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Sitnikova E. Behavioral and Cognitive Comorbidities in Genetic Rat Models of Absence Epilepsy (Focusing on GAERS and WAG/Rij Rats). Biomedicines 2024; 12:122. [PMID: 38255227 PMCID: PMC10812980 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines12010122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2023] [Revised: 01/02/2024] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Absence epilepsy is a non-convulsive type of epilepsy characterized by the sudden loss of awareness. It is associated with thalamo-cortical impairment, which may cause neuropsychiatric and neurocognitive problems. Rats with spontaneous absence-like seizures are widely used as in vivo genetic models for absence epilepsy; they display behavioral and cognitive problems similar to epilepsy in humans, such as genetic absence epilepsy rats from Strasbourg (GAERS) and Wistar Albino rats from Rijswijk (WAG/Rij). Depression- and anxiety-like behaviors were apparent in GAERS, but no anxiety and depression-like symptoms were found in WAG/Rij rats. Deficits in executive functions and memory impairment in WAG/Rij rats, i.e., cognitive comorbidities, were linked to the severity of epilepsy. Wistar rats can develop spontaneous seizures in adulthood, so caution is advised when using them as a control epileptic strain. This review discusses challenges in the field, such as putative high emotionality in genetically prone rats, sex differences in the expression of cognitive comorbidities, and predictors of cognitive problems or biomarkers of cognitive comorbidities in absence epilepsy, as well as the concept of "the cognitive thalamus". The current knowledge of behavioral and cognitive comorbidities in drug-naive rats with spontaneous absence epilepsy is beneficial for understanding the pathophysiology of absence epilepsy, and for finding new treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evgenia Sitnikova
- Institute of Higher Nervous Activity and Neurophysiology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 5A Butlerova St., Moscow 117485, Russia
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2
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Dong Y, Li Y, Xiang X, Xiao ZC, Hu J, Li Y, Li H, Hu H. Stress relief as a natural resilience mechanism against depression-like behaviors. Neuron 2023; 111:3789-3801.e6. [PMID: 37776853 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2022] [Revised: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/06/2023] [Indexed: 10/02/2023]
Abstract
Relief, the appetitive state after the termination of aversive stimuli, is evolutionarily conserved. Understanding the behavioral role of this well-conserved phenomenon and its underlying neurobiological mechanisms are open and important questions. Here, we discover that the magnitude of relief from physical stress strongly correlates with individual resilience to depression-like behaviors in chronic stressed mice. Notably, blocking stress relief causes vulnerability to depression-like behaviors, whereas natural rewards supplied shortly after stress promotes resilience. Stress relief is mediated by reward-related mesolimbic dopamine neurons, which show minute-long, persistent activation after stress termination. Circuitry-wise, activation or inhibition of circuits downstream of the ventral tegmental area during the transient relief period bi-directionally regulates depression resilience. These results reveal an evolutionary function of stress relief in depression resilience and identify the neural substrate mediating this effect. Importantly, our data suggest a behavioral strategy of augmenting positive valence of stress relief with natural rewards to prevent depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiyan Dong
- Department of Psychiatry and International Institutes of Medicine, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Yiwu 322000, China; Liangzhu Laboratory, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-Machine Integration, State Key Laboratory of Brain-Machine Intelligence, New Cornerstone Science Laboratory, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 311121, China
| | - Yifei Li
- Liangzhu Laboratory, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-Machine Integration, State Key Laboratory of Brain-Machine Intelligence, New Cornerstone Science Laboratory, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 311121, China
| | - Xinkuan Xiang
- Liangzhu Laboratory, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-Machine Integration, State Key Laboratory of Brain-Machine Intelligence, New Cornerstone Science Laboratory, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 311121, China
| | - Zhuo-Cheng Xiao
- Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - Ji Hu
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Yulong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Peking University School of Life Sciences, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Haohong Li
- Liangzhu Laboratory, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-Machine Integration, State Key Laboratory of Brain-Machine Intelligence, New Cornerstone Science Laboratory, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 311121, China
| | - Hailan Hu
- Department of Psychiatry and International Institutes of Medicine, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Yiwu 322000, China; Liangzhu Laboratory, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-Machine Integration, State Key Laboratory of Brain-Machine Intelligence, New Cornerstone Science Laboratory, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 311121, China.
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Gundacker A, Glat M, Wais J, Stoehrmann P, Pollak A, Pollak DD. Early-life iron deficiency persistently disrupts affective behaviour in mice. Ann Med 2023; 55:1265-1277. [PMID: 37096819 PMCID: PMC10132221 DOI: 10.1080/07853890.2023.2191003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Accepted: 03/09/2023] [Indexed: 04/26/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE Iron deficiency (ID) is the most common nutrient deficiency, affecting two billion people worldwide, including about 30% of pregnant women. During gestation, the brain is particularly vulnerable to environmental insults, which can irrevocably impair critical developmental processes. Consequently, detrimental consequences of early-life ID for offspring brain structure and function have been described. Although early life ID has been associated with an increased long-term risk for several neuropsychiatric disorders, the effect on depressive disorders has remained unresolved. MATERIALS AND METHODS A mouse model of moderate foetal and neonatal ID was established by keeping pregnant dams on an iron-deficient diet throughout gestation until postnatal day 10. The ensuing significant decrease of iron content in the offspring brain, as well as the impact on maternal behaviour and offspring vocalization was determined in the first postnatal week. The consequences of early-life ID for depression- and anxiety-like behaviour in adulthood were revealed employing dedicated behavioural assays. miRNA sequencing of hippocampal tissue of offspring revealed specific miRNAs signatures accompanying the behavioural deficits of foetal and neonatal ID in the adult brain. RESULTS Mothers receiving iron-deficient food during pregnancy and lactation exhibited significantly less licking and grooming behaviour, while active pup retrieval and pup ultrasonic vocalizations were unaltered. Adult offspring with a history of foetal and neonatal ID showed an increase in depression- and anxiety-like behaviour, paralleled by a deranged miRNA expression profile in the hippocampus, specifically levels of miR200a and miR200b. CONCLUSION ID during the foetal and neonatal periods has life-long consequences for affective behaviour in mice and leaves a specific and persistent mark on the expression of miRNAs in the brain. Foetal and neonatal ID needs to be further considered as risk factor for the development of depression and anxiety disorders later in life.Key MessagesMarginal reduction of gestational alimentary iron intake decreases brain iron content of the juvenile offspring.Early-life ID is associated with increased depression- and anxiety-like behaviour in adulthood.Reduction of maternal alimentary iron intake during pregnancy is reflected in an alteration of miRNA signatures in the adult offspring brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Gundacker
- Department of Neurophysiology and Neuropharmacology, Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Micaela Glat
- Department of Neurophysiology and Neuropharmacology, Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Jonathan Wais
- Department of Neurophysiology and Neuropharmacology, Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Department of Neurosurgery, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Peter Stoehrmann
- Department of Neurophysiology and Neuropharmacology, Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Arnold Pollak
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Daniela D. Pollak
- Department of Neurophysiology and Neuropharmacology, Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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Zillig AL, Pauli P, Wieser M, Reicherts P. Better safe than sorry?-On the influence of learned safety on pain perception. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0289047. [PMID: 37934741 PMCID: PMC10629634 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0289047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2022] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 11/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The experience of threat was found to result-mostly-in increased pain, however it is still unclear whether the exact opposite, namely the feeling of safety may lead to a reduction of pain. To test this hypothesis, we conducted two between-subject experiments (N = 94; N = 87), investigating whether learned safety relative to a neutral control condition can reduce pain, while threat should lead to increased pain compared to a neutral condition. Therefore, participants first underwent either threat or safety conditioning, before entering an identical test phase, where the previously conditioned threat or safety cue and a newly introduced visual cue were presented simultaneously with heat pain stimuli. Methodological changes were performed in experiment 2 to prevent safety extinction and to facilitate conditioning in the first place: We included additional verbal instructions, increased the maximum length of the ISI and raised CS-US contingency in the threat group from 50% to 75%. In addition to pain ratings and ratings of the visual cues (threat, safety, arousal, valence, and contingency), in both experiments, we collected heart rate and skin conductance. Analysis of the cue ratings during acquisition indicate successful threat and safety induction, however results of the test phase, when also heat pain was administered, demonstrate rapid safety extinction in both experiments. Results suggest rather small modulation of subjective and physiological pain responses following threat or safety cues relative to the neutral condition. However, exploratory analysis revealed reduced pain ratings in later trials of the experiment in the safety group compared to the threat group in both studies, suggesting different temporal dynamics for threat and safety learning and extinction, respectively. Perspective: The present results demonstrate the challenge to maintain safety in the presence of acute pain and suggest more research on the interaction of affective learning mechanism and pain processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna-Lena Zillig
- Department of Psychology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Paul Pauli
- Department of Psychology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Matthias Wieser
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Erasmus University of Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Philipp Reicherts
- Department of Medical Psychology and Sociology, University of Augsburg, Augsburg, Germany
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Zhu Y, Wang K, Ma T, Ji Y, Lou Y, Fu X, Lu Y, Liu Y, Dang W, Zhang Q, Yin F, Wang K, Yu B, Zhang H, Lai J, Wang Y. Nucleus accumbens D1/D2 circuits control opioid withdrawal symptoms in mice. J Clin Invest 2023; 133:e163266. [PMID: 37561576 PMCID: PMC10503809 DOI: 10.1172/jci163266] [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: 07/05/2022] [Accepted: 07/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The nucleus accumbens (NAc) is the most promising target for drug use disorder treatment. Deep brain stimulation (DBS) of NAc is effective for drug use disorder treatment. However, the mechanisms by which DBS produces its therapeutic effects remain enigmatic. Here, we define a behavioral cutoff criterion to distinguish depressive-like behaviors and non-depressive-like behaviors in mice after morphine withdrawal. We identified a basolateral amygdala (BLA) to NAc D1 medium spiny neuron (MSN) pathway that controls depressive-like behaviors after morphine withdrawal. Furthermore, the paraventricular nucleus of thalamus (PVT) to NAc D2 MSN pathway controls naloxone-induced acute withdrawal symptoms. Optogenetically induced long-term potentiation with κ-opioid receptor (KOR) antagonism enhanced BLA to NAc D1 MSN signaling and also altered the excitation/inhibition balance of NAc D2 MSN signaling. We also verified that a new 50 Hz DBS protocol reversed morphine withdrawal-evoked abnormal plasticity in NAc. Importantly, this refined DBS treatment effectively alleviated naloxone-induced withdrawal symptoms and depressive-like behaviors and prevented stress-induced reinstatement. Taken together, the results demonstrated that input- and cell type-specific synaptic plasticity underlies morphine withdrawal, which may lead to novel targets for the treatment of opioid use disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongsheng Zhu
- College of Forensic Science, Key Laboratory of National Health Commission for Forensic Science, National Biosafety Evidence Foundation, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China
| | - Kejia Wang
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Organ and Tissue Regeneration, Xiamen Key Laboratory of Regeneration Medicine, Organ Transplantation Institute of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Tengfei Ma
- School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yuanyuan Ji
- College of Forensic Science, Key Laboratory of National Health Commission for Forensic Science, National Biosafety Evidence Foundation, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China
| | - Yin Lou
- College of Forensic Science, Key Laboratory of National Health Commission for Forensic Science, National Biosafety Evidence Foundation, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China
| | - Xiaoyu Fu
- College of Forensic Science, Key Laboratory of National Health Commission for Forensic Science, National Biosafety Evidence Foundation, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China
| | - Ye Lu
- College of Forensic Science, Key Laboratory of National Health Commission for Forensic Science, National Biosafety Evidence Foundation, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China
| | - Yige Liu
- College of Forensic Science, Key Laboratory of National Health Commission for Forensic Science, National Biosafety Evidence Foundation, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China
| | - Wei Dang
- The Sixth Ward, Xi’an Mental Health Center, Xi’an, China
| | - Qian Zhang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China
| | - Fangyuan Yin
- College of Forensic Science, Key Laboratory of National Health Commission for Forensic Science, National Biosafety Evidence Foundation, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China
| | - Kena Wang
- College of Forensic Science, Key Laboratory of National Health Commission for Forensic Science, National Biosafety Evidence Foundation, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China
| | - Bing Yu
- School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Hongbo Zhang
- College of Forensic Science, Key Laboratory of National Health Commission for Forensic Science, National Biosafety Evidence Foundation, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China
| | - Jianghua Lai
- College of Forensic Science, Key Laboratory of National Health Commission for Forensic Science, National Biosafety Evidence Foundation, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China
| | - Yunpeng Wang
- College of Forensic Science, Key Laboratory of National Health Commission for Forensic Science, National Biosafety Evidence Foundation, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China
- Department of Psychiatry and Center for Brain Science, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China
- Shaanxi Belt and Road Joint Laboratory of Precision Medicine in Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China
