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Zhou H, Liu J, Wu Y, Huang Z, Wang W, Ma Y, Zhu H, Zhou Z, Wang J, Jiang C. Unveiling the interoception impairment in various major depressive disorder stages. CNS Neurosci Ther 2024; 30:e14923. [PMID: 39154365 PMCID: PMC11330652 DOI: 10.1111/cns.14923] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2024] [Revised: 06/25/2024] [Accepted: 08/03/2024] [Indexed: 08/20/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The intricate pathophysiological mechanisms of major depressive disorder (MDD) necessitate the development of comprehensive early indicators that reflect the complex interplay of emotional, physical, and cognitive factors. Despite its potential to fulfill these criteria, interoception remains underexplored in MDD. This study aimed to evaluate the potential of interoception in transforming MDD's clinical practices by examining interoception deficits across various MDD stages and analyzing their complex associations with the spectrum of depressive symptoms. METHODS This study included 431 healthy individuals, 206 subclinical depression individuals, and 483 MDD patients. Depressive symptoms and interoception function were assessed using the PHQ-9 and MAIA-2, respectively. RESULTS Interoception dysfunction occurred in the preclinical phase of MDD and further impaired in the clinical stage. Antidepressant therapies showed limited efficacy in improving interoception and might damage some dimensions. Interoceptive dimensions might predict depressive symptoms, primarily enhancing negative thinking patterns. The predictive model based on interoception was built with random split verification and demonstrated good discrimination and predictive performance in identifying MDD. CONCLUSIONS Early alterations in the preclinical stage, multivariate associations with depressive symptoms, and good discrimination and predictive performance highlight the importance of interoception in MDD management, pointing to a paradigm shift in diagnostic and therapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongliang Zhou
- Department of PsychologyThe Affiliated Hospital of Jiangnan UniversityWuxiChina
| | - Jikang Liu
- Department of PsychiatryThe Affiliated Wuxi Mental Health Center of Nanjing Medical UniversityWuxiChina
| | - Yuqing Wu
- Department of PsychiatryThe Affiliated Mental Health Center of Jiangnan UniversityWuxiChina
| | - Zixuan Huang
- Department of PsychiatryThe Affiliated Mental Health Center of Jiangnan UniversityWuxiChina
| | - Wenliang Wang
- Department of PsychiatryThe Affiliated Mental Health Center of Jiangnan UniversityWuxiChina
| | - Yuhang Ma
- Department of PsychiatryThe Affiliated Mental Health Center of Jiangnan UniversityWuxiChina
| | - Haohao Zhu
- Department of PsychiatryThe Affiliated Wuxi Mental Health Center of Nanjing Medical UniversityWuxiChina
- Department of PsychiatryThe Affiliated Mental Health Center of Jiangnan UniversityWuxiChina
| | - Zhenhe Zhou
- Department of PsychiatryThe Affiliated Wuxi Mental Health Center of Nanjing Medical UniversityWuxiChina
- Department of PsychiatryThe Affiliated Mental Health Center of Jiangnan UniversityWuxiChina
| | - Jun Wang
- Department of PsychiatryThe Affiliated Wuxi Mental Health Center of Nanjing Medical UniversityWuxiChina
- Department of PsychiatryThe Affiliated Mental Health Center of Jiangnan UniversityWuxiChina
| | - Chenguang Jiang
- Department of Psychosomatics and Psychiatry, ZhongDa Hospital, School of MedicineSoutheast UniversityNanjingChina
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2
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Vattino LG, MacGregor CP, Liu CJ, Sweeney CG, Takesian AE. Primary auditory thalamus relays directly to cortical layer 1 interneurons. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.07.16.603741. [PMID: 39071266 PMCID: PMC11275971 DOI: 10.1101/2024.07.16.603741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/30/2024]
Abstract
Inhibitory interneurons within cortical layer 1 (L1-INs) integrate inputs from diverse brain regions to modulate sensory processing and plasticity, but the sensory inputs that recruit these interneurons have not been identified. Here we used monosynaptic retrograde tracing and whole-cell electrophysiology to characterize the thalamic inputs onto two major subpopulations of L1-INs in the mouse auditory cortex. We find that the vast majority of auditory thalamic inputs to these L1-INs unexpectedly arise from the ventral subdivision of the medial geniculate body (MGBv), the tonotopically-organized primary auditory thalamus. Moreover, these interneurons receive robust functional monosynaptic MGBv inputs that are comparable to those recorded in the L4 excitatory pyramidal neurons. Our findings identify a direct pathway from the primary auditory thalamus to the L1-INs, suggesting that these interneurons are uniquely positioned to integrate thalamic inputs conveying precise sensory information with top-down inputs carrying information about brain states and learned associations.
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3
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Livermore JJA, Skora LI, Adamatzky K, Garfinkel SN, Critchley HD, Campbell-Meiklejohn D. General and anxiety-linked influences of acute serotonin reuptake inhibition on neural responses associated with attended visceral sensation. Transl Psychiatry 2024; 14:241. [PMID: 38844469 PMCID: PMC11156930 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-024-02971-3] [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: 11/07/2023] [Revised: 05/22/2024] [Accepted: 05/29/2024] [Indexed: 06/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Ordinary sensations from inside the body are important causes and consequences of our affective states and behaviour, yet the roles of neurotransmitters in interoceptive processing have been unclear. With a within-subjects design, this experiment tested the impacts of acute increases of endogenous extracellular serotonin on the neural processing of attended internal sensations and the links of these effects to anxiety using a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) (20 mg CITALOPRAM) and a PLACEBO. Twenty-one healthy volunteers (fourteen female, mean age 23.9) completed the Visceral Interoceptive Attention (VIA) task while undergoing functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) with each treatment. The VIA task required focused attention on the heart, stomach, or visual sensation. The relative neural interoceptive responses to heart sensation [heart minus visual attention] (heart-IR) and stomach sensation [stomach minus visual attention] (stomach-IR) were compared between treatments. Visual attention subtraction controlled for the general effects of CITALOPRAM on sensory processing. CITALOPRAM was associated with lower interoceptive processing in viscerosensory (the stomach-IR of bilateral posterior insular cortex) and integrative/affective (the stomach-IR and heart-IR of bilateral amygdala) components of interoceptive neural pathways. In anterior insular cortex, CITALOPRAM reductions of heart-IR depended on anxiety levels, removing a previously known association between anxiety and the region's response to attended heart sensation observed with PLACEBO. Preliminary post hoc analysis indicated that CITALOPRAM effects on the stomach-IR of the amygdalae corresponded to acute anxiety changes. This direct evidence of general and anxiety-linked serotonergic influence on neural interoceptive processes advances our understanding of interoception, its regulation, and anxiety.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lina I Skora
- School of Psychology, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK
- Heinrich Heine Universität, Düsseldorf, Germany
- Sussex Centre for Consciousness Science, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK
| | | | - Sarah N Garfinkel
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, UK
| | - Hugo D Critchley
- Sussex Centre for Consciousness Science, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK
- Brighton and Sussex Medical School, Brighton, UK
- Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, Brighton, UK
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4
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Ying R, Stolzberg DJ, Caras ML. Neural correlates of flexible sound perception in the auditory midbrain and thalamus. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.12.589266. [PMID: 38645241 PMCID: PMC11030403 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.12.589266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/23/2024]
Abstract
Hearing is an active process in which listeners must detect and identify sounds, segregate and discriminate stimulus features, and extract their behavioral relevance. Adaptive changes in sound detection can emerge rapidly, during sudden shifts in acoustic or environmental context, or more slowly as a result of practice. Although we know that context- and learning-dependent changes in the spectral and temporal sensitivity of auditory cortical neurons support many aspects of flexible listening, the contribution of subcortical auditory regions to this process is less understood. Here, we recorded single- and multi-unit activity from the central nucleus of the inferior colliculus (ICC) and the ventral subdivision of the medial geniculate nucleus (MGV) of Mongolian gerbils under two different behavioral contexts: as animals performed an amplitude modulation (AM) detection task and as they were passively exposed to AM sounds. Using a signal detection framework to estimate neurometric sensitivity, we found that neural thresholds in both regions improved during task performance, and this improvement was driven by changes in firing rate rather than phase locking. We also found that ICC and MGV neurometric thresholds improved and correlated with behavioral performance as animals learn to detect small AM depths during a multi-day perceptual training paradigm. Finally, we reveal that in the MGV, but not the ICC, context-dependent enhancements in AM sensitivity grow stronger during perceptual training, mirroring prior observations in the auditory cortex. Together, our results suggest that the auditory midbrain and thalamus contribute to flexible sound processing and perception over rapid and slow timescales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rose Ying
- Neuroscience and Cognitive Science Program, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, 20742
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, 20742
- Center for Comparative and Evolutionary Biology of Hearing, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, 20742
| | - Daniel J. Stolzberg
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, 20742
| | - Melissa L. Caras
- Neuroscience and Cognitive Science Program, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, 20742
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, 20742
- Center for Comparative and Evolutionary Biology of Hearing, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, 20742
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, 20742
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5
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T. Zaatar M, Alhakim K, Enayeh M, Tamer R. The transformative power of music: Insights into neuroplasticity, health, and disease. Brain Behav Immun Health 2024; 35:100716. [PMID: 38178844 PMCID: PMC10765015 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbih.2023.100716] [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: 10/07/2023] [Revised: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 12/08/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Music is a universal language that can elicit profound emotional and cognitive responses. In this literature review, we explore the intricate relationship between music and the brain, from how it is decoded by the nervous system to its therapeutic potential in various disorders. Music engages a diverse network of brain regions and circuits, including sensory-motor processing, cognitive, memory, and emotional components. Music-induced brain network oscillations occur in specific frequency bands, and listening to one's preferred music can grant easier access to these brain functions. Moreover, music training can bring about structural and functional changes in the brain, and studies have shown its positive effects on social bonding, cognitive abilities, and language processing. We also discuss how music therapy can be used to retrain impaired brain circuits in different disorders. Understanding how music affects the brain can open up new avenues for music-based interventions in healthcare, education, and wellbeing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muriel T. Zaatar
