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Beck DW, Heaton CN, Davila LD, Rakocevic LI, Drammis SM, Tyulmankov D, Vara P, Giri A, Umashankar Beck S, Zhang Q, Pokojovy M, Negishi K, Batson SA, Salcido AA, Reyes NF, Macias AY, Ibanez-Alcala RJ, Hossain SB, Waller GL, O'Dell LE, Moschak TM, Goosens KA, Friedman A. Model of a striatal circuit exploring biological mechanisms underlying decision-making during normal and disordered states. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.07.29.605535. [PMID: 39211231 PMCID: PMC11361035 DOI: 10.1101/2024.07.29.605535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/04/2024]
Abstract
Decision-making requires continuous adaptation to internal and external contexts. Changes in decision-making are reliable transdiagnostic symptoms of neuropsychiatric disorders. We created a computational model demonstrating how the striosome compartment of the striatum constructs a mathematical space for decision-making computations depending on context, and how the matrix compartment defines action value depending on the space. The model explains multiple experimental results and unifies other theories like reward prediction error, roles of the direct versus indirect pathways, and roles of the striosome versus matrix, under one framework. We also found, through new analyses, that striosome and matrix neurons increase their synchrony during difficult tasks, caused by a necessary increase in dimensionality of the space. The model makes testable predictions about individual differences in disorder susceptibility, decision-making symptoms shared among neuropsychiatric disorders, and differences in neuropsychiatric disorder symptom presentation. The model reframes the role of the striosomal circuit in neuroeconomic and disorder-affected decision-making. Highlights Striosomes prioritize decision-related data used by matrix to set action values. Striosomes and matrix have different roles in the direct and indirect pathways. Abnormal information organization/valuation alters disorder presentation. Variance in data prioritization may explain individual differences in disorders. eTOC Beck et al. developed a computational model of how a striatal circuit functions during decision-making. The model unifies and extends theories about the direct versus indirect pathways. It further suggests how aberrant circuit function underlies decision-making phenomena observed in neuropsychiatric disorders.
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de Carvalho G, Khoja S, Haile MT, Chen LY. Early life adversity impaired dorsal striatal synaptic transmission and behavioral adaptability to appropriate action selection in a sex-dependent manner. Front Synaptic Neurosci 2023; 15:1128640. [PMID: 37091877 PMCID: PMC10116150 DOI: 10.3389/fnsyn.2023.1128640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 04/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Early life adversity (ELA) is a major health burden in the United States, with 62% of adults reporting at least one adverse childhood experience. These experiences during critical stages of brain development can perturb the development of neural circuits that mediate sensory cue processing and behavioral regulation. Recent studies have reported that ELA impaired the maturation of dendritic spines on neurons in the dorsolateral striatum (DLS) but not in the dorsomedial striatum (DMS). The DMS and DLS are part of two distinct corticostriatal circuits that have been extensively implicated in behavioral flexibility by regulating and integrating action selection with the reward value of those actions. To date, no studies have investigated the multifaceted effects of ELA on aspects of behavioral flexibility that require alternating between different action selection strategies or higher-order cognitive processes, and the underlying synaptic transmission in corticostriatal circuitries. To address this, we employed whole-cell patch-clamp electrophysiology to assess the effects of ELA on synaptic transmission in the DMS and DLS. We also investigated the effects of ELA on the ability to update action control in response to outcome devaluation in an instrumental learning paradigm and reversal of action-outcome contingency in a water T-maze paradigm. At the circuit level, ELA decreased corticostriatal glutamate transmission in male but not in female mice. Interestingly, in DMS, glutamate transmission is decreased in male ELA mice, but increased in female ELA mice. ELA impaired the ability to update action control in response to reward devaluation in a context that promotes goal-directedness in male mice and induced deficits in reversal learning. Overall, our findings demonstrate the sex- and region-dependent effects of ELA on behavioral flexibility and underlying corticostriatal glutamate transmission. By establishing a link between ELA and circuit mechanisms underlying behavioral flexibility, our findings will begin to identify novel molecular mechanisms that can represent strategies for treating behavioral inflexibility in individuals who experienced early life traumatic incidents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory de Carvalho
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Sheraz Khoja
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Mulatwa T Haile
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Lulu Y Chen
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
- UCI-Conte Center, UCI-NIMH, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
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3
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Evans R. Dendritic involvement in inhibition and disinhibition of vulnerable dopaminergic neurons in healthy and pathological conditions. Neurobiol Dis 2022; 172:105815. [PMID: 35820645 PMCID: PMC9851599 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2022.105815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Revised: 06/14/2022] [Accepted: 07/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) differentially degenerate in Parkinson's Disease, with the ventral region degenerating more severely than the dorsal region. Compared with the dorsal neurons, the ventral neurons in the SNc have distinct dendritic morphology, electrophysiological characteristics, and circuit connections with the basal ganglia. These characteristics shape information processing in the ventral SNc and structure the balance of inhibition and disinhibition in the striatonigral circuitry. In this paper, I review foundational studies and recent work comparing the circuitry of the ventral and dorsal SNc neurons and discuss how loss of the ventral neurons early in Parkinson's Disease could affect the overall balance of inhibition and disinhibition of dopamine signals.