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Paredes D, Morilak DA. Ventral Hippocampal Input to Infralimbic Cortex Is Necessary for the Therapeutic-Like Effects of Extinction in Stressed Rats. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol 2023; 26:529-536. [PMID: 37480574 PMCID: PMC10464924 DOI: 10.1093/ijnp/pyad043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/24/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Posttraumatic stress disorder is characterized by deficits in cognitive flexibility related to dysfunction of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). Exposure therapy can effectively reverse these deficits. Fear extinction in rodents bears similarity to exposure therapy. Extinction reverses chronic stress-induced deficits in cognitive flexibility on the attentional set-shifting test (AST), an mPFC-mediated process. This therapeutic effect requires activity of pyramidal neurons and brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) signaling in infralimbic cortex (IL). However, the circuit mechanisms governing BDNF-mediated plasticity initiated by extinction in IL are unknown. The ventral hippocampus (vHipp) plays a role in regulating IL activity during extinction, and plasticity in vHipp is necessary for extinction memory consolidation. Therefore, we investigated the role of vHipp input to IL in the effects of extinction in reversing stress-induced cognitive deficits. METHODS vHipp input to IL was silenced using a Gi-Designer Receptors Exclusively Activated by Designer Drugs (DREADD) via local infusion of clozapine-N-oxide (CNO) into IL before extinction. A day later, rats were tested on AST. In a separate experiment, we tested whether vHipp input to the IL induces BDNF signaling to exert therapeutic effects. We activated the vHipp using a Gq-DREADD, and injected an anti-BDNF neutralizing antibody into IL. Rats were tested on the AST 24 hours later. RESULTS Silencing the vHipp input to IL prevented the beneficial effects of extinction in reversing stress-induced cognitive deficits. Activating vHipp input to IL in the absence of extinction was sufficient to reverse stress-induced deficits in set-shifting. The beneficial effects were blocked by local infusion of a neutralizing anti-BDNF antibody into IL. CONCLUSIONS vHipp-driven BDNF signaling in IL is critical for extinction to counteract the deleterious cognitive effects of chronic stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denisse Paredes
- Department of Pharmacology and Center for Biomedical Neuroscience, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - David A Morilak
- Department of Pharmacology and Center for Biomedical Neuroscience, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
- South Texas Veterans Health Care System, San Antonio, TX
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Sideromenos S, Nikou M, Czuczu B, Thalheimer N, Gundacker A, Horvath O, Cuenca Rico L, Stöhrmann P, Niello M, Partonen T, Pollak DD. The metabolic regulator USF-1 is involved in the control of affective behaviour in mice. Transl Psychiatry 2022; 12:497. [PMID: 36450713 PMCID: PMC9712601 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-022-02266-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2022] [Revised: 11/23/2022] [Accepted: 11/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Epidemiological studies indicate a bidirectional association between metabolic disturbances, including obesity and related pathological states, and mood disorders, most prominently major depression. However, the biological mechanisms mediating the comorbid relationship between the deranged metabolic and mood states remain incompletely understood. Here, we tested the hypothesis that the enhanced activation of brown fat tissue (BAT), known to beneficially regulate obesity and accompanying dysfunctional metabolic states, is also paralleled by an alteration of affective behaviour. We used upstream stimulatory factor 1 (USF-1) knock-out (KO) mice as a genetic model of constitutively activated BAT and positive cardiometabolic traits and found a reduction of depression-like and anxiety-like behaviours associated with USF-1 deficiency. Surgical removal of interscapular BAT did not impact the behavioural phenotype of USF-1 KO mice. Further, the absence of USF-1 did not lead to alterations of adult hippocampal neural progenitor cell proliferation, differentiation, or survival. RNA-seq analysis characterised the molecular signature of USF-1 deficiency in the hippocampus and revealed a significant increase in the expression of several members of the X-linked lymphocyte-regulated (xlr) genes, including xlr3b and xlr4b. Xlr genes are the mouse orthologues of the human FAM9 gene family and are implicated in the regulation of dendritic branching, dendritic spine number and morphology. The transcriptional changes were associated with morphological alterations in hippocampal neurons, manifested in reduced dendritic length and complexity in USF-1 KO mice. Collectively these data suggest that the metabolic regulator USF-1 is involved in the control of affective behaviour in mice and that this modulation of mood states is unrelated to USF-1-dependent BAT activation, but reflected in structural changes in the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Spyros Sideromenos
- Department of Neurophysiology and Neuropharmacology, Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Schwarzspanierstraße 17, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Maria Nikou
- Department of Neurophysiology and Neuropharmacology, Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Schwarzspanierstraße 17, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Barbara Czuczu
- Department of Neurophysiology and Neuropharmacology, Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Schwarzspanierstraße 17, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Nikolas Thalheimer
- Department of Neurophysiology and Neuropharmacology, Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Schwarzspanierstraße 17, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Anna Gundacker
- Department of Neurophysiology and Neuropharmacology, Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Schwarzspanierstraße 17, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Orsolya Horvath
- Department of Neurophysiology and Neuropharmacology, Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Schwarzspanierstraße 17, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Laura Cuenca Rico
- Department of Neurophysiology and Neuropharmacology, Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Schwarzspanierstraße 17, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Peter Stöhrmann
- Department of Neurophysiology and Neuropharmacology, Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Schwarzspanierstraße 17, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Marco Niello
- Institute for Pharmacology, Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Schwarzspanierstraße 17, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Timo Partonen
- Mental Health Team, Department of Public Health and Welfare, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Daniela D Pollak
- Department of Neurophysiology and Neuropharmacology, Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Schwarzspanierstraße 17, 1090, Vienna, Austria.
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Laing PAF, Felmingham KL, Davey CG, Harrison BJ. The neurobiology of Pavlovian safety learning: Towards an acquisition-expression framework. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 142:104882. [PMID: 36150453 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2022] [Revised: 09/15/2022] [Accepted: 09/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Safety learning creates associations between conditional stimuli and the absence of threat. Studies of human fear conditioning have accumulated evidence for the neural signatures of safety over various paradigms, aligning on several common brain systems. While these systems are often interpreted as underlying safety learning in a generic sense, they may instead reflect the expression of learned safety, pertaining to processes of fear inhibition, positive affect, and memory. Animal models strongly suggest these can be separable from neural circuits implicated in the conditioning process itself (or safety acquisition). While acquisition-expression distinctions are ubiquitous in behavioural science, this lens has not been applied to safety learning, which remains a novel area in the field. In this mini-review, we overview findings from prevalent safety paradigms in humans, and synthesise these with insights from animal models to propose that the neurobiology of safety learning be conceptualised along an acquisition-expression model, with the aim of stimulating richer brain-based characterisations of this important process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick A F Laing
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, Australia.
| | - Kim L Felmingham
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Australia
| | - Christopher G Davey
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, Australia
| | - Ben J Harrison
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, Australia.
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Leconstant C, Spitz E. Integrative Model of Human-Animal Interactions: A One Health-One Welfare Systemic Approach to Studying HAI. Front Vet Sci 2022; 9:656833. [PMID: 35968006 PMCID: PMC9372562 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2022.656833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2021] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The Integrative Model of Human-Animal Interactions (IMHAI) described herewith provides a conceptual framework for the study of interspecies interactions and aims to model the primary emotional processes involved in human-animal interactions. This model was developed from theoretical inputs from three fundamental disciplines for understanding interspecies interactions: neuroscience, psychology and ethology, with the objective of providing a transdisciplinary approach on which field professionals and researchers can build and collaborate. Seminal works in affective neuroscience offer a common basis between humans and animals and, as such, can be applied to the study of interspecies interactions from a One Health-One Welfare perspective. On the one hand, Jaak Panksepp's research revealed that primary/basic emotions originate in the deep subcortical regions of the brain and are shared by all mammals, including humans. On the other hand, several works in the field of neuroscience show that the basic physiological state is largely determined by the perception of safety. Thus, emotional expression reflects the state of an individual's permanent adaptation to ever-changing environmental demands. Based on this evidence and over 5 years of action research using grounded theory, alternating between research and practice, the IMHAI proposes a systemic approach to the study of primary-process emotional affects during interspecies social interactions, through the processes of emotional transfer, embodied communication and interactive emotional regulation. IMHAI aims to generate new hypotheses and predictions on affective behavior and interspecies communication. Application of such a model should promote risk prevention and the establishment of positive links between humans and animals thereby contributing to their respective wellbeing.
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Paredes D, Knippenberg AR, Bulin SE, Keppler LJ, Morilak DA. Adjunct treatment with ketamine enhances the therapeutic effects of extinction learning after chronic unpredictable stress. Neurobiol Stress 2022; 19:100468. [PMID: 35865972 PMCID: PMC9293662 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2022.100468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2022] [Revised: 06/09/2022] [Accepted: 07/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a debilitating illness characterized by dysfunction in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). Although both pharmacological and cognitive behavioral interventions have shown some promise at alleviating symptoms, high attrition and persistence of treatment-resistant symptoms pose significant challenges that remain unresolved. Specifically, prolonged exposure therapy, a gold standard intervention to treat PTSD, has high dropout rates resulting in many patients receiving less than a fully effective course of treatment. Administering pharmacological treatments together with behavioral psychotherapies like prolonged exposure may offer an important avenue for enhancing therapeutic efficacy sooner, thus reducing the duration of treatment and mitigating the impact of attrition. In this study, using extinction learning as a rat model of exposure therapy, we hypothesized that administering ketamine as an adjunct treatment together with extinction will enhance the efficacy of extinction in reversing stress-induced deficits in set shifting, a measure of cognitive flexibility. Results showed that combining a sub-effective dose of ketamine with a shortened, sub-effective extinction protocol fully reversed stress-induced cognitive set-shifting deficits in both male and female rats. These effects may be due to shared molecular mechanisms between extinction and ketamine, such as increased neuronal plasticity in common circuitry (e.g., hippocampus-mPFC), or increased BDNF signaling. This work suggests that fast-acting drugs, such as ketamine, can be effectively used in combination with behavioral interventions to reduce treatment duration and potentially mitigate the impact of attrition. Future work is needed to delineate other pharmacotherapies that may complement the effects of extinction via shared or independent mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denisse Paredes
- Department of Pharmacology and Center for Biomedical Neuroscience, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, 7703 Floyd Curl Drive, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Anna R. Knippenberg
- Department of Pharmacology and Center for Biomedical Neuroscience, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, 7703 Floyd Curl Drive, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Sarah E. Bulin
- Department of Pharmacology and Center for Biomedical Neuroscience, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, 7703 Floyd Curl Drive, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Lydia J. Keppler
- Department of Pharmacology and Center for Biomedical Neuroscience, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, 7703 Floyd Curl Drive, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - David A. Morilak
- Department of Pharmacology and Center for Biomedical Neuroscience, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, 7703 Floyd Curl Drive, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
- South Texas Veterans Health Care System, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
- Corresponding author. Department of Pharmacology, Mail Code 7764 University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio 7703 Floyd Curl Drive, San Antonio, TX, 78229-3900, USA
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Abrous DN, Koehl M, Lemoine M. A Baldwin interpretation of adult hippocampal neurogenesis: from functional relevance to physiopathology. Mol Psychiatry 2022; 27:383-402. [PMID: 34103674 PMCID: PMC8960398 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-021-01172-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2020] [Revised: 05/03/2021] [Accepted: 05/12/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Hippocampal adult neurogenesis has been associated to many cognitive, emotional, and behavioral functions and dysfunctions, and its status as a selected effect or an "appendix of the brain" has been debated. In this review, we propose to understand hippocampal neurogenesis as the process underlying the "Baldwin effect", a particular situation in evolution where fitness does not rely on the natural selection of genetic traits, but on "ontogenetic adaptation" to a changing environment. This supports the view that a strong distinction between developmental and adult hippocampal neurogenesis is made. We propose that their functions are the constitution and the lifelong adaptation, respectively, of a basic repertoire of cognitive and emotional behaviors. This lifelong adaptation occurs through new forms of binding, i.e., association or dissociation of more basic elements. This distinction further suggests that a difference is made between developmental vulnerability (or resilience), stemming from dysfunctional (or highly functional) developmental hippocampal neurogenesis, and adult vulnerability (or resilience), stemming from dysfunctional (or highly functional) adult hippocampal neurogenesis. According to this hypothesis, developmental and adult vulnerability are distinct risk factors for various mental disorders in adults. This framework suggests new avenues for research on hippocampal neurogenesis and its implication in mental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Djoher Nora Abrous
- Univ. Bordeaux, INSERM, Neurocentre Magendie, U1215, Neurogenesis and Pathophysiology group, F-33000, Bordeaux, France.
