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Kim EJ, Kong MS, Park S, Cho J, Kim JJ. Periaqueductal gray activates antipredatory neural responses in the amygdala of foraging rats. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.05.19.541463. [PMID: 38559038 PMCID: PMC10979854 DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.19.541463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Pavlovian fear conditioning research suggests that the interaction between the dorsal periaqueductal gray (dPAG) and basolateral amygdala (BLA) acts as a prediction error mechanism in the formation of associative fear memories. However, their roles in responding to naturalistic predatory threats, characterized by less explicit cues and the absence of reiterative trial-and-error learning events, remain unexplored. In this study, we conducted single-unit recordings in rats during an 'approach food-avoid predator' task, focusing on the responsiveness of dPAG and BLA neurons to a rapidly approaching robot predator. Optogenetic stimulation of the dPAG triggered fleeing behaviors and increased BLA activity in naive rats. Notably, BLA neurons activated by dPAG stimulation displayed immediate responses to the robot, demonstrating heightened synchronous activity compared to BLA neurons that did not respond to dPAG stimulation. Additionally, the use of anterograde and retrograde tracer injections into the dPAG and BLA, respectively, coupled with c-Fos activation in response to predatory threats, indicates that the midline thalamus may play an intermediary role in innate antipredatory defensive functioning.
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Duggins P, Eliasmith C. A scalable spiking amygdala model that explains fear conditioning, extinction, renewal and generalization. Eur J Neurosci 2024; 59:3093-3116. [PMID: 38616566 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.16338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2023] [Revised: 02/03/2024] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/16/2024]
Abstract
The amygdala (AMY) is widely implicated in fear learning and fear behaviour, but it remains unclear how the many biological components present within AMY interact to achieve these abilities. Building on previous work, we hypothesize that individual AMY nuclei represent different quantities and that fear conditioning arises from error-driven learning on the synapses between AMY nuclei. We present a computational model of AMY that (a) recreates the divisions and connections between AMY nuclei and their constituent pyramidal and inhibitory neurons; (b) accommodates scalable high-dimensional representations of external stimuli; (c) learns to associate complex stimuli with the presence (or absence) of an aversive stimulus; (d) preserves feature information when mapping inputs to salience estimates, such that these estimates generalize to similar stimuli; and (e) induces a diverse profile of neural responses within each nucleus. Our model predicts (1) defensive responses and neural activities in several experimental conditions, (2) the consequence of artificially ablating particular nuclei and (3) the tendency to generalize defensive responses to novel stimuli. We test these predictions by comparing model outputs to neural and behavioural data from animals and humans. Despite the relative simplicity of our model, we find significant overlap between simulated and empirical data, which supports our claim that the model captures many of the neural mechanisms that support fear conditioning. We conclude by comparing our model to other computational models and by characterizing the theoretical relationship between pattern separation and fear generalization in healthy versus anxious individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Duggins
- Centre for Theoretical Neuroscience, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Systems Design Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
| | - Chris Eliasmith
- Centre for Theoretical Neuroscience, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Systems Design Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Philosophy, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
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Foilb AR, Taylor-Yeremeeva EM, Schmidt BD, Ressler KJ, Carlezon WA. Acute sleep deprivation reduces fear memories in male and female mice. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.30.577985. [PMID: 38766105 PMCID: PMC11100624 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.30.577985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
Sleep problems are a prominent feature of mental health conditions including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Despite its potential importance, the role of sleep in the development of and/or recovery from trauma-related illnesses is not understood. Interestingly, there are reports that sleep deprivation immediately after a traumatic experience can reduce fear memories, an effect that could be utilized therapeutically in humans. While the mechanisms of this effect are not completely understood, one possible explanation for these findings is that immediate sleep deprivation interferes with consolidation of fear memories, rendering them weaker and more sensitive to intervention. Here, we allowed fear-conditioned mice to sleep immediately after fear conditioning during a time frame (18 hr) that includes and extends beyond periods typically associated with memory consolidation before subjecting them to 6 hr of sleep deprivation. Mice deprived of sleep with this delayed regimen showed dramatic reductions in fear during tests conducted immediately after sleep deprivation, as well as 24 hr later. This sleep deprivation regimen also increased levels of mRNA encoding brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a molecule implicated in neuroplasticity, in the basolateral amygdala (BLA), a brain area implicated in fear and its extinction. These findings raise the possibility that the effects of our delayed sleep deprivation regimen are not due to disruption of memory consolidation, but instead are caused by BDNF-mediated neuroadaptations within the BLA that actively suppress expression of fear. Treatments that safely reduce expression of fear memories would have considerable therapeutic potential in the treatment of conditions triggered by trauma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allison R Foilb
- Department of Psychiatry, Basic Neuroscience Division, McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Belmont MA, USA
| | - Elisa M Taylor-Yeremeeva
- Department of Psychiatry, Basic Neuroscience Division, McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Belmont MA, USA
| | - Brett D Schmidt
- Department of Psychiatry, Basic Neuroscience Division, McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Belmont MA, USA
| | - Kerry J Ressler
- Department of Psychiatry, Basic Neuroscience Division, McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Belmont MA, USA
| | - William A Carlezon
- Department of Psychiatry, Basic Neuroscience Division, McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Belmont MA, USA
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Mazaheri M, Radahmadi M, Sharifi MR. Effects of chronic social equality and inequality conditions on passive avoidance memory and PTSD-like behaviors in rats under chronic empathic stress. Int J Neurosci 2024:1-12. [PMID: 38598305 DOI: 10.1080/00207454.2024.2341913] [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: 02/26/2024] [Accepted: 04/07/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Social inequality conditions induce aversion and affect brain functions and mood. This study investigated the effects of chronic social equality and inequality (CSE and CSI, respectively) conditions on passive avoidance memory and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)-like behaviors in rats under chronic empathic stress. METHODS Rats were divided into different groups, including control, sham-observer, sham-demonstrator, observer, demonstrator, and co-demonstrator groups. Chronic stress (2 h/day) was administered to all stressed groups for 21 days. Fear learning, fear memory, memory consolidation, locomotor activity, and PTSD-like behaviors were evaluated using the passive avoidance test. Apart from the hippocampal weight, the correlations of memory and right hippocampal weight with serum corticosterone (CORT) levels were separately assessed for all experimental groups. RESULTS Latency was significantly higher in the demonstrator and sham-demonstrator groups compared to the control group. It was decreased significantly in other groups compared to the control group. Latency was also decreased in the observer and co-demonstrator groups compared to the demonstrator group. Moreover, the right hippocampal weight was significantly decreased in the demonstrator and sham-demonstrator groups compared to the control group. Pearson's correlation of memory and hippocampal weight with serum CORT levels supported the present findings. CONCLUSION Maladaptive fear responses occurred in demonstrators and sham-demonstrators. Also, extremely high levels of psychological stress, especially under CSI conditions (causing abnormal fear learning) led to heightened fear memory and PTSD-like behaviors. Right hippocampal atrophy confirmed the potential role of CSI conditions in promoting PTSD-like behaviors. Compared to inequality conditions, the abnormal fear memory was reduced under equality conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Mazaheri
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Maryam Radahmadi
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Mohammad Reza Sharifi
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
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Sigrist H, Hogg DE, Senn A, Pryce CR. Mouse Model of Chronic Social Stress-Induced Excessive Pavlovian Aversion Learning-Memory. Curr Protoc 2024; 4:e1008. [PMID: 38465468 DOI: 10.1002/cpz1.1008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/12/2024]
Abstract
Increased experience of aversive stimuli/events is a psychological-neurobiological state of major importance in psychiatry. It occurs commonly in generalized anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and major depression. A sustained period of exposure to threat (chronic stressor) is a common risk factor, and a major symptom is generalized excessive perception of, and reactivity to, aversive stimuli. In rodents, Pavlovian aversion learning and memory (PAL, PAM), quantified in terms of the conditioned defensive behavior freezing, is an extensively studied behavioral paradigm, and well understood in terms of underlying neural circuitry. In mice, chronic social stress (CSS) is a 15-day resident-intruder paradigm in which C57BL/6 adult males are exposed continuously and distally to dominant-aggressive CD-1 male mice (sustained threat) interspersed with a brief daily period of proximal attack (acute threat). To ensure that physical wounding is minimized, proximal attacks are limited to 30 to 60 s/day and lower incisor teeth of CD-1 mice are blunted. Control (comparison) mice are maintained in littermate pairs. The CSS and CD-1 mice are maintained in distal contact during subsequent behavioral testing. For PAL, CSS and control (CON) mice are placed in a conditioning chamber (context) and exposed to a tone [conditioned stimulus (CS)] and mild, brief foot shock [unconditioned stimulus (US)]. For PAM, mice are placed in the same context and presented with CS repetitions. The CSS mice acquire (learn) and express (memory) a higher level of freezing than CON mice, indicating that CSS leads to generalized hypersensitivity to aversion, i.e., chronic social aversion leads to increased aversion salience of foot shock. Distinctive features of the model include the following: high reproducibility; rare, mild wounding only; male specificity; absence of "susceptible" vs "resilient" subgroups; behavioral effects dependent on continued presence of CD-1 mice; and preclinical validation of novel compounds for normalizing aversion hypersensitivity with accurate feedforward prediction of efficacy in human patients. © 2024 The Authors. Current Protocols published by Wiley Periodicals LLC. Basic Protocol 1: Chronic social stress (CSS) Basic Protocol 2: Pavlovian aversion learning and memory (PALM).
