1
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Liu X, Cherepanov S, Abouzari M, Zuko A, Yang S, Sayadi J, Jia X, Terao C, Sasaki T, Yokoyama S. R150S mutation in the human oxytocin receptor: Gain-of-function effects and implication in autism spectrum disorder. Peptides 2024; 182:171301. [PMID: 39395443 DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2024.171301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2024] [Revised: 09/18/2024] [Accepted: 10/05/2024] [Indexed: 10/14/2024]
Abstract
This study investigates the rs547238576 (R150S) missense variant in the oxytocin receptor (OXTR) gene, previously observed through screening of rare variants in Japanese individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Contrary to the anticipated loss-of-function, R150S exhibits gain-of-function effects, enhancing oxytocin (OXT) sensitivity, ligand-binding affinity, and OXT-induced Ca2+ mobilization in vitro. This suggests R150S may alter OXT signaling, potentially contributing to the excitatory/inhibitory imbalance seen in ASD and other psychiatric disorders. Our findings underscore the significance of genetic variations in OXTR on functional activity and highlight the necessity for population-specific genetic study and in vitro analysis to elucidate genetic susceptibilities to neuropsychiatric conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoxi Liu
- Laboratory for Statistical and Translational Genetics, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Stanislav Cherepanov
- Research Center for Child Mental Development, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Kanazawa, Ishikawa, Japan; Division of Socio-Cognitive-Neuroscience, United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Kanazawa University, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Chiba University and University of Fukui, Kanazawa, Japan; Institute for Functional Genomics, French National Centre for Scientific Research, Montpellier, Occitanie, France
| | - Mehdi Abouzari
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Amila Zuko
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour and Faculty of Science, Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Shu Yang
- Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Informatics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA
| | - Jamasb Sayadi
- Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Xiaoyuan Jia
- Department of Nephrology, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Chikashi Terao
- Laboratory for Statistical and Translational Genetics, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan; Clinical Research Center, Shizuoka General Hospital, Shizuoka, Japan; The Department of Applied Genetics, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Shizuoka, Shizuoka, Japan
| | - Tsukasa Sasaki
- Department of Physical and Health Education, Graduate School of Education, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shigeru Yokoyama
- Research Center for Child Mental Development, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Kanazawa, Ishikawa, Japan; Division of Socio-Cognitive-Neuroscience, United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Kanazawa University, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Chiba University and University of Fukui, Kanazawa, Japan.
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2
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Phalip A, Netser S, Wagner S. Understanding the neurobiology of social behavior through exploring brain-wide dynamics of neural activity. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2024; 165:105856. [PMID: 39159735 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105856] [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: 05/10/2024] [Revised: 08/11/2024] [Accepted: 08/14/2024] [Indexed: 08/21/2024]
Abstract
Social behavior is highly complex and adaptable. It can be divided into multiple temporal stages: detection, approach, and consummatory behavior. Each stage can be further divided into several cognitive and behavioral processes, such as perceiving social cues, evaluating the social and non-social contexts, and recognizing the internal/emotional state of others. Recent studies have identified numerous brain-wide circuits implicated in social behavior and suggested the existence of partially overlapping functional brain networks underlying various types of social and non-social behavior. However, understanding the brain-wide dynamics underlying social behavior remains challenging, and several brain-scale dynamics (macro-, meso-, and micro-scale levels) need to be integrated. Here, we suggest leveraging new tools and concepts to explore social brain networks and integrate those different levels. These include studying the expression of immediate-early genes throughout the entire brain to impartially define the structure of the neuronal networks involved in a given social behavior. Then, network dynamics could be investigated using electrode arrays or multi-channel fiber photometry. Finally, tools like high-density silicon probes and miniscopes can probe neural activity in specific areas and across neuronal populations at the single-cell level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adèle Phalip
- Sagol Department of Neurobiology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel.
| | - Shai Netser
- Sagol Department of Neurobiology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Shlomo Wagner
- Sagol Department of Neurobiology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
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3
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Tu G, Jiang N, Chen W, Liu L, Hu M, Liao B. The neurobiological mechanisms underlying the effects of exercise interventions in autistic individuals. Rev Neurosci 2024; 0:revneuro-2024-0058. [PMID: 39083671 DOI: 10.1515/revneuro-2024-0058] [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: 04/22/2024] [Accepted: 07/15/2024] [Indexed: 08/02/2024]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder is a pervasive and heterogeneous neurodevelopmental condition characterized by social communication difficulties and rigid, repetitive behaviors. Owing to the complex pathogenesis of autism, effective drugs for treating its core features are lacking. Nonpharmacological approaches, including education, social-communication, behavioral and psychological methods, and exercise interventions, play important roles in supporting the needs of autistic individuals. The advantages of exercise intervention, such as its low cost, easy implementation, and high acceptance, have garnered increasing attention. Exercise interventions can effectively improve the core features and co-occurring conditions of autism, but the underlying neurobiological mechanisms are unclear. Abnormal changes in the gut microbiome, neuroinflammation, neurogenesis, and synaptic plasticity may individually or interactively be responsible for atypical brain structure and connectivity, leading to specific autistic experiences and characteristics. Interestingly, exercise can affect these biological processes and reshape brain network connections, which may explain how exercise alleviates core features and co-occurring conditions in autistic individuals. In this review, we describe the definition, diagnostic approach, epidemiology, and current support strategies for autism; highlight the benefits of exercise interventions; and call for individualized programs for different subtypes of autistic individuals. Finally, the possible neurobiological mechanisms by which exercise improves autistic features are comprehensively summarized to inform the development of optimal exercise interventions and specific targets to meet the needs of autistic individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Genghong Tu
- Department of Sports Medicine, 47878 Guangzhou Sport University , Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510500, P.R. China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Physical Activity and Health Promotion, 47878 Scientific Research Center, Guangzhou Sport University , Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510500, P.R. China
| | - Nan Jiang
- Graduate School, 47878 Guangzhou Sport University , Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510500, P.R. China
| | - Weizhong Chen
- Graduate School, 47878 Guangzhou Sport University , Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510500, P.R. China
| | - Lining Liu
- Graduate School, 47878 Guangzhou Sport University , Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510500, P.R. China
| | - Min Hu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Physical Activity and Health Promotion, 47878 Scientific Research Center, Guangzhou Sport University , Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510500, P.R. China
| | - Bagen Liao
- Department of Sports Medicine, 47878 Guangzhou Sport University , Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510500, P.R. China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Physical Activity and Health Promotion, 47878 Scientific Research Center, Guangzhou Sport University , Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510500, P.R. China
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Ricarte M, Tagkalidou N, Bellot M, Bedrossiantz J, Prats E, Gomez-Canela C, Garcia-Reyero N, Raldúa D. Short- and Long-Term Neurobehavioral Effects of Developmental Exposure to Valproic Acid in Zebrafish. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:7688. [PMID: 39062930 PMCID: PMC11277053 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25147688] [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: 06/20/2024] [Revised: 07/08/2024] [Accepted: 07/10/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impairments in social interaction and communication, anxiety, hyperactivity, and interest restricted to specific subjects. In addition to the genetic factors, multiple environmental factors have been related to the development of ASD. Animal models can serve as crucial tools for understanding the complexity of ASD. In this study, a chemical model of ASD has been developed in zebrafish by exposing embryos to valproic acid (VPA) from 4 to 48 h post-fertilization, rearing them to the adult stage in fish water. For the first time, an integrative approach combining behavioral analysis and neurotransmitters profile has been used for determining the effects of early-life exposure to VPA both in the larval and adult stages. Larvae from VPA-treated embryos showed hyperactivity and decreased visual and vibrational escape responses, as well as an altered neurotransmitters profile, with increased glutamate and decreased acetylcholine and norepinephrine levels. Adults from VPA-treated embryos exhibited impaired social behavior characterized by larger shoal sizes and a decreased interest for their conspecifics. A neurotransmitter analysis revealed a significant decrease in dopamine and GABA levels in the brain. These results support the potential predictive validity of this model for ASD research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Ricarte
- Institute for Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA-CSIC), 08034 Barcelona, Spain; (M.R.); (N.T.); (J.B.)
- Department of Analytical and Applied Chemistry, School of Engineering, Institut Químic de Sarrià, Universitat Ramon Llull, 08017 Barcelona, Spain; (M.B.); (C.G.-C.)
| | - Niki Tagkalidou
- Institute for Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA-CSIC), 08034 Barcelona, Spain; (M.R.); (N.T.); (J.B.)
| | - Marina Bellot
- Department of Analytical and Applied Chemistry, School of Engineering, Institut Químic de Sarrià, Universitat Ramon Llull, 08017 Barcelona, Spain; (M.B.); (C.G.-C.)
| | - Juliette Bedrossiantz
- Institute for Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA-CSIC), 08034 Barcelona, Spain; (M.R.); (N.T.); (J.B.)
| | - Eva Prats
- Research and Development Center (CID-CSIC), 08034 Barcelona, Spain;
| | - Cristian Gomez-Canela
- Department of Analytical and Applied Chemistry, School of Engineering, Institut Químic de Sarrià, Universitat Ramon Llull, 08017 Barcelona, Spain; (M.B.); (C.G.-C.)
| | - Natalia Garcia-Reyero
- Institute for Genomics, Biocomputing & Biotechnology (IGBB), Mississippi State University, Starkville, MS 39762, USA;
| | - Demetrio Raldúa
- Institute for Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA-CSIC), 08034 Barcelona, Spain; (M.R.); (N.T.); (J.B.)
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5
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Chen L, Du B, Li K, Li K, Hou T, Jia F, Li L. The effect of tDCS on inhibitory control and its transfer effect on sustained attention in children with autism spectrum disorder: An fNIRS study. Brain Stimul 2024; 17:594-606. [PMID: 38697468 DOI: 10.1016/j.brs.2024.04.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2024] [Revised: 04/20/2024] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have inhibitory control deficits. The combination of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and inhibitory control training produces good transfer effects and improves neuroplasticity. However, no studies have explored whether applying tDCS over the dlPFC improves inhibitory control and produces transfer effects in children with ASD. OBJECTIVE To explore whether multisession tDCS could enhance inhibitory control training (response inhibition), near-transfer (interference control) and far-transfer effects (sustained attention; stability of attention) in children with ASD and the generalizability of training effects in daily life and the class, as reflected by behavioral performance and neural activity measured by functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). METHODS Twenty-eight autistic children were randomly assigned to either the true or sham tDCS group. The experimental group received bifrontal tDCS stimulation at 1.5 mA, administered for 15 min daily across eight consecutive days. tDCS was delivered during a computerized Go/No-go training task. Behavioral performance in terms of inhibitory control (Dog/Monkey and Day/Night Stroop tasks), sustained attention (Continuous Performance and Cancellation tests), prefrontal cortex (PFC) neural activity and inhibitory control and sustained attention in the class and at home were evaluated. RESULTS Training (response inhibition) and transfer effects (interference control; sustained attention) were significantly greater after receiving tDCS during the Go/No-go training task than after receiving sham tDCS. Changes in oxyhemoglobin (HbO) concentrations in the dlPFC and FPA associated with consistent conditions in the Day/Night Stroop and Continuous Performance test were observed after applying tDCS during the inhibitory control training task. Notably, transfer effects can be generalized to classroom environments. CONCLUSION Inhibitory control training combined with tDCS may be a promising, safe, and effective method for improving inhibitory control and sustained attention in children with ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liu Chen
- School of Education and Psychology, University of Jinan, 250022, Jinan, China
| | - Bang Du
- School of Education and Psychology, University of Jinan, 250022, Jinan, China
| | - Ke Li
- School of Education and Psychology, University of Jinan, 250022, Jinan, China
| | - Kaiyun Li
- School of Education and Psychology, University of Jinan, 250022, Jinan, China.
| | - TingTing Hou
- School of Education and Psychology, University of Jinan, 250022, Jinan, China
| | - Fanlu Jia
- School of Education and Psychology, University of Jinan, 250022, Jinan, China
| | - Li Li
- BoShan Special Education Center School, 255299, Zibo, China
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6
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Molas S, Freels TG, Zhao-Shea R, Lee T, Gimenez-Gomez P, Barbini M, Martin GE, Tapper AR. Dopamine control of social novelty preference is constrained by an interpeduncular-tegmentum circuit. Nat Commun 2024; 15:2891. [PMID: 38570514 PMCID: PMC10991551 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47255-y] [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: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Animals are inherently motivated to explore social novelty cues over familiar ones, resulting in a novelty preference (NP), although the behavioral and circuit bases underlying NP are unclear. Combining calcium and neurotransmitter sensors with fiber photometry and optogenetics in mice, we find that mesolimbic dopamine (DA) neurotransmission is strongly and predominantly activated by social novelty controlling bout length of interaction during NP, a response significantly reduced by familiarity. In contrast, interpeduncular nucleus (IPN) GABAergic neurons that project to the lateral dorsal tegmentum (LDTg) were inhibited by social novelty but activated during terminations with familiar social stimuli. Inhibition of this pathway during NP increased interaction and bout length with familiar social stimuli, while activation reduced interaction and bout length with novel social stimuli via decreasing DA neurotransmission. These data indicate interest towards novel social stimuli is encoded by mesolimbic DA which is dynamically regulated by an IPN→LDTg circuit to control NP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susanna Molas
- Department of Neurobiology, Brudnick Neuropsychiatric Research Institute University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School 364 Plantation St, LRB, Worcester, 01605, MA, USA.
- Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado Boulder 1480 30th St, Boulder, 80303, CO, USA.
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder 1905 Colorado Ave, Boulder, 80309, CO, USA.
| | - Timothy G Freels
- Department of Neurobiology, Brudnick Neuropsychiatric Research Institute University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School 364 Plantation St, LRB, Worcester, 01605, MA, USA
| | - Rubing Zhao-Shea
- Department of Neurobiology, Brudnick Neuropsychiatric Research Institute University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School 364 Plantation St, LRB, Worcester, 01605, MA, USA
| | - Timothy Lee
- Department of Neurobiology, Brudnick Neuropsychiatric Research Institute University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School 364 Plantation St, LRB, Worcester, 01605, MA, USA
| | - Pablo Gimenez-Gomez
- Department of Neurobiology, Brudnick Neuropsychiatric Research Institute University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School 364 Plantation St, LRB, Worcester, 01605, MA, USA
| | - Melanie Barbini
- Department of Neurobiology, Brudnick Neuropsychiatric Research Institute University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School 364 Plantation St, LRB, Worcester, 01605, MA, USA
| | - Gilles E Martin
- Department of Neurobiology, Brudnick Neuropsychiatric Research Institute University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School 364 Plantation St, LRB, Worcester, 01605, MA, USA
| | - Andrew R Tapper
- Department of Neurobiology, Brudnick Neuropsychiatric Research Institute University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School 364 Plantation St, LRB, Worcester, 01605, MA, USA.
