1
|
Joyce MKP, Uchendu S, Arnsten AFT. Stress and inflammation target dorsolateral prefrontal cortex function: Neural mechanisms underlying weakened cognitive control. Biol Psychiatry 2024:S0006-3223(24)01420-3. [PMID: 38944141 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2024.06.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2024] [Revised: 06/15/2024] [Accepted: 06/22/2024] [Indexed: 07/01/2024]
Abstract
Most mental disorders involve dysfunction of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC), a recently evolved brain region that subserves working memory, abstraction and the thoughtful regulation of attention, action and emotion. For example, schizophrenia, depression, long-COVID and Alzheimer's disease are all associated with dlPFC dysfunction, with neuropathology often focused in layer III. The dlPFC has extensive top-down projections: e.g. to the posterior association cortices to regulate attention, and the subgenual cingulate cortex via the rostral and medial PFC to regulate emotional responses. However, the dlPFC is particularly dependent on arousal state, and is very vulnerable to stress and inflammation, which are etiological and/or exacerbating factors in most mental disorders. The cellular mechanisms by which stress and inflammation impact the dlPFC are a topic of current research, and are summarized in this review. For example, the layer III dlPFC circuits generating working memory-related neuronal firing have unusual neurotransmission, depending on NMDAR and nicotinic-α7R actions that are blocked under inflammatory conditions by kynurenic acid. These circuits also have unusual neuromodulation, with the molecular machinery to magnify calcium signaling in spines needed to support persistent firing, which must be tightly regulated to prevent toxic calcium actions. Stress rapidly weakens layer III connectivity by driving feedforward calcium-cAMP opening of potassium channels on spines. This is regulated by postsynaptic noradrenergic α2A-AR and mGluR3 signaling, but dysregulated by inflammation and/or chronic stress exposure, contributing to spine loss. Treatments that strengthen dlPFC, via pharmacological (the α2A-AR agonist, guanfacine) or rTMS manipulation, provide a rational basis for therapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mary Kate P Joyce
- Dept Neuroscience, Yale Medical School, 333 Cedar St., New Haven, CT USA 06510
| | - Stacy Uchendu
- Dept Neuroscience, Yale Medical School, 333 Cedar St., New Haven, CT USA 06510
| | - Amy F T Arnsten
- Dept Neuroscience, Yale Medical School, 333 Cedar St., New Haven, CT USA 06510.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Harnett NG, Merrill LC, Fani N. Racial and ethnic socioenvironmental inequity and neuroimaging in psychiatry: a brief review of the past and recommendations for the future. Neuropsychopharmacology 2024:10.1038/s41386-024-01901-7. [PMID: 38902354 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-024-01901-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2024] [Revised: 06/04/2024] [Accepted: 06/05/2024] [Indexed: 06/22/2024]
Abstract
Neuroimaging is a major tool that holds immense translational potential for understanding psychiatric disorder phenomenology and treatment. However, although epidemiological and social research highlights the many ways inequity and representativeness influences mental health, there is a lack of consideration of how such issues may impact neuroimaging features in psychiatric research. More specifically, the potential extent to which racialized inequities may affect underlying neurobiology and impact the generalizability of neural models of disorders is unclear. The present review synthesizes research focused on understanding the potential consequences of racial/ethnic inequities relevant to neuroimaging in psychiatry. We first discuss historical and contemporary drivers of inequities that persist today. We then discuss the neurobiological consequences of these inequities as revealed through current research, and note emergent research demonstrating the impact such inequities have on our ability to use neuroimaging to understand psychiatric disease. We end with a set of recommendations and practices to move the field towards more equitable approaches that will advance our abilities to develop truly generalizable neurobiological models of psychiatric disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nathaniel G Harnett
- Division of Depression and Anxiety, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Livia C Merrill
- Department of Psychology, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Negar Fani
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Boldrini M, Xiao Y, Sing T, Zhu C, Jabbi M, Pantazopoulos H, Gürsoy G, Martinowich K, Punzi G, Vallender EJ, Zody M, Berretta S, Hyde TM, Kleinman JE, Marenco S, Roussos P, Lewis DA, Turecki G, Lehner T, Mann JJ. Omics approaches to investigate the pathogenesis of suicide. Biol Psychiatry 2024:S0006-3223(24)01352-0. [PMID: 38821194 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2024.05.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2024] [Revised: 05/17/2024] [Accepted: 05/23/2024] [Indexed: 06/02/2024]
Abstract
