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Bao L, Rao J, Yu D, Zheng B, Yin B. Decoding the language of fear: Unveiling objective and subjective indicators in rodent models through a systematic review and meta-analysis. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2024; 157:105537. [PMID: 38215801 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105537] [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: 11/08/2023] [Revised: 12/23/2023] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 01/14/2024]
Abstract
While rodent models are vital for studying mental disorders, the underestimation of construct validity of fear indicators has led to limitations in translating to effective clinical treatments. Addressing this gap, we systematically reviewed 5054 articles from the 1960 s, understanding underlying theoretical advancement, and selected 68 articles with at least two fear indicators for a three-level meta-analysis. We hypothesized correlations between different indicators would elucidate similar functions, while magnitude differences could reveal distinct neural or behavioral mechanisms. Our findings reveal a shift towards using freezing behavior as the primary fear indicator in rodent models, and strong, moderate, and weak correlations between freezing and conditioned suppression ratios, 22-kHz ultrasonic vocalizations, and autonomic nervous system responses, respectively. Using freezing as a reference, moderator analysis shows treatment types and fear stages significantly influenced differences in magnitudes between two indicators. Our analysis supports a two-system model of fear in rodents, where objective and subjective fears could operate on a threshold-based mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lili Bao
- School of Psychology, Fujian Normal University, China; Key Laboratory for Learning and Behavioral Sciences, Fujian Normal University, China
| | - Jiaojiao Rao
- School of Psychology, Fujian Normal University, China; Key Laboratory for Learning and Behavioral Sciences, Fujian Normal University, China
| | - Delin Yu
- School of Psychology, Fujian Normal University, China; Key Laboratory for Learning and Behavioral Sciences, Fujian Normal University, China
| | - Benhuiyuan Zheng
- School of Psychology, Fujian Normal University, China; Key Laboratory for Learning and Behavioral Sciences, Fujian Normal University, China
| | - Bin Yin
- School of Psychology, Fujian Normal University, China; Key Laboratory for Learning and Behavioral Sciences, Fujian Normal University, China.
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2
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Willadsen M, Schwarting RKW, Wöhr M. Acute anxiogenic effects of escitalopram are associated with mild alterations in D-amphetamine-induced behavior and social approach evoked by playback of 50-kHz ultrasonic vocalizations in rats. Neuropharmacology 2023; 241:109734. [PMID: 37813275 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2023.109734] [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: 07/21/2023] [Revised: 09/20/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/11/2023]
Abstract
Rats communicate through auditory signals in the ultrasonic range, so-called ultrasonic vocalizations (USV). Short, high-frequency 50-kHz USV are associated with positive affective states and are emitted in appetitive situations, often rewarding social interactions, such as rough-and-tumble play and mating. Exaggerated levels of 50-kHz USV emission can be observed in response to psychostimulants, most notably d-amphetamine (AMPH). There is robust evidence suggesting that 50-kHz USV serve as affiliative signals and help to maintain or re-establish social proximity. A key neurotransmitter involved in behavioral regulation is serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT). This includes both, the regulation of anxiety-related behavior and ultrasonic communication. Here, we show that acute treatment with the selective 5-HT reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) escitalopram (ESC) leads to increased anxiety-related behavior in the elevated plus maze and tested whether such acute anxiogenic effects of ESC result in alterations in ultrasonic communication in sender and/or receiver. To this aim, we conducted a dose-response study in male rats and assessed AMPH-induced hyperactivity and 50-kHz ultrasonic calling in the sender and social approach behavior evoked by playback of pro-social 50-kHz USV in the receiver. Acute ESC treatment affected both, sender and receiver. This was reflected in a lack of AMPH-induced changes in acoustic features of 50-kHz USV and absence of social exploratory behavior evoked by 50-kHz USV playback, respectively. Albeit the SSRI effects were relatively mild, this supports the notion that the 5-HT system is involved in the regulation of a key aspect of the social behavior repertoire of rodents, namely socio-affective communication through 50-kHz USV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Willadsen
- Philipps-University of Marburg, Faculty of Psychology, Experimental and Biological Psychology, Behavioral Neuroscience, D-35032, Marburg, Germany; Philipps-University of Marburg, Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior, D-35032, Marburg, Germany
| | - Rainer K W Schwarting
- Philipps-University of Marburg, Faculty of Psychology, Experimental and Biological Psychology, Behavioral Neuroscience, D-35032, Marburg, Germany; Philipps-University of Marburg, Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior, D-35032, Marburg, Germany
| | - Markus Wöhr
- Philipps-University of Marburg, Faculty of Psychology, Experimental and Biological Psychology, Behavioral Neuroscience, D-35032, Marburg, Germany; Philipps-University of Marburg, Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior, D-35032, Marburg, Germany; KU Leuven, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Research Unit Brain and Cognition, Laboratory of Biological Psychology, Social and Affective Neuroscience Research Group, B-3000, Leuven, Belgium; KU Leuven, Leuven Brain Institute, B-3000, Leuven, Belgium.