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7
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Travers BG, Surgent O, Guerrero-Gonzalez J, Dean DC, Adluru N, Kecskemeti SR, Kirk GR, Alexander AL, Zhu J, Skaletski EC, Naik S, Duran M. Role of autonomic, nociceptive, and limbic brainstem nuclei in core autism features. Autism Res 2024; 17:266-279. [PMID: 38278763 PMCID: PMC10922575 DOI: 10.1002/aur.3096] [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: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 01/28/2024]
Abstract
Although multiple theories have speculated about the brainstem reticular formation's involvement in autistic behaviors, the in vivo imaging of brainstem nuclei needed to test these theories has proven technologically challenging. Using methods to improve brainstem imaging in children, this study set out to elucidate the role of the autonomic, nociceptive, and limbic brainstem nuclei in the autism features of 145 children (74 autistic children, 6.0-10.9 years). Participants completed an assessment of core autism features and diffusion- and T1-weighted imaging optimized to improve brainstem images. After data reduction via principal component analysis, correlational analyses examined associations among autism features and the microstructural properties of brainstem clusters. Independent replication was performed in 43 adolescents (24 autistic, 13.0-17.9 years). We found specific nuclei, most robustly the parvicellular reticular formation-alpha (PCRtA) and to a lesser degree the lateral parabrachial nucleus (LPB) and ventral tegmental parabrachial pigmented complex (VTA-PBP), to be associated with autism features. The PCRtA and some of the LPB associations were independently found in the replication sample, but the VTA-PBP associations were not. Consistent with theoretical perspectives, the findings suggest that individual differences in pontine reticular formation nuclei contribute to the prominence of autistic features. Specifically, the PCRtA, a nucleus involved in mastication, digestion, and cardio-respiration in animal models, was associated with social communication in children, while the LPB, a pain-network nucleus, was associated with repetitive behaviors. These findings highlight the contributions of key autonomic brainstem nuclei to the expression of core autism features.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brittany G. Travers
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Kinesiology, Occupational Therapy Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Olivia Surgent
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Jose Guerrero-Gonzalez
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Medical Physics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Douglas C. Dean
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Medical Physics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Nagesh Adluru
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Radiology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | | | - Gregory R. Kirk
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Andrew L. Alexander
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Medical Physics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Jun Zhu
- Department of Statistics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Emily C. Skaletski
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Kinesiology, Occupational Therapy Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Sonali Naik
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Monica Duran
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
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Qianru Y, Teng Q, Li Y, Liu S, Gong S, Liu K. Noise-induced hearing loss reduces inhibitory neurotransmitter synthesis in ventral hippocampus and contributes to the social memory deficits of mice. Neurosci Lett 2024; 820:137592. [PMID: 38103631 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2023.137592] [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: 10/05/2023] [Revised: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
Despite affecting over 1.5 billion people globally, hearing loss (HL) has been referred to as an "invisible disability", with noise exposure being a major causative factor. Accumulating evidence suggests that HL can induce cognitive impairment. However, relatively little is known about the effects of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) on social memory. This study aimed to further investigate the effect of NIHL on social behaviours in mice. We established a rodent model of NIHL using 4-week-old C57BL/6J mice who experienced narrow noise exposure at 116 dB for 3 h per day over two consecutive days. Hearing ability was subsequently evaluated through auditory brainstem response (ABR) testing, and potential changes in the morphology of cochlear hair cells were assessed using immunofluorescence. The sociability and social memory of the mice were evaluated using the three-chamber social interaction test. Noise exposure resulted in complete and persistent HL in C57BL/6J mice, accompanied by severe loss of cochlear hair cells. More importantly, social memory was impaired in adult NIHL mice, whereas their sociability remained intact, these changes were accompanied by a decrease in the protein levels of the inhibitory neuron marker glutamic acid decarboxylase 67 (GAD67) in the ventral hippocampus. This study is the first to confirm that long-term auditory deprivation from HL induced by noise exposure results in social memory deficits in mice without altering their sociability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Qianru
- Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100050, China; Clinical Center for Hearing Loss, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Qi Teng
- Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100050, China; Clinical Center for Hearing Loss, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Yang Li
- Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100050, China; Clinical Center for Hearing Loss, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Shan Liu
- Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100050, China; Clinical Center for Hearing Loss, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Shusheng Gong
- Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100050, China; Clinical Center for Hearing Loss, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100050, China.
| | - Ke Liu
- Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100050, China; Clinical Center for Hearing Loss, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100050, China.
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Le Merrer J, Detraux B, Gandía J, De Groote A, Fonteneau M, de Kerchove d'Exaerde A, Becker JAJ. Balance Between Projecting Neuronal Populations of the Nucleus Accumbens Controls Social Behavior in Mice. Biol Psychiatry 2024; 95:123-135. [PMID: 37207936 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2023.05.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Revised: 04/06/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Deficient social interactions are a hallmark of major neuropsychiatric disorders, and accumulating evidence points to altered social reward and motivation as key underlying mechanisms of these pathologies. In the present study, we further explored the role of the balance of activity between D1 and D2 receptor-expressing striatal projection neurons (D1R- and D2R-SPNs) in the control of social behavior, challenging the hypothesis that excessive D2R-SPN activity, rather than deficient D1R-SPN activity, compromises social behavior. METHODS We selectively ablated D1R- and D2R-SPNs using an inducible diphtheria toxin receptor-mediated cell targeting strategy and assessed social behavior as well as repetitive/perseverative behavior, motor function, and anxiety levels. We tested the effects of optogenetic stimulation of D2R-SPNs in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) and pharmacological compounds repressing D2R-SPN. RESULTS Targeted deletion of D1R-SPNs in the NAc blunted social behavior in mice, facilitated motor skill learning, and increased anxiety levels. These behaviors were normalized by pharmacological inhibition of D2R-SPN, which also repressed transcription in the efferent nucleus, the ventral pallidum. Ablation of D1R-SPNs in the dorsal striatum had no impact on social behavior but impaired motor skill learning and decreased anxiety levels. Deletion of D2R-SPNs in the NAc produced motor stereotypies but facilitated social behavior and impaired motor skill learning. We mimicked excessive D2R-SPN activity by optically stimulating D2R-SPNs in the NAc and observed a severe deficit in social interaction that was prevented by D2R-SPN pharmacological inhibition. CONCLUSIONS Repressing D2R-SPN activity may represent a promising therapeutic strategy to relieve social deficits in neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie Le Merrer
- Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, Unité Mixte de Recherche Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique 7247, Institut National de Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'Environnement 0085, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Université de Tours, Nouzilly, France; iBrain, Unité Mixte de Recherche 1253 Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Faculté des Sciences et Techniques, Université de Tours, Tours, France.
| | - Bérangère Detraux
- Neurophy Lab, ULB Neuroscience Institute, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Jorge Gandía
- Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, Unité Mixte de Recherche Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique 7247, Institut National de Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'Environnement 0085, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Université de Tours, Nouzilly, France
| | - Aurélie De Groote
- Neurophy Lab, ULB Neuroscience Institute, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Mathieu Fonteneau
- iBrain, Unité Mixte de Recherche 1253 Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Faculté des Sciences et Techniques, Université de Tours, Tours, France
| | - Alban de Kerchove d'Exaerde
- Neurophy Lab, ULB Neuroscience Institute, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium; WELBIO, Wavre, Belgium.
| | - Jérôme A J Becker
- Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, Unité Mixte de Recherche Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique 7247, Institut National de Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'Environnement 0085, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Université de Tours, Nouzilly, France; iBrain, Unité Mixte de Recherche 1253 Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Faculté des Sciences et Techniques, Université de Tours, Tours, France
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Havranek T, Bacova Z, Bakos J. Oxytocin, GABA, and dopamine interplay in autism. Endocr Regul 2024; 58:105-114. [PMID: 38656256 DOI: 10.2478/enr-2024-0012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Oxytocin plays an important role in brain development and is associated with various neurotransmitter systems in the brain. Abnormalities in the production, secretion, and distribution of oxytocin in the brain, at least during some stages of the development, are critical for the pathogenesis of neuropsychiatric diseases, particularly in the autism spectrum disorder. The etiology of autism includes changes in local sensory and dopaminergic areas of the brain, which are also supplied by the hypothalamic sources of oxytocin. It is very important to understand their mutual relationship. In this review, the relationship of oxytocin with several components of the dopaminergic system, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) inhibitory neurotransmission and their alterations in the autism spectrum disorder is discussed. Special attention has been paid to the results describing a reduced expression of inhibitory GABAergic markers in the brain in the context of dopaminergic areas in various models of autism. It is presumed that the altered GABAergic neurotransmission, due to the absence or dysfunction of oxytocin at certain developmental stages, disinhibits the dopaminergic signaling and contributes to the autism symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomas Havranek
- Institute of Experimental Endocrinology, Biomedical Research Center, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
- Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Zuzana Bacova
- Institute of Experimental Endocrinology, Biomedical Research Center, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Jan Bakos
- Institute of Experimental Endocrinology, Biomedical Research Center, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
- Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia
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11
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Sampedro-Viana D, Cañete T, Sanna F, Oliveras I, Castillo-Ruiz M, Corda MG, Giorgi O, Tobeña A, Fernández-Teruel A. c-Fos expression after neonatal handling in social brain regions: Distinctive profile of RHA-rat schizophrenia model on a social preference test. Behav Brain Res 2023; 453:114625. [PMID: 37567256 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2023.114625] [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: 04/26/2023] [Revised: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023]
Abstract
Neonatal handling (NH) is an environmental manipulation that induces long-lasting changes in behavioural, neuroendocrine, and neuroanatomical processes in rodents. We have previously reported that NH treatment increases social interaction preference in an animal model of schizophrenia-relevant features, the Roman high-avoidance (RHA) rats. The present study was aimed at evaluating whether the increase of social behaviour/preference due to NH treatment in RHA rats is associated with differences in c-Fos expression levels in some of the brain areas that integrate the "social brain". To this aim, we evaluated the performance of adult male rats from both Roman rat strains (RHA vs. RLA -Roman low-avoidance- rats), either untreated (control) or treated with NH (administered during the first 21 days of life) in a social interaction task. For the analyses of c-Fos activation untreated and NH-treated animals were divided into three different experimental conditions: undisturbed home cage controls (HC); rats exposed to the testing set-up context (CTX); and rats exposed to a social interaction (SI) test. It was found that, compared with their RLA counterparts, NH treatment increased social behaviour in RHA rats, and also specifically enhanced c-Fos expression in RHA rats tested for SI in some brain areas related to social behaviour, i.e. the infralimbic cortex (IL) and the medial posterodorsal amygdala (MePD) regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Sampedro-Viana
- Medical Psychology Unit, Department of Psychiatry & Forensic Medicine, Institute of Neurosciences, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Bellaterra, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
| | - T Cañete
- Medical Psychology Unit, Department of Psychiatry & Forensic Medicine, Institute of Neurosciences, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Bellaterra, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
| | - F Sanna
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Cagliari, Italy
| | - I Oliveras
- Medical Psychology Unit, Department of Psychiatry & Forensic Medicine, Institute of Neurosciences, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Bellaterra, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Mdm Castillo-Ruiz
- Institute of Neurosciences, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Bellaterra, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
| | - M G Corda
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Cagliari, Italy
| | - O Giorgi
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Cagliari, Italy
| | - A Tobeña
- Medical Psychology Unit, Department of Psychiatry & Forensic Medicine, Institute of Neurosciences, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Bellaterra, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
| | - A Fernández-Teruel
- Medical Psychology Unit, Department of Psychiatry & Forensic Medicine, Institute of Neurosciences, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Bellaterra, 08193 Barcelona, Spain.
