1
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Smith DM, Torregrossa MM. The ventral tegmental area dopamine to basolateral amygdala projection supports acquisition of cocaine self-administration. Neuropharmacology 2024; 261:110160. [PMID: 39293506 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2024.110160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2024] [Revised: 09/11/2024] [Accepted: 09/13/2024] [Indexed: 09/20/2024]
Abstract
Dopamine signaling in the amygdala is known to play a role in associative learning and memory, including the process of learning to associate environmental cues with the reinforcing properties of drugs like cocaine. Evidence suggests that the ventral tegmental area (VTA) dopamine (DA) projection specifically to the basolateral amygdala (BLA) participates in establishing cocaine-cue associations that can promote later craving- and relapse-like responses to the cue alone. In order to further investigate the specific role of VTA-BLA projections in cocaine-reinforced learning, we used chemogenetics to manipulate VTA DA inputs to the BLA during cocaine self-administration, cue- and cocaine-primed reinstatement, and conditioned place preference. We found inhibiting DA input to the BLA during cocaine self-administration inhibited acquisition and weakened the ability of the previously cocaine-paired cue to elicit cocaine-seeking, while acutely inhibiting the pathway on the day of cue-induced reinstatement testing had no effect. Conversely, exciting the projection during self-administration boosted the salience of the cocaine-paired cue as indicated by enhanced responding during cue-induced reinstatement. Importantly, interfering with DA input to the BLA had no impact on the ability of cocaine to elicit a place preference or induce reinstatement in response to a priming cocaine injection. Overall, we show that manipulation of projections underlying DA signaling in the BLA may be useful for developing therapeutic interventions for substance use disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dana M Smith
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, 450 Technology Drive, Pittsburgh, PA, 15219, USA; Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, 4200 Fifth Ave, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
| | - Mary M Torregrossa
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, 450 Technology Drive, Pittsburgh, PA, 15219, USA; Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, 4200 Fifth Ave, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA.
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2
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Lim H, Zhang Y, Peters C, Straub T, Mayer JL, Klein R. Genetically- and spatially-defined basolateral amygdala neurons control food consumption and social interaction. Nat Commun 2024; 15:6868. [PMID: 39127719 PMCID: PMC11316773 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-50889-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 07/18/2024] [Indexed: 08/12/2024] Open
Abstract
The basolateral amygdala (BLA) contains discrete neuronal circuits that integrate positive or negative emotional information and drive the appropriate innate and learned behaviors. Whether these circuits consist of genetically-identifiable and anatomically segregated neuron types, is poorly understood. Also, our understanding of the response patterns and behavioral spectra of genetically-identifiable BLA neurons is limited. Here, we classified 11 glutamatergic cell clusters in mouse BLA and found that several of them were anatomically segregated in lateral versus basal amygdala, and anterior versus posterior regions of the BLA. Two of these BLA subpopulations innately responded to valence-specific, whereas one responded to mixed - aversive and social - cues. Positive-valence BLA neurons promoted normal feeding, while mixed selectivity neurons promoted fear learning and social interactions. These findings enhance our understanding of cell type diversity and spatial organization of the BLA and the role of distinct BLA populations in representing valence-specific and mixed stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hansol Lim
- Department Molecules - Signaling - Development, Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Yue Zhang
- Department Synapses - Circuits - Plasticity, Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Christian Peters
- Department Molecules - Signaling - Development, Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Tobias Straub
- Biomedical Center Core Facility Bioinformatics, LMU, Munich, Germany
| | - Johanna Luise Mayer
- Department Molecules - Signaling - Development, Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Rüdiger Klein
- Department Molecules - Signaling - Development, Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, Martinsried, Germany.
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3
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Ghasemahmad Z, Mrvelj A, Panditi R, Sharma B, Perumal KD, Wenstrup JJ. Emotional vocalizations alter behaviors and neurochemical release into the amygdala. eLife 2024; 12:RP88838. [PMID: 39008352 PMCID: PMC11249735 DOI: 10.7554/elife.88838] [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] [Indexed: 07/16/2024] Open
Abstract
The basolateral amygdala (BLA), a brain center of emotional expression, contributes to acoustic communication by first interpreting the meaning of social sounds in the context of the listener's internal state, then organizing the appropriate behavioral responses. We propose that modulatory neurochemicals such as acetylcholine (ACh) and dopamine (DA) provide internal-state signals to the BLA while an animal listens to social vocalizations. We tested this in a vocal playback experiment utilizing highly affective vocal sequences associated with either mating or restraint, then sampled and analyzed fluids within the BLA for a broad range of neurochemicals and observed behavioral responses of adult male and female mice. In male mice, playback of restraint vocalizations increased ACh release and usually decreased DA release, while playback of mating sequences evoked the opposite neurochemical release patterns. In non-estrus female mice, patterns of ACh and DA release with mating playback were similar to males. Estrus females, however, showed increased ACh, associated with vigilance, as well as increased DA, associated with reward-seeking. Experimental groups that showed increased ACh release also showed the largest increases in an aversive behavior. These neurochemical release patterns and several behavioral responses depended on a single prior experience with the mating and restraint behaviors. Our results support a model in which ACh and DA provide contextual information to sound analyzing BLA neurons that modulate their output to downstream brain regions controlling behavioral responses to social vocalizations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zahra Ghasemahmad
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology and Hearing Research Group, Northeast Ohio Medical UniversityRootstownUnited States
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Kent State UniversityKentUnited States
- Brain Health Research Institute, Kent State UniversityKentUnited States
| | - Aaron Mrvelj
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology and Hearing Research Group, Northeast Ohio Medical UniversityRootstownUnited States
| | - Rishitha Panditi
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology and Hearing Research Group, Northeast Ohio Medical UniversityRootstownUnited States
| | - Bhavya Sharma
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology and Hearing Research Group, Northeast Ohio Medical UniversityRootstownUnited States
| | - Karthic Drishna Perumal
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology and Hearing Research Group, Northeast Ohio Medical UniversityRootstownUnited States
| | - Jeffrey J Wenstrup
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology and Hearing Research Group, Northeast Ohio Medical UniversityRootstownUnited States
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Kent State UniversityKentUnited States
- Brain Health Research Institute, Kent State UniversityKentUnited States
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4
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Karpov G, Lin MH, Headley DB, Baker TE. Oscillatory correlates of threat imminence during virtual navigation. Psychophysiology 2024; 61:e14551. [PMID: 38516942 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.14551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2023] [Revised: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 02/10/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024]
Abstract
The Predatory Imminence Continuum Theory proposes that defensive behaviors depend on the proximity of a threat. While the neural mechanisms underlying this proposal are well studied in animal models, it remains poorly understood in humans. To address this issue, we recorded EEG from 24 (15 female) young adults engaged in a first-person virtual reality Risk-Reward interaction task. On each trial, participants were placed in a virtual room and presented with either a threat or reward conditioned stimulus (CS) in the same room location (proximal) or different room location (distal). Behaviorally, all participants learned to avoid the threat-CS, with most using the optimal behavior to actively avoid the proximal threat-CS (88% accuracy) and passively avoid the distal threat-CS (69% accuracy). Similarly, participants learned to actively approach the distal reward-CS (82% accuracy) and to remain passive to the proximal reward-CS (72% accuracy). At an electrophysiological level, we observed a general increase in theta power (4-8 Hz) over the right posterior channel P8 across all conditions, with the proximal threat-CS evoking the largest theta response. By contrast, distal cues induced two bursts of gamma (30-60 Hz) power over midline-parietal channel Pz (200 msec post-cue) and right frontal channel Fp2 (300 msec post-cue). Interestingly, the first burst of gamma power was sensitive to the distal threat-CS and the second burst at channel Fp2 was sensitive to the distal reward-CS. Together, these findings demonstrate that oscillatory processes differentiate between the spatial proximity information during threat and reward encoding, likely optimizing the selection of the appropriate behavioral response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Galit Karpov
- Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, Rutgers State University, Newark, New Jersey, USA
| | - Mei-Heng Lin
- Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, Rutgers State University, Newark, New Jersey, USA
| | - Drew B Headley
- Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, Rutgers State University, Newark, New Jersey, USA
| | - Travis E Baker
- Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, Rutgers State University, Newark, New Jersey, USA
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5
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Báldi R, Muthuswamy S, Loomba N, Patel S. Synaptic Organization-Function Relationships of Amygdala Interneurons Supporting Associative Learning. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.18.599631. [PMID: 38948865 PMCID: PMC11212985 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.18.599631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/02/2024]
Abstract
Coordinated activity of basolateral amygdala (BLA) GABAergic interneurons (INs) and glutamatergic principal cells (PCs) is critical for associative learning, however the microcircuit organization-function relationships of distinct IN classes remain uncertain. Here, we show somatostatin (SOM) INs provide inhibition onto, and are excited by, local PCs, whereas vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) INs are driven by extrinsic afferents. Parvalbumin (PV) INs inhibit PCs and are activated by local and extrinsic inputs. Thus, SOM and VIP INs exhibit complementary roles in feedback and feedforward inhibition, respectively, while PV INs contribute to both microcircuit motifs. Functionally, each IN subtype reveals unique activity patterns across fear- and extinction learning with SOM and VIP INs showing most divergent characteristics, and PV INs display an intermediate phenotype parallelling synaptic data. Finally, SOM and PV INs dynamically track behavioral state transitions across learning. These data provide insight into the synaptic microcircuit organization-function relationships of distinct BLA IN classes.
