1
|
Mancinelli F, Sporrer JK, Myrov V, Melinscak F, Zimmermann J, Liu H, Bach DR. Dimensionality and optimal combination of autonomic fear-conditioning measures in humans. Behav Res Methods 2024; 56:6119-6129. [PMID: 38424291 PMCID: PMC11335807 DOI: 10.3758/s13428-024-02341-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
Fear conditioning, also termed threat conditioning, is a commonly used learning model with clinical relevance. Quantification of threat conditioning in humans often relies on conditioned autonomic responses such as skin conductance responses (SCR), pupil size responses (PSR), heart period responses (HPR), or respiration amplitude responses (RAR), which are usually analyzed separately. Here, we investigate whether inter-individual variability in differential conditioned responses, averaged across acquisition, exhibits a multi-dimensional structure, and the extent to which their linear combination could enhance the precision of inference on whether threat conditioning has occurred. In a mega-analytic approach, we re-analyze nine data sets including 256 individuals, acquired by the group of the last author, using standard routines in the framework of psychophysiological modeling (PsPM). Our analysis revealed systematic differences in effect size between measures across datasets, but no evidence for a multidimensional structure across various combinations of measures. We derive the statistically optimal weights for combining the four measures and subsets thereof, and we provide out-of-sample performance metrics for these weights, accompanied by bias-corrected confidence intervals. We show that to achieve the same statistical power, combining measures allows for a relevant reduction in sample size, which in a common scenario amounts to roughly 24%. To summarize, we demonstrate a one-dimensional structure of threat conditioning measures, systematic differences in effect size between measures, and provide weights for their optimal linear combination in terms of maximal retrodictive validity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Federico Mancinelli
- University of Bonn, Transdisciplinary Research Area "Life and Health", Hertz Chair for Artificial Intelligence and Neuroscience, Bonn, Germany.
| | - Juliana K Sporrer
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, University College London, London, UK
| | - Vladislav Myrov
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, and Psychosomatics, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, Aalto University, Espoo, Finland
| | - Filip Melinscak
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, and Psychosomatics, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Josua Zimmermann
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, and Psychosomatics, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Huaiyu Liu
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, University College London, London, UK
| | - Dominik R Bach
- University of Bonn, Transdisciplinary Research Area "Life and Health", Hertz Chair for Artificial Intelligence and Neuroscience, Bonn, Germany
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, University College London, London, UK
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, and Psychosomatics, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Becker J, Viertler M, Korn CW, Blank H. The pupil dilation response as an indicator of visual cue uncertainty and auditory outcome surprise. Eur J Neurosci 2024; 59:2686-2701. [PMID: 38469976 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.16306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2023] [Revised: 01/05/2024] [Accepted: 02/18/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024]
Abstract
In everyday perception, we combine incoming sensory information with prior expectations. Expectations can be induced by cues that indicate the probability of following sensory events. The information provided by cues may differ and hence lead to different levels of uncertainty about which event will follow. In this experiment, we employed pupillometry to investigate whether the pupil dilation response to visual cues varies depending on the level of cue-associated uncertainty about a following auditory outcome. Also, we tested whether the pupil dilation response reflects the amount of surprise about the subsequently presented auditory stimulus. In each trial, participants were presented with a visual cue (face image) which was followed by an auditory outcome (spoken vowel). After the face cue, participants had to indicate by keypress which of three auditory vowels they expected to hear next. We manipulated the cue-associated uncertainty by varying the probabilistic cue-outcome contingencies: One face was most likely followed by one specific vowel (low cue uncertainty), another face was equally likely followed by either of two vowels (intermediate cue uncertainty) and the third face was followed by all three vowels (high cue uncertainty). Our results suggest that pupil dilation in response to task-relevant cues depends on the associated uncertainty, but only for large differences in the cue-associated uncertainty. Additionally, in response to the auditory outcomes, the pupil dilation scaled negatively with the cue-dependent probabilities, likely signalling the amount of surprise.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Janika Becker
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Marvin Viertler
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Christoph W Korn
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
- Section Social Neuroscience, Department of General Psychiatry, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Helen Blank
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Meissner SN, Bächinger M, Kikkert S, Imhof J, Missura S, Carro Dominguez M, Wenderoth N. Self-regulating arousal via pupil-based biofeedback. Nat Hum Behav 2024; 8:43-62. [PMID: 37904022 PMCID: PMC10810759 DOI: 10.1038/s41562-023-01729-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 11/01/2023]
Abstract
The brain's arousal state is controlled by several neuromodulatory nuclei known to substantially influence cognition and mental well-being. Here we investigate whether human participants can gain volitional control of their arousal state using a pupil-based biofeedback approach. Our approach inverts a mechanism suggested by previous literature that links activity of the locus coeruleus, one of the key regulators of central arousal and pupil dynamics. We show that pupil-based biofeedback enables participants to acquire volitional control of pupil size. Applying pupil self-regulation systematically modulates activity of the locus coeruleus and other brainstem structures involved in arousal control. Furthermore, it modulates cardiovascular measures such as heart rate, and behavioural and psychophysiological responses during an oddball task. We provide evidence that pupil-based biofeedback makes the brain's arousal system accessible to volitional control, a finding that has tremendous potential for translation to behavioural and clinical applications across various domains, including stress-related and anxiety disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Nadine Meissner
- Neural Control of Movement Laboratory, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Marc Bächinger
- Neural Control of Movement Laboratory, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Sanne Kikkert
- Neural Control of Movement Laboratory, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, University and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Spinal Cord Injury Center, Balgrist University Hospital, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Jenny Imhof
- Neural Control of Movement Laboratory, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, University and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Silvia Missura
- Neural Control of Movement Laboratory, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Manuel Carro Dominguez
- Neural Control of Movement Laboratory, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, University and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Nicole Wenderoth
- Neural Control of Movement Laboratory, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, University and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
- Future Health Technologies, Singapore-ETH Centre, Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise (CREATE), Singapore, Singapore.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Liu X, Hike D, Choi S, Man W, Ran C, Zhou XA, Jiang Y, Yu X. Mapping the bioimaging marker of Alzheimer's disease based on pupillary light response-driven brain-wide fMRI in awake mice. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.12.20.572613. [PMID: 38187675 PMCID: PMC10769340 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.20.572613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2024]
Abstract
Pupil dynamics has emerged as a critical non-invasive indicator of brain state changes. In particular, pupillary-light-responses (PLR) in Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients may be used as biomarkers of brain degeneration. To characterize AD-specific PLR and its underlying neuromodulatory sources, we combined high-resolution awake mouse fMRI with real-time pupillometry to map brain-wide event-related correlation patterns based on illumination-driven pupil constriction ( P c ) and post-illumination pupil dilation recovery (amplitude, P d , and time, T ). The P c -driven differential analysis revealed altered visual signal processing coupled with reduced thalamocortical activation in AD mice compared with the wild-type normal mice. In contrast, the post-illumination pupil dilation recovery-based fMRI highlighted multiple brain areas related to AD brain degeneration, including the cingulate cortex, hippocampus, septal area of the basal forebrain, medial raphe nucleus, and pontine reticular nuclei (PRN). Also, brain-wide functional connectivity analysis highlighted the most significant changes in PRN of AD mice, which serves as the major subcortical relay nuclei underlying oculomotor function. This work combined non-invasive pupil-fMRI measurements in preclinical models to identify pupillary biomarkers based on neuromodulatory dysfunction coupled with AD brain degeneration.
