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Brown ER, Gettler LT, Rosenbaum S. Effects of social environments on male primate HPG and HPA axis developmental programming. Dev Psychobiol 2024; 66:e22491. [PMID: 38698633 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2023] [Revised: 03/05/2024] [Accepted: 04/07/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024]
Abstract
Developmental plasticity is particularly important for humans and other primates because of our extended period of growth and maturation, during which our phenotypes adaptively respond to environmental cues. The hypothalamus-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) and hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axes are likely to be principal targets of developmental "programming" given their roles in coordinating fitness-relevant aspects of the phenotype, including sexual development, adult reproductive and social strategies, and internal responses to the external environment. In social animals, including humans, the social environment is believed to be an important source of cues to which these axes may adaptively respond. The effects of early social environments on the HPA axis have been widely studied in humans, and to some extent, in other primates, but there are still major gaps in knowledge specifically relating to males. There has also been relatively little research examining the role that social environments play in developmental programming of the HPG axis or the HPA/HPG interface, and what does exist disproportionately focuses on females. These topics are likely understudied in males in part due to the difficulty of identifying developmental milestones in males relative to females and the general quiescence of the HPG axis prior to maturation. However, there are clear indicators that early life social environments matter for both sexes. In this review, we examine what is known about the impact of social environments on HPG and HPA axis programming during male development in humans and nonhuman primates, including the role that epigenetic mechanisms may play in this programming. We conclude by highlighting important next steps in this research area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ella R Brown
- Department of Anthropology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Lee T Gettler
- Department of Anthropology, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, USA
- Eck Institute for Global Health, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, USA
| | - Stacy Rosenbaum
- Department of Anthropology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
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2
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Orellana SC, Bethlehem RAI, Simpson-Kent IL, van Harmelen AL, Vértes PE, Bullmore ET. Childhood maltreatment influences adult brain structure through its effects on immune, metabolic, and psychosocial factors. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2304704121. [PMID: 38593073 PMCID: PMC11032474 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2304704121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Childhood maltreatment (CM) leads to a lifelong susceptibility to mental ill-health which might be reflected by its effects on adult brain structure, perhaps indirectly mediated by its effects on adult metabolic, immune, and psychosocial systems. Indexing these systemic factors via body mass index (BMI), C-reactive protein (CRP), and rates of adult trauma (AT), respectively, we tested three hypotheses: (H1) CM has direct or indirect effects on adult trauma, BMI, and CRP; (H2) adult trauma, BMI, and CRP are all independently related to adult brain structure; and (H3) childhood maltreatment has indirect effects on adult brain structure mediated in parallel by BMI, CRP, and AT. Using path analysis and data from N = 116,887 participants in UK Biobank, we find that CM is related to greater BMI and AT levels, and that these two variables mediate CM's effects on CRP [H1]. Regression analyses on the UKB MRI subsample (N = 21,738) revealed that greater CRP and BMI were both independently related to a spatially convergent pattern of cortical effects (Spearman's ρ = 0.87) characterized by fronto-occipital increases and temporo-parietal reductions in thickness. Subcortically, BMI was associated with greater volume, AT with lower volume and CPR with effects in both directions [H2]. Finally, path models indicated that CM has indirect effects in a subset of brain regions mediated through its direct effects on BMI and AT and indirect effects on CRP [H3]. Results provide evidence that childhood maltreatment can influence brain structure decades after exposure by increasing individual risk toward adult trauma, obesity, and inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofia C. Orellana
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, CambridgeCB2 0SZ, United Kingdom
| | - Richard A. I. Bethlehem
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, CambridgeCB2 0SZ, United Kingdom
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, CambridgeCB2 3EB, United Kingdom
| | - Ivan L. Simpson-Kent
- Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden2333AK, The Netherlands
- Medical Research Council Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, CambridgeCB2 7EF, United Kingdom
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA19104-6241
| | - Anne-Laura van Harmelen
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, CambridgeCB2 0SZ, United Kingdom
- Institute of Education and Child Studies, Leiden University, Leiden2333AK, The Netherlands
| | - Petra E. Vértes
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, CambridgeCB2 0SZ, United Kingdom
| | - Edward T. Bullmore
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, CambridgeCB2 0SZ, United Kingdom
- Cambridgeshire & Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, CambridgeCB21 5EF, United Kingdom
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3
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Best C, Hascoet JM, Jeanbert E, Morel O, Baumann C, Renard E. Impact of corticosteroid exposure on preterm labor in neonates eventually born at term. J Perinatol 2024; 44:195-202. [PMID: 38040875 DOI: 10.1038/s41372-023-01831-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2023] [Revised: 10/24/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 12/03/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To evaluate the impact of antenatal corticosteroid therapy (ACS) on birth outcomes in term infants exposed during pregnancy. STUDY DESIGN Exposed newborns were compared with non-exposed controls in a 1 to 2 design. Multivariate analysis was used to assess the effect of ACS exposure on neonatal outcomes. RESULT 408 newborns were included (136 exposed to ACS, 272 non-exposed). Mean ± SD head circumference (HC) was 33.7 ± 1.4 vs 34.3 ± 1.6 cm, p = 0.001 in exposed vs controls; birth weight was 3.1 ± 0.4 vs 3.3 ± 0.4 kg, p = 0.0001; and birth height was 47.9 ± 2.1 vs. 49.1 ± 2.0 cm, p < 0.0001. Hypocalcemia (4.4 vs 0.7%, p = 0.019) and feeding difficulties (5.1 vs 1.5%, p = 0.047) were significantly more common in exposed newborns. Multivariate analysis for HC showed a significant independent association with ACS exposure (β = -0.5, p = 0.009). CONCLUSION Term newborns exposed to ACS have lower birth HC and higher risk of neonatal complications. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION NCT05640596.
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Affiliation(s)
- Céline Best
- Pediatric Endocrinology-Pediatric Department, Children's Hospital, University Hospital of Nancy, Vandœuvre-Les-Nancy, France
| | - Jean-Michel Hascoet
- Department of Neonatology, CHRU of Nancy; DevAH, Lorraine University, Vandœuvre-Les-Nancy, France
| | - Elodie Jeanbert
- DRCI, MPI Department, Methodology, Data Management and Statistics Unit, University Hospital of Nancy, Vandœuvre-Les-Nancy, France
| | - Olivier Morel
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Maternity Hospital CHRU of Nancy, Lorraine University, Vandœuvre-Les-Nancy, France
| | - Cédric Baumann
- DRCI, MPI Department, Methodology, Data Management and Statistics Unit, University Hospital of Nancy, Vandœuvre-Les-Nancy, France
| | - Emeline Renard
- Pediatric Endocrinology-Pediatric Department, Children's Hospital, University Hospital of Nancy, Vandœuvre-Les-Nancy, France.
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Córdova A, Caballero-García A, Drobnic F, Roche E, Noriega DC. Influence of Stress and Emotions in the Learning Process: The Example of COVID-19 on University Students: A Narrative Review. Healthcare (Basel) 2023; 11:1787. [PMID: 37372905 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare11121787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2023] [Revised: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 06/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Emotional instability and stress are the main disturbances that condition the learning process, affecting both teachers and students. The main objective of this review is to analyze the influence of stress and emotions (as part of stress) on the learning environment. Stress is a physiological mechanism that the organism develops to adapt and survive external and internal challenges. In this context, stress tends to be seen as a negative condition in the learning process when it is chronic. Extreme stress situations, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, can generate anxiety and frustration in students. However, other studies indicate that controlled stress can positively enhance the learning process. On the other hand, the quality and intensity of emotions resulting from stress can influence as well the learning process. Positive emotions are healthy and can promote optimal learning. Emotions lead to sentimental, cognitive, behavioral, and physiological changes, which will have a strong influence on intellectual performance. The activation of coping strategies constitutes a key mechanism for dealing positively with problems and challenges, generating positive emotions essential for the self-regulation of learning. In conclusion, correct management of emotions in stressful situations could promote effective learning through enhanced attention and capacity to solve problems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alfredo Córdova
- Department de Bioquímica, Biología Molecular y Fisiología, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, GIR: "Ejercicio Físico y Envejecimiento", Universidad de Valladolid, Campus Universitario "Los Pajaritos", 42004 Soria, Spain
| | - Alberto Caballero-García
- Department de Anatomía y Radiología, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, GIR: "Ejercicio Físico y Envejecimiento", Universidad de Valladolid, Campus Universitario "Los Pajaritos", 42004 Soria, Spain
| | - Franchek Drobnic
- Medical Services Wolverhampton Wanderers FC, Wolverhampton WV3 9BF, UK
| | - Enrique Roche
- CIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBEROBN), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Department of Applied Biology-Nutrition, Institute of Bioengineering, University Miguel Hernández, 03202 Elche, Spain
- Alicante Institute for Health and Biomedical Research (ISABIAL), 03010 Alicante, Spain
| | - David C Noriega
- Department Cirugía, Oftalmología, Otorrinolaringología y Fisioterapia, Facultad de Medicina, 47003 Valladolid, Spain
- Departamento de Columna Vertebral, Hospital Clínico Universitario de Valladolid, 47003 Valladolid, Spain
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Kouhnavardi S, Cabatic M, Mañas-Padilla MC, Malabanan MA, Smani T, Cicvaric A, Muñoz Aranzalez EA, Koenig X, Urban E, Lubec G, Castilla-Ortega E, Monje FJ. miRNA-132/212 Deficiency Disrupts Selective Corticosterone Modulation of Dorsal vs. Ventral Hippocampal Metaplasticity. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:9565. [PMID: 37298523 PMCID: PMC10253409 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24119565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Revised: 05/21/2023] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Cortisol is a potent human steroid hormone that plays key roles in the central nervous system, influencing processes such as brain neuronal synaptic plasticity and regulating the expression of emotional and behavioral responses. The relevance of cortisol stands out in the disease, as its dysregulation is associated with debilitating conditions such as Alzheimer's Disease, chronic stress, anxiety and depression. Among other brain regions, cortisol importantly influences the function of the hippocampus, a structure central for memory and emotional information processing. The mechanisms fine-tuning the different synaptic responses of the hippocampus to steroid hormone signaling remain, however, poorly understood. Using ex vivo electrophysiology and wild type (WT) and miR-132/miR-212 microRNAs knockout (miRNA-132/212-/-) mice, we examined the effects of corticosterone (the rodent's equivalent to cortisol in humans) on the synaptic properties of the dorsal and ventral hippocampus. In WT mice, corticosterone predominantly inhibited metaplasticity in the dorsal WT hippocampi, whereas it significantly dysregulated both synaptic transmission and metaplasticity at dorsal and ventral regions of miR-132/212-/- hippocampi. Western blotting further revealed significantly augmented levels of endogenous CREB and a significant CREB reduction in response to corticosterone only in miR-132/212-/- hippocampi. Sirt1 levels were also endogenously enhanced in the miR-132/212-/- hippocampi but unaltered by corticosterone, whereas the levels of phospo-MSK1 were only reduced by corticosterone in WT, not in miR-132/212-/- hippocampi. In behavioral studies using the elevated plus maze, miRNA-132/212-/- mice further showed reduced anxiety-like behavior. These observations propose miRNA-132/212 as potential region-selective regulators of the effects of steroid hormones on hippocampal functions, thus likely fine-tuning hippocampus-dependent memory and emotional processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shima Kouhnavardi
- Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Department of Neurophysiology and Neuropharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Maureen Cabatic
- Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Department of Neurophysiology and Neuropharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Marife-Astrid Malabanan
- Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Department of Neurophysiology and Neuropharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Tarik Smani
- Department of Medical Physiology and Biophysics, University of Seville, 41013 Seville, Spain
| | - Ana Cicvaric
- Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Department of Neurophysiology and Neuropharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
- Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY 10461, USA
| | - Edison Alejandro Muñoz Aranzalez
- Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Department of Neurophysiology and Neuropharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Xaver Koenig
- Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Department of Neurophysiology and Neuropharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Ernst Urban
- Department for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Josef-Holaubek-Platz 2, 2D 303, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Gert Lubec
- Programme for Proteomics, Paracelsus Medical University, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
| | | | - Francisco J. Monje
- Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Department of Neurophysiology and Neuropharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
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Gimsa U, Brückmann R, Tuchscherer A, Tuchscherer M, Kanitz E. Early-life maternal deprivation affects the mother-offspring relationship in domestic pigs, as well as the neuroendocrine development and coping behavior of piglets. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:980350. [PMID: 36275850 PMCID: PMC9582528 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.980350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Early-life adversity may have programming effects on the psychological and physiological development of offspring. Domestic pigs (Sus scrofa) are an excellent model species for studying these effects because of their many physiological similarities to humans. Piglets from 10 sows were subjected to daily 2-h maternal deprivation on postnatal days (PND) 2–15 alone (DA) or in a group of littermates (DG). Control piglets (C) from 10 sows stayed with their mothers. Mother-offspring interaction, milk oxytocin, and cortisol were analyzed. An open-field/novel-object (OF/NO) test was performed with piglets on PNDs 16 and 40. Plasma cortisol and immune parameters were determined on PND 5 and 16. Two piglets from each group and sow were sacrificed on PND 20 and stress-related gene expression in the limbic system and prefrontal cortex (PFC), as well as splenic lymphocyte proliferative abilities, were examined. The milk cortisol of sows increased during the first separation of mother and offspring on the second day of lactation, whereas milk oxytocin did not change. The increase in cortisol by the OF/NO test on PND 16 was greater in C piglets than in DA and DG ones. DA piglets showed less agitated behavior than DG and C piglets in the OF/NO test at PND 16, but appeared more fearful. On PND 40, DA piglets showed more arousal than DG and C piglets in the OF/NO test. Neither plasma IgA nor N/L ratios in blood nor mitogen-induced proliferation of spleen lymphocytes were affected by deprivation. We found a higher mRNA expression of CRHR1 in the hypothalamus and a higher expression of MR in the hippocampus in DA piglets than in DG ones. The expression of GR, MR, and CRHR1 genes in the PFC was reduced by maternal deprivation, however, the expression of arginine vasopressin and oxytocin receptors was not affected. Repeated maternal deprivation induces sustained effects on stress reactivity and behavior of domestic piglets. Some of these effects were buffered by the presence of littermates. In addition, we found sex-specific differences in behavior and gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulrike Gimsa
- Psychophysiology Group, Institute of Behavioural Physiology, Research Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN), Dummerstorf, Germany
- *Correspondence: Ulrike Gimsa,
| | - Roberto Brückmann
- Psychophysiology Group, Institute of Behavioural Physiology, Research Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN), Dummerstorf, Germany
- EUROIMMUN Medizinische Labordiagnostika AG, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Armin Tuchscherer
- Service Group Statistical Consulting, Institute of Genetics and Biometry, Research Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN), Dummerstorf, Germany
| | - Margret Tuchscherer
- Psychophysiology Group, Institute of Behavioural Physiology, Research Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN), Dummerstorf, Germany
| | - Ellen Kanitz
- Psychophysiology Group, Institute of Behavioural Physiology, Research Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN), Dummerstorf, Germany
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Aviram A, Murphy K, McDonald S, Asztalos E, Zaltz A, Redelmeier D, Shah B, Barrett J, Melamed N. Antenatal corticosteroids and neurodevelopmental outcomes in late preterm births. Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed 2022; 107:250-255. [PMID: 34588179 DOI: 10.1136/archdischild-2021-322152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2021] [Accepted: 09/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Antenatal corticosteroids (ACS) decrease neonatal mortality and morbidity among preterm neonates, yet there has been concern regarding their long-term safety. We hypothesised that potential long-term adverse effects of ACS may be observed among infants born during the late preterm period (LPT, 340/7-366/7 weeks of gestation), when the benefits of ACS are subtle. DESIGN Population-based, retrospective cohort. SETTING Ontario, Canada, between 2006 and 2011. PATIENTS All live singleton infants born during the LPT period with a minimum 5-year follow-up. INTERVENTIONS Exposure to ACS prior to 340/7 weeks of gestation. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Suspected neurocognitive disorder, audiometry testing or visual testing. RESULTS Overall, 25 668 infants were eligible for analysis, of whom 2689 (10.5%) received ACS. Infants in the ACS group had lower mean birth weight and higher rates of birth weight <10th percentile, neonatal resuscitation and neonatal intensive care unit admission. At 5 years of age, ACS exposure was associated with an increased risk of suspected neurocognitive disorder (adjusted HR (aHR) 1.12, 95% CI 1.05 to 1.20), audiometry testing (aHR 1.20, 95% CI 1.10 to 1.31) and visual testing (aHR 1.06, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.11). CONCLUSION In children born during the LPT period, exposure to ACS prior to 340/7 weeks of gestation is associated with an increased utilisation of the healthcare system related to audiometry and visual testing and suspected neurocognitive disorders by 5 years of age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amir Aviram
- DAN Women & Babies Program, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Kellie Murphy
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Sarah McDonald
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Elizabeth Asztalos
- Newborn and Developmental Paediatrics, Sunnybrook and Women's College Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Arthur Zaltz
- DAN Women & Babies Program, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Donald Redelmeier
- Department of Medicine, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Baiju Shah
- Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jon Barrett
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Nir Melamed
- DAN Women & Babies Program, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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Kazemi M, Aliyari H, Tekieh E, Tavakoli H, Golabi S, Sahraei H, Meftahi GH, Salehi M, Saberi M. The Effect of 12 Hz Extremely Low-frequency Electromagnetic Field on Visual Memory of Male Macaque Monkeys. Basic Clin Neurosci 2022; 13:1-14. [PMID: 36589014 PMCID: PMC9790106 DOI: 10.32598/bcn.2021.724.8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2019] [Revised: 02/23/2020] [Accepted: 08/04/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Today, humans live in a world surrounded by electromagnetic fields. Numerous studies have been conducted to discover the biological, physiological, and behavioral effects of electromagnetic fields on humans and animals. Given the biological similarities between monkeys and humans, The present research aimed to examine Visual Memory (VM), hormonal, genomic, and anatomic changes, in the male rhesus macaques exposed to an Extremely Low-Frequency Magnetic Field (ELF-MF). Methods Four male rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) were used. For the behavioral tests, the animals should be fasting for 17 hours. For the tests such as visual memory, the animal's cooperation was necessary. Using the radiation protocol, we exposed two monkeys to a 12-Hz electromagnetic field with a magnitude of 0.7 μT (electromagnetic radiation) four hours a day for a month. Before and after the exposure, a visual memory test was conducted using a coated device (visible reward) on a movable stand. Ten milliliters of blood was obtained from the femoral artery of each monkey, and half of it was used to examine cortisol serum levels using the MyBioSource kit (made in the USA). The other half of the blood was used to extract lymphocytes for assaying expressions of Glucocorticoid Receptor (GR) genes before and after radiation using the PCR method. Anatomic studies of the amygdala were carried out based on pre- and post-radiation Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). Results Research results indicated that visual memory in male primates increased significantly after exposure to the 12-Hz frequency. Hormonal analysis at the 12-Hz frequency showed a decrease in cortisol serum levels. However, visual memory and serum cortisol levels did not change considerably in male primates in the control group. There was no considerable amygdala volumetric difference after exposure to the 12-Hz frequency. The expression of the GR genes decreased in the 12-Hz group compared to the control group. Conclusion In short, these results indicated that ELF might benefit memory enhancement because exposure to the 12-HZ ELF can enhance visual memory. This outcome may be due to a decrease in plasma cortisol and or expression of GR genes. Moreover, direct amygdala involvement in this regard cannot be recommended. Highlights The effects of Extremely Low-Frequency Electromagnetic Fields (ELF-EMF) of 12 Hz on monkeys were studied.The results showed a reduction in the serum cortisol levels and the expression of GR genes.The amygdala anatomical area changes were not significant in the experimental group.In the experimental group, visual memory (delay of 30- and 60-s evaluation) improved after exposure to a frequency of 12 Hz. Plain Language Summary Extremely low-frequency electromagnetic fields are among the most important factors affecting humans. This study aimed to determine the fields of 12-Hz frequency on the visual memory changes of male monkeys. The importance of research is due to the cognitive similarity of monkeys to humans. The findings of the research can be attributed to humans. Behavioral, hormonal, genetic, and anatomical studies indicated improvement in visual memory (test monkeys versus control monkeys). This study demonstrates the effect of the 12-Hz frequency on the monkey's visual memory. Researchers can study 12-Hz frequency in other cognitive indices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masoomeh Kazemi
- Neuroscience Research Center, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hamed Aliyari
- Center for Human-Engaged Computing, Kochi University of Technology, Kochi, Japan
| | - Elaheh Tekieh
- Neuroscience Research Center, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hassan Tavakoli
- Neuroscience Research Center, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Sahar Golabi
- Department of Medical Physiology, School of Medicine, Abadan University of Medical Sciences, Abadan, Iran
| | - Hedayat Sahraei
- Neuroscience Research Center, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Maryam Salehi
- Neuroscience Research Center, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mehdi Saberi
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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9
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Neurocognitive development of novelty and error monitoring in children and adolescents. Sci Rep 2021; 11:19844. [PMID: 34615914 PMCID: PMC8494897 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-99043-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2021] [Accepted: 09/20/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The abilities to monitor one's actions and novel information in the environment are crucial for behavioural and cognitive control. This study investigated the development of error and novelty monitoring and their electrophysiological correlates by using a combined flanker with novelty-oddball task in children (7-12 years) and adolescents (14-18 years). Potential moderating influences of prenatal perturbation of steroid hormones on these performance monitoring processes were explored by comparing individuals who were prenatally exposed and who were not prenatally exposed to synthetic glucocorticoids (sGC). Generally, adolescents performed more accurately and faster than children. However, behavioural adaptations to error or novelty, as reflected in post-error or post-novelty slowing, showed different developmental patterns. Whereas post-novelty slowing could be observed in children and adolescents, error-related slowing was absent in children and was marginally significant in adolescents. Furthermore, the amplitude of error-related negativity was larger in adolescents, whereas the amplitude of novelty-related N2 was larger in children. These age differences suggest that processes involving top-down processing of task-relevant information (for instance, error monitoring) mature later than processes implicating bottom-up processing of salient novel stimuli (for instance, novelty monitoring). Prenatal exposure to sGC did not directly affect performance monitoring but initial findings suggest that it might alter brain-behaviour relation, especially for novelty monitoring.