- Department of Biological and Physical Sciences, American University in Dubai, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
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6
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Coray RC, Zimmermann J, Haugg A, Baumgartner MR, Steuer AE, Seifritz E, Stock AK, Beste C, Cole DM, Quednow BB. The functional connectome of 3,4-methyldioxymethamphetamine-related declarative memory impairments. Hum Brain Mapp 2023; 44:5079-5094. [PMID: 37530403 PMCID: PMC10502674 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26438] [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: 02/14/2023] [Revised: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 07/14/2023] [Indexed: 08/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The chronic intake of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, "ecstasy") bears a strong risk for sustained declarative memory impairments. Although such memory deficits have been repeatedly reported, their neurofunctional origin remains elusive. Therefore, we here investigate the neuronal basis of altered declarative memory in recurrent MDMA users at the level of brain connectivity. We examined a group of 44 chronic MDMA users and 41 demographically matched controls. Declarative memory performance was assessed by the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test and a visual associative learning test. To uncover alterations in the whole brain connectome between groups, we employed a data-driven multi-voxel pattern analysis (MVPA) approach on participants' resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data. Recent MDMA use was confirmed by hair analyses. MDMA users showed lower performance in delayed recall across tasks compared to well-matched controls with moderate-to-strong effect sizes. MVPA revealed a large cluster located in the left postcentral gyrus of global connectivity differences between groups. Post hoc seed-based connectivity analyses with this cluster unraveled hypoconnectivity to temporal areas belonging to the auditory network and hyperconnectivity to dorsal parietal regions belonging to the dorsal attention network in MDMA users. Seed-based connectivity strength was associated with verbal memory performance in the whole sample as well as with MDMA intake patterns in the user group. Our findings suggest that functional underpinnings of MDMA-related memory impairments encompass altered patterns of multimodal sensory integration within auditory processing regions to a functional heteromodal connector hub, the left postcentral gyrus. In addition, hyperconnectivity in regions of a cognitive control network might indicate compensation for degraded sensory processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca C Coray
- Experimental and Clinical Pharmacopsychology, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, ETH Zurich and University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Josua Zimmermann
- Experimental and Clinical Pharmacopsychology, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, ETH Zurich and University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Amelie Haugg
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Psychiatric University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Markus R Baumgartner
- Center for Forensic Hair Analytics, Institute of Forensic Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Andrea E Steuer
- Department of Forensic Pharmacology and Toxicology, Institute of Forensic Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Erich Seifritz
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Ann-Kathrin Stock
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Christian Beste
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - David M Cole
- Experimental and Clinical Pharmacopsychology, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Boris B Quednow
- Experimental and Clinical Pharmacopsychology, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, ETH Zurich and University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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7
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Cheng LQ, Shu FQ, Zhang M, Kai YZ, Tang ZQ. Resveratrol prevents hearing loss and a subregion specific- reduction of serotonin reuptake transporter induced by noise exposure in the central auditory system. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1134153. [PMID: 37034161 PMCID: PMC10080035 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1134153] [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: 12/30/2022] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 04/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Prolonged or excessive exposure to noise can lead to hearing loss, tinnitus and hypersensitivity to sound. The effects of noise exposure on main excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitter systems in auditory pathway have been extensively investigated. However, little is known about aberrant changes in neuromodulator systems caused by noise exposure. In the current study, we exposed 2-month-old mice to a narrow band noise at 116 dB SPL for 6 h or sham exposure, assessed auditory brainstem responses as well as examined the expression of serotonin reuptake transporter (SERT) in the cochlear nucleus (CN), inferior colliculus (IC), and primary auditory cortex (Au1) using immunohistochemistry. We found that noise exposure resulted in a significant increase in hearing thresholds at 4, 8, 16, 24, and 32 kHz, as well as led to a significant reduction of SERT in dorsal cochlear nucleus (DCN), dorsal IC (ICd), external IC (ICe), and Au1 layers I-IV. This reduction of SERT in these subregions of central auditory system was partially recovered 15 or 30 days after noise exposure. Furthermore, we examined efficacy of resveratrol (RSV) on hearing loss and loss of SERT induced by noise exposure. The results demonstrated that RSV treatment significantly attenuated threshold shifts of auditory brainstem responses and loss of SERT in DCN, ICd, ICe, and Au1 layers I-IV. These findings show that noise exposure can cause hearing loss and subregion-specific loss of SERT in the central auditory system, and RSV treatment could attenuate noise exposure-induced hearing loss and loss of SERT in central auditory system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Long-Quan Cheng
- School of Life Sciences, Anhui University, Hefei, China
- Key Laboratory of Human Microenvironment and Precision Medicine of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Anhui University, Hefei, China
| | - Fang-Qi Shu
- Institute of Artificial Intelligence, Hefei Comprehensive National Science Center, Hefei, China
| | - Min Zhang
- School of Life Sciences, Anhui University, Hefei, China
- Key Laboratory of Human Microenvironment and Precision Medicine of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Anhui University, Hefei, China
| | - Yuan-Zhong Kai
- School of Life Sciences, Anhui University, Hefei, China
- *Correspondence: Yuan-Zhong Kai,
| | - Zheng-Quan Tang
- School of Life Sciences, Anhui University, Hefei, China
- Key Laboratory of Human Microenvironment and Precision Medicine of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Anhui University, Hefei, China
- Zheng-Quan Tang,
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8
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Rodenkirch C, Carmel JB, Wang Q. Rapid Effects of Vagus Nerve Stimulation on Sensory Processing Through Activation of Neuromodulatory Systems. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:922424. [PMID: 35864985 PMCID: PMC9294458 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.922424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2022] [Accepted: 06/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
After sensory information is encoded into neural signals at the periphery, it is processed through multiple brain regions before perception occurs (i.e., sensory processing). Recent work has begun to tease apart how neuromodulatory systems influence sensory processing. Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is well-known as an effective and safe method of activating neuromodulatory systems. There is a growing body of studies confirming VNS has immediate effects on sensory processing across multiple sensory modalities. These immediate effects of VNS on sensory processing are distinct from the more well-documented method of inducing lasting neuroplastic changes to the sensory pathways through repeatedly delivering a brief VNS burst paired with a sensory stimulus. Immediate effects occur upon VNS onset, often disappear upon VNS offset, and the modulation is present for all sensory stimuli. Conversely, the neuroplastic effect of pairing sub-second bursts of VNS with a sensory stimulus alters sensory processing only after multiple pairing sessions, this alteration remains after cessation of pairing sessions, and the alteration selectively affects the response properties of neurons encoding the specific paired sensory stimulus. Here, we call attention to the immediate effects VNS has on sensory processing. This review discusses existing studies on this topic, provides an overview of the underlying neuromodulatory systems that likely play a role, and briefly explores the potential translational applications of using VNS to rapidly regulate sensory processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles Rodenkirch
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
- Jacobs Technion-Cornell Institute, Cornell Tech, New York, NY, United States
- *Correspondence: Charles Rodenkirch,
| | - Jason B. Carmel
- Department of Neurology and Orthopedics, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
| | - Qi Wang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
- Qi Wang,
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9
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Modulation of Auditory Perception Laterality under Anxiety and Depression Conditions. Symmetry (Basel) 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/sym14010024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The objective of this work is to confirm the asymmetry in non-linguistic auditory perception, as well as the influence of anxiety-depressive disorders on it. Eighty-six people were recruited in the emotional well-being group, fifty-six in the anxiety group, fourteen in the depression group, and seventy-seven in the mixed group. In each group, audiograms were obtained from both ears and the differences were statistically analyzed. Differences in hearing sensitivity were found between both ears in the general population, such differences increased in people with anxiety-depressive disorders. When faced with anxiety-depressive disorders, the right ear suffered greater hearing loss than the left, showing peaks of hyper-hearing at the frequency of 4000 Hz in the anxiety subgroup, and hearing loss in the depression subgroup. In relation to anxiety, the appearance of the 4:8 pattern was observed in the right ear when the person had suffered acute stress in the 2 days prior to the audiometry, and in both ears if they had suffered stress in the 3–30 days before said stress. In conclusion, the advantage of the left ear in auditory perception was increased with these disorders, showing a hyperaudition peak in anxiety and a hearing loss in depression.