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Affiliation(s)
- R.C. Evans
- Georgetown University Medical Center, Department of Neuroscience, United States of America
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4
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Zhang J, Song C, Dai J, Li L, Yang X, Chen Z. Mechanism of opioid addiction and its intervention therapy: Focusing on the reward circuitry and mu-opioid receptor. MedComm (Beijing) 2022; 3:e148. [PMID: 35774845 PMCID: PMC9218544 DOI: 10.1002/mco2.148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2021] [Revised: 05/03/2022] [Accepted: 05/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Opioid abuse and addiction have become a global pandemic, posing tremendous health and social burdens. The rewarding effects and the occurrence of withdrawal symptoms are the two mainstays of opioid addiction. Mu-opioid receptors (MORs), a member of opioid receptors, play important roles in opioid addiction, mediating both the rewarding effects of opioids and opioid withdrawal syndrome (OWS). The underlying mechanism of MOR-mediated opioid rewarding effects and withdrawal syndrome is of vital importance to understand the nature of opioid addiction and also provides theoretical basis for targeting MORs to treat drug addiction. In this review, we first briefly introduce the basic concepts of MORs, including their structure, distribution in the nervous system, endogenous ligands, and functional characteristics. We focused on the brain circuitry and molecular mechanism of MORs-mediated opioid reward and withdrawal. The neuroanatomical and functional elements of the neural circuitry of the reward system underlying opioid addiction were thoroughly discussed, and the roles of MOR within the reward circuitry were also elaborated. Furthermore, we interrogated the roles of MORs in OWS, along with the structural basis and molecular adaptions of MORs-mediated withdrawal syndrome. Finally, current treatment strategies for opioid addiction targeting MORs were also presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia‐Jia Zhang
- National Translational Science Center for Molecular Medicine & Department of Cell BiologyThe Fourth Military Medical UniversityXi'anChina
| | - Chang‐Geng Song
- Department of NeurologyXijing HospitalThe Fourth Military Medical UniversityXi'anChina
| | - Ji‐Min Dai
- Department of Hepatobiliary SurgeryXijing HospitalThe Fourth Military Medical UniversityXi'anChina
| | - Ling Li
- National Translational Science Center for Molecular Medicine & Department of Cell BiologyThe Fourth Military Medical UniversityXi'anChina
| | - Xiang‐Min Yang
- National Translational Science Center for Molecular Medicine & Department of Cell BiologyThe Fourth Military Medical UniversityXi'anChina
| | - Zhi‐Nan Chen
- National Translational Science Center for Molecular Medicine & Department of Cell BiologyThe Fourth Military Medical UniversityXi'anChina
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Waugh JL, Hassan A, Kuster JK, Levenstein JM, Warfield SK, Makris N, Brüggemann N, Sharma N, Breiter HC, Blood AJ. An MRI method for parcellating the human striatum into matrix and striosome compartments in vivo. Neuroimage 2021; 246:118714. [PMID: 34800665 PMCID: PMC9142299 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2021] [Revised: 11/02/2021] [Accepted: 11/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The mammalian striatum is comprised of intermingled tissue compartments, matrix and striosome. Though indistinguishable by routine histological techniques, matrix and striosome have distinct embryologic origins, afferent/efferent connections, surface protein expression, intra-striatal location, susceptibilities to injury, and functional roles in a range of animal behaviors. Distinguishing the compartments previously required post-mortem tissue and/or genetic manipulation; we aimed to identify matrix/striosome non-invasively in living humans. We used diffusion MRI (probabilistic tractography) to identify human striatal voxels with connectivity biased towards matrix-favoring or striosome-favoring regions (determined by prior animal tract-tracing studies). Segmented striatal compartments replicated the topological segregation and somatotopic organization identified in animal matrix/striosome studies. Of brain regions mapped in prior studies, our human brain data confirmed 93% of the compartment-selective structural connectivity demonstrated in animals. Test-retest assessment on repeat scans found a voxel classification error rate of 0.14%. Fractional anisotropy was significantly higher in matrix-like voxels, while mean diffusivity did not differ between the compartments. As mapped by the Talairach human brain atlas, 460 regions were significantly biased towards either matrix or striosome. Our method allows the study of striatal compartments in human health and disease, in vivo, for the first time.