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10
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Simon KR, Merz EC, He X, Desai PM, Meyer JS, Noble KG. Socioeconomic factors, stress, hair cortisol, and white matter microstructure in children. Dev Psychobiol 2021; 63:e22147. [PMID: 34105766 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2020] [Revised: 05/12/2021] [Accepted: 05/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Socioeconomic disadvantage has been linked to increased stress exposure in children and adults. Exposure to stress in childhood has been associated with deleterious effects on cognitive development and well-being throughout the lifespan. Further, exposure to stress has been associated with differences in brain development in children, both in cortical and subcortical gray matter. However, less is known about the associations among socioeconomic disadvantage, stress, and children's white matter development. In this study, we investigated whether socioeconomic disparities would be associated with differences in white matter microstructure in the cingulum bundle, as has been previously reported. We additionally investigated whether any such differences could be explained by differences in stress exposure and/or physiological stress levels. White matter tracts were measured via diffusion tensor imaging in 58 children aged 5-9 years. Results indicated that greater exposure to stressful life events was associated with higher child hair cortisol concentrations. Further, physiological stress, as indexed by hair cortisol concentrations, were associated with higher fractional anisotropy in the cingulum bundle. These results have implications for better understanding how perceived and physiological stress may alter neural development during childhood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katrina R Simon
- Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Emily C Merz
- Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Xiaofu He
- Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Pooja M Desai
- Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Jerrold S Meyer
- University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA
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11
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Khayyer Z, Saberi Azad R, Torkzadeh Arani Z, Jafari Harandi R. Examining the effect of stress induction on auditory working memory performance for emotional and non-emotional stimuli in female students. Heliyon 2021; 7:e06876. [PMID: 33997406 PMCID: PMC8099744 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e06876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2020] [Revised: 07/26/2020] [Accepted: 04/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Theoretical frameworks have shown that stress might influence working memory in different ways. Previous research has investigated the effect of stress on female's working memory but there is lack of evidence regarding the impact of emotional aspects. Objectives This study examined the effect of stress induction on auditory working memory (AWM) performance among university students for emotional (positive and negative) and non-emotional (neutral) stimuli. Methods A sample of 102 female students at the Universities of Isfahan, Iran was selected using convenience sampling in 2018. Participants completed the demographic information sheets, then, they were randomly assigned into the experimental and control groups. The stress was induced by the Socially Evaluated Cold Pressor Test (SECPT). An n-back task was presented pre and post of stress induction, to evaluate the AWM performance (accuracy and reaction time). The research data were analyzed using mixed-model ANOVA. Results Both accuracy and reaction time (RT) scores were found to be enhanced for positive words in the experimental condition. However, accuracy and RT indices were found to be worsening for negative words in the experimental condition. Conclusions This study supports the idea that stress influences AWM performance depend on emotionally-valenced stimuli, which may help us to better understand the underlying mechanisms of memory processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zahra Khayyer
- Educational Sciences & Psychology Department, University of Isfahan, And Shahid Ashrafi Esfahani University, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Razieh Saberi Azad
- Human Sciences Department, Sepahan Institute of Higher Education, Isfahan, Iran
| | | | - Reza Jafari Harandi
- Educational Sciences Department, Literature and Human Sciences Faculty, University of Qom, Qom, Iran
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12
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Gene Expression Meta-Analysis of Cerebellum Samples Supports the FKBP5 Gene-Environment Interaction Model for Schizophrenia. Life (Basel) 2021; 11:life11030190. [PMID: 33673722 PMCID: PMC7997256 DOI: 10.3390/life11030190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2021] [Revised: 02/19/2021] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND One of the most studied molecular models of gene-environment interactions is that of FKBP5, which has been shown to interact with childhood adversity to increase the risk of psychiatric disorders, and has been implicated in schizophrenia. While the model predicts up-regulation of FKBP5, previous brain samples gene expression studies yielded inconsistent results. METHODS We performed a systematic gene expression meta-analysis of FKBP5 and NR3C1, a glucocorticoid receptor inhibited by FKBP5, in cerebellum samples of patients with schizophrenia. The gene expression databases GEO, SMRI and those of NIMH were searched, and out of six screened datasets, three were eligible for the meta-analysis (overall 69 with schizophrenia and 78 controls). RESULTS We detected up-regulation of FKBP5 and down-regulation of NR3C1 in schizophrenia, and a negative correlation between their expression patterns. Correlation analysis suggested that the detected differential expression did not result from potential confounding factors. CONCLUSIONS Our results give significant support to the FKBP5 gene-environment interaction model for schizophrenia, which provides a molecular mechanism by which childhood adversity is involved in the development of the disorder. To explore FKBP5's potential as a therapeutic target, a mapping of its differential expression patterns in different brain regions of schizophrenia patients is needed.
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13
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D'Alessio L, Mesarosova L, Anink JJ, Kochen S, Solís P, Oddo S, Konopka H, Iyer AM, Mühlebner A, Lucassen PJ, Aronica E, van Vliet EA. Reduced expression of the glucocorticoid receptor in the hippocampus of patients with drug-resistant temporal lobe epilepsy and comorbid depression. Epilepsia 2020; 61:1595-1605. [PMID: 32652588 PMCID: PMC7496961 DOI: 10.1111/epi.16598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2020] [Revised: 05/16/2020] [Accepted: 06/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Objective Depressive disorders are common among about 50% of the patients with drug‐resistant temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). The underlying etiology remains elusive, but hypothalamus‐pituitary‐adrenal (HPA) axis activation due to changes in glucocorticoid receptor (GR) protein expression could play an important role. Therefore, we set out to investigate expression of the GR in the hippocampus, an important brain region for HPA axis feedback, of patients with drug‐resistant TLE, with and without comorbid depression. Methods GR expression was studied using immunohistochemistry on hippocampal sections from well‐characterized TLE patients with depression (TLE + D, n = 14) and without depression (TLE − D, n = 12) who underwent surgery for drug‐resistant epilepsy, as well as on hippocampal sections from autopsy control cases (n = 9). Video–electroencephalography (EEG), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and psychiatric and memory assessments were performed prior to surgery. Results Abundant GR immunoreactivity was present in dentate gyrus granule cells and CA1 pyramidal cells of controls. In contrast, neuronal GR expression was lower in patients with TLE, particularly in the TLE + D group. Quantitative analysis showed a smaller GR+ area in TLE + D as compared to TLE − D patients and controls. Furthermore, the ratio between the number of GR+/NeuN+ cells was lower in patients with TLE + D as compared to TLE − D and correlated negatively with the depression severity based on psychiatric history. The expression of the GR was also lower in glial cells of TLE + D compared to TLE − D patients and correlated negatively to the severity of depression. Significance Reduced hippocampal GR expression may be involved in the etiology of depression in patients with TLE and could constitute a biological marker of depression in these patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luciana D'Alessio
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, IBCN-CONICET, Centro de Epilepsia Hospital Ramos Mejía y Hospital El Cruce, ENyS-CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Lucia Mesarosova
- Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Department of (Neuro) Pathology, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Jasper J Anink
- Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Department of (Neuro) Pathology, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Silvia Kochen
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, IBCN-CONICET, Centro de Epilepsia Hospital Ramos Mejía y Hospital El Cruce, ENyS-CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Patricia Solís
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, IBCN-CONICET, Centro de Epilepsia Hospital Ramos Mejía y Hospital El Cruce, ENyS-CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Silvia Oddo
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, IBCN-CONICET, Centro de Epilepsia Hospital Ramos Mejía y Hospital El Cruce, ENyS-CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Hector Konopka
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, IBCN-CONICET, Centro de Epilepsia Hospital Ramos Mejía y Hospital El Cruce, ENyS-CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Anand M Iyer
- Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Department of (Neuro) Pathology, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Angelika Mühlebner
- Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Department of (Neuro) Pathology, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Paul J Lucassen
- Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, Center for Neuroscience, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Eleonora Aronica
- Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Department of (Neuro) Pathology, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.,Stichting Epilepsie Instellingen Nederland (SEIN), Heemstede, the Netherlands
| | - Erwin A van Vliet
- Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Department of (Neuro) Pathology, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.,Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, Center for Neuroscience, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
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14
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Chen L, Shi R, She X, Gu C, Chong L, Zhang L, Li R. Mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist‐mediated cognitive improvement in a mouse model of Alzheimer's type: possible involvement of BDNF‐H
2
S‐Nrf2 signaling. Fundam Clin Pharmacol 2020; 34:697-707. [PMID: 32484999 DOI: 10.1111/fcp.12576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2020] [Revised: 05/19/2020] [Accepted: 05/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Li Chen
- Department of Neurology Shaanxi Provincial People’s Hospital 256 Friendship West Road, Beilin District Xi’an Shaanxi 710068 China
| | - Rui Shi
- Department of Ophthalmology Shaanxi Provincial People's Hospital No. 256 Youyi West Road, Beilin District Xi'an City Shaanxi Province 710068 China
| | - Xia She
- Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Room Shaanxi Provincial People’s Hospital 256 Friendship West Road, Beilin District Xi’an Shaanxi 710068 China
| | - Chaochao Gu
- Department of Neurology Shaanxi Provincial People’s Hospital 256 Friendship West Road, Beilin District Xi’an Shaanxi 710068 China
| | - Li Chong
- Department of Neurology Shaanxi Provincial People’s Hospital 256 Friendship West Road, Beilin District Xi’an Shaanxi 710068 China
| | - Lina Zhang
- Department of Neurology Shaanxi Provincial People’s Hospital 256 Friendship West Road, Beilin District Xi’an Shaanxi 710068 China
| | - Rui Li
- Department of Neurology Shaanxi Provincial People’s Hospital 256 Friendship West Road, Beilin District Xi’an Shaanxi 710068 China
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15
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Terock J, Van der Auwera S, Janowitz D, Wittfeld K, Teumer A, Grabe HJ. Functional polymorphisms of the mineralocorticoid receptor gene NR3C2 are associated with diminished memory decline: Results from a longitudinal general-population study. Mol Genet Genomic Med 2020; 8:e1345. [PMID: 32558353 PMCID: PMC7507013 DOI: 10.1002/mgg3.1345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2020] [Revised: 05/13/2020] [Accepted: 05/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) in the brain has a key role in the regulation of the central stress response and is associated with memory performance. We investigated whether the genetic polymorphisms rs5522 and rs2070951 of NR3C2 showed main and interactive effects with childhood trauma on memory decline. METHODS Declarative memory was longitudinally assessed in 1,318 participants from the community-dwelling Study of Health in Pomerania using the Verbal Learning and Memory Test (VLMT). In a subsample of 377 participants aged 60 and older, the Mini-Mental Status Examination (MMSE) was additionally applied. Mean follow-up time for the VLMT and MMSE were 6.4 and 10.7 years, respectively. RESULTS Homozygous carriers of the G allele of rs2070951 (p < .01) and of the A allele of rs5522 (p < .001) showed higher immediate recall of words as compared to carriers of C allele (rs2070951) or the G allele (rs5522). The CG haplotype was associated with decreased recall (p < .001). Likewise, in the subsample of older patients, the AA genotype of rs5522 was associated with higher MMSE scores (p < .05). CG haplotypes showed significantly reduced MMSE scores in comparison to the reference haplotype (β = -0.60; p < .01). CONCLUSIONS Our results indicate that the GG genotype of rs2070951 as well as the AA genotype of rs5522 are associated with diminished memory decline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Terock
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.,Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Helios Hanseklinikum Stralsund, Stralsund, Germany
| | - Sandra Van der Auwera
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Deborah Janowitz
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Katharina Wittfeld
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.,German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Greifswald, Germany
| | - Alexander Teumer
- Institute for Community Medicine, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Hans J Grabe
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
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16
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Halbeisen G, Buttlar B, Kamp SM, Walther E. The timing-dependent effects of stress-induced cortisol release on evaluative conditioning. Int J Psychophysiol 2020; 152:44-52. [PMID: 32302644 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2020.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2019] [Revised: 03/26/2020] [Accepted: 04/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The neuro-physiological response to stress has far-reaching implications for learning and memory processes. Here, we examined whether and how the stress-induced release of cortisol, following the socially-evaluated cold pressor test, influenced the acquisition of preferences in an evaluative conditioning (EC) procedure. We found that when the stressor preceded the evaluation phase, cortisol responders showed decreased evaluative conditioning effects. By contrast, impairing effects of a stressor-induced cortisol release before encoding were not found. Moreover, explicit memory was not found to be affected by the stressor or its timing. Implications of the timing-dependent effects of stress-induced cortisol release on EC and the relation between stress and associative memory are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georg Halbeisen
- Department of Psychology, University of Trier, Universitätsring 15, 54296 Trier, Germany
| | - Benjamin Buttlar
- Department of Psychology, University of Trier, Universitätsring 15, 54296 Trier, Germany
| | - Siri-Maria Kamp
- Department of Psychology, University of Trier, Universitätsring 15, 54296 Trier, Germany
| | - Eva Walther
- Department of Psychology, University of Trier, Universitätsring 15, 54296 Trier, Germany.