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3
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Bonauto SM, Greuel OM, Honeycutt JA. Playback of rat 22-kHz ultrasonic vocalizations as a translational assay of negative affective states: An analysis of evoked behavior and brain activity. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 153:105396. [PMID: 37739328 PMCID: PMC10591797 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2023] [Revised: 09/14/2023] [Accepted: 09/17/2023] [Indexed: 09/24/2023]
Abstract
The subjective nature of human emotions makes them uniquely challenging to investigate in preclinical models. While behavioral assays in rodents aim to evaluate affect (i.e., anxiety, hypervigilance), they often lack ethological validity. Playback of negatively valenced 22-kHz ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) in rats shows promise as a translational tool to investigate affective processing. Much like how human facial expressions can communicate internal states, rats emit 22-kHz USVs that similarly convey negative affective states to conspecifics indicating possible threat. 22-kHz USV playback elicits avoidance and hypervigilant behaviors, and recruit brain regions comparable to those seen in human brains evoked by viewing fearful faces. Indeed, 22-kHz playback alters neural activity in brain regions associated with negative valence systems (i.e., amygdala, bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, periaqueductal gray) alongside increases in behaviors typically associated with anxiety. Here, we present evidence from the literature that supports leveraging 22-kHz USV playback in rat preclinical models to obtain clinically relevant and translational findings to identify the neural underpinnings of affective processing and neuropathological dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sydney M Bonauto
- Program in Neuroscience, Bowdoin College, Brunswick, ME 04011, United States
| | - Olivia M Greuel
- Program in Neuroscience, Bowdoin College, Brunswick, ME 04011, United States
| | - Jennifer A Honeycutt
- Program in Neuroscience, Bowdoin College, Brunswick, ME 04011, United States; Department of Psychology, Bowdoin College, Brunswick, ME 04011, United States.
