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Abramson L, Callaghan BL, Silvers JA, Choy T, VanTieghem M, Vannucci A, Fields A, Tottenham N. The effects of parental presence on amygdala and mPFC activation during fear conditioning: An exploratory study. Dev Sci 2024; 27:e13505. [PMID: 38549194 PMCID: PMC11436486 DOI: 10.1111/desc.13505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2023] [Revised: 02/28/2024] [Accepted: 03/05/2024] [Indexed: 04/30/2024]
Abstract
Learning safe versus dangerous cues is crucial for survival. During development, parents can influence fear learning by buffering their children's stress response and increasing exploration of potentially aversive stimuli. Rodent findings suggest that these behavioral effects are mediated through parental presence modulation of the amygdala and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). Here, we investigated whether similar parental modulation of amygdala and mPFC during fear learning occurs in humans. Using a within-subjects design, behavioral (final N = 48, 6-17 years, mean = 11.61, SD = 2.84, 60% females/40% males) and neuroimaging data (final N = 39, 6-17 years, mean = 12.03, SD = 2.98, 59% females/41% males) were acquired during a classical fear conditioning task, which included a CS+ followed by an aversive noise (US; 75% reinforcement rate) and a CS-. Conditioning occurred once in physical contact with the participant's parent and once alone (order counterbalanced). Region of interest analyses examined the unconditioned stress response by BOLD activation to the US (vs. implicit baseline) and learning by activation to the CS+ (vs. CS-). Results showed that during US presentation, parental presence reduced the centromedial amygdala activity, suggesting buffering of the unconditioned stress response. In response to learned stimuli, parental presence reduced mPFC activity to the CS+ (relative to the CS-), although this result did not survive multiple comparisons' correction. These preliminary findings indicate that parents modulate amygdala and mPFC activity during exposure to unconditioned and conditioned fear stimuli, potentially providing insight into the neural mechanisms by which parents act as a social buffer during fear learning. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: This study used a within-participant experimental design to investigate how parental presence (vs. absence) affects youth's neural responses in a classical fear conditioning task. Parental presence reduced the youth's centromedial amygdala activation to the unconditioned stimulus (US), suggesting parental buffering of the neural unconditioned response (UR). Parental presence reduced the youth's mPFC activation to a conditioned threat cue (CS+) compared to a safety cue (CS-), suggesting possible parental modulation of fear learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lior Abramson
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University in the City of New York, New York, New York, USA
| | - Bridget L. Callaghan
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Jennifer A. Silvers
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Tricia Choy
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University in the City of New York, New York, New York, USA
| | - Michelle VanTieghem
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University in the City of New York, New York, New York, USA
| | - Anna Vannucci
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University in the City of New York, New York, New York, USA
| | - Andrea Fields
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University in the City of New York, New York, New York, USA
| | - Nim Tottenham
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University in the City of New York, New York, New York, USA
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Yi W, Chen W, Lan B, Yan L, Hu X, Wu J. A U-shaped relationship between chronic academic stress and the dynamics of reward processing. Neuroimage 2024; 300:120849. [PMID: 39265955 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2024.120849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2024] [Revised: 08/29/2024] [Accepted: 09/09/2024] [Indexed: 09/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Despite the potential link between stress-induced reward dysfunctions and the development of mental problems, limited human research has investigated the specific impacts of chronic stress on the dynamics of reward processing. Here we aimed to investigate the relationship between chronic academic stress and the dynamics of reward processing (i.e., reward anticipation and reward consumption) using event-related potential (ERP) technology. Ninety healthy undergraduates who were preparing for the National Postgraduate Entrance Examination (NPEE) participated in the study and completed a two-door reward task, their chronic stress levels were assessed via the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). The results showed that a lower magnitude of reward elicited more negative amplitudes of cue-N2 during the anticipatory phase, and reward omission elicited more negative amplitudes of FRN compared to reward delivery especially in high reward conditions during the consummatory phase. More importantly, the PSS score exhibited a U-shaped relationship with cue-N2 amplitudes regardless of reward magnitude during the anticipatory phase; and FRN amplitudes toward reward omission in high reward condition during the consummatory phase. These findings suggest that individuals exposed to either low or high levels of chronic stress, as opposed to moderate stress levels, exhibited a heightened reward anticipation, and an augmented violation of expectations or affective response when faced with relatively more negative outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Yi
- School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, 3688#, Nanhai Avenue, Nanshan District, Shenzhen 518060, China
| | - Wangxiao Chen
- School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, 3688#, Nanhai Avenue, Nanshan District, Shenzhen 518060, China
| | - Biqi Lan
- School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, 3688#, Nanhai Avenue, Nanshan District, Shenzhen 518060, China
| | - Linlin Yan
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Xiaoqing Hu
- Department of Psychology, The University of Hong Kong, Room 6.62, Jocky Club Tower, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China
| | - Jianhui Wu
- School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, 3688#, Nanhai Avenue, Nanshan District, Shenzhen 518060, China.
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Ritter A, Habusha S, Givon L, Edut S, Klavir O. Prefrontal control of superior colliculus modulates innate escape behavior following adversity. Nat Commun 2024; 15:2158. [PMID: 38461293 PMCID: PMC10925020 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46460-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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2024] [Indexed: 03/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Innate defensive responses, though primarily instinctive, must also be highly adaptive to changes in risk assessment. However, adaptive changes can become maladaptive, following severe stress, as seen in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In a series of experiments, we observed long-term changes in innate escape behavior of male mice towards a previously non-threatening stimulus following an adverse shock experience manifested as a shift in the threshold of threat response. By recording neural activity in the superior colliculus (SC) while phototagging specific responses to afferents, we established the crucial influence of input arriving at the SC from the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), both directly and indirectly, on escape-related activity after adverse shock experience. Inactivating these specific projections during the shock effectively abolished the observed changes. Conversely, optogenetically activating them during encounters controlled escape responses. This establishes the necessity and sufficiency of those specific mPFC inputs into the SC for adverse experience related changes in innate escape behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ami Ritter
- School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
- The Integrated Brain and Behavior Research Center (IBBRC), University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Shlomi Habusha
- School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
- The Integrated Brain and Behavior Research Center (IBBRC), University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Lior Givon
- School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
- The Integrated Brain and Behavior Research Center (IBBRC), University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Shahaf Edut
- School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
- The Integrated Brain and Behavior Research Center (IBBRC), University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Oded Klavir
- School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel.
- The Integrated Brain and Behavior Research Center (IBBRC), University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel.