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10
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Pagella S, Deussing JM, Kopp-Scheinpflug C. Expression Patterns of the Neuropeptide Urocortin 3 and Its Receptor CRFR2 in the Mouse Central Auditory System. Front Neural Circuits 2021; 15:747472. [PMID: 34867212 PMCID: PMC8633543 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2021.747472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Sensory systems have to be malleable to context-dependent modulations occurring over different time scales, in order to serve their evolutionary function of informing about the external world while also eliciting survival-promoting behaviors. Stress is a major context-dependent signal that can have fast and delayed effects on sensory systems, especially on the auditory system. Urocortin 3 (UCN3) is a member of the corticotropin-releasing factor family. As a neuropeptide, UCN3 regulates synaptic activity much faster than the classic steroid hormones of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. Moreover, due to the lack of synaptic re-uptake mechanisms, UCN3 can have more long-lasting and far-reaching effects. To date, a modest number of studies have reported the presence of UCN3 or its receptor CRFR2 in the auditory system, particularly in the cochlea and the superior olivary complex, and have highlighted the importance of this stress neuropeptide for protecting auditory function. However, a comprehensive map of all neurons synthesizing UCN3 or CRFR2 within the auditory pathway is lacking. Here, we utilize two reporter mouse lines to elucidate the expression patterns of UCN3 and CRFR2 in the auditory system. Additional immunolabelling enables further characterization of the neurons that synthesize UCN3 or CRFR2. Surprisingly, our results indicate that within the auditory system, UCN3 is expressed predominantly in principal cells, whereas CRFR2 expression is strongest in non-principal, presumably multisensory, cell types. Based on the presence or absence of overlap between UCN3 and CRFR2 labeling, our data suggest unusual modes of neuromodulation by UCN3, involving volume transmission and autocrine signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Pagella
- Division of Neurobiology, Faculty of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Jan M Deussing
- Research Group Molecular Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Conny Kopp-Scheinpflug
- Division of Neurobiology, Faculty of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany
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11
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Canas-Simião H, Nascimento ST, Reis J, Freitas C. Complex auditory musical hallucinations with ambivalent feelings. BMJ Case Rep 2021; 14:e245397. [PMID: 34764093 PMCID: PMC8587600 DOI: 10.1136/bcr-2021-245397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/03/2022] Open
Abstract
A 78-year-old woman with hypertension, diabetes mellitus type 2 and bilateral sensorineural hearing loss was referenced to geriatric psychiatry consultation. She presented cognitive dysfunction, erotomanic delusion and complex musical hallucinations (MH), described as hearing her neighbour singing a familiar church song along with bells in the background, making comments and talking to her. A computed tomography (CT) of the brain detected small right nucleocapsular and bilateral external capsules hypodensities of presumed vascular aetiology during hospitalisation. MH are a rare phenomenon with heterogeneous aetiology. Most frequently, the cause is hearing impairment; other causes include social isolation, cognitive dysfunction, vascular risk factors and medication. Studies suggest that some brain areas related to musical memory circuitry might be related and not fully mapped. Auditory verbal hallucinations with a voice that either comments, talks or sings to the patient have never been described in the literature, making this clinical case attractive.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hugo Canas-Simião
- Department of Psychiatry, Centro Hospitalar de Lisboa Ocidental EPE, Lisbon, Portugal
| | | | - João Reis
- Centro Hospitalar Psiquiátrico de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
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12
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Pereira G, Gillies H, Chanda S, Corbett M, Vernon SD, Milani T, Bateman L. Acute Corticotropin-Releasing Factor Receptor Type 2 Agonism Results in Sustained Symptom Improvement in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Front Syst Neurosci 2021; 15:698240. [PMID: 34539356 PMCID: PMC8441022 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2021.698240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2021] [Accepted: 07/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a complex multi-symptom disease with widespread evidence of disrupted systems. The authors hypothesize that it is caused by the upregulation of the corticotropin-releasing factor receptor type 2 (CRFR2) in the raphé nuclei and limbic system, which impairs the ability to maintain homeostasis. The authors propose utilizing agonist-mediated receptor endocytosis to downregulate CRFR2. Materials and Methods This open-label trial tested the safety, tolerability and efficacy of an acute dose of CT38s (a short-lived, CRFR2-selective agonist, with no known off-target activity) in 14 ME/CFS patients. CT38s was subcutaneously-infused at one of four dose-levels (i.e., infusion rates of 0.01, 0.03, 0.06, and 0.20 μg/kg/h), for a maximum of 10.5 h. Effect was measured as the pre-/post-treatment change in the mean 28-day total daily symptom score (TDSS), which aggregated 13 individual patient-reported symptoms. Results ME/CFS patients were significantly more sensitive to the transient hemodynamic effects of CRFR2 stimulation than healthy subjects in a prior trial, supporting the hypothesized CRFR2 upregulation. Adverse events were generally mild, resolved without intervention, and difficult to distinguish from ME/CFS symptoms, supporting a CRFR2 role in the disease. The acute dose of CT38s was associated with an improvement in mean TDSS that was sustained (over at least 28 days post-treatment) and correlated with both total exposure and pre-treatment symptom severity. At an infusion rate of 0.03 μg/kg/h, mean TDSS improved by -7.5 ± 1.9 (or -25.7%, p = 0.009), with all monitored symptoms improving. Conclusion The trial supports the hypothesis that CRFR2 is upregulated in ME/CFS, and that acute CRFR2 agonism may be a viable treatment approach warranting further study. Clinical Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier NCT03613129.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Tina Milani
- Bateman Horne Center, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
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13
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Davis SED, Sansone JM, Hurley LM. Postweaning Isolation Alters the Responses of Auditory Neurons to Serotonergic Modulation. Integr Comp Biol 2021; 61:302-315. [PMID: 33974061 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icab051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Juvenile social experience, such as social isolation, has profound effects on communicative behavior, including signal production and reception. In the current study, we explored responsiveness to the neuromodulator serotonin as a potential mechanistic link between early life social isolation and auditory processing. The serotonergic system is sensitive to social isolation in many brain regions including the inferior colliculus (IC), an auditory midbrain nucleus. We investigated the effects of social experience on serotonergic responsiveness by measuring cFos, an immediate early gene product, in the IC of female mice. Serotonin was manipulated pharmacologically by administering fenfluramine, pCPA, or saline to mice that had undergone an extreme dichotomy in social experience after weaning: being housed in social groups versus individually. These mice were exposed to a 60-min recording of vocalizations from an opposite-sex interaction and perfused. Using immunohistochemistry, we measured the density of cFos-positive (cFos+) nuclei in the major subdivisions of the IC. Housing condition, drug treatment, and IC subregion all had a significant effect on cFos+ density. The central IC showed the highest density of cFos+ cells and also the most pronounced effects of housing condition and drug treatment. In the central IC, cFos+ density was higher following fenfluramine treatment than saline, and lower following pCPA treatment than fenfluramine. Individually housed mice showed a higher cFos+ density than socially housed mice in both of the pharmacological treatment groups, but not in the saline group. Drug treatment but not housing condition had strong effects on the behaviors of grooming, digging, rearing, and movement. Once the effects of drug condition were controlled, there were no across-individual correlations between cFos+ densities and behaviors. These findings suggest that the responses of auditory neurons to neuromodulation by serotonin are influenced by early life experience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah E D Davis
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, 1001 East Third Street, Bloomington, IN 47401, USA
| | - Jack M Sansone
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, 1001 East Third Street, Bloomington, IN 47401, USA
| | - Laura M Hurley
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, 1001 East Third Street, Bloomington, IN 47401, USA.,Center for the Integrative Study of Animal Behavior, 409 N Park Ave, Bloomington, IN 47408, USA
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14
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De Keyser K, De Letter M, Santens P, Talsma D, Botteldooren D, Bockstael A. Neurophysiological investigation of auditory intensity dependence in patients with Parkinson's disease. J Neural Transm (Vienna) 2021; 128:345-356. [PMID: 33515333 DOI: 10.1007/s00702-021-02305-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2020] [Accepted: 01/12/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
There is accumulating evidence for auditory dysfunctions in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Moreover, a possible relationship has been suggested between altered auditory intensity processing and the hypophonic speech characteristics in PD. Nonetheless, further insight into the neurophysiological correlates of auditory intensity processing in patients with PD is needed primarily. In the present study, high-density EEG recordings were used to investigate intensity dependence of auditory evoked potentials (IDAEPs) in 14 patients with PD and 14 age- and gender-matched healthy control participants (HCs). Patients with PD were evaluated in both the on- and off-medication states. HCs were also evaluated twice. Significantly increased IDAEP of the N1/P2 was demonstrated in patients with PD evaluated in the on-medication state compared to HCs. Distinctive results were found for the N1 and P2 component. Regarding the N1 component, no differences in latency or amplitude were shown between patients with PD and HCs regardless of the medication state. In contrast, increased P2 amplitude was demonstrated in patients with PD evaluated in the on-medication state compared to the off-medication state and HCs. In addition to a dopaminergic deficiency, deficits in serotonergic neurotransmission in PD were shown based on increased IDAEP. Due to specific alterations of the N1-P2 complex, the current results suggest deficiencies in early-attentive inhibitory processing of auditory input in PD. This interpretation is consistent with the involvement of the basal ganglia and the role of dopaminergic and serotonergic neurotransmission in auditory gating.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kim De Keyser
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, Corneel Heymanslaan 10, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Miet De Letter
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, Corneel Heymanslaan 10, 9000, Ghent, Belgium.