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4
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Tryon SC, Sakamoto IM, Kaigler KF, Gee G, Turner J, Bartley K, Fadel JR, Wilson MA. ChAT::Cre transgenic rats show sex-dependent altered fear behaviors, ultrasonic vocalizations and cholinergic marker expression. GENES, BRAIN, AND BEHAVIOR 2023; 22:e12837. [PMID: 36636833 PMCID: PMC9994175 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2022] [Revised: 12/20/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
The cholinergic system is a critical regulator of Pavlovian fear learning and extinction. As such, we have begun investigating the cholinergic system's involvement in individual differences in cued fear extinction using a transgenic ChAT::Cre rat model. The current study extends behavioral phenotyping of a transgenic ChAT::Cre rat line by examining both freezing behavior and ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) during a Pavlovian cued fear learning and extinction paradigm. Freezing, 22 kHz USVs, and 50 kHz USVs were compared between male and female transgenic ChAT::Cre+ rats and their wildtype (Cre-) littermates during fear learning, contextual and cue-conditioned fear recall, cued fear extinction, and generalization to a novel tone. During contextual and cued fear recall ChAT::Cre+ rats froze slightly more than their Cre- littermates, and displayed significant sex differences in contextual and cue-conditioned freezing, 22 kHz USVs, and 50 kHz USVs. Females showed more freezing than males in fear recall trials, but fewer 22 kHz distress calls during fear learning and recall. Females also produced more 50 kHz USVs during exposure to the testing chambers prior to tone (or shock) presentation compared with males, but this effect was blunted in ChAT::Cre+ females. Corroborating previous studies, ChAT::Cre+ transgenic rats overexpressed vesicular acetylcholine transporter immunolabeling in basal forebrain, striatum, basolateral amygdala, and hippocampus, but had similar levels of acetylcholinesterase and numbers of ChAT+ neurons as Cre- rats. This study suggests that variance in behavior between ChAT::Cre+ and wildtype rats is sex dependent and advances theories that distinct neural circuits and processes regulate sexually divergent fear responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah C. Tryon
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology & NeuroscienceUniversity of South Carolina School of MedicineColumbiaSouth CarolinaUSA
| | - Iris M. Sakamoto
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology & NeuroscienceUniversity of South Carolina School of MedicineColumbiaSouth CarolinaUSA
| | - Kris F. Kaigler
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology & NeuroscienceUniversity of South Carolina School of MedicineColumbiaSouth CarolinaUSA
| | - Gabriella Gee
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology & NeuroscienceUniversity of South Carolina School of MedicineColumbiaSouth CarolinaUSA
| | - Jarrett Turner
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology & NeuroscienceUniversity of South Carolina School of MedicineColumbiaSouth CarolinaUSA
| | - Katherine Bartley
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology & NeuroscienceUniversity of South Carolina School of MedicineColumbiaSouth CarolinaUSA
| | - Jim R. Fadel
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology & NeuroscienceUniversity of South Carolina School of MedicineColumbiaSouth CarolinaUSA
| | - Marlene A. Wilson
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology & NeuroscienceUniversity of South Carolina School of MedicineColumbiaSouth CarolinaUSA
- Columbia VA Health Care SystemColumbiaSouth CarolinaUSA
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5
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Bauer EP. Sex differences in fear responses: Neural circuits. Neuropharmacology 2023; 222:109298. [PMID: 36328063 PMCID: PMC11267399 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2022.109298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2022] [Revised: 09/26/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Women have increased vulnerability to PTSD and anxiety disorders compared to men. Understanding the neurobiological underpinnings of these disorders is critical for identifying risk factors and developing appropriate sex-specific interventions. Despite the clear clinical relevance of an examination of sex differences in fear responses, the vast majority of pre-clinical research on fear learning and memory formation has exclusively used male animals. This review highlights sex differences in context and cued fear conditioning, fear extinction and fear generalization with a focus on the neural circuits underlying these behaviors in rodents. There are mixed reports of behavioral sex differences in context and cued fear conditioning paradigms, which can depend upon the behavioral indices of fear. However, there is greater evidence of differential activation of the hippocampus, amygdalar nuclei and the prefrontal cortical regions in male and female rodents during context and cued fear conditioning. The bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST), a sexually dimorphic structure, is of particular interest as it differentially contributes to fear responses in males and females. In addition, while the influence of the estrous cycle on different phases of fear conditioning is delineated, the clearest modulatory effect of estrogen is on fear extinction processes. Examining the variability in neural responses and behavior in both sexes should increase our understanding of how that variability contributes to the neurobiology of affective disorders. This article is part of the Special Issue on 'Fear, anxiety and PTSD'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth P Bauer
- Departments of Biology and Neuroscience & Behavior, Barnard College of Columbia University, 3009 Broadway, New York, NY, 10027, United States.