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4
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Wei M, Yang L, Su F, Liu Y, Zhao X, Luo L, Sun X, Liu S, Dong Z, Zhang Y, Shi YS, Liang J, Zhang C. ABHD6 drives endocytosis of AMPA receptors to regulate synaptic plasticity and learning flexibility. Prog Neurobiol 2024; 233:102559. [PMID: 38159878 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2023.102559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2023] [Revised: 10/26/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
Trafficking of α-Amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole-4-propionic acid (AMPA) receptors (AMPARs), mediated by AMPAR interacting proteins, enabled neurons to maintain tuning capabilities at rest or active state. α/β-Hydrolase domain-containing 6 (ABHD6), an endocannabinoid hydrolase, was an AMPAR auxiliary subunit found to negatively regulate the surface delivery of AMPARs. While ABHD6 was found to prevent AMPAR tetramerization in endoplasmic reticulum, ABHD6 was also reported to localize at postsynaptic site. Yet, the role of ABHD6 interacting with AMPAR at postsynaptic site, and the physiological significance of ABHD6 regulating AMPAR trafficking remains elusive. Here, we generated the ABHD6 knockout (ABHD6KO) mice and found that deletion of ABHD6 selectively enhanced AMPAR-mediated basal synaptic responses and the surface expression of postsynaptic AMPARs. Furthermore, we found that loss of ABHD6 impaired hippocampal long-term depression (LTD) and synaptic downscaling in hippocampal synapses. AMPAR internalization assays revealed that ABHD6 was essential for neuronal activity-dependent endocytosis of surface AMPARs, which is independent of ABHD6's hydrolase activity. The defects of AMPAR endocytosis and LTD are expressed as deficits in learning flexibility in ABHD6KO mice. Collectively, we demonstrated that ABHD6 is an endocytic accessory protein promoting AMPAR endocytosis, thereby contributes to the formation of LTD, synaptic downscaling and reversal learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengping Wei
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing Key Laboratory of Neural Regeneration and Repair, Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China; State Key Laboratory of Neurology and Oncology Drug Development, Nanjing 210000, Jiangsu, China; Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing 102206, China.
| | - Lei Yang
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing Key Laboratory of Neural Regeneration and Repair, Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China; State Key Laboratory of Neurology and Oncology Drug Development, Nanjing 210000, Jiangsu, China; Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing 102206, China
| | - Feng Su
- Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Ying Liu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Xinyi Zhao
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing Key Laboratory of Neural Regeneration and Repair, Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China; State Key Laboratory of Neurology and Oncology Drug Development, Nanjing 210000, Jiangsu, China; Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing 102206, China
| | - Lin Luo
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing Key Laboratory of Neural Regeneration and Repair, Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China; State Key Laboratory of Neurology and Oncology Drug Development, Nanjing 210000, Jiangsu, China; Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing 102206, China
| | - Xinyue Sun
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing Key Laboratory of Neural Regeneration and Repair, Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China; State Key Laboratory of Neurology and Oncology Drug Development, Nanjing 210000, Jiangsu, China; Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing 102206, China
| | - Sen Liu
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing Key Laboratory of Neural Regeneration and Repair, Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China; State Key Laboratory of Neurology and Oncology Drug Development, Nanjing 210000, Jiangsu, China; Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing 102206, China
| | - Zhaoqi Dong
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing Key Laboratory of Neural Regeneration and Repair, Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China
| | - Yong Zhang
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences and Neuroscience Research Institute, Key Lab for Neuroscience, Ministry of Education of China and National Health Commission of the PR China, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research at PKU, Peking University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Yun Stone Shi
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Model Animal for Disease Study, Model Animal Research Center, Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210032, China
| | - Jing Liang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.
| | - Chen Zhang
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing Key Laboratory of Neural Regeneration and Repair, Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China; State Key Laboratory of Neurology and Oncology Drug Development, Nanjing 210000, Jiangsu, China; Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing 102206, China.
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5
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Stone BT, Antonoudiou P, Teboul E, Scarpa G, Weiss G, Maguire JL. Early life stress impairs VTA coordination of BLA network and behavioral states. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.09.16.558081. [PMID: 37745617 PMCID: PMC10516015 DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.16.558081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
Motivated behaviors, such as social interactions, are governed by the interplay between mesocorticolimbic structures, such as the ventral tegmental area (VTA), basolateral amygdala (BLA), and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). Adverse childhood experiences and early life stress (ELS) can impact these networks and behaviors, which is associated with increased risk for psychiatric illnesses. While it is known that the VTA projects to both the BLA and mPFC, the influence of these inputs on local network activity which govern behavioral states - and whether ELS impacts VTA-mediated network communication - remains unknown. Our study demonstrates that VTA inputs influence BLA oscillations and mPFC activity, and that ELS weakens the ability of the VTA to coordinate BLA network states, likely due to ELS-induced impairments in dopamine signaling between the VTA and BLA. Consequently, ELS mice exhibit increased social avoidance, which can be recapitulated in control mice by inhibiting VTA-BLA communication. These data suggest that ELS impacts social reward via the VTA-BLA dopamine network.
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Balters S, Schlichting MR, Foland-Ross L, Brigadoi S, Miller JG, Kochenderfer MJ, Garrett AS, Reiss AL. Towards assessing subcortical "deep brain" biomarkers of PTSD with functional near-infrared spectroscopy. Cereb Cortex 2023; 33:3969-3984. [PMID: 36066436 PMCID: PMC10068291 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhac320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Revised: 07/21/2022] [Accepted: 07/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Assessment of brain function with functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) is limited to the outer regions of the cortex. Previously, we demonstrated the feasibility of inferring activity in subcortical "deep brain" regions using cortical functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and fNIRS activity in healthy adults. Access to subcortical regions subserving emotion and arousal using affordable and portable fNIRS is likely to be transformative for clinical diagnostic and treatment planning. Here, we validate the feasibility of inferring activity in subcortical regions that are central to the pathophysiology of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD; i.e. amygdala and hippocampus) using cortical fMRI and simulated fNIRS activity in a sample of adolescents diagnosed with PTSD (N = 20, mean age = 15.3 ± 1.9 years) and age-matched healthy controls (N = 20, mean age = 14.5 ± 2.0 years) as they performed a facial expression task. We tested different prediction models, including linear regression, a multilayer perceptron neural network, and a k-nearest neighbors model. Inference of subcortical fMRI activity with cortical fMRI showed high prediction performance for the amygdala (r > 0.91) and hippocampus (r > 0.95) in both groups. Using fNIRS simulated data, relatively high prediction performance for deep brain regions was maintained in healthy controls (r > 0.79), as well as in youths with PTSD (r > 0.75). The linear regression and neural network models provided the best predictions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Balters
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, 94305 Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Marc R Schlichting
- Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Stanford University, 94305 Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Lara Foland-Ross
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, 94305 Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Sabrina Brigadoi
- Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialisation, University of Padova, 35122 Padova PD, Italy
| | - Jonas G Miller
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, 94305 Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Mykel J Kochenderfer
- Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Stanford University, 94305 Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Amy S Garrett
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, 78229 San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Allan L Reiss
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, 94305 Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Radiology, Stanford University, 94304 Palo Alto, CA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University, 94304 Palo Alto, CA, USA
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7
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Nashiro K, Yoo HJ, Cho C, Min J, Feng T, Nasseri P, Bachman SL, Lehrer P, Thayer JF, Mather M. Effects of a Randomised Trial of 5-Week Heart Rate Variability Biofeedback Intervention on Cognitive Function: Possible Benefits for Inhibitory Control. Appl Psychophysiol Biofeedback 2023; 48:35-48. [PMID: 36030457 PMCID: PMC9420180 DOI: 10.1007/s10484-022-09558-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Previous research suggests that higher heart rate variability (HRV) is associated with better cognitive function. However, since most previous findings on the relationship between HRV and cognitive function were correlational in nature, it is unclear whether individual differences in HRV play a causal role in cognitive performance. To investigate whether there are causal relationships, we used a simple breathing manipulation that increases HRV through a 5-week HRV biofeedback intervention and examined whether this manipulation improves cognitive performance in younger and older adults (N = 165). The 5-week HRV biofeedback intervention did not significantly improve inhibitory control, working memory and processing speed across age groups. However, improvement in the Flanker score (a measure of inhibition) was associated with the amplitude of heart rate oscillations during practice sessions in the younger and older intervention groups. Our results suggest that daily practice to increase heart rate oscillations may improve inhibitory control, but future studies using longer intervention periods are warranted to replicate the present finding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaoru Nashiro
- University of Southern California, 3715 McClintock Avenue, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA.