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6
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Hernández-Jaramillo A, Illescas-Huerta E, Sotres-Bayon F. Ventral Pallidum and Amygdala Cooperate to Restrain Reward Approach under Threat. J Neurosci 2024; 44:e2327232024. [PMID: 38631914 PMCID: PMC11154850 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2327-23.2024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2023] [Revised: 03/26/2024] [Accepted: 04/06/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Foraging decisions involve assessing potential risks and prioritizing food sources, which can be challenging when confronted with changing and conflicting circumstances. A crucial aspect of this decision-making process is the ability to actively overcome defensive reactions to threats and focus on achieving specific goals. The ventral pallidum (VP) and basolateral amygdala (BLA) are two brain regions that play key roles in regulating behavior motivated by either rewards or threats. However, it is unclear whether these regions are necessary in decision-making processes involving competing motivational drives during conflict. Our aim was to investigate the requirements of the VP and BLA for foraging choices in conflicts involving overcoming defensive responses. Here, we used a novel foraging task and pharmacological techniques to inactivate either the VP or BLA or to disconnect these brain regions before conducting a conflict test in male rats. Our findings showed that BLA is necessary for making risky choices during conflicts, whereas VP is necessary for invigorating the drive to obtain food, regardless of the presence of conflict. Importantly, our research revealed that the connection between VP and BLA is critical in controlling risky food-seeking choices during conflict situations. This study provides a new perspective on the collaborative function of VP and BLA in driving behavior, aimed at achieving goals in the face of dangers.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Elizabeth Illescas-Huerta
- Institute of Cell Physiology - Neuroscience, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico City 04510, Mexico
| | - Francisco Sotres-Bayon
- Institute of Cell Physiology - Neuroscience, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico City 04510, Mexico
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7
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Duggins P, Eliasmith C. A scalable spiking amygdala model that explains fear conditioning, extinction, renewal and generalization. Eur J Neurosci 2024; 59:3093-3116. [PMID: 38616566 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.16338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2023] [Revised: 02/03/2024] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/16/2024]
Abstract
The amygdala (AMY) is widely implicated in fear learning and fear behaviour, but it remains unclear how the many biological components present within AMY interact to achieve these abilities. Building on previous work, we hypothesize that individual AMY nuclei represent different quantities and that fear conditioning arises from error-driven learning on the synapses between AMY nuclei. We present a computational model of AMY that (a) recreates the divisions and connections between AMY nuclei and their constituent pyramidal and inhibitory neurons; (b) accommodates scalable high-dimensional representations of external stimuli; (c) learns to associate complex stimuli with the presence (or absence) of an aversive stimulus; (d) preserves feature information when mapping inputs to salience estimates, such that these estimates generalize to similar stimuli; and (e) induces a diverse profile of neural responses within each nucleus. Our model predicts (1) defensive responses and neural activities in several experimental conditions, (2) the consequence of artificially ablating particular nuclei and (3) the tendency to generalize defensive responses to novel stimuli. We test these predictions by comparing model outputs to neural and behavioural data from animals and humans. Despite the relative simplicity of our model, we find significant overlap between simulated and empirical data, which supports our claim that the model captures many of the neural mechanisms that support fear conditioning. We conclude by comparing our model to other computational models and by characterizing the theoretical relationship between pattern separation and fear generalization in healthy versus anxious individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Duggins
- Centre for Theoretical Neuroscience, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Systems Design Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
| | - Chris Eliasmith
- Centre for Theoretical Neuroscience, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Systems Design Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Philosophy, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
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8
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O'Neill PK, Posani L, Meszaros J, Warren P, Schoonover CE, Fink AJP, Fusi S, Salzman CD. The representational geometry of emotional states in basolateral amygdala. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.09.23.558668. [PMID: 37790470 PMCID: PMC10542536 DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.23.558668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/05/2023]
Abstract
Sensory stimuli associated with aversive outcomes cause multiple behavioral responses related to an animal's evolving emotional state, but neural mechanisms underlying these processes remain unclear. Here aversive stimuli were presented to mice, eliciting two responses reflecting fear and flight to safety: tremble and ingress into a virtual burrow. Inactivation of basolateral amygdala (BLA) eliminated differential responses to aversive and neutral stimuli without eliminating responses themselves, suggesting BLA signals valence, not motor commands. However, two-photon imaging revealed that neurons typically exhibited mixed selectivity for stimulus identity, valence, tremble and/or ingress. Despite heterogeneous selectivity, BLA representational geometry was lower-dimensional when encoding valence, tremble and safety, enabling generalization of emotions across conditions. Further, tremble and valence coding directions were orthogonal, allowing linear readouts to specialize. Thus BLA representational geometry confers two computational properties that identify specialized neural circuits encoding variables describing emotional states: generalization across conditions, and readouts lacking interference from other readouts.
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9
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Poggi G, Bergamini G, Dulinskas R, Madur L, Greter A, Ineichen C, Dagostino A, Kúkeľová D, Sigrist H, Bornemann KD, Hengerer B, Pryce CR. Engagement of basal amygdala-nucleus accumbens glutamate neurons in the processing of rewarding or aversive social stimuli. Eur J Neurosci 2024; 59:996-1015. [PMID: 38326849 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.16272] [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: 08/22/2023] [Revised: 12/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
Basal amygdala (BA) neurons projecting to nucleus accumbens (NAc) core/shell are primarily glutamatergic and are integral to the circuitry of emotional processing. Several recent mouse studies have addressed whether neurons in this population(s) respond to reward, aversion or both emotional valences. The focus has been on processing of physical emotional stimuli, and here, we extend this to salient social stimuli. In male mice, an iterative study was conducted into engagement of BA-NAc neurons in response to estrous female (social reward, SR) and/or aggressive-dominant male (social aversion, SA). In BL/6J mice, SR and SA activated c-Fos expression in a high and similar number/density of BA-NAc neurons in the anteroposterior intermediate BA (int-BA), whereas activation was predominantly by SA in posterior (post-)BA. In Fos-TRAP2 mice, compared with SR-SR or SA-SA controls, exposure to successive presentation of SR-SA or SA-SR, followed by assessment of tdTomato reporter and/or c-Fos expression, demonstrated that many int-BA-NAc neurons were activated by only one of SR and SA; these SR/SA monovalent neurons were similar in number and present in both magnocellular and parvocellular int-BA subregions. In freely moving BL/6J mice exposed to SR, bulk GCaMP6 fibre photometry provided confirmatory in vivo evidence for engagement of int-BA-NAc neurons during social and sexual interactions. Therefore, populations of BA-NAc glutamate neurons are engaged by salient rewarding and aversive social stimuli in a topographic and valence-specific manner; this novel evidence is important to the overall understanding of the roles of this pathway in the circuitry of socio-emotional processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Poggi
- Preclinical Laboratory for Translational Research into Affective Disorders, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric University Hospital Zürich (PUK) and University of Zurich (UZH), Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Giorgio Bergamini
- Preclinical Laboratory for Translational Research into Affective Disorders, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric University Hospital Zürich (PUK) and University of Zurich (UZH), Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Redas Dulinskas
- Preclinical Laboratory for Translational Research into Affective Disorders, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric University Hospital Zürich (PUK) and University of Zurich (UZH), Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Lorraine Madur
- Preclinical Laboratory for Translational Research into Affective Disorders, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric University Hospital Zürich (PUK) and University of Zurich (UZH), Zurich, Switzerland
- Zurich Neuroscience Center, University of Zurich and Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Alexandra Greter
- Preclinical Laboratory for Translational Research into Affective Disorders, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric University Hospital Zürich (PUK) and University of Zurich (UZH), Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Christian Ineichen
- Preclinical Laboratory for Translational Research into Affective Disorders, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric University Hospital Zürich (PUK) and University of Zurich (UZH), Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Amael Dagostino
- Preclinical Laboratory for Translational Research into Affective Disorders, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric University Hospital Zürich (PUK) and University of Zurich (UZH), Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Diana Kúkeľová
- Preclinical Laboratory for Translational Research into Affective Disorders, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric University Hospital Zürich (PUK) and University of Zurich (UZH), Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Hannes Sigrist
- Preclinical Laboratory for Translational Research into Affective Disorders, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric University Hospital Zürich (PUK) and University of Zurich (UZH), Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Klaus D Bornemann
- CNS Diseases Research, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Biberach, Germany
| | - Bastian Hengerer
- CNS Diseases Research, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Biberach, Germany
| | - Christopher R Pryce
- Preclinical Laboratory for Translational Research into Affective Disorders, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric University Hospital Zürich (PUK) and University of Zurich (UZH), Zurich, Switzerland
- Zurich Neuroscience Center, University of Zurich and Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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10
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Sladky R, Kargl D, Haubensak W, Lamm C. An active inference perspective for the amygdala complex. Trends Cogn Sci 2024; 28:223-236. [PMID: 38103984 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2023.11.004] [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: 05/30/2023] [Revised: 11/14/2023] [Accepted: 11/16/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
The amygdala is a heterogeneous network of subcortical nuclei with central importance in cognitive and clinical neuroscience. Various experimental designs in human psychology and animal model research have mapped multiple conceptual frameworks (e.g., valence/salience and decision making) to ever more refined amygdala circuitry. However, these predominantly bottom up-driven accounts often rely on interpretations tailored to a specific phenomenon, thus preventing comprehensive and integrative theories. We argue here that an active inference model of amygdala function could unify these fractionated approaches into an overarching framework for clearer empirical predictions and mechanistic interpretations. This framework embeds top-down predictive models, informed by prior knowledge and belief updating, within a dynamical system distributed across amygdala circuits in which self-regulation is implemented by continuously tracking environmental and homeostatic demands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ronald Sladky
- Social, Cognitive, and Affective Neuroscience Unit, Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Liebiggasse 5, 1010 Vienna, Austria; Vienna Cognitive Science Hub, University of Vienna, 1010 Vienna, Austria.