Suicide is the second leading cause of death in U.S. adolescents and young adults, and generally associated with a psychiatric disorder. Suicidal behavior has a complex etiology and pathogenesis. Moderate heritability suggests genetic causes. Associations between childhood and recent life adversity indicate contributions from epigenetic factors. Genomic contributions to suicide pathogenesis remain largely unknown. This paper is based on a workshop held to design strategies to identify molecular drivers of suicide neurobiology that would be putative new treatment targets. The panel determined that, while bulk tissue studies provide comprehensive information, single-nucleus approaches identifying cell-type specific changes are needed. While single nuclei techniques lack information on cytoplasm, processes, spines, and synapses, spatial multiomic technologies on intact tissue detect cell alterations specific to brain tissue layers and subregions. Because suicide has genetic and environmental drivers, multiomic approaches combining cell-type specific epigenome, transcriptome, and proteome provide a more complete picture of pathogenesis. To determine the direction of effect of suicide risk gene variants on RNA and protein expression, and how these interact with epigenetic marks, single nuclei and spatial multiomics quantitative trait loci maps should be integrated with whole genome sequencing and genome-wide association databases. The workshop concluded with the recommendation for the formation of an international suicide biology consortium that will bring together brain banks and investigators with expertise in cutting-edge omics technologies to delineate the biology of suicide and identify novel potential treatment targets to be tested in cellular and animal models for drug and biomarkers discovery, to guide suicide prevention.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maura Boldrini
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY; Division of Molecular Imaging and Neuropathology, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY.
| | - Yang Xiao
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY
| | - Tarjinder Sing
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY; Division of Molecular Imaging and Neuropathology, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY; New York Genome Center, New York, NY
| | - Chenxu Zhu
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Institute for Computational Biomedicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY; New York Genome Center, New York, NY
| | - Mbemba Jabbi
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Mulva Clinics for the Neurosciences, Dell Medical School, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX
| | - Harry Pantazopoulos
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS
| | - Gamze Gürsoy
- New York Genome Center, New York, NY; Departments of Biomedical Informatics and Computer Science, Columbia University, New York, NY
| | - Keri Martinowich
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - Giovanna Punzi
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - Eric J Vallender
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS
| | | | - Sabina Berretta
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Brain Tissue Resource Center, Harvard Medical School, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA
| | - Thomas M Hyde
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - Joel E Kleinman
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - Stefano Marenco
- Human Brain Collection Core (HBCC), National Institute of Mental Health's (NIMH) Division of Intramural Research Programs (DIRP), Bethesda, MD
| | - Panagiotis Roussos
- Center for Precision Medicine and Translational Therapeutics; Mental Illness Research Education, and Clinical Center (VISN 2 South), James J. Peters VA Medical Center, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - David A Lewis
- Department of Psychiatry, Douglas Institute, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Gustavo Turecki
- Departments of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
| | | | - J John Mann
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY; Division of Molecular Imaging and Neuropathology, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Wang T, Yan R, Zhang X, Wang Z, Duan H, Wang Z, Zhou Q. Paraventricular Thalamus Dynamically Modulates Aversive Memory via Tuning Prefrontal Inhibitory Circuitry. J Neurosci 2023; 43:3630-3646. [PMID: 37068932 PMCID: PMC10198459 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1028-22.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2022] [Revised: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 04/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The impact of stress on the formation and expression of memory is well studied, especially on the contributions of stress hormones. But how stress affects brain circuitry dynamically to modulate memory is far less understood. Here, we used male C57BL6/J mice in an auditory fear conditioning as a model system to examine this question and focused on the impact of stress on dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC) neurons which play an important role in probabilistic fear memory. We found that paraventricular thalamus (PVT) neurons are robustly activated by acute restraining stress. Elevated PVT activity during probabilistic fear memory expression increases spiking in the dmPFC somatostatin neurons which in turn suppresses spiking of dmPFC parvalbumin (PV) neurons, and reverts the usual low fear responses associated with probabilistic fear memory to high fear. This dynamic and reversible modulation allows the original memory to be preserved and modulated during memory expression. In contrast, elevated PVT activity during fear conditioning impairs synaptic modifications in the dmPFC PV-neurons and abolishes the formation of probabilistic fear memory. Thus, PVT functions as a stress sensor to modulate the formation and expression of aversive memory by tuning inhibitory functions in the prefrontal circuitry.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The impact of stress on cognitive functions, such as memory and executive functions, are well documented especially on the impact by stress hormone. However, the contributions of brain circuitry are far less understood. Here, we show that a circuitry-based mechanism can dynamically modulate memory formation and expression, namely, higher stress-induced activity in paraventricular thalamus (PVT) impairs the formation and expression of probabilistic fear memory by elevating the activity of somatostatin-neurons to suppress spiking in dorsomedial prefrontal parvalbumin (PV) neurons. This stress impact on memory via dynamic tuning of prefrontal inhibition preserves the formed memory but enables a dynamic expression of memory. These findings have implications for better stress coping strategies as well as treatment options including better drug targets/mechanisms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tianyu Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Oncogenomics, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Genomics, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen 518055, People's Republic of China
