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Asadi E, Khodagholi F, Asadi S, Mohammadi Kamsorkh H, Kaveh N, Maleki A. Quality of early-life maternal care predicts empathy-like behavior in adult male rats: Linking empathy to BDNF gene expression in associated brain regions. Brain Res 2021; 1767:147568. [PMID: 34192516 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2021.147568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2021] [Revised: 06/15/2021] [Accepted: 06/23/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Empathy is the ability to experience a shared affective state as others. It enhances group living and manifests itself as helping behavior towards a distressed person. It also can flourish by nurturing. Recent findings suggest that rodents exhibit empathy-like behavior towards their conspecifics. However, the role of early-life experiences (e.g., maternal care) is not clear on the development of empathy-like behavior. Moreover, brain-derived neutrophilic factor (BDNF) is a pivotal protein in modulating the brain's function and behaviors. Evidence suggests that the expression of the BDNF gene can be affected by the quality of maternal care. In this study, we questioned whether variation in maternal care modulates empathy-like behavior of male rats in adulthood. Additionally, gene expression of BDNF was measured in the amygdala, hippocampus, insula, anterior cingulate cortex, prefrontal cortex, and striatum in these adult male rats. Based on the pattern of maternal care, the offspring were divided into high maternal care (HMC) and low maternal care (LMC) groups. We confirmed that the early-life experience of HMC significantly promoted the empathy-like behavior of rats in adulthood compared to LMC. In terms of gene expression, the HMC group consistently had higher BDNF gene expression in all studied regions, except anterior cingulate cortex which groups were not different. Taken together, it suggests that maternal care in infancy predicts empathy-like behavior in adulthood and differences in BDNF gene expression in different brain regions may reflect the underlying mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ehsan Asadi
- Neuroscience Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Fariba Khodagholi
- Neuroscience Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Sareh Asadi
- Neuroscience Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Neda Kaveh
- Neurobiology Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ali Maleki
- Neuroscience Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
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Abstract
Deficits in decision making are at the heart of many psychiatric diseases, such as substance abuse disorders and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Consequently, rodent models of decision making are germane to understanding the neural mechanisms underlying adaptive choice behavior and how such mechanisms can become compromised in pathological conditions. A critical factor that must be integrated with reward value to ensure optimal decision making is the occurrence of consequences, which can differ based on probability (risk of punishment) and temporal contiguity (delayed punishment). This article will focus on two models of decision making that involve explicit punishment, both of which recapitulate different aspects of consequences during human decision making. We will discuss each behavioral protocol, the parameters to consider when designing an experiment, and finally how such animal models can be utilized in studies of psychiatric disease. © 2020 Wiley Periodicals LLC. Basic Protocol 1: Behavioral training Support Protocol: Equipment testing Alternate Protocol: Reward discrimination Basic Protocol 2: Risky decision-making task (RDT) Basic Protocol 3: Delayed punishment decision-making task (DPDT).
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin A Orsini
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas
| | - Nicholas W Simon
- Department of Psychology, University of Memphis, Memphis, Tennessee
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Yates JR, Horchar MJ, Ellis AL, Kappesser JL, Mbambu P, Sutphin TG, Dehner DS, Igwe HO, Wright MR. Differential effects of glutamate N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonists on risky choice as assessed in the risky decision task. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2021; 238:133-148. [PMID: 32936321 PMCID: PMC7796939 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-020-05664-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2020] [Accepted: 09/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Risky choice can be measured using the risky decision task (RDT). In the RDT, animals choose between a large, risky option that is paired with probabilistic foot shock and a small, safe option that is never paired with shock. To date, studies examining the neurochemical basis of decision-making in the RDT have focused primarily on the dopaminergic system but have not focused on the glutamatergic system, which has been implicated in risky decision-making. OBJECTIVES Because glutamate is known to play a critical role in decision-making, we wanted to determine the contribution of the glutamatergic system to performance in the RDT. METHODS In the experiment, 32 rats (16 male; 16 female) were tested in the RDT. The probability of receiving a foot shock increased across the session (ascending schedule) for half of the rats but decreased across the session (descending schedule) for half of the rats. Following training, rats received injections of the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor competitive antagonist CGS 19755 (0, 1.0, 2.5, 5.0 mg/kg; s.c.) and the GluN2B-selective antagonist Ro 63-1908 (0, 0.1, 0.3, 1.0 mg/kg; s.c.). RESULTS CGS 19755 (2.5 and 5.0 mg/kg) increased risky choice in males and females trained on the ascending schedule. Ro 63-1908 (1.0 mg/kg) decreased risky choice, but only in male rats trained on the ascending schedule. CONCLUSIONS Although NMDA receptor antagonists differentially alter risky choice in the RDT, the current results show that NMDA receptors are an important mediator of decision-making involving probabilistic delivery of positive punishment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin R Yates
- Department of Psychological Science, Northern Kentucky University, 1 Nunn Drive, Highland Heights, KY, 41099, USA.
