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Jansen M, Overgaauw S, de Bruijn ERA. L-DOPA and oxytocin influence the neural correlates of performance monitoring for self and others. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2024; 241:1079-1092. [PMID: 38286857 PMCID: PMC11031497 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-024-06541-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2023] [Accepted: 01/20/2024] [Indexed: 01/31/2024]
Abstract
RATIONALE The ability to monitor the consequences of our actions for others is imperative for flexible and adaptive behavior, and allows us to act in a (pro)social manner. Yet, little is known about the neurochemical mechanisms underlying alterations in (pro)social performance monitoring. OBJECTIVE The aim of this functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study was to improve our understanding of the role of dopamine and oxytocin and their potential overlap in the neural mechanisms underlying performance monitoring for own versus others' outcomes. METHOD Using a double-blind placebo-controlled cross-over design, 30 healthy male volunteers were administered oxytocin (24 international units), the dopamine precursor L-DOPA (100 mg + 25 mg carbidopa), or placebo in three sessions. Participants performed a computerized cannon shooting game in two recipient conditions where mistakes resulted in negative monetary consequences for (1) oneself or (2) an anonymous other participant. RESULTS Results indicated reduced error-correct differentiation in the ventral striatum after L-DOPA compared to placebo, independent of recipient. Hence, pharmacological manipulation of dopamine via L-DOPA modulated performance-monitoring activity in a brain region associated with reward prediction and processing in a domain-general manner. In contrast, oxytocin modulated the BOLD response in a recipient-specific manner, such that it specifically enhanced activity for errors that affected the other in the pregenual anterior cingulate cortex (pgACC), a region previously implicated in the processing of social rewards and prediction errors. Behaviorally, we also found reduced target sizes-indicative of better performance-after oxytocin, regardless of recipient. Moreover, after oxytocin lower target sizes specifically predicted higher pgACC activity when performing for others. CONCLUSIONS These different behavioral and neural patterns after oxytocin compared to L-DOPA administration highlight a divergent role of each neurochemical in modulating the neural mechanisms underlying social performance monitoring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Myrthe Jansen
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC), Leiden, The Netherlands.
| | - Sandy Overgaauw
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC), Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Ellen R A de Bruijn
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC), Leiden, The Netherlands
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2
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Grill F, Guitart-Masip M, Johansson J, Stiernman L, Axelsson J, Nyberg L, Rieckmann A. Dopamine release in human associative striatum during reversal learning. Nat Commun 2024; 15:59. [PMID: 38167691 PMCID: PMC10762220 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-44358-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2022] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
The dopaminergic system is firmly implicated in reversal learning but human measurements of dopamine release as a correlate of reversal learning success are lacking. Dopamine release and hemodynamic brain activity in response to unexpected changes in action-outcome probabilities are here explored using simultaneous dynamic [11C]Raclopride PET-fMRI and computational modelling of behavior. When participants encounter reversed reward probabilities during a card guessing game, dopamine release is observed in associative striatum. Individual differences in absolute reward prediction error and sensitivity to errors are associated with peak dopamine receptor occupancy. The fMRI response to perseverance errors at the onset of a reversal spatially overlap with the site of dopamine release. Trial-by-trial fMRI correlates of absolute prediction errors show a response in striatum and association cortices, closely overlapping with the location of dopamine release, and separable from a valence signal in ventral striatum. The results converge to implicate striatal dopamine release in associative striatum as a central component of reversal learning, possibly signifying the need for increased cognitive control when new stimuli-responses should be learned.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filip Grill
- Department of Diagnostics and Intervention, Diagnostic Radiology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.
- Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.
| | - Marc Guitart-Masip
- Aging Research Center, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Center for Psychiatry Research, Region Stockholm, Stockholm, Sweden
- Center for Cognitive and Computational Neuropsychiatry (CCNP), Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, University College London, London, UK
| | - Jarkko Johansson
- Department of Diagnostics and Intervention, Diagnostic Radiology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
- Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Lars Stiernman
- Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
- Department of Medical and Translational Biology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Jan Axelsson
- Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
- Department of Diagnostics and Intervention, Radiation Physics, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Lars Nyberg
- Department of Diagnostics and Intervention, Diagnostic Radiology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
- Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
- Department of Medical and Translational Biology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Anna Rieckmann
- Department of Diagnostics and Intervention, Diagnostic Radiology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.
- Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.
- Department of Medical and Translational Biology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.
- Institute for Psychology, University of the Bundeswehr Munich, Neubiberg, Germany.
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Ding Y, Ou Y, Yan H, Liu F, Li H, Li P, Xie G, Cui X, Guo W. Uncovering the Neural Correlates of Anhedonia Subtypes in Major Depressive Disorder: Implications for Intervention Strategies. Biomedicines 2023; 11:3138. [PMID: 38137360 PMCID: PMC10740577 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11123138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2023] [Revised: 11/10/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Major depressive disorder (MDD) represents a serious public health concern, negatively affecting individuals' quality of life and making a substantial contribution to the global burden of disease. Anhedonia is a core symptom of MDD and is associated with poor treatment outcomes. Variability in anhedonia components within MDD has been observed, suggesting heterogeneity in psychopathology across subgroups. However, little is known about anhedonia subgroups in MDD and their underlying neural correlates across subgroups. To address this question, we employed a hierarchical cluster analysis based on Temporal Experience of Pleasure Scale subscales in 60 first-episode, drug-naive MDD patients and 32 healthy controls. Then we conducted a connectome-wide association study and whole-brain voxel-wise functional analyses for identified subgroups. There were three main findings: (1) three subgroups with different anhedonia profiles were identified using a data mining approach; (2) several parts of the reward network (especially pallidum and dorsal striatum) were associated with anticipatory and consummatory pleasure; (3) different patterns of within- and between-network connectivity contributed to the disparities of anhedonia profiles across three MDD subgroups. Here, we show that anhedonia in MDD is not uniform and can be categorized into distinct subgroups, and our research contributes to the understanding of neural underpinnings, offering potential treatment directions. This work emphasizes the need for tailored approaches in the complex landscape of MDD. The identification of homogeneous, stable, and neurobiologically valid MDD subtypes could significantly enhance our comprehension and management of this multifaceted condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yudan Ding
- Department of Psychiatry, National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, National Center for Mental Disorders, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha 410011, China; (Y.D.); (H.Y.); (G.X.)
| | - Yangpan Ou
- Department of Psychiatry, National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, National Center for Mental Disorders, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha 410011, China; (Y.D.); (H.Y.); (G.X.)
| | - Haohao Yan
- Department of Psychiatry, National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, National Center for Mental Disorders, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha 410011, China; (Y.D.); (H.Y.); (G.X.)
| | - Feng Liu
- Department of Radiology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin 300052, China;
| | - Huabing Li
- Department of Radiology, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha 410011, China;
| | - Ping Li
- Department of Psychiatry, Qiqihar Medical University, Qiqihar 161006, China;
| | - Guangrong Xie
- Department of Psychiatry, National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, National Center for Mental Disorders, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha 410011, China; (Y.D.); (H.Y.); (G.X.)
| | - Xilong Cui
- Department of Psychiatry, National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, National Center for Mental Disorders, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha 410011, China; (Y.D.); (H.Y.); (G.X.)
| | - Wenbin Guo
- Department of Psychiatry, National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, National Center for Mental Disorders, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha 410011, China; (Y.D.); (H.Y.); (G.X.)