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12
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Liu X, Liu H, Gu N, Pei J, Lin X, Zhao W. Preeclampsia promotes autism in offspring via maternal inflammation and fetal NFκB signaling. Life Sci Alliance 2023; 6:e202301957. [PMID: 37290815 PMCID: PMC10250690 DOI: 10.26508/lsa.202301957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2023] [Revised: 05/28/2023] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Preeclampsia (PE) is a risk factor for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in offspring. However, the exact mechanisms underlying the impact of PE on progeny ASD are not fully understood, which hinders the development of effective therapeutic approaches. This study shows the offspring born to a PE mouse model treated by Nω-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) exhibit ASD-like phenotypes, including neurodevelopment deficiency and behavioral abnormalities. Transcriptomic analysis of the embryonic cortex and adult offspring hippocampus suggested the expression of ASD-related genes was dramatically changed. Furthermore, the level of inflammatory cytokines TNFα in maternal serum and nuclear factor kappa B (NFκB) signaling in the fetal cortex were elevated. Importantly, TNFα neutralization during pregnancy enabled to ameliorate ASD-like phenotypes and restore the NFκB activation level in the offspring exposed to PE. Furthermore, TNFα/NFκB signaling axis, but not L-NAME, caused deficits in neuroprogenitor cell proliferation and synaptic development. These experiments demonstrate that offspring exposed to PE phenocopies ASD signatures reported in humans and indicate therapeutic targeting of TNFα decreases the likelihood of bearing children with ASD phenotypes from PE mothers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xueyuan Liu
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Environmental and Occupational Health Science Institute, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | - Haiyan Liu
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Nihao Gu
- International Peace Maternity & Child Health Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine and Shanghai Key Laboratory for Embryo-Feta Original Adult Disease, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jiangnan Pei
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xianhua Lin
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Wenlong Zhao
- Environmental and Occupational Health Science Institute, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA
- International Peace Maternity & Child Health Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine and Shanghai Key Laboratory for Embryo-Feta Original Adult Disease, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
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13
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She HQ, Sun YF, Chen L, Xiao QX, Luo BY, Zhou HS, Zhou D, Chang QY, Xiong LL. Current analysis of hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy research issues and future treatment modalities. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1136500. [PMID: 37360183 PMCID: PMC10288156 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1136500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) is the leading cause of long-term neurological disability in neonates and adults. Through bibliometric analysis, we analyzed the current research on HIE in various countries, institutions, and authors. At the same time, we extensively summarized the animal HIE models and modeling methods. There are various opinions on the neuroprotective treatment of HIE, and the main therapy in clinical is therapeutic hypothermia, although its efficacy remains to be investigated. Therefore, in this study, we discussed the progress of neural circuits, injured brain tissue, and neural circuits-related technologies, providing new ideas for the treatment and prognosis management of HIE with the combination of neuroendocrine and neuroprotection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong-Qing She
- Department of Anesthesiology, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China
- Translational Neurology Laboratory, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China
- WANG TINGHUA Translation Institute, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China
| | - Yi-Fei Sun
- Institute of Neurological Disease, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Li Chen
- Institute of Neurological Disease, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Qiu-Xia Xiao
- Institute of Neurological Disease, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Bo-Yan Luo
- WANG TINGHUA Translation Institute, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China
| | - Hong-Su Zhou
- Department of Anesthesiology, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China
- Translational Neurology Laboratory, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China
- WANG TINGHUA Translation Institute, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China
| | - Di Zhou
- Department of Anesthesiology, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China
| | - Quan-Yuan Chang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Liu-Lin Xiong
- Department of Anesthesiology, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China
- Translational Neurology Laboratory, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China
- WANG TINGHUA Translation Institute, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China
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14
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Nakamura Y, Ishida T, Tanaka SC, Mitsuyama Y, Yokoyama S, Shinzato H, Itai E, Okada G, Kobayashi Y, Kawashima T, Miyata J, Yoshihara Y, Takahashi H, Aoki R, Nakamura M, Ota H, Itahashi T, Morita S, Kawakami S, Abe O, Okada N, Kunimatsu A, Yamashita A, Yamashita O, Imamizu H, Morimoto J, Okamoto Y, Murai T, Hashimoto R, Kasai K, Kawato M, Koike S. Distinctive alterations in the mesocorticolimbic circuits in various psychiatric disorders. Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2023; 77:345-354. [PMID: 36905180 PMCID: PMC11488596 DOI: 10.1111/pcn.13542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2022] [Revised: 03/03/2023] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 03/12/2023]
Abstract
AIM Increasing evidence suggests that psychiatric disorders are linked to alterations in the mesocorticolimbic dopamine-related circuits. However, the common and disease-specific alterations remain to be examined in schizophrenia (SCZ), major depressive disorder (MDD), and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Thus, this study aimed to examine common and disease-specific features related to mesocorticolimbic circuits. METHODS This study included 555 participants from four institutes with five scanners: 140 individuals with SCZ (45.0% female), 127 individuals with MDD (44.9%), 119 individuals with ASD (15.1%), and 169 healthy controls (HC) (34.9%). All participants underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging. A parametric empirical Bayes approach was adopted to compare estimated effective connectivity among groups. Intrinsic effective connectivity focusing on the mesocorticolimbic dopamine-related circuits including the ventral tegmental area (VTA), shell and core parts of the nucleus accumbens (NAc), and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) were examined using a dynamic causal modeling analysis across these psychiatric disorders. RESULTS The excitatory shell-to-core connectivity was greater in all patients than in the HC group. The inhibitory shell-to-VTA and shell-to-mPFC connectivities were greater in the ASD group than in the HC, MDD, and SCZ groups. Furthermore, the VTA-to-core and VTA-to-shell connectivities were excitatory in the ASD group, while those connections were inhibitory in the HC, MDD, and SCZ groups. CONCLUSION Impaired signaling in the mesocorticolimbic dopamine-related circuits could be an underlying neuropathogenesis of various psychiatric disorders. These findings will improve the understanding of unique neural alternations of each disorder and will facilitate identification of effective therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuko Nakamura
- Center for Evolutionary Cognitive Sciences, Graduate School of Art and SciencesUniversity of TokyoTokyoJapan
- University of Tokyo Institute for Diversity & Adaptation of Human Mind (UTIDAHM)TokyoJapan
| | - Takuya Ishida
- Center for Evolutionary Cognitive Sciences, Graduate School of Art and SciencesUniversity of TokyoTokyoJapan
- Department of NeuropsychiatryGraduate School of Wakayama Medical UniversityWakayamaJapan
| | - Saori C. Tanaka
- Brain Information Communication Research Laboratory GroupAdvanced Telecommunications Research Institutes International (ATR)KyotoJapan
- Information Science, Graduate School of Science and TechnologyNara Institute of Science and TechnologyNaraJapan
| | - Yuki Mitsuyama
- Department of Psychiatry and NeurosciencesHiroshima UniversityHiroshimaJapan
| | - Satoshi Yokoyama
- Department of Psychiatry and NeurosciencesHiroshima UniversityHiroshimaJapan
| | - Hotaka Shinzato
- Department of Psychiatry and NeurosciencesHiroshima UniversityHiroshimaJapan
| | - Eri Itai
- Department of Psychiatry and NeurosciencesHiroshima UniversityHiroshimaJapan
| | - Go Okada
- Department of Psychiatry and NeurosciencesHiroshima UniversityHiroshimaJapan
| | - Yuko Kobayashi
- Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School of MedicineKyoto UniversityKyotoJapan
| | - Takahiko Kawashima
- Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School of MedicineKyoto UniversityKyotoJapan
| | - Jun Miyata
- Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School of MedicineKyoto UniversityKyotoJapan
| | - Yujiro Yoshihara
- Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School of MedicineKyoto UniversityKyotoJapan
| | - Hidehiko Takahashi
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral SciencesTokyo Medical and Dental UniversityTokyoJapan
| | - Ryuta Aoki
- Medical Institute of Developmental Disabilities ResearchShowa UniversityTokyoJapan
| | - Motoaki Nakamura
- Medical Institute of Developmental Disabilities ResearchShowa UniversityTokyoJapan
| | - Haruhisa Ota
- Medical Institute of Developmental Disabilities ResearchShowa UniversityTokyoJapan
| | - Takashi Itahashi
- Medical Institute of Developmental Disabilities ResearchShowa UniversityTokyoJapan
| | - Susumu Morita
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of MedicineUniversity of TokyoTokyoJapan
| | - Shintaro Kawakami
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of MedicineUniversity of TokyoTokyoJapan
| | - Osamu Abe
- Department of Radiology, Graduate School of Medicinethe University of TokyoTokyoJapan
| | - Naohiro Okada
- The International Research Center for Neurointelligence (WPI‐IRCN), Institutes for Advanced Study (UTIAS)University of TokyoTokyoJapan
| | - Akira Kunimatsu
- Department of RadiologyInternational University of Health and Welfare Mita HospitalTokyoJapan
| | - Ayumu Yamashita
- Brain Information Communication Research Laboratory GroupAdvanced Telecommunications Research Institutes International (ATR)KyotoJapan
- Department of PsychiatryBoston University School of MedicineBostonMassachusettsUSA
| | - Okito Yamashita
- Brain Information Communication Research Laboratory GroupAdvanced Telecommunications Research Institutes International (ATR)KyotoJapan
- Center for Advanced Intelligence ProjectRIKENTokyoJapan
| | - Hiroshi Imamizu
- Brain Information Communication Research Laboratory GroupAdvanced Telecommunications Research Institutes International (ATR)KyotoJapan
- Department of Psychology, Graduate School of Humanities and Sociologythe University of TokyoTokyoJapan
| | - Jun Morimoto
- Brain Information Communication Research Laboratory GroupAdvanced Telecommunications Research Institutes International (ATR)KyotoJapan
- Department of Systems Science, Graduate School of InformaticsKyoto UniversityKyotoJapan
| | - Yasumasa Okamoto
- Department of Psychiatry and NeurosciencesHiroshima UniversityHiroshimaJapan
| | - Toshiya Murai
- Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School of MedicineKyoto UniversityKyotoJapan
| | - Ryu‐Ichiro Hashimoto
- Medical Institute of Developmental Disabilities ResearchShowa UniversityTokyoJapan
- Department of Language SciencesTokyo Metropolitan UniversityTokyoJapan
| | - Kiyoto Kasai
- Center for Evolutionary Cognitive Sciences, Graduate School of Art and SciencesUniversity of TokyoTokyoJapan
- University of Tokyo Institute for Diversity & Adaptation of Human Mind (UTIDAHM)TokyoJapan
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of MedicineUniversity of TokyoTokyoJapan
- The International Research Center for Neurointelligence (WPI‐IRCN), Institutes for Advanced Study (UTIAS)University of TokyoTokyoJapan
| | - Mitsuo Kawato
- Brain Information Communication Research Laboratory GroupAdvanced Telecommunications Research Institutes International (ATR)KyotoJapan
| | - Shinsuke Koike
- Center for Evolutionary Cognitive Sciences, Graduate School of Art and SciencesUniversity of TokyoTokyoJapan
- University of Tokyo Institute for Diversity & Adaptation of Human Mind (UTIDAHM)TokyoJapan
- The International Research Center for Neurointelligence (WPI‐IRCN), Institutes for Advanced Study (UTIAS)University of TokyoTokyoJapan
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15
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Sharma E, Ravi GS, Kumar K, Thennarasu K, Heron J, Hickman M, Vaidya N, Holla B, Rangaswamy M, Mehta UM, Krishna M, Chakrabarti A, Basu D, Nanjayya SB, Singh RL, Lourembam R, Kumaran K, Kuriyan R, Kurpad SS, Kartik K, Kalyanram K, Desrivieres S, Barker G, Orfanos DP, Toledano M, Purushottam M, Bharath RD, Murthy P, Jain S, Schumann G, Benegal V. Growth trajectories for executive and social cognitive abilities in an Indian population sample: Impact of demographic and psychosocial determinants. Asian J Psychiatr 2023; 82:103475. [PMID: 36736106 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajp.2023.103475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Cognitive abilities are markers of brain development and psychopathology. Abilities, across executive, and social domains need better characterization over development, including factors that influence developmental change. This study is based on the cVEDA [Consortium on Vulnerability to Externalizing Disorders and Addictions] study, an Indian population based developmental cohort. Verbal working memory, visuo-spatial working memory, response inhibition, set-shifting, and social cognition (faux pas recognition and emotion recognition) were cross-sectionally assessed in > 8000 individuals over the ages 6-23 years. There was adequate representation across sex, urban-rural background, psychosocial risk (psychopathology, childhood adversity and wealth index, i.e. socio-economic status). Quantile regression was used to model developmental change. Age-based trajectories were generated, along with examination of the impact of determinants (sex, childhood adversity, and wealth index). Development in both executive and social cognitive abilities continued into adulthood. Maturation and stabilization occurred in increasing order of complexity, from working memory to inhibitory control to cognitive flexibility. Age related change was more pronounced for low quantiles in response inhibition (β∼4 versus =2 for higher quantiles), but for higher quantiles in set-shifting (β > -1 versus -0.25 for lower quantiles). Wealth index had the largest influence on developmental change across cognitive abilities. Sex differences were prominent in response inhibition, set-shifting and emotion recognition. Childhood adversity had a negative influence on cognitive development. These findings add to the limited literature on patterns and determinants of cognitive development. They have implications for understanding developmental vulnerabilities in young persons, and the need for providing conducive socio-economic environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eesha Sharma
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bengaluru, India.
| | - G S Ravi
- Department of Health Data Science, University of Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Keshav Kumar
- Department of Mental Health and Clinical Psychology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bengaluru, India
| | - Kandavel Thennarasu
- Department of Biostatistics, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bengaluru, India
| | - Jon Heron
- Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Matthew Hickman
- Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Nilakshi Vaidya
- PONS Centre, Charité Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany
| | - Bharath Holla
- Department of Integrative Medicine, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bengaluru, India
| | - Madhavi Rangaswamy
- Department of Psychology, CHRIST (Deemed to be University), Bengaluru, India
| | - Urvakhsh Meherwan Mehta
- Department of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health & Neurosciences, Bangalore, India
| | - Murali Krishna
- Foundation for Research and Advocacy in Mental Health, Mysuru, India
| | | | - Debashish Basu
- Department of Psychiatry, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India
| | | | | | - Roshan Lourembam
- Department of Psychology, Regional Institute of Medical Sciences, Imphal, India
| | - Kalyanaraman Kumaran
- MRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit, University of Southampton, United Kingdom & Epidemiology Research Unit, CSI Holdsworth Memorial Hospital, Mysuru, India
| | - Rebecca Kuriyan
- Division of Nutrition, St John's Research Institute, Bengaluru, India
| | - Sunita Simon Kurpad
- Department of Psychiatry & Department of Medical Ethics, St. John's Medical College & Hospital, Bengaluru, India
| | - Kamakshi Kartik
- Rishi Valley Rural Health Centre, Madanapalle, Chittoor, India
| | | | - Sylvane Desrivieres
- Centre for Population Neuroscience and Precision Medicine, Institute of Psychology, Psychiatry & Neuroscience, MRC SGDP Centre, King's College London, United Kingdom
| | - Gareth Barker
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychology, Psychiatry & Neuroscience, King's College London, United Kingdom
| | | | - Mireille Toledano
- MRC Centre for Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Imperial College, London, United Kingdom
| | - Meera Purushottam
- Molecular Genetics Laboratory, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bengaluru, India
| | - Rose Dawn Bharath
- Department of Neuroimaging and Interventional Radiology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bengaluru, India
| | - Pratima Murthy
- Department of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bengaluru, India
| | - Sanjeev Jain
- Department of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bengaluru, India
| | - Gunter Schumann
- PONS Centre, Charité Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany; Centre for Population Neuroscience and Precision Medicine (PONS), Institute for Science and Technology of Brain-inspired Intelligence (ISTBI), Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Vivek Benegal
- Centre for Addiction Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bengaluru, India
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16
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Jiang YK, Dong FY, Dong YB, Zhu XY, Pan LH, Hu LB, Xu L, Xu XF, Xu LM, Zhang XQ. Lateral septal nucleus, dorsal part, and dentate gyrus are necessary for spatial and object recognition memory, respectively, in mice. Front Behav Neurosci 2023; 17:1139737. [PMID: 37064302 PMCID: PMC10102498 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2023.1139737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 04/03/2023] Open
Abstract
IntroductionCognitive impairment includes the abnormality of learning, memory and judgment, resulting in severe learning and memory impairment and social activity impairment, which greatly affects the life quality of individuals. However, the specific mechanisms underlying cognitive impairment in different behavioral paradigms remain to be elucidated.MethodsThe study utilized two behavioral paradigms, novel location recognition (NLR) and novel object recognition (NOR), to investigate the brain regions involved in cognitive function. These tests comprised two phases: mice were presented with two identical objects for familiarization during the training phase, and a novel (experiment) or familiar (control) object/location was presented during testing. Immunostaining quantification of c-Fos, an immediate early gene used as a neuronal activity marker, was performed in eight different brain regions after the NLR or NOR test.ResultsThe number of c-Fos-positive cells was significantly higher in the dorsal part of the lateral septal nucleus (LSD) in the NLR and dentate gyrus (DG) in the NOR experiment group than in the control group. We further bilaterally lesioned these regions using excitotoxic ibotenic acid and replenished the damaged areas using an antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) strategy.DiscussionThese data reinforced the importance of LSD and DG in regulating spatial and object recognition memory, respectively. Thus, the study provides insight into the roles of these brain regions and suggests potential intervention targets for impaired spatial and object recognition memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying-Ke Jiang
- Department of Pharmacology, Health Science Center, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
| | - Fei-Yuan Dong
- Department of Pharmacology, Health Science Center, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yi-Bei Dong
- Department of Pharmacology, Health Science Center, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
| | - Xin-Yi Zhu
- Department of Pharmacology, Health Science Center, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
| | - Lu-Hui Pan
- Department of Pharmacology, Health Science Center, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
| | - Lin-Bo Hu
- Department of Pharmacology, Health Science Center, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
| | - Le Xu
- Department of Pharmacology, Health Science Center, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
| | - Xiao-Fan Xu
- Department of Pharmacology, Health Science Center, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
| | - Li-Min Xu
- Ningbo Women and Children’s Hospital, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
- Li-Min Xu,
| | - Xiao-Qin Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology, Health Science Center, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
- *Correspondence: Xiao-Qin Zhang,
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17
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Esaki H, Sasaki Y, Nishitani N, Kamada H, Mukai S, Ohshima Y, Nakada S, Ni X, Deyama S, Kaneda K. Role of 5-HT 1A receptors in the basolateral amygdala on 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine-induced prosocial effects in mice. Eur J Pharmacol 2023; 946:175653. [PMID: 36907260 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2023.175653] [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: 12/19/2022] [Revised: 02/14/2023] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 03/12/2023]
Abstract
3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), a recreational drug, induces euphoric sensations and psychosocial effects, such as increased sociability and empathy. Serotonin, also called 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), is a neurotransmitter that has been associated with MDMA-induced prosocial effects. However, the detailed neural mechanisms remain elusive. In the present study, we investigated whether 5-HT neurotransmission in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and the basolateral nucleus of amygdala (BLA) is involved in MDMA-induced prosocial effects using the social approach test in male ICR mice. Systemic administration of (S)-citalopram, a selective 5-HT transporter inhibitor, before administration of MDMA failed to suppress MDMA-induced prosocial effects. On the other hand, systemic administration of the 5-HT1A receptor antagonist WAY100635, but not 5-HT1B, 5-HT2A, 5-HT2C, or 5-HT4 receptor antagonist, significantly suppressed MDMA-induced prosocial effects. Furthermore, local administration of WAY100635 into the BLA but not into the mPFC suppressed MDMA-induced prosocial effects. Consistent with this finding, intra-BLA MDMA administration significantly increased sociability. Together, these results suggest that MDMA induces prosocial effects through the stimulation of 5-HT1A receptors in the BLA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hirohito Esaki
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Institute of Medical, Pharmaceutical and Health Sciences, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, 920-1192, Japan
| | - Yuki Sasaki
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Institute of Medical, Pharmaceutical and Health Sciences, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, 920-1192, Japan
| | - Naoya Nishitani
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Institute of Medical, Pharmaceutical and Health Sciences, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, 920-1192, Japan
| | - Hikari Kamada
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Institute of Medical, Pharmaceutical and Health Sciences, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, 920-1192, Japan
| | - Satoko Mukai
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Institute of Medical, Pharmaceutical and Health Sciences, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, 920-1192, Japan
| | - Yoshitaka Ohshima
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Institute of Medical, Pharmaceutical and Health Sciences, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, 920-1192, Japan
| | - Sao Nakada
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Institute of Medical, Pharmaceutical and Health Sciences, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, 920-1192, Japan
| | - Xiyan Ni
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Institute of Medical, Pharmaceutical and Health Sciences, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, 920-1192, Japan
| | - Satoshi Deyama
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Institute of Medical, Pharmaceutical and Health Sciences, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, 920-1192, Japan
| | - Katsuyuki Kaneda
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Institute of Medical, Pharmaceutical and Health Sciences, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, 920-1192, Japan.