| | - Rongzhen Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Oncogenomics, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Genomics, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen 518055, People's Republic of China
| | - Xinyang Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Oncogenomics, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Genomics, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen 518055, People's Republic of China
| | - Zongliang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Oncogenomics, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Genomics, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen 518055, People's Republic of China
| | - Haoyu Duan
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Oncogenomics, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Genomics, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen 518055, People's Republic of China
| | - Zeyi Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Oncogenomics, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Genomics, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen 518055, People's Republic of China
| | - Qiang Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Oncogenomics, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Genomics, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen 518055, People's Republic of China
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Goldway N, Eldar E, Shoval G, Hartley CA. Computational Mechanisms of Addiction and Anxiety: A Developmental Perspective. Biol Psychiatry 2023; 93:739-750. [PMID: 36775050 PMCID: PMC10038924 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2023.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Revised: 02/05/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2023]
Abstract
A central goal of computational psychiatry is to identify systematic relationships between transdiagnostic dimensions of psychiatric symptomatology and the latent learning and decision-making computations that inform individuals' thoughts, feelings, and choices. Most psychiatric disorders emerge prior to adulthood, yet little work has extended these computational approaches to study the development of psychopathology. Here, we lay out a roadmap for future studies implementing this approach by developing empirically and theoretically informed hypotheses about how developmental changes in model-based control of action and Pavlovian learning processes may modulate vulnerability to anxiety and addiction. We highlight how insights from studies leveraging computational approaches to characterize the normative developmental trajectories of clinically relevant learning and decision-making processes may suggest promising avenues for future developmental computational psychiatry research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Noam Goldway
- Department of Psychology, New York University, New York, New York
| | - Eran Eldar
- Department of Psychology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel; Department of Cognitive and Brain Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Gal Shoval
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey; Child and Adolescent Division, Geha Mental Health Center, Petah Tikva, Israel; Department of Psychiatry, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Catherine A Hartley
- Department of Psychology, New York University, New York, New York; Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, New York.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Venkataraman A, Dias BG. Expanding the canon: An inclusive neurobiology of thalamic and subthalamic fear circuits. Neuropharmacology 2023; 226:109380. [PMID: 36572176 PMCID: PMC9984284 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2022.109380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2022] [Revised: 12/09/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Appropriate expression of fear in the face of threats in the environment is essential for survival. The sustained expression of fear in the absence of threat signals is a central pathological feature of trauma- and anxiety-related disorders. Our understanding of the neural circuitry that controls fear inhibition coalesces around the amygdala, hippocampus, and prefrontal cortex. By discussing thalamic and sub-thalamic influences on fear-related learning and expression in this review, we suggest a more inclusive neurobiological framework that expands our canonical view of fear. First, we visit how fear-related learning and expression is influenced by the aforementioned canonical brain regions. Next, we review emerging data that shed light on new roles for thalamic and subthalamic nuclei in fear-related learning and expression. Then, we highlight how these neuroanatomical hubs can modulate fear via integration of sensory and salient stimuli, gating information flow and calibrating behavioral responses, as well as maintaining and updating memory representations. Finally, we propose that the presence of this thalamic and sub-thalamic neuroanatomy in parallel with the tripartite prefrontal cortex-amygdala-hippocampus circuit allows for dynamic modulation of information based on interoceptive and exteroceptive signals. This article is part of the Special Issue on "Fear, Anxiety and PTSD".