| | - Muriel Koehl
- grid.412041.20000 0001 2106 639XUniv. Bordeaux, INSERM, Neurocentre Magendie, U1215, Neurogenesis and Pathophysiology group, F-33000 Bordeaux, France
| | - Maël Lemoine
- grid.412041.20000 0001 2106 639XUniversity Bordeaux, CNRS, ImmunoConcEpT, UMR 5164, Bordeaux, France
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12
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Avdoshina V, Yumoto F, Mocchetti I, Letendre SL, Tractenberg RE. Race-Dependent Association of Single-Nucleotide Polymorphisms in TrkB Receptor in People Living with HIV and Depression. Neurotox Res 2021; 39:1721-1731. [PMID: 34613587 PMCID: PMC10880801 DOI: 10.1007/s12640-021-00406-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2021] [Revised: 08/16/2021] [Accepted: 08/27/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-associated cognitive disorders (HAND) is characterized by impaired motor and intellectual functions, as well as mood disorders. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor and its receptor TrkB (or NTRK2) mediate the efficacy of antidepressant drugs. Genomic studies of BDNF/TrkB have implicated common single-nucleotide polymorphisms in the pathology of depression. In the current study, we investigated whether single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (rs1212171, rs1439050, rs1187352, rs1778933, rs1443445, rs3780645, rs2378672, and rs11140800) in the NTRK2 has a functional impact on depression in HIV-positive subjects. We have utilized the Central Nervous System (CNS) HIV Antiretroviral Therapy Effects Research (CHARTER) cohort. Our methods explored the univariate associations of these SNPs with clinical (current and lifetime) diagnosis of depression via chi-square. The distribution of alleles was significantly different for African-Americans and Caucasians (non-Hispanic) for several SNPs, so our regression analyses included both "statistical controls" for race group and models for each group separately. Finally, we applied a method of simultaneous analysis of associations, estimating the mutually shared information across a system of variables, separately by race group. Our results indicate that there is no significant association between clinical diagnosis of major depression and these SNPs for either race group in any analysis. However, we identified that the SNP associations varied by race group and sex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeria Avdoshina
- Department of Neuroscience, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA.
| | - Futoshi Yumoto
- Collaborative for Research on Outcomes and Metrics, Silver Spring, MD, USA
- Resonate, Inc., Reston, VA, USA
| | - Italo Mocchetti
- Department of Neuroscience, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Scott L Letendre
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Rochelle E Tractenberg
- Collaborative for Research on Outcomes and Metrics, Silver Spring, MD, USA
- Department of Neurology; Biostatistics, Bioinformatics & Biomathematics; and Rehabilitation Medicine, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA
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13
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Meyer HC, Sangha S, Radley JJ, LaLumiere RT, Baratta MV. Environmental certainty influences the neural systems regulating responses to threat and stress. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 131:1037-1055. [PMID: 34673111 PMCID: PMC8642312 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.10.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2021] [Revised: 09/29/2021] [Accepted: 10/01/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Flexible calibration of threat responding in accordance with the environment is an adaptive process that allows an animal to avoid harm while also maintaining engagement of other goal-directed actions. This calibration process, referred to as threat response regulation, requires an animal to calculate the probability that a given encounter will result in a threat so they can respond accordingly. Here we review the neural correlates of two highly studied forms of threat response suppression: extinction and safety conditioning. We focus on how relative levels of certainty or uncertainty in the surrounding environment alter the acquisition and application of these processes. We also discuss evidence indicating altered threat response regulation following stress exposure, including enhanced fear conditioning, and disrupted extinction and safety conditioning. To conclude, we discuss research using an animal model of coping that examines the impact of stressor controllability on threat responding, highlighting the potential for previous experiences with control, or other forms of coping, to protect against the effects of future adversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heidi C Meyer
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.
| | - Susan Sangha
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA.
| | - Jason J Radley
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA.
| | - Ryan T LaLumiere
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA.
| | - Michael V Baratta
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, 80301, USA.
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14
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Early-life trauma endophenotypes and brain circuit-gene expression relationships in functional neurological (conversion) disorder. Mol Psychiatry 2021; 26:3817-3828. [PMID: 32051548 PMCID: PMC7423688 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-020-0665-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2019] [Revised: 01/02/2020] [Accepted: 01/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Functional neurological (conversion) disorder (FND) is a neuropsychiatric condition whereby individuals present with sensorimotor symptoms incompatible with other neurological disorders. Early-life maltreatment (ELM) is a risk factor for developing FND, yet few studies have investigated brain network-trauma relationships in this population. In this neuroimaging-gene expression study, we used two graph theory approaches to elucidate ELM subtype effects on resting-state functional connectivity architecture in 30 patients with motor FND. Twenty-one individuals with comparable depression, anxiety, and ELM scores were used as psychiatric controls. Thereafter, we compared trauma endophenotypes in FND with regional differences in transcriptional gene expression as measured by the Allen Human Brain Atlas (AHBA). In FND patients only, we found that early-life physical abuse severity, and to a lesser extent physical neglect, correlated with corticolimbic weighted-degree functional connectivity. Connectivity profiles influenced by physical abuse occurred in limbic (amygdalar-hippocampal), paralimbic (cingulo-insular and ventromedial prefrontal), and cognitive control (ventrolateral prefrontal) areas, as well as in sensorimotor and visual cortices. These findings held adjusting for individual differences in depression/anxiety, PTSD, and motor phenotypes. In FND, physical abuse also correlated with amygdala and insula coupling to motor cortices. In exploratory analyses, physical abuse correlated connectivity maps overlapped with the AHBA spatial expression of three gene clusters: (i) neuronal morphogenesis and synaptic transmission genes in limbic/paralimbic areas; (ii) locomotory behavior and neuronal generation genes in left-lateralized structures; and (iii) nervous system development and cell motility genes in right-lateralized structures. These circuit-specific architectural profiles related to individual differences in childhood physical abuse burden advance our understanding of the pathophysiology of FND.
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15
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Koenig S, Körfer K, Lachnit H, Glombiewski JA. An attentional perspective on differential fear conditioning in chronic pain: The informational value of safety cues. Behav Res Ther 2021; 144:103917. [PMID: 34325187 DOI: 10.1016/j.brat.2021.103917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2020] [Revised: 05/20/2021] [Accepted: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Differences in fear conditioning between individuals suffering from chronic pain and healthy controls may indicate a learning bias that contributes to the acquisition and persistence of chronic pain. However, evidence from lab-controlled conditioning studies is sparse and previous experiments have produced inconsistent findings. Twenty-five participants suffering from chronic back pain and twenty-five controls not reporting chronic pain took part in a differential fear conditioning experiment measuring attention (eye tracking) and autonomic arousal (pupil dilation and skin conductance) elicited by visual cues predicting the presence or absence of electric shock. In contrast to the healthy control group, participants with chronic pain did not acquire differential autonomic responding to cues of threat and safety and specifically failed to acquire any attentional preference for the safety cue over irrelevant contextual cues (while such preference was intact for the threat cue). We present simulations of a reinforcement learning model to show how the pattern of data can be explained by assuming that participants with chronic pain might have experienced less positive emotion (relief) when the electric shock was absent following safety cues. Our model shows how this assumption can explain both, reduced differential responding to cues of threat and safety as well as less selective attention to the safety cue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephan Koenig
- Department of Psychology, Universität Koblenz-Landau, Germany; Department of Psychology, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Germany.
| | - Karoline Körfer
- Department of Psychology, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Germany
| | - Harald Lachnit
- Department of Psychology, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Germany
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16
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Zhao B, Sun J, Li Q, Zhong Y. Differential conditioning produces merged long-term memory in Drosophila. eLife 2021; 10:66499. [PMID: 34279222 PMCID: PMC8346281 DOI: 10.7554/elife.66499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2021] [Accepted: 07/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Multiple spaced trials of aversive differential conditioning can produce two independent long-term memories (LTMs) of opposite valence. One is an aversive memory for avoiding the conditioned stimulus (CS+), and the other is a safety memory for approaching the non-conditioned stimulus (CS–). Here, we show that a single trial of aversive differential conditioning yields one merged LTM (mLTM) for avoiding both CS+ and CS–. Such mLTM can be detected after sequential exposures to the shock-paired CS+ and -unpaired CS–, and be retrieved by either CS+ or CS–. The formation of mLTM relies on triggering aversive-reinforcing dopaminergic neurons and subsequent new protein synthesis. Expressing mLTM involves αβ Kenyon cells and corresponding approach-directing mushroom body output neurons, in which similar-amplitude long-term depression of responses to CS+ and CS– seems to signal the mLTM. Our results suggest that animals can develop distinct strategies for occasional and repeated threatening experiences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bohan Zhao
- School of Life Sciences, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, and MOE Key Laboratory for Protein Science, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.,Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jiameng Sun
- School of Life Sciences, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, and MOE Key Laboratory for Protein Science, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.,Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Qian Li
- School of Life Sciences, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, and MOE Key Laboratory for Protein Science, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.,Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yi Zhong
- School of Life Sciences, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, and MOE Key Laboratory for Protein Science, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.,Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Beijing, China
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17
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Race NS, Andrews KD, Lungwitz EA, Vega Alvarez SM, Warner TR, Acosta G, Cao J, Lu KH, Liu Z, Dietrich AD, Majumdar S, Shekhar A, Truitt WA, Shi R. Psychosocial impairment following mild blast-induced traumatic brain injury in rats. Behav Brain Res 2021; 412:113405. [PMID: 34097900 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2021.113405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2021] [Revised: 06/02/2021] [Accepted: 06/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is associated with increased risk for mental health disorders, impacting post-injury quality of life and societal reintegration. TBI is also associated with deficits in psychosocial processing, defined as the cognitive integration of social and emotional behaviors, however little is known about how these deficits manifest and their contributions to post-TBI mental health. In this pre-clinical investigation using rats, a single mild blast TBI (mbTBI) induced impairment of psychosocial processing in the absence of confounding physical polytrauma, post-injury motor deficits, affective abnormalities, or deficits in non-social behavior. Impairment severity correlated with acute upregulations of a known oxidative stress metabolite, 3-hydroxypropylmercapturic acid (3-HPMA), in urine. Resting state fMRI alterations in the acute post-injury period implicated key brain regions known to regulate psychosocial behavior, including orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), which is congruent with our previous report of elevated acrolein, a marker of neurotrauma and 3-HPMA precursor, in this region following mbTBI. OFC of mbTBI-exposed rats demonstrated elevated mRNA expression of metabotropic glutamate receptors 1 and 5 (mGluR1/5) and injection of mGluR1/5-selective agonist in OFC of uninjured rats approximated mbTBI-induced psychosocial processing impairment, demonstrating a novel role for OFC in this psychosocial behavior. Furthermore, OFC may serve as a hotspot for TBI-induced disruption of psychosocial processing and subsequent mental health disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas S Race
- Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA; Medical Scientist Training Program, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Katharine D Andrews
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA; Paul and Carole Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA; Program in Medical Neuroscience, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Elizabeth A Lungwitz
- Paul and Carole Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA; Program in Medical Neuroscience, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Sasha M Vega Alvarez
- PULSe Interdisciplinary Life Science Program, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Timothy R Warner
- Paul and Carole Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA; Department of Anatomy, Cellular Biology & Physiology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Glen Acosta
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Jiayue Cao
- Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA; Purdue Institute for Integrative Neuroscience, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Kun-Han Lu
- Purdue Institute for Integrative Neuroscience, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA; School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Zhongming Liu
- Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA; Purdue Institute for Integrative Neuroscience, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA; School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Amy D Dietrich
- Paul and Carole Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA; Department of Anatomy, Cellular Biology & Physiology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Sreeparna Majumdar
- Paul and Carole Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA; Program in Medical Neuroscience, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Anantha Shekhar
- Paul and Carole Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - William A Truitt
- Paul and Carole Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA; Department of Anatomy, Cellular Biology & Physiology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA.
| | - Riyi Shi
- Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA; PULSe Interdisciplinary Life Science Program, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA; Department of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA; Purdue Institute for Integrative Neuroscience, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA; Center for Paralysis Research, West Lafayette, IN, USA.