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17
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Abstract
Early life stress (ELS) is a risk factor in the development of psychiatric disorders. The underlying biological mechanisms governing this phenomenon are not fully understood, but dysregulation of stress responses is likely to play a key role. Males and females differ in their propensity to develop psychiatric disorders, with far higher rates of anxiety, major depressive disorder, affective disorders and post-traumatic stress disorder found in women. We hypothesized that sex differences in response to ELS may play a crucial role in differential vulnerability between the sexes. To test this, we evaluated the consequences of pre-pubertal stress (PPS) on the HPA axis in adult female and male Lister Hooded rats. PPS animals were exposed to swim, restraint and elevated platform stress on postnatal days 25-27, controls remained in their home cage. Once adult, animals were either a) sacrificed directly and brains collected or b) sacrificed 20 minutes or 1 week after a social test and trunk blood collected. In the female hippocampal formation, PPS increased expression of FKBP5 and AVPR1a. In the female prefrontal cortex, PPS resulted in increased glucocorticoid receptor expression, increased glucocorticoid:mineralocorticoid (GR:MR) receptor expression ratio and decreased AVPR1a expression. Females exposed to PPS did not show the normal rise in blood corticosterone levels following a social interaction test. In contrast, PPS did not alter the expression of oxytocin or oxytocin receptors, and no effects of PPS were seen in males. However, striking sex differences were found. Females had higher oxytocin receptor expression in the prefrontal cortex and AVPR1a and oxytocin expression in the hypothalamus, whereas males demonstrated higher expression of GR, MR, GR:MR, FKBP5 and oxytocin receptor in the hypothalamus. These results demonstrate heightened reactivity of the female HPA axis to PPS and may help explain why in humans females display an increased susceptibility to certain stress-related psychopathologies.LAY SUMMARYWomen are at greater risk of developing several psychiatric illnesses. Using a rodent model, we show that the female stress system is more reactive to the lasting effects of early life stress. This heightened reactivity of the female stress response may help explain why women are at a greater risk of developing psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nichola M Brydges
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Caroline Best
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Kerrie L Thomas
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
- School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
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18
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Kline SA, Mega MS. Stress-Induced Neurodegeneration: The Potential for Coping as Neuroprotective Therapy. Am J Alzheimers Dis Other Demen 2020; 35:1533317520960873. [PMID: 32969239 PMCID: PMC10623922 DOI: 10.1177/1533317520960873] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/03/2024]
Abstract
Stress responses are essential for survival, but become detrimental to health and cognition with chronic activation. Chronic hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis release of glucocorticoids induces hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis dysfunction and neuronal loss, decreases learning and memory, and modifies glucocorticoid receptor/mineralocorticoid receptor expression. Elderly who report increased stress are nearly 3 times more likely to develop Alzheimer's disease, have decreased global cognition and faster cognitive decline than those reporting no stress. Patients with mild cognitive impairment are more sensitive to stress compared to healthy elderly and those with Alzheimer's disease. Stress may also transduce neurodegeneration via the gut microbiome. Coping styles determine hippocampal mineralocorticoid receptor expression in mice, indicating that coping modifies cortisol's effect on the brain. Identifying neuroprotective coping strategies that lessen the burden of stress may prevent or slow cognitive decline. Treatments and education designed to reduce stress should be recognized as neuroprotective.
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19
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Effects of hydrocortisone on autobiographical memory retrieval in patients with posttraumatic stress disorder and borderline personality disorder: the role of childhood trauma. Neuropsychopharmacology 2019; 44:2038-2044. [PMID: 31279324 PMCID: PMC6898229 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-019-0459-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2019] [Revised: 06/12/2019] [Accepted: 06/28/2019] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
In a previous study, we found that patients with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and borderline personality disorder (BPD) showed better autobiographical memory (AM) retrieval after hydrocortisone administration than after placebo administration. Here we investigate the neural correlates of AM retrieval after hydrocortisone administration in patients with PTSD or BPD. We recruited 78 female participants for this placebo-controlled crossover study: 40 healthy controls, 20 patients with PTSD, and 18 patients with BPD (all without medication). All participants received an oral placebo or 10 mg hydrocortisone in a randomized order before performing an AM task. Neural activity was monitored during the task by functional magnetic resonance imaging. Neural activation did not differ between the three groups during AM retrieval, neither in the placebo condition nor after hydrocortisone intake. Multiple regression analysis revealed that Childhood Trauma Questionnaire scores correlated positively with hydrocortisone effects on activation in the anterior medial prefrontal cortex (amPFC), ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (vlPFC), posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), angular gyrus, and cerebellum. These results suggest that hydrocortisone-induced neural activation pattern during AM retrieval is related to childhood trauma. Previously described effects in the hippocampus, which were absent in the current study, might be related to PTSD caused by trauma in adulthood. The effects of hydrocortisone on brain activation and how these effects are influenced by childhood trauma, trauma in adulthood, and PTSD symptoms should be determined in future studies.
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20
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Michael KC, Bonneau RH, Bourne RA, Godbolt L, Caruso MJ, Hohmann C, Cavigelli SA. Divergent immune responses in behaviorally-inhibited vs. non-inhibited male rats. Physiol Behav 2019; 213:112693. [PMID: 31629765 PMCID: PMC6934092 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2019.112693] [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: 02/12/2019] [Revised: 09/17/2019] [Accepted: 09/27/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Stable behavioral traits (temperament, personality) often predict health outcomes. Temperament-specific differences in immune function could explain temperament-specific health outcomes, however, we have limited information on whether immune function varies by personality. In the present study, we examined the relationship between a basic behavioral trait (behavioral-inhibition vs. non-inhibition) and two immune responses (innate inflammation and delayed-type hypersensitivity, DTH) in a rodent model. In humans, behavioral inhibition (fearful temperament) is associated with altered stress physiology and allergies. In laboratory rats, the trait is associated with elevated glucocorticoid production. We hypothesized that behavioral inhibition is associated with glucocorticoid resistance and dampened T-helper 1 cell responses often associated with chronic stress and allergies. Further, this immune profile would predict poorly-regulated innate inflammation and dampened DTH. In male Sprague-Dawley rats, we quantified consistent behavioral phenotypes by measuring latency to contact two kinds of novelty (object vs. social), then measured lipopolysaccharide(LPS)-induced innate inflammation or keyhole limpet hemocyanin(KLH)-induced DTH. Behaviorally-inhibited rats had heightened glucocorticoid and interleukin-6 responses to a low/moderate dose of LPS and reduced DTH swelling to KLH re-exposure compared to non-inhibited rats. These results suggest that behavioral inhibition is associated with a glucocorticoid resistant state with poorly regulated innate inflammation and dampened cell-mediated immune responses. This immune profile may be associated with exaggerated T-helper 2 responses, which could set the stage for an allergic/asthmatic/atopic predisposition in inhibited individuals. Human and animal models of temperament-specific immune responses represent an area for further exploration of mechanisms involved in individual differences in health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kerry C Michael
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, Morris, USA
| | - Robert H Bonneau
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology and Department of Pediatrics, The Pennsylvania State University Hershey Medical Center, USA
| | - Rebecca A Bourne
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, The Pennsylvania State University, USA
| | | | - Michael J Caruso
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, The Pennsylvania State University, USA; Center for Brain, Behavior, and Cognition, The Pennsylvania State University, USA
| | | | - Sonia A Cavigelli
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, The Pennsylvania State University, USA; Center for Brain, Behavior, and Cognition, The Pennsylvania State University, USA; Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, USA.
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21
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Melamed N, Asztalos E, Murphy K, Zaltz A, Redelmeier D, Shah BR, Barrett J. Neurodevelopmental disorders among term infants exposed to antenatal corticosteroids during pregnancy: a population-based study. BMJ Open 2019; 9:e031197. [PMID: 31575578 PMCID: PMC6773295 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2019-031197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE An increasing proportion of fetuses are exposed to antenatal corticosteroids (ACS). Despite their immediate beneficial effects, the long-term safety of ACS has been an ongoing source of concern. In the current study, we assessed the likelihood of neurodevelopmental problems among term infants exposed to ACS earlier in pregnancy compared with non-exposed term infants. DESIGN Retrospective cohort study (2006-2011). Median duration of follow-up was 7.8 (IQR 6.4-9.2) years. SETTING Population-based study, Ontario, Canada. PARTICIPANTS All live singleton infants born at term (≥370/7 weeks gestation) (n=529 205). EXPOSURE ACS during pregnancy. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES A composite of diagnostic or billing codes reflecting proven or suspected neurodevelopmental problems during childhood including audiometry testing, visual testing or physician service claim with a diagnosis code related to a suspected neurocognitive disorder. RESULTS At 5 years of age, the cumulative rate for the primary outcome was higher among infants exposed to ACS compared with non-exposed infants: 61.7% (3346/5423) vs 57.8% (302 520/523 782), respectively (p<0.001; number needed to harm (NNH)=25, 95% CI 19 to 38; adjusted HR (aHR) 1.12, 95% CI 1.08 to 1.16). Similar findings were observed for each of the individual components of the primary outcome: 15.3% vs 12.7% for audiometry testing (p<0.001; NNH=39, 95% CI 29 to 63; aHR 1.18, 95% CI 1.11 to 1.25); 45.4% vs 43.5% for visual testing (p=0.006; NNH=54, 95% CI 31 to 200; aHR 1.08, 95% CI 1.04 to 1.12) and 25.8% vs 21.6% for suspected neurocognitive disorder (p<0.001; NNH=24, 95% CI 19 to 33; aHR 1.16, 95% CI 1.10 to 1.21). CONCLUSIONS We found an association among term infants between exposure to ACS during pregnancy and healthcare utilisation during childhood related to suspected neurocognitive and neurosensory disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nir Melamed
- Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Elizabeth Asztalos
- Department of Newborn & Developmental Paediatrics, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Sunnybrook Research Institute, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Kellie Murphy
- Obstetrics and Gynecology, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Arthur Zaltz
- Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Baiju R Shah
- Endocrinology, Sunnybrooke Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jon Barrett
- Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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22
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Berry D, Palmer AR, Distefano R, Masten AS. Autonomic complexity and emotion (dys-)regulation in early childhood across high- and low-risk contexts. Dev Psychopathol 2019; 31:1173-1190. [PMID: 31290736 PMCID: PMC6790229 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579419000683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Developing the ability to regulate one's emotions in accordance with contextual demands (i.e., emotion regulation) is a central developmental task of early childhood. These processes are supported by the engagement of the autonomic nervous system (ANS), a physiological hub of a vast network tasked with dynamically integrating real-time experiential inputs with internal motivational and goal states. To date, much of what is known about the ANS and emotion regulation has been based on measures of respiratory sinus arrhythmia, a cardiac indicator of parasympathetic activity. In the present study, we draw from dynamical systems models to introduce two nonlinear indices of cardiac complexity (fractality and sample entropy) as potential indicators of these broader ANS dynamics. Using data from a stratified sample of preschoolers living in high- (i.e., emergency homeless shelter) and low-risk contexts (N = 115), we show that, in conjunction with respiratory sinus arrhythmia, these nonlinear indices may help to clarify important differences in the behavioral manifestations of emotion regulation. In particular, our results suggest that cardiac complexity may be especially useful for discerning active, effortful emotion regulation from less effortful regulation and dysregulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Berry
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota,Minneapolis,MN,USA
| | - Alyssa R Palmer
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota,Minneapolis,MN,USA
| | - Rebecca Distefano
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota,Minneapolis,MN,USA
| | - Ann S Masten
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota,Minneapolis,MN,USA
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23