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Archana Venkataraman
- Department of Cellular & Molecular Pharmacology, University of San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Brian George Dias
- Department of Pediatrics, Keck School of Medicine of USC, Los Angeles, CA, United States; Division of Endocrinology, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States; Developmental Neuroscience and Neurogenetics Program, The Saban Research Institute, Los Angeles, CA, United States.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Müllner-Huber A, Anton-Boicuk L, Pronizius E, Lengersdorff L, Olsson A, Lamm C. The causal role of affect sharing in driving vicarious fear learning. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0277793. [PMID: 36399451 PMCID: PMC9674158 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0277793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Accepted: 11/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Vicarious learning, i.e. learning through observing others rather than through one's own experiences, is an integral skill of social species. The aim of this study was to assess the causal role of affect sharing, an important aspect of empathy, in vicarious fear learning. N = 39 participants completed a vicarious Pavlovian fear conditioning paradigm. In the learning stage, they watched another person-the demonstrator-responding with distress when receiving electric shocks to a color cue (conditioned stimulus; CS+; a different color served as CS-). In the subsequent test stage, an increased skin conductance response (SCR) to the CS+ presented in the absence of the demonstrator indexed vicarious fear learning. Each participant completed this paradigm under two different hypnotic suggestions, which were administered to induce high or low affect sharing with the demonstrator in the learning stage, following a counterbalanced within-subject design. In the learning stage, high affect sharing resulted in stronger unconditioned SCR, increased eye gaze toward the demonstrator's face, and higher self-reported unpleasantness while witnessing the demonstrator's distress. In the test stage, participants showed a stronger conditioned fear response (SCR) when they had learned under high, compared to low, affect sharing. In contrast, participants' declarative memory of how many shocks the demonstrator had received with each cue was not influenced by the affect sharing manipulation. These findings demonstrate that affect sharing is involved in enhancing vicarious fear learning, and thus advance our understanding of the role of empathy, and more generally emotion, in social observational learning.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alexa Müllner-Huber
- Social, Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience Unit, Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- * E-mail: (AMH); (CL)
| | - Lisa Anton-Boicuk
- Social, Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience Unit, Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Ekaterina Pronizius
- Social, Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience Unit, Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Lukas Lengersdorff
- Social, Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience Unit, Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Andreas Olsson
- Division of Psychology, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Claus Lamm
- Social, Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience Unit, Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- * E-mail: (AMH); (CL)
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Nishimura KJ, Poulos A, Drew MR, Rajbhandari AK. Know thy SEFL: Fear sensitization and its relevance to stressor-related disorders. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 142:104884. [PMID: 36174795 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2022] [Revised: 09/07/2022] [Accepted: 09/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Extreme stress can cause long-lasting changes in affective behavior manifesting in conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Understanding the biological mechanisms that govern trauma-induced behavioral dysregulation requires reliable and rigorous pre-clinical models that recapitulate multiple facets of this complex disease. For decades, Pavlovian fear conditioning has been a dominant paradigm for studying the effects of trauma through an associative learning framework. However, severe stress also causes long-lasting nonassociative fear sensitization, which is often overlooked in Pavlovian fear conditioning studies. This paper synthesizes recent research on the stress-enhanced fear learning (SEFL) paradigm, a valuable rodent model that can dissociate associative and nonassociative effects of stress. We discuss evidence that the SEFL paradigm produces nonassociative fear sensitization that is distinguishable from Pavlovian fear conditioning. We also discuss key biological variables, such as age and sex, neural circuit mechanisms, and crucial gaps in knowledge. We argue that nonassociative fear sensitization deserves more attention within current PTSD models and that SEFL provides a valuable complement to Pavlovian conditioning research on trauma-related pathology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kenji J Nishimura