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Affiliation(s)
- J L Waugh
- Division of Pediatric Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Southwestern, Dallas, TX, United States; Division of Child Neurology, University of Texas Southwestern, Dallas, TX, United States; Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States; Mood and Motor Control Laboratory, Boston, MA, United States; Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, United States; Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, United States.
| | - Aao Hassan
- Division of Pediatric Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Southwestern, Dallas, TX, United States
| | - J K Kuster
- Mood and Motor Control Laboratory, Boston, MA, United States; Laboratory of Neuroimaging and Genetics, United States; Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, United States; Rheumatology, Allergy and Immunology Section, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, United States.
| | - J M Levenstein
- Mood and Motor Control Laboratory, Boston, MA, United States; Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, United States; Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CN, United States; Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States.
| | - S K Warfield
- Department of Radiology, United States; Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States.
| | - N Makris
- Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States; Center for Morphometric Analysis, United States; Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, United States; Departments of Neurology and Psychiatry, Charlestown, MA, United States.
| | - N Brüggemann
- Department of Neurology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom; Institute of Neurogenetics, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany.
| | - N Sharma
- Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States; Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, United States.
| | - H C Breiter
- Laboratory of Neuroimaging and Genetics, United States; Warren Wright Adolescent Center, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States.
| | - A J Blood
- Mood and Motor Control Laboratory, Boston, MA, United States; Laboratory of Neuroimaging and Genetics, United States; Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, United States; Departments of Neurology and Psychiatry, Charlestown, MA, United States.
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6
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Nadel JA, Pawelko SS, Scott JR, McLaughlin R, Fox M, Ghanem M, van der Merwe R, Hollon NG, Ramsson ES, Howard CD. Optogenetic stimulation of striatal patches modifies habit formation and inhibits dopamine release. Sci Rep 2021; 11:19847. [PMID: 34615966 PMCID: PMC8494762 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-99350-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2020] [Accepted: 09/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Habits are inflexible behaviors that develop after extensive repetition, and overreliance on habits is a hallmark of many pathological states. The striatum is involved in the transition from flexible to inflexible responding, and interspersed throughout the striatum are patches, or striosomes, which make up ~15% of the volume of the striatum relative to the surrounding matrix compartment. Previous studies have suggested that patches are necessary for normal habit formation, but it remains unknown exactly how patches contribute to habit formation and expression. Here, using optogenetics, we stimulated striatal patches in Sepw1-NP67 mice during variable interval training (VI60), which is used to establish habitual responding. We found that activation of patches at reward retrieval resulted in elevated responding during VI60 training by modifying the pattern of head entry and pressing. Further, this optogenetic manipulation reduced subsequent responding following reinforcer devaluation, suggesting modified habit formation. However, patch stimulation did not generally increase extinction rates during a subsequent extinction probe, but did result in a small 'extinction burst', further suggesting goal-directed behavior. On the other hand, this manipulation had no effect in omission trials, where mice had to withhold responses to obtain rewards. Finally, we utilized fast-scan cyclic voltammetry to investigate how patch activation modifies evoked striatal dopamine release and found that optogenetic activation of patch projections to the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) is sufficient to suppress dopamine release in the dorsal striatum. Overall, this work provides novel insight into the role of the patch compartment in habit formation, and provides a potential mechanism for how patches modify habitual behavior by exerting control over dopamine signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- J A Nadel
- Neuroscience Department, Oberlin College, Oberlin, OH, USA
| | - S S Pawelko
- Neuroscience Department, Oberlin College, Oberlin, OH, USA
| | - J R Scott
- Neuroscience Department, Oberlin College, Oberlin, OH, USA
| | - R McLaughlin
- Neuroscience Department, Oberlin College, Oberlin, OH, USA
| | - M Fox
- Neuroscience Department, Oberlin College, Oberlin, OH, USA
| | - M Ghanem
- Neuroscience Department, Oberlin College, Oberlin, OH, USA
| | | | - N G Hollon
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - E S Ramsson
- Department of Biomedical Science, Grand Valley State University, Allendale, MI, USA
| | - C D Howard
- Neuroscience Department, Oberlin College, Oberlin, OH, USA.