Collapse
|
5
|
Clairis N, Lopez-Persem A. Debates on the dorsomedial prefrontal/dorsal anterior cingulate cortex: insights for future research. Brain 2023; 146:4826-4844. [PMID: 37530487 PMCID: PMC10690029 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awad263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2023] [Revised: 07/19/2023] [Accepted: 07/22/2023] [Indexed: 08/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The dorsomedial prefrontal cortex/dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dmPFC/dACC) is a brain area subject to many theories and debates over its function(s). Even its precise anatomical borders are subject to much controversy. In the past decades, the dmPFC/dACC has been associated with more than 15 different cognitive processes, which sometimes appear quite unrelated (e.g. body perception, cognitive conflict). As a result, understanding what the dmPFC/dACC does has become a real challenge for many neuroscientists. Several theories of this brain area's function(s) have been developed, leading to successive and competitive publications bearing different models, which sometimes contradict each other. During the last two decades, the lively scientific exchanges around the dmPFC/dACC have promoted fruitful research in cognitive neuroscience. In this review, we provide an overview of the anatomy of the dmPFC/dACC, summarize the state of the art of functions that have been associated with this brain area and present the main theories aiming at explaining the dmPFC/dACC function(s). We explore the commonalities and the arguments between the different theories. Finally, we explain what can be learned from these debates for future investigations of the dmPFC/dACC and other brain regions' functions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Clairis
- Laboratory of Behavioral Genetics (LGC)- Brain Mind Institute (BMI)- Sciences de la Vie (SV), École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Alizée Lopez-Persem
- FrontLab, Institut du Cerveau - Paris Brain Institute - ICM, Inserm, CNRS, Sorbonne University, AP HP, Hôpital de la Pitié Salpêtrière, 75013 Paris, France
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Ney LJ, O'Donohue M, Wang Y, Richardson M, Vasarhelyi A, Lipp OV. The next frontier: Moving human fear conditioning research online. Biol Psychol 2023; 184:108715. [PMID: 37852526 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2023.108715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2023] [Revised: 10/10/2023] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023]
Abstract
Fear conditioning is a significant area of research that has featured prominently among the topics published in Biological Psychology over the last 50 years. This work has greatly contributed to our understanding of human anxiety and stressor-related disorders. While mainly conducted in the laboratory, recently, there have been initial attempts to conduct fear conditioning experiments online, with around 10 studies published on the subject, primarily in the last two years. These studies have demonstrated the potential of online fear conditioning research, although challenges to ensure that this research meets the same methodological standards as in-person experimentation remain, despite recent progress. We expect that in the coming years new outcome measures will become available online including the measurement of eye-tracking, pupillometry and probe reaction time and that compliance monitoring will be improved. This exciting new approach opens new possibilities for large-scale data collection among hard-to-reach populations and has the potential to transform the future of fear conditioning research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Luke J Ney
- School of Psychology and Counselling, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Australia, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Matthew O'Donohue
- School of Psychology and Counselling, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Australia, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Yi Wang
- School of Psychology and Counselling, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Australia, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Mikaela Richardson
- School of Psychology and Counselling, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Australia, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Adam Vasarhelyi
- School of Psychology and Counselling, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Australia, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Ottmar V Lipp
- School of Psychology and Counselling, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Australia, Brisbane, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Lam CLM, Barry TJ, Yiend J, Lee TMC. The role of consciousness in threat extinction learning. Conscious Cogn 2023; 116:103599. [PMID: 37976781 DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2023.103599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2023] [Revised: 10/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
Extinction learning is regarded as a core mechanism underlying exposure therapy. The extent to which learned threats can be extinguished without conscious awareness is a controversial and on-going debate. We investigated whether implicit vs. explicit exposure to a threatened stimulus can modulate defence responses measured using pupillometry. Healthy participants underwent a threat conditioning paradigm in which one of the conditioned stimuli (CS) was perceptually suppressed using continuous flash suppression (CFS). Participants' pupillary responses, CS pleasantness ratings, and trial-by-trial awareness of the CS were recorded. During Extinction, participants' pupils dilated more in the trials in which they were unaware of the CS than in those in which they were aware of it (Cohen's d = 0.57). After reinstatement, the percentage of fear recovery was greater for the CFS-suppressed CS than the CS with full awareness. The current study suggests that the modulation of fear responses by extinction with reduced visual awareness is weaker compared to extinction with full perceptual awareness.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Charlene L M Lam
- The State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong; Laboratory of Clinical Psychology and Affective Neuroscience, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
| | - Tom J Barry
- Department of Psychology, University of Bath, UK
| | - Jenny Yiend
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Tatia M C Lee
- The State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong; Laboratory of Clinical Psychology and Affective Neuroscience, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong; Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, Hong Kong
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Chen Y, Chen S, Sun Z, Zhang X, Yuan X, Wang L, Jiang Y. Rapid Unconscious Acquisition of Conditioned Fear with Low-Spatial-Frequency but Emotionally Neutral Stimuli. RESEARCH (WASHINGTON, D.C.) 2023; 6:0181. [PMID: 37383220 PMCID: PMC10298222 DOI: 10.34133/research.0181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2023] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/30/2023]
Abstract
It has long been proposed that emotionally "prepared" (i.e., fear-related) stimuli are privileged in the unconscious acquisition of conditioned fear. However, as fear processing is suggested to highly depend on the coarse, low-spatial-frequency (LSF) components of the fear-related stimuli, it is plausible that LSF may play a unique role in the unconscious fear conditioning even with emotionally neutral stimuli. Here, we provided empirical evidence that, following classical fear conditioning, an invisible, emotionally neutral conditioned stimulus (CS+) with LSF, but not with high spatial frequency (HSF), can rapidly elicit stronger skin conductance responses (SCRs) and larger pupil diameters than its CS- counterpart. In comparison, consciously perceived emotionally neutral CS+ with LSF and HSF elicited comparable SCRs. Taken together, these results support that the unconscious fear conditioning does not necessarily entail emotionally prepared stimuli but prioritizes LSF information processing and highlight the crucial distinctions between the unconscious and the conscious fear learning. These findings not only coincide with the postulation that a rapid, spatial-frequency-dependent subcortical route is engaged in unconscious fear processing but also suggest the existence of multiple routes for conscious fear processing.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yujie Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing 102206, China
| | - Si Chen
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Zhongju Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing 102206, China
| | - Xilei Zhang
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Xiangyong Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing 102206, China
| | - Liang Wang
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Yi Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing 102206, China
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Xu Z, Hu J, Wang Y. Bilateral eye movements disrupt the involuntary perceptual representation of trauma-related memories. Behav Res Ther 2023; 165:104311. [PMID: 37037182 DOI: 10.1016/j.brat.2023.104311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2022] [Revised: 03/29/2023] [Accepted: 04/07/2023] [Indexed: 04/12/2023]
Abstract
Bilateral eye movement (EM) is a critical component in eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), an effective treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder. However, the role of bilateral EM in alleviating trauma-related symptoms is unclear. Here we hypothesize that bilateral EM selectively disrupts the perceptual representation of traumatic memories. We used the trauma film paradigm as an analog for trauma experience. Nonclinical participants viewed trauma films followed by a bilateral EM intervention or a static Fixation period as a control. Perceptual and semantic memories for the film were assessed with different measures. Results showed a significant decrease in perceptual memory recognition shortly after the EM intervention and subsequently in the frequency and vividness of film-related memory intrusions across one week, relative to the Fixation condition. The EM intervention did not affect the explicit recognition of semantic memories, suggesting a dissociation between perceptual and semantic memory disruption. Furthermore, the EM intervention effectively reduced psychophysiological affective responses, including the skin conductance response and pupil size, to film scenes and subjective affective ratings of film-related intrusions. Together, bilateral EMs effectively reduce the perceptual representation and affective response of trauma-related memories. Further theoretical developments are needed to elucidate the mechanism of bilateral EMs in trauma treatment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhenjie Xu
- Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310028, Zhejiang, China
| | - Jie Hu
- Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310028, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yingying Wang
- Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310028, Zhejiang, China.
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Poli A, Viglione A, Mazziotti R, Totaro V, Morea S, Melani R, Silingardi D, Putignano E, Berardi N, Pizzorusso T. Selective Disruption of Perineuronal Nets in Mice Lacking Crtl1 is Sufficient to Make Fear Memories Susceptible to Erasure. Mol Neurobiol 2023; 60:4105-4119. [PMID: 37022587 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-023-03314-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2022] [Accepted: 03/09/2023] [Indexed: 04/07/2023]
Abstract
The ability to store, retrieve, and extinguish memories of adverse experiences is an essential skill for animals' survival. The cellular and molecular factors that underlie such processes are only partially known. Using chondroitinase ABC treatment targeting chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans (CSPGs), previous studies showed that the maturation of the extracellular matrix makes fear memory resistant to deletion. Mice lacking the cartilage link protein Crtl1 (Crtl1-KO mice) display normal CSPG levels but impaired CSPG condensation in perineuronal nets (PNNs). Thus, we asked whether the presence of PNNs in the adult brain is responsible for the appearance of persistent fear memories by investigating fear extinction in Crtl1-KO mice. We found that mutant mice displayed fear memory erasure after an extinction protocol as revealed by analysis of freezing and pupil dynamics. Fear memory erasure did not depend on passive loss of retention; moreover, we demonstrated that, after extinction training, conditioned Crtl1-KO mice display no neural activation in the amygdala (Zif268 staining) in comparison to control animals. Taken together, our findings suggest that the aggregation of CSPGs into PNNs regulates the boundaries of the critical period for fear extinction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Poli
- BIO@SNS Lab, Scuola Normale Superiore Via G, Moruzzi 1, 56124, Pisa, Italy
| | - Aurelia Viglione
- BIO@SNS Lab, Scuola Normale Superiore Via G, Moruzzi 1, 56124, Pisa, Italy
| | - Raffaele Mazziotti
- Institute of Neuroscience, National Research Council, Via Moruzzi, 1, 56124, Pisa, Italy
| | - Valentino Totaro
- BIO@SNS Lab, Scuola Normale Superiore Via G, Moruzzi 1, 56124, Pisa, Italy
| | - Silvia Morea
- Institute of Neuroscience, National Research Council, Via Moruzzi, 1, 56124, Pisa, Italy
| | - Riccardo Melani
- Neuroscience Institute, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, 10016, USA
| | - Davide Silingardi
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research, and Child Health NEUROFARBA, University of Florence, 50134, Florence, Italy
| | - Elena Putignano
- Institute of Neuroscience, National Research Council, Via Moruzzi, 1, 56124, Pisa, Italy
| | - Nicoletta Berardi
- Institute of Neuroscience, National Research Council, Via Moruzzi, 1, 56124, Pisa, Italy
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research, and Child Health NEUROFARBA, University of Florence, 50134, Florence, Italy
| | - Tommaso Pizzorusso
- BIO@SNS Lab, Scuola Normale Superiore Via G, Moruzzi 1, 56124, Pisa, Italy.