| | - Hyun Joo Yoo
- University of Southern California, 3715 McClintock Avenue, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
| | - Christine Cho
- University of Southern California, 3715 McClintock Avenue, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
| | - Jungwon Min
- University of Southern California, 3715 McClintock Avenue, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
| | - Tiantian Feng
- University of Southern California, 3715 McClintock Avenue, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
| | - Padideh Nasseri
- University of Southern California, 3715 McClintock Avenue, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
| | - Shelby L Bachman
- University of Southern California, 3715 McClintock Avenue, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
| | | | | | - Mara Mather
- University of Southern California, 3715 McClintock Avenue, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
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Emotional Memory Processing during REM Sleep with Implications for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. J Neurosci 2023; 43:433-446. [PMID: 36639913 PMCID: PMC9864570 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1020-22.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2022] [Revised: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 11/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
REM sleep is important for the processing of emotional memories, including fear memories. Rhythmic interactions, especially in the theta band, between the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and limbic structures are thought to play an important role, but the ways in which memory processing occurs at a mechanistic and circuits level are largely unknown. To investigate how rhythmic interactions lead to fear extinction during REM sleep, we used a biophysically based model that included the infralimbic cortex (IL), a part of the mPFC with a critical role in suppressing fear memories. Theta frequency (4-12 Hz) inputs to a given cell assembly in IL, representing an emotional memory, resulted in the strengthening of connections from the IL to the amygdala and the weakening of connections from the amygdala to the IL, resulting in the suppression of the activity of fear expression cells for the associated memory. Lower frequency (4 Hz) theta inputs effected these changes over a wider range of input strengths. In contrast, inputs at other frequencies were ineffective at causing these synaptic changes and did not suppress fear memories. Under post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) REM sleep conditions, rhythmic activity dissipated, and 4 Hz theta inputs to IL were ineffective, but higher-frequency (10 Hz) theta inputs to IL induced changes similar to those seen with 4 Hz inputs under normal REM sleep conditions, resulting in the suppression of fear expression cells. These results suggest why PTSD patients may repeatedly experience the same emotionally charged dreams and suggest potential neuromodulatory therapies for the amelioration of PTSD symptoms.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Rhythmic interactions in the theta band between the mPFC and limbic structures are thought to play an important role in processing emotional memories, including fear memories, during REM sleep. The infralimbic cortex (IL) in the mPFC is thought to play a critical role in suppressing fear memories. We show that theta inputs to the IL, unlike other frequency inputs, are effective in producing synaptic changes that suppress the activity of fear expression cells associated with a given memory. Under PTSD REM sleep conditions, lower-frequency (4 Hz) theta inputs to the IL do not suppress the activity of fear expression cells associated with the given memory but, surprisingly, 10 Hz inputs do. These results suggest potential neuromodulatory therapies for PTSD.
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9
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Altruism and social rewards. Nat Neurosci 2022; 25:1405-1406. [PMID: 36280800 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-022-01190-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
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10
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Reciprocal cortico-amygdala connections regulate prosocial and selfish choices in mice. Nat Neurosci 2022; 25:1505-1518. [PMID: 36280797 PMCID: PMC7613781 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-022-01179-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2021] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Decisions that favor one's own interest versus the interest of another individual depend on context and the relationships between individuals. The neurobiology underlying selfish choices or choices that benefit others is not understood. We developed a two-choice social decision-making task in which mice can decide whether to share a reward with their conspecifics. Preference for altruistic choices was modulated by familiarity, sex, social contact, hunger, hierarchical status and emotional state matching. Fiber photometry recordings and chemogenetic manipulations demonstrated that basolateral amygdala (BLA) neurons are involved in the establishment of prosocial decisions. In particular, BLA neurons projecting to the prelimbic (PL) region of the prefrontal cortex mediated the development of a preference for altruistic choices, whereas PL projections to the BLA modulated self-interest motives for decision-making. This provides a neurobiological model of altruistic and selfish choices with relevance to pathologies associated with dysfunctions in social decision-making.
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11
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Orlov ND, Muqtadir SA, Oroojeni H, Averbeck B, Rothwell J, Shergill SS. Stimulating learning: A functional MRI and behavioral investigation of the effects of transcranial direct current stimulation on stochastic learning in schizophrenia. Psychiatry Res 2022; 317:114908. [PMID: 37732853 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2022.114908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2021] [Revised: 04/19/2022] [Accepted: 10/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) is under clinical investigation as a treatment for cognitive deficits. We investigate the effects of tDCS over the mPFC on performance SSLT in individuals with schizophrenia, and the underlying neurophysiological effect in regions associated with learning values and stimulus-outcome relationships. In this parallel-design double-blind pilot study, 49 individuals with schizophrenia, of whom 28 completed a fMRI, were randomized into active or sham tDCS stimulation groups. Subjects participated in 4 days of SSLT training (days 1, 2, 14, 56) with tDCS applied at day-1, and during a concurrent MRI scan at day-14. The SSLT demonstrated a significant mean difference in performance in the tDCS treatment group: at day-2 and at day-56. Active tDCS was associated with increased insular activity, and reduced amygdala activation. tDCS may offer an important novel approach to modulating brain networks to ameliorate cognitive deficits in schizophrenia, with this study being the first to show a longer-term effect on SSLT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natasza D Orlov
- Cognition Schizophrenia Imaging Lab, Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom; Liu Lab, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA; Lab of Precision Brain Imaging, Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
| | - Syed Ali Muqtadir
- Cognition Schizophrenia Imaging Lab, Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom; Lahore University of Management and Sciences, Lon, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Hooman Oroojeni
- Department of Computing, Goldsmiths College, London, United Kingdom
| | - Bruno Averbeck
- Laboratory for Neuropsychology Section on Learning and Decision Making, National Institute of Mental Health Research, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - John Rothwell
- Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Sukhi S Shergill
- Cognition Schizophrenia Imaging Lab, Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom; Kent and Medway Medical School, Canterbury, United Kingdom
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12
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Batiuk MY, Tyler T, Dragicevic K, Mei S, Rydbirk R, Petukhov V, Deviatiiarov R, Sedmak D, Frank E, Feher V, Habek N, Hu Q, Igolkina A, Roszik L, Pfisterer U, Garcia-Gonzalez D, Petanjek Z, Adorjan I, Kharchenko PV, Khodosevich K. Upper cortical layer-driven network impairment in schizophrenia. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabn8367. [PMID: 36223459 PMCID: PMC9555788 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abn8367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Accepted: 08/24/2022] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Schizophrenia is one of the most widespread and complex mental disorders. To characterize the impact of schizophrenia, we performed single-nucleus RNA sequencing (snRNA-seq) of >220,000 neurons from the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex of patients with schizophrenia and matched controls. In addition, >115,000 neurons were analyzed topographically by immunohistochemistry. Compositional analysis of snRNA-seq data revealed a reduction in abundance of GABAergic neurons and a concomitant increase in principal neurons, most pronounced for upper cortical layer subtypes, which was substantiated by histological analysis. Many neuronal subtypes showed extensive transcriptomic changes, the most marked in upper-layer GABAergic neurons, including down-regulation in energy metabolism and up-regulation in neurotransmission. Transcription factor network analysis demonstrated a developmental origin of transcriptomic changes. Last, Visium spatial transcriptomics further corroborated upper-layer neuron vulnerability in schizophrenia. Overall, our results point toward general network impairment within upper cortical layers as a core substrate associated with schizophrenia symptomatology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mykhailo Y. Batiuk