| | - Dominic Kargl
- Department of Neuronal Cell Biology, Center for Brain Research, Medical University of Vienna, Spitalgasse 4, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Wulf Haubensak
- Department of Neuronal Cell Biology, Center for Brain Research, Medical University of Vienna, Spitalgasse 4, 1090 Vienna, Austria; Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna Biocenter (VBC), Campus Vienna Biocenter 1, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Claus Lamm
- Social, Cognitive, and Affective Neuroscience Unit, Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Liebiggasse 5, 1010 Vienna, Austria; Vienna Cognitive Science Hub, University of Vienna, 1010 Vienna, Austria
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11
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Piantadosi SC, Zhou ZC, Pizzano C, Pedersen CE, Nguyen TK, Thai S, Stuber GD, Bruchas MR. Holographic stimulation of opposing amygdala ensembles bidirectionally modulates valence-specific behavior via mutual inhibition. Neuron 2024; 112:593-610.e5. [PMID: 38086375 PMCID: PMC10984369 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.11.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2022] [Revised: 10/04/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
The basolateral amygdala (BLA) is an evolutionarily conserved brain region, well known for valence processing. Despite this central role, the relationship between activity of BLA neuronal ensembles in response to appetitive and aversive stimuli and the subsequent expression of valence-specific behavior has remained elusive. Here, we leverage two-photon calcium imaging combined with single-cell holographic photostimulation through an endoscopic lens to demonstrate a direct causal role for opposing ensembles of BLA neurons in the control of oppositely valenced behavior in mice. We report that targeted photostimulation of either appetitive or aversive BLA ensembles results in mutual inhibition and shifts behavioral responses to promote consumption of an aversive tastant or reduce consumption of an appetitive tastant, respectively. Here, we identify that neuronal encoding of valence in the BLA is graded and relies on the relative proportion of individual BLA neurons recruited in a stable appetitive or quinine ensemble.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean C Piantadosi
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA; Center for the Neurobiology of Addiction, Pain, and Emotion, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Zhe Charles Zhou
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA; Center for the Neurobiology of Addiction, Pain, and Emotion, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Carina Pizzano
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA; Center for the Neurobiology of Addiction, Pain, and Emotion, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Christian E Pedersen
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA; Center for the Neurobiology of Addiction, Pain, and Emotion, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Tammy K Nguyen
- Center for the Neurobiology of Addiction, Pain, and Emotion, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Sarah Thai
- Center for the Neurobiology of Addiction, Pain, and Emotion, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Garret D Stuber
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA; Center for the Neurobiology of Addiction, Pain, and Emotion, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA; Department of Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Michael R Bruchas
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA; Center for the Neurobiology of Addiction, Pain, and Emotion, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA; Department of Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA; Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
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12
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Sherman BE, Turk-Browne NB, Goldfarb EV. Multiple Memory Subsystems: Reconsidering Memory in the Mind and Brain. PERSPECTIVES ON PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2024; 19:103-125. [PMID: 37390333 PMCID: PMC10756937 DOI: 10.1177/17456916231179146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/02/2023]
Abstract
The multiple-memory-systems framework-that distinct types of memory are supported by distinct brain systems-has guided learning and memory research for decades. However, recent work challenges the one-to-one mapping between brain structures and memory types central to this taxonomy, with key memory-related structures supporting multiple functions across substructures. Here we integrate cross-species findings in the hippocampus, striatum, and amygdala to propose an updated framework of multiple memory subsystems (MMSS). We provide evidence for two organizational principles of the MMSS theory: First, opposing memory representations are colocated in the same brain structures; second, parallel memory representations are supported by distinct structures. We discuss why this burgeoning framework has the potential to provide a useful revision of classic theories of long-term memory, what evidence is needed to further validate the framework, and how this novel perspective on memory organization may guide future research.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Elizabeth V Goldfarb
- Department of Psychology, Yale University
- Wu Tsai Institute, Yale University
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University
- National Center for PTSD, West Haven, USA
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13
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Ottenheimer DJ, Vitale KR, Ambroggi F, Janak PH, Saunders BT. Basolateral amygdala population coding of a cued reward seeking state depends on orbitofrontal cortex. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.12.31.573789. [PMID: 38260546 PMCID: PMC10802313 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.31.573789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
Basolateral amygdala (BLA) neuronal responses to conditioned stimuli are closely linked to the expression of conditioned behavior. An area of increasing interest is how the dynamics of BLA neurons relate to evolving behavior. Here, we recorded the activity of individual BLA neurons across the acquisition and extinction of conditioned reward seeking and employed population-level analyses to assess ongoing neural dynamics. We found that, with training, sustained cue-evoked activity emerged that discriminated between the CS+ and CS- and correlated with conditioned responding. This sustained population activity continued until reward receipt and rapidly extinguished along with conditioned behavior during extinction. To assess the contribution of orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), a major reciprocal partner to BLA, to this component of BLA neural activity, we inactivated OFC while recording in BLA and found blunted sustained cue-evoked activity in BLA that accompanied reduced reward seeking. Optogenetic disruption of BLA activity and OFC terminals in BLA also reduced reward seeking. Our data suggest that sustained cue-driven activity in BLA, which in part depends on OFC input, underlies conditioned reward-seeking states.
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Affiliation(s)
- David J Ottenheimer
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Johns Hopkins University
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University
- Center for the Neurobiology of Addiction, Pain, and Emotion, University of Washington
| | | | - Frederic Ambroggi
- Institut de Neurosciences de la Timone, Aix-Marseilles Universite, CNRS, INT
| | - Patricia H Janak
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Johns Hopkins University
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University
| | - Benjamin T Saunders
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota
- Medical Discovery Team on Addiction, University of Minnesota
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14
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Grabenhorst F, Ponce-Alvarez A, Battaglia-Mayer A, Deco G, Schultz W. A view-based decision mechanism for rewards in the primate amygdala. Neuron 2023; 111:3871-3884.e14. [PMID: 37725980 PMCID: PMC10914681 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.08.024] [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: 08/15/2022] [Revised: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 09/21/2023]
Abstract
Primates make decisions visually by shifting their view from one object to the next, comparing values between objects, and choosing the best reward, even before acting. Here, we show that when monkeys make value-guided choices, amygdala neurons encode their decisions in an abstract, purely internal representation defined by the monkey's current view but not by specific object or reward properties. Across amygdala subdivisions, recorded activity patterns evolved gradually from an object-specific value code to a transient, object-independent code in which currently viewed and last-viewed objects competed to reflect the emerging view-based choice. Using neural-network modeling, we identified a sequence of computations by which amygdala neurons implemented view-based decision making and eventually recovered the chosen object's identity when the monkeys acted on their choice. These findings reveal a neural mechanism in the amygdala that derives object choices from abstract, view-based computations, suggesting an efficient solution for decision problems with many objects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabian Grabenhorst
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3TA, UK; Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3DY, UK.
| | - Adrián Ponce-Alvarez
- Center for Brain and Cognition, Department of Technology and Information, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Carrer Ramón Trias Fargas, 25-27, 08005 Barcelona, Spain; Departament de Matemàtiques, EPSEB, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Gustavo Deco
- Center for Brain and Cognition, Department of Technology and Information, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Carrer Ramón Trias Fargas, 25-27, 08005 Barcelona, Spain; Institució Catalana de la Recerca i Estudis Avançats, Universitat Barcelona, Passeig Lluís Companys 23, 08010 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Wolfram Schultz
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3DY, UK
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15
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Berridge KC. Separating desire from prediction of outcome value. Trends Cogn Sci 2023; 27:932-946. [PMID: 37543439 PMCID: PMC10527990 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2023.07.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2022] [Revised: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 07/14/2023] [Indexed: 08/07/2023]
Abstract
Individuals typically want what they expect to like, often based on memories of previous positive experiences. However, in some situations desire can decouple completely from memories and from learned predictions of outcome value. The potential for desire to separate from prediction arises from independent operating rules that control motivational incentive salience. Incentive salience, or 'wanting', is a type of mesolimbic desire that evolved for adaptive goals, but can also generate maladaptive addictions. Two proof-of-principle examples are presented here to show how motivational 'wanting' can soar above memory-based predictions of outcome value: (i) 'wanting what is remembered to be disgusting', and (ii) 'wanting what is predicted to hurt'. Consequently, even outcomes remembered and predicted to be negatively aversive can become positively 'wanted'. Similarly, in human addictions, people may experience powerful cue-triggered cravings for outcomes that are not predicted to be enjoyable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kent C Berridge
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
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16
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Smith DM, Torregrossa MM. The ventral tegmental area dopamine to lateral amygdala projection supports cocaine cue associative learning. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.08.22.554187. [PMID: 37662292 PMCID: PMC10473658 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.22.554187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/05/2023]
Abstract
Learning and memory mechanisms are critically involved in drug craving and relapse. Environmental cues paired with repeated drug use acquire incentive value such that exposure to the cues alone can trigger craving and relapse. The amygdala, particularly the lateral amygdala (LA), underlies cue-related learning processes that assign valence to environmental stimuli including drug-paired cues. Evidence suggests that the ventral tegmental area (VTA) dopamine (DA) projection to the LA participates in encoding reinforcing effects that act as a US in conditioned cue reward-seeking as DA released in the amygdala is important for emotional and behavioral functions. Here we used chemogenetics to manipulate these VTA DA inputs to the LA to determine the role of this projection for acquisition of drug-cue associations and reinstatement of drug-seeking. We found inhibiting DA input to the LA during cocaine self-administration slowed acquisition and weakened the ability of the previously cocaine-paired cue to elicit cocaine-seeking. Conversely, exciting the projection during self-administration boosted the salience of the cocaine-paired cue as indicated by enhanced responding during cue-induced reinstatement. Importantly, interfering with DA input to the LA had no impact on the ability of cocaine to elicit a place preference or induce reinstatement in response to a priming cocaine injection. Overall, we show that manipulation of projections underlying DA signaling in the LA may be useful for developing therapeutic interventions for substance use disorders.
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17
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Nguyen R, Koukoutselos K, Forro T, Ciocchi S. Fear extinction relies on ventral hippocampal safety codes shaped by the amygdala. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadg4881. [PMID: 37256958 PMCID: PMC10413664 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adg4881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2022] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Extinction memory retrieval is influenced by spatial contextual information that determines responding to conditioned stimuli (CS). However, it is poorly understood whether contextual representations are imbued with emotional values to support memory selection. Here, we performed activity-dependent engram tagging and in vivo single-unit electrophysiological recordings from the ventral hippocampus (vH) while optogenetically manipulating basolateral amygdala (BLA) inputs during the formation of cued fear extinction memory. During fear extinction when CS acquire safety properties, we found that CS-related activity in the vH reactivated during sleep consolidation and was strengthened upon memory retrieval. Moreover, fear extinction memory was facilitated when the extinction context exhibited precise coding of its affective zones. Last, these activity patterns along with the retrieval of the fear extinction memory were dependent on glutamatergic transmission from the BLA during extinction learning. Thus, fear extinction memory relies on the formation of contextual and stimulus safety representations in the vH instructed by the BLA.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Thomas Forro
- Laboratory of Systems Neuroscience, Department of Physiology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
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18
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Madur L, Ineichen C, Bergamini G, Greter A, Poggi G, Cuomo-Haymour N, Sigrist H, Sych Y, Paterna JC, Bornemann KD, Viollet C, Fernandez-Albert F, Alanis-Lobato G, Hengerer B, Pryce CR. Stress deficits in reward behaviour are associated with and replicated by dysregulated amygdala-nucleus accumbens pathway function in mice. Commun Biol 2023; 6:422. [PMID: 37061616 PMCID: PMC10105726 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-04811-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2022] [Accepted: 04/05/2023] [Indexed: 04/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Reduced reward interest/learning and reward-to-effort valuation are distinct, common symptoms in neuropsychiatric disorders for which chronic stress is a major aetiological factor. Glutamate neurons in basal amygdala (BA) project to various regions including nucleus accumbens (NAc). The BA-NAc neural pathway is activated by reward and aversion, with many neurons being monovalent. In adult male mice, chronic social stress (CSS) leads to reduced discriminative reward learning (DRL) associated with decreased BA-NAc activity, and to reduced reward-to-effort valuation (REV) associated, in contrast, with increased BA-NAc activity. Chronic tetanus toxin BA-NAc inhibition replicates the CSS-DRL effect and causes a mild REV reduction, whilst chronic DREADDs BA-NAc activation replicates the CSS effect on REV without affecting DRL. This study provides evidence that stress disruption of reward processing involves the BA-NAc neural pathway; the bi-directional effects implicate opposite activity changes in reward (learning) neurons and aversion (effort) neurons in the BA-NAc pathway following chronic stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorraine Madur
- Preclinical Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric University Hospital Zürich (PUK) and University of Zurich (UZH), Zurich, Switzerland
- Zurich Neuroscience Center, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Christian Ineichen
- Preclinical Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric University Hospital Zürich (PUK) and University of Zurich (UZH), Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Giorgio Bergamini
- Preclinical Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric University Hospital Zürich (PUK) and University of Zurich (UZH), Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Alexandra Greter
- Preclinical Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric University Hospital Zürich (PUK) and University of Zurich (UZH), Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Giulia Poggi
- Preclinical Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric University Hospital Zürich (PUK) and University of Zurich (UZH), Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Nagiua Cuomo-Haymour
- Preclinical Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric University Hospital Zürich (PUK) and University of Zurich (UZH), Zurich, Switzerland
- Zurich Neuroscience Center, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Hannes Sigrist
- Preclinical Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric University Hospital Zürich (PUK) and University of Zurich (UZH), Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Yaroslav Sych
- Institute of Cellular and Integrative Neuroscience, University of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | | | - Klaus D Bornemann
- CNS Diseases Research, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Biberach, Germany
| | - Coralie Viollet
- Global Computational Biology and Digital Sciences, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Biberach, Germany
| | - Francesc Fernandez-Albert
- Global Computational Biology and Digital Sciences, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Biberach, Germany
| | - Gregorio Alanis-Lobato
- Global Computational Biology and Digital Sciences, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Biberach, Germany
| | - Bastian Hengerer
- CNS Diseases Research, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Biberach, Germany
| | - Christopher R Pryce
- Preclinical Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric University Hospital Zürich (PUK) and University of Zurich (UZH), Zurich, Switzerland.