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18
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Laing PAF, Harrison BJ. Safety learning and the Pavlovian conditioned inhibition of fear in humans: Current state and future directions. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 127:659-674. [PMID: 34023357 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.05.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2021] [Revised: 05/07/2021] [Accepted: 05/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Safety learning occurs when an otherwise neutral stimulus comes to signal the absence of threat, allowing organisms to use safety information to inhibit fear and anxiety in nonthreatening environments. Although it continues to emerge as a topic of relevance in biological and clinical psychology, safety learning remains inconsistently defined and under-researched. Here, we analyse the Pavlovian conditioned inhibition paradigm and its application to the study of safety learning in humans. We discuss existing studies; address outstanding theoretical considerations; and identify prospects for its further application. Though Pavlovian conditioned inhibition presents a theoretically sound model of safety learning, it has been investigated infrequently, with decade-long interims between some studies, and notable methodological variability. Consequently, we argue that the full potential of conditioned inhibition as a model for human safety learning remains untapped, and propose that it could be revisited as a framework for addressing timely questions in the behavioural and clinical sciences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick A F Laing
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
| | - Ben J Harrison
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
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19
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Wu Z, Xiao L, Wang H, Wang G. Neurogenic hypothesis of positive psychology in stress-induced depression: Adult hippocampal neurogenesis, neuroinflammation, and stress resilience. Int Immunopharmacol 2021; 97:107653. [PMID: 33915495 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2021.107653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2021] [Revised: 03/12/2021] [Accepted: 04/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Stress is an important risk factor for depression. Emerging evidence supports the hypothesis that stress-mediated neuroinflammation destroys brain function and leads to anxiety-like and depression-like behaviors. Previous studies of stress-induced depression have mainly focused on pathological damage; however, the rise of positive psychology has attracted the interest of many researchers in environmental enrichment to promote stress resilience. The hippocampus is one of the most severely damaged brain regions in stress-induced depression. In addition, the hippocampus is one of the most unique regions in the brain, as new neurons are produced in the adult hippocampus, a process known as adult hippocampal neurogenesis (AHN). AHN is an important core component of the neurogenic hypothesis and has also become a major innovative breakthrough in positive psychology, in which environmental enrichment mediates stress resilience. Neuroinflammation, by activating microglia and releasing some proinflammatory cytokines, is increasingly shown to be one of the key determinant pathophysiological factors that negatively affects AHNand cognitive reserve. AHN is mainly related to remodeling stress response mechanisms, such as memory clearing, emotional control, and pattern separation, suggesting that a correlation may exist between neuroinflammation and AHN in stress resilience. Therefore, we summarized the previous research results to systematically expound on the relationship between AHN, stress resilience, and neuroinflammation. We hope this neurogenic hypothesis of positive psychology in stress-induced depression will provide a new perspective for the study of depression and antidepressant therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zuotian Wu
- Department of Psychiatry, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Jiefang Road No.238, Wuhan 430060, China
| | - Ling Xiao
- Department of Psychiatry, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Jiefang Road No.238, Wuhan 430060, China
| | - Huiling Wang
- Department of Psychiatry, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Jiefang Road No.238, Wuhan 430060, China
| | - Gaohua Wang
- Department of Psychiatry, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Jiefang Road No.238, Wuhan 430060, China.
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20
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Svrakic DM, Zorumski CF. Neuroscience of Object Relations in Health and Disorder: A Proposal for an Integrative Model. Front Psychol 2021; 12:583743. [PMID: 33790822 PMCID: PMC8005655 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.583743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2020] [Accepted: 01/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent advances in the neuroscience of episodic memory provide a framework to integrate object relations theory, a psychoanalytic model of mind development, with potential neural mechanisms. Object relations are primordial cognitive-affective units of the mind derived from survival- and safety-level experiences with caretakers during phase-sensitive periods of infancy and toddlerhood. Because these are learning experiences, their neural substrate likely involves memory, here affect-enhanced episodic memory. Inaugural object relations are encoded by the hippocampus-amygdala synaptic plasticity, and systems-consolidated by medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). Self- and object-mental representations, extracted from these early experiences, are at first dichotomized by contradictory affects evoked by frustrating and rewarding interactions ("partial object relations"). Such affective dichotomization appears to be genetically hardwired the amygdala. Intrinsic propensity of mPFC to form schematic frameworks for episodic memories may pilot non-conscious integration of dichotomized mental representations in neonates and infants. With the emergence of working memory in toddlers, an activated self- and object-representation of a particular valence can be juxtaposed with its memorized opposites creating a balanced cognitive-affective frame (conscious "integration of object relations"). Specific events of object relations are forgotten but nevertheless profoundly influence the mental future of the individual, acting (i) as implicit schema-affect templates that regulate attentional priorities, relevance, and preferential assimilation of new information based on past experience, and (ii) as basic units of experience that are, under normal circumstances, integrated as attractors or "focal points" for interactive self-organization of functional brain networks that underlie the mind. A failure to achieve integrated object relations is predictive of poor adult emotional and social outcomes, including personality disorder. Cognitive, cellular-, and systems-neuroscience of episodic memory appear to support key postulates of object relations theory and help elucidate neural mechanisms of psychodynamic psychotherapy. Derived through the dual prism of psychoanalysis and neuroscience, the gained insights may offer new directions to enhance mental health and improve treatment of multiple forms of psychopathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dragan M. Svrakic
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Charles F. Zorumski
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States
- Department of Psychiatry, Taylor Family Institute for Innovative Psychiatric Research, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States
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21
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Meyer HC, Gerhard DM, Amelio PA, Lee FS. Pre-adolescent stress disrupts adult, but not adolescent, safety learning. Behav Brain Res 2021; 400:113005. [PMID: 33171149 PMCID: PMC8283802 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2020.113005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2020] [Revised: 09/26/2020] [Accepted: 11/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Anxiety disorders are highly prevalent across the lifespan, although diagnoses peak early in adolescence. As a method for inhibiting fear, safety signals have the potential to augment conventional treatments for anxiety. However, the ability to acquire and use safety signals during adolescence remains unclear. Moreover, the impact of stress on safety learning has received surprisingly little attention given that stress is a major factor preceding anxiety onset. In this study, mice were trained in a discriminative conditioning protocol to facilitate safety learning and were tested for fear inhibition using a conditioned safety signal. Next, independent groups of mice were exposed to chronic unpredictable stress (CUS) conditions between postnatal day 22 and 28, followed by tests for anxiety-like phenotypes or fear inhibition using a safety signal, performed either 24 h or five weeks following CUS. Pre-adolescent CUS reduced weight in adolescence and this effect endured into adulthood. CUS also increased specific anxiety-like behaviors in adolescence that were unique from the increase in anxiety observed in adulthood. Despite increased anxiety-like behaviors, adolescents were able to learn about and effectively use safety signals to inhibit fear. In contrast, adults that experienced CUS showed a subtle increase in anxiety but had impaired safety signal learning and usage. Together, these findings indicate that pre-adolescent stress has immediate and enduring effects on anxiety-like behaviors but impairs the capacity for conditioned inhibition only following incubation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heidi C Meyer
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10065, USA.
| | - Danielle M Gerhard
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10065, USA.
| | - Paia A Amelio
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10065, USA; School of Communication, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA.
| | - Francis S Lee
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10065, USA; Sackler Institute for Developmental Psychobiology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10065, USA.
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22
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Harrewijn A, Kitt ER, Abend R, Matsumoto C, Odriozola P, Winkler AM, Leibenluft E, Pine DS, Gee DG. Comparing neural correlates of conditioned inhibition between children with and without anxiety disorders - A preliminary study. Behav Brain Res 2021; 399:112994. [PMID: 33160010 PMCID: PMC7855938 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2020.112994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2020] [Revised: 10/26/2020] [Accepted: 10/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), a first-line treatment for pediatric anxiety disorders, is based on principles of threat learning and extinction. However, CBT does not work sufficiently for up to 40% of clinically anxious youth. The neural and behavioral correlates of conditioned inhibition might provide promising targets for attempts to improve CBT response. During conditioned inhibition, threat and safety cues appear together, forming a safety compound. Here, we test whether this safety compound elicits a reduced fear response compared to pairing the threat cue with a novel cue (novel compound). The current pilot study compares behavioral, physiological, and neural correlates of conditioned inhibition between children with (n = 17, Mage = 13.09, SDage = 3.05) and without (n = 18, Mage = 14.49, SDage = 2.38) anxiety disorders. Behavioral and physiological measures did not differ between children with and without anxiety disorders during fear acquisition. During testing, children with anxiety disorders showed overall higher skin conductance response and expected to hear the aversive sound following the novel compound more often than children without anxiety disorders. Children with anxiety disorders showed more activity in the right ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) to the safety versus novel compound. Children without anxiety disorders showed the opposite pattern - more right vmPFC activity to the novel versus safety compound (F(1,31) = 5.40, p = 0.03). No group differences manifested within the amygdala, dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, or hippocampus. These pilot findings suggest a feasible approach for examining conditioned inhibition in pediatric anxiety disorders. If replicated in larger samples, findings may implicate perturbed conditioned inhibition in pediatric anxiety disorders and provide targets for CBT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anita Harrewijn
- Emotion and Development Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA.
| | - Elizabeth R Kitt
- Emotion and Development Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA
| | - Rany Abend
- Emotion and Development Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA
| | - Chika Matsumoto
- Emotion and Development Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA
| | - Paola Odriozola
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, 2 Hillhouse Avenue, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, USA
| | - Anderson M Winkler
- Emotion and Development Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA
| | - Ellen Leibenluft
- Emotion and Development Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA
| | - Daniel S Pine
- Emotion and Development Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA
| | - Dylan G Gee
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, 2 Hillhouse Avenue, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, USA
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23
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Odriozola P, Gee DG. Learning About Safety: Conditioned Inhibition as a Novel Approach to Fear Reduction Targeting the Developing Brain. Am J Psychiatry 2021; 178:136-155. [PMID: 33167673 PMCID: PMC7951569 DOI: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2020.20020232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Adolescence is a peak time for the onset of psychiatric disorders, with anxiety disorders being the most common and affecting as many as 30% of youths. A core feature of anxiety disorders is difficulty regulating fear, with evidence suggesting deficits in extinction learning and corresponding alterations in frontolimbic circuitry. Despite marked changes in this neural circuitry and extinction learning throughout development, interventions for anxious youths are largely based on principles of extinction learning studied in adulthood. Safety signal learning, based on conditioned inhibition of fear in the presence of a cue that indicates safety, has been shown to effectively reduce anxiety-like behavior in animal models and attenuate fear responses in healthy adults. Cross-species evidence suggests that safety signal learning involves connections between the ventral hippocampus and the prelimbic cortex in rodents or the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex in humans. Particularly because this pathway follows a different developmental trajectory than fronto-amygdala circuitry involved in traditional extinction learning, safety cues may provide a novel approach to reducing fear in youths. In this review, the authors leverage a translational framework to bring together findings from studies in animal models and humans and to bridge the gap between research on basic neuroscience and clinical treatment. The authors consider the potential application of safety signal learning for optimizing interventions for anxious youths by targeting the biological state of the developing brain. Based on the existing cross-species literature on safety signal learning, they propose that the judicious use of safety cues may be an effective and neurodevelopmentally optimized approach to enhancing treatment outcomes for youths with anxiety disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Dylan G. Gee
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, Conn
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24
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Absence Makes the Mind Grow Fonder: Reconceptualizing Studies of Safety Learning in Translational Research on Anxiety. COGNITIVE AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2021; 21:1-13. [PMID: 33420710 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-020-00855-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/19/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Overgeneralized fear (OGF), or indiscriminate fear responses to signals of threat and nonthreat, is a well-studied cognitive mechanism in human anxiety. Anxiety-related OGF has been studied primarily through fear-learning paradigms and conceptualized as overly exaggerated learning of cues signaling imminent threat. However, the role of safety learning in OGF has not only received much less empirical attention but has been fundamentally conceptualized as learning about the absence of threat rather than the presence of safety. As a result, the relative contributions of exaggerated fear learning and weakened safety learning to anxiety-related OGF remain poorly understood, as do the potentially unique biological and behavioral underpinnings of safety learning. The present review outlines these gaps by, first, summarizing animal and human research on safety learning related to anxiety and OGF. Second, we outline innovations in methods to tease apart unique biological and behavioral contributions of safety learning to OGF. Lastly, we describe clinical and treatment implications of this framework for translational research relevant to human anxiety.