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6
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Sounding the Alarm: Sex Differences in Rat Ultrasonic Vocalizations during Pavlovian Fear Conditioning and Extinction. eNeuro 2022; 9:ENEURO.0382-22.2022. [PMID: 36443006 PMCID: PMC9797209 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0382-22.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2022] [Revised: 11/08/2022] [Accepted: 11/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Pavlovian fear conditioning is a prevalent tool in the study of aversive learning, which is a key component of stress-related psychiatric disorders. Adult rats can exhibit various threat-related behaviors, including freezing, motor responses, and ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs). While these responses can all signal aversion, we know little about how they relate to one another. Here we characterize USVs emitted by male and female rats during cued fear acquisition and extinction, and assess the relationship between different threat-related behaviors. We found that males consistently emitted >22 kHz calls (referred to here as "alarm calls") than females, and that alarm call frequency in males, but not females, related to the intensity of the shock stimulus. Interestingly, 25% of males and 45% of females did not emit any alarm calls at all. Males that did make alarm calls had significantly higher levels of freezing than males who did not, while no differences in freezing were observed between female Alarm callers and Non-alarm callers. Alarm call emission was also affected by the predictability of the shock; when unpaired from a tone cue, both males and females started emitting alarm calls significantly later. During extinction learning and retrieval sessions, males were again more likely than females to emit alarm calls, which followed an extinction-like reduction in frequency. Collectively these data suggest sex dependence in how behavioral readouts relate to innate and conditioned threat responses. Importantly, we suggest that the same behaviors can signal sex-dependent features of aversion.
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7
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Hwang SK, Tyszkiewicz C, Dragon M, Navetta K, Ferreira R, Liu CN. Introduction of gloved hand to cage induces 22-kHz ultrasonic vocalizations in male albino rats. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0278034. [PMID: 36399470 PMCID: PMC9674133 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0278034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Rodents emit ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) above the human hearing threshold of ~ 20 kHz to communicate emotional states and to coordinate their social interactive behavior. Twenty-two kHz USVs emitted by adult rats have been reported in a variety of aversive social and behavioral situations. They occur not only under painful or restraining conditions but can also be evoked by gentle cutaneous touch or airflow. This study aimed to test if placement of a human hand in a cage can evoke 22-kHz USVs. It was found that 36% of the adult male Sprague-Dawley and 13% of the adult male Wistar Han rats emitted 22-kHz USVs when a gloved hand was introduced into the cages. Average vocalization onset latencies were 5.0 ± 4.4 s (Sprague-Dawley) and 7.4 ± 4.0 s (Wistar Han) and the USVs had a stable frequency (22 kHz) across the calls, ranging from 0.1 to 2.3 seconds in duration. Surprisingly, no 22-kHz USVs were found in any female Wistar Han rats tested. To further explore the mechanisms underlying this observation, we compared retinal function, basal serum corticosterone, and testosterone levels between the 22-kHz USV responders and non-responders. None of these parameters or endpoints showed any significant differences between the two cohorts. The results suggest that the introduction of a gloved-hand inside the cage can trigger adult male albino rats to emit 22-kHz ultrasonic vocalizations. This response should be considered in USV studies and animal welfare.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seo-Kyoung Hwang
- Comparative Medicine, Pfizer Worldwide R&D and Medical, Groton, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Cheryl Tyszkiewicz
- Comparative Medicine, Pfizer Worldwide R&D and Medical, Groton, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Melissa Dragon
- Comparative Medicine, Pfizer Worldwide R&D and Medical, Groton, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Kimberly Navetta
- Drug Safety Research and Development, Pfizer Worldwide R&D and Medical, Andover, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Rebecca Ferreira
- Drug Safety Research and Development, Pfizer Worldwide R&D and Medical, Andover, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Chang-Ning Liu
- Comparative Medicine, Pfizer Worldwide R&D and Medical, Groton, Connecticut, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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8