- Zurich Neuroscience Center, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
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19
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Martin AB, Cardenas MA, Andersen RK, Bowman AI, Hillier EA, Bensmaia S, Fuglevand AJ, Gothard KM. A context-dependent switch from sensing to feeling in the primate amygdala. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112056. [PMID: 36724071 PMCID: PMC10430631 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112056] [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: 04/20/2022] [Revised: 10/07/2022] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The skin transmits affective signals that integrate into our social vocabulary. As the socio-affective aspects of touch are likely processed in the amygdala, we compare neural responses to social grooming and gentle airflow recorded from the amygdala and the primary somatosensory cortex of non-human primates. Neurons in the somatosensory cortex respond to both types of tactile stimuli. In the amygdala, however, neurons do not respond to individual grooming sweeps even though grooming elicits autonomic states indicative of positive affect. Instead, many show changes in baseline firing rates that persist throughout the grooming bout. Such baseline fluctuations are attributed to social context because the presence of the groomer alone can account for the observed changes in baseline activity. It appears, therefore, that during grooming, the amygdala stops responding to external inputs on a short timescale but remains responsive to social context (or the associated affective states) on longer time scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne B Martin
- Department of Physiology and Neuroscience, the University of Arizona, College of Medicine, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Michael A Cardenas
- Department of Physiology and Neuroscience, the University of Arizona, College of Medicine, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Rose K Andersen
- Department of Physiology and Neuroscience, the University of Arizona, College of Medicine, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Archer I Bowman
- Department of Physiology and Neuroscience, the University of Arizona, College of Medicine, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Elizabeth A Hillier
- Department of Physiology and Neuroscience, the University of Arizona, College of Medicine, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Sliman Bensmaia
- Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, the University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Andrew J Fuglevand
- Department of Physiology and Neuroscience, the University of Arizona, College of Medicine, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Katalin M Gothard
- Department of Physiology and Neuroscience, the University of Arizona, College of Medicine, Tucson, AZ, USA.
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20
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Yu XD, Zhu Y, Sun QX, Deng F, Wan J, Zheng D, Gong W, Xie SZ, Shen CJ, Fu JY, Huang H, Lai HY, Jin J, Li Y, Li XM. Distinct serotonergic pathways to the amygdala underlie separate behavioral features of anxiety. Nat Neurosci 2022; 25:1651-1663. [PMID: 36446933 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-022-01200-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2021] [Accepted: 10/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Anxiety-like behaviors in mice include social avoidance and avoidance of bright spaces. Whether these features are distinctly regulated is unclear. We demonstrate that in mice, social and anxiogenic stimuli, respectively, increase and decrease serotonin (5-HT) levels in basal amygdala (BA). In dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN), 5-HT∩vGluT3 neurons projecting to BA parvalbumin (DRN5-HT∩vGluT3-BAPV) and pyramidal (DRN5-HT∩vGluT3-BAPyr) neurons have distinct intrinsic properties and gene expression and respond to anxiogenic and social stimuli, respectively. Activation of DRN5-HT∩vGluT3→BAPV inhibits 5-HT release via GABAB receptors on serotonergic terminals in BA, inducing social avoidance and avoidance of bright spaces. Activation of DRN5-HT∩vGluT3→BA neurons inhibits two subsets of BAPyr neurons via 5-HT1A receptors (HTR1A) and 5-HT1B receptors (HTR1B). Pharmacological inhibition of HTR1A and HTR1B in BA induces avoidance of bright spaces and social avoidance, respectively. These findings highlight the functional significance of heterogenic inputs from DRN to BA subpopulations in the regulation of separate anxiety-related behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Dan Yu
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Neurology of Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.,NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontier Center of Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.,Department of Neurology of the Second Affiliated Hospital, Interdisciplinary Institute of Neuroscience and Technology, Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yi Zhu
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Neurology of Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.,NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontier Center of Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Qi-Xin Sun
- NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontier Center of Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Fei Deng
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Peking University School of Life Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jinxia Wan
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Peking University School of Life Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Di Zheng
- NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontier Center of Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Wankun Gong
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Shi-Ze Xie
- NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontier Center of Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Chen-Jie Shen
- NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontier Center of Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jia-Yu Fu
- NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontier Center of Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Huiqian Huang
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Neurology of Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Hsin-Yi Lai
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Neurology of Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.,Department of Neurology of the Second Affiliated Hospital, Interdisciplinary Institute of Neuroscience and Technology, Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.,College of Biomedical Engineering and Instrument Science, Key Laboratory for Biomedical Engineering of Ministry of Education, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.,Affiliated Mental Health Center & Hangzhou Seventh People's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jin Jin
- The MOE Key Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis & Protection, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Cancer Molecular Cell Biology, Life Sciences Institute, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yulong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Peking University School of Life Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xiao-Ming Li
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Neurology of Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China. .,NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontier Center of Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China. .,Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Research Units for Emotion and Emotion Disorders, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences/Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Guangzhou, China.
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21
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MacDowell CJ, Tafazoli S, Buschman TJ. A Goldilocks theory of cognitive control: Balancing precision and efficiency with low-dimensional control states. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2022; 76:102606. [PMID: 35870301 PMCID: PMC9653176 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2022.102606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2022] [Revised: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 06/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Cognitive control orchestrates interactions between brain regions, guiding the transformation of information to support contextually appropriate and goal-directed behaviors. In this review, we propose a hierarchical model of cognitive control where low-dimensional control states direct the flow of high-dimensional representations between regions. This allows cognitive control to flexibly adapt to new environments and maintain the representational capacity to capture the richness of the world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camden J MacDowell
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Washington Rd, Princeton, NJ, USA; Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, 125 Paterson St, New Brunswick, NJ, USA. https://twitter.com/CamdenMacdowell
| | - Sina Tafazoli
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Washington Rd, Princeton, NJ, USA. https://twitter.com/tafazolisina
| | - Timothy J Buschman
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Washington Rd, Princeton, NJ, USA; Department of Psychology, Princeton University, Washington Rd, Princeton, NJ, USA.
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22
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Herzallah MM, Amir A, Paré D. Influence of Rat Central Thalamic Neurons on Foraging Behavior in a Hazardous Environment. J Neurosci 2022; 42:6053-6068. [PMID: 35772968 PMCID: PMC9351640 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0461-22.2022] [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: 03/08/2022] [Revised: 04/25/2022] [Accepted: 05/02/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Foraging entails a complex balance between approach and avoidance alongside sensorimotor and homeostatic processes under the control of multiple cortical and subcortical areas. Recently, it has become clear that several thalamic nuclei located near the midline regulate motivated behaviors. However, one midline thalamic nucleus that projects to key nodes in the foraging network, the central medial thalamic nucleus (CMT), has received little attention so far. Therefore, the present study examined CMT contributions to foraging behavior using inactivation and unit recording techniques in male rats. Inactivation of CMT or the basolateral amygdala (BLA) with muscimol abolished the normally cautious behavior of rats in the foraging task. Moreover, CMT neurons showed large but heterogeneous activity changes during the foraging task, with many neurons decreasing or increasing their discharge rates, with a modest bias for the latter. A generalized linear model revealed that the nature (inhibitory vs excitatory) and relative magnitude of the activity modulations seen in CMT neurons differed markedly from those of principal BLA cells but were very similar to those of fast-spiking BLA interneurons. Together, these findings suggest that CMT is an important regulator of foraging behavior. In the Discussion, we consider how CMT is integrated into the network of structures that regulate foraging.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Foraging entails a complex balance between approach and avoidance alongside sensorimotor and homeostatic processes under the control of multiple cortical and subcortical areas. Although the central medial thalamic nucleus (CMT) is connected to many nodes in this network, its role in the regulation of foraging behavior has not been investigated so far. Here, we examined CMT contributions to foraging behavior using inactivation and unit recording techniques. We found that CMT inactivation abolishes the normally cautious foraging behavior of rats and that CMT neurons show large but heterogeneous changes in firing rates during the foraging task. Together, these results suggest that CMT is an important regulator of foraging behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad M Herzallah
- Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, Rutgers University, Newark, New Jersey 07102
- Palestinian Neuroscience Initiative, Al-Quds University, Jerusalem, Palestine 20002
| | - Alon Amir
- Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, Rutgers University, Newark, New Jersey 07102
| | - Denis Paré
- Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, Rutgers University, Newark, New Jersey 07102,
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23
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Vázquez D, Schneider KN, Roesch MR. Neural signals implicated in the processing of appetitive and aversive events in social and non-social contexts. Front Syst Neurosci 2022; 16:926388. [PMID: 35993086 PMCID: PMC9381696 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2022.926388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2022] [Accepted: 06/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In 2014, we participated in a special issue of Frontiers examining the neural processing of appetitive and aversive events. Specifically, we reviewed brain areas that contribute to the encoding of prediction errors and value versus salience, attention and motivation. Further, we described how we disambiguated these cognitive processes and their neural substrates by using paradigms that incorporate both appetitive and aversive stimuli. We described a circuit in which the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) signals expected value and the basolateral amygdala (BLA) encodes the salience and valence of both appetitive and aversive events. This information is integrated by the nucleus accumbens (NAc) and dopaminergic (DA) signaling in order to generate prediction and prediction error signals, which guide decision-making and learning via the dorsal striatum (DS). Lastly, the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) is monitoring actions and outcomes, and signals the need to engage attentional control in order to optimize behavioral output. Here, we expand upon this framework, and review our recent work in which within-task manipulations of both appetitive and aversive stimuli allow us to uncover the neural processes that contribute to the detection of outcomes delivered to a conspecific and behaviors in social contexts. Specifically, we discuss the involvement of single-unit firing in the ACC and DA signals in the NAc during the processing of appetitive and aversive events in both social and non-social contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Vázquez
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, College Park, MD, United States
- Neuroscience and Cognitive Science Program, University of Maryland, College Park, College Park, MD, United States
| | - Kevin N. Schneider
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, College Park, MD, United States
- Neuroscience and Cognitive Science Program, University of Maryland, College Park, College Park, MD, United States
| | - Matthew R. Roesch
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, College Park, MD, United States
- Neuroscience and Cognitive Science Program, University of Maryland, College Park, College Park, MD, United States
- *Correspondence: Matthew R. Roesch,
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24
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Herry C, Jercog D. Decoding defensive systems. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2022; 76:102600. [PMID: 35809501 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2022.102600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2022] [Revised: 05/21/2022] [Accepted: 05/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Our understanding of the neuronal circuits and mechanisms of defensive systems has been primarily dominated by studies focusing on the contribution of individual cells in the processing of threat-predictive cues, defensive responses, the extinction of such responses and the contextual modulation of threat-related behavior. These studies have been key in establishing threat-related circuits and mechanisms. Yet, they fall short in answering long-standing questions related to the integrative processing of distinct threatening cues, behavioral states induced by threat-related events, or the bridging from sensory processing of threat-related cues to specific defensive responses. Recent conceptual and technical developments has allowed the monitoring of large populations of neurons, which in addition to advanced analytic tools, have improved our understanding of how collective neuronal activity supports threat-related behaviors. In this review, we discuss the current knowledge of neuronal population codes within threat-related networks, in the context of aversive motivated behavior and the study of defensive systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cyril Herry
- INSERM, Neurocentre Magendie, U1215, 146 Rue Léo-Saignat, 33077 Bordeaux, France; Univ. Bordeaux, Neurocentre Magendie, U1215, 146 Rue Léo-Saignat, 33077 Bordeaux, France.