| | - Patrick Santens
- Department of Neurology, Ghent University Hospital, Corneel Heymanslaan 10, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Durk Talsma
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Ghent University, Henri Dunantlaan 2, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Dick Botteldooren
- Department of Information Technology (INTEC), Acoustics Research Group, Ghent University, Technologiepark-Zwijnaarde 15, 9052, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Annelies Bockstael
- Department of Information Technology (INTEC), Acoustics Research Group, Ghent University, Technologiepark-Zwijnaarde 15, 9052, Ghent, Belgium
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15
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Zein M, Sher Y. Musical Memories-Musical Hallucinations in a Lung Transplant Recipient: Case Report and Literature Review. J Acad Consult Liaison Psychiatry 2020; 62:140-149. [PMID: 32977990 DOI: 10.1016/j.psym.2020.06.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2019] [Revised: 06/09/2020] [Accepted: 06/10/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mira Zein
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA.
| | - Yelizaveta Sher
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA
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16
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Königschulte W, Civai C, Hildebrand P, Gaber TJ, Fink GR, Zepf FD. Effects of serotonin depletion and dopamine depletion on bimodal divided attention. World J Biol Psychiatry 2020; 21:183-194. [PMID: 30295116 DOI: 10.1080/15622975.2018.1532110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Objectives: This study aimed to explore the effects of acute phenylalanine tyrosine depletion (APTD) and acute tryptophan depletion (ATD) on bimodal divided attention. A balanced amino acid mixture (BAL) served as control condition.Methods: Fifty-three healthy adults (final analyzed sample was N = 49, age: M = 23.8 years) were randomly assigned to APTD, ATD or BAL in a double-blind, between-subject approach. Divided attention was assessed after 4 h. Blood samples were taken before and 6 h after challenge intake.Results: Amino acid concentrations following challenge intake significantly decreased (all P ≤ 0.01). There was a significant difference in the mean reaction time (RT) towards auditory stimuli, but not towards visual stimuli between the groups. Post-hoc comparison of mean RTs (auditory stimuli) showed a significant difference between ATD (RT = 604.0 ms, SD = 56.9 ms) and APTD (RT = 556.4 ms, SD = 54.2 ms; P = 0.037), but no RT difference between ATD and BAL or APTD and BAL (RT = 573.6 ms, SD = 45.7 ms).Conclusions: The results indicate a possible dissociation between the effects of a diminished brain 5-HT and DA synthesis on the performance in a bimodal divided attention task. The difference was exclusively observed within the RT towards auditory signals.
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Affiliation(s)
- W Königschulte
- Clinic for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany.,JARA Translational Brain Medicine, Aachen & Jülich, Germany
| | - C Civai
- School of Psychology, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK
| | - P Hildebrand
- Clinic for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany.,JARA Translational Brain Medicine, Aachen & Jülich, Germany
| | - T J Gaber
- Clinic for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany.,JARA Translational Brain Medicine, Aachen & Jülich, Germany
| | - G R Fink
- Cognitive Neuroscience, Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-3), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany.,Department of Neurology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - F D Zepf
- Clinic for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany.,JARA Translational Brain Medicine, Aachen & Jülich, Germany.,Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Germany.,Centre and Discipline of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, School of Medicine, Division of Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences & Division of Paediatrics and Child Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia.,Telethon Kids Institute, Perth, Australia
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17
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Ampuero E, Cerda M, Härtel S, Rubio FJ, Massa S, Cubillos P, Abarzúa-Catalán L, Sandoval R, Galaburda AM, Wyneken U. Chronic Fluoxetine Treatment Induces Maturation-Compatible Changes in the Dendritic Arbor and in Synaptic Responses in the Auditory Cortex. Front Pharmacol 2019; 10:804. [PMID: 31379577 PMCID: PMC6650542 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2019.00804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2019] [Accepted: 06/21/2019] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Fluoxetine is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) used to treat mood and anxiety disorders. Chronic treatment with this antidepressant drug is thought to favor functional recovery by promoting structural and molecular changes in several forebrain areas. At the synaptic level, chronic fluoxetine induces an increased size and density of dendritic spines and an increased ratio of GluN2A over GluN2B N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor subunits. The "maturation"-promoting molecular changes observed after chronic fluoxetine should also induce structural remodeling of the neuronal dendritic arbor and changes in the synaptic responses. We treated adult rats with fluoxetine (0.7 mg/kg i.p. for 28 days) and performed a morphometric analysis using Golgi stain in limbic and nonlimbic cortical areas. Then, we focused especially on the auditory cortex, where we evaluated the dendritic morphology of pyramidal neurons using a 3-dimensional reconstruction of neurons expressing mRFP after in utero electroporation. With both methodologies, a shortening and decreased complexity of the dendritic arbors was observed, which is compatible with an increased GluN2A over GluN2B ratio. Recordings of extracellular excitatory postsynaptic potentials in the auditory cortex revealed an increased synaptic response after fluoxetine and were consistent with an enrichment of GluN2A-containing NMDA receptors. Our results confirm that fluoxetine favors maturation and refinement of extensive cortical networks, including the auditory cortex. The fluoxetine-induced receptor switch may decrease GluN2B-dependent toxicity and thus could be applied in the future to treat neurodegenerative brain disorders characterized by glutamate toxicity and/or by an aberrant network connectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Estibaliz Ampuero
- Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Autónoma de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Mauricio Cerda
- SCIAN-Lab, CIMT, Biomedical Neuroscience Institute (BNI), ICBM, Faculty of Medicine, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Steffen Härtel
- SCIAN-Lab, CIMT, Biomedical Neuroscience Institute (BNI), ICBM, Faculty of Medicine, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile
- Centro Nacional de Sistemas de Información en Salud (CENS), Faculty of Medicine, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | | | - Solange Massa
- Laboratorio de Neurociencias, Universidad de los Andes, Santiago, Chile
| | - Paula Cubillos
- Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Autónoma de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Lorena Abarzúa-Catalán
- Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Autónoma de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Rodrigo Sandoval
- Departamento de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Católica del Norte, Coquimbo, Chile
| | - Albert M. Galaburda
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Ursula Wyneken
- Laboratorio de Neurociencias, Universidad de los Andes, Santiago, Chile
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18
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Goldberg E, Grau JB, Fortier JH, Salvati E, Levy RJ, Ferrari G. Serotonin and catecholamines in the development and progression of heart valve diseases. Cardiovasc Res 2018; 113:849-857. [PMID: 28863437 DOI: 10.1093/cvr/cvx092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2016] [Accepted: 06/01/2017] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Heart valve diseases (HVDs) arise from a number of different processes that affect both the structure and function of the valve apparatus. Despite diverse aetiologies, treatments for HVDs are limited to percutaneous or surgical interventions. The search for medical therapies to prevent or slow the progression of HVDs has been hampered by our poor understanding of the progression from subclinical to symptomatic phases, and our limited knowledge of the molecular signals that control the susceptibility of valve interstitial cells to pathological remodeling. Clinical evidence has suggested a link between certain neurotransmitters and valvular diseases of the heart. The fenfluramine-phentermine appetite suppressants popular in the 1980s were linked to mitral valve dysfunction, and ergot-derived dopamine agonists for Parkinson's disease have been associated with an increased risk of mitral and aortic valve regurgitation. The effect does not appear to be limited to medications, as valvular pathologies have also been observed in patients with carcinoid tumours of serotonin-producing enterochromaffin cells. The role of neurotransmitter molecules in valve pathology has not been adequately characterized and may represent a target for future medical therapies. Here we present current evidence from both clinical and basic science suggesting a link between neurotransmitters and HVDs, opening the door to future research in this area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elliott Goldberg
- Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Juan B Grau
- The Valley Hospital, Ridgewood, NJ, USA.,University of Ottawa Heart Institute, Ottawa, Canada
| | | | - Elisa Salvati
- The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Robert J Levy
- The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Giovanni Ferrari
- Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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19
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Sockman KW, Lyons SM. How Song Experience Affects Female Mate-Choice, Male Song, and Monoaminergic Activity in the Auditory Telencephalon in Lincoln's Sparrows. Integr Comp Biol 2018; 57:891-901. [PMID: 28992115 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icx080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
A sexual signal can indicate not only the signaler's attractiveness as a potential mate but also the signaler's competitiveness relative to rivals. As the attractiveness or competitiveness of the prevailing signaling environment increases, individuals prospecting for mates should change their choice threshold, whereas competing individuals should shift resources toward elevating their own competitiveness. Previous studies show that experimental elevations of song competition increase male competitive behavior in Lincoln's sparrows (Melospiza lincolnii) and European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris). Through a series of experimental manipulations using laboratory-housed Lincoln's sparrows, we have also discovered that females change the strength of their song preferences depending on the attractiveness of the song environment to which they have recently been exposed; compared to a less-attractive environment, a highly-attractive environment elevates the threshold for releasing phonotaxis behavior toward male song. These behavioral adjustments are associated with changes in forebrain monoaminergic activity that are triggered by experimental manipulations of the quality of the song environment. Findings from these studies suggest possible neural mechanisms for the regulation of adaptive behavioral plasticity associated with dynamic sexual signaling environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keith W Sockman
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Susan M Lyons
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
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20
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Involvement of the Serotonin Transporter Gene in Accurate Subcortical Speech Encoding. J Neurosci 2017; 36:10782-10790. [PMID: 27798133 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1595-16.2016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2016] [Accepted: 08/27/2016] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
A flourishing line of evidence has highlighted the encoding of speech sounds in the subcortical auditory system as being shaped by acoustic, linguistic, and musical experience and training. And while the heritability of auditory speech as well as nonspeech processing has been suggested, the genetic determinants of subcortical speech processing have not yet been uncovered. Here, we postulated that the serotonin transporter-linked polymorphic region (5-HTTLPR), a common functional polymorphism located in the promoter region of the serotonin transporter gene (SLC6A4), is implicated in speech encoding in the human subcortical auditory pathway. Serotonin has been shown as essential for modulating the brain response to sound both cortically and subcortically, yet the genetic factors regulating this modulation regarding speech sounds have not been disclosed. We recorded the frequency following response, a biomarker of the neural tracking of speech sounds in the subcortical auditory pathway, and cortical evoked potentials in 58 participants elicited to the syllable /ba/, which was presented >2000 times. Participants with low serotonin transporter expression had higher signal-to-noise ratios as well as a higher pitch strength representation of the periodic part of the syllable than participants with medium to high expression, possibly by tuning synaptic activity to the stimulus features and hence a more efficient suppression of noise. These results imply the 5-HTTLPR in subcortical auditory speech encoding and add an important, genetically determined layer to the factors shaping the human subcortical response to speech sounds. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The accurate encoding of speech sounds in the subcortical auditory nervous system is of paramount relevance for human communication, and it has been shown to be altered in different disorders of speech and auditory processing. Importantly, this encoding is plastic and can therefore be enhanced by language and music experience. Whether genetic factors play a role in speech encoding at the subcortical level remains unresolved. Here we show that a common polymorphism in the serotonin transporter gene relates to an accurate and robust neural tracking of speech stimuli in the subcortical auditory pathway. This indicates that serotonin transporter expression, eventually in combination with other polymorphisms, delimits the extent to which lifetime experience shapes the subcortical encoding of speech.