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18
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Sex differences in serotonergic control of rat social behaviour. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2023; 223:173533. [PMID: 36858181 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2023.173533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2023] [Revised: 02/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 03/02/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE There is increasing evidence that enhancement of the salience of social stimuli can have a beneficial effect in managing many psychiatric conditions. There are, however, clear sex-related differences in social behaviour, including the neural mechanisms responsible for different aspects of social functions. OBJECTIVES We explored the role of the serotonergic system on rat social behaviour under baseline and under stressful conditions in female and male rats. METHODS Rats were treated with the selective serotonin transporter (SERT) inhibitor escitalopram postnatally; a procedure known to cause a long-lasting reduction of serotonergic activity. In adulthood, social behaviour was tested in a social interaction test and in ultrasonic vocalisation (USVs) recording sessions before and after yohimbine-induced stress-like state. RESULTS Our data demonstrated that both female and, to a lesser extent, male escitalopram treated rats, exposed to a novel social situation, had fewer social exploration events and emitted fewer frequency-modulated calls with trills, trills and step calls, suggesting that an impaired function of the serotonergic system reduced the positive valence of social interaction. In a stress-like state, 50 kHz flat calls were increased only in female rats, indicating an increased seeking of social contact. However, the number of flat calls in escitalopram treated female rats was significantly lower compared with control rats. CONCLUSIONS These data suggest that females may respond differently to serotonergic pharmacotherapy with respect to enhancement of beneficial effects of social support, especially in stress-related situations.
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19
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Wang L, Wang B, Wu C, Wang J, Sun M. Autism Spectrum Disorder: Neurodevelopmental Risk Factors, Biological Mechanism, and Precision Therapy. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24031819. [PMID: 36768153 PMCID: PMC9915249 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24031819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 38.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2022] [Revised: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a heterogeneous, behaviorally defined neurodevelopmental disorder. Over the past two decades, the prevalence of autism spectrum disorders has progressively increased, however, no clear diagnostic markers and specifically targeted medications for autism have emerged. As a result, neurobehavioral abnormalities, neurobiological alterations in ASD, and the development of novel ASD pharmacological therapy necessitate multidisciplinary collaboration. In this review, we discuss the development of multiple animal models of ASD to contribute to the disease mechanisms of ASD, as well as new studies from multiple disciplines to assess the behavioral pathology of ASD. In addition, we summarize and highlight the mechanistic advances regarding gene transcription, RNA and non-coding RNA translation, abnormal synaptic signaling pathways, epigenetic post-translational modifications, brain-gut axis, immune inflammation and neural loop abnormalities in autism to provide a theoretical basis for the next step of precision therapy. Furthermore, we review existing autism therapy tactics and limits and present challenges and opportunities for translating multidisciplinary knowledge of ASD into clinical practice.
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20
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Pintos Lobo R, Bottenhorn KL, Riedel MC, Toma AI, Hare MM, Smith DD, Moor AC, Cowan IK, Valdes JA, Bartley JE, Salo T, Boeving ER, Pankey B, Sutherland MT, Musser ED, Laird AR. Neural systems underlying RDoC social constructs: An activation likelihood estimation meta-analysis. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 144:104971. [PMID: 36436737 PMCID: PMC9843621 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2022] [Revised: 10/13/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Neuroscientists have sought to identify the underlying neural systems supporting social processing that allow interaction and communication, forming social relationships, and navigating the social world. Through the use of NIMH's Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) framework, we evaluated consensus among studies that examined brain activity during social tasks to elucidate regions comprising the "social brain". We examined convergence across tasks corresponding to the four RDoC social constructs, including Affiliation and Attachment, Social Communication, Perception and Understanding of Self, and Perception and Understanding of Others. We performed a series of coordinate-based meta-analyses using the activation likelihood estimate (ALE) method. Meta-analysis was performed on whole-brain coordinates reported from 864 fMRI contrasts using the NiMARE Python package, revealing convergence in medial prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, posterior cingulate cortex, temporoparietal junction, bilateral insula, amygdala, fusiform gyrus, precuneus, and thalamus. Additionally, four separate RDoC-based meta-analyses revealed differential convergence associated with the four social constructs. These outcomes highlight the neural support underlying these social constructs and inform future research on alterations among neurotypical and atypical populations.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Katherine L Bottenhorn
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Michael C Riedel
- Department of Physics, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Afra I Toma
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Megan M Hare
- Department of Psychology, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Donisha D Smith
- Department of Psychology, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Alexandra C Moor
- Department of Psychology, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Isis K Cowan
- Department of Psychology, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, USA
| | - Javier A Valdes
- College of Medicine, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Jessica E Bartley
- Department of Physics, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Taylor Salo
- Department of Psychology, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Emily R Boeving
- Department of Psychology, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Brianna Pankey
- Department of Psychology, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA
| | | | - Erica D Musser
- Department of Psychology, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Angela R Laird
- Department of Physics, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA
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21
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Desjardins C, Caux F, Degos B, Benzohra D, De Liège A, Bohelay G, Longy M, Béreaux C, Garcin B. Impaired social cognition and fine dexterity in patients with Cowden syndrome associated with germline PTEN variants. J Med Genet 2023; 60:91-98. [PMID: 34937768 DOI: 10.1136/jmedgenet-2021-107954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2021] [Accepted: 12/03/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Cowden syndrome (CS) is an autosomal dominant disease related to germline PTEN variants and is characterised by multiple hamartomas, increased risk of cancers and frequent brain alteration. Since the behaviour of patients with CS sometimes appears to be inappropriate, we analysed their neuropsychological functioning. METHODS This monocentric study was conducted between July 2018 and February 2020. A standardised neuropsychological assessment, including an evaluation of social cognition, executive functions, language and dexterity, as well as a cerebral MRI were systematically proposed to all patients with CS. Moreover, PTEN variants were identified. RESULTS Fifteen patients from 13 families were included, with six non-sense (40%), three missense (20%), five frameshift (33.3%) and one splice site (6.6%) variant types. Twelve patients (80%) had altered social cognition: 10 patients had an abnormal modified Faux-Pas score and 5 had Ekman's facial emotions recognition impairment. Nearly all patients (93%) had impaired dexterity. Cerebral MRI showed various cerebellar anomalies in seven patients (46.7%). CONCLUSION Altered social cognition and impaired fine dexterity are frequently associated with CS. Further studies are needed to confirm these results and to determine whether dexterity impairment is due to the effect of germline PTEN variants in the cerebellum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clément Desjardins
- Department of Neurology, AP-HP, Hôpital Avicenne, Hôpitaux Universitaires de Paris-Seine Saint Denis (HUPSSD), Bobigny, France
| | - Frédéric Caux
- Department of Dermatology, Sorbonne Paris Nord, AP-HP, Hôpital Avicenne, Hôpitaux Universitaires de Paris-Seine Saint Denis (HUPSSD), Bobigny, France
| | - Bertrand Degos
- Department of Neurology, AP-HP, Hôpital Avicenne, Hôpitaux Universitaires de Paris-Seine Saint Denis (HUPSSD), Bobigny, France.,Dynamics and Pathophysiology of Neuronal Networks Team, Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology, Collège de France, CNRS UMR7241/INSERM U1050, Université PSL, Paris, France
| | - Djallel Benzohra
- Department of Radiology, AP-HP, Hôpital Avicenne, Hôpitaux Universitaires de Paris-Seine Saint Denis (HUPSSD), Bobigny, France
| | - Astrid De Liège
- Department of Neurology, AP-HP, Hôpital Avicenne, Hôpitaux Universitaires de Paris-Seine Saint Denis (HUPSSD), Bobigny, France
| | - Gérôme Bohelay
- Department of Dermatology, Sorbonne Paris Nord, AP-HP, Hôpital Avicenne, Hôpitaux Universitaires de Paris-Seine Saint Denis (HUPSSD), Bobigny, France
| | - Michel Longy
- Cancer Genetics Unit and INSERM U1218, Institut Bergonié, University of Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
| | - Chloé Béreaux
- Department of Neurology, AP-HP, Hôpital Avicenne, Hôpitaux Universitaires de Paris-Seine Saint Denis (HUPSSD), Bobigny, France
| | - Béatrice Garcin
- Department of Neurology, AP-HP, Hôpital Avicenne, Hôpitaux Universitaires de Paris-Seine Saint Denis (HUPSSD), Bobigny, France .,Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière - ICM, Inserm U1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
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22
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Lin TL, Lu CC, Chen TW, Huang CW, Lu JJ, Lai WF, Wu TS, Lai CH, Lai HC, Chen YL. Amelioration of Maternal Immune Activation-Induced Autism Relevant Behaviors by Gut Commensal Parabacteroides goldsteinii. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:13070. [PMID: 36361859 PMCID: PMC9657948 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232113070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2022] [Revised: 10/25/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by cognitive inflexibility and social deficits. Probiotics have been demonstrated to play a promising role in managing the severity of ASD. However, there are no effective probiotics for clinical use. Identifying new probiotic strains for ameliorating ASD is therefore essential. Using the maternal immune activation (MIA)-based offspring ASD-like mouse model, a probiotic-based intervention strategy was examined in female mice. The gut commensal microbe Parabacteroides goldsteinii MTS01, which was previously demonstrated to exert multiple beneficial effects on chronic inflammation-related-diseases, was evaluated. Prenatal lipopolysaccharide (LPS) exposure induced leaky gut-related inflammatory phenotypes in the colon, increased LPS activity in sera, and induced autistic-like behaviors in offspring mice. By contrast, P. goldsteinii MTS01 treatment significantly reduced intestinal and systemic inflammation and ameliorated disease development. Transcriptomic analyses of MIA offspring indicated that in the intestine, P. goldsteinii MTS01 enhanced neuropeptide-related signaling and suppressed aberrant cell proliferation and inflammatory responses. In the hippocampus, P. goldsteinii MTS01 increased ribosomal/mitochondrial and antioxidant activities and decreased glutamate receptor signaling. Together, significant ameliorative effects of P. goldsteinii MTS01 on ASD relevant behaviors in MIA offspring were identified. Therefore, P. goldsteinii MTS01 could be developed as a next-generation probiotic for ameliorating ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tzu-Lung Lin
- Department of Medical Biotechnology and Laboratory Science, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 33302, Taiwan
- Microbiota Research Center and Emerging Viral Infections Research Center, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 33302, Taiwan
| | - Cha-Chen Lu
- Microbiota Research Center and Emerging Viral Infections Research Center, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 33302, Taiwan
- Department of Chest Medicine, Internal Medicine, Fu Jen Catholic University Hospital, Fu Jen Catholic University, New Taipei City 24205, Taiwan
- Department of Respiratory Therapy, Fu Jen Catholic University, New Taipei City 24205, Taiwan
| | - Ting-Wen Chen
- Institute of Bioinformatics and Systems Biology, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu 300, Taiwan
- Department of Biological Science and Technology, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu 300, Taiwan
- Center For Intelligent Drug Systems and Smart Bio-Devices (IDS2B), National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu 300, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Wei Huang
- Institute of Bioinformatics and Systems Biology, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu 300, Taiwan
- Department of Biological Science and Technology, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu 300, Taiwan
| | - Jang-Jih Lu
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Internal Medicine, Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan 33305, Taiwan
| | - Wei-Fan Lai
- Department of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 33302, Taiwan
| | - Ting-Shu Wu
- Department of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 33302, Taiwan
- Department of Internal Medicine, Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan 33305, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Ho Lai
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 33302, Taiwan
- Department of Pediatrics, Molecular Infectious Disease Research Center, Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan 33305, Taiwan
- Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung 40402, Taiwan
- Department of Nursing, Asia University, Taichung 41354, Taiwan
| | - Hsin-Chih Lai
- Department of Medical Biotechnology and Laboratory Science, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 33302, Taiwan
- Microbiota Research Center and Emerging Viral Infections Research Center, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 33302, Taiwan
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Internal Medicine, Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan 33305, Taiwan
- Research Center for Chinese Herbal Medicine and Research Center for Food and Cosmetic Safety, College of Human Ecology, Chang Gung University of Science and Technology, Taoyuan 33303, Taiwan
- Medical Research Center, Xiamen Chang Gung Hospital, Xiamen 361028, China
| | - Ya-Lei Chen
- Department of Biotechnology, National Kaohsiung Normal University, Kaohsiung 82446, Taiwan
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23
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Jabarin R, Netser S, Wagner S. Beyond the three-chamber test: toward a multimodal and objective assessment of social behavior in rodents. Mol Autism 2022; 13:41. [PMID: 36284353 PMCID: PMC9598038 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-022-00521-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2022] [Accepted: 10/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
MAIN: In recent years, substantial advances in social neuroscience have been realized, including the generation of numerous rodent models of autism spectrum disorder. Still, it can be argued that those methods currently being used to analyze animal social behavior create a bottleneck that significantly slows down progress in this field. Indeed, the bulk of research still relies on a small number of simple behavioral paradigms, the results of which are assessed without considering behavioral dynamics. Moreover, only few variables are examined in each paradigm, thus overlooking a significant portion of the complexity that characterizes social interaction between two conspecifics, subsequently hindering our understanding of the neural mechanisms governing different aspects of social behavior. We further demonstrate these constraints by discussing the most commonly used paradigm for assessing rodent social behavior, the three-chamber test. We also point to the fact that although emotions greatly influence human social behavior, we lack reliable means for assessing the emotional state of animals during social tasks. As such, we also discuss current evidence supporting the existence of pro-social emotions and emotional cognition in animal models. We further suggest that adequate social behavior analysis requires a novel multimodal approach that employs automated and simultaneous measurements of multiple behavioral and physiological variables at high temporal resolution in socially interacting animals. We accordingly describe several computerized systems and computational tools for acquiring and analyzing such measurements. Finally, we address several behavioral and physiological variables that can be used to assess socio-emotional states in animal models and thus elucidate intricacies of social behavior so as to attain deeper insight into the brain mechanisms that mediate such behaviors. CONCLUSIONS: In summary, we suggest that combining automated multimodal measurements with machine-learning algorithms will help define socio-emotional states and determine their dynamics during various types of social tasks, thus enabling a more thorough understanding of the complexity of social behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renad Jabarin
- Sagol Department of Neurobiology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel.