- Biotech Research and Innovation Centre (BRIC), Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Teadora Tyler
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Semmelweis University, Budapest H-1085, Hungary
| | - Katarina Dragicevic
- Biotech Research and Innovation Centre (BRIC), Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Shenglin Mei
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Rasmus Rydbirk
- Biotech Research and Innovation Centre (BRIC), Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Viktor Petukhov
- Biotech Research and Innovation Centre (BRIC), Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Ruslan Deviatiiarov
- The National Center for Personalized Medicine of Endocrine Diseases, Moscow 115478, Russia
- Kazan Federal University, Kazan 420043, Russia
| | - Dora Sedmak
- Croatian Institute for Brain Research and Center of Excellence for Basic, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb 10000, Croatia
| | - Erzsebet Frank
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Semmelweis University, Budapest H-1085, Hungary
| | - Virginia Feher
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Semmelweis University, Budapest H-1085, Hungary
| | - Nikola Habek
- Croatian Institute for Brain Research and Center of Excellence for Basic, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb 10000, Croatia
| | - Qiwen Hu
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Anna Igolkina
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- St. Petersburg Polytechnical University, St. Petersburg 195251, Russia
| | - Lilla Roszik
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Semmelweis University, Budapest H-1085, Hungary
| | - Ulrich Pfisterer
- Biotech Research and Innovation Centre (BRIC), Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Diego Garcia-Gonzalez
- Biotech Research and Innovation Centre (BRIC), Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Zdravko Petanjek
- Croatian Institute for Brain Research and Center of Excellence for Basic, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb 10000, Croatia
| | - Istvan Adorjan
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Semmelweis University, Budapest H-1085, Hungary
| | - Peter V. Kharchenko
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Konstantin Khodosevich
- Biotech Research and Innovation Centre (BRIC), Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
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13
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Zheng J, Skelin I, Lin JJ. Neural computations underlying contextual processing in humans. Cell Rep 2022; 40:111395. [PMID: 36130515 PMCID: PMC9552771 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.111395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2021] [Revised: 03/28/2022] [Accepted: 08/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Context shapes our perception of facial expressions during everyday social interactions. We interpret a person’s face in a hostile situation negatively and judge the same face under pleasant circumstances positively. Critical to our adaptive fitness, context provides situation-specific framing to resolve ambiguity and guide our interpersonal behavior. This context-specific modulation of facial expression is thought to engage the amygdala, hippocampus, and orbitofrontal cortex; however, the underlying neural computations remain unknown. Here we use human intracranial electroencephalograms (EEGs) directly recorded from these regions and report bidirectional theta-gamma interactions within the amygdala-hippocampal network, facilitating contextual processing. Contextual information is subsequently represented in the orbitofrontal cortex, where a theta phase shift binds context and face associations within theta cycles, endowing faces with contextual meanings at behavioral timescales. Our results identify theta phase shifts as mediating associations between context and face processing, supporting flexible social behavior. Context influences our perception of facial expressions. Zheng et al. show that contextual modulation of faces relies on medial temporal lobe-orbitofrontal cortex communications in humans. High gamma bursts occur in rhythm with theta oscillations, with cross-regional theta-gamma phase shifts binding context-face associations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Zheng
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA.
| | - Ivan Skelin
- Department of Neurology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95817, USA; The Center for Mind and Brain, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95618, USA
| | - Jack J Lin
- Department of Neurology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95817, USA; The Center for Mind and Brain, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95618, USA.
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14
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Vázquez D, Schneider KN, Roesch MR. Neural signals implicated in the processing of appetitive and aversive events in social and non-social contexts. Front Syst Neurosci 2022; 16:926388. [PMID: 35993086 PMCID: PMC9381696 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2022.926388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2022] [Accepted: 06/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In 2014, we participated in a special issue of Frontiers examining the neural processing of appetitive and aversive events. Specifically, we reviewed brain areas that contribute to the encoding of prediction errors and value versus salience, attention and motivation. Further, we described how we disambiguated these cognitive processes and their neural substrates by using paradigms that incorporate both appetitive and aversive stimuli. We described a circuit in which the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) signals expected value and the basolateral amygdala (BLA) encodes the salience and valence of both appetitive and aversive events. This information is integrated by the nucleus accumbens (NAc) and dopaminergic (DA) signaling in order to generate prediction and prediction error signals, which guide decision-making and learning via the dorsal striatum (DS). Lastly, the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) is monitoring actions and outcomes, and signals the need to engage attentional control in order to optimize behavioral output. Here, we expand upon this framework, and review our recent work in which within-task manipulations of both appetitive and aversive stimuli allow us to uncover the neural processes that contribute to the detection of outcomes delivered to a conspecific and behaviors in social contexts. Specifically, we discuss the involvement of single-unit firing in the ACC and DA signals in the NAc during the processing of appetitive and aversive events in both social and non-social contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Vázquez
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, College Park, MD, United States
- Neuroscience and Cognitive Science Program, University of Maryland, College Park, College Park, MD, United States
| | - Kevin N. Schneider
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, College Park, MD, United States
- Neuroscience and Cognitive Science Program, University of Maryland, College Park, College Park, MD, United States
| | - Matthew R. Roesch
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, College Park, MD, United States
- Neuroscience and Cognitive Science Program, University of Maryland, College Park, College Park, MD, United States
- *Correspondence: Matthew R. Roesch,
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15
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Cheng Y, Liu S, Zhang L, Jiang H. Identification of Prefrontal Cortex and Amygdala Expressed Genes Associated With Sevoflurane Anesthesia on Non-human Primate. Front Integr Neurosci 2022; 16:857349. [PMID: 35845920 PMCID: PMC9286018 DOI: 10.3389/fnint.2022.857349] [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: 01/24/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Clinical trials and animal studies have indicated that long-term use or multiple administrations of anesthesia may lead to fine motor impairment in the developing brain. Most studies on anesthesia-induced neurotoxicity have focused on the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex (PFC); however, the role of other vital encephalic regions, such as the amygdala, is still unclear. Herein, we focused on sevoflurane, the most commonly used volatile anesthetic in infants, and performed a transcriptional analysis of the PFC and amygdala of macaques after multiple exposures to the anesthetic by RNA sequencing. The overall, overlapping, and encephalic region-specific transcriptional patterns were separately analyzed to reveal their functions and differentially expressed gene sets that were influenced by sevoflurane. Specifically, functional, protein–protein interaction, neighbor gene network, and gene set enrichment analyses were performed. Further, we built the basic molecular feature of the amygdala by comparing it to the PFC. In comparison with the amygdala’s changing pattern following sevoflurane exposure, functional annotations of the PFC were more enriched in glial cell-related biological functions than in neuron and synapsis development. Taken together, transcriptional studies and bioinformatics analyses allow for an improved understanding of the primate PFC and amygdala.