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25
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Unconditioned response to an aversive stimulus as predictor of response to conditioned fear and safety: A cross-species study. Behav Brain Res 2021; 402:113105. [PMID: 33417995 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2020.113105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2020] [Revised: 11/23/2020] [Accepted: 12/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Safety signals predict the non-occurrence of an aversive event, thereby inhibiting fear responses. Previous research has shown that conditioned safety learning is impaired in patients suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Using a translational approach, the present study aimed to investigate whether individual responses to an aversive unconditioned stimulus (US) in rats (basic science), non-traumatized (pre-clinical) or traumatized humans (clinical) predicts their response to a conditioned fear or safety stimulus. Using three different archival datasets, the unconditioned response (UCR) to the US during fear or safety conditioning was assessed in rats, non-traumatized humans, and trauma-exposed humans. The response to learned fear (CS+; context) and safety (CS-) was measured by the modulation of the startle response (rats, traumatized humans) or skin conductance response (non-traumatized humans). Our results showed that all groups with low UCR and those with high UCR from the rodent or non-traumatized human samples displayed lower fear response to the CS- than to the CS+ . Traumatized humans with high UCR showed similarly high responses to the CS+ and CS-. While all groups showed a positive association between the UCR and CS+ response, the UCR correlated positively with the CS- response in traumatized humans only. Our findings suggest that an elevated response to aversive stimuli predicts deficits in conditioned safety memory in those at risk for trauma-related disorders and confirms that impaired safety learning could be a valid biomarker for these diseases.
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26
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Cooperative synaptic and intrinsic plasticity in a disynaptic limbic circuit drive stress-induced anhedonia and passive coping in mice. Mol Psychiatry 2021; 26:1860-1879. [PMID: 32161361 PMCID: PMC7735389 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-020-0686-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2019] [Revised: 01/19/2020] [Accepted: 02/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Stress promotes negative affective states, which include anhedonia and passive coping. While these features are in part mediated by neuroadaptations in brain reward circuitry, a comprehensive framework of how stress-induced negative affect may be encoded within key nodes of this circuit is lacking. Here, we show in a mouse model for stress-induced anhedonia and passive coping that these phenomena are associated with increased synaptic strength of ventral hippocampus (VH) excitatory synapses onto D1 medium spiny neurons (D1-MSNs) in the nucleus accumbens medial shell (NAcmSh), and with lateral hypothalamus (LH)-projecting D1-MSN hyperexcitability mediated by decreased inwardly rectifying potassium channel (IRK) function. Stress-induced negative affective states are prevented by depotentiation of VH to NAcmSh synapses, restoring Kir2.1 function in D1R-MSNs, or disrupting co-participation of these synaptic and intrinsic adaptations in D1-MSNs. In conclusion, our data provide strong evidence for a disynaptic pathway controlling maladaptive emotional behavior.
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27
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Müller I, Adams DD, Sangha S, Chester JA. Juvenile stress facilitates safety learning in male and female high alcohol preferring mice. Behav Brain Res 2020; 400:113006. [PMID: 33166568 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2020.113006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2020] [Revised: 10/18/2020] [Accepted: 11/03/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Adversities during juvenility increase the risk for stress-related disorders, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and alcohol use disorder. However, stress can also induce coping mechanisms beneficial for later stressful experiences. We reported previously that mice selectively bred for high alcohol preference (HAP) exposed to stress during adolescence (but not during adulthood) showed enhanced fear-conditioned responses in adulthood, as measured by fear-potentiated startle (FPS). However, HAP mice also showed enhanced responding to safety cues predicting the absence of foot shocks in adulthood. Here, we pursue these findings in HAP mice by investigating in further detail how juvenile stress impacts the acquisition of safety and fear learning. HAP mice were subjected to three days of juvenile stress (postnatal days 25, 27, 28) and discriminative safety/fear conditioning in adulthood. FPS was used to assess safety versus fear cue discrimination, fear learning, and fear inhibition by the safety cue. Both stressed and unstressed HAP mice were able to discriminate between both cues as well as learn the fear cue-shock association. Interestingly, it was only the previously stressed mice that were able to inhibit their fear response when the fear cue was co-presented with the safety cue, thus demonstrating safety learning. We also report an incidental finding of alopecia in the juvenile stress groups, a phenotype seen in stress-related disorders. These results in HAP mice may be relevant to understanding the influence of juvenile trauma for individual risk and resilience toward developing PTSD and how individuals might benefit from safety cues in behavioral psychotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iris Müller
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA; Purdue Institute for Integrative Neuroscience, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA.
| | - Demitra D Adams
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA.
| | - Susan Sangha
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA; Purdue Institute for Integrative Neuroscience, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA.
| | - Julia A Chester
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA; Purdue Institute for Integrative Neuroscience, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA.
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28
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Eckstein M, Mamaev I, Ditzen B, Sailer U. Calming Effects of Touch in Human, Animal, and Robotic Interaction-Scientific State-of-the-Art and Technical Advances. Front Psychiatry 2020; 11:555058. [PMID: 33329093 PMCID: PMC7672023 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.555058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2020] [Accepted: 10/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Small everyday gestures such as a tap on the shoulder can affect the way humans feel and act. Touch can have a calming effect and alter the way stress is handled, thereby promoting mental and physical health. Due to current technical advances and the growing role of intelligent robots in households and healthcare, recent research also addressed the potential of robotic touch for stress reduction. In addition, touch by non-human agents such as animals or inanimate objects may have a calming effect. This conceptual article will review a selection of the most relevant studies reporting the physiological, hormonal, neural, and subjective effects of touch on stress, arousal, and negative affect. Robotic systems capable of non-social touch will be assessed together with control strategies and sensor technologies. Parallels and differences of human-to-human touch and human-to-non-human touch will be discussed. We propose that, under appropriate conditions, touch can act as (social) signal for safety, even when the interaction partner is an animal or a machine. We will also outline potential directions for future research and clinical relevance. Thereby, this review can provide a foundation for further investigations into the beneficial contribution of touch by different agents to regulate negative affect and arousal in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monika Eckstein
- Institute of Medical Psychology, University Hospital Heidelberg, and Ruprecht-Karls University Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Ilshat Mamaev
- Institute for Anthropomatics and Robotics, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Beate Ditzen
- Institute of Medical Psychology, University Hospital Heidelberg, and Ruprecht-Karls University Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Uta Sailer
- Department of Behavioural Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
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29
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D'Alessio L, Korman GP, Sarudiansky M, Guelman LR, Scévola L, Pastore A, Obregón A, Roldán EJA. Reducing Allostatic Load in Depression and Anxiety Disorders: Physical Activity and Yoga Practice as Add-On Therapies. Front Psychiatry 2020; 11:501. [PMID: 32581876 PMCID: PMC7287161 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2019] [Accepted: 05/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The allostatic load (AL) index constitutes a useful tool to objectively assess the biological aspects of chronic stress in clinical practice. AL index has been positively correlated with cumulative chronic stress (physical and psychosocial stressors) and with a high risk to develop pathological conditions (e.g., metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular pathology, inflammatory disorders) and the so-called stress-related psychiatric disorders, including anxiety and depressive disorders. Chronic stress has negative effects on brain neuroplasticity, especially on hippocampal neurogenesis and these effects may be reversed by antidepressant treatments. Several evidences indicate that non-pharmacological interventions based on physical activity and yoga practice may add synergizing benefits to classical treatments (antidepressant and benzodiazepines) for depression and anxiety, reducing the negative effects of chronic stress. The aim of this review is to provide a general overview of current knowledge on AL and chronic stress in relation to depression and anxiety, physical activity and yoga practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luciana D'Alessio
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Medicina, IBCN-CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Hospital Ramos Mejía, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Guido Pablo Korman
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Psicología, CAEA-CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Mercedes Sarudiansky
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Psicología, CAEA-CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Laura Ruth Guelman
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Medicina, CEFYBO-CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Laura Scévola
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Hospital Ramos Mejía, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | | | - Amilcar Obregón
- Dirección Médica y Científica, Gador SA, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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30
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Lissemore JI, Nagano-Saito A, Smart K, Gravel P, Leyton M, Benkelfat C. Dopaminergic Plasticity in the Bilateral Hippocampus Following Threat Reversal in Humans. Sci Rep 2020; 10:7627. [PMID: 32376865 PMCID: PMC7203150 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-63977-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2019] [Accepted: 04/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
When a cue no longer predicts a threat, a diminished ability to extinguish or reverse this association is thought to increase risk for stress-related disorders. Despite the clear clinical relevance, the mediating neurochemical mechanisms of threat reversal have received relatively little study. One neurotransmitter implicated in rodent research of changing associations with threat is dopamine. To study whether dopamine is involved in threat reversal in humans, we used high-resolution positron emission tomography (PET) coupled with 18F-fallypride. Twelve healthy volunteers (6 F/6 M) underwent three PET scans: (i) at baseline, (ii) following threat conditioning (the response to a cue associated with electric wrist shock), and (iii) following threat reversal (the response to the same cue now associated with safety). We observed moderate evidence of reduced dopamine D2/3 receptor availability, consistent with greater dopamine release, in the bilateral anterior hippocampus following threat reversal, in response to a safety cue that was previously associated with threat, as compared to both baseline and during exposure to the same cue prior to threat reversal. These findings offer the first preliminary evidence that the response to a previously threatening cue that has since become associated with safety involves dopaminergic neurotransmission within the hippocampus in healthy humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer I Lissemore
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, 1033 Pine Avenue West, Montreal, H3A 1A1, Quebec, Canada.