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21
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Burmeister SS, Rodriguez Moncalvo VG, Pfennig KS. Monoaminergic integration of diet and social signals in the brains of juvenile spadefoot toads. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017; 220:3135-3141. [PMID: 28659306 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.159954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2017] [Accepted: 06/21/2017] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Social behavior often includes the production of species-specific signals (e.g. mating calls or visual displays) that evoke context-dependent behavioral responses from conspecifics. Monoamines are important neuromodulators that have been implicated in context-dependent social behavior, yet we know little about the development of monoaminergic systems and whether they mediate the effects of early life experiences on adult behavior. We examined the effects of diet and social signals on monoamines early in development in the plains spadefoot toad (Spea bombifrons), a species in which diet affects the developmental emergence of species recognition and body condition affects the expression of adult mating preferences. To do so, we manipulated the diet of juveniles for 6 weeks following metamorphosis and collected their brains 40 min following the presentation of either a conspecific or a heterospecific call. We measured levels of monoamines and their metabolites using high pressure liquid chromatography from tissue punches of the auditory midbrain (i.e. torus semicircularis), hypothalamus and preoptic area. We found that call type affected dopamine and noradrenaline signaling in the auditory midbrain and that diet affected dopamine and serotonin in the hypothalamus. In the preoptic area, we detected an interaction between diet and call type, indicating that diet modulates how the preoptic area integrates social information. Our results suggest that the responsiveness of monoamine systems varies across the brain and highlight preoptic dopamine and noradrenaline as candidates for mediating effects of early diet experience on later expression of social preferences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabrina S Burmeister
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA .,Curriculum in Neurobiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | | | - Karin S Pfennig
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
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22
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Laursen B, Bundgaard CH, Graversen C, Grupe M, Sanchez C, Leiser SC, Sorensen HBD, Drewes AM, Bastlund JF. Acute dosing of vortioxetine strengthens event-related brain activity associated with engagement of attention and cognitive functioning in rats. Brain Res 2017; 1664:37-47. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2017.03.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2016] [Revised: 02/23/2017] [Accepted: 03/26/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Bettina Laursen
- Mech-Sense, Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Aalborg University Hospital, Mølleparkvej 4, 9000 Aalborg, Denmark; Department of Synaptic Transmission In vivo, H. Lundbeck A/S, Ottiliavej 9, 2500 Valby, Denmark.
| | - Cecilie H Bundgaard
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Building 349, Oersteds Plads, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Carina Graversen
- Mech-Sense, Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Aalborg University Hospital, Mølleparkvej 4, 9000 Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Morten Grupe
- Department of Synaptic Transmission In vivo, H. Lundbeck A/S, Ottiliavej 9, 2500 Valby, Denmark
| | - Connie Sanchez
- Brintellix Science Team, H. Lundbeck A/S, Ottiliavej 9, 2500 Valby, Denmark
| | - Steven C Leiser
- Brintellix Science Team, H. Lundbeck A/S, Ottiliavej 9, 2500 Valby, Denmark
| | - Helge B D Sorensen
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Building 349, Oersteds Plads, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Asbjørn M Drewes
- Mech-Sense, Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Aalborg University Hospital, Mølleparkvej 4, 9000 Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Jesper F Bastlund
- Department of Synaptic Transmission In vivo, H. Lundbeck A/S, Ottiliavej 9, 2500 Valby, Denmark
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23
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Nevue AA, Felix RA, Portfors CV. Dopaminergic projections of the subparafascicular thalamic nucleus to the auditory brainstem. Hear Res 2016; 341:202-209. [PMID: 27620513 DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2016.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2016] [Revised: 09/01/2016] [Accepted: 09/07/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Neuromodulators can alter the response properties of sensory neurons, including those in the auditory system. Dopamine, which plays a major role in reward and movement, has been shown to alter neural responses in the auditory brainstem and midbrain. Recently we identified the subparafascicular thalamic nucleus (SPF), part of the A11 dopaminergic cell group, as the source of dopamine to the inferior colliculus (IC). The superior olivary complex (SOC) is also a likely target of dopaminergic projections from the SPF because it receives projections from the SPF and contains fibers and terminals immunoreactive for tyrosine hydroxylase, the rate limiting enzyme in dopamine synthesis. However, it is unknown if the projections from the SPF to SOC are dopaminergic, and if single neurons in the SPF project to both the IC and SOC. Using anterograde tracing combined with fluorescent immunohistochemistry, we found that the SPF sends dopaminergic projections to the superior paraolivary nucleus and the medial nucleus of the trapezoid body, but not the lateral superior olive. We confirmed these projections using a retrograde tracer. By making dual retrograde deposits in the IC and SOC, we found that individual dopaminergic cells innervate both the IC and SOC. These results suggest dopaminergic innervation, likely released in a context dependent manner, occurs at multiple levels of the auditory pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander A Nevue
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University Vancouver, 14204 NE Salmon Creek Ave, Vancouver, WA 98686, USA.
| | - Richard A Felix
- Integrative Physiology and Neuroscience, Washington State University Vancouver, 14204 NE Salmon Creek Ave, Vancouver, WA 98686, USA.
| | - Christine V Portfors
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University Vancouver, 14204 NE Salmon Creek Ave, Vancouver, WA 98686, USA.
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24
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Lizbinski KM, Metheny JD, Bradley SP, Kesari A, Dacks AM. The anatomical basis for modulatory convergence in the antennal lobe of Manduca sexta. J Comp Neurol 2015; 524:1859-75. [PMID: 26560074 DOI: 10.1002/cne.23926] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2015] [Revised: 11/06/2015] [Accepted: 11/09/2015] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The release of neuromodulators by widely projecting neurons often allows sensory systems to alter how they process information based on the physiological state of an animal. Neuromodulators alter network function by changing the biophysical properties of individual neurons and the synaptic efficacy with which individual neurons communicate. However, most, if not all, sensory networks receive multiple neuromodulatory inputs, and the mechanisms by which sensory networks integrate multiple modulatory inputs are not well understood. Here we characterized the relative glomerular distribution of two extrinsic neuromodulators associated with distinct physiological states, serotonin (5-HT) and dopamine (DA), in the antennal lobe (AL) of the moth Manduca sexta. By using immunocytochemistry and mass dye fills, we characterized the innervation patterns of both 5-HT- and tyrosine hydroxylase-immunoreactive processes relative to each other, to olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs), to projection neurons (PNs), and to several subsets of local interneurons (LNs). 5-HT immunoreactivity had nearly complete overlap with PNs and LNs, yet no overlap with ORNs, suggesting that 5-HT may modulate PNs and LNs directly but not ORNs. TH immunoreactivity overlapped with PNs, LNs, and ORNs, suggesting that dopamine has the potential to modulate all three cell types. Furthermore, the branching density of each neuromodulator differed, with 5-HT exhibiting denser arborizations and TH-ir processes being sparser. Our results suggest that 5-HT and DA extrinsic neurons target partially overlapping glomerular regions, yet DA extends further into the region occupied by ORNs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristyn M Lizbinski
- Department of Biology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia, 26505
| | - Jackie D Metheny
- Department of Biology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia, 26505.,Center for Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Research and The Heart Center at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio, 43205
| | - Samual P Bradley
- Department of Biology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia, 26505
| | - Aditya Kesari
- Department of Biology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia, 26505
| | - Andrew M Dacks
- Department of Biology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia, 26505
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25
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Abstract
The dorsal cochlear nucleus (DCN) is one of the first stations within the central auditory pathway where the basic computations underlying sound localization are initiated and heightened activity in the DCN may underlie central tinnitus. The neurotransmitter serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine; 5-HT), is associated with many distinct behavioral or cognitive states, and serotonergic fibers are concentrated in the DCN. However, it remains unclear what is the function of this dense input. Using a combination of in vitro electrophysiology and optogenetics in mouse brain slices, we found that 5-HT directly enhances the excitability of fusiform principal cells via activation of two distinct 5-HT receptor subfamilies, 5-HT2A/2CR (5-HT2A/2C receptor) and 5-HT7R (5-HT7 receptor). This excitatory effect results from an augmentation of hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated channels (Ih or HCN channels). The serotonergic regulation of excitability is G-protein-dependent and involves cAMP and Src kinase signaling pathways. Moreover, optogenetic activation of serotonergic axon terminals increased excitability of fusiform cells. Our findings reveal that 5-HT exerts a potent influence on fusiform cells by altering their intrinsic properties, which may enhance the sensitivity of the DCN to sensory input.