- Institute of Neuroscience, National Research Council, Via Moruzzi, 1, 56124, Pisa, Italy.
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Yamada K, Toda K. Pupillary dynamics of mice performing a Pavlovian delay conditioning task reflect reward-predictive signals. Front Syst Neurosci 2022; 16:1045764. [PMID: 36567756 PMCID: PMC9772849 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2022.1045764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Pupils can signify various internal processes and states, such as attention, arousal, and working memory. Changes in pupil size have been associated with learning speed, prediction of future events, and deviations from the prediction in human studies. However, the detailed relationships between pupil size changes and prediction are unclear. We explored pupil size dynamics in mice performing a Pavlovian delay conditioning task. A head-fixed experimental setup combined with deep-learning-based image analysis enabled us to reduce spontaneous locomotor activity and to track the precise dynamics of pupil size of behaving mice. By setting up two experimental groups, one for which mice were able to predict reward in the Pavlovian delay conditioning task and the other for which mice were not, we demonstrated that the pupil size of mice is modulated by reward prediction and consumption, as well as body movements, but not by unpredicted reward delivery. Furthermore, we clarified that pupil size is still modulated by reward prediction even after the disruption of body movements by intraperitoneal injection of haloperidol, a dopamine D2 receptor antagonist. These results suggest that changes in pupil size reflect reward prediction signals. Thus, we provide important evidence to reconsider the neuronal circuit involved in computing reward prediction error. This integrative approach of behavioral analysis, image analysis, pupillometry, and pharmacological manipulation will pave the way for understanding the psychological and neurobiological mechanisms of reward prediction and the prediction errors essential to learning and behavior.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kota Yamada
- Department of Psychology, Keio University, Tokyo, Japan
- Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Koji Toda
- Department of Psychology, Keio University, Tokyo, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Roesmann K, Wessing I, Kraß S, Leehr EJ, Klucken T, Straube T, Junghöfer M. Developmental aspects of fear generalization - A MEG study on neurocognitive correlates in adolescents versus adults. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2022; 58:101169. [PMID: 36356485 PMCID: PMC9649997 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2022.101169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2022] [Revised: 10/16/2022] [Accepted: 10/27/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Fear generalization is pivotal for the survival-promoting avoidance of potential danger, but, if too pronounced, it promotes pathological anxiety. Similar to adult patients with anxiety disorders, healthy children tend to show overgeneralized fear responses. OBJECTIVE This study aims to investigate neuro-developmental aspects of fear generalization in adolescence - a critical age for the development of anxiety disorders. METHODS We compared healthy adolescents (14-17 years) with healthy adults (19-34 years) regarding their fear responses towards tilted Gabor gratings (conditioned stimuli, CS; and slightly differently titled generalization stimuli, GS). In the conditioning phase, CS were paired (CS+) or remained unpaired (CS-) with an aversive stimulus (unconditioned stimuli, US). In the test phase, behavioral, peripheral and neural responses to CS and GS were captured by fear- and UCS expectancy ratings, a perceptual discrimination task, pupil dilation and source estimations of event-related magnetic fields. RESULTS Closely resembling adults, adolescents showed robust generalization gradients of fear ratings, pupil dilation, and estimated neural source activity. However, in the UCS expectancy ratings, adolescents revealed shallower generalization gradients indicating overgeneralization. Moreover, adolescents showed stronger visual cortical activity after as compared to before conditioning to all stimuli. CONCLUSION Various aspects of fear learning and generalization appear to be mature in healthy adolescents. Yet, cognitive aspects might show a slower course of development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kati Roesmann
- Institute for Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Siegen, Obergraben 23, 57072 Siegen, Germany; Institute for Biomagnetism and Biosignalanalysis, University Hospital Münster, Malmedyweg 15, 48149 Münster, Germany; Otto Creutzfeldt Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Muenster, Fliednerstr. 21, 48149 Muenster, Germany.
| | - Ida Wessing
- Institute for Biomagnetism and Biosignalanalysis, University Hospital Münster, Malmedyweg 15, 48149 Münster, Germany; Otto Creutzfeldt Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Muenster, Fliednerstr. 21, 48149 Muenster, Germany; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University Hospital Muenster, Schmeddingstraße 50, 48149 Muenster, Germany
| | - Sophia Kraß
- Institute for Biomagnetism and Biosignalanalysis, University Hospital Münster, Malmedyweg 15, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Elisabeth J Leehr
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University Hospital Münster, Albert-Schweitzer-Campus 1, Building A9a, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Tim Klucken
- Institute for Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Siegen, Obergraben 23, 57072 Siegen, Germany
| | - Thomas Straube
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Systems Neuroscience, University Hospital Münster, Von-Esmarch-Str. 52, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Markus Junghöfer
- Institute for Biomagnetism and Biosignalanalysis, University Hospital Münster, Malmedyweg 15, 48149 Münster, Germany; Otto Creutzfeldt Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Muenster, Fliednerstr. 21, 48149 Muenster, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Inter-device reliability of the NPi-200 and NPi-300 pupillometers. J Clin Neurosci 2022; 100:180-183. [PMID: 35487025 DOI: 10.1016/j.jocn.2022.04.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2022] [Revised: 03/22/2022] [Accepted: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The pupillary evaluation is an essential part of the neurological examination. Research suggests that the traditional examination of the pupil with a handheld flashlight has limited interrater reliability. Automated pupillometers were developed to provide an objective scoring of various pupillary parameters. The NPi-200 pupillometer is used for quantitative pupillary examinations, the NPi-300 was launched in July 2021 with enhanced features. The purpose of this study is to compare results from the NPi-200 to the NPi-300 to ensure that data are translatable across both platforms. This study examines the inter-device reliability of the NPi-200 compared to the NPi-300 in two cohorts: 20 patients at risk for cerebral edema and 50 healthy controls. Paired assessments of the devices were made from all participants. Each assessment included bilateral PLR readings within a 5-minute interval. Data showed high agreement between the two devices for the Neurological Pupil Index (NPi) reading (k = 0.94; CI: 0.91-0.99) and for pupil diameter assessment (k = 0.91; CI: 0.87-0.96). There is a very high level of agreement between the NPi-200 and NPi-300 among healthy controls and critically ill patients. Clinicians and researchers can interpret the results from either device equally.
Collapse
|
14
|
Batsikadze G, Diekmann N, Ernst TM, Klein M, Maderwald S, Deuschl C, Merz CJ, Cheng S, Quick HH, Timmann D. The cerebellum contributes to context-effects during fear extinction learning: a 7T fMRI study. Neuroimage 2022; 253:119080. [PMID: 35276369 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.119080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2021] [Revised: 02/14/2022] [Accepted: 03/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The cerebellum is involved in the acquisition and consolidation of learned fear responses. Knowledge about its contribution to extinction learning, however, is sparse. Extinction processes likely involve erasure of memories, but there is ample evidence that at least part of the original memory remains. We asked the question whether memory persists within the cerebellum following extinction training. The renewal effect, that is the reoccurrence of the extinguished fear memory during recall in a context different from the extinction context, constitutes one of the phenomena indicating that memory of extinguished learned fear responses is not fully erased during extinction training. We performed a differential AB-A/B fear conditioning paradigm in a 7-Tesla (7T) MRI system in 31 young and healthy men. On day 1, fear acquisition training was performed in context A and extinction training in context B. On day 2, recall was tested in contexts A and B. As expected, participants learned to predict that the CS+ was followed by an aversive electric shock during fear acquisition training. Skin conductance responses (SCRs) were significantly higher to the CS+ compared to the CS- at the end of acquisition. Differences in SCRs vanished in extinction and reoccurred in the acquisition context during recall indicating renewal. Fitting SCR data, a deep neural network model was trained to predict the correct shock value for a given stimulus and context. Event-related fMRI analysis with model-derived prediction values as parametric modulations showed significant effects on activation of the posterolateral cerebellum (lobules VI and Crus I) during recall. Since the prediction values differ based on stimulus (CS+ and CS-) and context during recall, data provide support that the cerebellum is involved in context-related recall of learned fear associations. Likewise, mean β values were highest in lobules VI and Crus I bilaterally related to the CS+ in the acquisition context during early recall. A similar pattern was seen in the vermis, but only on a trend level. Thus, part of the original memory likely remains within the cerebellum following extinction training. We found cerebellar activations related to the CS+ and CS- during fear acquisition training which likely reflect associative and non-associative aspects of the task. Cerebellar activations, however, were not significantly different for CS+ and CS-. Since the CS- was never followed by an electric shock, the cerebellum may contribute to associative learning related to the CS, for example as a safety cue.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Giorgi Batsikadze
- Department of Neurology and Center for Translational Neuro- and Behavioral Sciences (C-TNBS), Essen University Hospital, University of Duisburg-Essen, Hufelandstraße 55, Essen 45147, Germany.