| | - Daniel Jercog
- INSERM, Neurocentre Magendie, U1215, 146 Rue Léo-Saignat, 33077 Bordeaux, France; Univ. Bordeaux, Neurocentre Magendie, U1215, 146 Rue Léo-Saignat, 33077 Bordeaux, France.
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25
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Divergent encoding of active avoidance behavior in corticostriatal and corticolimbic projections. Sci Rep 2022; 12:10731. [PMID: 35750718 PMCID: PMC9232563 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-14930-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2022] [Accepted: 05/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Active avoidance behavior, in which an animal performs an action to avoid a stressor, is crucial for survival and may provide insight into avoidance behaviors seen in anxiety disorders. Active avoidance requires the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC), which is thought to regulate avoidance via downstream projections to the striatum and amygdala. However, the endogenous activity of dmPFC projections during active avoidance learning has never been recorded. Here we utilized fiber photometry to record from the dmPFC and its axonal projections to the dorsomedial striatum (DMS) and the basolateral amygdala (BLA) during active avoidance learning in both male and female mice. We examined neural activity during conditioned stimulus (CS) presentations and during clinically relevant behaviors such as active avoidance or cued freezing. Both prefrontal projections showed learning-related increases in activity during CS onset throughout active avoidance training. The dmPFC as a whole showed increased and decreased patterns of activity during avoidance and cued freezing, respectively. Finally, dmPFC-DMS and dmPFC-BLA projections show divergent encoding of active avoidance behavior, with the dmPFC-DMS projection showing increased activity and the dmPFC-BLA projection showing decreased activity during active avoidance. Our results demonstrate task-relevant encoding of active avoidance in projection-specific dmPFC subpopulations that play distinct but complementary roles in active avoidance learning.
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Demars F, Todorova R, Makdah G, Forestier A, Krebs MO, Godsil BP, Jay TM, Wiener SI, Pompili MN. Post-trauma behavioral phenotype predicts the degree of vulnerability to fear relapse after extinction in male rats. Curr Biol 2022; 32:3180-3188.e4. [PMID: 35705096 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.05.050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2022] [Revised: 04/19/2022] [Accepted: 05/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Current treatments for trauma-related disorders remain ineffective for many patients.1,2 Fear extinction deficiency is a prominent feature of these diseases,3 and many behavioral treatments rely on extinction training.4,5 However, in many patients, therapy is followed by a relapse of symptoms, and the underpinnings of such interindividual variations in vulnerability to relapse remain unknown.6-8 Here, we modeled interindividual differences in post-therapy fear relapse with an ethologically relevant trauma recovery paradigm. After fear conditioning, male rats underwent fear extinction while foraging in a large enriched arena, permitting the expression of a wide spectrum of behaviors. An automated multidimensional behavioral assessment revealed that post-conditioning fear response profiles clustered into two groups: some animals expressed fear by freezing more, whereas others darted more, as if fleeing from danger. Remarkably, the tendency of an animal to dart or to freeze after CS presentation during the first extinction session was, respectively, associated with stronger or weaker fear renewal. Moreover, genome-wide transcriptional profiling revealed that these groups differentially regulated specific sets of genes, some of which were previously implicated in anxiety and trauma-related disorders. Our results suggest that post-trauma behavioral phenotypes and the associated gene expression landscapes can serve as markers of fear relapse susceptibility and thus may be instrumental for future development of more effective treatments for psychiatric patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fanny Demars
- Institut de Psychiatrie et Neurosciences de Paris (IPNP)-INSERM U1266, Institut de Psychiatrie-CNRS GDR3557, GHU Psychiatrie Neurosciences, Université Paris Cité, 102-108 Rue de la Santé, 75014 Paris, France
| | - Ralitsa Todorova
- Centre Interdisciplinaire de Recherche en Biologie (CIRB)-CNRS UMR 7241-INSERM U1050, Collège de France, Université PSL, 11 place Marcelin Berthelot, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Gabriel Makdah
- Centre Interdisciplinaire de Recherche en Biologie (CIRB)-CNRS UMR 7241-INSERM U1050, Collège de France, Université PSL, 11 place Marcelin Berthelot, 75005 Paris, France; Hospices Civils de Lyon, Faculté de Médecine Lyon Est, Université Claude Bernard, Lyon, France
| | - Antonin Forestier
- Institut de Psychiatrie et Neurosciences de Paris (IPNP)-INSERM U1266, Institut de Psychiatrie-CNRS GDR3557, GHU Psychiatrie Neurosciences, Université Paris Cité, 102-108 Rue de la Santé, 75014 Paris, France; Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Marie-Odile Krebs
- Institut de Psychiatrie et Neurosciences de Paris (IPNP)-INSERM U1266, Institut de Psychiatrie-CNRS GDR3557, GHU Psychiatrie Neurosciences, Université Paris Cité, 102-108 Rue de la Santé, 75014 Paris, France
| | - Bill P Godsil
- Institut de Psychiatrie et Neurosciences de Paris (IPNP)-INSERM U1266, Institut de Psychiatrie-CNRS GDR3557, GHU Psychiatrie Neurosciences, Université Paris Cité, 102-108 Rue de la Santé, 75014 Paris, France
| | - Thérèse M Jay
- Institut de Psychiatrie et Neurosciences de Paris (IPNP)-INSERM U1266, Institut de Psychiatrie-CNRS GDR3557, GHU Psychiatrie Neurosciences, Université Paris Cité, 102-108 Rue de la Santé, 75014 Paris, France
| | - Sidney I Wiener
- Centre Interdisciplinaire de Recherche en Biologie (CIRB)-CNRS UMR 7241-INSERM U1050, Collège de France, Université PSL, 11 place Marcelin Berthelot, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Marco N Pompili
- Institut de Psychiatrie et Neurosciences de Paris (IPNP)-INSERM U1266, Institut de Psychiatrie-CNRS GDR3557, GHU Psychiatrie Neurosciences, Université Paris Cité, 102-108 Rue de la Santé, 75014 Paris, France; Centre Interdisciplinaire de Recherche en Biologie (CIRB)-CNRS UMR 7241-INSERM U1050, Collège de France, Université PSL, 11 place Marcelin Berthelot, 75005 Paris, France.
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Mazuski C, O'Keefe J. Representation of ethological events by basolateral amygdala neurons. Cell Rep 2022; 39:110921. [PMID: 35675779 PMCID: PMC9638002 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.110921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2021] [Revised: 04/01/2022] [Accepted: 05/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
The accurate interpretation of ethologically relevant stimuli is crucial for survival. While basolateral amygdala (BLA) neuronal responses during fear conditioning are well studied, little is known about how BLA neurons respond during naturalistic events. We recorded from the rat BLA during interaction with ethological stimuli: male or female rats, a moving toy, and rice. Forty-two percent of the cells reliably respond to at least one stimulus, with over half of these exclusively identifying one of the four stimulus classes. In addition to activation during interaction with their preferred stimulus, these cells signal micro-behavioral interactions like social contact. After stimulus removal, firing activity persists in 30% of responsive cells for several minutes. At the micro-circuit level, information flows from highly tuned event-specific neurons to less specific neurons, and connection strength increases after the event. We propose that individual BLA neurons identify specific ethological events, with event-specific neurons driving circuit-wide activity during and after salient events. Basolateral amygdala (BLA) neurons respond selectively to salient stimuli After activation, BLA neurons can be modulated by the behavioral microstructure Firing persists in some BLA neurons long after the removal of the eliciting stimulus In the BLA micro-circuit, information flowed from more tuned to less tuned neurons
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Mazuski
- Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behavior, University College London, London W1T4JG, UK.