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Strait DL, Kraus N. Biological impact of auditory expertise across the life span: musicians as a model of auditory learning. Hear Res 2014; 308:109-21. [PMID: 23988583 PMCID: PMC3947192 DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2013.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 106] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2013] [Revised: 08/08/2013] [Accepted: 08/11/2013] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Experience-dependent characteristics of auditory function, especially with regard to speech-evoked auditory neurophysiology, have garnered increasing attention in recent years. This interest stems from both pragmatic and theoretical concerns as it bears implications for the prevention and remediation of language-based learning impairment in addition to providing insight into mechanisms engendering experience-dependent changes in human sensory function. Musicians provide an attractive model for studying the experience-dependency of auditory processing in humans due to their distinctive neural enhancements compared to nonmusicians. We have only recently begun to address whether these enhancements are observable early in life, during the initial years of music training when the auditory system is under rapid development, as well as later in life, after the onset of the aging process. Here we review neural enhancements in musically trained individuals across the life span in the context of cellular mechanisms that underlie learning, identified in animal models. Musicians' subcortical physiologic enhancements are interpreted according to a cognitive framework for auditory learning, providing a model in which to study mechanisms of experience-dependent changes in human auditory function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dana L Strait
- Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory, Northwestern University, 2240 Campus Drive, Evanston, IL 60208, USA; Institute for Neuroscience, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Nina Kraus
- Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory, Northwestern University, 2240 Campus Drive, Evanston, IL 60208, USA; Institute for Neuroscience, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA; Department of Communication Sciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA; Department of Neurobiology & Physiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA; Department of Otolaryngology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA.
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Goebrecht GKE, Kowtoniuk RA, Kelly BG, Kittelberger JM. Sexually-dimorphic expression of tyrosine hydroxylase immunoreactivity in the brain of a vocal teleost fish (Porichthys notatus). J Chem Neuroanat 2014; 56:13-34. [PMID: 24418093 DOI: 10.1016/j.jchemneu.2014.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2013] [Revised: 01/04/2014] [Accepted: 01/04/2014] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Vocal communication has emerged as a powerful model for the study of neural mechanisms of social behavior. Modulatory neurochemicals postulated to play a central role in social behavior, related to motivation, arousal, incentive and reward, include the catecholamines, particularly dopamine and noradrenaline. Many questions remain regarding the functional mechanisms by which these modulators interact with sensory and motor systems. Here, we begin to address these questions in a model system for vocal and social behavior, the plainfin midshipman fish (Porichthys notatus). We mapped the distribution of immunoreactivity for the catecholamine-synthesizing enzyme tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) in the midshipman brain. The general pattern of TH(+) cell groups in midshipman appears to be highly conserved with other teleost fish, with a few exceptions, including the apparent absence of pretectal catecholamine cells. Many components of the midshipman vocal and auditory systems were innervated by TH(+) fibers and terminals, including portions of the subpallial area ventralis, the preoptic complex, and the anterior hypothalamus, the midbrain periaqueductal gray and torus semicircularis, several hindbrain auditory nuclei, and parts of the hindbrain vocal pattern generator. These areas thus represent potential sites for catecholamine modulation of vocal and/or auditory behavior. To begin to test functionally whether catecholamines modulate vocal social behaviors, we hypothesized that male and female midshipman, which are sexually dimorphic in both their vocal-motor repertoires and in their responses to hearing conspecific vocalizations, should exhibit sexually dimorphic expression of TH immunoreactivity in their vocal and/or auditory systems. We used quantitative immunohistochemical techniques to test this hypothesis across a number of brain areas. We found significantly higher levels of TH expression in male midshipman relative to females in the TH cell population in the paraventricular organ of the diencephalon and in the TH-innervated torus semicircularis, the main teleost midbrain auditory structure. The torus semicircularis has been implicated in sexually dimorphic behavioral responses to conspecific vocalizations. Our data thus support the general idea that catecholamines modulate vocal and auditory processing in midshipman, and the specific hypothesis that they shape sexually dimorphic auditory responses in the auditory midbrain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geraldine K E Goebrecht
- Department of Biology, Gettysburg College, 300 North Washington Street, Gettysburg, PA 17325, USA.
| | - Robert A Kowtoniuk
- Department of Biology, Gettysburg College, 300 North Washington Street, Gettysburg, PA 17325, USA.
| | - Brenda G Kelly
- Department of Biology, Gettysburg College, 300 North Washington Street, Gettysburg, PA 17325, USA.
| | - J Matthew Kittelberger
- Department of Biology, Gettysburg College, 300 North Washington Street, Gettysburg, PA 17325, USA.
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Jougleux JL, Rioux FM, Church MW, Fiset S, Surette ME. Mild iron deficiency anaemia during pregnancy and lactation in guinea pigs alters amplitudes and auditory nerve velocity, but not brainstem transmission times in the offspring's auditory brainstem response. Nutr Neurosci 2013; 17:37-47. [PMID: 23602121 DOI: 10.1179/1476830513y.0000000067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES It is well known that postnatal/early childhood iron deficiency (ID) anaemia (IDA) adversely affects infants' cognitive development and neurophysiology. However, the effects of IDA during gestation and lactation on the offspring are largely unknown. To address this health issue, the impact of mild IDA during gestation and lactation on the offsprings' neural maturation was studied in the guinea pig, using auditory brainstem responses (ABRs) latencies and amplitudes. METHODS Female guinea pigs (n = 10/group) were fed an iron sufficient (ISD) or deficient diet (IDD) (144 and 11.7 mg iron/kg) during the gestation and lactation periods. From postnatal day (PNd) 9 onward, the ISD was given to both groups of weaned offspring. The offsprings' ABRs were collected on PNd24 using a broad range of stimulus intensities in response to 2, 4, 8, 16, and 32 kHz tone pips. RESULTS Although the IDA siblings (n = 8) did not differ in brainstem transmission times (BTTs) compared to the IS siblings (n = 8), they showed significant delayed peak I latency at 100 and 80 dB, respectively. Additionally, significantly higher ABR wave amplitudes were observed in the IDA female offspring between 35 and 50 dB (4 kHz), a phenomenon suggestive of a neural hyperactivity (hyperacusis). DISCUSSION In support to our previous findings, the present results indicate that a mild IDA during gestation and lactation can have detrimental effects on early development of the offsprings' hearing and nervous systems, particularly on neural synchrony and auditory nerve conduction velocity, but not on BTT.
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Church MW, Zhang JS, Langford MM, Perrine SA. 'Ecstasy' enhances noise-induced hearing loss. Hear Res 2013; 302:96-106. [PMID: 23711768 DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2013.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2013] [Revised: 05/07/2013] [Accepted: 05/15/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
'Ecstasy' or 3,4-methylenedioxy-N-methamphetamine (MDMA) is an amphetamine abused for its euphoric, empathogenic, hallucinatory, and stimulant effects. It is also used to treat certain psychiatric disorders. Common settings for Ecstasy use are nightclubs and "rave" parties where participants consume MDMA and dance to loud music. One concern with the club setting is that exposure to loud sounds can cause permanent sensorineural hearing loss. Another concern is that consumption of MDMA may enhance such hearing loss. Whereas this latter possibility has not been investigated, this study tested the hypothesis that MDMA enhances noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) by exposing rats to either MDMA, noise trauma, both MDMA and noise, or neither treatment. MDMA was given in a binge pattern of 5 mg/kg per intraperitoneal injections every 2 h for a total of four injections to animals in the two MDMA-treated groups (MDMA-only and Noise + MDMA). Saline injections were given to the animals in the two non-MDMA groups (Control and Noise-only). Following the final injection, noise trauma was induced by a 10 kHz tone at 120 dB SPL for 1 h to animals in the two noise trauma-treated groups (Noise-only and Noise + MDMA). Hearing loss was assessed by the auditory brainstem response (ABR) and cochlear histology. Results showed that MDMA enhanced NIHL compared to Noise-only and that MDMA alone caused no hearing loss. This implies that "clubbers" and "rave-goers" are exacerbating the amount of NIHL when they consume MDMA and listen to loud sounds. In contrast to earlier reports, the present study found that MDMA by itself caused no changes in the click-evoked ABR's wave latencies or amplitudes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael W Church
- Department of Otolaryngology & Head Neck Surgery, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI 48201, USA.