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Tryon SC, Sakamoto IM, Kellis DM, Kaigler KF, Wilson MA. Individual Differences in Conditioned Fear and Extinction in Female Rats. Front Behav Neurosci 2021; 15:740313. [PMID: 34489657 PMCID: PMC8418198 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.740313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2021] [Accepted: 07/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The inability to extinguish a traumatic memory is a key aspect of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). While PTSD affects 10–20% of individuals who experience a trauma, women are particularly susceptible to developing the disorder. Despite this notable female vulnerability, few studies have investigated this particular resistance to fear extinction observed in females. Similar to humans, rodent models of Pavlovian fear learning and extinction show a wide range of individual differences in fear learning and extinction, although female rodents are considerably understudied. Therefore, the present study examined individual differences in fear responses, including freezing behavior and ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs), of female Long–Evans rats during acquisition of fear conditioning and cued fear extinction. Similar to prior studies in males, female rats displayed individual variation in freezing during cued fear extinction and were divided into extinction competent (EC) and extinction resistant (ER) phenotypes. Differences in freezing between ER and EC females were accompanied by shifts in rearing during extinction, but no darting was seen in any trial. Freezing behavior during fear learning did not differ between the EC and ER females. Vocalizations emitted in the 22 and 50 kHz ranges during fear learning and extinction were also examined. Unlike vocalizations seen in previous studies in males, very few 22 kHz distress vocalizations were emitted by female rats during fear acquisition and extinction, with no difference between ER and EC groups. Interestingly, all female rats produced significant levels of 50 kHz USVs, and EC females emitted significantly more 50 kHz USVs than ER rats. This difference in 50 kHz USVs was most apparent during initial exposure to the testing environment. These results suggest that like males, female rodents show individual differences in both freezing and USVs during fear extinction, although females appear to vocalize more in the 50 kHz range, especially during initial periods of exposure to the testing environment, and emit very few of the 22 kHz distress calls that are typically observed in males during fear learning or extinction paradigms. Overall, these findings show that female rodents display fear behavior repertoires divergent from males.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah C Tryon
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Neuroscience, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC, United States
| | - Iris M Sakamoto
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Neuroscience, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC, United States
| | - Devin M Kellis
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Neuroscience, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC, United States
| | - Kris F Kaigler
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Neuroscience, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC, United States
| | - Marlene A Wilson
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Neuroscience, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC, United States.,Columbia VA Health Care System, Columbia, SC, United States
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9
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Willadsen M, Uengoer M, Sługocka A, Schwarting RK, Homberg JR, Wöhr M. Fear Extinction and Predictive Trait-Like Inter-Individual Differences in Rats Lacking the Serotonin Transporter. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22137088. [PMID: 34209318 PMCID: PMC8268876 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22137088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2021] [Revised: 06/24/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Anxiety disorders are associated with a failure to sufficiently extinguish fear memories. The serotonergic system (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) with the 5-HT transporter (5-HTT, SERT) is strongly implicated in the regulation of anxiety and fear. In the present study, we examined the effects of SERT deficiency on fear extinction in a differential fear conditioning paradigm in male and female rats. Fear-related behavior displayed during acquisition, extinction, and recovery, was measured through quantification of immobility and alarm 22-kHz ultrasonic vocalizations (USV). Trait-like inter-individual differences in novelty-seeking, anxiety-related behavior, habituation learning, cognitive performance, and pain sensitivity were examined for their predictive value in forecasting fear extinction. Our results show that SERT deficiency strongly affected the emission of 22-kHz USV during differential fear conditioning. During acquisition, extinction, and recovery, SERT deficiency consistently led to a reduction in 22-kHz USV emission. While SERT deficiency did not affect immobility during acquisition, genotype differences started to emerge during extinction, and during recovery rats lacking SERT showed higher levels of immobility than wildtype littermate controls. Recovery was reflected in increased levels of immobility but not 22-kHz USV emission. Prominent sex differences were evident. Among several measures for trait-like inter-individual differences, anxiety-related behavior had the best predictive quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Willadsen
- Behavioral Neuroscience, Experimental and Biological Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Philipps-University of Marburg, Gutenberg-Str. 18, D-35032 Marburg, Germany; (M.W.); (R.K.W.S.)