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7
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Prager EM, Dorman DB, Hobel ZB, Malgady JM, Blackwell KT, Plotkin JL. Dopamine Oppositely Modulates State Transitions in Striosome and Matrix Direct Pathway Striatal Spiny Neurons. Neuron 2020; 108:1091-1102.e5. [PMID: 33080228 PMCID: PMC7769890 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2020.09.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2018] [Revised: 07/29/2020] [Accepted: 09/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Corticostriatal synaptic integration is partitioned among striosome (patch) and matrix compartments of the dorsal striatum, allowing compartmentalized control of discrete aspects of behavior. Despite the significance of such organization, it's unclear how compartment-specific striatal output is dynamically achieved, particularly considering new evidence that overlap of afferents is substantial. We show that dopamine oppositely shapes responses to convergent excitatory inputs in mouse striosome and matrix striatal spiny projection neurons (SPNs). Activation of postsynaptic D1 dopamine receptors promoted the generation of long-lasting synaptically evoked "up-states" in matrix SPNs but opposed it in striosomes, which were more excitable under basal conditions. Differences in dopaminergic modulation were mediated, in part, by dendritic voltage-gated calcium channels (VGCCs): pharmacological manipulation of L-type VGCCs reversed compartment-specific responses to D1 receptor activation. These results support a novel mechanism for the selection of striatal circuit components, where fluctuating levels of dopamine shift the balance of compartment-specific striatal output.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric M Prager
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Center for Nervous System Disorders, Stony Brook University School of Medicine, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - Daniel B Dorman
- Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA 22030, USA
| | - Zachary B Hobel
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Center for Nervous System Disorders, Stony Brook University School of Medicine, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - Jeffrey M Malgady
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Center for Nervous System Disorders, Stony Brook University School of Medicine, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - Kim T Blackwell
- Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA 22030, USA; Bioengineering Department, Volgenau School of Engineering, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA 22030, USA
| | - Joshua L Plotkin
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Center for Nervous System Disorders, Stony Brook University School of Medicine, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA.
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8
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Evans RC, Twedell EL, Zhu M, Ascencio J, Zhang R, Khaliq ZM. Functional Dissection of Basal Ganglia Inhibitory Inputs onto Substantia Nigra Dopaminergic Neurons. Cell Rep 2020; 32:108156. [PMID: 32937133 PMCID: PMC9887718 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.108156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2019] [Revised: 07/11/2020] [Accepted: 08/25/2020] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Substantia nigra (SNc) dopaminergic neurons respond to aversive stimuli with inhibitory pauses in firing followed by transient rebound activation. We tested integration of inhibitory synaptic inputs onto SNc neurons from genetically defined populations in dorsal striatum (striosome and matrix) and external globus pallidus (GPe; parvalbumin- and Lhx6-positive), and examined their contribution to pause-rebound firing. Activation of striosome projections, which target "dendron bouquets" in the pars reticulata (SNr), consistently quiets firing and relief from striosome inhibition triggers rebound activity. Striosomal inhibitory postsynaptic currents (IPSCs) display a prominent GABA-B receptor-mediated component that strengthens the impact of SNr dendrite synapses on somatic excitability and enables rebounding. By contrast, GPe projections activate GABA-A receptors on the soma and proximal dendrites but do not result in rebounding. Lastly, optical mapping shows that dorsal striatum selectively inhibits the ventral population of SNc neurons, which are intrinsically capable of rebounding. Therefore, we define a distinct striatonigral circuit for generating dopamine rebound.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebekah C. Evans
- Cellular Neurophysiology Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Emily L. Twedell
- Cellular Neurophysiology Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Manhua Zhu
- Cellular Neurophysiology Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Jefferson Ascencio
- Cellular Neurophysiology Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Renshu Zhang
- Cellular Neurophysiology Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Zayd M. Khaliq
- Cellular Neurophysiology Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA,Lead Contact,Correspondence:
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9
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Lerner TN. Interfacing behavioral and neural circuit models for habit formation. J Neurosci Res 2020; 98:1031-1045. [PMID: 31916623 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.24581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2019] [Revised: 12/15/2019] [Accepted: 12/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Habits are an important mechanism by which organisms can automate the control of behavior to alleviate cognitive demand. However, transitions to habitual control are risky because they lead to inflexible responding in the face of change. The question of how the brain controls transitions into habit is thus an intriguing one. How do we regulate when our repeated actions become automated? When is it advantageous or disadvantageous to release actions from cognitive control? Decades of research have identified a variety of methods for eliciting habitual responding in animal models. Progress has also been made to understand which brain areas and neural circuits control transitions into habit. Here, I discuss existing research on behavioral and neural circuit models for habit formation (with an emphasis on striatal circuits), and discuss strategies for combining information from different paradigms and levels of analysis to prompt further progress in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Talia N Lerner