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16
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Jung SJ, Vlasov K, D’Ambra AF, Parigi A, Baya M, Frez EP, Villalobos J, Fernandez-Frentzel M, Anguiano M, Ideguchi Y, Antzoulatos EG, Fioravante D. Novel Cerebello-Amygdala Connections Provide Missing Link Between Cerebellum and Limbic System. Front Syst Neurosci 2022; 16:879634. [PMID: 35645738 PMCID: PMC9136059 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2022.879634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2022] [Accepted: 04/05/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The cerebellum is emerging as a powerful regulator of cognitive and affective processing and memory in both humans and animals and has been implicated in affective disorders. How the cerebellum supports affective function remains poorly understood. The short-latency (just a few milliseconds) functional connections that were identified between the cerebellum and amygdala—a structure crucial for the processing of emotion and valence—more than four decades ago raise the exciting, yet untested, possibility that a cerebellum-amygdala pathway communicates information important for emotion. The major hurdle in rigorously testing this possibility is the lack of knowledge about the anatomy and functional connectivity of this pathway. Our initial anatomical tracing studies in mice excluded the existence of a direct monosynaptic connection between the cerebellum and amygdala. Using transneuronal tracing techniques, we have identified a novel disynaptic circuit between the cerebellar output nuclei and the basolateral amygdala. This circuit recruits the understudied intralaminar thalamus as a node. Using ex vivo optophysiology and super-resolution microscopy, we provide the first evidence for the functionality of the pathway, thus offering a missing mechanistic link between the cerebellum and amygdala. This discovery provides a connectivity blueprint between the cerebellum and a key structure of the limbic system. As such, it is the requisite first step toward obtaining new knowledge about cerebellar function in emotion, thus fundamentally advancing understanding of the neurobiology of emotion, which is perturbed in mental and autism spectrum disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Se Jung Jung
- Center for Neuroscience, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Ksenia Vlasov
- Center for Neuroscience, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Alexa F. D’Ambra
- Center for Neuroscience, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Abhijna Parigi
- Center for Neuroscience, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Mihir Baya
- Center for Neuroscience, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Edbertt Paul Frez
- Center for Neuroscience, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | | | | | - Maribel Anguiano
- Center for Neuroscience, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Yoichiro Ideguchi
- Center for Neuroscience, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Evan G. Antzoulatos
- Center for Neuroscience, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
- Department of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Diasynou Fioravante
- Center for Neuroscience, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
- Department of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
- *Correspondence: Diasynou Fioravante
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17
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Watts AG, Kanoski SE, Sanchez-Watts G, Langhans W. The physiological control of eating: signals, neurons, and networks. Physiol Rev 2022; 102:689-813. [PMID: 34486393 PMCID: PMC8759974 DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00028.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2020] [Accepted: 08/30/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
During the past 30 yr, investigating the physiology of eating behaviors has generated a truly vast literature. This is fueled in part by a dramatic increase in obesity and its comorbidities that has coincided with an ever increasing sophistication of genetically based manipulations. These techniques have produced results with a remarkable degree of cell specificity, particularly at the cell signaling level, and have played a lead role in advancing the field. However, putting these findings into a brain-wide context that connects physiological signals and neurons to behavior and somatic physiology requires a thorough consideration of neuronal connections: a field that has also seen an extraordinary technological revolution. Our goal is to present a comprehensive and balanced assessment of how physiological signals associated with energy homeostasis interact at many brain levels to control eating behaviors. A major theme is that these signals engage sets of interacting neural networks throughout the brain that are defined by specific neural connections. We begin by discussing some fundamental concepts, including ones that still engender vigorous debate, that provide the necessary frameworks for understanding how the brain controls meal initiation and termination. These include key word definitions, ATP availability as the pivotal regulated variable in energy homeostasis, neuropeptide signaling, homeostatic and hedonic eating, and meal structure. Within this context, we discuss network models of how key regions in the endbrain (or telencephalon), hypothalamus, hindbrain, medulla, vagus nerve, and spinal cord work together with the gastrointestinal tract to enable the complex motor events that permit animals to eat in diverse situations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan G Watts
- The Department of Biological Sciences, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Scott E Kanoski
- The Department of Biological Sciences, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Graciela Sanchez-Watts
- The Department of Biological Sciences, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Wolfgang Langhans
- Physiology and Behavior Laboratory, Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule-Zürich, Schwerzenbach, Switzerland
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18
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Timmers I, López-Solà M, Heathcote LC, Heirich M, Rush GQ, Shear D, Borsook D, Simons LE. Amygdala functional connectivity mediates the association between catastrophizing and threat-safety learning in youth with chronic pain. Pain 2022; 163:719-728. [PMID: 35302974 PMCID: PMC8933619 DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000002410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2021] [Accepted: 06/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
ABSTRACT There is a need to identify brain connectivity alterations predictive of transdiagnostic processes that may confer vulnerability for affective symptomology. Here, we tested whether amygdala resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) mediated the relationship between catastrophizing (negative threat appraisals and predicting poorer functioning) and altered threat-safety discrimination learning (critical to flexibly adapt to new and changing environments) in adolescents with persistent pain. We examined amygdala rsFC in 46 youth with chronic pain and 29 healthy peers (age M = 15.8, SD = 2.9; 64 females) and its relationship with catastrophizing and threat-safety learning. We used a developmentally appropriate threat-safety learning paradigm and performed amygdala seed-based rsFC and whole-brain mediation analyses. Patients exhibited enhanced connectivity between the left amygdala and right supramarginal gyrus (SMG) (cluster-level P-FDR < 0.05), whereas right amygdala rsFC showed no group differences. Only in patients, elevated catastrophizing was associated with facilitated threat-safety learning (CS+>CS-; rp = 0.49, P = 0.001). Furthermore, in patients, elevated catastrophizing was associated with reduced left amygdala connectivity with SMG / parietal operculum, and increased left amygdala connectivity with hippocampus, dorsal striatum, paracingulate, and motor regions (P < 0.001). In addition, blunted left amygdala rsFC with right SMG/parietal operculum mediated the association between catastrophizing and threat-safety learning (P < 0.001). To conclude, rsFC between the left amygdala (a core emotion hub) and inferior parietal lobe (involved in appraisal and integration of bodily signals and attentional reorienting) explains associations between daily-life relevant catastrophizing and threat-safety learning. Findings provide a putative model for understanding pathophysiology involved in core psychological processes that cut across diagnoses, including disabling pain, and are relevant for their etiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inge Timmers