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Jansen M, Lockwood PL, Cutler J, de Bruijn ERA. l-DOPA and oxytocin influence the neurocomputational mechanisms of self-benefitting and prosocial reinforcement learning. Neuroimage 2023; 270:119983. [PMID: 36848972 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.119983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2022] [Revised: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 02/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Humans learn through reinforcement, particularly when outcomes are unexpected. Recent research suggests similar mechanisms drive how we learn to benefit other people, that is, how we learn to be prosocial. Yet the neurochemical mechanisms underlying such prosocial computations remain poorly understood. Here, we investigated whether pharmacological manipulation of oxytocin and dopamine influence the neurocomputational mechanisms underlying self-benefitting and prosocial reinforcement learning. Using a double-blind placebo-controlled cross-over design, we administered intranasal oxytocin (24 IU), dopamine precursor l-DOPA (100 mg + 25 mg carbidopa), or placebo over three sessions. Participants performed a probabilistic reinforcement learning task with potential rewards for themselves, another participant, or no one, during functional magnetic resonance imaging. Computational models of reinforcement learning were used to calculate prediction errors (PEs) and learning rates. Participants behavior was best explained by a model with different learning rates for each recipient, but these were unaffected by either drug. On the neural level, however, both drugs blunted PE signaling in the ventral striatum and led to negative signaling of PEs in the anterior mid-cingulate cortex, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, inferior parietal gyrus, and precentral gyrus, compared to placebo, and regardless of recipient. Oxytocin (versus placebo) administration was additionally associated with opposing tracking of self-benefitting versus prosocial PEs in dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, insula and superior temporal gyrus. These findings suggest that both l-DOPA and oxytocin induce a context-independent shift from positive towards negative tracking of PEs during learning. Moreover, oxytocin may have opposing effects on PE signaling when learning to benefit oneself versus another.
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Affiliation(s)
- Myrthe Jansen
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Leiden University, the Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC), Leiden, the Netherlands.
| | - Patricia L Lockwood
- Centre for Human Brain Health, School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK; Institute for Mental Health, School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK; Centre for Developmental Science, School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, UK
| | - Jo Cutler
- Centre for Human Brain Health, School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK; Institute for Mental Health, School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK; Centre for Developmental Science, School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, UK
| | - Ellen R A de Bruijn
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Leiden University, the Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC), Leiden, the Netherlands
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5
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Weinstein AM. Reward, motivation and brain imaging in human healthy participants - A narrative review. Front Behav Neurosci 2023; 17:1123733. [PMID: 37035621 PMCID: PMC10079947 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2023.1123733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 04/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Over the past 20 years there has been an increasing number of brain imaging studies on the mechanisms underlying reward motivation in humans. This narrative review describes studies on the neural mechanisms associated with reward motivation and their relationships with cognitive function in healthy human participants. The brain's meso-limbic dopamine reward circuitry in humans is known to control reward-motivated behavior in humans. The medial and lateral Pre-Frontal Cortex (PFC) integrate motivation and cognitive control during decision-making and the dorsolateral PFC (dlPFC) integrates and transmits signals of reward to the mesolimbic and meso-cortical dopamine circuits and initiates motivated behavior. The thalamus and insula influence incentive processing in humans and the motor system plays a role in response to action control. There are reciprocal relationships between reward motivation, learning, memory, imagery, working memory, and attention. The most common method of assessing reward motivation is the monetary incentive delay task (DMRT) and there are several meta-analyses of this paradigm. Genetics modulates motivation reward, and dopamine provides the basis for the interaction between motivational and cognitive control. There is some evidence that male adolescents take more risky decisions than female adolescents and that the lateralization of reward-related DA release in the ventral striatum is confined to men. These studies have implications for our understanding of natural reward and psychiatric conditions like addiction, depression and ADHD. Furthermore, the association between reward and memory can help develop treatment techniques for drug addiction that interfere with consolidation of memory. Finally, there is a lack of research on reward motivation, genetics and sex differences and this can improve our understanding of the relationships between reward, motivation and the brain.
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Simonsson E, Stiernman LJ, Lundquist A, Rosendahl E, Hedlund M, Lindelöf N, Boraxbekk CJ. Dopamine D2/3-receptor availability and its association with autonomous motivation to exercise in older adults: An exploratory [11C]-raclopride study. Front Hum Neurosci 2022; 16:997131. [DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2022.997131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2022] [Accepted: 10/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BackgroundAutonomous motivation to exercise occurs when the activity is voluntary and with a perceived inherent satisfaction from the activity itself. It has been suggested that autonomous motivation is related to striatal dopamine D2/3-receptor (D2/3R) availability within the brain. In this study, we hypothesized that D2/3R availability in three striatal regions (nucleus accumbens, caudate nucleus, and putamen) would be positively associated with self-reported autonomous motivation to exercise. We also examined this relationship with additional exploratory analyses across a set of a priori extrastriatal regions of interest (ROI).MethodsOur sample comprised 49 older adults (28 females) between 64 and 78 years of age. The D2/3R availability was quantified from positron emission tomography using the non-displaceable binding potential of [11C]-raclopride ligand. The exercise-related autonomous motivation was assessed with the Swedish version of the Behavioral Regulations in Exercise Questionnaire-2.ResultsNo significant associations were observed between self-reported autonomous motivation to exercise and D2/3R availability within the striatum (nucleus accumbens, caudate nucleus, and putamen) using semi-partial correlations controlling for ROI volume on D2/3R availability. For exploratory analyses, positive associations were observed for the superior (r = 0.289, p = 0.023) and middle frontal gyrus (r = 0.330, p = 0.011), but not for the inferior frontal gyrus, orbitofrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, or anterior insular cortex.ConclusionThis study could not confirm the suggested link between striatal D2/3R availability and subjective autonomous motivation to exercise among older adults. The exploratory findings, however, propose that frontal brain regions may be involved in the intrinsic regulation of exercise-related behaviors, though this has to be confirmed by future studies using a more suitable ligand and objective measures of physical activity levels.