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannes Sigrist
- Preclinical Laboratory, Adult Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Psychiatry and University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - David E Hogg
- Preclinical Laboratory, Adult Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Psychiatry and University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Alena Senn
- Preclinical Laboratory, Adult Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Psychiatry and University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Christopher R Pryce
- Preclinical Laboratory, Adult Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Psychiatry and University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Zurich Neuroscience Center, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Switzerland
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Vishnubhotla RV, Ahmad ST, Zhao Y, Radhakrishnan R. Impact of prenatal marijuana exposure on adolescent brain structural and functional connectivity and behavioural outcomes. Brain Commun 2024; 6:fcae001. [PMID: 38444906 PMCID: PMC10914455 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcae001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2023] [Revised: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024] Open
Abstract
There has been an increase in the number of women using marijuana whilst pregnant. Previous studies have shown that children with prenatal marijuana exposure have developmental deficits in memory and decreased attentiveness. In this study, we assess whether prenatal marijuana exposure is associated with alterations in brain regional morphometry and functional and structural connectivity in adolescents. We downloaded behavioural scores and subject image files from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive DevelopmentSM Study. A total of 178 anatomical and diffusion magnetic resonance imaging files (88 prenatal marijuana exposure and 90 age- and gender-matched controls) and 152 resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging files (76 prenatal marijuana exposure and 76 controls) were obtained. Behavioural metrics based on the parent-reported child behavioural checklist were also obtained for each subject. The associations of prenatal marijuana exposure with 17 subscales of the child behavioural checklist were calculated. We assessed differences in brain morphometry based on voxel-based and surface-based morphometry in adolescents with prenatal marijuana exposure versus controls. We also evaluated group differences in structural and functional connectivity in adolescents for region-to-region connectivity and graph theoretical metrics. Interactions of prenatal marijuana exposure and graph networks were assessed for impact on behavioural scores. Multiple comparison correction was performed as appropriate. Adolescents with prenatal marijuana exposure had greater abnormal or borderline child behavioural checklist scores in 9 out of 17 subscales. There were no significant differences in voxel- or surface-based morphometry, structural connectivity or functional connectivity between prenatal marijuana exposure and controls. However, there were significant differences in prenatal marijuana exposure-graph network interactions with respect to behavioural scores. There were three structural prenatal marijuana exposure-graph network interactions and seven functional prenatal marijuana exposure-graph network interactions that were significantly associated with behavioural scores. Whilst this study was not able to confirm anatomical or functional differences between prenatal marijuana exposure and unexposed pre-adolescent children, there were prenatal marijuana exposure-brain structural and functional graph network interactions that were significantly associated with behavioural scores. This suggests that altered brain networks may underlie behavioural outcomes in adolescents with prenatal marijuana exposure. More work needs to be conducted to better understand the prognostic value of brain structural and functional network measures in prenatal marijuana exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramana V Vishnubhotla
- Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Sidra T Ahmad
- Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Yi Zhao
- Department of Biostatistics and Health Data Science, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Rupa Radhakrishnan
- Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
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Borkar CD, Stelly CE, Fu X, Dorofeikova M, Le QSE, Vutukuri R, Vo C, Walker A, Basavanhalli S, Duong A, Bean E, Resendez A, Parker JG, Tasker JG, Fadok JP. Top-down control of flight by a non-canonical cortico-amygdala pathway. Nature 2024; 625:743-749. [PMID: 38233522 PMCID: PMC10878556 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06912-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
Survival requires the selection of appropriate behaviour in response to threats, and dysregulated defensive reactions are associated with psychiatric illnesses such as post-traumatic stress and panic disorder1. Threat-induced behaviours, including freezing and flight, are controlled by neuronal circuits in the central amygdala (CeA)2; however, the source of neuronal excitation of the CeA that contributes to high-intensity defensive responses is unknown. Here we used a combination of neuroanatomical mapping, in vivo calcium imaging, functional manipulations and electrophysiology to characterize a previously unknown projection from the dorsal peduncular (DP) prefrontal cortex to the CeA. DP-to-CeA neurons are glutamatergic and specifically target the medial CeA, the main amygdalar output nucleus mediating conditioned responses to threat. Using a behavioural paradigm that elicits both conditioned freezing and flight, we found that CeA-projecting DP neurons are activated by high-intensity threats in a context-dependent manner. Functional manipulations revealed that the DP-to-CeA pathway is necessary and sufficient for both avoidance behaviour and flight. Furthermore, we found that DP neurons synapse onto neurons within the medial CeA that project to midbrain flight centres. These results elucidate a non-canonical top-down pathway regulating defensive responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chandrashekhar D Borkar
- Department of Psychology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
- Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Claire E Stelly
- Department of Psychology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
- Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Loyola University, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Xin Fu
- Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
- Neuroscience Program, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Maria Dorofeikova
- Department of Psychology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
- Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Quan-Son Eric Le
- Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
- Neuroscience Program, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Rithvik Vutukuri
- Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
- Neuroscience Program, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Catherine Vo
- Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
- Neuroscience Program, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Alex Walker
- Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
- Neuroscience Program, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Samhita Basavanhalli
- Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
- Neuroscience Program, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Anh Duong
- Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
- Neuroscience Program, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Erin Bean
- Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
- Neuroscience Program, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Alexis Resendez
- Department of Psychology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
- Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Jones G Parker
- Department of Neuroscience, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Jeffrey G Tasker
- Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Jonathan P Fadok
- Department of Psychology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA.
- Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA.
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Lonnberg A, Logrip ML, Kuznetsov A. Mechanisms of alcohol influence on fear conditioning: a computational model. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.12.30.573310. [PMID: 38260700 PMCID: PMC10802259 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.30.573310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
A connection between stress-related illnesses and alcohol use disorders is extensively documented. Fear conditioning is a standard procedure used to study stress learning and links it to the activation of amygdala circuitry. However, the connection between the changes in amygdala circuit and function induced by alcohol and fear conditioning is not well established. We introduce a computational model to test the mechanistic relationship between amygdala functional and circuit adaptations during fear conditioning and the impact of acute vs. repeated alcohol exposure. In accordance with experiments, both acute and prior repeated alcohol decreases speed and robustness of fear extinction in our simulations. The model predicts that, first, the delay in fear extinction in alcohol is mostly induced by greater activation of the basolateral amygdala (BLA) after fear acquisition due to alcohol-induced modulation of synaptic weights. Second, both acute and prior repeated alcohol shifts the amygdala network away from the robust extinction regime by inhibiting the activity in the central amygdala (CeA). Third, our model predicts that fear memories formed in acute or after chronic alcohol are more connected to the context. Thus, the model suggests how circuit changes induced by alcohol may affect fear behaviors and provides a framework for investigating the involvement of multiple neuromodulators in this neuroadaptive process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam Lonnberg
- University of Evansville, Department of Mathematics, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
| | - Marian L. Logrip
- Indiana University-Purdue University, Department of Psychology, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
| | - Alexey Kuznetsov
- Indiana University-Purdue University, Department of Mathematical Sciences, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
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Bertocchi I, Rocha-Almeida F, Romero-Barragán MT, Cambiaghi M, Carretero-Guillén A, Botta P, Dogbevia GK, Treviño M, Mele P, Oberto A, Larkum ME, Gruart A, Sprengel R, Delgado-García JM, Hasan MT. Pre- and postsynaptic N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors are required for sequential printing of fear memory engrams. iScience 2023; 26:108050. [PMID: 37876798 PMCID: PMC10590821 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.108050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2023] [Revised: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 09/22/2023] [Indexed: 10/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The organization of fear memory involves the participation of multiple brain regions. However, it is largely unknown how fear memory is formed, which circuit pathways are used for "printing" memory engrams across brain regions, and the role of identified brain circuits in memory retrieval. With advanced genetic methods, we combinatorially blocked presynaptic output and manipulated N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) in the basolateral amygdala (BLA) and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) before and after cued fear conditioning. Further, we tagged fear-activated neurons during associative learning for optogenetic memory recall. We found that presynaptic mPFC and postsynaptic BLA NMDARs are required for fear memory formation, but not expression. Our results provide strong evidence that NMDAR-dependent synaptic plasticity drives multi-trace systems consolidation for the sequential printing of fear memory engrams from BLA to mPFC and, subsequently, to the other regions, for flexible memory retrieval.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilaria Bertocchi
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, Jahnstrasse 29, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Neuroscience "Rita Levi Montalcini", Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri Ottolenghi (NICO), University of Turin, 10043 Turin, Italy
| | - Florbela Rocha-Almeida
- Division of Neurosciences, University Pablo de Olavide, Ctra. de Utrera, km. 1 41013 Seville, Spain
| | | | - Marco Cambiaghi
- Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Strada le Grazie 8, Verona, Italy
| | - Alejandro Carretero-Guillén
- Laboratory of Brain Circuits Therapeutics, Achucarro Basque Center for Neuroscience, Science Park of the UPV/EHU, Sede Building, Barrio Sarriena, s/n, 48940 Leioa, Spain
| | - Paolo Botta
- CNS drug development, Copenhagen, Capital Region, Denmark
| | - Godwin K. Dogbevia
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, Jahnstrasse 29, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
- Health Canada, 70 Colombine Driveway, Ottawa, ON K1A0K9, Canada
| | - Mario Treviño
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, Jahnstrasse 29, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
- Laboratorio de Plasticidad Cortical y Aprendizaje Perceptual, Instituto de Neurociencias, Universidad de Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Mexico
| | - Paolo Mele
- Department of Neuroscience "Rita Levi Montalcini", Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri Ottolenghi (NICO), University of Turin, 10043 Turin, Italy
| | - Alessandra Oberto
- Department of Neuroscience "Rita Levi Montalcini", Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri Ottolenghi (NICO), University of Turin, 10043 Turin, Italy
| | - Matthew E. Larkum
- NeuroCure, Charité-Universitatsmedizin, Virchowweg 6, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Agnes Gruart
- Division of Neurosciences, University Pablo de Olavide, Ctra. de Utrera, km. 1 41013 Seville, Spain
| | - Rolf Sprengel
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, Jahnstrasse 29, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | | | - Mazahir T. Hasan
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, Jahnstrasse 29, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
- Laboratory of Brain Circuits Therapeutics, Achucarro Basque Center for Neuroscience, Science Park of the UPV/EHU, Sede Building, Barrio Sarriena, s/n, 48940 Leioa, Spain
- Ikerbasque – Basque Foundation for Science, Bilbao, Spain
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10
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Haris EM, Bryant RA, Williamson T, Korgaonkar MS. Functional connectivity of amygdala subnuclei in PTSD: a narrative review. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:3581-3594. [PMID: 37845498 PMCID: PMC10730419 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-023-02291-w] [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: 04/03/2023] [Revised: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 10/18/2023]
Abstract
While the amygdala is often implicated in the neurobiology of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the pattern of results remains mixed. One reason for this may be the heterogeneity of amygdala subnuclei and their functional connections. This review used PRISMA guidelines to synthesize research exploring the functional connectivity of three primary amygdala subnuclei, basolateral (BLA), centromedial (CMA), and superficial nuclei (SFA), in PTSD (N = 331) relative to trauma-exposed (N = 155) and non-trauma-exposed controls (N = 210). Although studies were limited (N = 11), preliminary evidence suggests that in PTSD compared to trauma-exposed controls, the BLA shows greater connectivity with the dorsal anterior cingulate, an area involved in salience detection. In PTSD compared to non-trauma-exposed controls, the BLA shows greater connectivity with the middle frontal gyrus, an area involved in attention. No other connections were replicated across studies. A secondary aim of this review was to outline the limitations of this field to better shape future research. Importantly, the results from this review indicate the need to consider potential mediators of amygdala subnuclei connectivity, such as trauma type and sex, when conducting such studies. They also highlight the need to be aware of the limited inferences we can make with such small samples that investigate small subcortical structures on low field strength magnetic resonance imaging scanners. Collectively, this review demonstrates the importance of exploring the differential connectivity of amygdala subnuclei to understand the pathophysiology of PTSD and stresses the need for future research to harness the strength of ultra-high field imaging to gain a more sensitive picture of the neural connectivity underlying PTSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth M Haris
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
- Brain Dynamics Centre, Westmead Institute for Medical Research, The University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW, Australia.
| | - Richard A Bryant
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Brain Dynamics Centre, Westmead Institute for Medical Research, The University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW, Australia
| | - Thomas Williamson
- Brain Dynamics Centre, Westmead Institute for Medical Research, The University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW, Australia
| | - Mayuresh S Korgaonkar
- Brain Dynamics Centre, Westmead Institute for Medical Research, The University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW, Australia.
- Discipline of Psychiatry, Sydney Medical School, Westmead, NSW, Australia.
- Western Sydney Local Health District, Westmead, NSW, Australia.