| | - Metin Uengoer
- Associative Learning, Experimental and Biological Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Philipps-University of Marburg, Gutenberg-Str. 18, D-35032 Marburg, Germany;
| | - Anna Sługocka
- Department for Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Medical Sciences in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia, Medyków 4, 40-752 Katowice, Poland;
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medical Sciences in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia, Medyków 18, 40-752 Katowice, Poland
| | - Rainer K.W. Schwarting
- Behavioral Neuroscience, Experimental and Biological Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Philipps-University of Marburg, Gutenberg-Str. 18, D-35032 Marburg, Germany; (M.W.); (R.K.W.S.)
- Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior, Philipps-University of Marburg, Hans-Meerwein-Str. 6, D-35032 Marburg, Germany
| | - Judith R. Homberg
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Kapittelweg 29, 6525 EN Nijmegen, The Netherlands;
| | - Markus Wöhr
- Behavioral Neuroscience, Experimental and Biological Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Philipps-University of Marburg, Gutenberg-Str. 18, D-35032 Marburg, Germany; (M.W.); (R.K.W.S.)
- Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior, Philipps-University of Marburg, Hans-Meerwein-Str. 6, D-35032 Marburg, Germany
- KU Leuven, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Research Unit Brain and Cognition, Laboratory of Biological Psychology, Social and Affective Neuroscience Research Group, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
- KU Leuven, Leuven Brain Institute, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +32–16–19–45–57
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10
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Karwicka W, Wiatrowska M, Kondrakiewicz K, Knapska E, Kursa MB, Hamed A. Relaying Aversive Ultrasonic Alarm Calls Depends on Previous Experience. Empathy, Social Buffering, or Panic? Brain Sci 2021; 11:brainsci11060759. [PMID: 34201037 PMCID: PMC8227955 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11060759] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Revised: 05/27/2021] [Accepted: 06/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Ultrasonic vocalizations are among the oldest evolutionarily forms of animal communication. In order to study the communication patterns in an aversive social situation, we used a behavioral model in which one animal, the observer, is witnessing as his cagemate, the demonstrator, is experiencing a series of mild electrical foot shocks. We studied the effect of the foot shock experience on the observer and the influence of a warning sound (emitted shortly before the shock) on USV communication. These experiments revealed that such a warning seems to increase the arousal level, which differentiates the responses depending on previous experience. This can be identified by the emission of characteristic, short 22 kHz calls of a duration below 100 ms. Two rats emitted calls that overlapped in time. Analysis of these overlaps revealed that in ‘warned’ pairs with a naive observer, 22 kHz calls were mixed with 50 kHz calls. This fact, combined with a high fraction of very high-pitched 50 kHz calls (over 75 kHz), suggests the presence of the phenomenon of social buffering. Pure 22 kHz overlaps were mostly found in ‘warned’ pairs with an experienced observer, suggesting a possible fear contagion with distress sharing. The results show the importance of dividing 22 kHz calls into long and short categories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wiktoria Karwicka
- Laboratory of Spatial Memory, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, 3 Pasteur Street, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland;
| | - Marta Wiatrowska
- Laboratory of Emotions Neurobiology, BRAINCITY—Centre of Excellence for Neural Plasticity and Brain Disorders, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, 3 Pasteur Street, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland; (M.W.); (K.K.); (E.K.)
| | - Kacper Kondrakiewicz
- Laboratory of Emotions Neurobiology, BRAINCITY—Centre of Excellence for Neural Plasticity and Brain Disorders, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, 3 Pasteur Street, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland; (M.W.); (K.K.); (E.K.)