| | - Matthew J Horchar
- Department of Psychological Science, Northern Kentucky University, 1 Nunn Drive, Highland Heights, KY, 41099, USA
| | - Alexis L Ellis
- Department of Psychological Science, Northern Kentucky University, 1 Nunn Drive, Highland Heights, KY, 41099, USA
| | - Joy L Kappesser
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Kentucky University, 1 Nunn Drive, Highland Heights, KY, 41099, USA
| | - Prodiges Mbambu
- Department of Psychological Science, Northern Kentucky University, 1 Nunn Drive, Highland Heights, KY, 41099, USA
| | - Tanner G Sutphin
- Department of Psychological Science, Northern Kentucky University, 1 Nunn Drive, Highland Heights, KY, 41099, USA
| | - Destiny S Dehner
- Department of Psychological Science, Northern Kentucky University, 1 Nunn Drive, Highland Heights, KY, 41099, USA
| | - Hephzibah O Igwe
- Department of Psychological Science, Northern Kentucky University, 1 Nunn Drive, Highland Heights, KY, 41099, USA
| | - Makayla R Wright
- Department of Psychological Science, Northern Kentucky University, 1 Nunn Drive, Highland Heights, KY, 41099, USA
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Beyer DKE, Horn L, Klinker N, Freund N. Risky decision-making following prefrontal D1 receptor manipulation. Transl Neurosci 2021; 12:432-443. [PMID: 34760299 PMCID: PMC8569284 DOI: 10.1515/tnsci-2020-0187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2021] [Revised: 09/13/2021] [Accepted: 09/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The prefrontal dopamine D1 receptor (D1R) is involved in cognitive processes. Viral overexpression of this receptor in rats further increases the reward-related behaviors and even its termination induces anhedonia and helplessness. In this study, we investigated the risky decision-making during D1R overexpression and its termination. Rats conducted the rodent version of the Iowa gambling task daily. In addition, the methyl CpG–binding protein-2 (MeCP2), one regulator connecting the dopaminergic system, cognitive processes, and mood-related behavior, was investigated after completion of the behavioral tasks. D1R overexpressing subjects exhibited maladaptive risky decision-making and risky decisions returned to control levels following termination of D1R overexpression; however, after termination, animals earned less reward compared to control subjects. In this phase, MeCP2-positive cells were elevated in the right amygdala. Our results extend the previously reported behavioral changes in the D1R-manipulated animal model to increased risk-taking and revealed differential MeCP2 expression adding further evidence for a bipolar disorder-like phenotype of this model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominik K. E. Beyer
- Division of Experimental and Molecular Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Preventive Medicine, LWL University Hospital, Ruhr-University, 44801 Bochum, Germany
| | - Lisa Horn
- Division of Experimental and Molecular Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Preventive Medicine, LWL University Hospital, Ruhr-University, 44801 Bochum, Germany
| | - Nadine Klinker
- Division of Experimental and Molecular Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Preventive Medicine, LWL University Hospital, Ruhr-University, 44801 Bochum, Germany
| | - Nadja Freund
- Division of Experimental and Molecular Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Preventive Medicine, LWL University Hospital, Ruhr-University, 44801 Bochum, Germany
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Misztak P, Pańczyszyn-Trzewik P, Nowak G, Sowa-Kućma M. Epigenetic marks and their relationship with BDNF in the brain of suicide victims. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0239335. [PMID: 32970734 PMCID: PMC7513998 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0239335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2020] [Accepted: 09/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Suicide is a common phenomenon affecting people of all ages. There is a strong relationship between suicidal ideation and depressive disorders. Increasing number of studies suggest that epigenetic modifications in certain brain areas are the main mechanism through which environmental and genetic factors interact with each other contributing to the development of mental disorders. To verify this hypothesis, some epigenetic marks: H3K9/14ac, HDAC2/3, H3K27me2 and Sin3a, as well as p-S421-MeCP2/MeCP2 were examined. On the other hand, BDNF protein level were studied. Materials and methods Western blot analysis were performed in the frontal cortex (FCx) and hippocampus (HP) of suicide victims (n = 14) and non-suicidal controls (n = 8). The differences between groups and correlations between selected proteins were evaluated using Mann-Whitney U-test and Spearman’s rank correlation. Results Statistically significant decrease in H3K9/14ac (FCx:↓~23%;HP:↓~33%) combined with increase in HDAC3 (FCx:↑~103%;HP:↑~85% in HP) protein levels in suicides compared to the controls was shown. These alterations were accompanied by an increase in H3K27me2 (FCx:↑45%;HP:↑~59%) and Sin3a (HP:↑50%) levels and decrease in p-S421-MeCP2/MeCP2 protein ratio (HP:↓~55%;FCx:↓~27%). Moreover, reduced BDNF protein level (FCx:↓~43%;HP:↓~28%) in suicides was observed. On the other hand, some significant correlations (e.g. between H3K9/14ac and HDAC2 or between BDNF and p-S421-MeCP2/MeCP2) were demonstrated. Conclusions Our findings confirm the role of epigenetic component and BDNF protein in suicidal behavior. Lowered BDNF protein level in suicides is probably due to decrease in histone acetylation and increased level of factors related with deacetylation and methylation processes, including MeCP2 factor, which may operate bidirectionally (an activator or inhibitor of transcription).