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Voytenko S, Shanbhag S, Wenstrup J, Galazyuk A. Intracellular recordings reveal integrative function of the basolateral amygdala in acoustic communication. J Neurophysiol 2023; 129:1334-1343. [PMID: 37098994 PMCID: PMC10202475 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00103.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2023] [Revised: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 04/23/2023] [Indexed: 04/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The amygdala, a brain center of emotional expression, contributes to appropriate behavior responses during acoustic communication. In support of that role, the basolateral amygdala (BLA) analyzes the meaning of vocalizations through the integration of multiple acoustic inputs with information from other senses and an animal's internal state. The mechanisms underlying this integration are poorly understood. This study focuses on the integration of vocalization-related inputs to the BLA from auditory centers during this processing. We used intracellular recordings of BLA neurons in unanesthetized big brown bats that rely heavily on a complex vocal repertoire during social interactions. Postsynaptic and spiking responses of BLA neurons were recorded to three vocal sequences that are closely related to distinct behaviors (appeasement, low-level aggression, and high-level aggression) and have different emotional valence. Our novel findings are that most BLA neurons showed postsynaptic responses to one or more vocalizations (31 of 46) but that many fewer neurons showed spiking responses (8 of 46). The spiking responses were more selective than postsynaptic potential (PSP) responses. Furthermore, vocal stimuli associated with either positive or negative valence were similarly effective in eliciting excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs), inhibitory postsynaptic potentials (IPSPs), and spiking responses. This indicates that BLA neurons process both positive- and negative-valence vocal stimuli. The greater selectivity of spiking responses than PSP responses suggests an integrative role for processing within the BLA to enhance response specificity in acoustic communication.NEW & NOTEWORTHY The amygdala plays an important role in social communication by sound, but little is known about how it integrates diverse auditory inputs to form selective responses to social vocalizations. We show that BLA neurons receive inputs that are responsive to both negative- and positive-affect vocalizations but their spiking outputs are fewer and highly selective for vocalization type. Our work demonstrates that BLA neurons perform an integrative function in shaping appropriate behavioral responses to social vocalizations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergiy Voytenko
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Northeast Ohio Medical University, Rootstown, Ohio, United States
| | - Sharad Shanbhag
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Northeast Ohio Medical University, Rootstown, Ohio, United States
- Brain Health Research Institute, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio, United States
| | - Jeffrey Wenstrup
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Northeast Ohio Medical University, Rootstown, Ohio, United States
- Brain Health Research Institute, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio, United States
| | - Alexander Galazyuk
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Northeast Ohio Medical University, Rootstown, Ohio, United States
- Brain Health Research Institute, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio, United States
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12
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Kamali A, Milosavljevic S, Gandhi A, Lano KR, Shobeiri P, Sherbaf FG, Sair HI, Riascos RF, Hasan KM. The Cortico-Limbo-Thalamo-Cortical Circuits: An Update to the Original Papez Circuit of the Human Limbic System. Brain Topogr 2023; 36:371-389. [PMID: 37148369 PMCID: PMC10164017 DOI: 10.1007/s10548-023-00955-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2021] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
The Papez circuit, first proposed by James Papez in 1937, is a circuit believed to control memory and emotions, composed of the cingulate cortex, entorhinal cortex, parahippocampal gyrus, hippocampus, hypothalamus, and thalamus. Pursuant to James Papez, Paul Yakovlev and Paul MacLean incorporated the prefrontal/orbitofrontal cortex, septum, amygdalae, and anterior temporal lobes into the limbic system. Over the past few years, diffusion-weighted tractography techniques revealed additional limbic fiber connectivity, which incorporates multiple circuits to the already known complex limbic network. In the current review, we aimed to comprehensively summarize the anatomy of the limbic system and elaborate on the anatomical connectivity of the limbic circuits based on the published literature as an update to the original Papez circuit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arash Kamali
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Neuroradiology Section, University of Texas at Houston, 6431 Fannin St, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
| | | | - Anusha Gandhi
- Baylor College of Medicine Medical School, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Kinsey R Lano
- McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Parnian Shobeiri
- Faculty of Medicine, Tehran University Medical School, Tehran, Iran
| | - Farzaneh Ghazi Sherbaf
- Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Division of Neuroradiology, The Russell H. Morgan, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Haris I Sair
- Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Division of Neuroradiology, The Russell H. Morgan, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Roy F Riascos
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Neuroradiology Section, University of Texas at Houston, 6431 Fannin St, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Khader M Hasan
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Neuroradiology Section, University of Texas at Houston, 6431 Fannin St, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
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13
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Joyce MKP, Wang J, Barbas H. Subgenual and Hippocampal Pathways in Amygdala Are Set to Balance Affect and Context Processing. J Neurosci 2023; 43:3061-3080. [PMID: 36977583 PMCID: PMC10146557 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2066-22.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2022] [Revised: 03/02/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The amygdala, hippocampus, and subgenual cortex area 25 (A25) are engaged in complex cognitive-emotional processes. Yet pathway interactions from hippocampus and A25 with postsynaptic sites in amygdala remain largely unknown. In rhesus monkeys of both sexes, we studied with neural tracers how pathways from A25 and hippocampus interface with excitatory and inhibitory microcircuits in amygdala at multiple scales. We found that both hippocampus and A25 innervate distinct as well as overlapping sites of the basolateral (BL) amygdalar nucleus. Unique hippocampal pathways heavily innervated the intrinsic paralaminar basolateral nucleus, which is associated with plasticity. In contrast, orbital A25 preferentially innervated another intrinsic network, the intercalated masses, an inhibitory reticulum that gates amygdalar autonomic output and inhibits fear-related behaviors. Finally, using high-resolution confocal and electron microscopy (EM), we found that among inhibitory postsynaptic targets in BL, both hippocampal and A25 pathways preferentially formed synapses with calretinin (CR) neurons, which are known for disinhibition and may enhance excitatory drive in the amygdala. Among other inhibitory postsynaptic sites, A25 pathways innervated the powerful parvalbumin (PV) neurons which may flexibly regulate the gain of neuronal assemblies in the BL that affect the internal state. In contrast, hippocampal pathways innervated calbindin (CB) inhibitory neurons, which modulate specific excitatory inputs for processing context and learning correct associations. Common and unique patterns of innervation in amygdala by hippocampus and A25 have implications for how complex cognitive and emotional processes may be selectively disrupted in psychiatric disorders.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The hippocampus, subgenual A25, and amygdala are associated with learning, memory, and emotions. We found that A25 is poised to affect diverse amygdalar processes, from emotional expression to fear learning by innervating the basal complex and the intrinsic intercalated masses. Hippocampal pathways uniquely interacted with another intrinsic amygdalar nucleus which is associated with plasticity, suggesting flexible processing of signals in context for learning. In the basolateral (BL) amygdala, which has a role in fear learning, both hippocampal and A25 interacted preferentially with disinhibitory neurons, suggesting a boost in excitation. The two pathways diverged in innervating other classes of inhibitory neurons, suggesting circuit specificities that could become perturbed in psychiatric diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary Kate P Joyce
- Neural Systems Laboratory, Department of Health Sciences, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 022152
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Boston University and School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts 02118
| | - Jingyi Wang
- Neural Systems Laboratory, Department of Health Sciences, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 022152
| | - Helen Barbas
- Neural Systems Laboratory, Department of Health Sciences, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 022152
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Boston University and School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts 02118
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts 02118
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14
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Hwang KD, Baek J, Ryu HH, Lee J, Shim HG, Kim SY, Kim SJ, Lee YS. Cerebellar nuclei neurons projecting to the lateral parabrachial nucleus modulate classical fear conditioning. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112291. [PMID: 36952344 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112291] [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: 07/21/2022] [Revised: 02/04/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Multiple brain regions are engaged in classical fear conditioning. Despite evidence for cerebellar involvement in fear conditioning, the mechanisms by which cerebellar outputs modulate fear learning and memory remain unclear. We identify a population of deep cerebellar nucleus (DCN) neurons with monosynaptic glutamatergic projections to the lateral parabrachial nucleus (lPBN) (DCN→lPBN neurons) in mice. While optogenetic suppression of DCN→lPBN neurons impairs auditory fear memory, activation of DCN→lPBN neurons elicits freezing behavior only after auditory fear conditioning. Moreover, auditory fear conditioning potentiates DCN-lPBN synapses, and subsequently, auditory cue activates lPBN neurons after fear conditioning. Furthermore, DCN→lPBN neuron activation can replace the auditory cue but not footshock in fear conditioning. These findings demonstrate that cerebellar nuclei modulate auditory fear conditioning via transmitting conditioned stimuli signals to the lPBN. Collectively, our findings suggest that the DCN-lPBN circuit is a part of neuronal substrates within interconnected brain regions underscoring auditory fear memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyoung-Doo Hwang
- Department of Physiology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080, Republic of Korea; Department of Biomedical Science, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080, Republic of Korea
| | - Jinhee Baek
- Department of Physiology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080, Republic of Korea; Department of Biomedical Science, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyun-Hee Ryu
- Department of Physiology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080, Republic of Korea; Neuroscience Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080, Republic of Korea
| | - Jaegeon Lee
- Department of Physiology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080, Republic of Korea; Department of Biomedical Science, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyun Geun Shim
- Department of Physiology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080, Republic of Korea; Department of Biomedical Science, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080, Republic of Korea
| | - Sun Yong Kim
- Department of Physiology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080, Republic of Korea; Department of Biomedical Science, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080, Republic of Korea
| | - Sang Jeong Kim
- Department of Physiology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080, Republic of Korea; Department of Biomedical Science, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080, Republic of Korea; Neuroscience Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080, Republic of Korea; Wide River Institute of Immunology, Seoul National University, Hongcheon, Republic of Korea.
| | - Yong-Seok Lee
- Department of Physiology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080, Republic of Korea; Department of Biomedical Science, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080, Republic of Korea; Neuroscience Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080, Republic of Korea; Wide River Institute of Immunology, Seoul National University, Hongcheon, Republic of Korea.
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15
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Crimmins BE, Lingawi NW, Chieng BC, Leung BK, Maren S, Laurent V. Basal forebrain cholinergic signaling in the basolateral amygdala promotes strength and durability of fear memories. Neuropsychopharmacology 2023; 48:605-614. [PMID: 36056107 PMCID: PMC9938249 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-022-01427-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2022] [Revised: 08/04/2022] [Accepted: 08/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The basolateral amygdala (BLA) complex receives dense cholinergic projections from the nucleus basalis of Meynert (NBM) and the horizontal limb of the diagonal band of Broca (HDB). The present experiments examined whether these projections regulate the formation, extinction, and renewal of fear memories. This was achieved by employing a Pavlovian fear conditioning protocol and optogenetics in transgenic rats. Silencing NBM projections during fear conditioning weakened the fear memory produced by that conditioning and abolished its renewal after extinction. By contrast, silencing HDB projections during fear conditioning had no effect. Silencing NBM or HDB projections during extinction enhanced the loss of fear produced by extinction, but only HDB silencing prevented renewal. Next, we found that systemic blockade of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors during fear conditioning mimicked the effects produced by silencing NBM projections during fear conditioning. However, this blockade had no effect when given during extinction. These findings indicate that basal forebrain cholinergic signaling in the BLA plays a critical role in fear regulation by promoting strength and durability of fear memories. We concluded that cholinergic compounds may improve treatments for post-traumatic stress disorder by durably stripping fear memories from their fear-eliciting capacity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Byron E. Crimmins
- grid.1005.40000 0004 4902 0432Decision Neuroscience Laboratory, School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW Australia
| | - Nura W. Lingawi
- grid.1005.40000 0004 4902 0432Decision Neuroscience Laboratory, School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW Australia
| | - Billy C. Chieng
- grid.1005.40000 0004 4902 0432Decision Neuroscience Laboratory, School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW Australia
| | - Beatrice K. Leung
- grid.1005.40000 0004 4902 0432Decision Neuroscience Laboratory, School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW Australia
| | - Stephen Maren
- grid.264756.40000 0004 4687 2082Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences and Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX USA
| | - Vincent Laurent
- Decision Neuroscience Laboratory, School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
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16
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Shemesh Y, Chen A. A paradigm shift in translational psychiatry through rodent neuroethology. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:993-1003. [PMID: 36635579 PMCID: PMC10005947 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-022-01913-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2022] [Revised: 12/05/2022] [Accepted: 12/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Mental disorders are a significant cause of disability worldwide. They profoundly affect individuals' well-being and impose a substantial financial burden on societies and governments. However, despite decades of extensive research, the effectiveness of current therapeutics for mental disorders is often not satisfactory or well tolerated by the patient. Moreover, most novel therapeutic candidates fail in clinical testing during the most expensive phases (II and III), which results in the withdrawal of pharma companies from investing in the field. It also brings into question the effectiveness of using animal models in preclinical studies to discover new therapeutic agents and predict their potential for treating mental illnesses in humans. Here, we focus on rodents as animal models and propose that they are essential for preclinical investigations of candidate therapeutic agents' mechanisms of action and for testing their safety and efficiency. Nevertheless, we argue that there is a need for a paradigm shift in the methodologies used to measure animal behavior in laboratory settings. Specifically, behavioral readouts obtained from short, highly controlled tests in impoverished environments and social contexts as proxies for complex human behavioral disorders might be of limited face validity. Conversely, animal models that are monitored in more naturalistic environments over long periods display complex and ethologically relevant behaviors that reflect evolutionarily conserved endophenotypes of translational value. We present how semi-natural setups in which groups of mice are individually tagged, and video recorded continuously can be attainable and affordable. Moreover, novel open-source machine-learning techniques for pose estimation enable continuous and automatic tracking of individual body parts in groups of rodents over long periods. The trajectories of each individual animal can further be subjected to supervised machine learning algorithms for automatic detection of specific behaviors (e.g., chasing, biting, or fleeing) or unsupervised automatic detection of behavioral motifs (e.g., stereotypical movements that might be harder to name or label manually). Compared to studies of animals in the wild, semi-natural environments are more compatible with neural and genetic manipulation techniques. As such, they can be used to study the neurobiological mechanisms underlying naturalistic behavior. Hence, we suggest that such a paradigm possesses the best out of classical ethology and the reductive behaviorist approach and may provide a breakthrough in discovering new efficient therapies for mental illnesses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yair Shemesh
- Department of Brain Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 7610001, Israel
- Department of Molecular Neuroscience, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 7610001, Israel
| | - Alon Chen
- Department of Brain Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 7610001, Israel.