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7
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Zeevi L, Irani M, Catana C, Feldman Barrett L, Atzil S. Maternal dopamine encodes affective signals of human infants. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2022; 17:503-509. [PMID: 34750627 PMCID: PMC9071406 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsab116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2020] [Revised: 09/24/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Mothers are highly responsive to their offspring. In non-human mammals, mothers secrete dopamine in the nucleus accumbens (NAcc) in response to their pups. Yet, it is still unknown which aspect of the offspring behavior elicits dopaminergic responses in mothers. Here, we tested whether infants' affective signals elicit dopaminergic responses in the NAcc of human mothers. First, we conducted a behavioral analysis on videos of infants' free play and quantified the affective signals infants spontaneously communicated. Then, we presented the same videos to mothers during a magnetic resonance-positron emission tomography scan. We traced the binding of [11C]raclopride to free D2/3-type receptors to assess maternal dopaminergic responses during the infant videos. When mothers observed videos with many infant signals during the scan, they had less [11C]raclopride binding in the right NAcc. Less [11C]raclopride binding indicates that less D2/3 receptors were free, possibly due to increased endogenous dopamine responses to infants' affective signals. We conclude that NAcc D2/3 receptors are involved in maternal responsiveness to affective signals of human infants. D2/3 receptors have been associated with maternal responsiveness in nonhuman animals. This evidence supports a similar mechanism in humans and specifies infant-behaviors that activate the maternal dopaminergic system, with implications for social neuroscience, development and psychopathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lior Zeevi
- Department of Psychology, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91905, Israel
| | - Merav Irani
- Department of Psychology, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91905, Israel
| | - Ciprian Catana
- Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| | - Lisa Feldman Barrett
- Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
- Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Shir Atzil
- Department of Psychology, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91905, Israel
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8
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Grill F, Johansson J, Axelsson J, Brynolfsson P, Nyberg L, Rieckmann A. Dissecting Motor and Cognitive Component Processes of a Finger-Tapping Task With Hybrid Dopamine Positron Emission Tomography and Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging. Front Hum Neurosci 2021; 15:733091. [PMID: 34912200 PMCID: PMC8667474 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2021.733091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Accepted: 11/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Striatal dopamine is involved in facilitation of motor action as well as various cognitive and emotional functions. Positron emission tomography (PET) is the primary imaging method used to investigate dopamine function in humans. Previous PET studies have shown striatal dopamine release during simple finger tapping in both the putamen and the caudate. It is likely that dopamine release in the putamen is related to motor processes while dopamine release in the caudate could signal sustained cognitive component processes of the task, but the poor temporal resolution of PET has hindered firm conclusions. In this study we simultaneously collected [11C]Raclopride PET and functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) data while participants performed finger tapping, with fMRI being able to isolate activations related to individual tapping events. The results revealed fMRI-PET overlap in the bilateral putamen, which is consistent with a motor component process. Selective PET responses in the caudate, ventral striatum, and right posterior putamen, were also observed but did not overlap with fMRI responses to tapping events, suggesting that these reflect non-motor component processes of finger tapping. Our findings suggest an interplay between motor and non-motor-related dopamine release during simple finger tapping and illustrate the potential of hybrid PET-fMRI in revealing distinct component processes of cognitive functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filip Grill
- Department of Radiation Sciences, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.,Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Jarkko Johansson
- Department of Radiation Sciences, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.,Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Jan Axelsson
- Department of Radiation Sciences, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.,Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Patrik Brynolfsson
- Department of Radiation Sciences, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.,Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Lars Nyberg
- Department of Radiation Sciences, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.,Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.,Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Anna Rieckmann
- Department of Radiation Sciences, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.,Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.,Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.,The Munich Center for the Economics of Aging, Max-Planck-Institute for Social Law and Social Policy, Munich, Germany
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9
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Hahn A, Reed MB, Pichler V, Michenthaler P, Rischka L, Godbersen GM, Wadsak W, Hacker M, Lanzenberger R. Functional dynamics of dopamine synthesis during monetary reward and punishment processing. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab 2021; 41:2973-2985. [PMID: 34053336 PMCID: PMC8543667 DOI: 10.1177/0271678x211019827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
The assessment of dopamine release with the PET competition model is thoroughly validated but entails disadvantages for the investigation of cognitive processes. We introduce a novel approach incorporating 6-[18F]FDOPA uptake as index of the dynamic regulation of dopamine synthesis enzymes by neuronal firing. The feasibility of this approach is demonstrated by assessing widely described sex differences in dopamine neurotransmission. Reward processing was behaviorally investigated in 36 healthy participants, of whom 16 completed fPET and fMRI during the monetary incentive delay task. A single 50 min fPET acquisition with 6-[18F]FDOPA served to quantify task-specific changes in dopamine synthesis. In men monetary gain induced stronger increases in ventral striatum dopamine synthesis than loss. Interestingly, the opposite effect was discovered in women. These changes were further associated with reward (men) and punishment sensitivity (women). As expected, fMRI showed robust task-specific neuronal activation but no sex difference. Our findings provide a neurobiological basis for known behavioral sex differences in reward and punishment processing, with important implications in psychiatric disorders showing sex-specific prevalence, altered reward processing and dopamine signaling. The high temporal resolution and magnitude of task-specific changes make fPET a promising tool to investigate functional neurotransmitter dynamics during cognitive processing and in brain disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Hahn
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Murray B Reed
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Verena Pichler
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Division of Nuclear Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.,Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Division of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Paul Michenthaler
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Lucas Rischka
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Godber M Godbersen
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Wolfgang Wadsak
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Division of Nuclear Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.,Center for Biomarker Research in Medicine (CBmed), Graz, Austria
| | - Marcus Hacker
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Division of Nuclear Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Rupert Lanzenberger
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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10
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Turk AZ, Lotfi Marchoubeh M, Fritsch I, Maguire GA, SheikhBahaei S. Dopamine, vocalization, and astrocytes. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2021; 219:104970. [PMID: 34098250 PMCID: PMC8260450 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2021.104970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2020] [Revised: 05/21/2021] [Accepted: 05/23/2021] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Dopamine, the main catecholamine neurotransmitter in the brain, is predominately produced in the basal ganglia and released to various brain regions including the frontal cortex, midbrain and brainstem. Dopamine's effects are widespread and include modulation of a number of voluntary and innate behaviors. Vigilant regulation and modulation of dopamine levels throughout the brain is imperative for proper execution of motor behaviors, in particular speech and other types of vocalizations. While dopamine's role in motor circuitry is widely accepted, its unique function in normal and abnormal speech production is not fully understood. In this perspective, we first review the role of dopaminergic circuits in vocal production. We then discuss and propose the conceivable involvement of astrocytes, the numerous star-shaped glia cells of the brain, in the dopaminergic network modulating normal and abnormal vocal productions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ariana Z Turk
- Neuron-Glia Signaling and Circuits Unit, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, 20892 MD, USA
| | - Mahsa Lotfi Marchoubeh
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, 72701 AR, USA
| | - Ingrid Fritsch
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, 72701 AR, USA
| | - Gerald A Maguire
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of California, Riverside, 92521 CA, USA
| | - Shahriar SheikhBahaei
- Neuron-Glia Signaling and Circuits Unit, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, 20892 MD, USA.
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Abstract
Modulation of cognitive control by emotion and motivation has become a major topic in cognition research; however, characterizing the extent to which these influences may dissociate has proved challenging. Here, I examine recent advances in this literature, focusing on: (1) neuromodulator mechanisms underlying positive affect and reward motivation effects on cognitive control; (2) contingency and associative learning in interactions between affect/reward and cognitive control; (3) aspects of task design, unrelated to affect/reward, that may have acted as confounding influences on cognitive control in prior work. I suggest that positive affect and reward should not be considered singular in their effects on cognitive control, but instead varying on multiple parameters and interacting with task demands, to determine goal-directed, adaptive behavior.