- Department of Physiology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
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10
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Nadel JA, Pawelko SS, Copes-Finke D, Neidhart M, Howard CD. Lesion of striatal patches disrupts habitual behaviors and increases behavioral variability. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0224715. [PMID: 31914121 PMCID: PMC6948820 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0224715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2019] [Accepted: 12/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Habits are automated behaviors that are insensitive to changes in behavioral outcomes. Habitual responding is thought to be mediated by the striatum, with medial striatum guiding goal-directed action and lateral striatum promoting habits. However, interspersed throughout the striatum are neurochemically differing subcompartments known as patches, which are characterized by distinct molecular profiles relative to the surrounding matrix tissue. These structures have been thoroughly characterized neurochemically and anatomically, but little is known regarding their function. Patches have been shown to be selectively activated during inflexible motor stereotypies elicited by stimulants, suggesting that patches may subserve habitual behaviors. To explore this possibility, we utilized transgenic mice (Sepw1 NP67) preferentially expressing Cre recombinase in striatal patch neurons to target these neurons for ablation with a virus driving Cre-dependent expression of caspase 3. Mice were then trained to press a lever for sucrose rewards on a variable interval schedule to elicit habitual responding. Mice were not impaired on the acquisition of this task, but lesioning striatal patches disrupted behavioral stability across training, and lesioned mice utilized a more goal-directed behavioral strategy during training. Similarly, when mice were forced to omit responses to receive sucrose rewards, habitual responding was impaired in lesioned mice. To rule out effects of lesion on motor behaviors, mice were then tested for impairments in motor learning on a rotarod and locomotion in an open field. We found that patch lesions partially impaired initial performance on the rotarod without modifying locomotor behaviors in open field. This work indicates that patches promote behavioral stability and habitual responding, adding to a growing literature implicating striatal patches in stimulus-response behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob A. Nadel
- Neuroscience Department, Oberlin College, Oberlin, OH, United States of America
- Laboratory for Integrative Neuroscience, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, US National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Sean S. Pawelko
- Neuroscience Department, Oberlin College, Oberlin, OH, United States of America
| | - Della Copes-Finke
- Neuroscience Department, Oberlin College, Oberlin, OH, United States of America
| | - Maya Neidhart
- Neuroscience Department, Oberlin College, Oberlin, OH, United States of America
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11
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Augustine F, Rajendran S, Singer HS. Cortical endogenous opioids and their role in facilitating repetitive behaviors in deer mice. Behav Brain Res 2019; 379:112317. [PMID: 31676208 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2019.112317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2019] [Revised: 10/18/2019] [Accepted: 10/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Deer mice provide a non-pharmacologically induced model for the study of repetitive behaviors. In captivity, these animals develop frequent jumping and rearing that resemble clinical symptoms of obsessive-compulsive behavior (OCB), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), complex motor stereotypies (CMS), and Tourette's syndrome (TS). In this study, we pursue the mechanism of repetitive behaviors by performing stereological analyses and liquid chromatography/ mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) measurements of glutamate (Glut), GABA, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC), dopamine (DA), leu-enkephalin (leu-enk), and dynorphin-A (dyn-A) in frontal cortex (FC), prefrontal cortex (PFC), and basal ganglia. The only significant stereological alteration was a negative correlation between repetitive behaviors and the cell count in the ventromedial striatum (VMS). Neurochemical analyses demonstrated a significant negative correlation between repetitive behaviors and endogenous opioids (leu-enk and dyn-A) in the FC - the site of origin of habitual behaviors and cortical projections to striatal MSNs participating in direct and indirect pathways. The precise neurochemical process by which endogenous opioids influence synaptic neurotransmission is unknown. One postulated cortical mechanism, supported by our findings, is an opioid effect on cortical interneuron GABA release and a consequent effect on glutamatergic cortical pyramidal cells. Anatomical changes in the VMS could have a role in repetitive behaviors, recognizing that this region influences goal-directed and habitual behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farhan Augustine
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, USA
| | | | - Harvey S Singer
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, USA.
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