- Department of Molecular Neuroscience, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 7610001, Israel.
- Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, 80804, Munich, Germany.
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17
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Xu Y, Yu Z, Chen S, Li Z, Long X, Chen M, Lee CS, Peng HY, Lin TB, Hsieh MC, Lai CY, Chou D. (2R,6R)-hydroxynorketamine targeting the basolateral amygdala regulates fear memory. Neuropharmacology 2023; 225:109402. [PMID: 36565854 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2022.109402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2022] [Revised: 11/28/2022] [Accepted: 12/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
(2R,6R)-Hydroxynorketamine (HNK), a ketamine metabolite, has been proposed as an ideal next-generation antidepressant due to its rapid-acting and long-lasting antidepression-relevant actions. Interestingly, recent studies have shown that (2R,6R)-HNK may have diverse impacts on memory formation. However, its effect on fear memory extinction is still unknown. In the present study, we assessed the effects of (2R,6R)-HNK on synaptic transmission and plasticity in the basolateral amygdala (BLA) and explored its actions on auditory fear memory extinction. Adult male C57BL/6J mice were used in this study. The extracellular electrophysiological recording was conducted to assay synaptic transmission and plasticity. The auditory fear conditioning paradigm was performed to test fear extinction. The results showed that (2R,6R)-HNK at 30 mg/kg increased the number of c-fos-positive cells in the BLA. Moreover, (2R,6R)-HNK enhanced the induction and maintenance of long-term potentiation (LTP) in the BLA in a dose-dependent manner (at 1, 10, and 30 mg/kg). In addition, (2R,6R)-HNK at 30 mg/kg and directly slice perfusion of (2R,6R)-HNK enhanced BLA synaptic transmission. Furthermore, intra-BLA application and systemic administration of (2R,6R)-HNK reduced the retrieval of recent fear memory and decreased the retrieval of remote fear memory. Both local and systemic (2R,6R)-HNK also inhibited the spontaneous recovery of remote fear memory. Taken together, these results indicated that (2R,6R)-HNK could regulate BLA synaptic transmission and plasticity and act through the BLA to modulate fear memory. The results revealed that (2R,6R)-HNK may be a potential drug to treat posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanyuan Xu
- Department of Pharmacology, Zhuhai Campus of Zunyi Medical University, Zhuhai, Guangdong, China.
| | - Zhenfei Yu
- Department of Pharmacology, Zhuhai Campus of Zunyi Medical University, Zhuhai, Guangdong, China.
| | - Si Chen
- Department of Human Anatomy and Histology & Embryology, Zhuhai Campus of Zunyi Medical University, Zhuhai, Guangdong, China.
| | - Zhenlong Li
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhuhai Campus of Zunyi Medical University, Zhuhai, Guangdong, China.
| | - Xiting Long
- Department of Pharmacology, Zhuhai Campus of Zunyi Medical University, Zhuhai, Guangdong, China.
| | - Mengxu Chen
- Department of Pharmacology, Zhuhai Campus of Zunyi Medical University, Zhuhai, Guangdong, China.
| | - Chau-Shoun Lee
- Department of Medicine, MacKay Medical College, New Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Psychiatry, MacKay Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
| | - Hsien-Yu Peng
- Department of Medicine, MacKay Medical College, New Taipei, Taiwan.
| | - Tzer-Bin Lin
- Institute of New Drug Development, College of Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; Cell Physiology and Molecular Image Research Center, Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.
| | - Ming-Chun Hsieh
- Department of Medicine, MacKay Medical College, New Taipei, Taiwan.
| | - Cheng-Yuan Lai
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, MacKay Medical College, New Taipei, Taiwan.
| | - Dylan Chou
- Department of Medicine, MacKay Medical College, New Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Physiology, Zhuhai Campus of Zunyi Medical University, Zhuhai, Guangdong, China.
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18
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Comparison of behavioral and brain indices of fear renewal during a standard vs. novel immersive reality Pavlovian fear extinction paradigm in healthy adults. Behav Brain Res 2023; 437:114154. [PMID: 36244544 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2022.114154] [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: 08/18/2022] [Revised: 10/06/2022] [Accepted: 10/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Pavlovian conditioning paradigms model the learned fear associations inherent in posttraumatic stress disorder, including the renewal of inappropriate fear responses following extinction learning. However, very few studies in humans investigate the underlying neural mechanisms involved in fear renewal despite its clinical importance. To address this issue, our lab designed a novel, immersive-reality Pavlovian fear acquisition, extinction, recall, and renewal paradigm. We utilized an ecological threat - a snake striking towards the participant - as the unconditioned stimulus (US). Context and background were dynamic and included both visual and auditory cues that are relevant to everyday life. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging and behavioral measures (US expectancy ratings), we examined the validity of this Novel paradigm in healthy adults (n = 49) and compared it to a Standard, well-validated 2D paradigm (n = 28). The Novel paradigm, compared to the Standard, was associated with greater hippocampal activation throughout the task. Participants who underwent the Standard paradigm, compared to the Novel, also displayed insula activation; however, this was not specific to stimulus or time. During fear renewal, the Novel paradigm was associated with dorsal anterior cingulate cortex activation to CS+ (> CS-). Overall, we found that our Novel, immersive-reality paradigm, which features an ecologically relevant US, elicited greater corticolimbic activation. These results suggest that immersive Pavlovian fear conditioning paradigms paired with innately fearful stimuli may improve translatability of preclinical paradigms to clinical interventions for fear-based disorders.
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19
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Zafiri D, Duvarci S. Dopaminergic circuits underlying associative aversive learning. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:1041929. [PMID: 36439963 PMCID: PMC9685162 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.1041929] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Associative aversive learning enables animals to predict and avoid threats and thus is critical for survival and adaptive behavior. Anxiety disorders are characterized with deficits in normal aversive learning mechanisms and hence understanding the neural circuits underlying aversive learning and memory has high clinical relevance. Recent studies have revealed the dopamine system as one of the key modulators of aversive learning. In this review, we highlight recent advances that provide insights into how distinct dopaminergic circuits contribute to aversive learning and memory.
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20
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Mohammadi-Farani A, Farhangian S, Shirooie S. Sex differences in acetylcholinesterase modulation during spatial and fear memory extinction in the amygdala; an animal study in the single prolonged stress model of PTSD. Res Pharm Sci 2022; 17:686-696. [PMID: 36704427 PMCID: PMC9872177 DOI: 10.4103/1735-5362.359435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2021] [Revised: 04/07/2022] [Accepted: 06/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Background and purpose Men and women show different reactions to trauma and that is believed to be the reason behind the higher prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in women. Cholinergic signaling has long been known to be involved in the processing of fear-related information and the amygdala is a critical center for fear modulation. The main goal of the current research was to find (a) whether trauma results in different learning/extinction of fear or spatial-related information among male and female rats and (b) if trauma is associated with different acetylcholinesterase (AchE) activity in the amygdala. Experimental approach We used single prolonged stress (SPS) as a PTSD model in this study. Normal and SPS animals of both sexes were tested in contextual and spatial tasks (learning and extinction). AchE activity in the amygdala was also measured during each process. Findings / Results Results indicated that fear and spatial learning were impaired in SPS animals. SPS animals also had deficits in fear and spatial memory extinction and the effect was significantly higher in female- SPS than in the male-SPS group. In the enzymatic tests, AchE activity was increased during the fear extinction test and incremental changes were more significant in the female-SPS group. Conclusion and implications Collectively, these findings provided evidence that sex differences in response to trauma were at least partly related to less fear extinction potential in female subjects. It also indicated that the extinction deficit was associated with reduced cholinergic activity in the amygdala of female animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmad Mohammadi-Farani
- Medical Plants Research Center, Basic Health Sciences Institute, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, I.R. Iran,Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, I.R. Iran,Corresponding author: A. Mohammadi-Farani Tel: +98-9132267611, Fax: +98-8334265783 ;
| | - Sajad Farhangian
- Student Research Committee, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, I.R. Iran
| | - Samira Shirooie
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center, Health Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, I.R. Iran
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21
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Kéri S. Trauma and Remembering: From Neuronal Circuits to Molecules. Life (Basel) 2022; 12:1707. [PMID: 36362862 PMCID: PMC9699199 DOI: 10.3390/life12111707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2022] [Revised: 10/23/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 08/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Individuals with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) experience intrusions of vivid traumatic memories, heightened arousal, and display avoidance behavior. Disorders in identity, emotion regulation, and interpersonal relationships are also common. The cornerstone of PTSD is altered learning, memory, and remembering, regulated by a complex neuronal and molecular network. We propose that the essential feature of successful treatment is the modification of engrams in their unstable state during retrieval. During psychedelic psychotherapy, engrams may show a pronounced instability, which enhances modification. In this narrative review, we outline the clinical characteristics of PTSD, its multifaceted neuroanatomy, and the molecular pathways that regulate memory destabilization and reconsolidation. We propose that psychedelics, acting by serotonin-glutamate interactions, destabilize trauma-related engrams and open the door to change them during psychotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Szabolcs Kéri
- Department of Cognitive Science, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, 1111 Budapest, Hungary; ; Tel.: +36-1463-1273
- National Institute of Mental Health, Neurology, and Neurosurgery, 1145 Budapest, Hungary
- Department of Physiology, Albert Szent-Györgyi Medical School, University of Szeged, 6720 Szeged, Hungary
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22
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Habit Formation and the Effect of Repeated Stress Exposures on Cognitive Flexibility Learning in Horses. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12202818. [DOI: 10.3390/ani12202818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2022] [Revised: 10/13/2022] [Accepted: 10/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Horse training exposes horses to an array of cognitive and ethological challenges. Horses are routinely required to perform behaviours that are not aligned to aspects of their ethology, which may delay learning. While horses readily form habits during training, not all of these responses are considered desirable, resulting in the horse being subject to retraining. This is a form of cognitive flexibility and is critical to the extinction of habits and the learning of new responses. It is underpinned by complex neural processes which can be impaired by chronic or repeated stress. Domestic horses may be repeatedly exposed to multiples stressors. The potential contribution of stress impairments of cognitive flexibility to apparent training failures is not well understood, however research from neuroscience can be used to understand horses’ responses to training. We trained horses to acquire habit-like responses in one of two industry-style aversive instrumental learning scenarios (moving away from the stimulus-instinctual or moving towards the stimulus-non-instinctual) and evaluated the effect of repeated stress exposures on their cognitive flexibility in a reversal task. We measured heart rate as a proxy for noradrenaline release, salivary cortisol and serum Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) to infer possible neural correlates of the learning outcomes. The instinctual task which aligned with innate equine escape responses to aversive stimuli was acquired significantly faster than the non-instinctual task during both learning phases, however contrary to expectations, the repeated stress exposure did not impair the reversal learning. We report a preliminary finding that serum BDNF and salivary cortisol concentrations in horses are positively correlated. The ethological salience of training tasks and cognitive flexibility learning can significantly affect learning in horses and trainers should adapt their practices where such tasks challenge innate equine behaviour.