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12
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Hofmans L, van den Bosch R, Määttä JI, Verkes RJ, Aarts E, Cools R. The cognitive effects of a promised bonus do not depend on dopamine synthesis capacity. Sci Rep 2020; 10:16473. [PMID: 33020514 PMCID: PMC7536197 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-72329-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2020] [Accepted: 08/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Reward motivation is known to enhance cognitive control. However, detrimental effects have also been observed, which have been attributed to overdosing of already high baseline dopamine levels by further dopamine increases elicited by reward cues. Aarts et al. (2014) indeed demonstrated, in 14 individuals, that reward effects depended on striatal dopamine synthesis capacity, measured with [18F]FMT-PET: promised reward improved Stroop control in low-dopamine individuals, while impairing it in high-dopamine individuals. Here, we aimed to assess this same effect in 44 new participants, who had previously undergone an [18F]DOPA-PET scan to quantify dopamine synthesis capacity. This sample performed the exact same rewarded Stroop paradigm as in the prior study. However, we did not find any correlation between reward effects on cognitive control and striatal dopamine synthesis capacity. Critical differences between the radiotracers [18F]DOPA and [18F]FMT are discussed, as the discrepancy between the current and our previous findings might reflect the use of the potentially less sensitive [18F]DOPA radiotracer in the current study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lieke Hofmans
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Kapittelweg 29 r.2.269, 6525 EN, Nijmegen, The Netherlands. .,Department of Psychiatry, Radboudumc, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
| | - Ruben van den Bosch
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Kapittelweg 29 r.2.269, 6525 EN, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Department of Psychiatry, Radboudumc, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Jessica I Määttä
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Kapittelweg 29 r.2.269, 6525 EN, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Department of Psychiatry, Radboudumc, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Robbert-Jan Verkes
- Department of Psychiatry, Radboudumc, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Forensic Psychiatric Centre Nijmegen, Pompestichting, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Department of Criminal Law, Law School, Radboud Universiteit, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Esther Aarts
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Kapittelweg 29 r.2.269, 6525 EN, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Roshan Cools
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Kapittelweg 29 r.2.269, 6525 EN, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Department of Psychiatry, Radboudumc, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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13
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Karalija N, Jonassson L, Johansson J, Papenberg G, Salami A, Andersson M, Riklund K, Nyberg L, Boraxbekk CJ. High long-term test-retest reliability for extrastriatal 11C-raclopride binding in healthy older adults. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab 2020; 40:1859-1868. [PMID: 31506011 PMCID: PMC7446562 DOI: 10.1177/0271678x19874770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
In vivo dopamine D2-receptor availability is frequently assessed with 11C-raclopride and positron emission tomography. Due to low signal-to-noise ratios for 11C-raclopride in areas with low D2 receptor densities, the ligand has been considered unreliable for measurements outside the dopamine-dense striatum. Intriguingly, recent studies show that extrastriatal 11C-raclopride binding potential (BPND) values are (i) reliably higher than in the cerebellum (where D2-receptor levels are negligible), (ii) correlate with behavior in the expected direction, and (iii) showed good test-retest reliability in a sample of younger adults. The present work demonstrates high seven-month test-retest reliability of striatal and extrastriatal 11C-raclopride BPND values in healthy, older adults (n = 27, age: 64-78 years). Mean 11C-raclopride BPND values were stable between test sessions in subcortical nuclei, and in frontal and temporal cortices (p > 0.05). Across all structures analyzed, intraclass correlation coefficients were high (0.85-0.96), absolute variability was low (mean: 4-8%), and coefficients of variance ranged between 9 and 25%. Furthermore, regional 11C-raclopride BPND values correlated with previously determined 18F-fallypride BPND values (ρ = 0.97 and 0.92 in correlations with and without striatal values, respectively, p < 0.01) and postmortem determined D2-receptor densities (including striatum: ρ = 0.92; p < 0.001; excluding striatum: ρ = 0.75; p = 0.067). These observations suggest that extrastriatal 11C-raclopride measurements represent a true D2 signal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina Karalija
- Department of Radiation Sciences, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.,Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging (UFBI), Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Lars Jonassson
- Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging (UFBI), Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.,Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Jarkko Johansson
- Department of Radiation Sciences, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.,Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging (UFBI), Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Goran Papenberg
- Aging Research Center, Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Alireza Salami
- Department of Radiation Sciences, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.,Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging (UFBI), Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.,Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.,Aging Research Center, Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.,Wallenberg Centre for Molecular Medicine, Lund, Sweden
| | - Micael Andersson
- Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging (UFBI), Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.,Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Katrine Riklund
- Department of Radiation Sciences, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.,Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging (UFBI), Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Lars Nyberg
- Department of Radiation Sciences, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.,Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging (UFBI), Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.,Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Carl-Johan Boraxbekk
- Department of Radiation Sciences, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.,Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging (UFBI), Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.,Danish Research Center for Magnetic Resonance, Center for Functional and Diagnostic Imaging and Research, Copenhagen University Hospital, Hvidovre, Denmark
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14
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Age-related variability in decision-making: Insights from neurochemistry. COGNITIVE AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2020; 19:415-434. [PMID: 30536205 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-018-00678-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Despite dopamine's significant role in models of value-based decision-making and findings demonstrating loss of dopamine function in aging, evidence of systematic changes in decision-making over the life span remains elusive. Previous studies attempting to resolve the neural basis of age-related alteration in decision-making have typically focused on physical age, which can be a poor proxy for age-related effects on neural systems. There is growing appreciation that aging has heterogeneous effects on distinct components of the dopamine system within subject in addition to substantial variability between subjects. We propose that some of the conflicting findings in age-related effects on decision-making may be reconciled if we can observe the underlying dopamine components within individuals. This can be achieved by incorporating in vivo imaging techniques including positron emission tomography (PET) and neuromelanin-sensitive MR. Further, we discuss how affective factors may contribute to individual differences in decision-making performance among older adults. Specifically, we propose that age-related shifts in affective attention ("positivity effect") can, in some cases, counteract the impact of altered dopamine function on specific decision-making processes, contributing to variability in findings. In an effort to provide clarity to the field and advance productive hypothesis testing, we propose ways in which in vivo dopamine imaging can be leveraged to disambiguate dopaminergic influences on decision-making, and suggest strategies for assessing individual differences in the contribution of affective attentional focus.
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15
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Dopaminergic Mechanisms Underlying Normal Variation in Trait Anxiety. J Neurosci 2019; 39:2735-2744. [PMID: 30737306 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2382-18.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2018] [Revised: 01/03/2019] [Accepted: 01/29/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Trait anxiety has been associated with altered activity within corticolimbic pathways connecting the amygdala and rostral anterior cingulate cortex (rACC), which receive rich dopaminergic input. Though the popular culture uses the term "chemical imbalance" to describe the pathophysiology of psychiatric conditions such as anxiety disorders, we know little about how individual differences in human dopamine neurochemistry are related to variation in anxiety and activity within corticolimbic circuits. We addressed this issue by examining interindividual variability in dopamine release at rest using [11C]raclopride positron emission tomography (PET), functional connectivity between amygdala and rACC using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), and trait anxiety measures in healthy adult male and female humans. To measure endogenous dopamine release, we collected two [11C]raclopride PET scans per participant. We contrasted baseline [11C]raclopride D2/3 receptor binding and D2/3 receptor binding following oral methylphenidate administration. Methylphenidate blocks the dopamine transporter, which increases extracellular dopamine and leads to reduced [11C]raclopride D2/3 receptor binding via competitive displacement. We found that individuals with higher dopamine release in the amygdala and rACC self-reported lower trait anxiety. Lower trait anxiety was also associated with reduced rACC-amygdala functional connectivity at baseline. Further, functional connectivity showed a modest negative relationship with dopamine release such that reduced rACC-amygdala functional connectivity was accompanied by higher levels of dopamine release in these regions. Together, these findings contribute to hypodopaminergic models of anxiety and support the utility of combining fMRI and PET measures of neurochemical function to advance our understanding of basic affective processes in humans.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT It is common wisdom that individuals vary in their baseline levels of anxiety. We all have a friend or colleague we know to be more "tightly wound" than others, or, perhaps, we are the ones marveling at others' ability to "just go with the flow." Although such observations about individual differences within nonclinical populations are commonplace, the neural mechanisms underlying normal variation in trait anxiety have not been established. Using multimodal brain imaging in humans, this study takes initial steps in linking intrinsic measures of neuromodulator release and functional connectivity within regions implicated in anxiety disorders. Our findings suggest that in healthy adults, higher levels of trait anxiety may arise, at least in part, from reduced dopamine neurotransmission.
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16
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Dopamine D 2/3 Binding Potential Modulates Neural Signatures of Working Memory in a Load-Dependent Fashion. J Neurosci 2018; 39:537-547. [PMID: 30478031 PMCID: PMC6335744 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1493-18.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2018] [Revised: 10/19/2018] [Accepted: 11/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Dopamine (DA) modulates corticostriatal connections. Studies in which imaging of the DA system is integrated with functional imaging during cognitive performance have yielded mixed findings. Some work has shown a link between striatal DA (measured by PET) and fMRI activations, whereas others have failed to observe such a relationship. One possible reason for these discrepant findings is differences in task demands, such that a more demanding task with greater prefrontal activations may yield a stronger association with DA. Moreover, a potential DA–BOLD association may be modulated by task performance. We studied 155 (104 normal-performing and 51 low-performing) healthy older adults (43% females) who underwent fMRI scanning while performing a working memory (WM) n-back task along with DA D2/3 PET assessment using [11C]raclopride. Using multivariate partial-least-squares analysis, we observed a significant pattern revealing positive associations of striatal as well as extrastriatal DA D2/3 receptors to BOLD response in the thalamo–striatal–cortical circuit, which supports WM functioning. Critically, the DA–BOLD association in normal-performing, but not low-performing, individuals was expressed in a load-dependent fashion, with stronger associations during 3-back than 1-/2-back conditions. Moreover, normal-performing adults expressing upregulated BOLD in response to increasing task demands showed a stronger DA–BOLD association during 3-back, whereas low-performing individuals expressed a stronger association during 2-back conditions. This pattern suggests a nonlinear DA–BOLD performance association, with the strongest link at the maximum capacity level. Together, our results suggest that DA may have a stronger impact on functional brain responses during more demanding cognitive tasks. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Dopamine (DA) is a major neuromodulator in the CNS and plays a key role in several cognitive processes via modulating the blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) signal. Some studies have shown a link between DA and BOLD, whereas others have failed to observe such a relationship. A possible reason for the discrepancy is differences in task demands, such that a more demanding task with greater prefrontal activations may yield a stronger association with DA. We examined the relationship of DA to BOLD response during working memory under three load conditions and found that the DA–BOLD association is expressed in a load-dependent fashion. These findings may help explain the disproportionate impairment evident in more effortful cognitive tasks in normal aging and in those suffering dopamine-dependent neurodegenerative diseases (e.g., Parkinson's disease).