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Alpár A, Zahola P, Hanics J, Hevesi Z, Korchynska S, Benevento M, Pifl C, Zachar G, Perugini J, Severi I, Leitgeb P, Bakker J, Miklosi AG, Tretiakov E, Keimpema E, Arque G, Tasan RO, Sperk G, Malenczyk K, Máté Z, Erdélyi F, Szabó G, Lubec G, Palkovits M, Giordano A, Hökfelt TG, Romanov RA, Horvath TL, Harkany T. Hypothalamic CNTF volume transmission shapes cortical noradrenergic excitability upon acute stress. EMBO J 2018; 37:e100087. [PMID: 30209240 PMCID: PMC6213283 DOI: 10.15252/embj.2018100087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2018] [Revised: 08/10/2018] [Accepted: 08/13/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Stress-induced cortical alertness is maintained by a heightened excitability of noradrenergic neurons innervating, notably, the prefrontal cortex. However, neither the signaling axis linking hypothalamic activation to delayed and lasting noradrenergic excitability nor the molecular cascade gating noradrenaline synthesis is defined. Here, we show that hypothalamic corticotropin-releasing hormone-releasing neurons innervate ependymal cells of the 3rd ventricle to induce ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) release for transport through the brain's aqueductal system. CNTF binding to its cognate receptors on norepinephrinergic neurons in the locus coeruleus then initiates sequential phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1 and tyrosine hydroxylase with the Ca2+-sensor secretagogin ensuring activity dependence in both rodent and human brains. Both CNTF and secretagogin ablation occlude stress-induced cortical norepinephrine synthesis, ensuing neuronal excitation and behavioral stereotypes. Cumulatively, we identify a multimodal pathway that is rate-limited by CNTF volume transmission and poised to directly convert hypothalamic activation into long-lasting cortical excitability following acute stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alán Alpár
- SE NAP Research Group of Experimental Neuroanatomy and Developmental Biology, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
- Department of Anatomy, Histology, and Embryology, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Péter Zahola
- SE NAP Research Group of Experimental Neuroanatomy and Developmental Biology, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
- Department of Anatomy, Histology, and Embryology, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - János Hanics
- SE NAP Research Group of Experimental Neuroanatomy and Developmental Biology, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
- Department of Anatomy, Histology, and Embryology, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Zsófia Hevesi
- SE NAP Research Group of Experimental Neuroanatomy and Developmental Biology, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Solomiia Korchynska
- Department of Molecular Neurosciences, Center for Brain Research, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Marco Benevento
- Department of Molecular Neurosciences, Center for Brain Research, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Christian Pifl
- Department of Molecular Neurosciences, Center for Brain Research, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Gergely Zachar
- Department of Anatomy, Histology, and Embryology, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Jessica Perugini
- Section of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Marche Polytechnic University, Ancona, Italy
| | - Ilenia Severi
- Section of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Marche Polytechnic University, Ancona, Italy
| | - Patrick Leitgeb
- Department of Molecular Neurosciences, Center for Brain Research, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Joanne Bakker
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Andras G Miklosi
- Department of Molecular Neurosciences, Center for Brain Research, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Erik Keimpema
- Department of Molecular Neurosciences, Center for Brain Research, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Gloria Arque
- Department of Molecular Neurosciences, Center for Brain Research, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Ramon O Tasan
- Department of Pharmacology, Medical University Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Günther Sperk
- Department of Pharmacology, Medical University Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Katarzyna Malenczyk
- Department of Molecular Neurosciences, Center for Brain Research, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Zoltán Máté
- Institute of Experimental Medicine, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Ferenc Erdélyi
- Institute of Experimental Medicine, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Gábor Szabó
- Institute of Experimental Medicine, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Gert Lubec
- Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Miklós Palkovits
- Department of Anatomy, Histology, and Embryology, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
- Human Brain Tissue Bank and Laboratory, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Antonio Giordano
- Section of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Marche Polytechnic University, Ancona, Italy
| | - Tomas Gm Hökfelt
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Roman A Romanov
- Department of Molecular Neurosciences, Center for Brain Research, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University, Kaliningrad, Russia
| | - Tamas L Horvath
- Program in Integrative Cell Signaling and Neurobiology of Metabolism, Departments of Comparative Medicine and Neuroscience, Kavli Institute for Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Anatomy and Histology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Tibor Harkany
- Department of Molecular Neurosciences, Center for Brain Research, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Section of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Marche Polytechnic University, Ancona, Italy
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Shimamoto A. Social Defeat Stress, Sex, and Addiction-Like Behaviors. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF NEUROBIOLOGY 2018; 140:271-313. [PMID: 30193707 DOI: 10.1016/bs.irn.2018.07.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Social confrontation is a form of social interaction in animals where two conspecific individuals confront each other in dispute over territory, during the formation of hierarchies, and during breeding seasons. Typically, a social confrontation involves a prevailing individual and a yielding individual. The prevailing individual often exhibits aggressive postures and launches attacks, whereas the yielding individual often adopts postures of defeat. The yielding or defeated animals experience a phenomenon known as social defeat stress, in which they show exaggerated stress as well as autonomic and endocrine responses that cause impairment of both the brain and body. In laboratory settings, one can reliably generate social defeat stress by allowing a naïve (or already defeated) animal to intrude into a home cage in which its resident has already established a territory or is nursing. This resident-intruder paradigm has been widely used in both males and females to study mechanisms in the brain that underlie the stress responses. Stress has profound effects on drug reward for cocaine, methamphetamine, alcohol, and opioids. Particularly, previous experiences with social defeat can exaggerate subsequent addiction-like behaviors. The extent of these addiction-like behaviors depends on the intensity, duration, frequency, and intermittency of the confrontation episodes. This chapter describes four types of social defeat stress: acute, repeated, intermittent, and chronic. Specifically, it focuses on social defeat stress models used in laboratories to study individual, sex, and animal strain differences in addiction-like behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akiko Shimamoto
- Department of Biochemistry, Cancer Biology, Neuroscience, and Pharmacology, Meharry Medical College, Nashville, TN, United States.
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25
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Corticosterone impairs gap junctions in the prefrontal cortical and hippocampal astrocytes via different mechanisms. Neuropharmacology 2018; 131:20-30. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2017.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2017] [Revised: 11/28/2017] [Accepted: 12/03/2017] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
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Luby JL, Barch D, Whalen D, Tillman R, Belden A. Association Between Early Life Adversity and Risk for Poor Emotional and Physical Health in Adolescence: A Putative Mechanistic Neurodevelopmental Pathway. JAMA Pediatr 2017; 171:1168-1175. [PMID: 29084329 PMCID: PMC6583637 DOI: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2017.3009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have been associated with poor mental and physical health outcomes. However, the mechanism of this effect, critical to enhancing public health, remains poorly understood. OBJECTIVE To investigate the neurodevelopmental trajectory of the association between early ACEs and adolescent general and emotional health outcomes. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS A prospective longitudinal study that began when patients were aged 3 to 6 years who underwent neuroimaging later at ages 7 to 12 years and whose mental and physical health outcomes were observed at ages 9 to 15 years. Sequential mediation models were used to investigate associations between early ACEs and brain structure, emotion development, and health outcomes longitudinally. Children were recruited from an academic medical center research unit. EXPOSURE Early life adversity. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Early ACEs in children aged 3 to 7 years; volume of a subregion of the prefrontal cortex, the inferior frontal gyrus, in children aged 6 to 12 years; and emotional awareness, depression severity, and general health outcomes in children and adolescents aged 9 to 15 years. RESULTS The mean (SD) age of 119 patients was 9.65 (1.31) years at the time of scan. The mean (SD) ACE score was 5.44 (3.46). The mean (SD) depression severity scores were 2.61 (1.78) at preschool, 1.77 (1.58) at time 2, and 2.16 (1.64) at time 3. The mean (SD) global physical health scores at time 2 and time 3 were 0.30 (0.38) and 0.33 (0.42), respectively. Sequential mediation in the association between high early ACEs and emotional and physical health outcomes were found. Smaller inferior frontal gyrus volumes and poor emotional awareness sequentially mediated the association between early ACEs and poor general health (model parameter estimate = 0.002; 95% CI, 0.0002-0.056) and higher depression severity (model parameter estimate = 0.007; 95% CI, 0.001-0.021) in adolescence. An increase from 0 to 3 early ACEs was associated with 15% and 25% increases in depression severity and physical health problems, respectively. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Study findings highlight 1 putative neurodevelopmental mechanism by which the association between early ACEs and later poor mental and physical health outcomes may operate. This identified risk trajectory may be useful to target preventive interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joan L. Luby
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, Missouri
| | - Deanna Barch
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, Missouri,Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, Missouri
| | - Diana Whalen
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, Missouri
| | - Rebecca Tillman
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, Missouri
| | - Andy Belden
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, Missouri
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Lee AG, Hagenauer M, Absher D, Morrison KE, Bale TL, Myers RM, Watson SJ, Akil H, Schatzberg AF, Lyons DM. Stress amplifies sex differences in primate prefrontal profiles of gene expression. Biol Sex Differ 2017; 8:36. [PMID: 29096718 PMCID: PMC5667444 DOI: 10.1186/s13293-017-0157-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2017] [Accepted: 10/23/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Stress is a recognized risk factor for mood and anxiety disorders that occur more often in women than men. Prefrontal brain regions mediate stress coping, cognitive control, and emotion. Here, we investigate sex differences and stress effects on prefrontal cortical profiles of gene expression in squirrel monkey adults. METHODS Dorsolateral, ventrolateral, and ventromedial prefrontal cortical regions from 18 females and 12 males were collected after stress or no-stress treatment conditions. Gene expression profiles were acquired using HumanHT-12v4.0 Expression BeadChip arrays adapted for squirrel monkeys. RESULTS Extensive variation between prefrontal cortical regions was discerned in the expression of numerous autosomal and sex chromosome genes. Robust sex differences were also identified across prefrontal cortical regions in the expression of mostly autosomal genes. Genes with increased expression in females compared to males were overrepresented in mitogen-activated protein kinase and neurotrophin signaling pathways. Many fewer genes with increased expression in males compared to females were discerned, and no molecular pathways were identified. Effect sizes for sex differences were greater in stress compared to no-stress conditions for ventromedial and ventrolateral prefrontal cortical regions but not dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. CONCLUSIONS Stress amplifies sex differences in gene expression profiles for prefrontal cortical regions involved in stress coping and emotion regulation. Results suggest molecular targets for new treatments of stress disorders in human mental health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex G Lee
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, 1201 Welch Rd MSLS Room P104, Stanford, CA, 94305-5485, USA
| | - Megan Hagenauer
- Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience Institute and Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Devin Absher
- HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, Huntsville, AL, USA
| | - Kathleen E Morrison
- Department of Animal Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Tracy L Bale
- Department of Animal Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Richard M Myers
- HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, Huntsville, AL, USA
| | - Stanley J Watson
- Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience Institute and Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Huda Akil
- Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience Institute and Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Alan F Schatzberg
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, 1201 Welch Rd MSLS Room P104, Stanford, CA, 94305-5485, USA
| | - David M Lyons
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, 1201 Welch Rd MSLS Room P104, Stanford, CA, 94305-5485, USA.