| | - Shai Netser
- Sagol Department of Neurobiology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Shlomo Wagner
- Sagol Department of Neurobiology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
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24
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Haartsen R, Mason L, Garces P, Gui A, Charman T, Tillmann J, Johnson MH, Buitelaar JK, Loth E, Murphy D, Jones EJH. Qualitative differences in the spatiotemporal brain states supporting configural face processing emerge in adolescence in autism. Cortex 2022; 155:13-29. [PMID: 35961249 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2022.06.010] [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: 05/28/2021] [Revised: 12/17/2021] [Accepted: 06/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Studying the neural processing of faces can illuminate the mechanisms of compromised social expertise in autism. To resolve a longstanding debate, we examined whether differences in configural face processing in autism are underpinned by quantitative differences in the activation of typical face processing pathways, or the recruitment of non-typical neural systems. METHODS We investigated spatial and temporal characteristics of event-related EEG responses to upright and inverted faces in a large sample of children, adolescents, and adults with and without autism. We examined topographic analyses of variance and global field power to identify group differences in the spatial and temporal response to face inversion. We then examined how quasi-stable spatiotemporal profiles - microstates - are modulated by face orientation and diagnostic group. RESULTS Upright and inverted faces produced distinct profiles of topography and strength in the topographical analyses. These topographical profiles differed between diagnostic groups in adolescents, but not in children or adults. In the microstate analysis, the autistic group showed differences in the activation strength of normative microstates during early-stage processing at all ages, suggesting consistent quantitative differences in the operation of typical processing pathways; qualitative differences in microstate topographies during late-stage processing became prominent in adults, suggesting the increasing involvement of non-typical neural systems with processing time and over development. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that early difficulties with configural face processing may trigger later compensatory processes in autism that emerge in later development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rianne Haartsen
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck College, University of London, United Kingdom.
| | - Luke Mason
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck College, University of London, United Kingdom
| | - Pilar Garces
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Anna Gui
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck College, University of London, United Kingdom
| | - Tony Charman
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom; South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, Bethlem Royal Hospital, Kent, United Kingdom
| | - Julian Tillmann
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Mark H Johnson
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck College, University of London, United Kingdom; Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Jan K Buitelaar
- Radboud University Medical Centre, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Eva Loth
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Science, King's College London, United Kingdom
| | - Declan Murphy
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Science, King's College London, United Kingdom
| | - Emily J H Jones
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck College, University of London, United Kingdom
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25
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Santos A, Caramelo F, Melo JB, Castelo-Branco M. Dopaminergic Gene Dosage Reveals Distinct Biological Partitions between Autism and Developmental Delay as Revealed by Complex Network Analysis and Machine Learning Approaches. J Pers Med 2022; 12:jpm12101579. [PMID: 36294718 PMCID: PMC9604562 DOI: 10.3390/jpm12101579] [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: 07/23/2022] [Revised: 09/11/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The neurobiological mechanisms underlying Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) remains controversial. One factor contributing to this debate is the phenotypic heterogeneity observed in ASD, which suggests that multiple system disruptions may contribute to diverse patterns of impairment which have been reported between and within study samples. Here, we used SFARI data to address genetic imbalances affecting the dopaminergic system. Using complex network analysis, we investigated the relations between phenotypic profiles, gene dosage and gene ontology (GO) terms related to dopaminergic neurotransmission from a polygenic point-of-view. We observed that the degree of distribution of the networks matched a power-law distribution characterized by the presence of hubs, gene or GO nodes with a large number of interactions. Furthermore, we identified interesting patterns related to subnetworks of genes and GO terms, which suggested applicability to separation of clinical clusters (Developmental Delay (DD) versus ASD). This has the potential to improve our understanding of genetic variability issues and has implications for diagnostic categorization. In ASD, we identified the separability of four key dopaminergic mechanisms disrupted with regard to receptor binding, synaptic physiology and neural differentiation, each belonging to particular subgroups of ASD participants, whereas in DD a more unitary biological pattern was found. Finally, network analysis was fed into a machine learning binary classification framework to differentiate between the diagnosis of ASD and DD. Subsets of 1846 participants were used to train a Random Forest algorithm. Our best classifier achieved, on average, a diagnosis-predicting accuracy of 85.18% (sd 1.11%) on the test samples of 790 participants using 117 genes. The achieved accuracy surpassed results using genetic data and closely matched imaging approaches addressing binary diagnostic classification. Importantly, we observed a similar prediction accuracy when the classifier uses only 62 GO features. This result further corroborates the complex network analysis approach, suggesting that different genetic causes might converge to the dysregulation of the same set of biological mechanisms, leading to a similar disease phenotype. This new biology-driven ontological framework yields a less variable and more compact domain-related set of features with potential mechanistic generalization. The proposed network analysis, allowing for the determination of a clearcut biological distinction between ASD and DD (the latter presenting much lower modularity and heterogeneity), is amenable to machine learning approaches and provides an interesting avenue of research for the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- André Santos
- Coimbra Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Translational Research (CIBIT), ICNAS, Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Francisco Caramelo
- Coimbra Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Translational Research (CIBIT), ICNAS, Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
- CIBB, iCBR, Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Joana Barbosa Melo
- Coimbra Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Translational Research (CIBIT), ICNAS, Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
- CIBB, iCBR, Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Miguel Castelo-Branco
- Coimbra Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Translational Research (CIBIT), ICNAS, Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
- Correspondence:
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26
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López-Nieto L, Compañ-Gabucio LM, Torres-Collado L, Garcia-de la Hera M. Scoping Review on Play-Based Interventions in Autism Spectrum Disorder. CHILDREN 2022; 9:children9091355. [PMID: 36138664 PMCID: PMC9497526 DOI: 10.3390/children9091355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2022] [Revised: 09/01/2022] [Accepted: 09/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Play as a therapeutic strategy can help to improve daily functioning in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Play-based intervention can thus be an optimal option for treatment of this population. Our aim was to describe play-based interventions used in children and adolescents with ASD. We conducted a scoping review. A peer-reviewed literature search was conducted on PubMed, Scopus, EMBASE, Web of Science and PsycINFO databases. We included experimental studies which analyzed play-based interventions in children and adolescents with ASD, which were published in English/Spanish with full text available. We used three tables elaborated a priori to perform data extraction by two authors. Fifteen studies were included, mostly conducted in Australia and published during the past 10 years. Play-based intervention was categorized into three groups: new technologies, symbolic play or official techniques. Interventions lasted approximately 11 weeks, contained one weekly session of 30–60 min and were delivered by parents and teachers. Play-based interventions using new technologies were the most used. Intervention duration and number of sessions varied between articles. Further studies are needed to create play-based intervention protocols which can be implemented in clinical practice with children and adolescents with ASD, thus promoting evidence-based interventions in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucía López-Nieto
- Nutritional Epidemiology Unit, University of Miguel Hernández, 03550 Alicante, Spain
| | - Laura María Compañ-Gabucio
- Nutritional Epidemiology Unit, University of Miguel Hernández, 03550 Alicante, Spain
- Alicante Institute for Health and Biomedical Research (ISABIAL), 03010 Alicante, Spain
| | - Laura Torres-Collado
- Nutritional Epidemiology Unit, University of Miguel Hernández, 03550 Alicante, Spain
- Alicante Institute for Health and Biomedical Research (ISABIAL), 03010 Alicante, Spain
- Spanish Consortium for Research on Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28034 Madrid, Spain
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +34-965-919-573
| | - Manuela Garcia-de la Hera
- Nutritional Epidemiology Unit, University of Miguel Hernández, 03550 Alicante, Spain
- Alicante Institute for Health and Biomedical Research (ISABIAL), 03010 Alicante, Spain
- Spanish Consortium for Research on Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28034 Madrid, Spain
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27
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Deficiency of the ywhaz gene, involved in neurodevelopmental disorders, alters brain activity and behaviour in zebrafish. Mol Psychiatry 2022; 27:3739-3748. [PMID: 35501409 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-022-01577-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2021] [Revised: 04/06/2022] [Accepted: 04/12/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Genetic variants in YWHAZ contribute to psychiatric disorders such as autism spectrum disorder and schizophrenia, and have been related to an impaired neurodevelopment in humans and mice. Here, we have used zebrafish to investigate the mechanisms by which YWHAZ contributes to neurodevelopmental disorders. We observed that ywhaz expression was pan-neuronal during developmental stages and restricted to Purkinje cells in the adult cerebellum, cells that are described to be reduced in number and size in autistic patients. We then performed whole-brain imaging in wild-type and ywhaz CRISPR/Cas9 knockout (KO) larvae and found altered neuronal activity and connectivity in the hindbrain. Adult ywhaz KO fish display decreased levels of monoamines in the hindbrain and freeze when exposed to novel stimuli, a phenotype that can be reversed with drugs that target monoamine neurotransmission. These findings suggest an important role for ywhaz in establishing neuronal connectivity during development and modulating both neurotransmission and behaviour in adults.
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Fortier AV, Meisner OC, Nair AR, Chang SWC. Prefrontal Circuits guiding Social Preference: Implications in Autism Spectrum Disorder. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 141:104803. [PMID: 35908593 PMCID: PMC10122914 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2022] [Revised: 07/10/2022] [Accepted: 07/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Although Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is increasing in diagnostic prevalence, treatment options are inadequate largely due to limited understanding of ASD's underlying neural mechanisms. Contributing to difficulties in treatment development is the vast heterogeneity of ASD, from physiological causes to clinical presentations. Recent studies suggest that distinct genetic and neurological alterations may converge onto similar underlying neural circuits. Therefore, an improved understanding of neural circuit-level dysfunction in ASD may be a more productive path to developing broader treatments that are effective across a greater spectrum of ASD. Given the social preference behavioral deficits commonly seen in ASD, dysfunction in circuits mediating social preference may contribute to the atypical development of social cognition. We discuss some of the animal models used to study ASD and examine the function and effects of dysregulation of the social preference circuits, notably the medial prefrontal cortex-amygdala and the medial prefrontal cortex-nucleus accumbens circuits, in these animal models. Using the common circuits underlying similar behavioral disruptions of social preference behaviors as an example, we highlight the importance of identifying disruption in convergent circuits to improve the translational success of animal model research for ASD treatment development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abigail V Fortier
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA; Department of Molecular, Cellular, Developmental Biology, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Olivia C Meisner
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Amrita R Nair
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Steve W C Chang
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; Kavli Institute for Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; Wu Tsai Institute, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
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29
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Jiang CC, Lin LS, Long S, Ke XY, Fukunaga K, Lu YM, Han F. Signalling pathways in autism spectrum disorder: mechanisms and therapeutic implications. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2022; 7:229. [PMID: 35817793 PMCID: PMC9273593 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-022-01081-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2022] [Revised: 06/19/2022] [Accepted: 06/23/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a prevalent and complex neurodevelopmental disorder which has strong genetic basis. Despite the rapidly rising incidence of autism, little is known about its aetiology, risk factors, and disease progression. There are currently neither validated biomarkers for diagnostic screening nor specific medication for autism. Over the last two decades, there have been remarkable advances in genetics, with hundreds of genes identified and validated as being associated with a high risk for autism. The convergence of neuroscience methods is becoming more widely recognized for its significance in elucidating the pathological mechanisms of autism. Efforts have been devoted to exploring the behavioural functions, key pathological mechanisms and potential treatments of autism. Here, as we highlight in this review, emerging evidence shows that signal transduction molecular events are involved in pathological processes such as transcription, translation, synaptic transmission, epigenetics and immunoinflammatory responses. This involvement has important implications for the discovery of precise molecular targets for autism. Moreover, we review recent insights into the mechanisms and clinical implications of signal transduction in autism from molecular, cellular, neural circuit, and neurobehavioural aspects. Finally, the challenges and future perspectives are discussed with regard to novel strategies predicated on the biological features of autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen-Chen Jiang
- International Joint Laboratory for Drug Target of Critical Illnesses; Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular & Cerebrovascular Medicine, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, China
| | - Li-Shan Lin
- Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, China
| | - Sen Long
- Department of Pharmacy, Hangzhou Seventh People's Hospital, Mental Health Center Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310013, China
| | - Xiao-Yan Ke
- Child Mental Health Research Center, Nanjing Brain Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210029, China
| | - Kohji Fukunaga
- Department of CNS Drug Innovation, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai, 980-8578, Japan
| | - Ying-Mei Lu
- Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, China.
| | - Feng Han
- International Joint Laboratory for Drug Target of Critical Illnesses; Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular & Cerebrovascular Medicine, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, China.
- Institute of Brain Science, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210029, China.
- Gusu School, Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou Municipal Hospital, The Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou, 215002, China.