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17
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Karjalainen T, Seppälä K, Glerean E, Karlsson HK, Lahnakoski JM, Nuutila P, Jääskeläinen IP, Hari R, Sams M, Nummenmaa L. Opioidergic Regulation of Emotional Arousal: A Combined PET–fMRI Study. Cereb Cortex 2018; 29:4006-4016. [DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhy281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2018] [Revised: 10/11/2018] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Emotions can be characterized by dimensions of arousal and valence (pleasantness). While the functional brain bases of emotional arousal and valence have been actively investigated, the neuromolecular underpinnings remain poorly understood. We tested whether the opioid and dopamine systems involved in reward and motivational processes would be associated with emotional arousal and valence. We used in vivo positron emission tomography to quantify μ-opioid receptor and type 2 dopamine receptor (MOR and D2R, respectively) availability in brains of 35 healthy adult females. During subsequent functional magnetic resonance imaging carried out to monitor hemodynamic activity, the subjects viewed movie scenes of varying emotional content. Arousal and valence were associated with hemodynamic activity in brain regions involved in emotional processing, including amygdala, thalamus, and superior temporal sulcus. Cerebral MOR availability correlated negatively with the hemodynamic responses to arousing scenes in amygdala, hippocampus, thalamus, and hypothalamus, whereas no positive correlations were observed in any brain region. D2R availability—here reliably quantified only in striatum—was not associated with either arousal or valence. These results suggest that emotional arousal is regulated by the MOR system, and that cerebral MOR availability influences brain activity elicited by arousing stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Enrico Glerean
- Brain and Mind Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering (NBE), Aalto University, Aalto, Espoo, Finland
- Department of Computer Science, Aalto University, Aalto, Espoo, Finland
- Helsinki Institute for Information Technology, Aalto, Espoo, Finland
| | | | - Juha M Lahnakoski
- Brain and Mind Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering (NBE), Aalto University, Aalto, Espoo, Finland
- Independent Max Planck Research Group for Social Neuroscience, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Pirjo Nuutila
- Turku PET Centre, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Department of Endocrinology, Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
| | - Iiro P Jääskeläinen
- Brain and Mind Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering (NBE), Aalto University, Aalto, Espoo, Finland
| | - Riitta Hari
- Department of Art, Aalto University, Aalto, Espoo, Finland
| | - Mikko Sams
- Brain and Mind Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering (NBE), Aalto University, Aalto, Espoo, Finland
- Department of Computer Science, Aalto University, Aalto, Espoo, Finland
| | - Lauri Nummenmaa
- Turku PET Centre, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Department of Psychology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
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18
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Köhncke Y, Papenberg G, Jonasson L, Karalija N, Wåhlin A, Salami A, Andersson M, Axelsson JE, Nyberg L, Riklund K, Bäckman L, Lindenberger U, Lövdén M. Self-rated intensity of habitual physical activities is positively associated with dopamine D2/3 receptor availability and cognition. Neuroimage 2018; 181:605-616. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2018.07.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2017] [Revised: 07/13/2018] [Accepted: 07/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
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19
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Schneier FR, Slifstein M, Whitton AE, Pizzagalli DA, Reinen J, McGrath PJ, Iosifescu DV, Abi-Dargham A. Dopamine Release in Antidepressant-Naive Major Depressive Disorder: A Multimodal [ 11C]-(+)-PHNO Positron Emission Tomography and Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study. Biol Psychiatry 2018; 84:563-573. [PMID: 30041971 PMCID: PMC6347467 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2018.05.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2018] [Revised: 05/02/2018] [Accepted: 05/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mesolimbic dopamine system dysfunction is believed to contribute to major depressive disorder (MDD), but molecular neuroimaging of striatal dopamine neurotransmission has yielded mixed results, possibly owing to limited sensitivity of antagonist radioligands used with positron emission tomography to assess dopamine release capacity. This study used an agonist radioligand with agonist challenge to assess dopamine release capacity and D2/D3 receptor availability in MDD. METHODS Twenty-six treatment-naive adults with MDD and 26 healthy comparison participants underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging during a probabilistic reinforcement task, and positron emission tomography with the D3-preferring ligand [11C]-(+)-PHNO, before and after oral dextroamphetamine. MDD participants then received pramipexole treatment for 6 weeks. RESULTS MDD participants had trend-level greater dopamine release capacity in the ventral striatum, as measured by percent change in baseline binding potential relative to nondisplaceable compartment (ΔBPND) (-34% vs. -30%; p = .072, d = 0.58) but no difference in D2/D3 receptor availability (BPND). Striatal and extrastriatal BPND and percent change in baseline BPND were not significantly associated with blood oxygen level-dependent response to reward prediction error in the ventral striatum, severity of depression and anhedonia, or antidepressant response to pramipexole (response rate = 72.7%). CONCLUSIONS [11C]-(+)-PHNO demonstrated high sensitivity to displacement by amphetamine-induced dopamine release, but dopamine release capacity and D2/D3 availability were not associated with ventral striatal activation to reward prediction error or clinical features, in this study powered to detect large effects. While a preponderance of indirect evidence implicates dopaminergic dysfunction in MDD, these findings suggest that presynaptic dopamine dysregulation may not be a feature of MDD or a prerequisite for treatment response to dopamine agonists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franklin R Schneier
- Division of Clinical Therapeutics, New York State Psychiatric Institute, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York; Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York.