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Shing N, Walker MC, Chang P. The Role of Aberrant Neural Oscillations in the Hippocampal-Medial Prefrontal Cortex Circuit in Neurodevelopmental and Neurological Disorders. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2022; 195:107683. [PMID: 36174886 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2022.107683] [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: 03/01/2022] [Revised: 09/09/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The hippocampus (HPC) and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) have well-established roles in cognition, emotion, and sensory processing. In recent years, interests have shifted towards developing a deeper understanding of the mechanisms underlying interactions between the HPC and mPFC in achieving these functions. Considerable research supports the idea that synchronized activity between the HPC and the mPFC is a general mechanism by which brain functions are regulated. In this review, we summarize current knowledge on the hippocampal-medial prefrontal cortex (HPC-mPFC) circuit in normal brain function with a focus on oscillations and highlight several neurodevelopmental and neurological disorders associated with aberrant HPC-mPFC circuitry. We further discuss oscillatory dynamics across the HPC-mPFC circuit as potentially useful biomarkers to assess interventions for neurodevelopmental and neurological disorders. Finally, advancements in brain stimulation, gene therapy and pharmacotherapy are explored as promising therapies for disorders with aberrant HPC-mPFC circuit dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathanael Shing
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Epilepsy, Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, WC1N 3BG, UK; Department of Medicine, University of Central Lancashire, Preston, PR17BH, UK
| | - Matthew C Walker
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Epilepsy, Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Pishan Chang
- Department of Neuroscience, Physiology & Pharmacology, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT.
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Cummings KA, Bayshtok S, Dong TN, Kenny PJ, Clem RL. Control of fear by discrete prefrontal GABAergic populations encoding valence-specific information. Neuron 2022; 110:3036-3052.e5. [PMID: 35944526 PMCID: PMC10009874 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2022.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2021] [Revised: 05/12/2022] [Accepted: 07/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Neurons activated by learning have been ascribed the unique potential to encode memory, but the functional contribution of discrete cell types remains poorly understood. In particular, it is unclear whether learning engages specific GABAergic interneurons and, if so, whether they differ functionally from interneurons recruited by other experiences. Here, we show that fear conditioning activates a heterogeneous neuronal population in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) that is largely comprised of somatostatin-expressing interneurons (SST-INs). Using intersectional genetic approaches, we demonstrate that fear-learning-activated SST-INs exhibit distinct circuit properties and are selectively reactivated to mediate cue-evoked memory expression. In contrast, an orthogonal population of SST-INs activated by morphine experience exerts opposing control over fear and supports reward-like motivational effects. These results outline an important role for discrete subsets of GABAergic cells in emotional learning and point to an unappreciated capacity for functional specialization among SST-INs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirstie A Cummings
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine, Birmingham, AL, USA.
| | - Sabina Bayshtok
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and the Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Tri N Dong
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and the Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Paul J Kenny
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and the Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Drug Discovery Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Roger L Clem
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and the Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
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25
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Maurer JJ, Wimmer ME, Turner CA, Herman RJ, Zhang Y, Ragnini K, Ferrante J, Kimmey BA, Crist RC, Pierce RC, Schmidt HD. Paternal nicotine taking elicits heritable sex-specific phenotypes that are mediated by hippocampal Satb2. Mol Psychiatry 2022; 27:3864-3874. [PMID: 35595980 PMCID: PMC9675874 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-022-01622-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2022] [Revised: 05/04/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Nicotine intake, whether through tobacco smoking or e-cigarettes, remains a global health concern. An emerging preclinical literature indicates that parental nicotine exposure produces behavioral, physiological, and molecular changes in subsequent generations. However, the heritable effects of voluntary parental nicotine taking are unknown. Here, we show increased acquisition of nicotine taking in male and female offspring of sires that self-administered nicotine. In contrast, self-administration of sucrose and cocaine were unaltered in male and female offspring suggesting that the intergenerational effects of paternal nicotine taking may be reinforcer specific. Further characterization revealed memory deficits and increased anxiety-like behaviors in drug-naive male, but not female, offspring of nicotine-experienced sires. Using an unbiased, genome-wide approach, we discovered that these phenotypes were associated with decreased expression of Satb2, a transcription factor known to play important roles in synaptic plasticity and memory formation, in the hippocampus of nicotine-sired male offspring. This effect was sex-specific as no changes in Satb2 expression were found in nicotine-sired female offspring. Finally, increasing Satb2 levels in the hippocampus prevented the escalation of nicotine intake and rescued the memory deficits associated with paternal nicotine taking in male offspring. Collectively, these findings indicate that paternal nicotine taking produces heritable sex-specific molecular changes that promote addiction-like phenotypes and memory impairments in male offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- John J. Maurer
- Department of Biobehavioral Health Sciences, School of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA,Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Mathieu E. Wimmer
- Department of Psychology, College of Liberal Arts, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, 19122, USA
| | - Christopher A. Turner
- Department of Biobehavioral Health Sciences, School of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA,Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Rae J. Herman
- Department of Biobehavioral Health Sciences, School of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA,Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Yafang Zhang
- Department of Biobehavioral Health Sciences, School of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA,Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Kael Ragnini
- Department of Biobehavioral Health Sciences, School of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA,Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Julia Ferrante
- Department of Biobehavioral Health Sciences, School of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA,Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Blake A. Kimmey
- Department of Biobehavioral Health Sciences, School of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA,Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Richard C. Crist
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - R. Christopher Pierce
- Brain Health Institute and Department of Psychiatry, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Heath D. Schmidt
- Department of Biobehavioral Health Sciences, School of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA,Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
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26
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Barbee BR, Gourley SL. Brain systems in cocaine abstinence-induced anxiety-like behavior in rodents: A review. ADDICTION NEUROSCIENCE 2022; 2:100012. [PMID: 37485439 PMCID: PMC10361393 DOI: 10.1016/j.addicn.2022.100012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/25/2023]
Abstract
Cocaine use disorder (CUD) is a significant public health issue that generates substantial personal, familial, and economic burdens. Still, there are no FDA-approved pharmacotherapies for CUD. Cocaine-dependent individuals report anxiety during withdrawal, and alleviation of anxiety and other negative affective states may be critical for maintaining drug abstinence. However, the neurobiological mechanisms underlying abstinence-related anxiety in humans or anxiety-like behavior in rodents are not fully understood. This review summarizes investigations regarding anxiety-like behavior in mice and rats undergoing cocaine abstinence, as assessed using four of the most common anxiety-related assays: the elevated plus (or its derivative, the elevated zero) maze, open field test, light-dark transition test, and defensive burying task. We first summarize available evidence that cocaine abstinence generates anxiety-like behavior that persists throughout protracted abstinence. Then, we examine investigations concerning neuropeptide, neurotransmitter, and neuromodulator systems in cocaine abstinence-induced anxiety-like behavior. Throughout, we discuss how differences in sex, rodent strain, cocaine dose and dosing strategy and abstinence duration interact to generate anxiety-like behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Britton R. Barbee
- Graduate Program in Molecular and Systems Pharmacology,
Emory University
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of
Medicine; Yerkes National Primate Research Center
| | - Shannon L. Gourley
- Graduate Program in Molecular and Systems Pharmacology,
Emory University
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of
Medicine; Yerkes National Primate Research Center
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27
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Liu J, Totty MS, Melissari L, Bayer H, Maren S. Convergent Coding of Recent and Remote Fear Memory in the Basolateral Amygdala. Biol Psychiatry 2022; 91:832-840. [PMID: 35246314 PMCID: PMC9018498 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2021.12.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2021] [Revised: 12/30/2021] [Accepted: 12/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In both rodents and humans, the basolateral amygdala (BLA) is essential for encoding and retrieving conditioned fear memories. Although the BLA is a putative storage site for these memories, recent evidence suggests that they become independent of the BLA with the passage of time. METHODS We systematically examined the role for the BLA in the retrieval of recent (1 day) and remote (2 weeks) fear memory using optogenetic, electrophysiological, and calcium imaging methods in male and female Long-Evans rats. Critically, we used a behavioral design that permits within-subjects comparison of recent and remote memory at the same time point; freezing behavior served as the index of learned fear. RESULTS We found that BLA c-Fos expression was similar after the retrieval of recent or remote fear memories. Extracellular single-unit recordings in awake, behaving animals revealed that single BLA neurons exhibit robust increases in spike firing to both recent and remote conditioned stimuli. Fiber photometry recordings revealed that these patterns of activity emerge from principal neurons. Consistent with these results, optogenetic inhibition of BLA principal neurons impaired conditioned freezing to both recent and remote conditioned stimuli. There were no sex differences in any of the measures or manipulations. CONCLUSIONS These data reveal that BLA neurons encode both recent and remote fear memories, suggesting substantial overlap in the allocation of temporally distinct events. This may underlie the broad generalization of fear memories across both space and time. Ultimately, these results provide evidence that the BLA is a long-term storage site for emotional memories.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Stephen Maren
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences and Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas.
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28
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Dempsey WP, Du Z, Nadtochiy A, Smith CD, Czajkowski K, Andreev A, Robson DN, Li JM, Applebaum S, Truong TV, Kesselman C, Fraser SE, Arnold DB. Regional synapse gain and loss accompany memory formation in larval zebrafish. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2107661119. [PMID: 35031564 PMCID: PMC8784156 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2107661119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2021] [Accepted: 12/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Defining the structural and functional changes in the nervous system underlying learning and memory represents a major challenge for modern neuroscience. Although changes in neuronal activity following memory formation have been studied [B. F. Grewe et al., Nature 543, 670-675 (2017); M. T. Rogan, U. V. Stäubli, J. E. LeDoux, Nature 390, 604-607 (1997)], the underlying structural changes at the synapse level remain poorly understood. Here, we capture synaptic changes in the midlarval zebrafish brain that occur during associative memory formation by imaging excitatory synapses labeled with recombinant probes using selective plane illumination microscopy. Imaging the same subjects before and after classical conditioning at single-synapse resolution provides an unbiased mapping of synaptic changes accompanying memory formation. In control animals and animals that failed to learn the task, there were no significant changes in the spatial patterns of synapses in the pallium, which contains the equivalent of the mammalian amygdala and is essential for associative learning in teleost fish [M. Portavella, J. P. Vargas, B. Torres, C. Salas, Brain Res. Bull 57, 397-399 (2002)]. In zebrafish that formed memories, we saw a dramatic increase in the number of synapses in the ventrolateral pallium, which contains neurons active during memory formation and retrieval. Concurrently, synapse loss predominated in the dorsomedial pallium. Surprisingly, we did not observe significant changes in the intensity of synaptic labeling, a proxy for synaptic strength, with memory formation in any region of the pallium. Our results suggest that memory formation due to classical conditioning is associated with reciprocal changes in synapse numbers in the pallium.