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Schmidt SD, Zinn CG, Cavalcante LE, Ferreira FF, Furini CRG, Izquierdo I, de Carvalho Myskiw J. Participation of Hippocampal 5-HT 5A, 5-HT 6 and 5-HT 7 Serotonin Receptors on the Consolidation of Social Recognition Memory. Neuroscience 2022; 497:171-183. [PMID: 35718219 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2022.06.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2021] [Revised: 05/31/2022] [Accepted: 06/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Social recognition is the ability of animals to identify and recognize a conspecific. The consolidation of social stimuli in long-term memory is crucial for the establishment and maintenance of social groups, reproduction and species survival. Despite its importance, little is known about the circuitry and molecular mechanisms involved in the social recognition memory (SRM). Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) is acknowledged as a major neuromodulator, which plays a key role in learning and memory. Focusing on the more recently described 5-HT receptors, we investigated in the CA1 region of the dorsal hippocampus the participation of 5-HT5A, 5-HT6 and 5-HT7 receptors in the consolidation of SRM. Male Wistar rats cannulated in CA1 were subjected to a social discrimination task. In the sample phase the animals were exposed to a juvenile conspecific for 1 h. Immediately after, they received different pharmacological treatments. Twenty-four hours later, they were submitted to a 5 min retention test in the presence of the previously presented juvenile (familiar) and a novel juvenile. The animals that received infusions of 5-HT5A receptor antagonist SB-699551 (10 µg/µL), 5-HT6 receptor agonist WAY-208466 (0.63 µg/µL) or 5-HT7 receptor agonist AS-19 (5 µg/µL) intra-CA1 were unable to recognize the familiar juvenile. This effect was blocked by the coinfusion of WAY-208466 plus 5-HT6 receptor antagonist SB-271046 (10 µg/µL) or AS-19 plus 5-HT7 receptor antagonist SB-269970 (5 µg/µL). The present study helps to clarify the neurobiological functions of the 5-HT receptors more recently described and extends our knowledge about mechanisms underlying the SRM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scheila Daiane Schmidt
- Memory Center, Brain Institute of Rio Grande do Sul, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Av. Ipiranga, 6690-2nd Floor, 90610-000 Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
| | - Carolina Garrido Zinn
- Memory Center, Brain Institute of Rio Grande do Sul, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Av. Ipiranga, 6690-2nd Floor, 90610-000 Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Lorena Evelyn Cavalcante
- Memory Center, Brain Institute of Rio Grande do Sul, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Av. Ipiranga, 6690-2nd Floor, 90610-000 Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Flávia Fagundes Ferreira
- Memory Center, Brain Institute of Rio Grande do Sul, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Av. Ipiranga, 6690-2nd Floor, 90610-000 Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Cristiane Regina Guerino Furini
- Memory Center, Brain Institute of Rio Grande do Sul, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Av. Ipiranga, 6690-2nd Floor, 90610-000 Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil; National Institute of Translational Neuroscience (INNT), National Research Council of Brazil, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, 21941-902, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Ivan Izquierdo
- Memory Center, Brain Institute of Rio Grande do Sul, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Av. Ipiranga, 6690-2nd Floor, 90610-000 Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil; National Institute of Translational Neuroscience (INNT), National Research Council of Brazil, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, 21941-902, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Jociane de Carvalho Myskiw
- Memory Center, Brain Institute of Rio Grande do Sul, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Av. Ipiranga, 6690-2nd Floor, 90610-000 Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil; National Institute of Translational Neuroscience (INNT), National Research Council of Brazil, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, 21941-902, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Psychobiology and Neurocomputation Laboratory (LPBNC), Department of Biophysics, Institute of Biosciences, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Av. Bento Gonçalves, 9500, Building 43422, Room 208A, 91501-970 Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
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Fernandes JM, Soares S, Lopes R, Jerónimo R, Barahona-Corrêa JB. Attribution of intentions in autism spectrum disorder: A study of event-related potentials. Autism Res 2022; 15:847-860. [PMID: 35274469 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2021] [Revised: 02/23/2022] [Accepted: 02/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by social cognition deficits, including difficulties inferring the intentions of others. Although deficits in attribution of intentions (AI) have been consistently replicated in ASD, their exact nature remains unexplored. Here we registered the electrophysiological correlates of a nonverbal social cognition task to investigate AI in autistic adults. Twenty-one male autistic adults and 30 male neurotypical volunteers performed a comic strips task depicting either intentional action (AI) or physical causality with or without human characters, while their electroencephalographic signal was recorded. Compared to neurotypical volunteers, autistic participants were significantly less accurate in correctly identifying congruence in the AI condition, but not in the physical causality conditions. In the AI condition a bilateral posterior positive event-related potential (ERP) occurred 200-400 ms post-stimulus (the ERP intention effect) in both groups. This waveform comprised a P200 and a P300 component, with the P200 component being larger for the AI condition in neurotypical volunteers but not in autistic individuals, who also showed a longer latency for this waveform. Group differences in amplitude of the ERP intention effect only became evident when we compared autistic participants to a subgroup of similarly performing neurotypical participants, suggesting that the atypical ERP waveform in ASD is an effect of group, rather than a marker of low-task performance. Together, these results suggest that the lower accuracy of the ASD group in the AI task may result from impaired early attentional processing and contextual integration of socially relevant cues. LAY SUMMARY: To understand why autistic people have difficulties in inferring others' intentions, we asked participants to judge the congruence of the endings of comic strips depicting either intentional actions (e.g., fetching a chair to reach for something) or situations solely following physical rules (e.g., an apple falling on someone's head), while their electrical brain activity was recorded. Autistic individuals had more difficulties in inferring intentions than neurotypical controls, which may reflect impaired attention and contextual integration of social cues.
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Affiliation(s)
- João Miguel Fernandes
- NOVA Medical School, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
- CADIn-Neurodevelopment & Inclusion, Non-Profit Association, Cascais, Portugal
| | - Sara Soares
- Instituto Universitário de Lisboa (Iscte-IUL), CIS_Iscte, Lisbon, Portugal
- Unité de Recherche en Neurosciences Cognitives (Unescog), Center for Research in Cognition & Neurosciences (CRCN), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Ricardo Lopes
- CADIn-Neurodevelopment & Inclusion, Non-Profit Association, Cascais, Portugal
- Instituto Universitário de Lisboa (Iscte-IUL), CIS_Iscte, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Rita Jerónimo
- Instituto Universitário de Lisboa (Iscte-IUL), CIS_Iscte, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - J Bernardo Barahona-Corrêa
- NOVA Medical School, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
- Champalimaud Research & Clinical Centre, Champalimaud Foundation, Lisbon, Portugal
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Li J, Sun X, You Y, Li Q, Wei C, Zhao L, Sun M, Meng H, Zhang T, Yue W, Wang L, Zhang D. Auts2 deletion involves in DG hypoplasia and social recognition deficit: The developmental and neural circuit mechanisms. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabk1238. [PMID: 35235353 PMCID: PMC8890717 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abk1238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2021] [Accepted: 01/06/2022] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
The involvement of genetic risk and the underlying developmental and neural circuit mechanisms in autism-related social deficit are largely unclear. Here, we report that deletion of AUTS2, a high-susceptibility gene of ASDs, caused postnatal dentate gyrus (DG) hypoplasia, which was closely relevant to social recognition deficit. Furthermore, a previously unknown mechanism for neural cell migration in postnatal DG development was identified, in which Auts2-related signaling played a vital role as the transcription repressor. Moreover, the supramammillary nucleus (SuM)-DG-CA3 neural circuit was found to be involved in social recognition and affected in Auts2-deleted mice due to DG hypoplasia. Correction of DG-CA3 synaptic transmission by using a pharmacological approach or chemo/optogenetic activation of the SuM-DG circuit restored the social recognition deficit in Auts2-deleted mice. Our findings demonstrated the vital role of Auts2 in postnatal DG development, and this role was critical for SuM-DG-CA3 neural circuit-mediated social recognition behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Li
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Beijing, China
| | - Xiaoxuan Sun
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Beijing, China
| | - Yang You
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Beijing, China
| | - Qiongwei Li
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Beijing, China
| | - Chengwen Wei
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Beijing, China
| | - Linnan Zhao
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Beijing, China
| | - Mengwen Sun
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Beijing, China
- Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Hu Meng
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Beijing, China
| | - Tian Zhang
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Beijing, China
| | - Weihua Yue
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Beijing, China
- PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Lifang Wang
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Beijing, China
| | - Dai Zhang
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Beijing, China
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, China
- Institute for Brain Research and Rehabilitation (IBRR), Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
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Higher emotional awareness is associated with greater domain-general reflective tendencies. Sci Rep 2022; 12:3123. [PMID: 35210517 PMCID: PMC8873306 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-07141-3] [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: 07/14/2021] [Accepted: 02/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The tendency to reflect on the emotions of self and others is a key aspect of emotional awareness (EA)—a trait widely recognized as relevant to mental health. However, the degree to which EA draws on general reflective cognition vs. specialized socio-emotional mechanisms remains unclear. Based on a synthesis of work in neuroscience and psychology, we recently proposed that EA is best understood as a learned application of domain-general cognitive processes to socio-emotional information. In this paper, we report a study in which we tested this hypothesis in 448 (125 male) individuals who completed measures of EA and both general reflective cognition and socio-emotional performance. As predicted, we observed a significant relationship between EA measures and both general reflectiveness and socio-emotional measures, with the strongest contribution from measures of the general tendency to engage in effortful, reflective cognition. This is consistent with the hypothesis that EA corresponds to the application of general reflective cognitive processes to socio-emotional signals.
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Panisi C, Marini M. Dynamic and Systemic Perspective in Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Change of Gaze in Research Opens to A New Landscape of Needs and Solutions. Brain Sci 2022; 12:250. [PMID: 35204013 PMCID: PMC8870276 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12020250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2022] [Revised: 02/08/2022] [Accepted: 02/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The first step for a harmonious bio-psycho-social framework in approaching autism spectrum disorders (ASD) is overcoming the conflict between the biological and the psychosocial perspective. Biological research can provide clues for a correct approach to clinical practice, assuming that it would lead to the conceptualization of a pathogenetic paradigm able to account for epidemiologic and clinical findings. The upward trajectory in ASD prevalence and the systemic involvement of other organs besides the brain suggest that the epigenetic paradigm is the most plausible one. The embryo-fetal period is the crucial window of opportunity for keeping neurodevelopment on the right tracks, suggesting that women's health in pregnancy should be a priority. Maladaptive molecular pathways beginning in utero, in particular, a vicious circle between the immune response, oxidative stress/mitochondrial dysfunction, and dysbiosis-impact neurodevelopment and brain functioning across the lifespan and are the basis for progressive multisystemic disorders that account for the substantial health loss and the increased mortality in ASD. Therefore, the biological complexity of ASD and its implications for health requires the enhancement of clinical skills on these topics, to achieve an effective multi-disciplinary healthcare model. Well-balanced training courses could be a promising starting point to make a change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Panisi
- Fondazione Istituto Sacra Famiglia ONLUS, Cesano Boscone, 20090 Milan, Italy
| | - Marina Marini
- Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy;
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Hajri M, Abbes Z, Yahia HB, Jelili S, Halayem S, Mrabet A, Bouden A. Cognitive deficits in children with autism spectrum disorders: Toward an integrative approach combining social and non-social cognition. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:917121. [PMID: 36003981 PMCID: PMC9393361 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.917121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2022] [Accepted: 07/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is associated with neurocognitive impairment, including executive dysfunctioning and social cognition (SC) deficits. Cognitive remediation (CR) is a behavioral training-based intervention aiming to improve cognitive processes. Its first use in psychiatry interested patients with schizophrenia, in whom promising results have been shown. Integrated CR programs targeting both social and non-social cognition have demonstrated to be effective in improving both cognitive domains and functional outcomes. CR studies in children and adolescents with ASD are still new, those regarding CR approaches combining social and executive functioning remediation are scares. One study examining the efficacy of cognitive enhancement therapy (CET) for improving cognitive abilities in ADS adults, showed significant differential increases in neurocognitive function and large social-cognitive improvements. Therefore, taking into account the overlap between ASD and schizophrenia, and considering the close link between executive functions (EF) and SC, we suggest that integrative approach in ASD could result in better outcomes. The present perspective aimed to highlight cognitive remediation (CR) programs contributions in ASD (especially in children and adolescents), and to discuss the value of combining social and non-social programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melek Hajri
- Razi Hospital Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department, Faculty of Medicine of Tunis, Tunis El Manar University, Manouba, Tunisia
| | - Zeineb Abbes
- Razi Hospital Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department, Faculty of Medicine of Tunis, Tunis El Manar University, Manouba, Tunisia
| | - Houda Ben Yahia
- Razi Hospital Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department, Manouba, Tunisia
| | - Selima Jelili
- Razi Hospital Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department, Faculty of Medicine of Tunis, Tunis El Manar University, Manouba, Tunisia
| | - Soumeyya Halayem
- Razi Hospital Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department, Faculty of Medicine of Tunis, Tunis El Manar University, Manouba, Tunisia
| | - Ali Mrabet
- Health Minsitery, General Directorate of Military Health, Faculty of Medicine of Tunis, Tunis El Manar University, Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Asma Bouden
- Razi Hospital Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department, Faculty of Medicine of Tunis, Tunis El Manar University, Manouba, Tunisia
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Gennarelli M, Monteleone P, Minelli A, Monteleone AM, Rossi A, Rocca P, Bertolino A, Aguglia E, Amore M, Bellino S, Bellomo A, Biondi M, Bucci P, Carpiniello B, Cascino G, Cuomo A, Dell'Osso L, di Giannantonio M, Giordano GM, Marchesi C, Oldani L, Pompili M, Roncone R, Rossi R, Siracusano A, Tenconi E, Vita A, Zeppegno P, Galderisi S, Maj M. Genome-wide association study detected novel susceptibility genes for social cognition impairment in people with schizophrenia. World J Biol Psychiatry 2022; 23:46-54. [PMID: 34132174 DOI: 10.1080/15622975.2021.1907722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES People with schizophrenia (SCZ) present serious and generalised deficits in social cognition (SC), which affect negatively patients' functioning and treatment outcomes. The genetic background of SC has been investigated in disorders other than SCZ providing weak and sparse results. Thus, our aim was to explore possible genetic correlates of SC dysfunctions in SCZ patients with a genome-wide study (GWAS) approach. METHODS We performed a GWAS meta-analysis of data coming from two cohorts made of 242 and 160 SCZ patients, respectively. SC was assessed with different tools in order to cover its different domains. RESULTS We found GWAS significant association between the TMEM74 gene and the patients' ability in social inference as assessed by The Awareness of Social Inference Test; this association was confirmed by both SNP-based analysis (lead SNP rs3019332 p-value = 5.24 × 10-9) and gene-based analysis (p-value = 1.09 × 10-7). Moreover, suggestive associations of other genes with different dimensions of SC were also found. CONCLUSIONS Our study shows for the first time GWAS significant or suggestive associations of some gene variants with SC domains in people with SCZ. These findings should stimulate further studies to characterise the genetic underpinning of SC dysfunctions in SCZ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Massimo Gennarelli
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy.,Genetics Unit, IRCCS Istituto Centro S. Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy
| | - Palmiero Monteleone
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry "Scuola Medica Salernitana" Section of Neuroscience, University of Salerno, Salerno, Italy
| | - Alessandra Minelli
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy.,Genetics Unit, IRCCS Istituto Centro S. Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy
| | - Alessio Maria Monteleone
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry "Scuola Medica Salernitana" Section of Neuroscience, University of Salerno, Salerno, Italy
| | - Alessandro Rossi
- Section of Psychiatry, Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Paola Rocca
- Department of Neuroscience, Section of Psychiatry, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Alessandro Bertolino
- Department of Neurological and Psychiatric Sciences, University of Bari, Bari, Italy
| | - Eugenio Aguglia
- Department of Clinical and Molecular Biomedicine, Psychiatry Unit, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Mario Amore
- Section of Psychiatry, Department of Neurosciences, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics and Maternal and Child Health, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Silvio Bellino
- Department of Neuroscience, Section of Psychiatry, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Antonello Bellomo
- Psychiatry Unit, Department of Medical Sciences, University of Foggia, Foggia, Italy
| | - Massimo Biondi
- Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Paola Bucci
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Naples, Italy
| | - Bernardo Carpiniello
- Section of Psychiatry, Department of Public Health, Clinical and Molecular Medicine, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Giammarco Cascino
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry "Scuola Medica Salernitana" Section of Neuroscience, University of Salerno, Salerno, Italy
| | - Alessandro Cuomo
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Clinical Department of Mental Health, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
| | - Liliana Dell'Osso
- Section of Psychiatry, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | | | | | - Carlo Marchesi
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychiatry Unit, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Lucio Oldani
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Maurizio Pompili
- Department of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Sensory Organs, S. Andrea Hospital, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Rita Roncone
- Unit of Psychiatry, Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Rodolfo Rossi
- Section of Psychiatry, Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Alberto Siracusano
- Department of Systems Medicine, Psychiatry and Clinical Psychology Unit, Tor Vergata University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Elena Tenconi
- Psychiatric Clinic, Department of Neurosciences, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Antonio Vita
- Psychiatric Unit, School of Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy.,Department of Mental Health, Spedali Civili Hospital, Brescia, Italy
| | - Patrizia Zeppegno
- Department of Translational Medicine, Psychiatric Unit, University of Eastern Piedmont, Novara, Italy
| | - Silvana Galderisi
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Naples, Italy
| | - Mario Maj
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Naples, Italy
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Noppari T, Sun L, Lukkarinen L, Putkinen V, Tani P, Lindberg N, Saure E, Lauerma H, Tiihonen J, Venetjoki N, Salomaa M, Rautio P, Hirvonen J, Salmi J, Nummenmaa L. Brain structural alterations in autism and criminal psychopathy. NEUROIMAGE: CLINICAL 2022; 35:103116. [PMID: 35872437 PMCID: PMC9421457 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2022.103116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2022] [Revised: 07/09/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism and psychopathy are both disorders of social cognition and share numerous of their features but still differ distinctively in their clinical phenotype. The lower grey matter volumes in the right temporal pole and the left inferior frontal gyrus are the most prominent findings distinguishing violent offenders with high psychopatic from ASD individuals. Violent offenders with high psychopatic traits and individuals with ASD both present similar lower grey matter volumes in the right precentral cortex compared to controls.