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Affiliation(s)
- Paulina Misztak
- Department of Neurobiology, Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kraków, Poland
- Chair of Pharmacobiology, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Krakow, Poland
| | - Patrycja Pańczyszyn-Trzewik
- Department of Neurobiology, Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kraków, Poland
- Department of Human Physiology, Institute of Medical Sciences, Medical College of Rzeszow University, Rzeszow, Poland
| | - Gabriel Nowak
- Department of Neurobiology, Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kraków, Poland
- Chair of Pharmacobiology, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Krakow, Poland
| | - Magdalena Sowa-Kućma
- Department of Neurobiology, Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kraków, Poland
- Department of Human Physiology, Institute of Medical Sciences, Medical College of Rzeszow University, Rzeszow, Poland
- * E-mail: ,
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Glover LR, Postle AF, Holmes A. Touchscreen-based assessment of risky-choice in mice. Behav Brain Res 2020; 393:112748. [PMID: 32531231 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2020.112748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2020] [Revised: 05/15/2020] [Accepted: 05/30/2020] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Addictions are characterized by choices made to satisfy the addiction despite the risk it could produce an adverse consequence. Here, we developed a murine version of a 'risky decision-making' task (RDT), in which mice could respond on a touchscreen panel to obtain either a large milkshake reward associated with varying probability of footshock, or a smaller amount of the same reward that was never punished. Results showed that (the following font is incorrectly smaller/subscripted) mice shifted choice from the large to small reward stimulus as shock probability increased. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed more Fos-positive cells in prelimbic cortex (PL) and basal amygdala (BA) after RDT testing, and a strong anti-correlation between infralimbic cortex (IL) activity and choice of the large reward stimulus under likely (75-100 % probability) punishment. These findings establish an assay for risky choice in mice and provide preliminary insight into the underlying neural substrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas R Glover
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Genomic Neuroscience, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA.
| | - Abagail F Postle
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Genomic Neuroscience, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Andrew Holmes
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Genomic Neuroscience, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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Distinct relationships between risky decision making and cocaine self-administration under short- and long-access conditions. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2020; 98:109791. [PMID: 31676462 PMCID: PMC7375467 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2019.109791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2019] [Revised: 10/01/2019] [Accepted: 10/16/2019] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Substance use is strongly associated with impaired decision making, with cocaine use particularly linked to elevated risky and impulsive choice. It is not clear, however, whether such maladaptive decision making is a consequence of cocaine use or instead precedes and predisposes individuals to cocaine use. The current study was designed to specifically address the latter possibility with respect to risky choice in both male and female rats. Rats were first trained in a "Risky Decision-making Task" (RDT), in which they made discrete choices between a small, "safe" food reward and a large, "risky" food reward accompanied by increasing probabilities of mild footshock punishment. After reaching stable performance, rats underwent jugular catheter surgery followed by either short-access cocaine self-administration sessions (2 h, 0.5 mg/kg/infusion) for 5 days or long-access cocaine self-administration sessions (6 h, 0.5 mg/kg/infusion) for 14 days. Under short-access conditions, there was no relationship between risk preference and changes in cocaine intake over time, but greater risk aversion in females predicted greater overall cocaine intake. Under long-access conditions, heightened risk taking predicted greater escalation of cocaine intake over the course of self-administration, supporting the notion that pre-existing risk-taking behavior predicts cocaine intake. Collectively, results from these experiments have implications for understanding and identifying pre-existing vulnerabilities to substance use, which may lead to strategies to prevent development of substance use disorders.