- Center for Learning and Memory, Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA, 78712
| | - Andrew Poulos
- Department of Psychology and Center for Neuroscience Research, State University of New York at Albany, Albany, USA, 12222
| | - Michael R Drew
- Center for Learning and Memory, Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA, 78712
| | | |
Collapse
|
9
|
Goodman AM, Wheelock MD, Harnett NG, Davis ES, Mrug S, Deshpande G, Knight DC. Stress-Induced Changes in Effective Connectivity During Regulation of the Emotional Response to Threat. Brain Connect 2022; 12:629-638. [PMID: 34541896 PMCID: PMC9634990 DOI: 10.1089/brain.2021.0062] [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] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Stress-related disruption of emotion regulation appears to involve the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and amygdala. However, the interactions between brain regions that mediate stress-induced changes in emotion regulation remain unclear. The present study builds upon prior work that assessed stress-induced changes in the neurobehavioral response to threat by investigating effective connectivity between these brain regions. Methods: Participants completed the Montreal Imaging Stress Task followed by a Pavlovian fear conditioning procedure during functional magnetic resonance imaging. Stress ratings and psychophysiological responses were used to assess stress reactivity. Effective connectivity during fear conditioning was identified using multivariate autoregressive modeling. Effective connectivity values were calculated during threat presentations that were either predictable (preceded by a warning cue) or unpredictable (no warning cue). Results: A neural hub within the dorsomedial PFC (dmPFC) showed greater effective connectivity to other PFC regions, inferior parietal lobule, insula, and amygdala during predictable than unpredictable threat. The dmPFC also showed greater connectivity to different dorsolateral PFC and amygdala regions during unpredictable than predictable threat. Stress ratings varied with connectivity differences from the dmPFC to the amygdala. Connectivity from dmPFC to amygdala was greater in general during unpredictable than predictable threat, however, this connectivity increased during predictable compared with unpredictable threat as stress reactivity increased. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that acute stress disrupts connectivity underlying top-down emotion regulation of the threat response. Furthermore, increased connectivity between the dmPFC and amygdala may play a critical role in stress-induced changes in the emotional response to threat. Impact statement The present study builds upon prior work that assessed stress-induced changes in the human neurobehavioral response to threat by demonstrating that increased top-down connectivity from the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex to the amygdala varies with individual differences in stress reactivity. These findings provide novel evidence in humans of stress-induced disruption of a specific top-down corticolimbic circuit during active emotion regulation processes, which may play a causal role in the long-term effects of chronic or excessive stress exposure.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Adam M. Goodman
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Muriah D. Wheelock
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Nathaniel G. Harnett
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Elizabeth S. Davis
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Sylvie Mrug
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Gopikrishna Deshpande
- Auburn University MRI Research Center, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama, USA
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama, USA
- Alabama Advanced Imaging Consortium, University of Alabama Birmingham, Alabama, USA
- Center for Neuroscience, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama, USA
- School of Psychology, Capital Normal University, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory for Learning and Cognition, Capital Normal University, Beijing, China
- Department of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, India
| | - David C. Knight