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative, and Pain Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA 94304, United States
| | - Marina López-Solà
- Serra Hunter Program, Unit of Psychological Medicine, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Barcelona, 08007 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Lauren C Heathcote
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative, and Pain Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA 94304, United States
| | - Marissa Heirich
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative, and Pain Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA 94304, United States
| | - Gillian Q Rush
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative, and Pain Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA 94304, United States
| | - Deborah Shear
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative, and Pain Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA 94304, United States
| | - David Borsook
- Center for Pain and the Brain, Boston Children’s Hospital, Center for Pain and the Brain, Boston, MA 02115, United States
| | - Laura E Simons
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative, and Pain Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA 94304, United States
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19
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Bisby MA, Stylianakis AA, Baker KD, Richardson R. Fear extinction learning and retention during adolescence in rats and mice: A systematic review. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 131:1264-1274. [PMID: 34740753 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.10.044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2021] [Revised: 10/20/2021] [Accepted: 10/29/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Despite exposure-based treatments being recommended for anxiety disorders, these treatments are ineffective for over half of all adolescents who receive them. The limited efficacy of exposure during adolescence may be driven by a deficit in extinction. Although indications of diminished extinction learning during adolescence were first reported over 10 years ago, these findings have yet to be reviewed and compared. This review (k = 34) found a stark inter-species difference in extinction performance: studies of adolescent mice reported deficits in extinction learning and retention of both cued and context fear. In contrast, studies of adolescent rats only reported poor extinction retention specific to cued fear. Adolescent mice and rats appeared to have only one behavioral outcome in common, being poor extinction retention of cued fear. These findings suggest that different behavioral phenotypes are present across rodent species in adolescence and highlight that preclinical work in rats and mice is not interchangeable. Further investigation of these differences offers the opportunity to better understand the etiology, maintenance, and treatment of fear-based disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madelyne A Bisby
- School of Psychology, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, 2052, NSW, Australia; eCentreClinic, School of Psychological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Macquarie University, Sydney, 2109, NSW, Australia.
| | | | - Kathryn D Baker
- School of Psychology, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, 2052, NSW, Australia
| | - Rick Richardson
- School of Psychology, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, 2052, NSW, Australia
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20
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Microstructural properties within the amygdala and affiliated white matter tracts across adolescence. Neuroimage 2021; 243:118489. [PMID: 34450260 PMCID: PMC8574981 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2021] [Revised: 07/16/2021] [Accepted: 08/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The amygdala is a heterogenous set of nuclei with widespread cortical connections that continues to develop postnatally with vital implications for emotional regulation. Using high-resolution anatomical and multi-shell diffusion MRI in conjunction with novel amygdala segmentation, cutting-edge tractography, and Neurite Orientation Dispersion and Density (NODDI) methods, the goal of the current study was to characterize age associations with microstructural properties of amygdala subnuclei and amygdala-related white matter connections across adolescence (N = 61, 26 males; ages of 8-22 years). We found age-related increases in the Neurite Density Index (NDI) in the lateral nucleus (LA), dorsal and intermediate divisions of the basolateral nucleus (BLDI), and ventral division of the basolateral nucleus and paralaminar nucleus (BLVPL). Additionally, there were age-related increases in the NDI of the anterior commissure, ventral amygdalofugal pathway, cingulum, and uncinate fasciculus, with the strongest age associations in the frontal and temporal regions of these white matter tracts. This is the first study to utilize NODDI to show neurite density of basolateral amygdala subnuclei to relate to age across adolescence. Moreover, age-related differences were also notable in white matter microstructural properties along the anterior commissure and ventral amydalofugal tracts, suggesting increased bilateral amygdalae to diencephalon structural connectivity. As these basolateral regions and the ventral amygdalofugal pathways have been involved in associative emotional conditioning, future research is needed to determine if age-related and/or individual differences in the development of these microstructural properties link to socio-emotional functioning and/or risk for psychopathology.
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21
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Keefer SE, Gyawali U, Calu DJ. Choose your path: Divergent basolateral amygdala efferents differentially mediate incentive motivation, flexibility and decision-making. Behav Brain Res 2021; 409:113306. [PMID: 33887310 PMCID: PMC8189324 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2021.113306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2020] [Revised: 04/09/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
To survive in a complex environment, individuals form associations between environmental stimuli and rewards to organize and optimize reward seeking behaviors. The basolateral amygdala (BLA) uses these learned associations to inform decision-making processes. In this review, we describe functional projections between BLA and its cortical and striatal targets that promote learning and motivational processes central to decision-making. Specifically, we compare and contrast divergent projections from the BLA to the orbitofrontal (OFC) and to the nucleus accumbens (NAc) and examine the roles of these pathways in associative learning, value-guided decision-making, choice behaviors, as well as cue and context-driven drug seeking. Finally, we consider how these projections are involved in disorders of motivation, with a focus on Substance Use Disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara E Keefer
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland, School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Utsav Gyawali
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland, School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States; Program in Neuroscience, University of Maryland, School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Donna J Calu
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland, School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States; Program in Neuroscience, University of Maryland, School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States.