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Mizoguchi H, Yamada K. [Physiological centers of decision-making: manipulation of neural activity in insular cortex by AAV]. Nihon Yakurigaku Zasshi 2019; 153:224-230. [PMID: 31092755 DOI: 10.1254/fpj.153.224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Decision-making is a key activity process that influences many aspects of daily living and both mental and physical health. In general, healthy participants reveal rational choice, but patients with neuropsychiatric disorders reveal irrational and risky choice in decision-making. Addiction is one of typical diseases revealed risky decision-making, addicts select risky action and options that confer short-term rewards at the cost of long-term disadvantages. Thus, irrational and risky decision-making is recognized as a core problem in patients with neuropsychiatric disorders, and a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying altered decision-making would provide insights into potential therapeutic approaches for these diseases. However, the neural pathway and substrates underlying these deficits are particularly unknown. Recently, we found that insular cortex is one of key regions for risky decision-making in an animal model of methamphetamine addiction, by using the designer receptor exclusively activated by designer drug (DREADD) technology, and that GABAergic dysfunction in insular cortex is involved in evaluating the subjective value of reward and reward prediction error. These brain dysfunctions would be related to risk taking behavior in addiction. In this review, we introduced the possible neural pathway related to risky decision-making and behavioral changes in choice strategy using adeno associated virus (AAV).
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroyuki Mizoguchi
- Research Center for Next-Generation Drug Development, Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, Nagoya University
| | - Kiyofumi Yamada
- Department of Neuropsychopharmacology and Hospital Pharmacy, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine
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Mizoguchi H, Yamada K. Methamphetamine use causes cognitive impairment and altered decision-making. Neurochem Int 2019; 124:106-113. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuint.2018.12.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2018] [Revised: 12/20/2018] [Accepted: 12/31/2018] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
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Abstract
Excessive preference for risky over safe options is a hallmark of several psychiatric disorders. Here we describe a behavioral task that models such risky decision making in rats. In this task, rats are given choices between small, safe rewards and large rewards accompanied by risk of footshock punishment. The risk of punishment changes within a test session, allowing quantification of decision making at different levels of risk. Importantly, this task can yield a wide degree of reliable individual variability, allowing the characterization of rats as "risk-taking" or "risk-averse." The task has been demonstrated to be effective for testing the effects of pharmacological agents and neurobiological manipulations, and the individual variability (which mimics the human population) allows assessment of behavioral and neurobiological distinctions among subjects based on their risk-taking profile.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin A Orsini
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Shelby L Blaes
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Barry Setlow
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
- Center for Addiction Research and Education, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL, USA.
| | - Nicholas W Simon
- Department of Psychology, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN, USA
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Contributions of medial prefrontal cortex to decision making involving risk of punishment. Neuropharmacology 2018; 139:205-216. [PMID: 30009836 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2018.07.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2018] [Revised: 07/10/2018] [Accepted: 07/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The prefrontal cortex (PFC) plays an important role in several forms of cost-benefit decision making. Its contributions to decision making under risk of explicit punishment, however, are not well understood. A rat model was used to investigate the role of the medial PFC (mPFC) and its monoaminergic innervation in a Risky Decision-making Task (RDT), in which rats chose between a small, "safe" food reward and a large, "risky" food reward accompanied by varying probabilities of mild footshock punishment. Inactivation of mPFC increased choice of the large, risky reward when the punishment probability increased across the session ("ascending RDT"), but decreased choice of the large, risky reward when the punishment probability decreased across the session ("descending RDT"). In contrast, enhancement of monoamine availability via intra-mPFC amphetamine reduced choice of the large, risky reward only in the descending RDT. Systemic administration of amphetamine reduced choice of the large, risky reward in both the ascending and descending RDT; however, this reduction was not attenuated by concurrent mPFC inactivation, indicating that mPFC is not a critical locus of amphetamine's effects on risk taking. These findings suggest that mPFC plays an important role in adapting choice behavior in response to shifting risk contingencies, but not necessarily in risk-taking behavior per se.
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