| | - Nicolas Diekmann
- Institute for Neural Computation, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Thomas Michael Ernst
- Department of Neurology and Center for Translational Neuro- and Behavioral Sciences (C-TNBS), Essen University Hospital, University of Duisburg-Essen, Hufelandstraße 55, Essen 45147, Germany; Erwin L. Hahn Institute for Magnetic Resonance Imaging, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Michael Klein
- Department of Neurology and Center for Translational Neuro- and Behavioral Sciences (C-TNBS), Essen University Hospital, University of Duisburg-Essen, Hufelandstraße 55, Essen 45147, Germany
| | - Stefan Maderwald
- Erwin L. Hahn Institute for Magnetic Resonance Imaging, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Cornelius Deuschl
- Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology and Neuroradiology, Essen University Hospital, Essen, Germany
| | - Christian Josef Merz
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Sen Cheng
- Institute for Neural Computation, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Harald H Quick
- Erwin L. Hahn Institute for Magnetic Resonance Imaging, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany; High-Field and Hybrid MR Imaging, Essen University Hospital, Essen, Germany
| | - Dagmar Timmann
- Department of Neurology and Center for Translational Neuro- and Behavioral Sciences (C-TNBS), Essen University Hospital, University of Duisburg-Essen, Hufelandstraße 55, Essen 45147, Germany; Erwin L. Hahn Institute for Magnetic Resonance Imaging, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Jeon G, Choi HS, Jung DU, Moon S, Kim G, Kim SJ, Moon JJ, Kim YS, Jeon DW. Evaluation of the correlation between gaze avoidance and schizophrenia psychopathology with deep learning-based emotional recognition. Asian J Psychiatr 2022; 68:102974. [PMID: 34974374 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajp.2021.102974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2021] [Revised: 12/08/2021] [Accepted: 12/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To investigate the correlation between gaze avoidance and psychopathology in patients with schizophrenia through eye movement measurements in real-life interpersonal situations. METHODS We enrolled 52 clinically stable patients with schizophrenia. Psychopathology was evaluated using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, and Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale. After presenting a visual stimulus, eye movements were measured with Tobii Pro Wearable Glasses 2, and deep learning-based emotional recognition using the residual masking network was used for neutral stimulus verification. Statistical analyses were performed using Pearson's correlation and regression analyses. RESULTS Data of 45 participants with verified stimulus neutrality by deep learning image recognition were used for analysis. The first dwelling time was negatively correlated with the PANSS positive syndrome subscale (p = 0.028), general psychopathology subscale (p = 0.008), total score (p = 0.008), 5-factor positive symptoms (p = 0.035), and 5-factor depression/anxiety symptoms (p = 0.043). The baseline-area of interest (AOI) pupil diameter change was positively correlated with PANSS 5-factor positive symptom scores (p = 0.039). After adjusting for additional variables, the same items had a significant effect on the first dwelling time and baseline-AOI pupil diameter change. CONCLUSIONS Psychopathology, particularly positive symptoms, was associated with gaze avoidance and pupil diameter in patients with schizophrenia. Evaluating the characteristics of eye movements in patients with schizophrenia will enable better understanding of their symptoms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- GyeongSu Jeon
- Department of Psychiatry, Busan Paik Hospital, Inje University College of Medicine, Busan, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyeon-Seok Choi
- Department of Psychiatry, Busan Paik Hospital, Inje University College of Medicine, Busan, Republic of Korea
| | - Do-Un Jung
- Department of Psychiatry, Busan Paik Hospital, Inje University College of Medicine, Busan, Republic of Korea
| | - Sunghyuk Moon
- Department of Ophthalmology, Busan Paik Hospital, Inje University College of Medicine, Busan, Republic of Korea
| | - Gwanwoo Kim
- Busan Paik Hospital, Inje University College of Medicine, Busan, Republic of Korea
| | - Sung-Jin Kim
- Department of Psychiatry, Busan Paik Hospital, Inje University College of Medicine, Busan, Republic of Korea
| | - Jung-Joon Moon
- Department of Psychiatry, Busan Paik Hospital, Inje University College of Medicine, Busan, Republic of Korea
| | - Yeon-Sue Kim
- Department of Psychiatry, Busan Paik Hospital, Inje University College of Medicine, Busan, Republic of Korea
| | - Dong-Wook Jeon
- Department of Psychiatry, Busan Paik Hospital, Inje University College of Medicine, Busan, Republic of Korea.
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Fietz J, Pöhlchen D, Binder FP, Czisch M, Sämann PG, Spoormaker VI. Pupillometry tracks cognitive load and salience network activity in a working memory functional magnetic resonance imaging task. Hum Brain Mapp 2021; 43:665-680. [PMID: 34622518 PMCID: PMC8720183 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25678] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2021] [Revised: 08/16/2021] [Accepted: 09/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The diameter of the human pupil tracks working memory processing and is associated with activity in the frontoparietal network. At the same time, recent neuroimaging research has linked human pupil fluctuations to activity in the salience network. In this combined functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)/pupillometry study, we recorded the pupil size of healthy human participants while they performed a blockwise organized working memory task (N‐back) inside an MRI scanner in order to monitor the pupil fluctuations associated neural activity during working memory processing. We first confirmed that mean pupil size closely followed working memory load. Combining this with fMRI data, we focused on blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) correlates of mean pupil size modeled onto the task blocks as a parametric modulation. Interrogating this modulated task regressor, we were able to retrieve the frontoparietal network. Next, to fully exploit the within‐block dynamics, we divided the blocks into 1 s time bins and filled these with corresponding pupil change values (first‐order derivative of pupil size). We found that pupil change within N‐back blocks was positively correlated with BOLD amplitudes in the areas of the salience network (namely bilateral insula, and anterior cingulate cortex). Taken together, fMRI with simultaneous measurement of pupil parameters constitutes a valuable tool to dissect working memory subprocesses related to both working memory load and salience of the presented stimuli.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Julia Fietz
- Department of Translational Research in Psychiatry, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany.,International Max Planck Research School for Translational Psychiatry (IMPRS-TP), Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Dorothee Pöhlchen
- Department of Translational Research in Psychiatry, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany.,International Max Planck Research School for Translational Psychiatry (IMPRS-TP), Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Florian P Binder
- Department of Translational Research in Psychiatry, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany.,International Max Planck Research School for Translational Psychiatry (IMPRS-TP), Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | -
- Department of Translational Research in Psychiatry, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany.,Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | | | | | - Victor I Spoormaker
- Department of Translational Research in Psychiatry, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Graff TC, Fitzgerald JR, Luke SG, Birmingham WC. Spousal emotional support and relationship quality buffers pupillary response to horror movies. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0256823. [PMID: 34525117 PMCID: PMC8443030 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0256823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2021] [Accepted: 08/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Being satisfied in marriage provides protective stress buffering benefits to various health complications but the causal mechanisms and speed at which this is accomplished is less well understood. Much of the research on health and marriage has conceptualized marital quality in a unidimensional way, with high levels of either positivity or negativity. This conceptualization may not fully capture the nuanced benefits of marital relationships. Pupillometry is an innovative method which captures the effects of marital stress buffering on the body’s autonomic nervous system in real time; pupil dilation occurs within 200ms to stress exposure. Additionally, this method records hundreds of readings per second, providing precision and sensitivity. This preregistered experiment aimed to conceptually replicate previous pupillometry stress buffering results and extend the previous findings by including a generalizable, real-life stressor—viewing a horror movie—and multidimensional relationship quality effects. Eighty-three couples (166 participants) were quasi-grouped, based on a self-reported multidimensional relationship quality scale, to either supportive or ambivalent marital relationship conditions. They were then randomly assigned to either a spousal support (i.e., handholding) or non-support (spousal absence) condition and watched clips from both horror and nature movies while pupil dilation was measured. Tonic pupillary response results revealed that the horror video clips elicited a stress response and there were significant differences between the support and non-support conditions, as well as marital relationship quality conditions. These results frame the precision, speed, and sensitivity of pupillometry as a potentially fruitful method to investigate the causal mechanisms linking stress buffering and supportive marital relationships.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tyler C. Graff
- Department of Psychology, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, United States of America
- Department of Social Sciences, Wartburg College, Waverly, Iowa, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Joseph R. Fitzgerald
- School of Public Affairs, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Steven G. Luke
- Department of Psychology, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, United States of America
| | - Wendy C. Birmingham
- Department of Psychology, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Finke JB, Roesmann K, Stalder T, Klucken T. Pupil dilation as an index of Pavlovian conditioning. A systematic review and meta-analysis. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 130:351-368. [PMID: 34499928 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2021] [Revised: 08/28/2021] [Accepted: 09/02/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
The use of pupillometry to track emotional learning processes in humans is generating an increasing interest. Here, we provide a first systematic review and meta-analysis on the value of pupil dilation as a marker of Pavlovian conditioning, focusing on the roles of UCS valence (aversive vs. appetitive), the time course across trials and response intervals within trials. Based on data from 39 independent samples (total n = 1303), our results revealed strong evidence for the overall validity of conditioned pupil responses, with a trend for larger effects in aversive (average g = 0.73) vs. appetitive conditioning (g = 0.39). Response differentiation increased over the course of acquisition. Substantial differentiation effects were found in both early and late response windows. Moderator analyses revealed a consistent influence of UCS modality on differential conditioning, while evidence for moderation by contingency instructions and length of acquisition phase was mixed. The results highlight pupil dilation as a sensitive and reliable index of Pavlovian conditioning across valence categories and stimulus modalities. Important implications regarding methodological considerations and research goals are discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Johannes B Finke
- Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Siegen, Siegen, Germany.