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22
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Kayyal H, Chandran SK, Yiannakas A, Gould N, Khamaisy M, Rosenblum K. Insula to mPFC reciprocal connectivity differentially underlies novel taste neophobic response and learning in mice. eLife 2021; 10:66686. [PMID: 34219650 PMCID: PMC8282338 DOI: 10.7554/elife.66686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2021] [Accepted: 06/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
To survive in an ever-changing environment, animals must detect and learn salient information. The anterior insular cortex (aIC) and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) are heavily implicated in salience and novelty processing, and specifically, the processing of taste sensory information. Here, we examined the role of aIC-mPFC reciprocal connectivity in novel taste neophobia and memory formation, in mice. Using pERK and neuronal intrinsic properties as markers for neuronal activation, and retrograde AAV (rAAV) constructs for connectivity, we demonstrate a correlation between aIC-mPFC activity and novel taste experience. Furthermore, by expressing inhibitory chemogenetic receptors in these projections, we show that aIC-to-mPFC activity is necessary for both taste neophobia and its attenuation. However, activity within mPFC-to-aIC projections is essential only for the neophobic reaction but not for the learning process. These results provide an insight into the cortical circuitry needed to detect, react to- and learn salient stimuli, a process critically involved in psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haneen Kayyal
- Sagol Department of Neuroscience, University of Haifa, Mount Carmel, Israel
| | | | - Adonis Yiannakas
- Sagol Department of Neuroscience, University of Haifa, Mount Carmel, Israel
| | - Nathaniel Gould
- Sagol Department of Neuroscience, University of Haifa, Mount Carmel, Israel
| | - Mohammad Khamaisy
- Sagol Department of Neuroscience, University of Haifa, Mount Carmel, Israel
| | - Kobi Rosenblum
- Sagol Department of Neuroscience, University of Haifa, Mount Carmel, Israel.,Center for Gene Manipulation in the Brain, University of Haifa, Mount Carmel, Israel
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23
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Loewke AC, Minerva AR, Nelson AB, Kreitzer AC, Gunaydin LA. Frontostriatal Projections Regulate Innate Avoidance Behavior. J Neurosci 2021; 41:5487-5501. [PMID: 34001628 PMCID: PMC8221601 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2581-20.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2020] [Revised: 04/13/2021] [Accepted: 04/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC) has been linked to avoidance and decision-making under conflict, key neural computations altered in anxiety disorders. However, the heterogeneity of prefrontal projections has obscured identification of specific top-down projections involved. While the dmPFC-amygdala circuit has long been implicated in controlling reflexive fear responses, recent work suggests that dmPFC-dorsomedial striatum (DMS) projections may be more important for regulating avoidance. Using fiber photometry recordings in both male and female mice during the elevated zero maze task, we show heightened neural activity in frontostriatal but not frontoamygdalar projection neurons during exploration of the anxiogenic open arms. Additionally, using optogenetics, we demonstrate that this frontostriatal projection preferentially excites postsynaptic D1 receptor-expressing neurons in the DMS and causally controls innate avoidance behavior. These results support a model for prefrontal control of defensive behavior in which the dmPFC-amygdala projection controls reflexive fear behavior and the dmPFC-striatum projection controls anxious avoidance behavior.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The medial prefrontal cortex has been extensively linked to several behavioral symptom domains related to anxiety disorders, with much of the work centered around reflexive fear responses. Comparatively little is known at the mechanistic level about anxious avoidance behavior, a core feature across anxiety disorders. Recent work has suggested that the striatum may be an important hub for regulating avoidance behaviors. Our work uses optical circuit dissection techniques to identify a specific corticostriatal circuit involved in encoding and controlling avoidance behavior. Identifying neural circuits for avoidance will enable the development of more targeted symptom-specific treatments for anxiety disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrienne C Loewke
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158
| | - Adelaide R Minerva
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158
| | - Alexandra B Nelson
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158
- Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience is at University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158
| | - Anatol C Kreitzer
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158
- Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience is at University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158
- Department of Physiology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158
- Neurological Disease Institute, Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, California 94158
| | - Lisa A Gunaydin
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158
- Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience is at University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158
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Brockett AT, Vázquez D, Roesch MR. Prediction errors and valence: From single units to multidimensional encoding in the amygdala. Behav Brain Res 2021; 404:113176. [PMID: 33596433 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2021.113176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2020] [Revised: 02/02/2021] [Accepted: 02/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The amygdala-one of the primary structures of the limbic system-is comprised of interconnected nuclei situated within the temporal lobe. It has a well-established role in the modulation of negative affective states, as well as in fear processing. However, its vast projections with diverse brain regions-ranging from the cortex to the brainstem-are suggestive of its more complex involvement in affective or motivational aspects of cognitive processing. The amygdala can play an invaluable role in context-dependent associative learning, unsigned prediction error learning, influencing outcome selection, and multidimensional encoding. In this review, we delve into the amygdala's role in associative learning and outcome selection, emphasizing its intrinsic involvement in the appropriate context-dependent modulation of motivated behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam T Brockett
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, United States; Program in Neuroscience and Cognitive Science, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, United States.
| | - Daniela Vázquez
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, United States; Program in Neuroscience and Cognitive Science, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, United States
| | - Matthew R Roesch
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, United States; Program in Neuroscience and Cognitive Science, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, United States
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25
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Coley AA, Padilla-Coreano N, Patel R, Tye KM. Valence processing in the PFC: Reconciling circuit-level and systems-level views. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF NEUROBIOLOGY 2021; 158:171-212. [PMID: 33785145 DOI: 10.1016/bs.irn.2020.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
An essential component in animal behavior is the ability to process emotion and dissociate among positive and negative valence in response to a rewarding or aversive stimulus. The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC)-responsible for higher order executive functions that include cognition, learning, and working memory; and is also involved in sociability-plays a major role in emotional processing and control. Although the amygdala is widely regarded as the "emotional hub," the mPFC encodes for context-specific salience and elicits top-down control over limbic circuitry. The mPFC can then conduct behavioral responses, via cortico-striatal and cortico-brainstem pathways, that correspond to emotional stimuli. Evidence shows that abnormalities within the mPFC lead to sociability deficits, working memory impairments, and drug-seeking behavior that include addiction and compulsive disorders; as well as conditions such as anhedonia. Recent studies investigate the effects of aberrant salience processing on cortical circuitry and neuronal populations associated with these behaviors. In this chapter, we discuss mPFC valence processing, neuroanatomical connections, and physiological substrates involved in mPFC-associated behavior. We review neurocomputational and theoretical models such as "mixed selectivity," that describe cognitive control, attentiveness, and motivational drives. Using this knowledge, we describe the effects of valence imbalances and its influence on mPFC neural pathways that contribute to deficits in social cognition, while understanding the effects in addiction/compulsive behaviors and anhedonia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Austin A Coley
- Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | | | - Reesha Patel
- Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Kay M Tye
- Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, United States.
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26
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Rabinak CA, Blanchette A, Zabik NL, Peters C, Marusak HA, Iadipaolo A, Elrahal F. Cannabinoid modulation of corticolimbic activation to threat in trauma-exposed adults: a preliminary study. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2020; 237:1813-1826. [PMID: 32162103 PMCID: PMC7244361 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-020-05499-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2019] [Accepted: 02/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Excessive fear and anxiety, coupled with corticolimbic dysfunction, are core features of stress- and trauma-related psychopathology, such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Interestingly, low doses of ∆9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) can produce anxiolytic effects, reduce threat-related amygdala activation, and enhance functional coupling between the amygdala and medial prefrontal cortex and adjacent rostral cingulate cortex (mPFC/rACC) during threat processing in healthy adults. Together, these findings suggest the cannabinoid system as a potential pharmacological target in the treatment of excess fear and anxiety. However, the effects of THC on corticolimbic functioning in response to threat have not be investigated in adults with trauma-related psychopathology. OBJECTIVE To address this gap, the present study tests the effects of an acute low dose of THC on corticolimbic responses to threat in three groups of adults: (1) non-trauma-exposed healthy controls (HC; n = 25), (2) trauma-exposed adults without PTSD (TEC; n = 27), and (3) trauma-exposed adults with PTSD (n = 19). METHODS Using a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, between-subjects design, 71 participants were randomly assigned to receive either THC or placebo (PBO) and subsequently completed a well-established threat processing paradigm during functional magnetic resonance imaging. RESULTS In adults with PTSD, THC lowered threat-related amygdala reactivity, increased mPFC activation during threat, and increased mPFC-amygdala functional coupling. CONCLUSIONS These preliminary data suggest that THC modulates threat-related processing in trauma-exposed individuals with PTSD, which may prove advantageous as a pharmacological approach to treating stress- and trauma-related psychopathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine A Rabinak
- Department of Pharmacy Practice, Wayne State University, 259 Mack Ave, Suite 2190, Detroit, MI, 48201, USA.
