BL/6J mice. Eur J Neurosci 2019; 51:721-730. [PMID: 31849113 PMCID: PMC7069786 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.14654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2019] [Revised: 12/06/2019] [Accepted: 12/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Sex differences in running behaviors between female and male mice occur naturally in the wild. Recent experiments using head-fixed mice on a voluntary running wheel have exploited analogous locomotor activity to gain insight into the neural underpinnings of a number of behaviors ranging from spatial navigation to decision-making. It is however largely unknown if sex differences exist between females and males in a head-fixed experimental paradigm. To address this, we characterized locomotor activity in head-fixed female and male C57BL/6J mice on a voluntary running wheel. First, we found that over the initial 7-day period, on average, animals increased both the velocity and the time spent running. Furthermore, we found that female mice habituated to running forward over the initial 2 days of encountering the wheel, while male mice took up to 4 days to habituate to running forward. Taken together, we characterized features of a sexually divergent behavior in head-fixed running that should be considered in experiments employing female and male mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily J Warner
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY, USA.,Neuroscience Graduate Program (NGP), University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY, USA.,The Ernest J. Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Krishnan Padmanabhan
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY, USA.,Neuroscience Graduate Program (NGP), University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY, USA.,The Ernest J. Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY, USA.,Center for Visual Science, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY, USA
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16
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Tronson NC, Keiser AA. A Dynamic Memory Systems Framework for Sex Differences in Fear Memory. Trends Neurosci 2019; 42:680-692. [PMID: 31473031 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2019.07.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2019] [Revised: 06/17/2019] [Accepted: 07/29/2019] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Emerging research demonstrates that a pattern of overlapping but distinct molecular and circuit mechanisms are engaged by males and females during memory tasks. Importantly, sex differences in neural mechanisms and behavioral strategies are evident even when performance on a memory task is similar between females and males. We propose that sex differences in memory may be best understood within a dynamic memory systems framework. Specifically, sex differences in hormonal influences and neural circuit development result in biases in the circuits engaged and the information preferentially stored or retrieved in males and females. By using animal models to understand the neural networks and molecular mechanisms required for memory in both sexes, we can gain crucial insights into sex and gender biases in disorders including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalie C Tronson
- Psychology Department, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
| | - Ashley A Keiser
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
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17
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Velasco ER, Florido A, Milad MR, Andero R. Sex differences in fear extinction. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2019; 103:81-108. [PMID: 31129235 PMCID: PMC6692252 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.05.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2018] [Revised: 03/08/2019] [Accepted: 05/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Despite the exponential increase in fear research during the last years, few studies have included female subjects in their design. The need to include females arises from the knowledge gap of mechanistic processes underlying the behavioral and neural differences observed in fear extinction. Moreover, the exact contribution of sex and hormones in relation to learning and behavior is still largely unknown. Insights from this field could be beneficial as fear-related disorders are twice as prevalent in women compared to men. Here, we review an up-to-date summary of animal and human studies in adulthood that report sex differences in fear extinction from a structural and functional approach. Furthermore, we describe how these factors could contribute to the observed sex differences in fear extinction during normal and pathological conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- E R Velasco
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain
| | - A Florido
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain
| | - M R Milad
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, USA
| | - R Andero
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain; CIBERSAM, Corporació Sanitaria Parc Taulí, Sabadell, Spain; Department of Psychobiology and Methodology of Health Sciences, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain.
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