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Affiliation(s)
- William P Dempsey
- Department of Biological Sciences, Division of Molecular and Computational Biology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089
| | - Zhuowei Du
- Department of Biological Sciences, Division of Molecular and Computational Biology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089
| | - Anna Nadtochiy
- Translational Imaging Center, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089
| | - Colton D Smith
- Department of Biological Sciences, Division of Molecular and Computational Biology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089
| | - Karl Czajkowski
- Information Sciences Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90292
| | - Andrey Andreev
- Translational Imaging Center, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089
| | - Drew N Robson
- Systems Neuroscience & Neuroengineering, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Jennifer M Li
- Systems Neuroscience & Neuroengineering, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Serina Applebaum
- Department of Biological Sciences, Division of Molecular and Computational Biology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089
| | - Thai V Truong
- Translational Imaging Center, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089
| | - Carl Kesselman
- Information Sciences Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90292
- Daniel J. Epstein Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, Viterbi School of Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089
| | - Scott E Fraser
- Department of Biological Sciences, Division of Molecular and Computational Biology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089
- Translational Imaging Center, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089
| | - Don B Arnold
- Department of Biological Sciences, Division of Molecular and Computational Biology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089;
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29
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Sambuco N, Bradley MM, Lang PJ. Narrative imagery: Emotional modulation in the default mode network. Neuropsychologia 2022; 164:108087. [PMID: 34785150 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2021.108087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2021] [Revised: 11/11/2021] [Accepted: 11/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The default mode network (DMN) is activated when constructing and imagining narrative events, with functional brain activity in the medial-prefrontal cortex hypothesized to be modulated during emotional processing by adding value (or pleasure) to the episodic representation. However, since enhanced reactivity during emotional, compared to neutral, content is a more frequent finding in both the brain and body in physiological, neural, and behavioral measures, the current study directly assesses the effects of pleasure and emotion during narrative imagery in the DMN by using a within-subject design to first identify the DMN during resting state and then assess activation during pleasant, neutral, or unpleasant imagery. Replicating previous findings, enhanced functional activity in the medial prefrontal cortex was found when imagining pleasant, compared to unpleasant, events. On the other hand, emotion-related activation was found when imagining either pleasant or unpleasant, compared to neutral, events in other nodes of the DMN including the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), angular gyrus, anterior hippocampus, lateral temporal cortex, temporal pole, dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC), and ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (vlPFC). Pervasive emotional modulation in the DMN is consistent with the view that a primary function of event retrieval and construction is to remember, recreate, and imagine motivationally relevant events important for planning adaptive behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicola Sambuco
- Center for the Study of Emotion and Attention, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
| | - Margaret M Bradley
- Center for the Study of Emotion and Attention, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Peter J Lang
- Center for the Study of Emotion and Attention, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
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30
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Bourhy L, Mazeraud A, Costa LHA, Levy J, Rei D, Hecquet E, Gabanyi I, Bozza FA, Chrétien F, Lledo PM, Sharshar T, Lepousez G. OUP accepted manuscript. Brain 2022; 145:1391-1409. [PMID: 35441215 PMCID: PMC9128826 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awab475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2021] [Revised: 11/17/2021] [Accepted: 11/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Lena Bourhy
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Laboratory for Experimental Neuropathology, F-75015 Paris, France
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR 3571, Perception and Memory Unit, F-75015 Paris, France
- Université Paris Cité, Collège doctoral, F-75005 Paris, France
| | - Aurélien Mazeraud
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Laboratory for Experimental Neuropathology, F-75015 Paris, France
- Université Paris Cité, Collège doctoral, F-75005 Paris, France
- GHU Paris Psychiatrie Neurosciences, Service hospitalo-universitaire de Neuro-anesthésie réanimation, Paris, France
| | - Luis H. A. Costa
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Laboratory for Experimental Neuropathology, F-75015 Paris, France
- Department of Basic and Oral Biology, School of Dentistry of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Jarod Levy
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR 3571, Perception and Memory Unit, F-75015 Paris, France
| | - Damien Rei
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR 3571, Perception and Memory Unit, F-75015 Paris, France
| | - Estéban Hecquet
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR 3571, Perception and Memory Unit, F-75015 Paris, France
| | - Ilana Gabanyi
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR 3571, Perception and Memory Unit, F-75015 Paris, France
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Microenvironment and Immunity Unit, F-75015 Paris, France
| | - Fernando A. Bozza
- National Institute of Infectious Disease Evandro Chagas (INI), OswaldoCruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- D’Or Institute for Research and Education (IDOR), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Fabrice Chrétien
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Laboratory for Experimental Neuropathology, F-75015 Paris, France
- GHU Paris Psychiatrie Neurosciences, Service hospitalo-universitaire de Neuropathologie, Paris, France
| | - Pierre-Marie Lledo
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR 3571, Perception and Memory Unit, F-75015 Paris, France
- Correspondence may also be addressed to: Pierre-Marie Lledo E-mail:
| | - Tarek Sharshar
- GHU Paris Psychiatrie Neurosciences, Service hospitalo-universitaire de Neuro-anesthésie réanimation, Paris, France
- Institut de Psychiatrie et Neurosciences de Paris (IPNP), INSERM UMR 1266, F-75014 Paris, France
| | - Gabriel Lepousez
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR 3571, Perception and Memory Unit, F-75015 Paris, France
- Correspondence to: Gabriel Lepousez Laboratory for Perception and Memory Institut Pasteur 25 rue du Docteur Roux, 75724 Paris Cedex 15, France E-mail:
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OUP accepted manuscript. Brain 2022; 145:1202-1203. [DOI: 10.1093/brain/awac112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2022] [Accepted: 03/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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32
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Verney C, Gressens P, Vitalis T. [Anatomy and physiology of traumatic stress]. Med Sci (Paris) 2021; 37:1002-1010. [PMID: 34851276 DOI: 10.1051/medsci/2021165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Facing a more or less intrusive stress, some individuals can cope as they are more resilient, while others get traumatized and further develop a Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Individuals are not equal facing traumatic stress for genetic/epigenetic or personal reasons. This review analyzes from animal models to human, the neurobiological changes detected when the stress switch from adaptable in everyday life to pathological leading to PTSD. Fear memories lead to the disruption of the anatomy/morphology of emotional-memory networks centered on the amygaloïd complex and hippocampal hub associated with the homeostatic unbalance of the body-brain exchanges of molecules such as hormones, neuromodulators or peptides. Persistent fear memories are hardly handled by the frontal ability for decision making towards action. But these fear memories can be revisited by different therapies recruiting cerebral plasticity and resilience. Current understanding of PTSD allowed to develop a series of efficient treatments associating precise medicine to diverse body-mind therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine Verney
- Université de Paris, NeuroDiderot, Paris, France - Inserm UMR 1141, Hôpital Robert-Debré, 48 boulevard Sérurier, 75019 Paris, France - Association, Ensemble pour l'éducation de la petite enfance, 37 allée du Forum, 92100 Boulogne-Billancourt, France
| | - Pierre Gressens
- Université de Paris, NeuroDiderot, Paris, France - Inserm UMR 1141, Hôpital Robert-Debré, 48 boulevard Sérurier, 75019 Paris, France
| | - Tania Vitalis
- Université de Paris, NeuroDiderot, Paris, France - Inserm UMR 1141, Hôpital Robert-Debré, 48 boulevard Sérurier, 75019 Paris, France
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Trask S, Ferrara NC, Jasnow AM, Kwapis JL. Contributions of the rodent cingulate-retrosplenial cortical axis to associative learning and memory: A proposed circuit for persistent memory maintenance. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 130:178-184. [PMID: 34450181 PMCID: PMC8511298 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.08.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2020] [Revised: 08/18/2021] [Accepted: 08/22/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
While the anterior cingulate (ACC) and retrosplenial (RSC) cortices have been extensively studied for their role in spatial navigation, less is known about how they contribute to associative learning and later memory recall. The limited work that has been conducted on this topic suggests that each of these cortical regions makes distinct, but similar contributions to associative learning and memory. Here, we review evidence from the rodent literature demonstrating that while ACC activity seems to be necessary at remote time points associated with imprecise or generalized memories, the role of the RSC seems to be uniform over time. Together, the lines of evidence reviewed here suggest that the ACC and RSC likely function together to support memory formation and maintenance following associative learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sydney Trask
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, United States
| | - Nicole C Ferrara
- Department of Pharmacology, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, 60064, United States
| | - Aaron M Jasnow
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology & Neuroscience, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC, 29209, United States
| | - Janine L Kwapis
- Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, United States.
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34
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Fernandes G, Mishra PK, Nawaz MS, Donlin-Asp PG, Rahman MM, Hazra A, Kedia S, Kayenaat A, Songara D, Wyllie DJA, Schuman EM, Kind PC, Chattarji S. Correction of amygdalar dysfunction in a rat model of fragile X syndrome. Cell Rep 2021; 37:109805. [PMID: 34644573 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2021] [Revised: 07/19/2021] [Accepted: 09/16/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Fragile X syndrome (FXS), a commonly inherited form of autism and intellectual disability, is associated with emotional symptoms that implicate dysfunction of the amygdala. However, current understanding of the pathogenesis of the disease is based primarily on studies in the hippocampus and neocortex, where FXS defects have been corrected by inhibiting group I metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs). Here, we observe that activation, rather than inhibition, of mGluRs in the basolateral amygdala reverses impairments in a rat model of FXS. FXS rats exhibit deficient recall of auditory conditioned fear, which is accompanied by a range of in vitro and in vivo deficits in synaptic transmission and plasticity. We find presynaptic mGluR5 in the amygdala, activation of which reverses deficient synaptic transmission and plasticity, thereby restoring normal fear learning in FXS rats. This highlights the importance of modifying the prevailing mGluR-based framework for therapeutic strategies to include circuit-specific differences in FXS pathophysiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giselle Fernandes
- National Centre for Biological Sciences, TIFR, Bangalore 560065, India
| | - Pradeep K Mishra
- National Centre for Biological Sciences, TIFR, Bangalore 560065, India; Centre for Brain Development and Repair, Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Bangalore 560065, India
| | - Mohammad Sarfaraz Nawaz
- National Centre for Biological Sciences, TIFR, Bangalore 560065, India; Centre for Brain Development and Repair, Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Bangalore 560065, India
| | | | - Mohammed Mostafizur Rahman
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Anupam Hazra
- National Centre for Biological Sciences, TIFR, Bangalore 560065, India; Centre for Brain Development and Repair, Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Bangalore 560065, India
| | - Sonal Kedia
- Department of Biology, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA, USA
| | - Aiman Kayenaat
- National Centre for Biological Sciences, TIFR, Bangalore 560065, India; Centre for Brain Development and Repair, Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Bangalore 560065, India; University of Transdisciplinary Health Sciences and Technology, Bangalore 560064, India
| | - Dheeraj Songara
- National Centre for Biological Sciences, TIFR, Bangalore 560065, India
| | - David J A Wyllie
- Centre for Brain Development and Repair, Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Bangalore 560065, India; Simons Initiative for the Developing Brain and Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9XD, UK
| | - Erin M Schuman
- Max Planck Institute for Brain Research, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Peter C Kind
- Centre for Brain Development and Repair, Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Bangalore 560065, India; Simons Initiative for the Developing Brain and Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9XD, UK
| | - Sumantra Chattarji
- National Centre for Biological Sciences, TIFR, Bangalore 560065, India; Centre for Brain Development and Repair, Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Bangalore 560065, India; Simons Initiative for the Developing Brain and Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9XD, UK.
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35
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Hoang IB, Sharpe MJ. The basolateral amygdala and lateral hypothalamus bias learning towards motivationally significant events. Curr Opin Behav Sci 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cobeha.2021.04.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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36
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Smith ACW, Jonkman S, Difeliceantonio AG, O'Connor RM, Ghoshal S, Romano MF, Everitt BJ, Kenny PJ. Opposing roles for striatonigral and striatopallidal neurons in dorsolateral striatum in consolidating new instrumental actions. Nat Commun 2021; 12:5121. [PMID: 34433818 PMCID: PMC8387469 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-25460-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2020] [Accepted: 08/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Comparatively little is known about how new instrumental actions are encoded in the brain. Using whole-brain c-Fos mapping, we show that neural activity is increased in the anterior dorsolateral striatum (aDLS) of mice that successfully learn a new lever-press response to earn food rewards. Post-learning chemogenetic inhibition of aDLS disrupts consolidation of the new instrumental response. Similarly, post-learning infusion of the protein synthesis inhibitor anisomycin into the aDLS disrupts consolidation of the new response. Activity of D1 receptor-expressing medium spiny neurons (D1-MSNs) increases and D2-MSNs activity decreases in the aDLS during consolidation. Chemogenetic inhibition of D1-MSNs in aDLS disrupts the consolidation process whereas D2-MSN inhibition strengthens consolidation but blocks the expression of previously learned habit-like responses. These findings suggest that D1-MSNs in the aDLS encode new instrumental actions whereas D2-MSNs oppose this new learning and instead promote expression of habitual actions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander C W Smith
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Sietse Jonkman
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Alexandra G Difeliceantonio
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Human Nutrition, Foods and Exercise, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and Center for Transformative Research on Health Behaviors, Fralin Biomedical Research Institute, Virginia Tech, VA, USA
| | - Richard M O'Connor
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Soham Ghoshal
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Hunter College, City University of New York, New York, NY, USA
| | - Michael F Romano
- Department of Computational Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Barry J Everitt
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Paul J Kenny
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
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37
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Cummings KA, Lacagnina AF, Clem RL. GABAergic microcircuitry of fear memory encoding. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2021; 184:107504. [PMID: 34425220 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2021.107504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2021] [Revised: 08/12/2021] [Accepted: 08/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
The paradigm of fear conditioning is largely responsible for our current understanding of how memories are encoded at the cellular level. Its most fundamental underlying mechanism is considered to be plasticity of synaptic connections between excitatory projection neurons (PNs). However, recent studies suggest that while PNs execute critical memory functions, their activity at key stages of learning and recall is extensively orchestrated by a diverse array of GABAergic interneurons (INs). Here we review the contributions of genetically-defined INs to processing of threat-related stimuli in fear conditioning, with a particular focus on how synaptic interactions within interconnected networks of INs modulates PN activity through both inhibition and disinhibition. Furthermore, we discuss accumulating evidence that GABAergic microcircuits are an important locus for synaptic plasticity during fear learning and therefore a viable substrate for long-term memory. These findings suggest that further investigation of INs could unlock unique conceptual insights into the organization and function of fear memory networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirstie A Cummings
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, United States; Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, United States; Department of Neurobiology, University of Alabama Birmingham School of Medicine, Birmingham, AL 35294, United States
| | - Anthony F Lacagnina
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, United States; Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, United States
| | - Roger L Clem
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, United States; Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, United States.