| | - Kati Roesmann
- Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Siegen, Siegen, Germany
| | - Tobias Stalder
- Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Siegen, Siegen, Germany
| | - Tim Klucken
- Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Siegen, Siegen, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Palamarchuk IS, Vaillancourt T. Mental Resilience and Coping With Stress: A Comprehensive, Multi-level Model of Cognitive Processing, Decision Making, and Behavior. Front Behav Neurosci 2021; 15:719674. [PMID: 34421556 PMCID: PMC8377204 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.719674] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2021] [Accepted: 07/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Aversive events can evoke strong emotions that trigger cerebral neuroactivity to facilitate behavioral and cognitive shifts to secure physiological stability. However, upon intense and/or chronic exposure to such events, the neural coping processes can be maladaptive and disrupt mental well-being. This maladaptation denotes a pivotal point when psychological stress occurs, which can trigger subconscious, "automatic" neuroreactivity as a defence mechanism to protect the individual from potential danger including overwhelming unpleasant feelings and disturbing or threatening thoughts.The outcomes of maladaptive neural activity are cognitive dysfunctions such as altered memory, decision making, and behavior that impose a risk for mental disorders. Although the neurocognitive phenomena associated with psychological stress are well documented, the complex neural activity and pathways related to stressor detection and stress coping have not been outlined in detail. Accordingly, we define acute and chronic stress-induced pathways, phases, and stages in relation to novel/unpredicted, uncontrollable, and ambiguous stressors. We offer a comprehensive model of the stress-induced alterations associated with multifaceted pathophysiology related to cognitive appraisal and executive functioning in stress.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Iryna S Palamarchuk
- Counselling Psychology, Faculty of Education, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Tracy Vaillancourt
- Counselling Psychology, Faculty of Education, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada.,School of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Moriishi C, Maeda S, Ogishima H, Shimada H. Effects of cortisol on retrieval of extinction memory in individuals with social anxiety. COMPREHENSIVE PSYCHONEUROENDOCRINOLOGY 2021; 7:100060. [PMID: 35757066 PMCID: PMC9216654 DOI: 10.1016/j.cpnec.2021.100060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2020] [Revised: 04/20/2021] [Accepted: 05/20/2021] [Indexed: 10/27/2022] Open
|
21
|
Disentangling the Association between the Insula and the Autonomic Nervous System. J Neurosci 2021; 41:3051-3053. [PMID: 33827971 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2225-20.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2020] [Revised: 01/06/2020] [Accepted: 01/31/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
|
22
|
Rubin M, Telch MJ. Pupillary Response to Affective Voices: Physiological Responsivity and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. J Trauma Stress 2021; 34:182-189. [PMID: 32969073 DOI: 10.1002/jts.22574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2019] [Revised: 04/30/2020] [Accepted: 06/02/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is related to dysfunctional emotional processing, thus motivating the search for physiological indices that can elucidate this process. Toward this aim, we compared pupillary response patterns in response to angry and fearful auditory stimuli among 99 adults, some with PTSD (n = 14), some trauma-exposed without PTSD (TE; n = 53), and some with no history of trauma exposure (CON; n = 32). We hypothesized that individuals with PTSD would show more pupillary response to angry and fearful auditory stimuli compared to those in the TE and CON groups. Among participants who had experienced a traumatic event, we explored the association between PTSD symptoms and pupillary response; contrary to our prediction, individuals with PTSD displayed the least pupillary response to fearful auditory stimuli compared those in the TE, B = -0.022, p = .077, and CON, B = -0.042, p = .002, groups, but they did not differ on angry auditory stimuli, B = 0.019, p = .118 and B = 0.006, p = .634, respectively. It is important to note that within-group analyses revealed that participants with PTSD differed significantly in their response to angry versus fearful stimuli, B = -0.032, p = .015. We also found a positive association between PTSD symptoms and pupillary response to angry stimuli. Our findings suggest that differential pupil response to anger and fear stimuli may be a promising way to understand emotional processing in PTSD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mikael Rubin
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Michael J Telch
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Pöhlchen D, Priouret M, Kraft MS, Binder FP, Gürsel DA, Berberich G, Koch K, Spoormaker VI. Examining Differences in Fear Learning in Patients With Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder With Pupillometry, Startle Electromyography and Skin Conductance Responses. Front Psychiatry 2021; 12:730742. [PMID: 34658966 PMCID: PMC8517251 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.730742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2021] [Accepted: 09/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is characterized by recurrent, persistent thoughts and repetitive behaviors causing stress and anxiety. In the associative learning model of OCD, mechanisms of fear extinction are supposed to partly underlie symptom development, maintenance and treatment of OCD, proposing that OCD patients suffer from rigid memory associations and inhibitory learning deficits. To test these assumptions, previous studies have used skin conductance and subjective ratings as readouts in fear conditioning paradigms, finding impaired fear extinction learning, impaired fear extinction recall or no differences between individuals with OCD and healthy controls. Against this heterogeneous background, we tested fear acquisition and extinction in 37 OCD patients and 56 healthy controls, employing skin conductance as well as pupillometry and startle electromyography. Extinction recall was also included in a subsample. We did not observe differences between groups in any of the task phases, except a trend toward higher startle amplitudes during extinction for OCD. Overall, sensitive readouts such as pupillometry and startle responses did not provide evidence for moderate-to-large inhibitory learning deficits using classical fear conditioning, challenging the assumption of generically impaired extinction learning and memory in OCD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dorothee Pöhlchen
- Department of Translational Research in Psychiatry, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany.,International Max Planck Research School for Translational Psychiatry, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Marthe Priouret
- Department of Translational Research in Psychiatry, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Miriam S Kraft
- Department of Translational Research in Psychiatry, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Florian P Binder
- Department of Translational Research in Psychiatry, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany.,International Max Planck Research School for Translational Psychiatry, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Deniz A Gürsel
- Department of Neuroradiology, School of Medicine, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.,TUM-Neuroimaging Center (TUM-NIC), Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Götz Berberich
- Windach Institute and Hospital of Neurobehavioural Research and Therapy, Windach, Germany
| | | | - Kathrin Koch
- Department of Neuroradiology, School of Medicine, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.,TUM-Neuroimaging Center (TUM-NIC), Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Victor I Spoormaker
- Department of Translational Research in Psychiatry, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Biggs EE, Timmers I, Meulders A, Vlaeyen JW, Goebel R, Kaas AL. The neural correlates of pain-related fear: A meta-analysis comparing fear conditioning studies using painful and non-painful stimuli. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 119:52-65. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.09.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2020] [Revised: 08/18/2020] [Accepted: 09/07/2020] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
|
25
|
Watanabe N, Bhanji JP, Ohira H, Delgado MR. Reward-Driven Arousal Impacts Preparation to Perform a Task via Amygdala-Caudate Mechanisms. Cereb Cortex 2020; 29:3010-3022. [PMID: 30060122 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhy166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2018] [Revised: 05/21/2018] [Accepted: 06/20/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Preparing for a challenging task can increase physiological arousal, in particular when potential incentives are large (e.g., a solo musical performance in front of an audience). Here, we examine how potential reward and its influence on arousal, measured by pupil dynamics, are represented in the brain while preparing for a challenging task. We further ask how neural representations during preparation relate to actual performance. Trials resulting in performance failure were characterized by increased pupil dilation as a function of increasing reward magnitude during preparation. Such failure trials were also associated with activation of the right amygdala representing pupil dilation, and the left caudate representing reward magnitude. Notably, increases in functional connectivity between amygdala and caudate preceded performance failure. These findings highlight increased connectivity between neural regions representing reward and arousal in circumstances where reward-driven arousal impairs performance.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Noriya Watanabe
- Department of Psychology, Rutgers University, 101 Warren Street, Newark, NJ, USA.,Japan Society for Promotion of Science, Tokyo, Japan.,Graduate School of Informatics, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan.,Center for Information and Neural Networks, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, Osaka, Japan
| | - Jamil P Bhanji
- Department of Psychology, Rutgers University, 101 Warren Street, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Hideki Ohira