| | - Mark Slifstein
- Division of Translational Imaging, New York State Psychiatric Institute, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York; Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York
| | - Alexis E Whitton
- Center for Depression, Anxiety and Stress Research, McLean Hospital, Belmont; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Diego A Pizzagalli
- Center for Depression, Anxiety and Stress Research, McLean Hospital, Belmont; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Jenna Reinen
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York; Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Patrick J McGrath
- Division of Clinical Therapeutics, New York State Psychiatric Institute, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York; Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York
| | - Dan V Iosifescu
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Anissa Abi-Dargham
- Division of Translational Imaging, New York State Psychiatric Institute, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York; Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York
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20
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Höflich A, Michenthaler P, Kasper S, Lanzenberger R. Circuit Mechanisms of Reward, Anhedonia, and Depression. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol 2018; 22:105-118. [PMID: 30239748 PMCID: PMC6368373 DOI: 10.1093/ijnp/pyy081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 124] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2018] [Accepted: 09/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Pleasure and motivation are important factors for goal-directed behavior and well-being in both animals and humans. Intact hedonic capacity requires an undisturbed interplay between a number of different brain regions and transmitter systems. Concordantly, dysfunction of networks encoding for reward have been shown in depression and other psychiatric disorders. The development of technological possibilities to investigate connectivity on a functional level in humans and to directly influence networks in animals using optogenetics among other techniques has provided new important insights in this field of research.In this review, we aim to provide an overview on the neurobiological substrates of anhedonia on a network level. For this purpose, definition of anhedonia and the involved reward components are described first, then current data on reward networks in healthy individuals and in depressed patients are summarized, and the roles of different neurotransmitter systems involved in reward processing are specified. Based on this information, the impact of different therapeutic approaches on reward processing is described with a particular focus on deep brain stimulation (DBS) as a possibility for a direct modulation of human brain structures in vivo.Overall, results of current studies emphasize the importance of anhedonia in psychiatric disorders and the relevance of targeting this phenotype for a successful psychiatric treatment. However, more data incorporating these results for the refinement of methodological approaches are needed to be able to develop individually tailored therapeutic concepts based on both clinical and neurobiological profiles of patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Höflich
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Paul Michenthaler
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Siegfried Kasper
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Rupert Lanzenberger
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria,Correspondence: Rupert Lanzenberger, MD, PD, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18–20, 1090 Vienna, Austria ()
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21
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Dopamine Synthesis Capacity is Associated with D2/3 Receptor Binding but Not Dopamine Release. Neuropsychopharmacology 2018; 43:1201-1211. [PMID: 28816243 PMCID: PMC5916345 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2017.180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2017] [Revised: 08/07/2017] [Accepted: 08/10/2017] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Positron Emission Tomography (PET) imaging allows the estimation of multiple aspects of dopamine function including dopamine synthesis capacity, dopamine release, and D2/3 receptor binding. Though dopaminergic dysregulation characterizes a number of neuropsychiatric disorders including schizophrenia and addiction, there has been relatively little investigation into the nature of relationships across dopamine markers within healthy individuals. Here we used PET imaging in 40 healthy adults to compare, within individuals, the estimates of dopamine synthesis capacity (Ki) using 6-[18F]fluoro-l-m-tyrosine ([18F]FMT; a substrate for aromatic amino acid decarboxylase), baseline D2/3 receptor-binding potential using [11C]raclopride (a weak competitive D2/3 receptor antagonist), and dopamine release using [11C]raclopride paired with oral methylphenidate administration. Methylphenidate increases synaptic dopamine by blocking the dopamine transporter. We estimated dopamine release by contrasting baseline D2/3 receptor binding and D2/3 receptor binding following methylphenidate. Analysis of relationships among the three measurements within striatal regions of interest revealed a positive correlation between [18F]FMT Ki and the baseline (placebo) [11C]raclopride measure, such that participants with greater synthesis capacity showed higher D2/3 receptor-binding potential. In contrast, there was no relationship between [18F]FMT and methylphenidate-induced [11C]raclopride displacement. These findings shed light on the nature of regulation between pre- and postsynaptic dopamine function in healthy adults, which may serve as a template from which to identify and describe alteration with disease.
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22
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Caravaggio F, Fervaha G, Browne CJ, Gerretsen P, Remington G, Graff-Guerrero A. Reward motivation in humans and its relationship to dopamine D 2/3 receptor availability: A pilot study with dual [ 11C]-raclopride and [ 11C]-(+)-PHNO imaging. J Psychopharmacol 2018; 32:357-366. [PMID: 29442593 DOI: 10.1177/0269881118756059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Rodent studies suggest that dopamine signaling at D2/3 receptors in the ventral striatum is critical for reward motivation. Whether this is also true in humans is unclear. Positron emission tomography studies in healthy humans have generally not observed a relationship between D2/3 receptor availability in the ventral striatum and motivation. We developed the "mounting-effort for reward task" to assess high motivational demand for (a) gaining money (CS+), (b) losing money or avoiding electric shock (CS-), and (c) non-reward (Neutral). Receipt was contingent on participants making sufficient button responses relative to a "reward-threshold" determined by prior motor performance. This reward-threshold was dynamically increased if surpassed, making the task increasingly more difficult on every trial. The mounting-effort for reward task was preliminarily validated in 29 healthy volunteers (mean age: 25.83±3.58; 15 female). In this sample, %CS+ and %CS- significantly correlated with different dimensions of self-reported apathy. In a sub-sample of eight healthy volunteers (mean age: 25.75±1.91; four female), the mounting-effort for reward task demonstrated good test-retest reliability (%variance: 0.20-2.61%). Seven healthy male volunteers (mean age: 31.14±5.43) completed the mounting-effort for reward task and provided both [11C]-raclopride and [11C]-(+)-PHNO PET scans to assess D2/3 receptor availability. %CS+ and %CS- were positively correlated with [11C]-raclopride binding in the dorsal striatum. %CS+, %Cs-, and %Neutral were positively correlated with [11C]-(+)-PHNO binding in the globus pallidus. Thus, increased expression of D2 receptors in the dorsal striatum, and D3 receptors in the globus pallidus, may be related to motivation for rewards. Larger positron emission tomography studies are required to formally validate the mounting-effort for reward task and replicate our pilot findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando Caravaggio
- 1 Research Imaging Centre, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Canada.,2 Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Gagan Fervaha
- 2 Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Caleb J Browne
- 3 Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.,4 Section of Biopsychology, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Canada
| | - Philip Gerretsen
- 1 Research Imaging Centre, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Canada.,2 Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Gary Remington
- 1 Research Imaging Centre, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Canada.,2 Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Ariel Graff-Guerrero
- 1 Research Imaging Centre, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Canada.,2 Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
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23
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Bäckman L, Waris O, Johansson J, Andersson M, Rinne JO, Alakurtti K, Soveri A, Laine M, Nyberg L. Increased dopamine release after working-memory updating training: Neurochemical correlates of transfer. Sci Rep 2017; 7:7160. [PMID: 28769095 PMCID: PMC5540932 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-07577-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2016] [Accepted: 06/28/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous work demonstrates that working-memory (WM) updating training results in improved performance on a letter-memory criterion task, transfers to an untrained n-back task, and increases striatal dopamine (DA) activity during the criterion task. Here, we sought to replicate and extend these findings by also examining neurochemical correlates of transfer. Four positron emission tomography (PET) scans using the radioligand raclopride were performed. Two of these assessed DAD2 binding (letter memory; n-back) before 5 weeks of updating training, and the same two scans were performed post training. Key findings were (a) pronounced training-related behavioral gains in the letter-memory criterion task, (b) altered striatal DAD2 binding potential after training during letter-memory performance, suggesting training-induced increases in DA release, and (c) increased striatal DA activity also during the n-back transfer task after the intervention, but no concomitant behavioral transfer. The fact that the training-related DA alterations during the transfer task were not accompanied by behavioral transfer suggests that increased DA release may be a necessary, but not sufficient, condition for behavioral transfer to occur.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lars Bäckman
- Aging Research Center, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Otto Waris
- Department of Psychology, Åbo Akademi University, Turku, Finland
| | - Jarkko Johansson
- Turku PET Center, University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
| | - Micael Andersson
- Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Juha O Rinne
- Turku PET Center, University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
- Division of Clinical Neurosciences, Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
| | - Kati Alakurtti
- Turku PET Center, University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
| | - Anna Soveri
- Department of Psychology, Åbo Akademi University, Turku, Finland
| | - Matti Laine
- Department of Psychology, Åbo Akademi University, Turku, Finland
| | - Lars Nyberg
- Department of Radiation Sciences, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
- Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
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Jonasson LS, Axelsson J, Riklund K, Boraxbekk CJ. Simulating effects of brain atrophy in longitudinal PET imaging with an anthropomorphic brain phantom. Phys Med Biol 2017; 62:5213-5227. [PMID: 28561014 DOI: 10.1088/1361-6560/aa6e1b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
In longitudinal positron emission tomography (PET), the presence of volumetric changes over time can lead to an overestimation or underestimation of the true changes in the quantified PET signal due to the partial volume effect (PVE) introduced by the limited spatial resolution of existing PET cameras and reconstruction algorithms. Here, a 3D-printed anthropomorphic brain phantom with attachable striata in three sizes was designed to enable controlled volumetric changes. Using a method to eliminate the non-radioactive plastic wall, and manipulating BP levels by adding different number of events from list-mode acquisitions, we investigated the artificial volume dependence of BP due to PVE, and potential bias arising from varying BP. Comparing multiple reconstruction algorithms we found that a high-resolution ordered-subsets maximization algorithm with spatially variant point-spread function resolution modeling provided the most accurate data. For striatum, the BP changed by 0.08% for every 1% volume change, but for smaller volumes such as the posterior caudate the artificial change in BP was as high as 0.7% per 1% volume change. A simple gross correction for striatal volume is unsatisfactory, as the amplitude of the PVE on the BP differs depending on where in the striatum the change occurred. Therefore, to correctly interpret age-related longitudinal changes in the BP, we must account for volumetric changes also within a structure, rather than across the whole volume. The present 3D-printing technology, combined with the wall removal method, can be implemented to gain knowledge about the predictable bias introduced by the PVE differences in uptake regions of varying shape.