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Lucifora C, Grasso GM, Nitsche MA, D'Italia G, Sortino M, Salehinejad MA, Falzone A, Avenanti A, Vicario CM. Enhanced fear acquisition in individuals with evening chronotype. A virtual reality fear conditioning/extinction study. J Affect Disord 2022; 311:344-352. [PMID: 35561887 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2022.05.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2021] [Revised: 04/09/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Circadian rhythms have received increasing attention within the context of mental disorders. Evening chronotype has been associated with enhanced risk to develop anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The classical fear conditioning paradigm is a powerful tool to reveal key mechanisms of anxiety and PTSD. We used this paradigm to study the neurocognitive basis of the association between chronotype and fear responses in healthy humans. 20 participants with evening chronotype and 20 controls (i.e., intermediate chronotype) completed a 2-day Pavlovian fear learning and extinction virtual reality task. Participants received fear conditioning, and extinction learning on day 1. Extinction memory recall was tested on day 2. To address interactions between chronotype and time of day of the fear conditioning, and extinction performance, half of the participants were tested in the morning, and the other half in the evening. Skin conductance response (SCR) and subjective fear ratings were measured as primary outcomes. Chronotype was established via the morningness-eveningness questionnaire (MEQ). We found an overall higher SCR for fear acquisition in participants with the evening chronotype profile, compared to controls. Moreover, the higher the MEQ scores -indicative of less eveningness - the lower the SCR was. No effects of chronotype were found for extinction and extinction recall. The higher vulnerability of the evening chronotype for anxiety and related disorders may thus be explained by enhanced fear acquisition of this group.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Lucifora
- Dipartimento di Scienze Cognitive, Psicologiche, Pedagogiche e Degli Studi Culturali, Università Degli Studi di Messina, 98121 Messina, Italy
| | - Giorgio M Grasso
- Dipartimento di Scienze Cognitive, Psicologiche, Pedagogiche e Degli Studi Culturali, Università Degli Studi di Messina, 98121 Messina, Italy
| | - Michael A Nitsche
- Department of Psychology and Neurosciences, Leibniz Research Center for Working Environment and Human Factors, Ardeystr. 67, 44139 Dortmund, Germany
| | - Giovanni D'Italia
- Dipartimento di Scienze Cognitive, Psicologiche, Pedagogiche e Degli Studi Culturali, Università Degli Studi di Messina, 98121 Messina, Italy
| | - Mauro Sortino
- Dipartimento di Scienze Cognitive, Psicologiche, Pedagogiche e Degli Studi Culturali, Università Degli Studi di Messina, 98121 Messina, Italy
| | - Mohammad A Salehinejad
- Department of Psychology and Neurosciences, Leibniz Research Center for Working Environment and Human Factors, Ardeystr. 67, 44139 Dortmund, Germany
| | - Alessandra Falzone
- Dipartimento di Scienze Cognitive, Psicologiche, Pedagogiche e Degli Studi Culturali, Università Degli Studi di Messina, 98121 Messina, Italy
| | - Alessio Avenanti
- Centro Studi e Ricerche in Neuroscienze Cognitive, Dipartimento di Psicologia, Alma Mater Studiorum - Università di Bologna, Campus di Cesena, 47521 Cesena, Italy; Centro de Investigación en Neuropsicología y Neurociencias Cognitivas, Universidad Católica Del Maule, 346000 Talca, Chile
| | - Carmelo M Vicario
- Dipartimento di Scienze Cognitive, Psicologiche, Pedagogiche e Degli Studi Culturali, Università Degli Studi di Messina, 98121 Messina, Italy.
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Dunsmoor JE, Cisler JM, Fonzo GA, Creech SK, Nemeroff CB. Laboratory models of post-traumatic stress disorder: The elusive bridge to translation. Neuron 2022; 110:1754-1776. [PMID: 35325617 PMCID: PMC9167267 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2022.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2022] [Revised: 02/18/2022] [Accepted: 02/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a debilitating mental illness composed of a heterogeneous collection of symptom clusters. The unique nature of PTSD as arising from a precipitating traumatic event helps simplify cross-species translational research modeling the neurobehavioral effects of stress and fear. However, the neurobiological progress on these complex neural circuits informed by animal models has yet to produce novel, evidence-based clinical treatment for PTSD. Here, we provide a comprehensive overview of popular laboratory models of PTSD and provide concrete ideas for improving the validity and clinical translational value of basic research efforts in humans. We detail modifications to simplified animal paradigms to account for myriad cognitive factors affected in PTSD, which may contribute to abnormalities in regulating fear. We further describe new avenues for integrating different areas of psychological research underserved by animal models of PTSD. This includes incorporating emerging trends in the cognitive neuroscience of episodic memory, emotion regulation, social-emotional processes, and PTSD subtyping to provide a more comprehensive recapitulation of the human experience to trauma in laboratory research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joseph E Dunsmoor
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical School, Austin, TX, USA; Center for Psychedelic Research and Therapy, University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical School, Austin, TX, USA.