| | - John O'Keefe
- Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behavior, University College London, London W1T4JG, UK; Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
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Jean-Richard-dit-Bressel P, Tran J, Didachos A, McNally GP. Instrumental aversion coding in the basolateral amygdala and its reversion by a benzodiazepine. Neuropsychopharmacology 2022; 47:1199-1209. [PMID: 34493829 PMCID: PMC9018846 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-021-01176-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [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: 07/05/2021] [Revised: 08/05/2021] [Accepted: 08/30/2021] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Punishment involves learning the relationship between actions and their adverse consequences. Both the acquisition and expression of punishment learning depend on the basolateral amygdala (BLA), but how BLA supports punishment remains poorly understood. To address this, we measured calcium (Ca2+) transients in BLA principal neurons during punishment. Male rats were trained to press two individually presented levers for food; when one of these levers also yielded aversive footshock, responding on this punished lever decreased relative to the other, unpunished lever. In rats with the Ca2+ indicator GCaMP6f targeted to BLA principal neurons, we observed excitatory activity transients to the footshock punisher and inhibitory transients to lever-presses earning a reward. Critically, as rats learned punishment, activity around the punished response transformed from inhibitory to excitatory and similarity analyses showed that these punished lever-press transients resembled BLA transients to the punisher itself. Systemically administered benzodiazepine (midazolam) selectively alleviated punishment. Moreover, the degree to which midazolam alleviated punishment was associated with how much punished response-related BLA transients reverted to their pre-punishment state. Together, these findings show that punishment learning is supported by aversion-coding of instrumental responses in the BLA and that the anti-punishment effects of benzodiazepines are associated with a reversion of this aversion coding.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jenny Tran
- grid.1005.40000 0004 4902 0432School of Psychology, UNSW Sydney, Kensington, NSW Australia
| | - Angelos Didachos
- grid.1005.40000 0004 4902 0432School of Psychology, UNSW Sydney, Kensington, NSW Australia
| | - Gavan P. McNally
- grid.1005.40000 0004 4902 0432School of Psychology, UNSW Sydney, Kensington, NSW Australia
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29
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Liu J, Totty MS, Melissari L, Bayer H, Maren S. Convergent Coding of Recent and Remote Fear Memory in the Basolateral Amygdala. Biol Psychiatry 2022; 91:832-840. [PMID: 35246314 PMCID: PMC9018498 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2021.12.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2021] [Revised: 12/30/2021] [Accepted: 12/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In both rodents and humans, the basolateral amygdala (BLA) is essential for encoding and retrieving conditioned fear memories. Although the BLA is a putative storage site for these memories, recent evidence suggests that they become independent of the BLA with the passage of time. METHODS We systematically examined the role for the BLA in the retrieval of recent (1 day) and remote (2 weeks) fear memory using optogenetic, electrophysiological, and calcium imaging methods in male and female Long-Evans rats. Critically, we used a behavioral design that permits within-subjects comparison of recent and remote memory at the same time point; freezing behavior served as the index of learned fear. RESULTS We found that BLA c-Fos expression was similar after the retrieval of recent or remote fear memories. Extracellular single-unit recordings in awake, behaving animals revealed that single BLA neurons exhibit robust increases in spike firing to both recent and remote conditioned stimuli. Fiber photometry recordings revealed that these patterns of activity emerge from principal neurons. Consistent with these results, optogenetic inhibition of BLA principal neurons impaired conditioned freezing to both recent and remote conditioned stimuli. There were no sex differences in any of the measures or manipulations. CONCLUSIONS These data reveal that BLA neurons encode both recent and remote fear memories, suggesting substantial overlap in the allocation of temporally distinct events. This may underlie the broad generalization of fear memories across both space and time. Ultimately, these results provide evidence that the BLA is a long-term storage site for emotional memories.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Stephen Maren
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences and Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas.
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Ball TM, Gunaydin LA. Measuring maladaptive avoidance: from animal models to clinical anxiety. Neuropsychopharmacology 2022; 47:978-986. [PMID: 35034097 PMCID: PMC8938494 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-021-01263-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [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: 06/16/2021] [Revised: 11/04/2021] [Accepted: 12/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Avoiding stimuli that predict danger is required for survival. However, avoidance can become maladaptive in individuals who overestimate threat and thus avoid safe situations as well as dangerous ones. Excessive avoidance is a core feature of anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). This avoidance prevents patients from confronting maladaptive threat beliefs, thereby maintaining disordered anxiety. Avoidance is associated with high levels of psychosocial impairment yet is poorly understood at a mechanistic level. Many objective laboratory assessments of avoidance measure adaptive avoidance, in which an individual learns to successfully avoid a truly noxious stimulus. However, anxiety disorders are characterized by maladaptive avoidance, for which there are fewer objective laboratory measures. We posit that maladaptive avoidance behavior depends on a combination of three altered neurobehavioral processes: (1) threat appraisal, (2) habitual avoidance, and (3) trait avoidance tendency. This heterogeneity in underlying processes presents challenges to the objective measurement of maladaptive avoidance behavior. Here we first review existing paradigms for measuring avoidance behavior and its underlying neural mechanisms in both human and animal models, and identify how existing paradigms relate to these neurobehavioral processes. We then propose a new framework to improve the translational understanding of maladaptive avoidance behavior by adapting paradigms to better differentiate underlying processes and mechanisms and applying these paradigms in clinical populations across diagnoses with the goal of developing novel interventions to engage specific identified neurobehavioral targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tali M. Ball
- grid.168010.e0000000419368956Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305 USA
| | - Lisa A. Gunaydin
- grid.266102.10000 0001 2297 6811Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143 USA ,grid.266102.10000 0001 2297 6811Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143 USA
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31
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Gothard KM, Fuglevand AJ. The role of the amygdala in processing social and affective touch. Curr Opin Behav Sci 2022; 43:46-53. [PMID: 35602667 PMCID: PMC9119433 DOI: 10.1016/j.cobeha.2021.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The amygdala plays a central role in emotion and social behavior, yet its role in processing social and affective touch is not well established. Longitudinal studies reveal that touch-deprived infants show later in life exaggerated emotional reactivity related to structural and functional changes in the amygdala and other brain structures. The internal organization and connectivity of the amygdala is well-suited to process the sensory features of tactile stimuli and also the socio-cognitive dimensions of the received touch. The convergent processing of bottom-up and top-down pathways that carry information about touch results in the elaboration of context appropriate autonomic responses. Indeed, the positive value of affective touch in humans and social grooming in non-human primates is correlated with vagal tone and the release of oxytocin and endogenous opioids. Grooming, the non-human primate equivalent of affective touch in humans, reduces vigilance, that depends on the amygdala. During touch-induced vagal tone and low vigilance, neural activity in the amygdala is substantially different from activity corresponding to the attentive processing of tactile stimuli. Under these circumstances neurons no longer respond phasically to each touch stimulus, rather they signal a sustained functional state in which the amygdala appears decoupled from monitoring the external environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katalin M Gothard
- Departments of Physiology and Neuroscience, College of Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Andrew J Fuglevand
- Departments of Physiology and Neuroscience, College of Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
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32
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Courtin J, Bitterman Y, Müller S, Hinz J, Hagihara KM, Müller C, Lüthi A. A neuronal mechanism for motivational control of behavior. Science 2022; 375:eabg7277. [PMID: 34990249 DOI: 10.1126/science.abg7277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Acting to achieve goals depends on the ability to motivate specific behaviors based on their predicted consequences given an individual’s internal state. However, the underlying neuronal mechanisms that encode and maintain such specific motivational control of behavior are poorly understood. Here, we used Ca2+ imaging and optogenetic manipulations in the basolateral amygdala of freely moving mice performing noncued, self-paced instrumental goal-directed actions to receive and consume rewards. We found that distinct neuronal activity patterns sequentially represent the entire action-consumption behavioral sequence. Whereas action-associated patterns integrated the identity, value, and expectancy of pursued goals, consumption-associated patterns reflected the identity and value of experienced outcomes. Thus, the interplay between these patterns allows the maintenance of specific motivational states necessary to adaptively direct behavior toward prospective rewards.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Courtin
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, CH-4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Y Bitterman
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, CH-4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - S Müller
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, CH-4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - J Hinz
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, CH-4058 Basel, Switzerland.,University of Basel, CH-4000 Basel, Switzerland
| | - K M Hagihara
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, CH-4058 Basel, Switzerland.,University of Basel, CH-4000 Basel, Switzerland
| | - C Müller
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, CH-4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - A Lüthi
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, CH-4058 Basel, Switzerland.,University of Basel, CH-4000 Basel, Switzerland
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Kimmey BA, McCall NM, Wooldridge LM, Satterthwaite T, Corder G. Engaging endogenous opioid circuits in pain affective processes. J Neurosci Res 2022; 100:66-98. [PMID: 33314372 PMCID: PMC8197770 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.24762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Revised: 10/29/2020] [Accepted: 11/02/2020] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
The pervasive use of opioid compounds for pain relief is rooted in their utility as one of the most effective therapeutic strategies for providing analgesia. While the detrimental side effects of these compounds have significantly contributed to the current opioid epidemic, opioids still provide millions of patients with reprieve from the relentless and agonizing experience of pain. The human experience of pain has long recognized the perceived unpleasantness entangled with a unique sensation that is immediate and identifiable from the first-person subjective vantage point as "painful." From this phenomenological perspective, how is it that opioids interfere with pain perception? Evidence from human lesion, neuroimaging, and preclinical functional neuroanatomy approaches is sculpting the view that opioids predominately alleviate the affective or inferential appraisal of nociceptive neural information. Thus, opioids weaken pain-associated unpleasantness rather than modulate perceived sensory qualities. Here, we discuss the historical theories of pain to demonstrate how modern neuroscience is revisiting these ideas to deconstruct the brain mechanisms driving the emergence of aversive pain perceptions. We further detail how targeting opioidergic signaling within affective or emotional brain circuits remains a strong avenue for developing targeted pharmacological and gene-therapy analgesic treatments that might reduce the dependence on current clinical opioid options.
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Affiliation(s)
- Blake A. Kimmey
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Equal contributions
| | - Nora M. McCall
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Equal contributions
| | - Lisa M. Wooldridge
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Theodore Satterthwaite
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Lifespan Informatics and Neuroimaging Center, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Gregory Corder
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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34
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Pryluk R, Sirigu A, Paz R. Two sides of the same amygdala: From shared neural mechanisms to comorbidity of social and affective disorders. Neuron 2021; 109:3908-3911. [PMID: 34914919 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2021.11.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Recent studies identified a circuitry within the primate amygdala that underlies both social and affective processes. Such shared functions within the same circuit, although beneficial for adaptive behavior and make sense in light of evolution, can also contribute to the growing comorbidity between affective and social disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raviv Pryluk
- Department of Brain Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel.
| | - Angela Sirigu
- Institute of Cognitive Sciences Marc Jeannerod, CNRS and iMIND Center of Excellence for Autism, Vinatier Psychiatric Hospital, Lyon, France.
| | - Rony Paz
- Department of Brain Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel.
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35
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Silent Synapses in Cocaine-Associated Memory and Beyond. J Neurosci 2021; 41:9275-9285. [PMID: 34759051 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1559-21.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2021] [Revised: 09/22/2021] [Accepted: 09/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Glutamatergic synapses are key cellular sites where cocaine experience creates memory traces that subsequently promote cocaine craving and seeking. In addition to making across-the-board synaptic adaptations, cocaine experience also generates a discrete population of new synapses that selectively encode cocaine memories. These new synapses are glutamatergic synapses that lack functionally stable AMPARs, often referred to as AMPAR-silent synapses or, simply, silent synapses. They are generated de novo in the NAc by cocaine experience. After drug withdrawal, some of these synapses mature by recruiting AMPARs, contributing to the consolidation of cocaine-associated memory. After cue-induced retrieval of cocaine memories, matured silent synapses alternate between two dynamic states (AMPAR-absent vs AMPAR-containing) that correspond with the behavioral manifestations of destabilization and reconsolidation of these memories. Here, we review the molecular mechanisms underlying silent synapse dynamics during behavior, discuss their contributions to circuit remodeling, and analyze their role in cocaine-memory-driven behaviors. We also propose several mechanisms through which silent synapses can form neuronal ensembles as well as cross-region circuit engrams for cocaine-specific behaviors. These perspectives lead to our hypothesis that cocaine-generated silent synapses stand as a distinct set of synaptic substrates encoding key aspects of cocaine memory that drive cocaine relapse.