The goal of this study was to elucidate the anatomical brain basis of social cognition through two disorders with distinctively different phenotypes of social interaction. We compared structural MR images of 20 individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), 19 violent offenders with high psychopathic traits, and 19 control participants using voxel-based morphometry (VBM). Our earlier study showed lower grey matter volume (GMV) values in the insula, frontal cortex, and sensorimotor cortex of the offender group compared to controls. In the present study, the images of the ASD group revealed lower GMV in the left precuneus, right cerebellum, and right precentral gyrus in comparison with controls. The comparison between the offender and ASD groups showed lower GMV values for the right temporal pole and left inferior frontal gyrus in the offender group. There was also an overlap of both disorders in the right pre-central cortex, showing lower GMV compared to controls. Our findings suggest structural differences between violent offenders with high psychopathy traits and ASD individuals in the frontotemporal social brain network areas, previously associated with empathy. We also provide evidence of similar abnormal structures in the motor cortex for both of these disorders, possibly related to uniting issues of social cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tuomo Noppari
- Turku PET Centre, University of Turku, Turku, Finland; Department of Psychiatry, Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland.
| | - Lihua Sun
- Turku PET Centre, University of Turku, Turku, Finland; Department of Nuclear Medicine, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | | | - Vesa Putkinen
- Turku PET Centre, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Pekka Tani
- Department of Psychiatry, Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Nina Lindberg
- Department of Forensic Psychiatry, Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Emma Saure
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland; BABA Center and Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, Children's Hospital, Helsinki University Hospital and University of Helsinki, Finland
| | - Hannu Lauerma
- Psychiatric Hospital for Prisoners, Health Care Services for Prisoners, Turku, Finland; Department of Forensic Psychiatry, Turku University Central Hospital, Finland
| | - Jari Tiihonen
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute and Center for Psychiatry Research, Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Forensic Psychiatry, University of Eastern Finland, Niuvanniemi Hospital, Kuopio, Finland; Neuroscience Center, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Niina Venetjoki
- Psychiatric Hospital for Prisoners, Health Care Services for Prisoners, Turku, Finland
| | - Marja Salomaa
- Psychiatric Hospital for Prisoners, Health Care Services for Prisoners, Turku, Finland
| | - Päivi Rautio
- Psychiatric Hospital for Prisoners, Health Care Services for Prisoners, Turku, Finland
| | - Jussi Hirvonen
- Department of Radiology, Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
| | - Juha Salmi
- Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, School of Science, Aalto University, Espoo, Finland
| | - Lauri Nummenmaa
- Turku PET Centre, University of Turku, Turku, Finland; Department of Psychology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
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38
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Lin XB, Lim CG, Lee TS. Social Deficits or Interactional Differences? Interrogating Perspectives on Social Functioning in Autism. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:823736. [PMID: 35546922 PMCID: PMC9084456 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.823736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2021] [Accepted: 03/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Social dysfunction is a key characteristic of autism. Determining and treating autism-related social deficits have been challenging. The medical model views interpersonal difficulties in autism as a localized set of deficits to be managed, whereas the neurodiversity movement calls for the accommodation of differences by the larger community. One common assumption underlying these perspectives is a misalignment in social behaviors between autistic individuals and neurotypicals. This paper reviews and interrogates current perspectives on social functioning in autism to uncover the intricacies of such a notion. Even though extant literature has alluded to a misalignment in social behaviors between autistic and neurotypical individuals, it is uncertain where this disparity lies. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiangting Bernice Lin
- Neuroscience and Behavioral Disorders Program, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore.,School of Social Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Choon Guan Lim
- Neuroscience and Behavioral Disorders Program, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore.,School of Social Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore.,Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Mental Health, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Tih-Shih Lee
- Neuroscience and Behavioral Disorders Program, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore.,Department of Psychiatry, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore, Singapore
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Menon R, Süß T, Oliveira VEDM, Neumann ID, Bludau A. Neurobiology of the lateral septum: regulation of social behavior. Trends Neurosci 2021; 45:27-40. [PMID: 34810019 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2021.10.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2021] [Revised: 10/12/2021] [Accepted: 10/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Social interactions are essential for mammalian life and are regulated by evolutionary conserved neuronal mechanisms. An individual's internal state, experiences, and the nature of the social stimulus are critical for determining apt responses to social situations. The lateral septum (LS) - a structure of the basal forebrain - integrates abundant cortical and subcortical inputs, and projects to multiple downstream regions to generate appropriate behavioral responses. Although incoming cognitive information is indispensable for contextualizing a social stimulus, neuromodulatory information related to the internal state of the organism significantly influences the behavioral outcome as well. This review article provides an overview of the neuroanatomical properties of the LS, and examines its neurochemical (neuropeptidergic and hormonal) signaling, which provide the neuromodulatory information essential for fine-tuning social behavior across the lifespan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rohit Menon
- Department of Behavioral and Molecular Neurobiology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Theresa Süß
- Department of Behavioral and Molecular Neurobiology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Vinícius Elias de Moura Oliveira
- Department of Behavioral and Molecular Neurobiology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany; Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, GIGA Neurosciences, University of Liege, Liege, Belgium
| | - Inga D Neumann
- Department of Behavioral and Molecular Neurobiology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Anna Bludau
- Department of Behavioral and Molecular Neurobiology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany.
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40
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Fesser EA, Gianatiempo O, Berardino BG, Alberca CD, Urrutia L, Falasco G, Sonzogni SV, Chertoff M, Cánepa ET. Impaired social cognition caused by perinatal protein malnutrition evokes neurodevelopmental disorder symptoms and is intergenerationally transmitted. Exp Neurol 2021; 347:113911. [PMID: 34767796 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2021.113911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2021] [Revised: 10/05/2021] [Accepted: 11/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Nutritional inadequacy before birth and during postnatal life can seriously interfere with brain development and lead to persistent deficits in learning and behavior. In this work, we asked if protein malnutrition affects domains of social cognition and if these phenotypes can be transmitted to the next generation. Female mice were fed with a normal or hypoproteic diet during pregnancy and lactation. After weaning, offspring were fed with a standard chow. Social interaction, social recognition memory, and dominance were evaluated in both sexes of F1 offspring and in the subsequent F2 generation. Glucose metabolism in the whole brain was analyzed through preclinical positron emission tomography. Genome-wide transcriptional analysis was performed in the medial prefrontal cortex followed by gene-ontology enrichment analysis. Compared with control animals, malnourished mice exhibited a deficit in social motivation and recognition memory and displayed a dominant phenotype. These altered behaviors, except for dominance, were transmitted to the next generation. Positron emission tomography analysis revealed lower glucose metabolism in the medial prefrontal cortex of F1 malnourished offspring. This brain region showed genome-wide transcriptional dysregulation, including 21 transcripts that overlapped with autism-associated genes. Our study cannot exclude that the lower maternal care provided by mothers exposed to a low-protein diet caused an additional impact on social cognition. Our results showed that maternal protein malnutrition dysregulates gene expression in the medial prefrontal cortex, promoting altered offspring behavior that was intergenerationally transmitted. These results support the hypothesis that early nutritional deficiency represents a risk factor for the emergence of symptoms associated with neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Estefanía A Fesser
- Grupo Neuroepigenética y Adversidades Tempranas, Departamento de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina; Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (IQUIBICEN), CONICET, Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Octavio Gianatiempo
- Grupo Neuroepigenética y Adversidades Tempranas, Departamento de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina; Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (IQUIBICEN), CONICET, Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Bruno G Berardino
- Grupo Neuroepigenética y Adversidades Tempranas, Departamento de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina; Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (IQUIBICEN), CONICET, Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Carolina D Alberca
- Grupo Neuroepigenética y Adversidades Tempranas, Departamento de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina; Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (IQUIBICEN), CONICET, Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Leandro Urrutia
- Centro de Imágenes Moleculares, Fleni, Escobar, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Germán Falasco
- Centro de Imágenes Moleculares, Fleni, Escobar, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Silvina V Sonzogni
- Grupo Neuroepigenética y Adversidades Tempranas, Departamento de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina; Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (IQUIBICEN), CONICET, Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Mariela Chertoff
- Grupo Neuroepigenética y Adversidades Tempranas, Departamento de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina; Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (IQUIBICEN), CONICET, Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Eduardo T Cánepa
- Grupo Neuroepigenética y Adversidades Tempranas, Departamento de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina; Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (IQUIBICEN), CONICET, Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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Excessive Laughter-like Vocalizations, Microcephaly, and Translational Outcomes in the Ube3a Deletion Rat Model of Angelman Syndrome. J Neurosci 2021; 41:8801-8814. [PMID: 34475199 PMCID: PMC8528495 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0925-21.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Revised: 08/23/2021] [Accepted: 08/26/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Angelman syndrome (AS) is a rare genetic neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by intellectual disabilities, motor and balance deficits, impaired communication, and a happy, excitable demeanor with frequent laughter. We sought to elucidate a preclinical outcome measure in male and female rats that addressed communication abnormalities of AS and other neurodevelopmental disorders in which communication is atypical and/or lack of speech is a core feature. We discovered, and herein report for the first time, excessive laughter-like 50 kHz ultrasonic emissions in the Ube3a mat-/pat+ rat model of AS, which suggests an excitable, playful demeanor and elevated positive affect, similar to the demeanor of individuals with AS. Also in line with the AS phenotype, Ube3a mat-/pat+ rats demonstrated aberrant social interactions with a novel partner, distinctive gait abnormalities, impaired cognition, an underlying LTP deficit, and profound reductions in brain volume. These unique, robust phenotypes provide advantages compared with currently available mouse models and will be highly valuable as outcome measures in the evaluation of therapies for AS.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Angelman syndrome (AS) is a severe neurogenetic disorder for which there is no cure, despite decades of research using mouse models. This study used a recently developed rat model of AS to delineate disease-relevant outcome measures to facilitate therapeutic development. We found the rat to be a strong model of AS, offering several advantages over mouse models by exhibiting numerous AS-relevant phenotypes, including overabundant laughter-like vocalizations, reduced hippocampal LTP, and volumetric anomalies across the brain. These findings are unconfounded by detrimental motor abilities and background strain, issues plaguing mouse models. This rat model represents an important advancement in the field of AS, and the outcome metrics reported herein will be central to the therapeutic pipeline.
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42
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Peinemann F, Tendal B, Bölte S. Digital serious games for emotional recognition in people with autism spectrum disorder. Hippokratia 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/14651858.cd014673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Frank Peinemann
- Pediatric Oncology and Hematology; Children's Hospital, University of Cologne; Cologne Germany
| | - Britta Tendal
- The Nordic Cochrane Centre; Rigshospitalet; Copenhagen Denmark
| | - Sven Bölte
- Center of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (KIND), Centre for Psychiatry Research; Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm Health Care Services, Region Stockholm; Stockholm Sweden
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry; Stockholm Health Care Services, Region Stockholm; Stockholm Sweden
- Curtin Autism Research Group, Curtin School of Allied Health; Curtin University; Perth Australia
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43
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What Do We Know about Theory of Mind Impairment in Parkinson's Disease? Behav Sci (Basel) 2021; 11:bs11100130. [PMID: 34677223 PMCID: PMC8533307 DOI: 10.3390/bs11100130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2021] [Revised: 09/17/2021] [Accepted: 09/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Theory of mind (ToM) is a social cognitive skill that involves the ability to attribute mental states to self and others (what they think (cognitive ToM) and feel (affective ToM)). We aim to provide an overview of previous knowledge of ToM in Parkinson's disease (PD). In the last few years more attention has been paid to the study of this construct as a non-motor manifestation of PD. In advanced stages, both components of ToM (cognitive and affective) are commonly impaired, although in early PD results remain controversial. Executive dysfunction correlates with ToM deficits and other cognitive domains such as language and visuospatial function have also been related to ToM. Recent studies have demonstrated that PD patients with mild cognitive impairment show ToM deficits more frequently in comparison with cognitively normal PD patients. In addition to the heterogeneity of ToM tests administered in different studies, depression and dopaminergic medication may also be acting as confounding factors, but there are still insufficient data to support this. Neuroimaging studies conducted to understand the underlying networks of cognitive and affective ToM deficits in PD are lacking. The study of ToM deficit in PD continues to be important, as this may worsen quality of life and favor social stigma. Future studies should be considered, including assessment of the patients' cognitive state, associated mood disorders, and the role of dopaminergic deficit.