- Graduate School of Informatics, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Mauricio R Delgado
- Department of Psychology, Rutgers University, 101 Warren Street, Newark, NJ, USA
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Measuring learning in human classical threat conditioning: Translational, cognitive and methodological considerations. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 114:96-112. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.04.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2019] [Revised: 04/15/2020] [Accepted: 04/18/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
|
27
|
Li G, Zhang S, Le TM, Tang X, Li CSR. Neural Responses to Reward in a Gambling Task: Sex Differences and Individual Variation in Reward-Driven Impulsivity. Cereb Cortex Commun 2020; 1:tgaa025. [PMID: 32864617 PMCID: PMC7446303 DOI: 10.1093/texcom/tgaa025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2020] [Revised: 05/12/2020] [Accepted: 06/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous work suggests sex differences in reward sensitivity. However, it remains unclear how men and women differ in the neural processes of reward-driven impulsivity. With a data set of 968 subjects (502 women) curated from the Human Connectome Project, we investigated sex differences in regional activations to reward and to punishment in a gambling task. Individual variations in reward-driven impulsivity were quantified by the difference in reaction time between reward and punishment blocks in the gambling task, as well as by a behavioral measure of delay discounting. At a corrected threshold, men and women exhibited significant differences in regional activations to reward and to punishment. Longer reaction times during reward versus punishment blocks, indicative of more cautious responding, were associated with left-hemispheric lateral prefrontal cortical activation to reward in men but not women. Steeper discounting was associated with higher activation to reward in the right-hemispheric dorsal anterior cingulate cortex and angular gyrus in women but not men. These sex differences were confirmed in slope tests. Together, the results highlight the sex-specific neural processes of reward-driven impulsivity with left-hemispheric prefrontal cortex supporting impulse control in men and right-hemispheric saliency circuit playing a more important role in diminished impulse control in women.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Guangfei Li
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06519, USA
| | - Sheng Zhang
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06519, USA
| | - Thang M Le
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06519, USA
| | - Xiaoying Tang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 10081, China
| | - Chiang-Shan R Li
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06519, USA
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Pöhlchen D, Leuchs L, Binder FP, Blaskovich B, Nantawisarakul T, Topalidis P, Brückl TM, Norrholm SD, Jovanovic T, Spoormaker VI, Binder EB, Czisch M, Erhardt A, Grandi NC, Ilic-Cocic S, Lucae S, Sämann P, Tontsch A. No robust differences in fear conditioning between patients with fear-related disorders and healthy controls. Behav Res Ther 2020; 129:103610. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brat.2020.103610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2019] [Revised: 03/09/2020] [Accepted: 03/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
|
29
|
Brückl TM, Spoormaker VI, Sämann PG, Brem AK, Henco L, Czamara D, Elbau I, Grandi NC, Jollans L, Kühnel A, Leuchs L, Pöhlchen D, Schneider M, Tontsch A, Keck ME, Schilbach L, Czisch M, Lucae S, Erhardt A, Binder EB. The biological classification of mental disorders (BeCOME) study: a protocol for an observational deep-phenotyping study for the identification of biological subtypes. BMC Psychiatry 2020; 20:213. [PMID: 32393358 PMCID: PMC7216390 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-020-02541-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2019] [Accepted: 03/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND A major research finding in the field of Biological Psychiatry is that symptom-based categories of mental disorders map poorly onto dysfunctions in brain circuits or neurobiological pathways. Many of the identified (neuro) biological dysfunctions are "transdiagnostic", meaning that they do not reflect diagnostic boundaries but are shared by different ICD/DSM diagnoses. The compromised biological validity of the current classification system for mental disorders impedes rather than supports the development of treatments that not only target symptoms but also the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms. The Biological Classification of Mental Disorders (BeCOME) study aims to identify biology-based classes of mental disorders that improve the translation of novel biomedical findings into tailored clinical applications. METHODS BeCOME intends to include at least 1000 individuals with a broad spectrum of affective, anxiety and stress-related mental disorders as well as 500 individuals unaffected by mental disorders. After a screening visit, all participants undergo in-depth phenotyping procedures and omics assessments on two consecutive days. Several validated paradigms (e.g., fear conditioning, reward anticipation, imaging stress test, social reward learning task) are applied to stimulate a response in a basic system of human functioning (e.g., acute threat response, reward processing, stress response or social reward learning) that plays a key role in the development of affective, anxiety and stress-related mental disorders. The response to this stimulation is then read out across multiple levels. Assessments comprise genetic, molecular, cellular, physiological, neuroimaging, neurocognitive, psychophysiological and psychometric measurements. The multilevel information collected in BeCOME will be used to identify data-driven biologically-informed categories of mental disorders using cluster analytical techniques. DISCUSSION The novelty of BeCOME lies in the dynamic in-depth phenotyping and omics characterization of individuals with mental disorders from the depression and anxiety spectrum of varying severity. We believe that such biology-based subclasses of mental disorders will serve as better treatment targets than purely symptom-based disease entities, and help in tailoring the right treatment to the individual patient suffering from a mental disorder. BeCOME has the potential to contribute to a novel taxonomy of mental disorders that integrates the underlying pathomechanisms into diagnoses. TRIAL REGISTRATION Retrospectively registered on June 12, 2019 on ClinicalTrials.gov (TRN: NCT03984084).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tanja M. Brückl
- grid.419548.50000 0000 9497 5095Department of Translational Research in Psychiatry, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Kraepelinstr. 2-10, 80804 Munich, Germany
| | - Victor I. Spoormaker
- grid.419548.50000 0000 9497 5095Department of Translational Research in Psychiatry, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Kraepelinstr. 2-10, 80804 Munich, Germany
| | - Philipp G. Sämann
- grid.419548.50000 0000 9497 5095Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Anna-Katharine Brem
- grid.419548.50000 0000 9497 5095Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany ,grid.38142.3c000000041936754XBerenson-Allen Center for Noninvasive Brain Stimulation and Division for Cognitive Neurology, Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA USA
| | - Lara Henco
- grid.419548.50000 0000 9497 5095Independent Max Planck Research Group for Social Neuroscience, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Darina Czamara
- grid.419548.50000 0000 9497 5095Department of Translational Research in Psychiatry, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Kraepelinstr. 2-10, 80804 Munich, Germany
| | - Immanuel Elbau
- grid.419548.50000 0000 9497 5095Department of Translational Research in Psychiatry, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Kraepelinstr. 2-10, 80804 Munich, Germany
| | - Norma C. Grandi
- grid.419548.50000 0000 9497 5095Department of Translational Research in Psychiatry, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Kraepelinstr. 2-10, 80804 Munich, Germany
| | - Lee Jollans
- grid.419548.50000 0000 9497 5095Department of Translational Research in Psychiatry, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Kraepelinstr. 2-10, 80804 Munich, Germany
| | - Anne Kühnel
- grid.419548.50000 0000 9497 5095Department of Translational Research in Psychiatry, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Kraepelinstr. 2-10, 80804 Munich, Germany ,grid.419548.50000 0000 9497 5095International Max Planck Research School – Translational Psychiatry (IMPRS-TP), Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Laura Leuchs
- grid.419548.50000 0000 9497 5095Department of Translational Research in Psychiatry, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Kraepelinstr. 2-10, 80804 Munich, Germany
| | - Dorothee Pöhlchen
- grid.419548.50000 0000 9497 5095Department of Translational Research in Psychiatry, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Kraepelinstr. 2-10, 80804 Munich, Germany ,grid.419548.50000 0000 9497 5095International Max Planck Research School – Translational Psychiatry (IMPRS-TP), Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Maximilian Schneider
- grid.419548.50000 0000 9497 5095Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Alina Tontsch
- grid.419548.50000 0000 9497 5095Department of Translational Research in Psychiatry, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Kraepelinstr. 2-10, 80804 Munich, Germany
| | - Martin E. Keck
- grid.419548.50000 0000 9497 5095Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Leonhard Schilbach
- grid.419548.50000 0000 9497 5095Independent Max Planck Research Group for Social Neuroscience, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Michael Czisch
- grid.419548.50000 0000 9497 5095Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Susanne Lucae
- grid.419548.50000 0000 9497 5095Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Angelika Erhardt
- grid.419548.50000 0000 9497 5095Department of Translational Research in Psychiatry, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Kraepelinstr. 2-10, 80804 Munich, Germany
| | - Elisabeth B. Binder
- grid.419548.50000 0000 9497 5095Department of Translational Research in Psychiatry, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Kraepelinstr. 2-10, 80804 Munich, Germany ,grid.189967.80000 0001 0941 6502Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, USA