| | - Ewelina Knapska
- Laboratory of Emotions Neurobiology, BRAINCITY—Centre of Excellence for Neural Plasticity and Brain Disorders, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, 3 Pasteur Street, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland; (M.W.); (K.K.); (E.K.)
| | - Miron Bartosz Kursa
- Interdisciplinary Centre for Mathematical and Computational Modelling, University of Warsaw, Pawinskiego 5A, 02-106 Warsaw, Poland;
| | - Adam Hamed
- Laboratory of Spatial Memory, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, 3 Pasteur Street, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland;
- Correspondence:
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11
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Wöhr M. Measuring mania-like elevated mood through amphetamine-induced 50-kHz ultrasonic vocalizations in rats. Br J Pharmacol 2021; 179:4201-4219. [PMID: 33830495 DOI: 10.1111/bph.15487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2021] [Revised: 03/01/2021] [Accepted: 03/09/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Rats emit 50-kHz ultrasonic vocalizations (USV) in appetitive situations, reflecting a positive affective state. Particularly high rates of 50-kHz USV are elicited by the psychostimulant d-amphetamine. Exaggerated 50-kHz USV emission evoked by d-amphetamine is modulated by dopamine, noradrenaline and 5-hydroxytyrptamine receptor ligands and inhibited by the mood stabilizer lithium, the gold standard anti-manic drug for treating bipolar disorder. This indicates that exaggerated 50-kHz USV emission can serve as a reliable and valid measure for assessing mania-like elevated mood in rats with sufficient translational power for gaining a better understanding of relevant pathophysiological mechanisms and the identification of new therapeutic targets. The improved capacity to study the effects of anti-manic pharmacological interventions on a broader range of behaviours by including exaggerated 50-kHz USV emission as preclinical outcome measure complementary to locomotor hyperactivity will refine rodent models for mania.
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Affiliation(s)
- Markus Wöhr
- Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Research Unit Brain and Cognition, Laboratory of Biological Psychology, Social and Affective Neuroscience Research Group, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Faculty of Psychology, Experimental and Biological Psychology, Behavioral Neuroscience, Philipps-University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany.,Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior, Philipps-University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
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Lenell C, Broadfoot CK, Schaen-Heacock NE, Ciucci MR. Biological and Acoustic Sex Differences in Rat Ultrasonic Vocalization. Brain Sci 2021; 11:459. [PMID: 33916537 PMCID: PMC8067311 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11040459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2021] [Revised: 03/26/2021] [Accepted: 04/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The rat model is a useful tool for understanding peripheral and central mechanisms of laryngeal biology. Rats produce ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) that have communicative intent and are altered by experimental conditions such as social environment, stress, diet, drugs, age, and neurological diseases, validating the rat model's utility for studying communication and related deficits. Sex differences are apparent in both the rat larynx and USV acoustics and are differentially affected by experimental conditions. Therefore, the purpose of this review paper is to highlight the known sex differences in rat USV production, acoustics, and laryngeal biology detailed in the literature across the lifespan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles Lenell
- Department of Surgery, University of Wisconsin Madison, Madison, WI 53792, USA; (C.L.); (C.K.B.); (N.E.S.-H.)
- Communicative Sciences and Disorders, New York University, New York, NY 10001, USA
| | - Courtney K. Broadfoot
- Department of Surgery, University of Wisconsin Madison, Madison, WI 53792, USA; (C.L.); (C.K.B.); (N.E.S.-H.)
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Wisconsin Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Nicole E. Schaen-Heacock
- Department of Surgery, University of Wisconsin Madison, Madison, WI 53792, USA; (C.L.); (C.K.B.); (N.E.S.-H.)
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Wisconsin Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Michelle R. Ciucci
- Department of Surgery, University of Wisconsin Madison, Madison, WI 53792, USA; (C.L.); (C.K.B.); (N.E.S.-H.)
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Wisconsin Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
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