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38
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Al Abed AS, Reynolds NJ, Dehorter N. A Second Wave for the Neurokinin Tac2 Pathway in Brain Research. Biol Psychiatry 2021; 90:156-164. [PMID: 33867115 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2021.02.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2020] [Revised: 02/15/2021] [Accepted: 02/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Despite promising advances in basic research of the neurokinin B/Tac2 pathway in both animals and humans, clinical applications are yet to be implemented. This is likely because of our limited understanding of the action of the pathway in the brain. While this system controls neuronal activity in multiple regions, the precise impact of Tac2-induced cellular responses on behavior remains unclear. Recently, elegant studies revealed a key contribution to stress-related behaviors and memory. Here, we discuss the crucial importance of bridging the gap between the Tac2 pathway's involvement in cell physiology and cognition to comprehend its role in health and disease. We propose that a better understanding of the Tac2 pathway in the brain could provide an essential perspective for basic investigations, which in turn will feed clinical research.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Shaam Al Abed
- The John Curtin School of Medical Research, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
| | - Nathan J Reynolds
- The John Curtin School of Medical Research, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
| | - Nathalie Dehorter
- The John Curtin School of Medical Research, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia.
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Núñez-Murrieta MA, Noguez P, Coria-Avila GA, García-García F, Santiago-García J, Bolado-García VE, Corona-Morales AA. Maternal behavior, novelty confrontation, and subcortical c-Fos expression during lactation period are shaped by gestational environment. Behav Brain Res 2021; 412:113432. [PMID: 34186145 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2021.113432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2021] [Revised: 04/29/2021] [Accepted: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The environmental context during gestation may modulate the postpartum variations in maternal behaviors observed within different animal species. Most of our experimental knowledge on this phenomenon and its physiological effects have been gained by confronting the pregnant mother with stressful situations, with the consensual results indicating a reduced maternal behavior and a hyper reactivity of stress-related neural paths. Here, in contrast, by exposing nulliparous rats strictly during pregnancy to a standard laboratory environment (STD) or a highly stimulating sensory and social environment (EE), we investigated the hypothesis that subjects frequently exposed to social stimuli and novel situations during pregnancy will show postpartum changes in subcortical brain areas' activity related to the processing of social stimuli and novelty, such that there will be modifications in maternal behavior. We found that EE mothers doubled the levels of licking and grooming, and active hovering over pups during the first postpartum week than STD dams, without a difference in the time of contact with the pups. Associated with these behaviors, EE dams showed increased c-Fos immunoreaction in hypothalamic nuclei and distinct responses in amygdalar nuclei, than STD dams. In the maternal defensive test, EE dams tripled the levels of aggressive behaviors of the STD rats. Additionally, in two different tests, EE mothers showed lower levels of postpartum anxiety-like behaviors when confronted with novel situations. Our results demonstrate that the activity of brain areas related to social behavior is adaptable by environmental circumstances experienced during gestation, presumably to prepare the progeny for these particular conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Paula Noguez
- Doctorado en Ciencias Biomédicas, Instituto de Fisiología Celular, UNAM, Mexico.
| | - Genaro A Coria-Avila
- Centro de Investigaciones Cerebrales, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, Ver., Mexico.
| | - Fabio García-García
- Instituto de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, Ver., Mexico.
| | - Juan Santiago-García
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, Ver., Mexico.
| | - Victoria E Bolado-García
- Laboratorio de Investigación Genómica y Fisiológica, Facultad de Nutrición, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, Ver., Mexico.
| | - Aleph A Corona-Morales
- Laboratorio de Investigación Genómica y Fisiológica, Facultad de Nutrición, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, Ver., Mexico.
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40
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Stress, memory, and implications for major depression. Behav Brain Res 2021; 412:113410. [PMID: 34116119 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2021.113410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2020] [Revised: 06/04/2021] [Accepted: 06/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The stress response comprises a phylogenetically conserved set of cognitive, physiological, and behavioral responses that evolved as a survival strategy. In this context, the memory of stressful events would be adaptive as it could avoid re-exposure to an adverse event, otherwise the event would be facilitated in positively stressful or non-distressful conditions. However, the interaction between stress and memory comprises complex responses, some of them which are not yet completely understood, and which depend on several factors such as the memory system that is recruited, the nature and duration of the stressful event, as well as the timing in which this interaction takes place. In this narrative review, we briefly discuss the mechanisms of the stress response, the main memory systems, and its neural correlates. Then, we show how stress, through the action of its biochemical mediators, influences memory systems and mnemonic processes. Finally, we make use of major depressive disorder to explore the possible implications of non-adaptive interactions between stress and memory to psychiatric disorders, as well as possible roles for memory studies in the field of psychiatry.
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41
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Šimić G, Tkalčić M, Vukić V, Mulc D, Španić E, Šagud M, Olucha-Bordonau FE, Vukšić M, R. Hof P. Understanding Emotions: Origins and Roles of the Amygdala. Biomolecules 2021; 11:biom11060823. [PMID: 34072960 PMCID: PMC8228195 DOI: 10.3390/biom11060823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2021] [Revised: 05/24/2021] [Accepted: 05/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Emotions arise from activations of specialized neuronal populations in several parts of the cerebral cortex, notably the anterior cingulate, insula, ventromedial prefrontal, and subcortical structures, such as the amygdala, ventral striatum, putamen, caudate nucleus, and ventral tegmental area. Feelings are conscious, emotional experiences of these activations that contribute to neuronal networks mediating thoughts, language, and behavior, thus enhancing the ability to predict, learn, and reappraise stimuli and situations in the environment based on previous experiences. Contemporary theories of emotion converge around the key role of the amygdala as the central subcortical emotional brain structure that constantly evaluates and integrates a variety of sensory information from the surroundings and assigns them appropriate values of emotional dimensions, such as valence, intensity, and approachability. The amygdala participates in the regulation of autonomic and endocrine functions, decision-making and adaptations of instinctive and motivational behaviors to changes in the environment through implicit associative learning, changes in short- and long-term synaptic plasticity, and activation of the fight-or-flight response via efferent projections from its central nucleus to cortical and subcortical structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Goran Šimić
- Department of Neuroscience, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, University of Zagreb Medical School, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia; (V.V.); (E.Š.); (M.V.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Mladenka Tkalčić
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Rijeka, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia;
| | - Vana Vukić
- Department of Neuroscience, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, University of Zagreb Medical School, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia; (V.V.); (E.Š.); (M.V.)
| | - Damir Mulc
- University Psychiatric Hospital Vrapče, 10090 Zagreb, Croatia;
| | - Ena Španić
- Department of Neuroscience, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, University of Zagreb Medical School, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia; (V.V.); (E.Š.); (M.V.)
| | - Marina Šagud
- Department of Psychiatry, Clinical Hospital Center Zagreb and University of Zagreb School of Medicine, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia;
| | | | - Mario Vukšić
- Department of Neuroscience, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, University of Zagreb Medical School, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia; (V.V.); (E.Š.); (M.V.)
| | - Patrick R. Hof
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 07305, USA;
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42
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Kong MS, Zweifel LS. Central amygdala circuits in valence and salience processing. Behav Brain Res 2021; 410:113355. [PMID: 33989728 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2021.113355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2021] [Revised: 05/04/2021] [Accepted: 05/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Behavioral responses to environmental stimuli are dictated by the affective valence of the stimulus, good (positive valence) or bad (negative valence). These stimuli can innately elicit an affective response that promotes approach or avoidance behavior. In addition to innately valenced stimuli, valence can also be assigned to initially neutral stimuli through associative learning. A stimulus of a given valence can vary in salience depending on the strength of the stimulus, the underlying state of the animal, and the context of the stimulus presentation. Salience endows the stimulus with the ability to direct attention and elicit preparatory responses to mount an incentive-based motivated behavior. The central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) has emerged as an early integration point for valence and salience detection to engage preparatory autonomic responses and behavioral posturing in response to both aversive and appetitive stimuli. There are numerous cell types in the CeA that are involved in valence and salience processing through a variety of connections, and we will review the recent progress that has been made in identifying these circuit elements and their roles in these processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mi-Seon Kong
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, United States
| | - Larry S Zweifel
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, United States; Department of Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, United States.
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43
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Memories are not written in stone: Re-writing fear memories by means of non-invasive brain stimulation and optogenetic manipulations. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 127:334-352. [PMID: 33964307 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.04.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2020] [Revised: 03/29/2021] [Accepted: 04/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The acquisition of fear associative memory requires brain processes of coordinated neural activity within the amygdala, prefrontal cortex (PFC), hippocampus, thalamus and brainstem. After fear consolidation, a suppression of fear memory in the absence of danger is crucial to permit adaptive coping behavior. Acquisition and maintenance of fear extinction critically depend on amygdala-PFC projections. The robust correspondence between the brain networks encompassed cortical and subcortical hubs involved into fear processing in humans and in other species underscores the potential utility of comparing the modulation of brain circuitry in humans and animals, as a crucial step to inform the comprehension of fear mechanisms and the development of treatments for fear-related disorders. The present review is aimed at providing a comprehensive description of the literature on recent clinical and experimental researches regarding the noninvasive brain stimulation and optogenetics. These innovative manipulations applied over specific hubs of fear matrix during fear acquisition, consolidation, reconsolidation and extinction allow an accurate characterization of specific brain circuits and their peculiar interaction within the specific fear processing.