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Pais-Roldán P, Takahashi K, Sobczak F, Chen Y, Zhao X, Zeng H, Jiang Y, Yu X. Indexing brain state-dependent pupil dynamics with simultaneous fMRI and optical fiber calcium recording. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:6875-6882. [PMID: 32139609 PMCID: PMC7104268 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1909937117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Pupillometry, a noninvasive measure of arousal, complements human functional MRI (fMRI) to detect periods of variable cognitive processing and identify networks that relate to particular attentional states. Even under anesthesia, pupil dynamics correlate with brain-state fluctuations, and extended dilations mark the transition to more arousable states. However, cross-scale neuronal activation patterns are seldom linked to brain state-dependent pupil dynamics. Here, we complemented resting-state fMRI in rats with cortical calcium recording (GCaMP-mediated) and pupillometry to tackle the linkage between brain-state changes and neural dynamics across different scales. This multimodal platform allowed us to identify a global brain network that covaried with pupil size, which served to generate an index indicative of the brain-state fluctuation during anesthesia. Besides, a specific correlation pattern was detected in the brainstem, at a location consistent with noradrenergic cell group 5 (A5), which appeared to be dependent on the coupling between different frequencies of cortical activity, possibly further indicating particular brain-state dynamics. The multimodal fMRI combining concurrent calcium recordings and pupillometry enables tracking brain state-dependent pupil dynamics and identifying unique cross-scale neuronal dynamic patterns under anesthesia.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Patricia Pais-Roldán
- High-Field Magnetic Resonance Department, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany
- Graduate Training Centre of Neuroscience, International Max Planck Research School, University of Tuebingen, 72074 Tuebingen, Germany
- Medical Imaging Physics, Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, Forschungszentrum Juelich, 52425 Juelich, Germany
| | - Kengo Takahashi
- High-Field Magnetic Resonance Department, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany
- Graduate Training Centre of Neuroscience, International Max Planck Research School, University of Tuebingen, 72074 Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Filip Sobczak
- High-Field Magnetic Resonance Department, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany
- Graduate Training Centre of Neuroscience, International Max Planck Research School, University of Tuebingen, 72074 Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Yi Chen
- High-Field Magnetic Resonance Department, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany
- Graduate Training Centre of Neuroscience, International Max Planck Research School, University of Tuebingen, 72074 Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Xiaoning Zhao
- High-Field Magnetic Resonance Department, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Hang Zeng
- High-Field Magnetic Resonance Department, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany
- Graduate Training Centre of Neuroscience, International Max Planck Research School, University of Tuebingen, 72074 Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Yuanyuan Jiang
- High-Field Magnetic Resonance Department, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA 02129
| | - Xin Yu
- High-Field Magnetic Resonance Department, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany;
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA 02129
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Gao C, Leng Y, Ma J, Rooke V, Rodriguez-Gonzalez S, Ramakrishnan C, Deisseroth K, Penzo MA. Two genetically, anatomically and functionally distinct cell types segregate across anteroposterior axis of paraventricular thalamus. Nat Neurosci 2020; 23:217-228. [PMID: 31932767 PMCID: PMC7007348 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-019-0572-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2019] [Accepted: 12/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Unlike the sensory thalamus, studies on the functional organization of the midline and intralaminar nuclei are scarce, and this has hindered the establishment of conceptual models of the function of this brain region. We investigated the functional organization of the paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus (PVT), a midline thalamic structure that is increasingly being recognized as a critical node in the control of diverse processes such as arousal, stress, emotional memory and motivation, in mice. We identify two major classes of PVT neurons-termed type I and type II-that differ in terms of gene expression, anatomy and function. In addition, we demonstrate that type II neurons belong to a previously neglected class of PVT neurons that convey arousal-related information to corticothalamic neurons of the infralimbic cortex. Our results uncover the existence of an arousal-modulated thalamo-corticothalamic loop that links the PVT and the ventromedial prefrontal cortex.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Claire Gao
- National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Yan Leng
- National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Jun Ma
- National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | | | | | | | - Karl Deisseroth
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Mario A Penzo
- National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Jentsch VL, Wolf OT, Merz CJ. Temporal dynamics of conditioned skin conductance and pupillary responses during fear acquisition and extinction. Int J Psychophysiol 2020; 147:93-99. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2019.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2019] [Revised: 11/07/2019] [Accepted: 11/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
|
33
|
DiNuzzo M, Mascali D, Moraschi M, Bussu G, Maugeri L, Mangini F, Fratini M, Giove F. Brain Networks Underlying Eye's Pupil Dynamics. Front Neurosci 2019; 13:965. [PMID: 31619948 PMCID: PMC6759985 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2019.00965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2019] [Accepted: 08/28/2019] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Phasic changes in eye’s pupil diameter have been repeatedly observed during cognitive, emotional and behavioral activity in mammals. Although pupil diameter is known to be associated with noradrenergic firing in the pontine Locus Coeruleus (LC), thus far the causal chain coupling spontaneous pupil dynamics to specific cortical brain networks remains unknown. In the present study, we acquired steady-state blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data combined with eye-tracking pupillometry from fifteen healthy subjects that were trained to maintain a constant attentional load. Regression analysis revealed widespread visual and sensorimotor BOLD-fMRI deactivations correlated with pupil diameter. Furthermore, we found BOLD-fMRI activations correlated with pupil diameter change rate within a set of brain regions known to be implicated in selective attention, salience, error-detection and decision-making. These regions included LC, thalamus, posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), dorsal anterior cingulate and paracingulate cortex (dACC/PaCC), orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), and right anterior insular cortex (rAIC). Granger-causality analysis performed on these regions yielded a complex pattern of interdependence, wherein LC and pupil dynamics were far apart in the network and separated by several cortical stages. Functional connectivity (FC) analysis revealed the ubiquitous presence of the superior frontal gyrus (SFG) in the networks identified by the brain regions correlated to the pupil diameter change rate. No significant correlations were observed between pupil dynamics, regional activation and behavioral performance. Based on the involved brain regions, we speculate that pupil dynamics reflects brain processing implicated in changes between self- and environment-directed awareness.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Daniele Mascali
- Fondazione Santa Lucia (IRCCS), Rome, Italy.,Centro Fermi - Museo Storico della Fisica e Centro Studi e Ricerche Enrico Fermi, Rome, Italy
| | - Marta Moraschi
- Fondazione Santa Lucia (IRCCS), Rome, Italy.,Centro Fermi - Museo Storico della Fisica e Centro Studi e Ricerche Enrico Fermi, Rome, Italy
| | - Giorgia Bussu
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | | | | | - Michela Fratini
- Fondazione Santa Lucia (IRCCS), Rome, Italy.,CNR Nanotec, Rome, Italy
| | - Federico Giove
- Fondazione Santa Lucia (IRCCS), Rome, Italy.,Centro Fermi - Museo Storico della Fisica e Centro Studi e Ricerche Enrico Fermi, Rome, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Pietrock C, Ebrahimi C, Katthagen TM, Koch SP, Heinz A, Rothkirch M, Schlagenhauf F. Pupil dilation as an implicit measure of appetitive Pavlovian learning. Psychophysiology 2019; 56:e13463. [PMID: 31424104 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.13463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2019] [Revised: 07/20/2019] [Accepted: 07/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Appetitive Pavlovian conditioning is a learning mechanism of fundamental biological and pathophysiological significance. Nonetheless, its exploration in humans remains sparse, which is partly attributed to the lack of an established psychophysiological parameter that aptly represents conditioned responding. This study evaluated pupil diameter and other ocular response measures (gaze dwelling time, blink duration and count) as indices of conditioning. Additionally, a learning model was used to infer participants' learning progress on the basis of their pupil dilation. Twenty-nine healthy volunteers completed an appetitive differential delay conditioning paradigm with a primary reward, while the ocular response measures along with other psychophysiological (heart rate, electrodermal activity, postauricular and eyeblink reflex) and behavioral (ratings, contingency awareness) parameters were obtained to examine the relation among different measures. A significantly stronger increase in pupil diameter, longer gaze duration and shorter eyeblink duration was observed in response to the reward-predicting cue compared to the control cue. The Pearce-Hall attention model best predicted the trial-by-trial pupil diameter. This conditioned response was corroborated by a pronounced heart rate deceleration to the reward-predicting cue, while no conditioning effect was observed in the electrodermal activity or startle responses. There was no discernible correlation between the psychophysiological response measures. These results highlight the potential value of ocular response measures as sensitive indices for representing appetitive conditioning.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte Pietrock