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Affiliation(s)
- L S Jonasson
- Department of Radiation Sciences, Diagnostic Radiology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden. Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden. Center for Demographic and Aging Research, Umeå University, Umeå Sweden
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25
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The dopamine hypothesis of bipolar affective disorder: the state of the art and implications for treatment. Mol Psychiatry 2017; 22:666-679. [PMID: 28289283 PMCID: PMC5401767 DOI: 10.1038/mp.2017.16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 263] [Impact Index Per Article: 37.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2016] [Revised: 12/10/2016] [Accepted: 01/09/2017] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Bipolar affective disorder is a common neuropsychiatric disorder. Although its neurobiological underpinnings are incompletely understood, the dopamine hypothesis has been a key theory of the pathophysiology of both manic and depressive phases of the illness for over four decades. The increased use of antidopaminergics in the treatment of this disorder and new in vivo neuroimaging and post-mortem studies makes it timely to review this theory. To do this, we conducted a systematic search for post-mortem, pharmacological, functional magnetic resonance and molecular imaging studies of dopamine function in bipolar disorder. Converging findings from pharmacological and imaging studies support the hypothesis that a state of hyperdopaminergia, specifically elevations in D2/3 receptor availability and a hyperactive reward processing network, underlies mania. In bipolar depression imaging studies show increased dopamine transporter levels, but changes in other aspects of dopaminergic function are inconsistent. Puzzlingly, pharmacological evidence shows that both dopamine agonists and antidopaminergics can improve bipolar depressive symptoms and perhaps actions at other receptors may reconcile these findings. Tentatively, this evidence suggests a model where an elevation in striatal D2/3 receptor availability would lead to increased dopaminergic neurotransmission and mania, whilst increased striatal dopamine transporter (DAT) levels would lead to reduced dopaminergic function and depression. Thus, it can be speculated that a failure of dopamine receptor and transporter homoeostasis might underlie the pathophysiology of this disorder. The limitations of this model include its reliance on pharmacological evidence, as these studies could potentially affect other monoamines, and the scarcity of imaging evidence on dopaminergic function. This model, if confirmed, has implications for developing new treatment strategies such as reducing the dopamine synthesis and/or release in mania and DAT blockade in bipolar depression.
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26
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Kasanova Z, Ceccarini J, Frank MJ, Amelsvoort TV, Booij J, Heinzel A, Mottaghy F, Myin-Germeys I. Striatal dopaminergic modulation of reinforcement learning predicts reward-oriented behavior in daily life. Biol Psychol 2017; 127:1-9. [PMID: 28461214 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2017.04.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2017] [Revised: 04/12/2017] [Accepted: 04/28/2017] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Much human behavior is driven by rewards. Preclinical neurophysiological and clinical positron emission tomography (PET) studies have implicated striatal phasic dopamine (DA) release as a primary modulator of reward processing. However, the relationship between experimental reward-induced striatal DA release and responsiveness to naturalistic rewards, and therefore functional relevance of these findings, has been elusive. We therefore combined, for the first time, a DA D2/3 receptor [18F]fallypride PET during a probabilistic reinforcement learning (RL) task with a six day ecological momentary assessments (EMA) of reward-related behavior in the everyday life of 16 healthy volunteers. We detected significant reward-induced DA release in the bilateral putamen, caudate nucleus and ventral striatum, the extent of which was associated with better behavioral performance on the RL task across all regions. Furthermore, individual variability in the extent of reward-induced DA release in the right caudate nucleus and ventral striatum modulated the tendency to be actively engaged in a behavior if the active engagement was previously deemed enjoyable. This study suggests a link between striatal reward-related DA release and ecologically relevant reward-oriented behavior, suggesting an avenue for the inquiry into the DAergic basis of optimal and impaired motivational drive.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zuzana Kasanova
- Center for Contextual Psychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, KU Leuven - Leuven University, Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Jenny Ceccarini
- Division of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Department of Imaging & Pathology, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Michael J Frank
- Department of Cognitive, Linguistic and Psychological Sciences, Brown University, Providence, USA
| | - Thérèse van Amelsvoort
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Jan Booij
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Alexander Heinzel
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Felix Mottaghy
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Inez Myin-Germeys
- Center for Contextual Psychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, KU Leuven - Leuven University, Leuven, Belgium
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Evers EA, Stiers P, Ramaekers JG. High reward expectancy during methylphenidate depresses the dopaminergic response to gain and loss. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2017; 12:311-318. [PMID: 27677943 PMCID: PMC5390715 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsw124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2015] [Revised: 07/13/2016] [Accepted: 08/24/2016] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Dopamine plays an important role in goal-directed behavior, through its modulatory influence on striatal neurons. It is unclear whether tonic dopamine levels, which regulate the vigor of acting, interact with the phasic dopamine response to reward that drives instrumental behavior. In a randomized placebo-controlled study in healthy volunteers, we show that methylphenidate, a drug that increases tonic dopamine levels, systematically reduced striatal phasic BOLD responses to gain and loss in a gambling task as measured with fMRI. It also increased response vigor and reward expectancy-related BOLD signals in the ventral striatum. These findings suggest that striatal tonic dopamine levels constitute an average reward expectation signal that modulates the phasic dopaminergic response to reward. This offers opportunities for treatment of behavioral disorders associated with abnormal reward sensitivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- E A Evers
- Department of Neuropsychology and Psychopharmacology, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Universiteitssingel 40, Maastricht 6229 ER, The Netherlands
| | - P Stiers
- Department of Neuropsychology and Psychopharmacology, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Universiteitssingel 40, Maastricht 6229 ER, The Netherlands
| | - J G Ramaekers
- Department of Neuropsychology and Psychopharmacology, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Universiteitssingel 40, Maastricht 6229 ER, The Netherlands
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28
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Jonasson LS, Nyberg L, Kramer AF, Lundquist A, Riklund K, Boraxbekk CJ. Aerobic Exercise Intervention, Cognitive Performance, and Brain Structure: Results from the Physical Influences on Brain in Aging (PHIBRA) Study. Front Aging Neurosci 2017; 8:336. [PMID: 28149277 PMCID: PMC5241294 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2016.00336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 125] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2016] [Accepted: 12/23/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Studies have shown that aerobic exercise has the potential to improve cognition and reduce brain atrophy in older adults. However, the literature is equivocal with regards to the specificity or generality of these effects. To this end, we report results on cognitive function and brain structure from a 6-month training intervention with 60 sedentary adults (64-78 years) randomized to either aerobic training or stretching and toning control training. Cognitive functions were assessed with a neuropsychological test battery in which cognitive constructs were measured using several different tests. Freesurfer was used to estimate cortical thickness in frontal regions and hippocampus volume. Results showed that aerobic exercisers, compared to controls, exhibited a broad, rather than specific, improvement in cognition as indexed by a higher "Cognitive score," a composite including episodic memory, processing speed, updating, and executive function tasks (p = 0.01). There were no group differences in cortical thickness, but additional analyses revealed that aerobic fitness at baseline was specifically related to larger thickness in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC), and hippocampus volume was positively associated with increased aerobic fitness over time. Moreover, "Cognitive score" was related to dlPFC thickness at baseline, but changes in "Cognitive score" and dlPFC thickness were associated over time in the aerobic group only. However, aerobic fitness did not predict dlPFC change, despite the improvement in "Cognitive score" in aerobic exercisers. Our interpretation of these observations is that potential exercise-induced changes in thickness are slow, and may be undetectable within 6-months, in contrast to change in hippocampus volume which in fact was predicted by the change in aerobic fitness. To conclude, our results add to a growing literature suggesting that aerobic exercise has a broad influence on cognitive functioning, which may aid in explaining why studies focusing on a narrower range of functions have sometimes reported mixed results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lars S. Jonasson