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Social signals increase monoamine levels in the tegmentum of juvenile Mexican spadefoot toads (Spea multiplicata). J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2013; 199:681-91. [PMID: 23681220 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-013-0826-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2013] [Revised: 04/28/2013] [Accepted: 05/01/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Monoamines are important neuromodulators that respond to social cues and that can, in turn, modify social responses. Yet we know very little about the ontogeny of monoaminergic systems and whether they contribute to the development of social behavior. Anurans are an excellent model for studying the development of social behavior because one of its primary components, phonotaxis, is expressed early in life. To examine the effect of social signals on monoamines early in ontogeny, we presented juvenile Mexican spadefoot toads (Spea multiplicata) with a male mating call or no sound and measured norepinephrine, epinephrine, dopamine, serotonin, and a serotonin metabolite, across the brain using high-pressure liquid chromatography. Our results demonstrate that adult-like monoaminergic systems are in place shortly after metamorphosis. Perhaps more interestingly, we found that mating calls increased the level of monoamines in the juvenile tegmentum, a midbrain region involved in sensory-motor integration and that contributes to brain arousal and attention. We saw no such increase in the auditory midbrain or in forebrain regions. We suggest that changes in monoamine levels in the juvenile tegmentum may reflect the effects of social signals on arousal state and could contribute to context-dependent modulation of social behavior.
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31
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Maney DL. The incentive salience of courtship vocalizations: hormone-mediated 'wanting' in the auditory system. Hear Res 2013; 305:19-30. [PMID: 23665125 DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2013.04.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2012] [Revised: 04/12/2013] [Accepted: 04/19/2013] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Conspecific vocalizations differ from many other sounds in that they have natural incentive salience. Our thinking about auditory responses to vocalizations may therefore benefit from models originally developed to understand reward. According to those models, the brain attributes incentive salience to rewarding stimuli via the activity of monoaminergic neuromodulators. These neuromodulators, in turn, mediate the effects of experience and internal state. Songbirds lend themselves well to this discussion because the natural incentive salience of song is clearly modulated by both factors. Their auditory responses have been well-studied, particularly the song-induced expression of plasticity-associated genes such as ZENK. Here I review evidence that ZENK responses to song are regulated by monoamine neuromodulators, and I interpret this evidence in the context of incentive salience. First, hearing conspecific song engages monoaminergic activity in the auditory system and elsewhere. Second, in females this activity may be regulated by the same hormones that regulate behavioral preferences for song. Finally, much of the evidence thought to implicate neuromodulators in song discrimination and memory suggests that they may affect incentive salience. Expanding the study of incentive salience beyond the mesolimbic reward system may reveal some new ways of thinking about its underlying neural basis. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled "Communication Sounds and the Brain: New Directions and Perspectives".
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Affiliation(s)
- Donna L Maney
- Department of Psychology, 36 Eagle Row, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
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32
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HTR2 receptors in a songbird premotor cortical-like area modulate spectral characteristics of zebra finch song. J Neurosci 2013; 33:2908-15. [PMID: 23407949 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.4291-12.2013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Serotonin [5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)] is involved in modulating an array of complex behaviors including learning, depression, and circadian rhythms. Additionally, HTR2 receptors on layer V pyramidal neurons are thought to mediate the actions of psychedelic drugs; the native function of these receptors at this site, however, remains unknown. Previously, we found that activation of HTR2 receptors in the zebra finch forebrain song premotor structure the robust nucleus of the arcopallium (RA) led to increased excitation, and that endogenous 5-HT could roughly double spontaneous firing rate. Here, using in vivo single-unit recordings, we found that direct application of 5-HT to these same RA projection neurons, which are analogous to layer V cortical pyramidal neurons, caused a significant increase in the number of action potentials per song-related burst, and a dramatic decrease in signal-to-noise ratio. Injection of the serotonergic neurotoxin 5,7-dihydroxytryptamine into the third ventricle greatly reduced telencephalic 5-HT and resulted in decreased fundamental frequency of harmonic syllables as well as increased goodness of pitch. Both of these results can be explained by the observed actions of 5-HT on RA projection neurons, and both effects recovered to baseline within 2 weeks following the toxin injection. These results show that 5-HT is involved in modulating spectral properties of song, likely via effects on RA projection neurons, but that adult zebra finches can partially compensate for this deficit within 7 d.
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33
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Pollak GD. The dominant role of inhibition in creating response selectivities for communication calls in the brainstem auditory system. Hear Res 2013; 305:86-101. [PMID: 23545427 DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2013.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2012] [Revised: 02/20/2013] [Accepted: 03/06/2013] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
This review is concerned with how communication calls are processed and represented by populations of neurons in both the inferior colliculus (IC), the auditory midbrain nucleus, and the dorsal nucleus of the lateral lemniscus (DNLL), the nucleus just caudal to the IC. The review has five sections where focus in each section is on inhibition and its role in shaping response selectivity for communication calls. In the first section, the lack of response selectivity for calls in DNLL neurons is presented and discusses why inhibition plays virtually no role in shaping selectivity. In the second section, the lack of selectivity in the DNLL is contrasted with the high degree of response selectivity in the IC. The third section then reviews how inhibition in the IC shapes response selectivities for calls, and how those selectivities can create a population response with a distinctive response profile to a particular call, which differs from the population profile evoked by any other call. The fourth section is concerned with the specifics of inhibition in the IC, and how the interaction of excitation and inhibition creates directional selectivities for frequency modulations, one of the principal acoustic features of communication signals. The two major hypotheses for directional selectivity are presented. One is the timing hypothesis, which holds that the precise timing of excitation relative to inhibition is the feature that shapes directionality. The other hypothesis is that the relative magnitudes of excitation and inhibition are the dominant features that shape directionality, where timing is relatively unimportant. The final section then turns to the role of serotonin, a neuromodulator that can markedly change responses to calls in the IC. Serotonin provides a linkage between behavioral states and processing. This linkage is discussed in the final section together with the hypothesis that serotonin acts to enhances the contrast in the population responses to various calls over and above the distinctive population responses that were created by inhibition. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled "Communication Sounds and the Brain: New Directions and Perspectives".
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Affiliation(s)
- George D Pollak
- Section of Neurobiology and Center for Perceptual Systems, 337 Patterson Laboratory Building, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA.
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34
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Matragrano LL, LeBlanc MM, Chitrapu A, Blanton ZE, Maney DL. Testosterone alters genomic responses to song and monoaminergic innervation of auditory areas in a seasonally breeding songbird. Dev Neurobiol 2013; 73:455-68. [PMID: 23362219 DOI: 10.1002/dneu.22072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2012] [Revised: 11/16/2012] [Accepted: 01/12/2013] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Behavioral responses to social stimuli often vary according to endocrine state. Our previous work has suggested that such changes in behavior may be due in part to hormone-dependent sensory processing. In the auditory forebrain of female white-throated sparrows, expression of the immediate early gene ZENK (egr-1) is higher in response to conspecific song than to a control sound only when plasma estradiol reaches breeding-typical levels. Estradiol also increases the number of detectable noradrenergic neurons in the locus coeruleus and the density of noradrenergic and serotonergic fibers innervating auditory areas. We hypothesize, therefore, that reproductive hormones alter auditory responses by acting on monoaminergic systems. This possibility has not been examined in males. Here, we treated non-breeding male white-throated sparrows with testosterone to mimic breeding-typical levels and then exposed them to conspecific male song or frequency-matched tones. We observed selective ZENK responses in the caudomedial nidopallium only in the testosterone-treated males. Responses in another auditory area, the caudomedial mesopallium, were selective regardless of hormone treatment. Testosterone treatment reduced serotonergic fiber density in the auditory forebrain, thalamus, and midbrain, and although it increased the number of noradrenergic neurons detected in the locus coeruleus, it reduced noradrenergic fiber density in the auditory midbrain. Thus, whereas we previously reported that estradiol enhances monoaminergic innervation of the auditory pathway in females, we show here that testosterone decreases it in males. Mechanisms underlying testosterone-dependent selectivity of the ZENK response may differ from estradiol-dependent ones
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Abstract
During waking behavior, animals adapt their state of arousal in response to environmental pressures. Sensory processing is regulated in aroused states, and several lines of evidence imply that this is mediated at least partly by the serotonergic system. However, there is little information directly showing that serotonergic function is required for state-dependent modulation of sensory processing. Here we find that zebrafish larvae can maintain a short-term state of arousal during which neurons in the dorsal raphe modulate sensory responsiveness to behaviorally relevant visual cues. After a brief exposure to water flow, larvae show elevated activity and heightened sensitivity to perceived motion. Calcium imaging of neuronal activity after flow revealed increased activity in serotonergic neurons of the dorsal raphe. Genetic ablation of these neurons abolished the increase in visual sensitivity during arousal without affecting baseline visual function or locomotor activity. We traced projections from the dorsal raphe to a major visual area, the optic tectum. Laser ablation of the tectum demonstrated that this structure, like the dorsal raphe, is required for improved visual sensitivity during arousal. These findings reveal that serotonergic neurons of the dorsal raphe have a state-dependent role in matching sensory responsiveness to behavioral context.