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Claudia Ebrahimi
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Teresa M Katthagen
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Stefan P Koch
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Andreas Heinz
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany.,Cluster of Excellence NeuroCure, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.,Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Marcus Rothkirch
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Florian Schlagenhauf
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany.,Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany.,Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
van Lith K, Veltman DJ, Cohn MD, Pape LE, van den Akker-Nijdam ME, van Loon AWG, Bet P, van Wingen GA, van den Brink W, Doreleijers T, Popma A. Effects of Methylphenidate During Fear Learning in Antisocial Adolescents: A Randomized Controlled fMRI Trial. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2018; 57:934-943. [PMID: 30522739 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaac.2018.06.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2017] [Revised: 05/23/2018] [Accepted: 06/20/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Although the neural underpinnings of antisocial behavior have been studied extensively, research on pharmacologic interventions targeting specific neural mechanisms remains sparse. Hypoactivity of the amygdala and ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) has been reported in antisocial adolescents, which could account for deficits in fear learning (amygdala) and impairments in decision making (vmPFC), respectively. Limited clinical research suggests positive effects of methylphenidate, a dopamine agonist, on antisocial behavior in adolescents. Dopamine is a key neurotransmitter involved in amygdala and vmPFC functioning. The objective of this study was to investigate whether methylphenidate targets dysfunctions in these brain areas in adolescents with antisocial behavior. METHOD A group of 42 clinical referred male adolescents (14-17 years old) with a disruptive behavior disorder performed a fear learning/reversal paradigm in a randomized double-blinded placebo-controlled pharmacologic functional magnetic resonance imaging study. Participants with disruptive behavior disorder were randomized to receive a single dose of methylphenidate 0.3 to 0.4 mg/kg (n = 22) or placebo (n = 20) and were compared with 21 matched healthy controls not receiving medication. RESULTS In a region-of-interest analysis of functional magnetic resonance imaging data during fear learning, the placebo group showed hyporeactivity of the amygdala compared with healthy controls, whereas amygdala reactivity was normalized in the methylphenidate group. There were no group differences in vmPFC reactivity during fear reversal learning. Whole-brain analyses showed no group differences. CONCLUSION These findings suggest that methylphenidate is a promising pharmacologic intervention for youth antisocial behavior that could restore amygdala functioning. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION INFORMATION Fear Conditioning During Specific Conditions in Antisocial Adolescents: A Neuroimaging Study. http://www.trialregister.nl/trialreg/index.asp; NTR4088.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Koen van Lith
- Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Netherlands.
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Pierre Bet
- Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | | | | | | | - Arne Popma
- Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Netherlands; Leiden University, The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Flores Á, Fullana MÀ, Soriano-Mas C, Andero R. Lost in translation: how to upgrade fear memory research. Mol Psychiatry 2018; 23:2122-2132. [PMID: 29298989 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-017-0006-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2017] [Revised: 10/30/2017] [Accepted: 11/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
We address some of the current limitations of translational research in fear memory and suggest alternatives that might help to overcome them. Appropriate fear responses are adaptive, but disruption of healthy fear memory circuits can lead to anxiety and fear-based disorders. Stress is one of the main environmental factors that can disrupt memory circuits and constitutes as a key factor in the etiopathology of these psychiatric conditions. Current therapies for anxiety and fear-based disorders have limited success rate, revealing a clear need for an improved understanding of their neurobiological basis. Although animal models are excellent for dissecting fear memory circuits and have driven tremendous advances in the field, translation of these findings into the clinic has been limited so far. Animal models of stress-induced pathological fear combined with powerful cutting-edge techniques would help to improve the translational value of preclinical studies. We also encourage combining animal and human research, including psychiatric patients in order to find new pharmacological targets with real therapeutic potential that will improve the extrapolation of the findings. Finally, we highlight novel neuroimaging approaches that improve our understanding of anxiety and fear-based disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- África Flores
- Institut de Neurociènces, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Miquel À Fullana
- FIDMAG Germanes Hospitalàries-CIBERSAM, Sant Boi de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain.,Department of Psychiatry, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Carles Soriano-Mas
- Department of Psychiatry, Bellvitge University Hospital-IDIBELL, Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain.,CIBERSAM-G17, Barcelona, Spain.,Department of Psychobiology and Methodology in Health Sciences, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Raül Andero
- Institut de Neurociènces, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain. .,CIBERSAM, Corporació Sanitaria Parc Taulí, Sabadell, Spain. .,Department of Psychobiology and Methodology in Health Sciences, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain.
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
The influence of acoustic startle probes on fear learning in humans. Sci Rep 2018; 8:14552. [PMID: 30267018 PMCID: PMC6162305 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-32646-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2018] [Accepted: 09/07/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Even though human fear-conditioning involves affective learning as well as expectancy learning, most studies assess only one of the two distinct processes. Commonly used read-outs of associative fear learning are the fear-potentiated startle reflex (FPS), pupil dilation and US-expectancy ratings. FPS is thought to reflect the affective aspect of fear learning, while pupil dilation reflects a general arousal response. However, in order to measure FPS, aversively loud acoustic probes are presented during conditioning, which might in itself exert an effect on fear learning. Here we tested the effect of startle probes on fear learning by comparing brain activation (fMRI), pupil dilation and US-expectancy ratings with and without acoustic startle probes within subjects. Regardless of startle probes, fear conditioning resulted in enhanced dACC, insula and ventral striatum activation. Interaction analyses showed that startle probes diminished differential pupil dilation between CS+ and CS- due to increased pupil responses to CS-. A trend significant interaction effect was observed for US-expectancy and amygdala activation. Startle probes affect differential fear learning by impeding safety learning, as measured with pupil dilation, a read-out of the cognitive component of fear learning. However, we observed no significant effect of acoustic startle probes on other measures of fear learning.
Collapse
|
38
|
Leuchs L, Schneider M, Spoormaker VI. Measuring the conditioned response: A comparison of pupillometry, skin conductance, and startle electromyography. Psychophysiology 2018; 56:e13283. [PMID: 30259985 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.13283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2018] [Revised: 06/28/2018] [Accepted: 07/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
In human fear conditioning studies, different physiological readouts can be used to track conditioned responding during fear learning. Commonly employed readouts such as skin conductance responses (SCR) or startle responses have in recent years been complemented by pupillary readouts, but to date it is unknown how pupillary readouts relate to other measures of the conditioned response. To examine differences and communalities among pupil responses, SCR, and startle responses, we simultaneously recorded pupil diameter, skin conductance, and startle electromyography in 47 healthy subjects during fear acquisition, extinction, and a recall test on 2 consecutive days. The different measures correlated only weakly, displaying most prominent differences in their response patterns during fear acquisition. Whereas SCR and startle responses habituated, pupillary measures did not. Instead, they increased in response to fear conditioned stimuli and most closely followed ratings of unconditioned stimulus (US) expectancy. Moreover, we observed that startle-induced pupil responses showed stimulus discrimination during fear acquisition, suggesting a fear potentiation of the auditory pupil reflex. We conclude that different physiological outcome measures of the conditioned response inform about different cognitive-affective processes during fear learning, with pupil responses being least affected by physiological habituation and most closely following US expectancy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Laura Leuchs
- Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
39
|
Disentangling reward anticipation with simultaneous pupillometry / fMRI. Neuroimage 2018; 178:11-22. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2018.04.078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2017] [Revised: 03/28/2018] [Accepted: 04/30/2018] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
|