| | - Atsuko Nagano-Saito
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, 1033 Pine Avenue West, Montreal, H3A 1A1, Quebec, Canada
| | - Kelly Smart
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, 1033 Pine Avenue West, Montreal, H3A 1A1, Quebec, Canada
| | - Paul Gravel
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, 1033 Pine Avenue West, Montreal, H3A 1A1, Quebec, Canada
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McConnell Brain Imaging Center, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, 3801 University St., Montreal, H3A 2B4, Quebec, Canada
| | - Marco Leyton
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, 1033 Pine Avenue West, Montreal, H3A 1A1, Quebec, Canada
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McConnell Brain Imaging Center, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, 3801 University St., Montreal, H3A 2B4, Quebec, Canada
| | - Chawki Benkelfat
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, 1033 Pine Avenue West, Montreal, H3A 1A1, Quebec, Canada
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McConnell Brain Imaging Center, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, 3801 University St., Montreal, H3A 2B4, Quebec, Canada
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31
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Kreutzmann JC, Fendt M. Chronic inhibition of GABA synthesis in the infralimbic cortex facilitates conditioned safety memory and reduces contextual fear. Transl Psychiatry 2020; 10:120. [PMID: 32332716 PMCID: PMC7182568 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-020-0788-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2019] [Revised: 03/12/2020] [Accepted: 03/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Accurate discrimination between danger and safety cues is essential for survival. Recent findings in humans indicate that patients suffering from anxiety disorders cannot reliably use safety cues in order to inhibit fear responses. However, the neuroanatomical pathways of conditioned safety are still unclear. Aim of the present study was to investigate whether chronic inhibition of GABA synthesis in the infralimbic (IL) cortex, a critical region for fear inhibition, would lead to enhanced conditioned safety memory. Male Sprague Dawley rats were equipped with osmotic mini-pumps attached to an infusion cannula aimed at the IL. Mini-pumps were either filled with the glutamate decarboxylase (GAD) inhibitor L-allylglycine (L-AG) or the inactive enantiomer D-allylglycine (D-AG). Previous studies demonstrated that chronic infusions of L-AG lead to lower GABA levels and overall enhanced neural activity. The effect of IL disinhibition on conditioned safety was investigated utilizing the acoustic startle response. Chronic disinhibition of the IL facilitated conditioned safety memory, along with reduced contextual fear and lower corticosterone levels. The present findings suggest that the IL is a key brain region for conditioned safety memory. Because anxiety disorder patients are often not capable to use safety cues to inhibit unnecessary fear responses, the present findings are of clinical relevance and could potentially contribute to therapy optimization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judith C. Kreutzmann
- grid.5807.a0000 0001 1018 4307Institute for Pharmacology & Toxicology, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany ,grid.418723.b0000 0001 2109 6265Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Markus Fendt
- grid.5807.a0000 0001 1018 4307Institute for Pharmacology & Toxicology, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany ,grid.5807.a0000 0001 1018 4307Center of Behavioral Brain Sciences, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
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32
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Berger S, Stattmann M, Cicvaric A, Monje FJ, Coiro P, Hotka M, Ricken G, Hainfellner J, Greber-Platzer S, Yasuda M, Desnick RJ, Pollak DD. Severe hydroxymethylbilane synthase deficiency causes depression-like behavior and mitochondrial dysfunction in a mouse model of homozygous dominant acute intermittent porphyria. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2020; 8:38. [PMID: 32197664 PMCID: PMC7082933 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-020-00910-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2020] [Accepted: 03/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Acute intermittent porphyria (AIP) is an autosomal dominant inborn error of heme biosynthesis due to a pathogenic mutation in the Hmbs gene, resulting in half-normal activity of hydroxymethylbilane synthase. Factors that induce hepatic heme biosynthesis induce episodic attacks in heterozygous patients. The clinical presentation of acute attacks involves the signature neurovisceral pain and may include psychiatric symptoms. Here we used a knock-in mouse line that is biallelic for the Hmbs c.500G > A (p.R167Q) mutation with ~ 5% of normal hydroxymethylbilane synthase activity to unravel the consequences of severe HMBS deficiency on affective behavior and brain physiology. Hmbs knock-in mice (KI mice) model the rare homozygous dominant form of AIP and were used as tool to elucidate the hitherto unknown pathophysiology of the behavioral manifestations of the disease and its neural underpinnings. Extensive behavioral analyses revealed a selective depression-like phenotype in Hmbs KI mice; transcriptomic and immunohistochemical analyses demonstrated aberrant myelination. The uncovered compromised mitochondrial function in the hippocampus of knock-in mice and its ensuing neurogenic and neuroplastic deficits lead us to propose a mechanistic role for disrupted mitochondrial energy production in the pathogenesis of the behavioral consequences of severe HMBS deficiency and its neuropathological sequelae in the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefanie Berger
- Department of Neurophysiology and Neuropharmacology, Center of Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Schwarzspanierstrasse, 17, A-1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Miranda Stattmann
- Department of Neurophysiology and Neuropharmacology, Center of Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Schwarzspanierstrasse, 17, A-1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Ana Cicvaric
- Department of Neurophysiology and Neuropharmacology, Center of Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Schwarzspanierstrasse, 17, A-1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Francisco J Monje
- Department of Neurophysiology and Neuropharmacology, Center of Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Schwarzspanierstrasse, 17, A-1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Pierluca Coiro
- Department of Neurophysiology and Neuropharmacology, Center of Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Schwarzspanierstrasse, 17, A-1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Matej Hotka
- Department of Neurophysiology and Neuropharmacology, Center of Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Schwarzspanierstrasse, 17, A-1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Gerda Ricken
- Department of Neurology, Division of Neuropathology and Neurochemistry, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Johannes Hainfellner
- Department of Neurology, Division of Neuropathology and Neurochemistry, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Susanne Greber-Platzer
- Department of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Makiko Yasuda
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Daniela D Pollak
- Department of Neurophysiology and Neuropharmacology, Center of Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Schwarzspanierstrasse, 17, A-1090, Vienna, Austria.
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33
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Miao Z, Wang Y, Sun Z. The Relationships Between Stress, Mental Disorders, and Epigenetic Regulation of BDNF. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21041375. [PMID: 32085670 PMCID: PMC7073021 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21041375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2019] [Revised: 02/01/2020] [Accepted: 02/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a critical member of the neurotrophic family, plays an important role in multiple stress-related mental disorders. Although alterations in BDNF in multiple brain regions of individuals experiencing stress have been demonstrated in previous studies, it appears that a set of elements are involved in the complex regulation. In this review, we summarize the specific brain regions with altered BDNF expression during stress exposure. How various environmental factors, including both physical and psychological stress, affect the expression of BDNF in specific brain regions are further summarized. Moreover, epigenetic regulation of BDNF, including DNA methylation, histone modification, and noncoding RNA, in response to diverse types of stress, as well as sex differences in the sensitivity of BDNF to the stress response, is also summarized. Clarification of the underlying role of BDNF in the stress process will promote our understanding of the pathology of stress-linked mental disorders and provide a potent target for the future treatment of stress-related illness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhuang Miao
- Institute of Genomic Medicine, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325000, China;
- Beijing Institutes of Life Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China;
- Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Yan Wang
- Beijing Institutes of Life Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China;
- School of Life Sciences, University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Zhongsheng Sun
- Institute of Genomic Medicine, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325000, China;
- Beijing Institutes of Life Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China;
- School of Life Sciences, University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- Correspondence:
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34
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Dorninger F, König T, Scholze P, Berger ML, Zeitler G, Wiesinger C, Gundacker A, Pollak DD, Huck S, Just WW, Forss-Petter S, Pifl C, Berger J. Disturbed neurotransmitter homeostasis in ether lipid deficiency. Hum Mol Genet 2020; 28:2046-2061. [PMID: 30759250 PMCID: PMC6548223 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddz040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2019] [Revised: 01/21/2019] [Accepted: 02/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Plasmalogens, the most prominent ether (phospho)lipids in mammals, are structural components of most cellular membranes. Due to their physicochemical properties and abundance in the central nervous system, a role of plasmalogens in neurotransmission has been proposed, but conclusive data are lacking. Here, we targeted this issue in the glyceronephosphate O-acyltransferase (Gnpat) KO mouse, a model of complete deficiency in ether lipid biosynthesis. Throughout the study, focusing on adult male animals, we found reduced brain levels of various neurotransmitters. In the dopaminergic nigrostriatal tract, synaptic endings but not neuronal cell bodies were affected. Neurotransmitter turnover was altered in ether lipid-deficient murine as well as human post-mortem brain tissue. A generalized loss of synapses did not account for the neurotransmitter deficits, since the levels of several presynaptic proteins appeared unchanged. However, reduced amounts of vesicular monoamine transporter indicate a compromised vesicular uptake of neurotransmitters. As exemplified by norepinephrine, the release of neurotransmitters from Gnpat KO brain slices was diminished in response to strong electrical and chemical stimuli. Finally, addressing potential phenotypic correlates of the disturbed neurotransmitter homeostasis, we show that ether lipid deficiency manifests as hyperactivity and impaired social interaction. We propose that the lack of ether lipids alters the properties of synaptic vesicles leading to reduced amounts and release of neurotransmitters. These features likely contribute to the behavioral phenotype of Gnpat KO mice, potentially modeling some human neurodevelopmental disorders like autism or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabian Dorninger
- Department of Pathobiology of the Nervous System, Center for Brain Research, Medical University of Vienna, Spitalgasse 4, Vienna, Austria
| | - Theresa König
- Department of Pathobiology of the Nervous System, Center for Brain Research, Medical University of Vienna, Spitalgasse 4, Vienna, Austria
| | - Petra Scholze
- Department of Pathobiology of the Nervous System, Center for Brain Research, Medical University of Vienna, Spitalgasse 4, Vienna, Austria
| | - Michael L Berger
- Department of Molecular Neurosciences, Center for Brain Research, Medical University of Vienna, Spitalgasse 4, Vienna, Austria
| | - Gerhard Zeitler
- Department of Pathobiology of the Nervous System, Center for Brain Research, Medical University of Vienna, Spitalgasse 4, Vienna, Austria
| | - Christoph Wiesinger
- Department of Pathobiology of the Nervous System, Center for Brain Research, Medical University of Vienna, Spitalgasse 4, Vienna, Austria
| | - Anna Gundacker
- Department of Neurophysiology and Neuropharmacology, Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Schwarzspanierstraße 17, Vienna, Austria
| | - Daniela D Pollak
- Department of Neurophysiology and Neuropharmacology, Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Schwarzspanierstraße 17, Vienna, Austria
| | - Sigismund Huck
- Department of Pathobiology of the Nervous System, Center for Brain Research, Medical University of Vienna, Spitalgasse 4, Vienna, Austria
| | - Wilhelm W Just
- Biochemistry Center Heidelberg (BZH), University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 328, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Sonja Forss-Petter
- Department of Pathobiology of the Nervous System, Center for Brain Research, Medical University of Vienna, Spitalgasse 4, Vienna, Austria
| | - Christian Pifl
- Department of Molecular Neurosciences, Center for Brain Research, Medical University of Vienna, Spitalgasse 4, Vienna, Austria
| | - Johannes Berger
- Department of Pathobiology of the Nervous System, Center for Brain Research, Medical University of Vienna, Spitalgasse 4, Vienna, Austria
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Cicvaric A, Sachernegg HM, Stojanovic T, Symmank D, Smani T, Moeslinger T, Uhrin P, Monje FJ. Podoplanin Gene Disruption in Mice Promotes in vivo Neural Progenitor Cells Proliferation, Selectively Impairs Dentate Gyrus Synaptic Depression and Induces Anxiety-Like Behaviors. Front Cell Neurosci 2020; 13:561. [PMID: 32009902 PMCID: PMC6974453 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2019.00561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2019] [Accepted: 12/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Podoplanin (Pdpn), a brain-tumor-related glycoprotein identified in humans and animals, is endogenously expressed in several organs critical for life support such as kidney, lung, heart and brain. In the brain, Pdpn has been identified in proliferative nestin-positive adult neural progenitor cells and in neurons of the neurogenic hippocampal dentate gyrus (DG), a structure associated to anxiety, critical for learning and memory functions and severely damaged in people with Alzheimer's Disease (AD). The in vivo role of Pdpn in adult neurogenesis and anxiety-like behavior remained however unexplored. Using mice with disrupted Pdpn gene as a model organism and applying combined behavioral, molecular biological and electrophysiological assays, we here show that the absence of Pdpn selectively impairs long-term synaptic depression in the neurogenic DG without affecting the CA3-Schaffer's collateral-CA1 synapses. Pdpn deletion also enhanced the proliferative capacity of DG neural progenitor cells and diminished survival of differentiated neuronal cells in vitro. In addition, mice with podoplanin gene disruption showed increased anxiety-like behaviors in experimentally validated behavioral tests as compared to wild type littermate controls. Together, these findings broaden our knowledge on the molecular mechanisms influencing hippocampal synaptic plasticity and neurogenesis in vivo and reveal Pdpn as a novel molecular target for future studies addressing general anxiety disorder and synaptic depression-related memory dysfunctions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Cicvaric
- Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Department of Neurophysiology and Neuropharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Hannah M. Sachernegg
- Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Department of Neurophysiology and Neuropharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Tamara Stojanovic
- Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Department of Neurophysiology and Neuropharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Dörte Symmank
- Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Institute for Physiology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Tarik Smani
- Department of Medical Physiology and Biophysics, Institute of Biomedicine of Seville (IBiS)/University of Seville/CIBERCV, Seville, Spain
| | - Thomas Moeslinger
- Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Institute for Physiology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Pavel Uhrin
- Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Department of Vascular Biology and Thrombosis Research, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Francisco J. Monje
- Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Department of Neurophysiology and Neuropharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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Kreutzmann JC, Jovanovic T, Fendt M. Infralimbic cortex activity is required for the expression but not the acquisition of conditioned safety. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2020; 237:2161-2172. [PMID: 32363439 PMCID: PMC7306044 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-020-05527-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2019] [Accepted: 04/13/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The ability to discriminate between danger and safety is crucial for survival across species. Whereas danger signals predict the onset of a potentially threatening event, safety signals indicate the non-occurrence of an aversive event, thereby reducing fear and stress responses. While the neural basis of conditioned safety remains to be elucidated, fear extinction studies provide evidence that the infralimbic cortex (IL) modulates fear inhibition. In the current study, the IL was temporarily inactivated with local muscimol injections in male and female rats. The effect of IL inactivation on the acquisition and expression of conditioned safety was investigated utilizing the startle response. Temporary inactivation of the IL prior to conditioning did not affect the acquisition of conditioned safety, whereas IL inactivation during the expression test completely blocked the expression of conditioned safety in male and female rats. Inactivation of the neighboring prelimbic (PL) cortex during the expression test did not affect the expression of safety memory. Our findings suggest that the IL is a critical brain region for the expression of safety memory. Because patients suffering from anxiety disorders are often unable to make use of safety cues to inhibit fear, the present findings are of clinical relevance and could potentially contribute to therapy optimization of anxiety-related psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judith C Kreutzmann
- Medical Faculty, Institute for Pharmacology & Toxicology, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Leipziger Str. 44, 39120, Magdeburg, Germany.
- Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Magdeburg, Germany.
| | - Tanja Jovanovic
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University Detroit, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Markus Fendt
- Medical Faculty, Institute for Pharmacology & Toxicology, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Leipziger Str. 44, 39120, Magdeburg, Germany
- Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
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Sangha S, Diehl MM, Bergstrom HC, Drew MR. Know safety, no fear. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 108:218-230. [PMID: 31738952 PMCID: PMC6981293 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2019] [Revised: 09/27/2019] [Accepted: 11/11/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Every day we are bombarded by stimuli that must be assessed for their potential for harm or benefit. Once a stimulus is learned to predict harm, it can elicit fear responses. Such learning can last a lifetime but is not always beneficial for an organism. For an organism to thrive in its environment, it must know when to engage in defensive, avoidance behaviors and when to engage in non-defensive, approach behaviors. Fear should be suppressed in situations that are not dangerous: when a novel, innocuous stimulus resembles a feared stimulus, when a feared stimulus no longer predicts harm, or when there is an option to avoid harm. A cardinal feature of anxiety disorders is the inability to suppress fear adaptively. In PTSD, for instance, learned fear is expressed inappropriately in safe situations and is resistant to extinction. In this review, we discuss mechanisms of suppressing fear responses during stimulus discrimination, fear extinction, and active avoidance, focusing on the well-studied tripartite circuit consisting of the amygdala, medial prefrontal cortex and hippocampus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan Sangha
- Department of Psychological Sciences and Purdue Institute for Integrative Neuroscience, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA.
| | - Maria M Diehl
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA.
| | - Hadley C Bergstrom
- Department of Psychological Science, Program in Neuroscience and Behavior, Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, NY, USA.
| | - Michael R Drew
- Center for Learning and Memory and Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA.
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Effect of Chronic Corticosterone Treatment on Depression-Like Behavior and Sociability in Female and Male C57BL/6N Mice. Cells 2019; 8:cells8091018. [PMID: 31480600 PMCID: PMC6770122 DOI: 10.3390/cells8091018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2019] [Revised: 08/16/2019] [Accepted: 08/29/2019] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Depression is a very common psychiatric disorder affecting approximately 300 million people worldwide with the prevalence being twice as high in women as in men. Despite intense research efforts in recent decades, the neurobiological basis underlying depression remains incompletely understood. However, the exposure to chronic stress is widely accepted to constitute a precipitating factor for the development of this mental disorder. Several animal models for the investigation of the pathogenetic link between chronic stress and depression exist and have yielded important insights. The present study aimed at comparing two published protocols for the induction of depression-like behavior in mice based on chronic oral glucocorticoid application. Given the gender distribution in the prevalence of depression, the second goal of this study was to reveal possible differences in the behavioral responses of female and male mice to corticosterone (CORT) treatment. CORT treatment was found to modulate depression-like behavior in selected behavioral paradigms in a sex- and protocol-specific manner. These data are of relevance for the experimental design and interpretation of future studies in the field and further highlight the relevance of “sex as biological variable” to be considered an important parameter for experimental planning and interpretation of results.
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Dorninger F, Gundacker A, Zeitler G, Pollak DD, Berger J. Ether Lipid Deficiency in Mice Produces a Complex Behavioral Phenotype Mimicking Aspects of Human Psychiatric Disorders. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:E3929. [PMID: 31412538 PMCID: PMC6720005 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20163929] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2019] [Revised: 08/08/2019] [Accepted: 08/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Ether lipids form a specialized subgroup of phospholipids that requires peroxisomes to be synthesized. We have previously detected that deficiency in these lipids leads to a severe disturbance of neurotransmitter homeostasis and release as well as behavioral abnormalities, such as hyperactivity, in a mouse model. Here, we focused on a more detailed examination of the behavioral phenotype of ether lipid-deficient mice (Gnpat KO) and describe a set of features related to human psychiatric disorders. Gnpat KO mice show strongly impaired social interaction as well as nestlet shredding and marble burying, indicating disturbed execution of inborn behavioral patterns. Also, compromised contextual and cued fear conditioning in these animals suggests a considerable memory deficit, thus potentially forming a connection to the previously determined ether lipid deficit in human patients with Alzheimer's disease. Nesting behavior and the preference for social novelty proved normal in ether lipid-deficient mice. In addition, we detected task-specific alterations in paradigms assessing depression- and anxiety-related behavior. The reported behavioral changes may be used as easy readout for the success of novel treatment strategies against ether lipid deficiency in ameliorating nervous system-associated symptoms. Furthermore, our findings underline that ether lipids are paramount for brain function and demonstrate their relevance for cognitive, social, and emotional behavior. We hereby substantially extend previous observations suggesting a link between deficiency in ether lipids and human mental illnesses, particularly autism and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabian Dorninger
- Department of Pathobiology of the Nervous System, Center for Brain Research, Medical University of Vienna, Spitalgasse 4, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Anna Gundacker
- Department of Neurophysiology and Neuropharmacology, Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Schwarzspanierstraße 17, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Gerhard Zeitler
- Department of Pathobiology of the Nervous System, Center for Brain Research, Medical University of Vienna, Spitalgasse 4, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Daniela D Pollak
- Department of Neurophysiology and Neuropharmacology, Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Schwarzspanierstraße 17, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
| | - Johannes Berger
- Department of Pathobiology of the Nervous System, Center for Brain Research, Medical University of Vienna, Spitalgasse 4, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
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Jain S, LaFrancois JJ, Botterill JJ, Alcantara-Gonzalez D, Scharfman HE. Adult neurogenesis in the mouse dentate gyrus protects the hippocampus from neuronal injury following severe seizures. Hippocampus 2019; 29:683-709. [PMID: 30672046 PMCID: PMC6640126 DOI: 10.1002/hipo.23062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2018] [Revised: 10/29/2018] [Accepted: 11/30/2018] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Previous studies suggest that reducing the numbers of adult-born neurons in the dentate gyrus (DG) of the mouse increases susceptibility to severe continuous seizures (status epilepticus; SE) evoked by systemic injection of the convulsant kainic acid (KA). However, it was not clear if the results would be the same for other ways to induce seizures, or if SE-induced damage would be affected. Therefore, we used pilocarpine, which induces seizures by a different mechanism than KA. Also, we quantified hippocampal damage after SE. In addition, we used both loss-of-function and gain-of-function methods in adult mice. We hypothesized that after loss-of-function, mice would be more susceptible to pilocarpine-induced SE and SE-associated hippocampal damage, and after gain-of-function, mice would be more protected from SE and hippocampal damage after SE. For loss-of-function, adult neurogenesis was suppressed by pharmacogenetic deletion of dividing radial glial precursors. For gain-of-function, adult neurogenesis was increased by conditional deletion of pro-apoptotic gene Bax in Nestin-expressing progenitors. Fluoro-Jade C (FJ-C) was used to quantify neuronal injury and video-electroencephalography (video-EEG) was used to quantify SE. Pilocarpine-induced SE was longer in mice with reduced adult neurogenesis, SE had more power and neuronal damage was greater. Conversely, mice with increased adult-born neurons had shorter SE, SE had less power, and there was less neuronal damage. The results suggest that adult-born neurons exert protective effects against SE and SE-induced neuronal injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Swati Jain
- Center for Dementia Research, The Nathan Kline Institute of Psychiatric Research, 140 Old Orangeburg Rd., Orangeburg, NY 10962, USA
| | - John J. LaFrancois
- Center for Dementia Research, The Nathan Kline Institute of Psychiatric Research, 140 Old Orangeburg Rd., Orangeburg, NY 10962, USA
| | - Justin J. Botterill
- Center for Dementia Research, The Nathan Kline Institute of Psychiatric Research, 140 Old Orangeburg Rd., Orangeburg, NY 10962, USA
| | - David Alcantara-Gonzalez
- Center for Dementia Research, The Nathan Kline Institute of Psychiatric Research, 140 Old Orangeburg Rd., Orangeburg, NY 10962, USA
| | - Helen E. Scharfman
- Center for Dementia Research, The Nathan Kline Institute of Psychiatric Research, 140 Old Orangeburg Rd., Orangeburg, NY 10962, USA
- Departments of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Neuroscience & Physiology, and Psychiatry, New York Langone Medical Center, New York, NY 10016, USA
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Takemoto M, Song WJ. Cue-dependent safety and fear learning in a discriminative auditory fear conditioning paradigm in the mouse. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019; 26:284-290. [PMID: 31308247 PMCID: PMC6636544 DOI: 10.1101/lm.049577.119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2019] [Accepted: 05/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Discrimination between sensory stimuli associated with safety and threat is crucial for behavioral decisions. Discriminative conditioning paradigms with two acoustic conditioned stimuli (one paired with shock [CS+], the other unpaired with shock [CS−]) have been widely used as an experimental model for fear learning. However, no attention has been paid to the effect of the CS− on safety in the paradigms, because the CS− served as a neutral cue or elevated the freezing level due to fear generalization although less effectively than the CS+. By using a noise and a tone as two acoustic CSs in a discriminative auditory fear conditioning (AFC) paradigm, here we demonstrate that mice learn safety for the CS− while showing fear for the CS+ with opposing emotional behaviors. We found that after learning mice exhibited a significant suppression of context-dependent freezing during the CS−, but not during the CS+, indicating learned safety without fear generalization for the CS−. In contrast, the mice showed an enhanced level of freezing during the CS+ even in a novel spatial context, indicating cued fear for the CS+. Moreover, the CS+ also induced rapid defensive behaviors, whereas the CS− disinhibited normal exploratory behaviors. On the other hand, mice showed no significant suppression of contextual fear during the CS− in a paradigm with a pair of tone CSs at different frequencies, although they clearly discriminated the two tones. These results suggest our AFC paradigm with the noise and tone CSs as a useful experimental model for cue-dependent discriminative learning of safety and threat.