- Translational Neuroscience Program, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA.
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA.
- Merrill Palmer Skillman Institute for Child and Family Development, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA.
| | - Ashley Blanchette
- Department of Pharmacy Practice, Wayne State University, 259 Mack Ave, Suite 2190, Detroit, MI, 48201, USA
| | - Nicole L Zabik
- Department of Pharmacy Practice, Wayne State University, 259 Mack Ave, Suite 2190, Detroit, MI, 48201, USA
- Translational Neuroscience Program, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Craig Peters
- Department of Pharmacy Practice, Wayne State University, 259 Mack Ave, Suite 2190, Detroit, MI, 48201, USA
| | - Hilary A Marusak
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
- Merrill Palmer Skillman Institute for Child and Family Development, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Allesandra Iadipaolo
- Department of Pharmacy Practice, Wayne State University, 259 Mack Ave, Suite 2190, Detroit, MI, 48201, USA
| | - Farrah Elrahal
- Department of Pharmacy Practice, Wayne State University, 259 Mack Ave, Suite 2190, Detroit, MI, 48201, USA
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Beyeler A, Dabrowska J. Neuronal diversity of the amygdala and the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis. HANDBOOK OF BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2020; 26:63-100. [PMID: 32792868 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-815134-1.00003-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Anna Beyeler
- Neurocentre Magendie, French National Institutes of Health (INSERM) unit 1215, Neurocampus of Bordeaux University, Bordeaux, France
| | - Joanna Dabrowska
- Center for the Neurobiology of Stress Resilience and Psychiatric Disorders, Discipline of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, The Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, United States
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28
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Raineki C, Morgan EJ, Ellis L, Weinberg J. Glucocorticoid receptor expression in the stress-limbic circuitry is differentially affected by prenatal alcohol exposure and adolescent stress. Brain Res 2019; 1718:242-251. [PMID: 31102593 PMCID: PMC6579044 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2019.05.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2019] [Revised: 04/25/2019] [Accepted: 05/14/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The dense expression of glucocorticoid receptors (GR) within the amygdala, medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and paraventricular nucleus of hypothalamus (PVN) mediates many aspects of emotional and stress regulation. Importantly, both prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) and adolescent stress are known to induce emotional and stress dysregulation. Little is known, however, about how PAE and/or adolescent stress may alter the expression of GR in the amygdala, mPFC, and PVN. To fill this gap, we exposed PAE and control adolescent male and female rats to chronic mild stress (CMS) and assessed GR mRNA expression in the amygdala, mPFC, and PVN immediately following stress or in adulthood. We found that the effects of PAE on GR expression were more prevalent in the amygdala, while effects of adolescent stress on GR expression were more prevalent in the mPFC. Moreover, PAE effects in the amygdala were more pronounced during adolescence and adolescent stress effects in the mPFC were more pronounced in adulthood. GR expression in the PVN was affected by both PAE and adolescent stress. Finally, PAE and/or adolescent stress effects were distinct between males and females. Together, these results suggest that PAE and adolescent CMS induce dynamic alterations in GR expression in the amygdala, mPFC, and PVN, which manifest differently depending on the brain area, age, and sex of the animal. Additionally, these data indicate that PAE-induced hyperresponsiveness to stress and increased vulnerability to mental health problems may be mediated by different neural mechanisms depending on the sex and age of the animal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlis Raineki
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
| | - Erin J Morgan
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Linda Ellis
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Joanne Weinberg
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
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29
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Zimmermann KS, Richardson R, Baker KD. Maturational Changes in Prefrontal and Amygdala Circuits in Adolescence: Implications for Understanding Fear Inhibition during a Vulnerable Period of Development. Brain Sci 2019; 9:E65. [PMID: 30889864 PMCID: PMC6468701 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci9030065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2019] [Revised: 03/13/2019] [Accepted: 03/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Anxiety disorders that develop in adolescence represent a significant burden and are particularly challenging to treat, due in no small part to the high occurrence of relapse in this age group following exposure therapy. This pattern of persistent fear is preserved across species; relative to those younger and older, adolescents consistently show poorer extinction, a key process underpinning exposure therapy. This suggests that the neural processes underlying fear extinction are temporarily but profoundly compromised during adolescence. The formation, retrieval, and modification of fear- and extinction-associated memories are regulated by a forebrain network consisting of the prefrontal cortex (PFC), the amygdala, and the hippocampus. These regions undergo robust maturational changes in early life, with unique alterations in structure and function occurring throughout adolescence. In this review, we focus primarily on two of these regions-the PFC and the amygdala-and discuss how changes in plasticity, synaptic transmission, inhibition/excitation, and connectivity (including modulation by hippocampal afferents to the PFC) may contribute to transient deficits in extinction retention. We end with a brief consideration of how exposure to stress during this adolescent window of vulnerability can permanently disrupt neurodevelopment, leading to lasting impairments in pathways of emotional regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelsey S Zimmermann
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.
| | - Rick Richardson
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.
| | - Kathryn D Baker
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.
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30
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Abstract
The neural mechanisms underlying emotional valence are at the interface between perception and action, integrating inputs from the external environment with past experiences to guide the behavior of an organism. Depending on the positive or negative valence assigned to an environmental stimulus, the organism will approach or avoid the source of the stimulus. Multiple convergent studies have demonstrated that the amygdala complex is a critical node of the circuits assigning valence. Here we examine the current progress in identifying valence coding properties of neural populations in different nuclei of the amygdala, based on their activity, connectivity, and gene expression profile.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michele Pignatelli
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, 02139 MA, USA
| | - Anna Beyeler
- Neurocentre Magendie, INSERM 1215, Université de Bordeaux, 146 Rue Léo Saignat, 33000 Bordeaux, France
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31
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Weele CMV, Siciliano CA, Tye KM. Dopamine tunes prefrontal outputs to orchestrate aversive processing. Brain Res 2018; 1713:16-31. [PMID: 30513287 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2018.11.044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2018] [Revised: 11/25/2018] [Accepted: 11/30/2018] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Decades of research suggest that the mesocortical dopamine system exerts powerful control over mPFC physiology and function. Indeed, dopamine signaling in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) is implicated in a vast array of processes, including working memory, stimulus discrimination, stress responses, and emotional and behavioral control. Consequently, even slight perturbations within this delicate system result in profound disruptions of mPFC-mediated processes. Many neuropsychiatric disorders are associated with dysregulation of mesocortical dopamine, including schizophrenia, depression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, among others. Here, we review the anatomy and functions of the mesocortical dopamine system. In contrast to the canonical role of striatal dopamine in reward-related functions, recent work has revealed that mesocortical dopamine fine-tunes distinct efferent projection populations in a manner that biases subsequent behavior towards responding to stimuli associated with potentially aversive outcomes. We propose a framework wherein dopamine can serve as a signal for switching mPFC states by orchestrating how information is routed to the rest of the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin M Vander Weele
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Cody A Siciliano
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Kay M Tye
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
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