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Watt MJ, Weber MA, Davies SR, Forster GL. Impact of juvenile chronic stress on adult cortico-accumbal function: Implications for cognition and addiction. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2017; 79. [PMID: 28642080 PMCID: PMC5610933 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2017.06.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Repeated exposure to stress during childhood is associated with increased risk for neuropsychiatric illness, substance use disorders and other behavioral problems in adulthood. However, it is not clear how chronic childhood stress can lead to emergence of such a wide range of symptoms and disorders in later life. One possible explanation lies in stress-induced disruption to the development of specific brain regions associated with executive function and reward processing, deficits in which are common to the disorders promoted by childhood stress. Evidence of aberrations in prefrontal cortex and nucleus accumbens function following repeated exposure of juvenile (pre- and adolescent) organisms to a variety of different stressors would account not only for the similarity in symptoms across the wide range of childhood stress-associated mental illnesses, but also their persistence into adulthood in the absence of further stress. Therefore, the goal of this review is to evaluate the current knowledge regarding disruption to executive function and reward processing in adult animals or humans exposed to chronic stress over the juvenile period, and the underlying neurobiology, with particular emphasis on the prefrontal cortex and nucleus accumbens. First, the role of these brain regions in mediating executive function and reward processing is highlighted. Second, the neurobehavioral development of these systems is discussed to illustrate how juvenile stress may exert long-lasting effects on prefrontal cortex-accumbal activity and related behavioral functions. Finally, a critical review of current animal and human findings is presented, which strongly supports the supposition that exposure to chronic stress (particularly social aggression and isolation in animal studies) in the juvenile period produces impairments in executive function in adulthood, especially in working memory and inhibitory control. Chronic juvenile stress also results in aberrations to reward processing and seeking, with increased sensitivity to drugs of abuse particularly noted in animal models, which is in line with greater incidence of substance use disorders seen in clinical studies. These consequences are potentially mediated by monoamine and glutamatergic dysfunction in the prefrontal cortex and nucleus accumbens, providing translatable therapeutic targets. However, the predominant use of male subjects and social-based stressors in preclinical studies points to a clear need for determining how both sex differences and stressor heterogeneity may differentially contribute to stress-induced changes to substrates mediating executive function and reward processing, before the impact of chronic juvenile stress in promoting adult psychopathology can be fully understood.
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Role of the lateral habenula in memory through online processing of information. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2017; 162:69-78. [PMID: 28709783 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2017.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2017] [Revised: 06/04/2017] [Accepted: 07/10/2017] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Our memory abilities, whether they involve short-term working memory or long-term episodic or procedural memories, are essential for our well-being, our capacity to adapt to constraints of our environment and survival. Therefore, several key brain regions and neurotransmitter systems are engaged in the processing of sensory information to either maintain such information in working memory so that it will quickly be used, and/or participate in the elaboration and storage of enduring traces useful for longer periods of time. Animal research has recently attracted attention on the lateral habenula which, as shown in rodents and non-human primates, seems to process information stemming in the main regions involved in memory processing, e.g., the medial prefrontal cortex, the hippocampus, the amygdala, the septal region, the basal ganglia, and participates in the control of key memory-related neurotransmitters systems, i.e., dopamine, serotonin, acetylcholine. Recently, the lateral habenula has been involved in working and spatial reference memories, in rodents, likely by participating in online processing of contextual information. In addition, several behavioral studies strongly suggest that it is also involved in the processing of the emotional valance of incoming information in order to adapt to particularly stressful situations. Therefore, the lateral habenula appears like a key region at the interface between cognition and emotion to participate in the selection of appropriate behaviors.
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Joëls M, de Kloet ER. 30 YEARS OF THE MINERALOCORTICOID RECEPTOR: The brain mineralocorticoid receptor: a saga in three episodes. J Endocrinol 2017. [PMID: 28634266 DOI: 10.1530/joe-16-0660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
In 1968, Bruce McEwen discovered that 3H-corticosterone administered to adrenalectomised rats is retained in neurons of hippocampus rather than those of hypothalamus. This discovery signalled the expansion of endocrinology into the science of higher brain regions. With this in mind, our contribution highlights the saga of the brain mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) in three episodes. First, the precloning era dominated by the conundrum of two types of corticosterone-binding receptors in the brain, which led to the identification of the high-affinity corticosterone receptor as the 'promiscuous' MR cloned in 1987 by Jeff Arriza and Ron Evans in addition to the classical glucocorticoid receptor (GR). Then, the post-cloning period aimed to disentangle the function of the brain MR from that of the closely related GR on different levels of biological complexity. Finally, the synthesis section that highlights the two faces of brain MR: Salt and Stress. 'Salt' refers to the regulation of salt appetite, and reciprocal arousal, motivation and reward, by a network of aldosterone-selective MR-expressing neurons projecting from nucleus tractus solitarii (NTS) and circumventricular organs. 'Stress' is about the limbic-forebrain nuclear and membrane MRs, which act as a switch in the selection of the best response to cope with a stressor. For this purpose, activation of the limbic MR promotes selective attention, memory retrieval and the appraisal process, while driving emotional expressions of fear and aggression. Subsequently, rising glucocorticoid concentrations activate GRs in limbic-forebrain circuitry underlying executive functions and memory storage, which contribute in balance with MR-mediated actions to homeostasis, excitability and behavioural adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marian Joëls
- Department of Translational NeuroscienceBrain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- University of GroningenUniversity Medical Center, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - E Ronald de Kloet
- Division of EndocrinologyDepartment of Internal Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
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Shields GS, Sazma MA, McCullough AM, Yonelinas AP. The effects of acute stress on episodic memory: A meta-analysis and integrative review. Psychol Bull 2017; 143:636-675. [PMID: 28368148 DOI: 10.1037/bul0000100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 246] [Impact Index Per Article: 35.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
A growing body of research has indicated that acute stress can critically impact memory. However, there are a number of inconsistencies in the literature, and important questions remain regarding the conditions under which stress effects emerge as well as basic questions about how stress impacts different phases of memory. In this meta-analysis, we examined 113 independent studies in humans with 6,216 participants that explored effects of stress on encoding, postencoding, retrieval, or postreactivation phases of episodic memory. The results indicated that when stress occurred prior to or during encoding it impaired memory, unless both the delay between the stressor and encoding was very short and the study materials were directly related to the stressor, in which case stress improved encoding. In contrast, postencoding stress improved memory unless the stressor occurred in a different physical context than the study materials. When stress occurred just prior to or during retrieval, memory was impaired, and these effects were larger for emotionally valenced materials than neutral materials. Although stress consistently increased cortisol, the magnitude of the cortisol response was not related to the effects of stress on memory. Nonetheless, the effects of stress on memory were generally reduced in magnitude for women taking hormonal contraceptives. These analyses indicate that stress disrupts some episodic memory processes while enhancing others, and that the effects of stress are modulated by a number of critical factors. These results provide important constraints on current theories of stress and memory, and point to new questions for future research. (PsycINFO Database Record
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Babson KA, Woodward SH, Schaer M, Sephton SE, Kaloupek DG. Salivary Cortisol and Regional Brain Volumes Among Veterans With and Without Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY: COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2016; 2:372-379. [PMID: 29560921 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2016.11.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2016] [Revised: 11/16/2016] [Accepted: 11/28/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Human studies have often found that brain regions rich in glucocorticoid receptors exhibit smaller volume in samples with past trauma and ongoing stress; however, relatively little research has addressed the hypothesis that such smaller volumes can be traced to elevated circulating glucocorticoid hormones (GCs). This issue takes on renewed interest in light of recent proposals to treat symptoms of stress disorders such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with exogenous synthetic GCs. We sought to examine the relation of circulating GCs to brain macrostructure among veterans with and without PTSD. METHODS Participants (n = 90) included combat veterans with and without PTSD. Veterans completed self-report surveys, home-based cortisol samples, reactive cortisol samples over the course of two serial Trier Social Stress Tests, a low-dose dexamethasone suppression test, and structural magnetic resonance brain imaging over the course of 3 to 5 days. RESULTS No associations were observed between any salivary cortisol index and the volumes of the hippocampus or amygdala. A negative association was observed between evening basal cortisol and both FreeSurfer global volume and BrainImage supratentorial tissue volume. This effect was moderated by PTSD. Also observed was a positive association between reactive cortisol and these same brain volumes. CONCLUSIONS Estimates of cortical but not hippocampal or amygdala volume were moderately associated with evening basal salivary cortisol and cortisol reactivity to a social stressor. Existing models relating GC receptor density, circulating cortisol levels, and regional brain volumes received little support.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly A Babson
- National Center for PTSD-Dissemination and Training Division Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto.
| | - Steven H Woodward
- National Center for PTSD-Dissemination and Training Division Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Stanford University, Stanford, California
| | - Marie Schaer
- Department of Psychiatry University of Geneva School of Medicine, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Sandra E Sephton
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky
| | - Danny G Kaloupek
- National Center for PTSD-Behavioral Science Division (DGK), Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System, Boston, Massachusetts; Boston University School of MedicineBoston, Massachusetts
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Acute stress and working memory: The role of sex and cognitive stress appraisal. Physiol Behav 2016; 164:336-44. [DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2016.06.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2016] [Revised: 06/14/2016] [Accepted: 06/15/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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Reser JE. Chronic stress, cortical plasticity and neuroecology. Behav Processes 2016; 129:105-115. [DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2016.06.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2015] [Revised: 06/09/2016] [Accepted: 06/13/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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Exposure to acute stress enhances decision-making competence: Evidence for the role of DHEA. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2016; 67:51-60. [PMID: 26874561 PMCID: PMC4808381 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2016.01.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2015] [Revised: 01/30/2016] [Accepted: 01/31/2016] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Exposure to acute stress can impact performance on numerous cognitive abilities, but little is known about how acute stress affects real-world decision-making ability. In the present study, we induced acute stress with a standard laboratory task involving uncontrollable socio-evaluative stress and subsequently assessed decision-making ability using the Adult Decision Making Competence index. In addition, we took baseline and post-test saliva samples from participants to examine associations between decision-making competence and adrenal hormones. Participants in the stress induction group showed enhanced decision-making competence, relative to controls. Further, although both cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) reactivity predicted decision-making competence when considered in isolation, DHEA was a significantly better predictor than cortisol when both hormones were considered simultaneously. Thus, our results show that exposure to acute stress can have beneficial effects on the cognitive ability underpinning real-world decision-making and that this effect relates to DHEA reactivity more than cortisol.
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Maeng LY, Milad MR. Sex differences in anxiety disorders: Interactions between fear, stress, and gonadal hormones. Horm Behav 2015; 76:106-17. [PMID: 25888456 PMCID: PMC4823998 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2015.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 228] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2014] [Revised: 03/26/2015] [Accepted: 04/06/2015] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
This article is part of a Special Issue "SBN 2014". Women are more vulnerable to stress- and fear-based disorders, such as anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder. Despite the growing literature on this topic, the neural basis of these sex differences remains unclear, and the findings appear inconsistent. The neurobiological mechanisms of fear and stress in learning and memory processes have been extensively studied, and the crosstalk between these systems is beginning to explain the disproportionate incidence and differences in symptomatology and remission within these psychopathologies. In this review, we discuss the intersect between stress and fear mechanisms and their modulation by gonadal hormones and discuss the relevance of this information to sex differences in anxiety and fear-based disorders. Understanding these converging influences is imperative to the development of more effective, individualized treatments that take sex and hormones into account.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Y Maeng
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 149 13th Street, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA.
| | - Mohammed R Milad
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 149 13th Street, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA.
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Radley J, Morilak D, Viau V, Campeau S. Chronic stress and brain plasticity: Mechanisms underlying adaptive and maladaptive changes and implications for stress-related CNS disorders. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2015; 58:79-91. [PMID: 26116544 PMCID: PMC4684432 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2015.06.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 142] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2014] [Revised: 06/17/2015] [Accepted: 06/19/2015] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Stress responses entail neuroendocrine, autonomic, and behavioral changes to promote effective coping with real or perceived threats to one's safety. While these responses are critical for the survival of the individual, adverse effects of repeated exposure to stress are widely known to have deleterious effects on health. Thus, a considerable effort in the search for treatments to stress-related CNS disorders necessitates unraveling the brain mechanisms responsible for adaptation under acute conditions and their perturbations following chronic stress exposure. This paper is based upon a symposium from the 2014 International Behavioral Neuroscience Meeting, summarizing some recent advances in understanding the effects of stress on adaptive and maladaptive responses subserved by limbic forebrain networks. An important theme highlighted in this review is that the same networks mediating neuroendocrine, autonomic, and behavioral processes during adaptive coping also comprise targets of the effects of repeated stress exposure in the development of maladaptive states. Where possible, reference is made to the similarity of neurobiological substrates and effects observed following repeated exposure to stress in laboratory animals and the clinical features of stress-related disorders in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason Radley
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences and Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program, University of Iowa, IA, United States
| | - David Morilak
- Department of Pharmacology and Center for Biomedical Neuroscience, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, United States
| | - Victor Viau
- Cellular and Physiological Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Serge Campeau
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States.