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Affiliation(s)
- Makoto Takemoto
- Department of Sensory and Cognitive Physiology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto 860-8556, Japan
| | - Wen-Jie Song
- Department of Sensory and Cognitive Physiology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto 860-8556, Japan.,Program for Leading Graduate Schools HIGO Program, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto 860-8556, Japan
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Robinson-Drummer PA, Opendak M, Blomkvist A, Chan S, Tan S, Delmer C, Wood K, Sloan A, Jacobs L, Fine E, Chopra D, Sandler C, Kamenetzky G, Sullivan RM. Infant Trauma Alters Social Buffering of Threat Learning: Emerging Role of Prefrontal Cortex in Preadolescence. Front Behav Neurosci 2019; 13:132. [PMID: 31293398 PMCID: PMC6598593 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2019.00132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2019] [Accepted: 06/04/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Within the infant-caregiver attachment system, the primary caregiver holds potent reward value to the infant, exhibited by infants' strong preference for approach responses and proximity-seeking towards the mother. A less well-understood feature of the attachment figure is the caregiver's ability to reduce fear via social buffering, commonly associated with the notion of a "safe haven" in the developmental literature. Evidence suggests this infant system overlaps with the neural network supporting social buffering (attenuation) of fear in the adults of many species, a network known to involve the prefrontal cortex (PFC). Here, using odor-shock conditioning in young developing rats, we assessed when the infant system transitions to the adult-like PFC-dependent social buffering of threat system. Rat pups were odor-shock conditioned (0.55 mA-0.6 mA) at either postnatal day (PN18; dependent on mother) or 28 (newly independent, weaned at PN23). Within each age group, the mother was present or absent during conditioning, with PFC assessment following acquisition using 14C 2-DG autoradiography and cue testing the following day. Since the human literature suggests poor attachment attenuates the mother's ability to socially buffer the infants, half of the pups at each age were reared with an abusive mother from PN8-12. The results showed that for typical control rearing, the mother attenuated fear in both PN18 and PN28 pups, although the PFC [infralimbic (IL) and ventral prelimbic (vPL) cortices] was only engaged at PN28. Abuse rearing completely disrupted social buffering of pups by the mother at PN18. The results from PN28 pups showed that while the mother modulated learning in both control and abuse-reared pups, the behavioral and PFC effects were attenuated after maltreatment. Our data suggest that pups transition to the adult-like PFC social support circuit after independence from the mother (PN28), and this circuit remains functional after early-life trauma, although its effectiveness appears reduced. This is in sharp contrast to the effects of early life trauma during infancy, where social buffering of the infant is more robustly impacted. We suggest that the infant social buffering circuit is disengaged by early-life trauma, while the adolescent PFC-dependent social buffering circuit may use a safety signal with unreliable safety value.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrese A. Robinson-Drummer
- Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, United States
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Child Study Center at NYU Langone Medical Center, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Maya Opendak
- Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, United States
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Child Study Center at NYU Langone Medical Center, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Anna Blomkvist
- Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, United States
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Child Study Center at NYU Langone Medical Center, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Psychology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Stephanie Chan
- Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, United States
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Child Study Center at NYU Langone Medical Center, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Stephen Tan
- Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, United States
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Child Study Center at NYU Langone Medical Center, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Cecilia Delmer
- Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, United States
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Child Study Center at NYU Langone Medical Center, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Kira Wood
- Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, United States
| | - Aliza Sloan
- Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, United States
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Child Study Center at NYU Langone Medical Center, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Psychology, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL, United States
| | - Lily Jacobs
- Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, United States
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Child Study Center at NYU Langone Medical Center, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Biology, Yeshiva University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Eliana Fine
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Child Study Center at NYU Langone Medical Center, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Biology, Yeshiva University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Divija Chopra
- Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, United States
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Child Study Center at NYU Langone Medical Center, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Chaim Sandler
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Child Study Center at NYU Langone Medical Center, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Biology, Yeshiva University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Giselle Kamenetzky
- Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, United States
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Child Study Center at NYU Langone Medical Center, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
- Instituto de Investigaciones Médicas A Lanari, IDIM-CONICET, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Combatientes de Malvinas 3150 (CP 1427), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Regina M. Sullivan
- Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, United States
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Child Study Center at NYU Langone Medical Center, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
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Elevated dopamine signaling from ventral tegmental area to prefrontal cortical parvalbumin neurons drives conditioned inhibition. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 116:13077-13086. [PMID: 31182594 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1901902116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Conditioned inhibition is an important process to suppress learned responses for optimal adaptation, but its underlying biological mechanism is poorly understood. Here we used safety learning (SL)/fear discrimination after fear conditioning as a conditioned inhibition model because it demonstrates the essential properties of summation and retardation. Activity of the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC) parvalbumin (PV) neurons bidirectionally regulates spiking levels of dmPFC excitatory neurons and fear states. Responses to safety cues are increased in dopaminergic (DA) neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and in PV neurons in dmPFC after SL. Plasticity in the VTA is implicated, since SL requires activation of N-methyl-d-aspartate receptors. Furthermore, in a posttraumatic stress disorder model, impaired SL is associated with impaired potentiation of VTA DA neuron activity. Our results demonstrate a DA-dependent learning process that targets prefrontal inhibitory neurons for suppression of learned responses, and have implications for the pathogenesis and treatment of various psychiatric diseases.
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44
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Hippocampal Arc protein expression and conditioned fear. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2019; 161:175-191. [DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2019.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2018] [Revised: 03/27/2019] [Accepted: 04/04/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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Greiner EM, Müller I, Norris MR, Ng KH, Sangha S. Sex differences in fear regulation and reward-seeking behaviors in a fear-safety-reward discrimination task. Behav Brain Res 2019; 368:111903. [PMID: 30981735 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2019.111903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2019] [Revised: 04/08/2019] [Accepted: 04/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Reward availability and the potential for danger or safety potently regulate emotion. Despite women being more likely than men to develop emotion dysregulation disorders, there are comparatively few studies investigating fear, safety and reward regulation in females. Here, we show that female Long Evans rats did not suppress conditioned freezing in the presence of a safety cue, nor did they extinguish their freezing response, whereas males did both. Females were also more reward responsive during the reward cue until the first footshock exposure, at which point there were no sex differences in reward seeking to the reward cue. Darting analyses suggest females were able to regulate this behavior in response to the safety cue, suggesting they were able to discriminate between fear and safety cues but did not demonstrate this with conditioned suppression of freezing behavior. However, levels of darting in this study were too low to make any definitive conclusions. In summary, females showed a significantly different behavioral profile than males in a task that tested the ability to discriminate among fear, safety and reward cues. This paradigm offers a great opportunity to test for mechanisms that are generating these behavioral sex differences in learned safety and reward seeking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eliza M Greiner
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - Iris Müller
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA; Purdue Institute for Integrative Neuroscience, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - Makenzie R Norris
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - Ka H Ng
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA; Purdue Institute for Integrative Neuroscience, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - Susan Sangha
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA; Purdue Institute for Integrative Neuroscience, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA.
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Raber J, Arzy S, Bertolus JB, Depue B, Haas HE, Hofmann SG, Kangas M, Kensinger E, Lowry CA, Marusak HA, Minnier J, Mouly AM, Mühlberger A, Norrholm SD, Peltonen K, Pinna G, Rabinak C, Shiban Y, Soreq H, van der Kooij MA, Lowe L, Weingast LT, Yamashita P, Boutros SW. Current understanding of fear learning and memory in humans and animal models and the value of a linguistic approach for analyzing fear learning and memory in humans. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2019; 105:136-177. [PMID: 30970272 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.03.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2018] [Revised: 01/30/2019] [Accepted: 03/18/2019] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Fear is an emotion that serves as a driving factor in how organisms move through the world. In this review, we discuss the current understandings of the subjective experience of fear and the related biological processes involved in fear learning and memory. We first provide an overview of fear learning and memory in humans and animal models, encompassing the neurocircuitry and molecular mechanisms, the influence of genetic and environmental factors, and how fear learning paradigms have contributed to treatments for fear-related disorders, such as posttraumatic stress disorder. Current treatments as well as novel strategies, such as targeting the perisynaptic environment and use of virtual reality, are addressed. We review research on the subjective experience of fear and the role of autobiographical memory in fear-related disorders. We also discuss the gaps in our understanding of fear learning and memory, and the degree of consensus in the field. Lastly, the development of linguistic tools for assessments and treatment of fear learning and memory disorders is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob Raber
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, ONPRC, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA; Departments of Neurology and Radiation Medicine, and Division of Neuroscience, ONPRC, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA.
| | - Shahar Arzy
- Department of Medical Neurobiology, Hebrew University, Jerusalem 91904, Israel
| | | | - Brendan Depue
- Departments of Psychological and Brain Sciences and Anatomical Sciences and Neurobiology, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
| | - Haley E Haas
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Stefan G Hofmann
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Maria Kangas
- Department of Psychology, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
| | | | - Christopher A Lowry
- Department of Integrative Physiology and Center for Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Hilary A Marusak
- Department of Pharmacy Practice, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Jessica Minnier
- School of Public Health, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Anne-Marie Mouly
- Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, CNRS-UMR 5292, INSERM U1028, Université Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Andreas Mühlberger
- Department of Psychology (Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy), University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany; PFH - Private University of Applied Sciences, Department of Psychology (Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy Research), Göttingen, Germany
| | - Seth Davin Norrholm
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Kirsi Peltonen
- Faculty of Social Sciences/Psychology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
| | - Graziano Pinna
- The Psychiatric Institute, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Christine Rabinak
- Department of Pharmacy Practice, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Youssef Shiban
- Department of Psychology (Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy), University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany; PFH - Private University of Applied Sciences, Department of Psychology (Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy Research), Göttingen, Germany
| | - Hermona Soreq
- Department of Biological Chemistry, Edmond and Lily Safra Center of Brain Science and The Institute of Life Sciences, Hebrew University, Jerusalem 91904, Israel
| | - Michael A van der Kooij
- Translational Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Universitatsmedizin der Johannes Guttenberg University Medical Center, Mainz, Germany
| | | | - Leah T Weingast
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Paula Yamashita
- School of Public Health, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Sydney Weber Boutros
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, ONPRC, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
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Zhang Y, Ouyang K, Lipina TV, Wang H, Zhou Q. Conditioned stimulus presentations alter anxiety level in fear-conditioned mice. Mol Brain 2019; 12:28. [PMID: 30925893 PMCID: PMC6441152 DOI: 10.1186/s13041-019-0445-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2018] [Accepted: 03/13/2019] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
It is generally believed that fear is rapidly triggered by a distinct cue while anxiety onset is less precise and not associated with a distinct cue. Although it has been claimed that both processes can be measured with certain independence of each other, it is unclear how exactly they differ. In this study, we measured anxiety in mice that received discriminative fear conditioning using behavioral, heart rate and calcium (Ca2+) responses in the ventral hippocampal CA1 (vCA1) neurons. We found that the occurrence of fear significantly interfered with anxiety measurements under various conditions. Diazepam reduced basal anxiety level but had no effect during the presentation of conditioned stimulus (CS). Injection of an inhibitory peptide of PKMzeta (ZIP) into the basolateral amygdala almost entirely abolished CS-triggered fear expression and reduced anxiety to basal level. Heart rate measures suggested a small reduction in anxiety during CS-. Calcium responses in the lateral hypothalamus-projecting vCA1 neurons showed a steady decay during CS suggesting a reduced anxiety. Thus, under our experimental conditions, CS presentations likely reduce anxiety level in the fear-conditioned mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yujie Zhang
- State key laboratory of chemical oncogenomics, School of Chemical Biology and Biotechnology, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen, China
| | - Kunfu Ouyang
- State key laboratory of chemical oncogenomics, School of Chemical Biology and Biotechnology, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen, China
| | - Tatiana V Lipina
- Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution, Scientific Research Institute of Physiology and Basic Medicine, Novosibirsk, Russia.,University of Toronto, Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Hong Wang
- State key laboratory of chemical oncogenomics, School of Chemical Biology and Biotechnology, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen, China
| | - Qiang Zhou
- State key laboratory of chemical oncogenomics, School of Chemical Biology and Biotechnology, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen, China.
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Oxytocin for learning calm and safety. Int J Psychophysiol 2019; 136:5-14. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2018.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2017] [Revised: 06/21/2018] [Accepted: 06/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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Abstract
Learned safety is a fear inhibitory mechanism, which regulates fear responses, promotes episodes of safety and generates positive affective states. Despite its potential as experimental model for several psychiatric illnesses, including post-traumatic stress disorder and depression, the molecular mechanisms of learned safety remain poorly understood, We here investigated the molecular mediators of learned safety, focusing on the characterization of miRNA expression in the basolateral amygdala (BLA). Comparing levels of 22 miRNAs in learned safety and learned fear trained mice, six safety-related miRNAs, including three members of the miR-132/-212 family, were identified. A gain-of-function approach based upon in-vivo transfection of a specific miRNA mimic, and miR-132/212 knock-out mice as loss-of-function tool were used in order to determine the relevance of miR-132 for learned safety at the behavioral and the neuronal functional levels. Using a designated bioinformatic approach, PTEN and GAT1 were identified as potential novel miR-132 target genes and further experimentally validated. We here firstly provide evidence for a regulation of amygdala miRNA expression in learned safety and propose miR-132 as signature molecule to be considered in future preclinical and translational approaches testing the transdiagnostic relevance of learned safety as intermediate phenotype in fear and stress-related disorders.
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Ilse A, Prameswari V, Kahl E, Fendt M. The role of trait anxiety in associative learning during and after an aversive event. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019; 26:56-59. [PMID: 30651378 PMCID: PMC6340115 DOI: 10.1101/lm.048595.118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2018] [Accepted: 12/17/2018] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Trait anxiety is considered to be a risk factor for anxiety disorders. The aim of the present study was to investigate how trait anxiety affects associative learning during and after an aversive event in laboratory rats. For this, rats were first submitted to a light–dark box test, followed by relief, safety, and fear learning. Our data demonstrate that all types of learning were affected by trait anxiety, both on a group and on an individual level. Whereas high levels of anxiety impaired relief and safety learning, fear learning was more pronounced. These findings help to show how trait anxiety might be involved in the etiology of anxiety disorders and pathological sensation- and risk-seeking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arne Ilse
- Integrative Neuroscience Program, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Virginia Prameswari
- Integrative Neuroscience Program, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Evelyn Kahl
- Institute for Pharmacology and Toxicology, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Markus Fendt
- Institute for Pharmacology and Toxicology, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany.,Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany
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