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36
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East BS, Fleming G, Vervoordt S, Shah P, Sullivan RM, Wilson DA. Basolateral amygdala to posterior piriform cortex connectivity ensures precision in learned odor threat. Sci Rep 2021; 11:21746. [PMID: 34741138 PMCID: PMC8571329 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-01320-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2021] [Accepted: 10/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Odor perception can both evoke emotional states and be shaped by emotional or hedonic states. The amygdala complex plays an important role in recognition of, and response to, hedonically valenced stimuli, and has strong, reciprocal connectivity with the primary olfactory (piriform) cortex. Here, we used differential odor-threat conditioning in rats to test the role of basolateral amygdala (BLA) input to the piriform cortex in acquisition and expression of learned olfactory threat responses. Using local field potential recordings, we demonstrated that functional connectivity (high gamma band coherence) between the BLA and posterior piriform cortex (pPCX) is enhanced after differential threat conditioning. Optogenetic suppression of activity within the BLA prevents learned threat acquisition, as do lesions of the pPCX prior to threat conditioning (without inducing anosmia), suggesting that both regions are critical for acquisition of learned odor threat responses. However, optogenetic BLA suppression during testing did not impair threat response to the CS+ , but did induce generalization to the CS-. A similar loss of stimulus control and threat generalization was induced by selective optogenetic suppression of BLA input to pPCX. These results suggest an important role for amygdala-sensory cortical connectivity in shaping responses to threatening stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brett S East
- Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, USA
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York University Langone Medical Center, 1 Park Avenue, 7th Floor, New York, NY, 10016, USA
| | - Gloria Fleming
- Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, USA
| | - Samantha Vervoordt
- Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, USA
| | - Prachi Shah
- Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, USA
| | - Regina M Sullivan
- Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, USA
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York University Langone Medical Center, 1 Park Avenue, 7th Floor, New York, NY, 10016, USA
| | - Donald A Wilson
- Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, USA.
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York University Langone Medical Center, 1 Park Avenue, 7th Floor, New York, NY, 10016, USA.
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Cocina F, Vitalis A, Caflisch A. Unsupervised Methods for Detection of Neural States: Case Study of Hippocampal-Amygdala Interactions. eNeuro 2021; 8:ENEURO.0484-20.2021. [PMID: 34544761 PMCID: PMC8577062 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0484-20.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2020] [Revised: 09/13/2021] [Accepted: 09/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The hippocampus and amygdala are functionally coupled brain regions that play a crucial role in processes involving memory and learning. Because interareal communication has been reported both during specific sleep stages and in awake, behaving animals, these brain regions can serve as an archetype to establish that measuring functional interactions is important for comprehending neural systems. To this end, we analyze here a public dataset of local field potentials (LFPs) recorded in rats simultaneously from the hippocampus and amygdala during different behaviors. Employing a specific, time-lagged embedding technique, named topological causality (TC), we infer directed interactions between the LFP band powers of the two regions across six frequency bands in a time-resolved manner. The combined power and interaction signals are processed with our own unsupervised tools developed originally for the analysis of molecular dynamics simulations to effectively visualize and identify putative, neural states that are visited by the animals repeatedly. Our proposed methodology minimizes impositions onto the data, such as isolating specific epochs, or averaging across externally annotated behavioral stages, and succeeds in separating internal states by external labels such as sleep or stimulus events. We show that this works better for two of the three rats we analyzed, and highlight the need to acknowledge individuality in analyses of this type. Importantly, we demonstrate that the quantification of functional interactions is a significant factor in discriminating these external labels, and we suggest our methodology as a general tool for large, multisite recordings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Cocina
- Biochemistry department, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland CH-8057
| | - Andreas Vitalis
- Biochemistry department, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland CH-8057
| | - Amedeo Caflisch
- Biochemistry department, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland CH-8057
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38
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Genetically identified amygdala-striatal circuits for valence-specific behaviors. Nat Neurosci 2021; 24:1586-1600. [PMID: 34663958 PMCID: PMC8556347 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-021-00927-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2020] [Accepted: 08/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The basolateral amygdala (BLA) plays essential roles in behaviors motivated by stimuli with either positive or negative valence, but how it processes motivationally opposing information and participates in establishing valence-specific behaviors remains unclear. Here, by targeting Fezf2-expressing neurons in the BLA, we identify and characterize two functionally distinct classes in behaving mice, the negative-valence neurons and positive-valence neurons, which innately represent aversive and rewarding stimuli, respectively, and through learning acquire predictive responses that are essential for punishment avoidance or reward seeking. Notably, these two classes of neurons receive inputs from separate sets of sensory and limbic areas, and convey punishment and reward information through projections to the nucleus accumbens and olfactory tubercle, respectively, to drive negative and positive reinforcement. Thus, valence-specific BLA neurons are wired with distinctive input-output structures, forming a circuit framework that supports the roles of the BLA in encoding, learning and executing valence-specific motivated behaviors.
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39
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Ahmed N, Headley DB, Paré D. Optogenetic study of central medial and paraventricular thalamic projections to the basolateral amygdala. J Neurophysiol 2021; 126:1234-1247. [PMID: 34469705 PMCID: PMC8560422 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00253.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2021] [Revised: 08/27/2021] [Accepted: 08/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The central medial (CMT) and paraventricular (PVT) thalamic nuclei project strongly to the basolateral amygdala (BL). Similarities between the responsiveness of CMT, PVT, and BL neurons suggest that these nuclei strongly influence BL activity. Supporting this possibility, an electron microscopic study reported that, in contrast with other extrinsic afferents, CMT and PVT axon terminals form very few synapses with BL interneurons. However, since limited sampling is a concern in electron microscopic studies, the present investigation was undertaken to compare the impact of CMT and PVT thalamic inputs on principal and local-circuit BL neurons with optogenetic methods and whole cell recordings in vitro. Optogenetic stimulation of CMT and PVT axons elicited glutamatergic excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) or excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs) in principal cells and interneurons, but they generally had a longer latency in interneurons. Moreover, after blockade of polysynaptic interactions with tetrodotoxin (TTX), a lower proportion of interneurons (50%) than principal cells (90%) remained responsive to CMT and PVT inputs. Although the presence of TTX-resistant responses in some interneurons indicates that CMT and PVT inputs directly contact some local-circuit cells, their lower incidence and amplitude after TTX suggest that CMT and PVT inputs form fewer synapses with them than with principal BL cells. Together, these results indicate that CMT and PVT inputs mainly contact principal BL neurons such that when CMT or PVT neurons fire, limited feedforward inhibition counters their excitatory influence over principal BL cells. However, CMT and PVT axons can also recruit interneurons indirectly, via the activation of principal cells, thereby generating feedback inhibition.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Midline thalamic (MTh) nuclei contribute major projections to the basolateral amygdala (BL). Similarities between the responsiveness of MTh and BL neurons suggest that MTh neurons exert a significant influence over BL activity. Using optogenetic techniques, we show that MTh inputs mainly contact principal BL neurons such that when MTh neurons fire, little feedforward inhibition counters their excitatory influence over principal cells. Thus, MTh inputs may be major determinants of BL activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nowrin Ahmed
- Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, Rutgers University-Newark, Newark, New Jersey
| | - Drew B Headley
- Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, Rutgers University-Newark, Newark, New Jersey
| | - Denis Paré
- Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, Rutgers University-Newark, Newark, New Jersey
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40
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Headley DB, Kyriazi P, Feng F, Nair SS, Pare D. Gamma Oscillations in the Basolateral Amygdala: Localization, Microcircuitry, and Behavioral Correlates. J Neurosci 2021; 41:6087-6101. [PMID: 34088799 PMCID: PMC8276735 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.3159-20.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2020] [Revised: 04/04/2021] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The lateral (LA) and basolateral (BL) nuclei of the amygdala regulate emotional behaviors. Despite their dissimilar extrinsic connectivity, they are often combined, perhaps because their cellular composition is similar to that of the cerebral cortex, including excitatory principal cells reciprocally connected with fast-spiking interneurons (FSIs). In the cortex, this microcircuitry produces gamma oscillations that support information processing and behavior. We tested whether this was similarly the case in the rat (males) LA and BL using extracellular recordings, biophysical modeling, and behavioral conditioning. During periods of environmental assessment, both nuclei exhibited gamma oscillations that stopped upon initiation of active behaviors. Yet, BL exhibited more robust spontaneous gamma oscillations than LA. The greater propensity of BL to generate gamma resulted from several microcircuit differences, especially the proportion of FSIs and their interconnections with principal cells. Furthermore, gamma in BL but not LA regulated the efficacy of excitatory synaptic transmission between connected neurons. Together, these results suggest fundamental differences in how LA and BL operate. Most likely, gamma in LA is externally driven, whereas in BL it can also arise spontaneously to support ruminative processing and the evaluation of complex situations.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The basolateral amygdala (BLA) participates in the production and regulation of emotional behaviors. It is thought to perform this using feedforward circuits that enhance stimuli that gain emotional significance and directs them to valence-appropriate downstream effectors. This perspective overlooks the fact that its microcircuitry is recurrent and potentially capable of generating oscillations in the gamma band (50-80 Hz), which synchronize spiking activity and modulate communication between neurons. This study found that BLA gamma supports both of these processes, is associated with periods of action selection and environmental assessment regardless of valence, and differs between BLA subnuclei in a manner consistent with their heretofore unknown microcircuit differences. Thus, it provides new mechanisms for BLA to support emotional behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Drew B Headley
- Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, Rutgers University, Newark, New Jersey 07102
| | - Pinelopi Kyriazi
- Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, Rutgers University, Newark, New Jersey 07102
- Behavioral and Neural Sciences Graduate Program, Rutgers University, Newark, New Jersey 07102
| | - Feng Feng
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65211
| | - Satish S Nair
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65211
| | - Denis Pare
- Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, Rutgers University, Newark, New Jersey 07102
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41
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Kragel PA, Čeko M, Theriault J, Chen D, Satpute AB, Wald LW, Lindquist MA, Feldman Barrett L, Wager TD. A human colliculus-pulvinar-amygdala pathway encodes negative emotion. Neuron 2021; 109:2404-2412.e5. [PMID: 34166604 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2021.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2020] [Revised: 03/08/2021] [Accepted: 06/01/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Animals must rapidly respond to threats to survive. In rodents, threat-related signals are processed through a subcortical pathway from the superior colliculus to the amygdala, a putative "low road" to affective behavior. This pathway has not been well characterized in humans. We developed a novel pathway identification framework that uses pattern recognition to identify connected neural populations and optimize measurement of inter-region connectivity. We first verified that the model identifies known thalamocortical pathways with high sensitivity and specificity in 7 T (n = 56) and 3 T (n = 48) fMRI experiments. Then we identified a human functional superior colliculus-pulvinar-amygdala pathway. Activity in this pathway encodes the intensity of normative emotional responses to negative images and sounds but not pleasant images or painful stimuli. These results provide a functional description of a human "low road" pathway selective for negative exteroceptive events and demonstrate a promising method for characterizing human functional brain pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip A Kragel
- Institute of Cognitive Science, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA; Department of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
| | - Marta Čeko
- Institute of Cognitive Science, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
| | - Jordan Theriault
- Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Danlei Chen
- Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Ajay B Satpute
- Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Boston, MA 02129, USA
| | - Lawrence W Wald
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Boston, MA 02129, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02129, USA
| | - Martin A Lindquist
- Department of Biostatistics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Lisa Feldman Barrett
- Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Boston, MA 02129, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02129, USA
| | - Tor D Wager
- Institute of Cognitive Science, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA; Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755, USA.