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44
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Hoffman AF, Hwang EK, Lupica CR. Impairment of Synaptic Plasticity by Cannabis, Δ 9-THC, and Synthetic Cannabinoids. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med 2021; 11:cshperspect.a039743. [PMID: 32341064 PMCID: PMC8091957 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a039743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The ability of neurons to dynamically and flexibly encode synaptic inputs via short- and long-term plasticity is critical to an organism's ability to learn and adapt to the environment. Whereas synaptic plasticity may be encoded by pre- or postsynaptic mechanisms, current evidence suggests that optimization of learning requires both forms of plasticity. Endogenous cannabinoids (eCBs) play critical roles in modulating synaptic transmission via activation of cannabinoid CB1 receptors (CB1Rs) in many central nervous system (CNS) regions, and the eCB system has been implicated, either directly or indirectly, in several forms of synaptic plasticity. Because of this, perturbations within the eCB signaling system can lead to impairments in a variety of learned behaviors. One agent of altered eCB signaling is exposure to "exogenous cannabinoids" such as the primary psychoactive constituent of cannabis, Δ9-THC, or illicit synthetic cannabinoids that in many cases have higher potency and efficacy than Δ9-THC. Thus, by targeting the eCB system, these agonists can produce widespread impairment of synaptic plasticity by disrupting ongoing eCB function. Here, we review studies in which Δ9-THC and synthetic cannabinoids impair synaptic plasticity in a variety of neuronal circuits and examine evidence that this contributes to their well-documented ability to disrupt cognition and behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander F Hoffman
- Electrophysiology Research Section, National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, USA
| | - Eun-Kyung Hwang
- Electrophysiology Research Section, National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, USA
| | - Carl R Lupica
- Electrophysiology Research Section, National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, USA
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45
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Ruiz-López CX, Medina AC, Bello-Medina PC, Quirarte GL, Prado-Alcalá RA. Recruitment of neurons in basolateral amygdala after intense training produces a stronger memory trace. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2021; 181:107428. [PMID: 33798697 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2021.107428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2020] [Revised: 03/18/2021] [Accepted: 03/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Typical amnestic treatments are ineffective when administered to subjects trained in aversively-motivated tasks using relatively high foot-shock intensities. This effect has been found when treatments that disrupt neuronal activity are administered to different regions of the brain, including the amygdala. However, the molecular mechanisms induced by this intense training are unknown. We made a detailed mapping of c-Fos-expressing neurons in four regions of the amygdala after moderate and intense one-trial inhibitory avoidance training. Rats were sacrificed 90 min after training or after appropriate control procedures, and their brains were prepared for immunohistochemical c-Fos protein detection in the central, lateral, and in the anterior and posterior parts of the basolateral amygdaloid nucleus. We found a high percentage of neurons expressing c-Fos in the anterior part of the basolateral nucleus after moderate training, and this percentage increased further after intense training. Moderate and intense training did not induce changes in c-Fos expression in the other explored amygdaloid regions. These results show that inhibitory avoidance training produces a localized expression of c-Fos in the basolateral anterior nucleus of the amygdala, which is dependent upon the intensity of training, and indicate that synaptic plastic changes in this region may be required for the formation of memory of moderate and intense aversive learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- C X Ruiz-López
- Departamento de Neurobiología Conductual y Cognitiva, Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Querétaro 76230, Mexico
| | - A C Medina
- Departamento de Neurobiología Conductual y Cognitiva, Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Querétaro 76230, Mexico
| | - P C Bello-Medina
- Departamento de Neurobiología del Desarrollo y Neurofisiología, Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Querétaro, Qro. 76230, Mexico; División de Ciencias de Biológicas y de la Salud, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Unidad Lerma, Estado de México 52005, Mexico
| | - G L Quirarte
- Departamento de Neurobiología Conductual y Cognitiva, Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Querétaro 76230, Mexico
| | - R A Prado-Alcalá
- Departamento de Neurobiología Conductual y Cognitiva, Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Querétaro 76230, Mexico.
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46
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Moaddab M, McDannald MA. Retrorubral field is a hub for diverse threat and aversive outcome signals. Curr Biol 2021; 31:2099-2110.e5. [PMID: 33756109 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.02.055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2019] [Revised: 01/13/2021] [Accepted: 02/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Adaptive fear scales to the degree of threat and requires diverse neural signals for threat and aversive outcome. We propose that the retrorubral field (RRF), a midbrain region containing A8 dopamine, is a neural origin of such signals. To reveal these signals, we recorded RRF single-unit activity while male rats discriminated danger, uncertainty, and safety. Many RRF neurons showed firing extremes to danger and safety that framed intermediate firing to uncertainty. The remaining neurons showed unique, threat-selective cue firing patterns. Diversity in firing direction, magnitude, and temporal characteristics led to the detection of at least eight functional neuron types. Neuron types defined with respect to threat showed unique firing patterns following aversive outcome. The result was RRF signals for foot shock receipt, positive prediction error, anti-positive prediction error, persistent safety, and persistent threat. The diversity of threat and aversive outcome signals points to a key role for the RRF in adaptive fear.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahsa Moaddab
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, USA.
| | - Michael A McDannald
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, USA.
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47
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Sharpe MJ, Batchelor HM, Mueller LE, Gardner MPH, Schoenbaum G. Past experience shapes the neural circuits recruited for future learning. Nat Neurosci 2021; 24:391-400. [PMID: 33589832 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-020-00791-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2020] [Accepted: 12/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Experimental research controls for past experience, yet prior experience influences how we learn. Here, we tested whether we could recruit a neural population that usually encodes rewards to encode aversive events. Specifically, we found that GABAergic neurons in the lateral hypothalamus (LH) were not involved in learning about fear in naïve rats. However, if these rats had prior experience with rewards, LH GABAergic neurons became important for learning about fear. Interestingly, inhibition of these neurons paradoxically enhanced learning about neutral sensory information, regardless of prior experience, suggesting that LH GABAergic neurons normally oppose learning about irrelevant information. These experiments suggest that prior experience shapes the neural circuits recruited for future learning in a highly specific manner, reopening the neural boundaries we have drawn for learning of particular types of information from work in naïve subjects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa J Sharpe
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| | - Hannah M Batchelor
- National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Program, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Lauren E Mueller
- National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Program, Baltimore, MD, USA
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48
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Fu CW, Horng JL, Tong SK, Cherng BW, Liao BK, Lin LY, Chou MY. Exposure to silver impairs learning and social behaviors in adult zebrafish. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2021; 403:124031. [PMID: 33265049 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2020.124031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2020] [Revised: 09/07/2020] [Accepted: 09/16/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Silver and silver nanoparticles are used in several consumer products, particularly sterilizing agents. Ag+ released from the particles causes physiological damages of aquatic organisms. However, the effects of silver on neural and behavioral functions of fish remain unclear. Here, we used zebrafish as a model to investigate the impacts of silver on social, learning and memory behaviors in teleost. Adult zebrafish showed mortality rates of 12.875% and 100% on 72 h exposure to 30 and ≥ 50 ppb of silver nitrate, respectively. Silver accumulation in the brain increased on exposure to 10 and 30 ppb of AgNO3. The physical fitness of the zebrafish, measured by novel tank diving test and swimming performance, decreased after 72 h incubation in 30 ppb of AgNO3. Exposure to 10 ppb of AgNO3 impaired social preference, social recognition, learning, and memory, but did not affect anxiety level, aggressiveness, and shoaling behavior. In situ hybridization of c-fos mRNA showed that AgNO3 treatment decreased neural activity in the brain areas crucial for learning, memory, and social behaviors, including the medial and dorsal zones of the dorsal telencephalic area. In conclusion, 72 h exposure to AgNO3 in a sublethal level impaired learning and social behaviors, indicating neurotoxicity in adult zebrafish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chih-Wei Fu
- Department of Life Science, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Jiun-Lin Horng
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11031, Taiwan
| | - Sok-Keng Tong
- Department of Life Science, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Bor-Wei Cherng
- Department of Life Science, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 153-8902, Japan
| | - Bo-Kai Liao
- Department of Aquaculture, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung, Taiwan
| | - Li-Yih Lin
- Department of Life Science, School of Life Science, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei 11677, Taiwan
| | - Ming-Yi Chou
- Department of Life Science, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
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49
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Xia B, Wei J, Ma X, Nehme A, Liong K, Cui Y, Chen C, Gallitano A, Ferguson D, Qiu S. Conditional knockout of MET receptor tyrosine kinase in cortical excitatory neurons leads to enhanced learning and memory in young adult mice but early cognitive decline in older adult mice. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2021; 179:107397. [PMID: 33524570 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2021.107397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2020] [Revised: 12/22/2020] [Accepted: 01/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Human genetic studies established MET gene as a risk factor for autism spectrum disorders. We have previously shown that signaling mediated by MET receptor tyrosine kinase, expressed in early postnatal developing forebrain circuits, controls glutamatergic neuron morphological development, synapse maturation, and cortical critical period plasticity. Here we investigated how MET signaling affects synaptic plasticity, learning and memory behavior, and whether these effects are age-dependent. We found that in young adult (postnatal 2-3 months) Met conditional knockout (Metfx/fx:emx1cre, cKO) mice, the hippocampus exhibits elevated plasticity, measured by increased magnitude of long-term potentiation (LTP) and depression (LTD) in hippocampal slices. Surprisingly, in older adult cKO mice (10-12 months), LTP and LTD magnitudes were diminished. We further conducted a battery of behavioral tests to assess learning and memory function in cKO mice and littermate controls. Consistent with age-dependent LTP/LTD findings, we observed enhanced spatial memory learning in 2-3 months old young adult mice, assessed by hippocampus-dependent Morris water maze test, but impaired spatial learning in 10-12 months mice. Contextual and cued learning were further assessed using a Pavlovian fear conditioning test, which also revealed enhanced associative fear acquisition and extinction in young adult mice, but impaired fear learning in older adult mice. Lastly, young cKO mice also exhibited enhanced motor learning. Our results suggest that a shift in the window of synaptic plasticity and an age-dependent early cognitive decline may be novel circuit pathophysiology for a well-established autism genetic risk factor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baomei Xia
- Basic Medical Sciences, University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix, Phoenix, AZ 85004, United States
| | - Jing Wei
- Basic Medical Sciences, University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix, Phoenix, AZ 85004, United States
| | - Xiaokuang Ma
- Basic Medical Sciences, University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix, Phoenix, AZ 85004, United States
| | - Antoine Nehme
- Basic Medical Sciences, University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix, Phoenix, AZ 85004, United States
| | - Katerina Liong
- Basic Medical Sciences, University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix, Phoenix, AZ 85004, United States
| | - Yuehua Cui
- Basic Medical Sciences, University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix, Phoenix, AZ 85004, United States
| | - Chang Chen
- Basic Medical Sciences, University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix, Phoenix, AZ 85004, United States
| | - Amelia Gallitano
- Basic Medical Sciences, University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix, Phoenix, AZ 85004, United States
| | - Deveroux Ferguson
- Basic Medical Sciences, University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix, Phoenix, AZ 85004, United States
| | - Shenfeng Qiu
- Basic Medical Sciences, University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix, Phoenix, AZ 85004, United States.
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50
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Han JK, Kwon SH, Kim YG, Choi J, Kim JI, Lee YS, Ye SK, Kim SJ. Ablation of STAT3 in Purkinje cells reorganizes cerebellar synaptic plasticity in long-term fear memory network. eLife 2021; 10:63291. [PMID: 33459594 PMCID: PMC7813544 DOI: 10.7554/elife.63291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2020] [Accepted: 12/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Emotional memory processing engages a large neuronal network of brain regions including the cerebellum. However, the molecular and cellular mechanisms of the cerebellar cortex modulating the fear memory network are unclear. Here, we illustrate that synaptic signaling in cerebellar Purkinje cells (PCs) via STAT3 regulates long-term fear memory. Transcriptome analyses revealed that PC-specific STAT3 knockout (STAT3PKO) results in transcriptional changes that lead to an increase in the expression of glutamate receptors. The amplitude of AMPA receptor-mediated excitatory postsynaptic currents at parallel fiber (PF) to PC synapses was larger in STAT3PKO mice than in wild-type (WT) littermates. Fear conditioning induced long-term depression of PF–PC synapses in STAT3PKO mice while the same manipulation induced long-term potentiation in WT littermates. STAT3PKO mice showed an aberrantly enhanced long-term fear memory. Neuronal activity in fear-related regions increased in fear-conditioned STAT3PKO mice. Our data suggest that STAT3-dependent molecular regulation in PCs is indispensable for proper expression of fear memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeong-Kyu Han
- Department of Physiology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.,Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Seoul National University Graduate School, Seoul, Republic of Korea.,Memory Network Medical Research Center, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.,Neuroscience Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Sun-Ho Kwon
- Memory Network Medical Research Center, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.,Department of Pharmacology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.,Department of Biomedical Sciences, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Yong Gyu Kim
- Department of Physiology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.,Department of Biomedical Sciences, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jaeyong Choi
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jong-Il Kim
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Yong-Seok Lee
- Department of Physiology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.,Neuroscience Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.,Department of Biomedical Sciences, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Sang-Kyu Ye
- Department of Physiology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.,Department of Pharmacology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.,Department of Biomedical Sciences, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Sang Jeong Kim
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Seoul National University Graduate School, Seoul, Republic of Korea.,Memory Network Medical Research Center, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.,Neuroscience Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.,Department of Biomedical Sciences, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
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