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Sanchez MM, McCormack KM, Howell BR. Social buffering of stress responses in nonhuman primates: Maternal regulation of the development of emotional regulatory brain circuits. Soc Neurosci 2015; 10:512-26. [PMID: 26324227 DOI: 10.1080/17470919.2015.1087426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Social buffering, the phenomenon by which the presence of a familiar individual reduces or even eliminates stress- and fear-induced responses, exists in different animal species and has been examined in the context of the mother-infant relationship, in addition to adults. Although it is a well-known effect, the biological mechanisms that underlie it as well as its developmental impact are not well understood. Here, we provide a review of evidence of social and maternal buffering of stress reactivity in nonhuman primates, and some data from our group suggesting that when the mother-infant relationship is disrupted, maternal buffering is impaired. This evidence underscores the critical role that maternal care plays for proper regulation and development of emotional and stress responses of primate infants. Disruptions of the parent-infant bond constitute early adverse experiences associated with increased risk for psychopathology. We will focus on infant maltreatment, a devastating experience not only for humans, but for nonhuman primates as well. Taking advantage of this naturalistic animal model of adverse maternal caregiving, we have shown that competent maternal care is critical for the development of healthy attachment, social behavior, and emotional and stress regulation, as well as of the neural circuits underlying these functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mar M Sanchez
- a Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences , Emory University School of Medicine, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Center for Translational Social Neuroscience , Atlanta , GA , USA.,b The Silvio O. Conte Center for Oxytocin and Social Cognition , Emory University , Atlanta , GA , USA
| | - Kai M McCormack
- c Department of Psychology , Spelman College , Atlanta , GA , USA
| | - Brittany R Howell
- d Institute of Child Development , University of Minnesota , Minneapolis , MN , USA
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Sakhai SA, Saxton K, Francis DD. The influence of early maternal care on perceptual attentional set shifting and stress reactivity in adult rats. Dev Psychobiol 2015; 58:39-51. [PMID: 26289990 DOI: 10.1002/dev.21343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2014] [Accepted: 07/27/2015] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Stress influences a wide variety of outcomes including cognitive processing. In the rat, early life maternal care can influence developing offspring to affect both stress reactivity and cognitive processes in adulthood. The current study assessed if variations in early life maternal care can influence cognitive performance on a task, the ability to switch cognitive sets, dependent on the medial prefrontal cortex. Early in life, offspring was reared under High or Low maternal Licking conditions. As adults, they were trained daily and then tested on an attentional set-shifting task (ASST), which targets cognitive flexibility in rodents. Stress-sensitive behavioral and neural markers were assayed before and after the ASST. High and Low Licking offspring performed equally well on the ASST despite initial, but not later, differences in stress axis functioning. These results suggest that early life maternal care does not impact the accuracy of attentional set-shifting in rats. These findings may be of particular importance for those interested in the relationship between early life experience and adult cognitive function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel A Sakhai
- Department of Psychology, University of California at Berkeley, 3210 Tolman Hall MC 1650, Berkeley, CA, 94720.
| | | | - Darlene D Francis
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California at Berkeley, 3210 Tolman Hall MC 1650, Berkeley, CA, 94720.,School of Public Health, University of California at Berkeley, 3210 Tolman Hall MC 1650, Berkeley, CA, 94720
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Bridgett DJ, Burt NM, Edwards ES, Deater-Deckard K. Intergenerational transmission of self-regulation: A multidisciplinary review and integrative conceptual framework. Psychol Bull 2015; 141:602-654. [PMID: 25938878 PMCID: PMC4422221 DOI: 10.1037/a0038662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 313] [Impact Index Per Article: 34.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
This review examines mechanisms contributing to the intergenerational transmission of self-regulation. To provide an integrated account of how self-regulation is transmitted across generations, we draw from over 75 years of accumulated evidence, spanning case studies to experimental approaches, in literatures covering developmental, social, and clinical psychology, and criminology, physiology, genetics, and human and animal neuroscience (among others). First, we present a taxonomy of what self-regulation is and then examine how it develops--overviews that guide the main foci of the review. Next, studies supporting an association between parent and child self-regulation are reviewed. Subsequently, literature that considers potential social mechanisms of transmission, specifically parenting behavior, interparental (i.e., marital) relationship behaviors, and broader rearing influences (e.g., household chaos) is considered. Finally, evidence that prenatal programming may be the starting point of the intergenerational transmission of self-regulation is covered, along with key findings from the behavioral and molecular genetics literatures. To integrate these literatures, we introduce the self-regulation intergenerational transmission model, a framework that brings together prenatal, social/contextual, and neurobiological mechanisms (spanning endocrine, neural, and genetic levels, including gene-environment interplay and epigenetic processes) to explain the intergenerational transmission of self-regulation. This model also incorporates potential transactional processes between generations (e.g., children's self-regulation and parent-child interaction dynamics that may affect parents' self-regulation) that further influence intergenerational processes. In pointing the way forward, we note key future directions and ways to address limitations in existing work throughout the review and in closing. We also conclude by noting several implications for intervention work.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Nicole M Burt
- Department of Psychology, Northern Illinois University
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Huang H, Wang L, Cao M, Marshall C, Gao J, Xiao N, Hu G, Xiao M. Isolation Housing Exacerbates Alzheimer's Disease-Like Pathophysiology in Aged APP/PS1 Mice. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol 2015; 18:pyu116. [PMID: 25568286 PMCID: PMC4540096 DOI: 10.1093/ijnp/pyu116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2014] [Revised: 12/03/2014] [Accepted: 12/23/2014] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alzheimer's disease is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by gradual declines in social, cognitive, and emotional functions, leading to a loss of expected social behavior. Social isolation has been shown to have adverse effects on individual development and growth as well as health and aging. Previous experiments have shown that social isolation causes an early onset of Alzheimer's disease-like phenotypes in young APP695/PS1-dE9 transgenic mice. However, the interactions between social isolation and Alzheimer's disease still remain unknown. METHODS Seventeen-month-old male APP695/PS1-dE9 transgenic mice were either singly housed or continued group housing for 3 months. Then, Alzheimer's disease-like pathophysiological changes were evaluated by using behavioral, biochemical, and pathological analyses. RESULTS Isolation housing further promoted cognitive dysfunction and Aβ plaque accumulation in the hippocampus of aged APP695/PS1-dE9 transgenic mice, associated with increased γ-secretase and decreased neprilysin expression. Furthermore, exacerbated hippocampal atrophy, synapse and myelin associated protein loss, and glial neuroinflammatory reactions were observed in the hippocampus of isolated aged APP695/PS1-dE9 transgenic mice. CONCLUSIONS The results demonstrate that social isolation exacerbates Alzheimer's disease-like pathophysiology in aged APP695/PS1-dE9 transgenic mice, highlighting the potential role of group life for delaying or counteracting the Alzheimer's disease process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huang Huang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neurodegeneration, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China (Drs Huang MD, Wang MD, Cao Ms, Gao Ms, N. Xiao Ms, Hu MD, PhD, and M. Xiao MD, PhD); Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Kentucky Center for Excellence in Rural Health, Hazard, KY (Dr Marshall PhD)
| | - Linmei Wang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neurodegeneration, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China (Drs Huang MD, Wang MD, Cao Ms, Gao Ms, N. Xiao Ms, Hu MD, PhD, and M. Xiao MD, PhD); Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Kentucky Center for Excellence in Rural Health, Hazard, KY (Dr Marshall PhD)
| | - Min Cao
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neurodegeneration, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China (Drs Huang MD, Wang MD, Cao Ms, Gao Ms, N. Xiao Ms, Hu MD, PhD, and M. Xiao MD, PhD); Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Kentucky Center for Excellence in Rural Health, Hazard, KY (Dr Marshall PhD)
| | - Charles Marshall
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neurodegeneration, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China (Drs Huang MD, Wang MD, Cao Ms, Gao Ms, N. Xiao Ms, Hu MD, PhD, and M. Xiao MD, PhD); Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Kentucky Center for Excellence in Rural Health, Hazard, KY (Dr Marshall PhD)
| | - Junying Gao
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neurodegeneration, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China (Drs Huang MD, Wang MD, Cao Ms, Gao Ms, N. Xiao Ms, Hu MD, PhD, and M. Xiao MD, PhD); Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Kentucky Center for Excellence in Rural Health, Hazard, KY (Dr Marshall PhD)
| | - Na Xiao
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neurodegeneration, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China (Drs Huang MD, Wang MD, Cao Ms, Gao Ms, N. Xiao Ms, Hu MD, PhD, and M. Xiao MD, PhD); Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Kentucky Center for Excellence in Rural Health, Hazard, KY (Dr Marshall PhD)
| | - Gang Hu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neurodegeneration, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China (Drs Huang MD, Wang MD, Cao Ms, Gao Ms, N. Xiao Ms, Hu MD, PhD, and M. Xiao MD, PhD); Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Kentucky Center for Excellence in Rural Health, Hazard, KY (Dr Marshall PhD)
| | - Ming Xiao
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neurodegeneration, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China (Drs Huang MD, Wang MD, Cao Ms, Gao Ms, N. Xiao Ms, Hu MD, PhD, and M. Xiao MD, PhD); Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Kentucky Center for Excellence in Rural Health, Hazard, KY (Dr Marshall PhD).
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Lee AG, Buckmaster CL, Yi E, Schatzberg AF, Lyons DM. Coping and glucocorticoid receptor regulation by stress inoculation. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2014; 49:272-9. [PMID: 25127085 PMCID: PMC4165807 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2014.07.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2014] [Revised: 07/01/2014] [Accepted: 07/22/2014] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Intermittent exposure to mildly stressful situations provides opportunities to practice coping in the context of exposure psychotherapies and stress inoculation training. Previously, we showed that stress inoculation modeled in juvenile monkeys enhances subsequent indications of resilience. Here we examine stress inoculation effects in adult female monkeys. We found that stress inoculation prevents social separation stress induced anhedonia measured using sucrose preference tests and reduces the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis stress hormone response to a novel environment. Stress inoculation also increases glucocorticoid receptor (NR3C1) gene expression in anterior cingulate cortex but not hippocampus. Increased anterior cingulate cortex NR3C1 expression induced by stress inoculation is not associated with significant changes in GR1F promoter DNA methylation. On average, low levels of promoter DNA methylation and limited GR1F expression were evident in monkey anterior cingulate cortex as observed in corticolimbic brain regions of adult humans. Taken together these findings suggest that stress inoculation in adulthood enhances behavioral and hormonal aspects of coping without significantly influencing GR1F promoter DNA methylation as a mechanism for NR3C1 transcription regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex G Lee
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Christine L Buckmaster
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Esther Yi
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Alan F Schatzberg
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - David M Lyons
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States.