- Department of Radiation Sciences, Diagnostic Radiology, Umeå UniversityUmeå, Sweden
- Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Umeå UniversityUmeå, Sweden
- Center for Demographic and Aging Research, Umeå UniversityUmeå, Sweden
| | - Lars Nyberg
- Department of Radiation Sciences, Diagnostic Radiology, Umeå UniversityUmeå, Sweden
- Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Umeå UniversityUmeå, Sweden
- Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Physiology, Umeå UniversityUmeå, Sweden
| | - Arthur F. Kramer
- Departments of Psychology and Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Northeastern UniversityBoston, MA, USA
- Beckman Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignUrbana-Champaign, IL, USA
| | - Anders Lundquist
- Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Umeå UniversityUmeå, Sweden
- Department of Statistics, Umeå School of Business and Economics, Umeå UniversityUmeå, Sweden
| | - Katrine Riklund
- Department of Radiation Sciences, Diagnostic Radiology, Umeå UniversityUmeå, Sweden
- Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Umeå UniversityUmeå, Sweden
| | - Carl-Johan Boraxbekk
- Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Umeå UniversityUmeå, Sweden
- Center for Demographic and Aging Research, Umeå UniversityUmeå, Sweden
- Danish Research Centre for Magnetic Resonance, Copenhagen University HospitalHvidovre, Denmark
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Nyberg L, Eriksson J. Working Memory: Maintenance, Updating, and the Realization of Intentions. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol 2015; 8:a021816. [PMID: 26637287 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a021816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
"Working memory" refers to a vast set of mnemonic processes and associated brain networks, relates to basic intellectual abilities, and underlies many real-world functions. Working-memory maintenance involves frontoparietal regions and distributed representational areas, and can be based on persistent activity in reentrant loops, synchronous oscillations, or changes in synaptic strength. Manipulation of content of working memory depends on the dorsofrontal cortex, and updating is realized by a frontostriatal '"gating" function. Goals and intentions are represented as cognitive and motivational contexts in the rostrofrontal cortex. Different working-memory networks are linked via associative reinforcement-learning mechanisms into a self-organizing system. Normal capacity variation, as well as working-memory deficits, can largely be accounted for by the effectiveness and integrity of the basal ganglia and dopaminergic neurotransmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lars Nyberg
- Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging (UFBI), Umeå University, 901 87 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Johan Eriksson
- Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging (UFBI), Umeå University, 901 87 Umeå, Sweden
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30
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Cservenka A, Jones SA, Nagel BJ. Reduced cerebellar brain activity during reward processing in adolescent binge drinkers. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2015; 16:110-120. [PMID: 26190276 PMCID: PMC4691369 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2015.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2014] [Revised: 05/28/2015] [Accepted: 06/26/2015] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Adolescent binge drinkers have reduced cerebellar activity during reward outcome. Average drinks consumed/drinking day was negatively related to brain activity. Salience of rewards may be blunted because of alcohol-induced neurotoxicity.
Due to ongoing development, adolescence may be a period of heightened vulnerability to the neurotoxic effects of alcohol. Binge drinking may alter reward-driven behavior and neurocircuitry, thereby increasing risk for escalating alcohol use. Therefore, we compared reward processing in adolescents with and without a history of recent binge drinking. At their baseline study visit, all participants (age = 14.86 ± 0.88) were free of heavy alcohol use and completed a modified version of the Wheel of Fortune (WOF) functional magnetic resonance imaging task. Following this visit, 17 youth reported binge drinking on ≥3 occasions within a 90 day period and were matched to 17 youth who remained alcohol and substance-naïve. All participants repeated the WOF task during a second visit (age = 16.83 ± 1.22). No significant effects were found in a region of interest analysis of the ventral striatum, but whole-brain analyses showed significant group differences in reward response at the second study visit in the left cerebellum, controlling for baseline visit brain activity (p/α < 0.05), which was negatively correlated with mean number of drinks consumed/drinking day in the last 90 days. These findings suggest that binge drinking during adolescence may alter brain activity during reward processing in a dose-dependent manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anita Cservenka
- Department of Psychiatry, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Scott A Jones
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Bonnie J Nagel
- Department of Psychiatry, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, United States; Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, United States.
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31
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Takahashi K, Mizuno K, Sasaki AT, Wada Y, Tanaka M, Ishii A, Tajima K, Tsuyuguchi N, Watanabe K, Zeki S, Watanabe Y. Imaging the passionate stage of romantic love by dopamine dynamics. Front Hum Neurosci 2015; 9:191. [PMID: 25914637 PMCID: PMC4391262 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2015.00191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2015] [Accepted: 03/20/2015] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Using [11C]raclopride, a dopamine D2/D3 receptor antagonist, we undertook a positron emission tomography (PET) study to investigate the involvement of the dopaminergic neurotransmitter system when subjects viewed the pictures of partners to whom they were romantically attached. Ten subjects viewed pictures of their romantic partners and, as a control, of friends of the same sex for whom they had neutral feelings during the PET study. We administered [11C]raclopride to subjects using a timing for injecting the antagonist which had been determined in previous studies to be optimal for detecting increases in the amount of dopamine released by stimulation. The results demonstrated statistically significant activation of the dopaminergic system in two regions, the medial orbitofrontal cortex (mOFC) and medial prefrontal cortex, the former of which has been strongly implicated in a variety of rewarding experiences, including that of beauty and love. A positive correlation was obtained in mOFC between excitement levels and dopaminergic activation only in the love but not in the control condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kayo Takahashi
- Pathophysiological and Health Science Team, RIKEN Center for Life Science Technologies Kobe, Japan ; Department of Physiology, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine Osaka, Japan
| | - Kei Mizuno
- Pathophysiological and Health Science Team, RIKEN Center for Life Science Technologies Kobe, Japan ; Department of Medical Science on Fatigue, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine Osaka, Japan ; Osaka City University Center for Health Science Innovation Osaka, Japan
| | - Akihiro T Sasaki
- Pathophysiological and Health Science Team, RIKEN Center for Life Science Technologies Kobe, Japan ; Department of Physiology, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine Osaka, Japan
| | - Yasuhiro Wada
- Pathophysiological and Health Science Team, RIKEN Center for Life Science Technologies Kobe, Japan ; Department of Physiology, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine Osaka, Japan
| | - Masaaki Tanaka
- Department of Physiology, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine Osaka, Japan
| | - Akira Ishii
- Department of Physiology, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine Osaka, Japan
| | - Kanako Tajima
- Pathophysiological and Health Science Team, RIKEN Center for Life Science Technologies Kobe, Japan
| | - Naohiro Tsuyuguchi
- Department of Neurosurgery, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine Osaka, Japan
| | - Kyosuke Watanabe
- Pathophysiological and Health Science Team, RIKEN Center for Life Science Technologies Kobe, Japan
| | - Semir Zeki
- Wellcome Laboratory of Neurobiology, University College London London, UK
| | - Yasuyoshi Watanabe
- Pathophysiological and Health Science Team, RIKEN Center for Life Science Technologies Kobe, Japan ; Department of Physiology, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine Osaka, Japan ; Osaka City University Center for Health Science Innovation Osaka, Japan
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