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44
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Gillera SEA, Marinello WP, Cao KT, Horman BM, Stapleton HM, Patisaul HB. Sex-specific Disruption of the Prairie Vole Hypothalamus by Developmental Exposure to a Flame Retardant Mixture. Endocrinology 2021; 162:6285199. [PMID: 34038511 PMCID: PMC8571712 DOI: 10.1210/endocr/bqab100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Prevalence of neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) with social deficits is conspicuously rising, particularly in boys. Flame retardants (FRs) have long been associated with increased risk, and prior work by us and others in multiple species has shown that developmental exposure to the common FR mixture Firemaster 550 (FM 550) sex-specifically alters socioemotional behaviors including anxiety and pair bond formation. In rats, FRs have also been shown to impair aspects of osmoregulation. Because vasopressin (AVP) plays a role in both socioemotional behavior and osmotic balance we hypothesized that AVP and its related nonapeptide oxytocin (OT) would be vulnerable to developmental FM 550 exposure. We used the prairie vole (Microtus ochrogaste) to test this because it is spontaneously prosocial. Using siblings of prairie voles used in a prior study that assessed behavioral deficits resulting from developmental FM 550 exposure across 3 doses, here we tested the hypothesis that FM 550 sex-specifically alters AVP and OT neuronal populations in critical nuclei, such as the paraventricular nucleus (PVN), that coordinate those behaviors, as well as related dopaminergic (determined by tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) immunolabeling) populations. Exposed females had fewer AVP neurons in the anterior PVN and more A13 TH neurons in the zona incerta than controls. By contrast, in FM 550 males, A13 TH neuron numbers in the zona incerta were decreased but only in 1 dose group. These results expand on previous work showing evidence of endocrine disruption of OT/AVP pathways, including to subpopulations of PVN AVP neurons that coordinate osmoregulatory functions in the periphery.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - William P Marinello
- Department of Biological Sciences, NC State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
| | - Kevin T Cao
- Department of Biological Sciences, NC State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
| | - Brian M Horman
- Department of Biological Sciences, NC State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
| | - Heather M Stapleton
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Levine Science Research Center, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Heather B Patisaul
- Department of Biological Sciences, NC State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
- Center for Human Health and the Environment, NC State University, Raleigh NC 27695, USA
- Correspondence: Heather B Patisaul, Professor of Biological Sciences, NC State University, 127 David Clark Labs, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA. E-mail:
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45
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Hamner T, Shih E, Ichord R, Krivitzky L. Children with perinatal stroke are at increased risk for autism spectrum disorder: Prevalence and co-occurring conditions within a clinically followed sample. Clin Neuropsychol 2021; 36:981-992. [PMID: 34308766 DOI: 10.1080/13854046.2021.1955150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Children with perinatal stroke are at increased risk for developmental language disorders, learning difficulties, and other mental health conditions. However to date, autism (ASD) prevalence in this group has not been reported. Given that early identification of ASD is essential to promoting optimal outcomes, our goal was to establish prevalence of ASD in children with perinatal stroke. METHOD A prospectively enrolled, single-center stroke registry maintained at our institution since 2005 was queried for all potentially eligible patients with a history of perinatal stroke. Information regarding stroke features, ASD diagnosis/concern, intellectual disability/global developmental delay, cerebral palsy/hemiparesis, epilepsy, and language disorder were collected via retrospective chart review from electronic health records. RESULTS 311 children were identified, of which 201 complete records were analyzed. Twenty-three cases were formally diagnosed with ASD (11.4%). First concerns were noted in toddlerhood (Mage = 2.66 years), yet the average age of diagnosis was 6.26 years. Children with ASD were more likely to have earlier diagnoses of intellectual disability/global developmental delay or a mixed receptive-expressive language disorder (ps < .001) but did not differ on CP/hemiplegia or epilepsy diagnoses. Risk for ASD increased with accumulating diagnoses. DISCUSSION Children with perinatal stroke have an increased prevalence of ASD (11.4%) than in the general population. ASD concerns arise at a similar age as the general population, yet ASD is diagnosed almost two years later than the general population and 3.60 years after first concerns present. Co-occurring neurological conditions are common. Clinicians must be aware of increased prevalence and implement screening as part of routine care for all pediatric patients with perinatal stroke.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taralee Hamner
- Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA.,Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Evelyn Shih
- Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA.,Department of Neurology & Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Perelman School of Medicine of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Rebecca Ichord
- Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA.,Department of Neurology & Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Perelman School of Medicine of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Lauren Krivitzky
- Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Perelman School of Medicine of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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Pavăl D, Micluția IV. The Dopamine Hypothesis of Autism Spectrum Disorder Revisited: Current Status and Future Prospects. Dev Neurosci 2021; 43:73-83. [PMID: 34010842 DOI: 10.1159/000515751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2021] [Accepted: 03/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) comprises a group of neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by social deficits and stereotyped behaviors. Despite intensive research, its etiopathogenesis remains largely unclear. Although studies consistently reported dopaminergic anomalies, a coherent dopaminergic model of ASD was lacking until recently. In 2017, we provided a theoretical framework for a "dopamine hypothesis of ASD" which proposed that autistic behavior arises from a dysfunctional midbrain dopaminergic system. Namely, we hypothesized that malfunction of 2 critical circuits originating in the midbrain, that is, the mesocorticolimbic and nigrostriatal pathways, generates the core behavioral features of ASD. Moreover, we provided key predictions of our model along with testing means. Since then, a notable number of studies referenced our work and numerous others provided support for our model. To account for these developments, we review all these recent data and discuss their implications. Furthermore, in the light of these new insights, we further refine and reconceptualize our model, debating on the possibility that various etiologies of ASD converge upon a dysfunctional midbrain dopaminergic system. In addition, we discuss future prospects, providing new means of testing our hypothesis, as well as its limitations. Along these lines, we aimed to provide a model which, if confirmed, could provide a better understanding of the etiopathogenesis of ASD along with new therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denis Pavăl
- Psychiatry Clinic, Emergency County Hospital, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Ioana Valentina Micluția
- Department of Psychiatry, "Iuliu Hațieganu" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
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47
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Daedelow LS, Beck A, Romund L, Mascarell-Maricic L, Dziobek I, Romanczuk-Seiferth N, Wüstenberg T, Heinz A. Neural correlates of RDoC-specific cognitive processes in a high-functional autistic patient: a statistically validated case report. J Neural Transm (Vienna) 2021; 128:845-859. [PMID: 34003357 PMCID: PMC8205905 DOI: 10.1007/s00702-021-02352-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2020] [Accepted: 05/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The level of functioning of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) varies widely. To better understand the neurobiological mechanism associated with high-functioning ASD, we studied the rare case of a female patient with an exceptional professional career in the highly competitive academic field of Mathematics. According to the Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) approach, which proposes to describe the basic dimensions of functioning by integrating different levels of information, we conducted four fMRI experiments targeting the (1) social processes domain (Theory of mind (ToM) and face matching), (2) positive valence domain (reward processing), and (3) cognitive domain (N-back). Patient’s data were compared to data of 14 healthy controls (HC). Additionally, we assessed the subjective experience of our case during the experiments. The patient showed increased response times during face matching and achieved a higher total gain in the Reward task, whereas her performance in N-back and ToM was similar to HC. Her brain function differed mainly in the positive valence and cognitive domains. During reward processing, she showed reduced activity in a left-hemispheric frontal network and cortical midline structures but increased connectivity within this network. During the working memory task patients’ brain activity and connectivity in left-hemispheric temporo-frontal regions were elevated. In the ToM task, activity in posterior cingulate cortex and temporo-parietal junction was reduced. We suggest that the high level of functioning in our patient is rather related to the effects in brain connectivity than to local cortical information processing and that subjective report provides a fruitful framework for interpretation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura S Daedelow
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy CCM, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität Zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Anne Beck
- Health and Medical University Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Lydia Romund
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy CCM, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität Zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Lea Mascarell-Maricic
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy CCM, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität Zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Isabel Dziobek
- Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Berlin, Germany.,Department of Psychology, Humboldt-University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Nina Romanczuk-Seiferth
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy CCM, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität Zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Torsten Wüstenberg
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy CCM, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität Zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany. .,Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Psychological Institute, Ruprecht-Karls-University Heidelberg, Hauptstr. 47-51, 69117, Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Andreas Heinz
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy CCM, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität Zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
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48
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Machado R, Lima C, d'Almeida OC, Afonso A, Macário C, Castelo-Branco M, Sousa L, Santana I, Batista S. Protective effects of cognitive and brain reserve in multiple sclerosis: Differential roles on social cognition and 'classic cognition'. Mult Scler Relat Disord 2020; 48:102716. [PMID: 33421706 DOI: 10.1016/j.msard.2020.102716] [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: 11/03/2020] [Revised: 12/14/2020] [Accepted: 12/21/2020] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND According to cognitive reserve (CR) and brain reserve (BR) theories, lifetime intellectual enrichment and maximal brain volume protect against cognitive decline. OBJECTIVE To examine the effects of CR and BR on social cognition in multiple sclerosis (MS), and compare it with 'classic cognition'. METHODS We included 60 MS patients and 60 healthy controls matched on age, sex, and education. Education was used has a proxy of CR and intracranial volume (ICV) as a proxy of BR. Participants underwent Theory of Mind (ToM) testing (Eyes Test, Videos Test), comprehensive neuropsychological assessment and 3Tesla brain MRI. Cortical and subcortical grey matter (GM) volumes were calculated. RESULTS We found positive effects of education and ICV on general cognitive status and ToM performance, respectively. Higher education moderated the impact of subcortical GM atrophy on 'classic' cognitive status (R2=0.219, p=<0.001). Conversely, greater ICV attenuated the impact of cortical GM atrophy on Eyes Test (R2=0.158, p=0.002) and Videos Test (R2=0.198, p=0.001). Stratification for disease duration showed that the protective effect of education/ICV occurred in early stages of disease (<10 years). CONCLUSION CR and BR have differential protective roles in MS, with BR having a positive effect on social cognition and CR on 'classic' cognitive domains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rita Machado
- Department of Neurology, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra (CHUC), Coimbra 3000-075, Portugal.
| | - Cláudia Lima
- Department of Neurology, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra (CHUC), Coimbra 3000-075, Portugal
| | - Otília C d'Almeida
- Visual Neuroscience Laboratory, Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Life Sciences (IBILI), Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal; Centre for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC). IBILI, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal; Institute for Nuclear Sciences Applied to Health (ICNAS), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Ana Afonso
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Carmo Macário
- Department of Neurology, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra (CHUC), Coimbra 3000-075, Portugal
| | - Miguel Castelo-Branco
- Visual Neuroscience Laboratory, Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Life Sciences (IBILI), Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal; Centre for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC). IBILI, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal; Institute for Nuclear Sciences Applied to Health (ICNAS), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal; Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Lívia Sousa
- Department of Neurology, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra (CHUC), Coimbra 3000-075, Portugal; Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Isabel Santana
- Department of Neurology, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra (CHUC), Coimbra 3000-075, Portugal; Centre for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC). IBILI, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal; Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Sónia Batista
- Department of Neurology, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra (CHUC), Coimbra 3000-075, Portugal; Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
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49
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Zuo Y, Chang Y, Thirupathi A, Zhou C, Shi Z. Prenatal sevoflurane exposure: Effects of iron metabolic dysfunction on offspring cognition and potential mechanism. Int J Dev Neurosci 2020; 81:1-9. [PMID: 33259670 DOI: 10.1002/jdn.10080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2020] [Revised: 11/23/2020] [Accepted: 11/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
For decades, the neurotoxicity caused by anesthetics in mammalian brain development has gained increasing attention. Exposure to anesthetics leads to neurotoxicity and apoptosis of nerve cells, which in turn induces cognitive dysfunction. Although most of the data came from animal studies, general anesthetics have been shown to have adverse effects on cognitive function in infants and young children in recent years. This concern has led to a number of retrospective studies that observed an association between general anesthesia in pregnant women and neurobehavioral problems in fetuses or offspring. Every year, many pregnant women undergo non-obstetric anesthesia due to various reasons such as traffic accidents, fetal interventions, acute appendicitis, symptomatic cholelithiasis, and trauma. A matter of concern for these pregnant women is whether anesthesia has a detrimental effect on fetal brain development in the womb and whether the fetus has cognitive impairment after birth. In humans, the association of anesthetic exposure in infants with the long-term impairment of neurologic functions has been reported in several retrospective clinical studies. Recently, we have found that sevoflurane anesthesia during pregnancy in mice-induced cognitive impairment in the offspring by causing iron deficiency and inhibiting myelinogenesis. Sevoflurane is a commonly used general anesthetic in the hospitals, which can induce neurotoxicity and cause cognitive impairment in fetuses, infants, children, and adults. However, the exact mechanism of sevoflurane-induced damage to the central nervous system (CNS) is not fully understood. Based on our recent results, this paper reviewed the effects of sevoflurane on cognitive impairment and pathological changes such as neurogenesis, neuronal apoptosis, and iron metabolism dysfunction in the offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong Zuo
- Laboratory of Molecular Iron Metabolism, College of Life Science, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Yanzhong Chang
- Laboratory of Molecular Iron Metabolism, College of Life Science, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, China
| | | | - Changhao Zhou
- The First Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Zhenhua Shi
- Laboratory of Molecular Iron Metabolism, College of Life Science, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, China
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50
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Netser S, Meyer A, Magalnik H, Zylbertal A, de la Zerda SH, Briller M, Bizer A, Grinevich V, Wagner S. Distinct dynamics of social motivation drive differential social behavior in laboratory rat and mouse strains. Nat Commun 2020; 11:5908. [PMID: 33219219 PMCID: PMC7679456 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-19569-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2019] [Accepted: 10/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Mice and rats are widely used to explore mechanisms of mammalian social behavior in health and disease, raising the question whether they actually differ in their social behavior. Here we address this question by directly comparing social investigation behavior between two mouse and rat strains used most frequently for behavioral studies and as models of neuropathological conditions: C57BL/6 J mice and Sprague Dawley (SD) rats. Employing novel experimental systems for behavioral analysis of both subjects and stimuli during the social preference test, we reveal marked differences in behavioral dynamics between the strains, suggesting stronger and faster induction of social motivation in SD rats. These different behavioral patterns, which correlate with distinctive c-Fos expression in social motivation-related brain areas, are modified by competition with non-social rewarding stimuli, in a strain-specific manner. Thus, these two strains differ in their social behavior, which should be taken into consideration when selecting an appropriate model organism. Laboratory rat and mouse strains serve as animal models to explore brain mechanisms underlying social behavior. Here, the authors describe differences in social behavior between commonly used rat and mouse strains, which may reflect distinct dynamics of social motivation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shai Netser
- Sagol Department of Neurobiology, the Integrated Brain and Behavior Research Center (IBBRC), University of Haifa, Haifa, 3498838, Israel
| | - Ana Meyer
- Department of Neuropeptide Research in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, J5, 69159, Germany
| | - Hen Magalnik
- Sagol Department of Neurobiology, the Integrated Brain and Behavior Research Center (IBBRC), University of Haifa, Haifa, 3498838, Israel
| | - Asaph Zylbertal
- Department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology, University College London, London, WCE1 6BT, UK
| | - Shani Haskal de la Zerda
- Sagol Department of Neurobiology, the Integrated Brain and Behavior Research Center (IBBRC), University of Haifa, Haifa, 3498838, Israel
| | - Mayan Briller
- Sagol Department of Neurobiology, the Integrated Brain and Behavior Research Center (IBBRC), University of Haifa, Haifa, 3498838, Israel
| | - Alexander Bizer
- Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, 3498838, Israel
| | - Valery Grinevich
- Department of Neuropeptide Research in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, J5, 69159, Germany
| | - Shlomo Wagner
- Sagol Department of Neurobiology, the Integrated Brain and Behavior Research Center (IBBRC), University of Haifa, Haifa, 3498838, Israel.
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