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Fillman SG, Sinclair D, Fung SJ, Webster MJ, Shannon Weickert C. Markers of inflammation and stress distinguish subsets of individuals with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Transl Psychiatry 2014; 4:e365. [PMID: 24569695 PMCID: PMC3944638 DOI: 10.1038/tp.2014.8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 159] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2013] [Revised: 12/15/2013] [Accepted: 01/09/2014] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Schizophrenia and bipolar disorder share a number of common features, both symptomatically and biologically. Abnormalities in the neuroimmune and the stress-signaling pathways have been previously identified in brains of individuals with both diseases. However, the possible relationship between abnormalities in stress and neuroimmune signaling within the cortex of people with psychotic illness has not been defined. To test the hypothesis that combined alterations in brain stress responsiveness and neuroimmune/inflammatory status are characteristic of some individuals suffering from major mental illness, we examined gene expression in the Stanley Array Cohort of 35 controls, 35 individuals with schizophrenia and 34 individuals with bipolar disorder. We used levels of 8 inflammatory-related transcripts, of which SERPINA3 was significantly elevated in individuals with schizophrenia (F(2,88)=4.137, P<0.05), and 12 glucocorticoid receptor signaling (stress) pathway transcripts previously examined, to identify two clusters of individuals: a high inflammation/stress group (n=32) and a low (n=68) inflammation/stress group. The high inflammation/stress group has a significantly greater number of individuals with schizophrenia (n=15), and a trend toward having more bipolar disorder individuals (n=11), when compared with controls (n=6). Using these subgroups, we tested which microarray-assessed transcriptional changes may be associated with high inflammatory/stress groups using ingenuity analysis and found that an extended network of gene expression changes involving immune, growth factors, inhibitory signaling and cell death factors also distinguished these groups. Our work demonstrates that some of the heterogeneity in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder may be partially explained by inflammation/stress interactions, and that this biological subtype cuts across Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)-defined categories.
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Affiliation(s)
- S G Fillman
- Schizophrenia Research Institute, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Schizophrenia Research Laboratory, Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - D Sinclair
- Schizophrenia Research Institute, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Schizophrenia Research Laboratory, Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Department of Psychiatry, Neuropsychiatric Signaling Program, Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - S J Fung
- Schizophrenia Research Institute, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Schizophrenia Research Laboratory, Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - M J Webster
- Laboratory of Brain Research, Stanley Medical Research Institute, 9800 Medical Center Drive, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - C Shannon Weickert
- Schizophrenia Research Institute, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Schizophrenia Research Laboratory, Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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44
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Read J, Fosse R, Moskowitz A, Perry B. The traumagenic neurodevelopmental model of psychosis revisited. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014. [DOI: 10.2217/npy.13.89] [Citation(s) in RCA: 148] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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Brydges NM, Jin R, Seckl J, Holmes MC, Drake AJ, Hall J. Juvenile stress enhances anxiety and alters corticosteroid receptor expression in adulthood. Brain Behav 2014; 4:4-13. [PMID: 24653949 PMCID: PMC3937700 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2013] [Revised: 08/22/2013] [Accepted: 09/02/2013] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Exposure to stress in early life is correlated with the development of anxiety disorders in adulthood. The underlying mechanisms are not fully understood, but an imbalance in corticosteroid receptor (CR) expression in the limbic system, particularly the hippocampus, has been implicated in the etiology of anxiety disorders. However, little is known about how prepubertal stress in the so called "juvenile" period might alter the expression of these receptors. AIMS Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate how stress experienced in the juvenile phase of life altered hippocampal expression of CRs and anxiety behaviors in adulthood. MATERIALS AND METHODS We used a rodent model to assess the effects of juvenile stress on hippocampal CR expression, and performance in three behavioral tests of anxiety in adulthood. RESULTS Juvenile stress (JS) increased anxiety-like behavior on the elevated plus maze, increased mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) expression, and decreased the ratio of glucocorticoid receptor (GR) to MR expression in the hippocampus of adult animals. Females demonstrated lower levels of anxiety-type behavior and increased activity in three behavioral tests, and had greater expression of GR and GR:MR ratio than males, regardless of treatment. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION These results demonstrate that JS can alter the expression and balance of CRs, providing a potential mechanism for the corresponding increase in anxiety behavior observed in adulthood. Further evidence for the role of CR expression in anxiety is provided by sex differences in anxiety behavior and corresponding alterations in CR expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nichola M Brydges
- Centre for Cardiovascular Science QMRI, University of Edinburgh Edinburgh, U.K
| | - Rowen Jin
- Centre for Cardiovascular Science QMRI, University of Edinburgh Edinburgh, U.K
| | - Jonathan Seckl
- Centre for Cardiovascular Science QMRI, University of Edinburgh Edinburgh, U.K
| | - Megan C Holmes
- Centre for Cardiovascular Science QMRI, University of Edinburgh Edinburgh, U.K
| | - Amanda J Drake
- Centre for Cardiovascular Science QMRI, University of Edinburgh Edinburgh, U.K
| | - Jeremy Hall
- Centre for Cardiovascular Science QMRI, University of Edinburgh Edinburgh, U.K ; Division of Psychiatry Centre for Clinical Brain Science, University of Edinburgh Edinburgh, U.K ; Institute of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences, Cardiff University School of Medicine Cardiff, U.K
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Lucassen PJ, Pruessner J, Sousa N, Almeida OFX, Van Dam AM, Rajkowska G, Swaab DF, Czéh B. Neuropathology of stress. Acta Neuropathol 2014; 127:109-35. [PMID: 24318124 PMCID: PMC3889685 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-013-1223-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 282] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2013] [Accepted: 11/26/2013] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Environmental challenges are part of daily life for any individual. In fact, stress appears to be increasingly present in our modern, and demanding, industrialized society. Virtually every aspect of our body and brain can be influenced by stress and although its effects are partly mediated by powerful corticosteroid hormones that target the nervous system, relatively little is known about when, and how, the effects of stress shift from being beneficial and protective to becoming deleterious. Decades of stress research have provided valuable insights into whether stress can directly induce dysfunction and/or pathological alterations, which elements of stress exposure are responsible, and which structural substrates are involved. Using a broad definition of pathology, we here review the “neuropathology of stress” and focus on structural consequences of stress exposure for different regions of the rodent, primate and human brain. We discuss cytoarchitectural, neuropathological and structural plasticity measures as well as more recent neuroimaging techniques that allow direct monitoring of the spatiotemporal effects of stress and the role of different CNS structures in the regulation of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis in human brain. We focus on the hypothalamus, hippocampus, amygdala, nucleus accumbens, prefrontal and orbitofrontal cortex, key brain regions that not only modulate emotions and cognition but also the response to stress itself, and discuss disorders like depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, Cushing syndrome and dementia.
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Abstract
Depression causes significant morbidity in the human population. The Diathesis-Stress/Two-Hit model of depression hypothesizes that stress interacts with underlying (probably genetic) predispositions to produce a central nervous system that is primed to express psychopathology when confronted with stressful experiences later in life. Nonhuman primate (NHP) studies have been extensively utilized to test this model. NHPs are especially useful for studying effects of early experience, because many aspects of NHP infancy are similar to humans, whereas development occurs at an accelerated rate and therefore allows for more rapid assessment of experimental variables. In addition, the ability to manipulate putative risk factors, including introducing experimental stress during development, allows inference of causality not possible with human studies. This manuscript reviews experimental paradigms that have been utilized to model early adverse experience in NHPs, including peer-rearing, maternal separation, and variable foraging. It also provides examples of how this model has been used to investigate the effects of early experience on later neurobiology, physiology, and behavior associated with depression. We conclude that the NHP offers an excellent model to research mechanisms contributing to the Diathesis-Stress/Two-Hit model of depression.
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Sinclair D, Fillman SG, Webster MJ, Weickert CS. Dysregulation of glucocorticoid receptor co-factors FKBP5, BAG1 and PTGES3 in prefrontal cortex in psychotic illness. Sci Rep 2013; 3:3539. [PMID: 24345775 PMCID: PMC3866598 DOI: 10.1038/srep03539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2013] [Accepted: 12/02/2013] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Molecular abnormalities within the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) stress signaling pathway may confer, or reflect, susceptibility to stress in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, but the extent of such abnormalities in the brain is not known. Using RNA-Seq and qPCR in two postmortem cohorts totaling 55 schizophrenia, 34 bipolar disorder and 55 control individuals, we identified increased FKBP5 and PTGES3 mRNA expression, and decreased BAG1 mRNA expression, in the prefrontal cortex in schizophrenia cases relative to controls (68.0% [p < 0.001], 26.0% [p < 0.01] and 12.1% [p < 0.05] respectively). We also observed increased FKBP5 and decreased BAG1 mRNA expression in bipolar disorder (47.5% [p < 0.05] and 14.9% [p < 0.005]). There were no diagnostic differences in steady-state FKBP51 protein levels, nor in HSPA1A, HSP90AA1, DNAJB1 or HSPB1 mRNA levels. GR, co-factor and chaperone mRNA levels were strongly correlated. These results reveal coordinated cortical dysregulation of FKBP5, PTGES3, BAG1 and GR genes within the glucocorticoid signaling pathway in psychotic illness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Duncan Sinclair
- 1] Schizophrenia Research Institute, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia [2] Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia [3] School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia [4] Neuropsychiatric Signaling Program, Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania
| | - Stu G Fillman
- 1] Schizophrenia Research Institute, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia [2] Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia [3] School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Maree J Webster
- Stanley Medical Research Institute, Laboratory of Brain Research, 9800 Medical Center Drive, Rockville, Maryland 20850
| | - Cynthia Shannon Weickert
- 1] Schizophrenia Research Institute, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia [2] Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia [3] School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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Davis EP, Sandman CA, Buss C, Wing DA, Head K. Fetal glucocorticoid exposure is associated with preadolescent brain development. Biol Psychiatry 2013; 74:647-55. [PMID: 23611262 PMCID: PMC3985475 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2013.03.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 128] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2012] [Revised: 03/11/2013] [Accepted: 03/13/2013] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Glucocorticoids play a critical role in normative regulation of fetal brain development. Exposure to excessive levels may have detrimental consequences and disrupt maturational processes. This may especially be true when synthetic glucocorticoids are administered during the fetal period, as they are to women in preterm labor. This study investigated the consequences for brain development and affective problems of fetal exposure to synthetic glucocorticoids. METHODS Brain development and affective problems were evaluated in 54 children (56% female), aged 6 to 10, who were full term at birth. Children were recruited into two groups: those with and without fetal exposure to synthetic glucocorticoids. Structural magnetic resonance imaging scans were acquired and cortical thickness was determined. Child affective problems were assessed using the Child Behavior Checklist. RESULTS Children in the fetal glucocorticoid exposure group showed significant and bilateral cortical thinning. The largest group differences were in the rostral anterior cingulate cortex (rACC). More than 30% of the rACC was thinner among children with fetal glucocorticoid exposure. Furthermore, children with more affective problems had a thinner left rACC. CONCLUSIONS Fetal exposure to synthetic glucocorticoids has neurologic consequences that persist for at least 6 to 10 years. Children with fetal glucocorticoid exposure had a thinner cortex primarily in the rACC. Our data indicating that the rACC is associated with affective problems in conjunction with evidence that this region is involved in affective disorders raise the possibility that glucocorticoid-associated neurologic changes increase vulnerability to mental health problems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elysia Poggi Davis
- Department of Psychology, University of Denver, Denver, Colorado; Departments of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of California Irvine, Orange, California.
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Lee CT, McClernon FJ, Kollins SH, Prybol K, Fuemmeler BF. Childhood economic strains in predicting substance use in emerging adulthood: mediation effects of youth self-control and parenting practices. J Pediatr Psychol 2013; 38:1130-43. [PMID: 23899658 DOI: 10.1093/jpepsy/jst056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To examine the influence of childhood economic strains on substance use in young adulthood and to assess the mediating roles of self-control as well as positive parenting during adolescence in a nationally representative longitudinal cohort. METHODS The study included data from participants (n = 1,285) in the Panel Study of Income Dynamics, Child Development Supplement, and Transition to Adult. Structural equation modeling was used to evaluate the associations among risk factors during childhood and adolescence that predicted substance use in early adulthood. RESULTS Conditions of economic strains, especially poverty, during childhood were associated with an increased likelihood of regular smoking in adulthood, which was partially mediated by poorer self-control during adolescence. CONCLUSIONS Self-control is negatively affected by economic strains and serves as a mediator between poverty and risk of regular smoking. Additional research is needed to better understand how economic strains effect the development of self-control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chien-Ti Lee
- PhD, MPH, Department of Community and Family Medicine and Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University Medical Center, DUMC 104006, Durham, NC 27710, USA.
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