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King AJ, Walker KMM. Integrating information from different senses in the auditory cortex. BIOLOGICAL CYBERNETICS 2012; 106:617-25. [PMID: 22798035 PMCID: PMC4340563 DOI: 10.1007/s00422-012-0502-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2012] [Accepted: 06/21/2012] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Multisensory integration was once thought to be the domain of brain areas high in the cortical hierarchy, with early sensory cortical fields devoted to unisensory processing of inputs from their given set of sensory receptors. More recently, a wealth of evidence documenting visual and somatosensory responses in auditory cortex, even as early as the primary fields, has changed this view of cortical processing. These multisensory inputs may serve to enhance responses to sounds that are accompanied by other sensory cues, effectively making them easier to hear, but may also act more selectively to shape the receptive field properties of auditory cortical neurons to the location or identity of these events. We discuss the new, converging evidence that multiplexing of neural signals may play a key role in informatively encoding and integrating signals in auditory cortex across multiple sensory modalities. We highlight some of the many open research questions that exist about the neural mechanisms that give rise to multisensory integration in auditory cortex, which should be addressed in future experimental and theoretical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew J King
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
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37
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Hurley LM, Sullivan MR. From behavioral context to receptors: serotonergic modulatory pathways in the IC. Front Neural Circuits 2012; 6:58. [PMID: 22973195 PMCID: PMC3434355 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2012.00058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2012] [Accepted: 08/10/2012] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In addition to ascending, descending, and lateral auditory projections, inputs extrinsic to the auditory system also influence neural processing in the inferior colliculus (IC). These types of inputs often have an important role in signaling salient factors such as behavioral context or internal state. One route for such extrinsic information is through centralized neuromodulatory networks like the serotonergic system. Serotonergic inputs to the IC originate from centralized raphe nuclei, release serotonin in the IC, and activate serotonin receptors expressed by auditory neurons. Different types of serotonin receptors act as parallel pathways regulating specific features of circuitry within the IC. This results from variation in subcellular localizations and effector pathways of different receptors, which consequently influence auditory responses in distinct ways. Serotonin receptors may regulate GABAergic inhibition, influence response gain, alter spike timing, or have effects that are dependent on the level of activity. Serotonin receptor types additionally interact in nonadditive ways to produce distinct combinatorial effects. This array of effects of serotonin is likely to depend on behavioral context, since the levels of serotonin in the IC transiently increase during behavioral events including stressful situations and social interaction. These studies support a broad model of serotonin receptors as a link between behavioral context and reconfiguration of circuitry in the IC, and the resulting possibility that plasticity at the level of specific receptor types could alter the relationship between context and circuit function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura M Hurley
- Department of Biology, Center for the Integrative Study of Animal Behavior, Indiana University Bloomington, IN, USA
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Rapid effects of hearing song on catecholaminergic activity in the songbird auditory pathway. PLoS One 2012; 7:e39388. [PMID: 22724011 PMCID: PMC3378548 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0039388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2012] [Accepted: 05/23/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Catecholaminergic (CA) neurons innervate sensory areas and affect the processing of sensory signals. For example, in birds, CA fibers innervate the auditory pathway at each level, including the midbrain, thalamus, and forebrain. We have shown previously that in female European starlings, CA activity in the auditory forebrain can be enhanced by exposure to attractive male song for one week. It is not known, however, whether hearing song can initiate that activity more rapidly. Here, we exposed estrogen-primed, female white-throated sparrows to conspecific male song and looked for evidence of rapid synthesis of catecholamines in auditory areas. In one hemisphere of the brain, we used immunohistochemistry to detect the phosphorylation of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), a rate-limiting enzyme in the CA synthetic pathway. We found that immunoreactivity for TH phosphorylated at serine 40 increased dramatically in the auditory forebrain, but not the auditory thalamus and midbrain, after 15 min of song exposure. In the other hemisphere, we used high pressure liquid chromatography to measure catecholamines and their metabolites. We found that two dopamine metabolites, dihydroxyphenylacetic acid and homovanillic acid, increased in the auditory forebrain but not the auditory midbrain after 30 min of exposure to conspecific song. Our results are consistent with the hypothesis that exposure to a behaviorally relevant auditory stimulus rapidly induces CA activity, which may play a role in auditory responses.
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39
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Hall IC, Sell GL, Chester EM, Hurley LM. Stress-evoked increases in serotonin in the auditory midbrain do not directly result from elevations in serum corticosterone. Behav Brain Res 2012; 226:41-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2011.08.042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2011] [Revised: 08/26/2011] [Accepted: 08/27/2011] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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40
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Plasticity of serotonergic innervation of the inferior colliculus in mice following acoustic trauma. Hear Res 2011; 283:89-97. [PMID: 22101024 DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2011.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2011] [Revised: 10/11/2011] [Accepted: 11/03/2011] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Acoustic trauma often results in permanent damage to the cochlea, triggering changes in processing within central auditory structures such as the inferior colliculus (IC). The serotonergic neuromodulatory system, present in the IC, is responsive to chronic changes in the activity of sensory systems. The current study investigated whether the density of serotonergic innervation in the IC is changed following acoustic trauma. The trauma stimulus consisted of an 8 kHz pure tone presented at a level of 113 dB SPL for six consecutive hours to anesthetized CBA/J mice. Following a minimum recovery period of three weeks, serotonergic fibers were visualized via histochemical techniques targeting the serotonin reuptake transporter (SERT) and quantified using stereologic probes. SERT-positive fiber densities were then compared between the traumatized and protected hemispheres of unilaterally traumatized subjects and those of controls. A significant effect of acoustic trauma was found between the hemispheres of unilaterally traumatized subjects such that the IC contralateral to the ear of exposure contained a lower density of SERT-positive fibers than the IC ipsilateral to acoustic trauma. No significant difference in density was found between the hemispheres of control subjects. Additional dimensions of variability in serotonergic fibers were seen among subdivisions of the IC and with age. The central IC had a slightly but significantly lowered density of serotonergic fibers than other subdivisions of the IC, and serotonergic fibers also declined with age. Overall, the results indicate that acoustic trauma is capable of producing modest but significant decreases in the density of serotonergic fibers innervating the IC.
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Wood WE, Lovell PV, Mello CV, Perkel DJ. Serotonin, via HTR2 receptors, excites neurons in a cortical-like premotor nucleus necessary for song learning and production. J Neurosci 2011; 31:13808-15. [PMID: 21957243 PMCID: PMC3220194 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2281-11.2011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2011] [Revised: 07/06/2011] [Accepted: 08/05/2011] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Serotonin (5-HT) is a neuromodulator that is important for neural development, learning and memory, mood, and perception. Dysfunction of the serotonin system is central to depression and other clinically important mood disorders and has been linked with learning deficits. In mammals, 5-HT release from the raphe nuclei in the brainstem can modulate the functional properties of cortical neurons, influencing sensory and motor processing. Birds also have serotonergic neurons in the dorsal raphe, suggesting that 5-HT plays similar roles in sensory and motor processing, perhaps modulating brain circuitry underlying birdsong. To investigate this possibility, we measured the effects of 5-HT on spontaneous firing of projection neurons in the premotor robust nucleus of the arcopallium in brain slices from male zebra finches. These neurons are thought be akin to cortical layer V pyramidal neurons. 5-HT dramatically and reversibly enhanced the endogenous firing of RA neurons. Using pharmacological agonists and antagonists in vitro, we determined this action is mediated via HTR2 receptors, which we verified are expressed by in situ hybridization. Finally, focal administration of the serotonin selective reuptake inhibitor fluvoxamine revealed that endogenous 5-HT is sufficient to mediate this effect in vivo. These findings reveal a modulatory action of serotonin on the physiology of the song system circuitry and suggest a novel role of serotonin in regulating song production and/or learning; further understanding of the role of 5-HT in this system may help illuminate the complex role of this neuromodulator in social interactions and motor plasticity in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- William E Wood
- Graduate Program in Neurobiology and Behavior, Departments of Biology and Otolaryngology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA.
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Matragrano LL, Sanford SE, Salvante KG, Beaulieu M, Sockman KW, Maney DL. Estradiol-dependent modulation of serotonergic markers in auditory areas of a seasonally breeding songbird. Behav Neurosci 2011; 126:110-22. [PMID: 21942431 DOI: 10.1037/a0025586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Because no organism lives in an unchanging environment, sensory processes must remain plastic so that in any context, they emphasize the most relevant signals. As the behavioral relevance of sociosexual signals changes along with reproductive state, the perception of those signals is altered by reproductive hormones such as estradiol (E2). We showed previously that in white-throated sparrows, immediate early gene responses in the auditory pathway of females are selective for conspecific male song only when plasma E2 is elevated to breeding-typical levels. In this study, we looked for evidence that E2-dependent modulation of auditory responses is mediated by serotonergic systems. In female nonbreeding white-throated sparrows treated with E2, the density of fibers immunoreactive for serotonin transporter innervating the auditory midbrain and rostral auditory forebrain increased compared with controls. E2 treatment also increased the concentration of the serotonin metabolite 5-HIAA in the caudomedial mesopallium of the auditory forebrain. In a second experiment, females exposed to 30 min of conspecific male song had higher levels of 5-HIAA in the caudomedial nidopallium of the auditory forebrain than birds not exposed to song. Overall, we show that in this seasonal breeder, (a) serotonergic fibers innervate auditory areas; (b) the density of those fibers is higher in females with breeding-typical levels of E2 than in nonbreeding, untreated females; and (c) serotonin is released in the auditory forebrain within minutes in response to conspecific vocalizations. Our results are consistent with the hypothesis that E2 acts via serotonin systems to alter auditory processing.
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