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42
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WANG H, XING X, WANG H. Propranolol rescued secondary trauma induced by immediate extinction. ACTA PSYCHOLOGICA SINICA 2021. [DOI: 10.3724/sp.j.1041.2021.00603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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43
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Smith DM, Torregrossa MM. Valence encoding in the amygdala influences motivated behavior. Behav Brain Res 2021; 411:113370. [PMID: 34051230 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2021.113370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Revised: 05/11/2021] [Accepted: 05/14/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
The amygdala is critical for emotional processing and motivated behavior. Its role in these functions is due to its processing of the valence of environmental stimuli. The amygdala receives direct sensory input from sensory thalamus and cortical regions to integrate sensory information from the environment with aversive and/or appetitive outcomes. As many reviews have discussed the amygdala's role in threat processing and fear conditioning, this review will focus on how the amygdala encodes positive valence and the mechanisms that allow it to distinguish between stimuli of positive and negative valence. These findings are also extended to consider how valence encoding populations in the amygdala contribute to local and long-range circuits including those that integrate environmental cues and positive valence. Understanding the complexity of valence encoding in the amygdala is crucial as these mechanisms are implicated in a variety of disease states including anxiety disorders and substance use disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dana M Smith
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, 450 Technology Drive, Pittsburgh, PA, 15219, USA; Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, 4200 Fifth Ave, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA.
| | - Mary M Torregrossa
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, 450 Technology Drive, Pittsburgh, PA, 15219, USA; Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, 4200 Fifth Ave, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
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44
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Fustiñana MS, Eichlisberger T, Bouwmeester T, Bitterman Y, Lüthi A. State-dependent encoding of exploratory behaviour in the amygdala. Nature 2021; 592:267-271. [PMID: 33658711 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-03301-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2020] [Accepted: 01/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The behaviour of an animal is determined by metabolic, emotional and social factors1,2. Depending on its state, an animal will focus on avoiding threats, foraging for food or on social interactions, and will display the appropriate behavioural repertoire3. Moreover, survival and reproduction depend on the ability of an animal to adapt to changes in the environment by prioritizing the appropriate state4. Although these states are thought to be associated with particular functional configurations of large-brain systems5,6, the underlying principles are poorly understood. Here we use deep-brain calcium imaging of mice engaged in spatial or social exploration to investigate how these processes are represented at the neuronal population level in the basolateral amygdala, which is a region of the brain that integrates emotional, social and metabolic information. We demonstrate that the basolateral amygdala encodes engagement in exploratory behaviour by means of two large, functionally anticorrelated ensembles that exhibit slow dynamics. We found that spatial and social exploration were encoded by orthogonal pairs of ensembles with stable and hierarchical allocation of neurons according to the saliency of the stimulus. These findings reveal that the basolateral amygdala acts as a low-dimensional, but context-dependent, hierarchical classifier that encodes state-dependent behavioural repertoires. This computational function may have a fundamental role in the regulation of internal states in health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Tewis Bouwmeester
- Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Novartis Pharma AG, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Yael Bitterman
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Andreas Lüthi
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland. .,University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
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45
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Brockett AT, Vázquez D, Roesch MR. Prediction errors and valence: From single units to multidimensional encoding in the amygdala. Behav Brain Res 2021; 404:113176. [PMID: 33596433 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2021.113176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2020] [Revised: 02/02/2021] [Accepted: 02/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The amygdala-one of the primary structures of the limbic system-is comprised of interconnected nuclei situated within the temporal lobe. It has a well-established role in the modulation of negative affective states, as well as in fear processing. However, its vast projections with diverse brain regions-ranging from the cortex to the brainstem-are suggestive of its more complex involvement in affective or motivational aspects of cognitive processing. The amygdala can play an invaluable role in context-dependent associative learning, unsigned prediction error learning, influencing outcome selection, and multidimensional encoding. In this review, we delve into the amygdala's role in associative learning and outcome selection, emphasizing its intrinsic involvement in the appropriate context-dependent modulation of motivated behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam T Brockett
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, United States; Program in Neuroscience and Cognitive Science, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, United States.
| | - Daniela Vázquez
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, United States; Program in Neuroscience and Cognitive Science, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, United States
| | - Matthew R Roesch
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, United States; Program in Neuroscience and Cognitive Science, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, United States
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46
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Coley AA, Padilla-Coreano N, Patel R, Tye KM. Valence processing in the PFC: Reconciling circuit-level and systems-level views. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF NEUROBIOLOGY 2021; 158:171-212. [PMID: 33785145 DOI: 10.1016/bs.irn.2020.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
An essential component in animal behavior is the ability to process emotion and dissociate among positive and negative valence in response to a rewarding or aversive stimulus. The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC)-responsible for higher order executive functions that include cognition, learning, and working memory; and is also involved in sociability-plays a major role in emotional processing and control. Although the amygdala is widely regarded as the "emotional hub," the mPFC encodes for context-specific salience and elicits top-down control over limbic circuitry. The mPFC can then conduct behavioral responses, via cortico-striatal and cortico-brainstem pathways, that correspond to emotional stimuli. Evidence shows that abnormalities within the mPFC lead to sociability deficits, working memory impairments, and drug-seeking behavior that include addiction and compulsive disorders; as well as conditions such as anhedonia. Recent studies investigate the effects of aberrant salience processing on cortical circuitry and neuronal populations associated with these behaviors. In this chapter, we discuss mPFC valence processing, neuroanatomical connections, and physiological substrates involved in mPFC-associated behavior. We review neurocomputational and theoretical models such as "mixed selectivity," that describe cognitive control, attentiveness, and motivational drives. Using this knowledge, we describe the effects of valence imbalances and its influence on mPFC neural pathways that contribute to deficits in social cognition, while understanding the effects in addiction/compulsive behaviors and anhedonia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Austin A Coley
- Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | | | - Reesha Patel
- Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Kay M Tye
- Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, United States.
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47
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Organizational principles of amygdalar input-output neuronal circuits. Mol Psychiatry 2021; 26:7118-7129. [PMID: 34400771 PMCID: PMC8873025 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-021-01262-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2020] [Revised: 07/20/2021] [Accepted: 08/02/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The amygdala, one of the most studied brain structures, integrates brain-wide heterogeneous inputs and governs multidimensional outputs to control diverse behaviors central to survival, yet how amygdalar input-output neuronal circuits are organized remains unclear. Using a simplified cell-type- and projection-specific retrograde transsynaptic tracing technique, we scrutinized brain-wide afferent inputs of four major output neuronal groups in the amygdalar basolateral complex (BLA) that project to the bed nucleus of the stria terminals (BNST), ventral hippocampus (vHPC), medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and nucleus accumbens (NAc), respectively. Brain-wide input-output quantitative analysis unveils that BLA efferent neurons receive a diverse array of afferents with varied input weights and predominant contextual representation. Notably, the afferents received by BNST-, vHPC-, mPFC- and NAc-projecting BLA neurons exhibit virtually identical origins and input weights. These results indicate that the organization of amygdalar BLA input-output neuronal circuits follows the input-dependent and output-independent principles, ideal for integrating brain-wide diverse afferent stimuli to control parallel efferent actions. The data provide the objective basis for improving the virtual reality exposure therapy for anxiety disorders and validate the simplified cell-type- and projection-specific retrograde transsynaptic tracing method.
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48
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Distributed coding in auditory thalamus and basolateral amygdala upon associative fear learning. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2020; 67:183-189. [PMID: 33373858 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2020.11.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2020] [Revised: 11/15/2020] [Accepted: 11/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Associative fear learning is a fundamental learning mechanism that is crucial for an animal's survival. The amygdala's role in fear memory formation has been studied extensively and molecular, cell type and circuit-specific learning mechanisms as well as population level encoding of threatful stimuli within the amygdala are at the core of fear learning. Nevertheless, increasing evidence suggests that fear memories are acquired, stored and modulated by a distributed neuronal network across many brain areas. Here we review recent studies that particularly re-assessed the role of auditory/lateral thalamus, which is one synapse upstream of the lateral amygdala, required for fear learning and exhibits a striking functional resemblance and plasticity pattern to downstream amygdala neurons on the single cell level, yet distinct population level coding.
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49
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Sullivan KE, Kendrick RM, Cembrowski MS. Elucidating memory in the brain via single-cell transcriptomics. J Neurochem 2020; 157:982-992. [PMID: 33230878 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.15250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2020] [Revised: 11/17/2020] [Accepted: 11/19/2020] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Elucidating the neural mechanisms of memory in the brain is a central goal of neuroscience. Here, we discuss modern-day transcriptomics methodologies, and how they are well-poised to revolutionize our insight into memory mechanisms at unprecedented resolution and throughput. Focusing on the hippocampus and amygdala, two regions extensively examined in memory research, we show how single-cell transcriptomics technologies have been leveraged to understand the naïve state of these brain regions. Building upon this foundation, we show that these technologies can be applied to single-trial learning paradigms to comprehensively identify molecules and cells that participate in the encoding and retrieval of memory. Transcriptomics also provides an opportunity to understand the cell-type organization of the human hippocampus and amygdala, and due to conservation of these brain regions between humans and rodents, to infer behavioral and causal contributions in the human brain by leveraging rodent cell-type homologies and interventions. Ultimately, such transcriptomic technologies are poised to usher in a qualitatively novel understanding of memory in the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaitlin E Sullivan
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, Life Sciences Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Rennie M Kendrick
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, Life Sciences Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Mark S Cembrowski
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, Life Sciences Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.,Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.,School of Biomedical Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.,Institute of Applied Mathematics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
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50
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Why Have Two When One Will Do? Comparing Task Representations across Amygdala and Prefrontal Cortex in Single Neurons and Neuronal Populations. Neuron 2020; 107:597-599. [PMID: 32818473 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2020.07.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Many brain areas represent aspects of learned behavior. How do representations differ between regions? In this issue of Neuron, Kyriazi et al. (2020) show how the amygdala and prefrontal cortex use distinct strategies to code features of a complex task.
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