| | - Josh M Cisler
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical School, Austin, TX, USA; Institute for Early Life Adversity Research, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA; Center for Psychedelic Research and Therapy, University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical School, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Gregory A Fonzo
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical School, Austin, TX, USA; Institute for Early Life Adversity Research, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA; Center for Psychedelic Research and Therapy, University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical School, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Suzannah K Creech
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical School, Austin, TX, USA; Institute for Early Life Adversity Research, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Charles B Nemeroff
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical School, Austin, TX, USA; Institute for Early Life Adversity Research, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA; Center for Psychedelic Research and Therapy, University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical School, Austin, TX, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Maren S. Unrelenting Fear Under Stress: Neural Circuits and Mechanisms for the Immediate Extinction Deficit. Front Syst Neurosci 2022; 16:888461. [PMID: 35520882 PMCID: PMC9062589 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2022.888461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2022] [Accepted: 03/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Therapeutic interventions for disorders of fear and anxiety rely on behavioral approaches that reduce pathological fear memories. For example, learning that threat-predictive stimuli are no longer associated with aversive outcomes is central to the extinction of conditioned fear responses. Unfortunately, fear memories are durable, long-lasting, and resistant to extinction, particularly under high levels of stress. This is illustrated by the “immediate extinction deficit,” which is characterized by a poor long-term reduction of conditioned fear when extinction procedures are attempted within hours of fear conditioning. Here, I will review recent work that has provided new insight into the neural mechanisms underlying resistance to fear extinction. Emerging studies reveal that locus coeruleus norepinephrine modulates amygdala-prefrontal cortical circuits that are critical for extinction learning. These data suggest that stress-induced activation of brain neuromodulatory systems biases fear memory at the expense of extinction learning. Behavioral and pharmacological strategies to reduce stress in patients undergoing exposure therapy might improve therapeutic outcomes.
Collapse
|
13
|
Langer K, Jentsch VL, Wolf OT. Acute stress influences strategy preference when dealing with high intensity emotions in men. Biol Psychol 2022; 169:108264. [PMID: 35038562 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2022.108264] [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: 06/22/2021] [Revised: 01/13/2022] [Accepted: 01/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Stress has been shown to initiate a shift from flexible to rigid, less demanding cognitive processes. Reappraisal and distraction are two emotion regulation strategies varying in their cognitive demands. Previous studies indicate that stress improves regulatory performances of high arousal stimuli. We thus investigated whether acute stress alters the preference for reappraisal or distraction when downregulating emotions of different intensities and further explored its influence on regulatory outcomes. Eighty males were either socially stressed (n=40) or exposed to a control condition (n=40) prior to an emotion regulation choice paradigm. Stress increased the probability to prefer distraction for downregulating high intensity emotions. Stressed (vs. control) participants reported to be generally more successful in regulating high intensity emotions, which was positively associated with cortisol but not alpha-amylase increases. Our findings provide initial evidence that stress fosters a preference for less demanding regulatory options, suggesting favorable strategy choices in response to acute stressors. DATA AVAILABILITY: The data that support the findings of this study are available at the Open Science Framework (OSF) under https://osf.io/b9ae3/.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Katja Langer
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum; Germany.
| | - Valerie L Jentsch
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum; Germany
| | - Oliver T Wolf
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum; Germany
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
FARO A, SILVA LDS, SANTOS DND, FEITOSA ALB. The Fear of COVID-19 Scale adaptation and validation. ESTUDOS DE PSICOLOGIA (CAMPINAS) 2022. [DOI: 10.1590/1982-0275202239e200121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract This study aimed to adapt and raise evidences of validity based on the internal structure, on the relationship with other variables, and on the content of the Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S) in Brazilian Portuguese. We performed the Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the scale, its invariance analysis by gender, and established norms for interpreting the instrument’s scores. Participants were 1,000 adults of both genders. The findings showed all fit indices as satisfactory, confirming the scale’s one-dimensionality and its invariance. Results also demonstrated convergent validity between the FCV-19S and the stress of the subjects. Moreover, the stratification of the intensity of fear (mild, moderate and severe) was determined based on the standardization of scores. We concluded that FCV-19S presents sufficient evidence to support its use to assess the fear of Covid-19S in Brazil.
Collapse
|
15
|
Does older adults' cognition particularly suffer from stress? A systematic review of acute stress effects on cognition in older age. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 132:583-602. [PMID: 34896431 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.12.009] [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: 07/01/2021] [Revised: 11/12/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
This literature review provides the first comprehensive qualitative and quantitative systematic synthesis of acute laboratory stress effects on older adults' cognition by specifying the direction and magnitude of those effects both overall and for different cognitive processes separately. A systematic literature search was performed, and effect sizes estimated whenever possible. We found meta-analytical evidence that stress has negative effects on older adults' verbal fluency (gadj = -0.53, 95 % CI [-2.70, 1.63]), null-to-negative effects on episodic memory (gadj = -0.26, 95 % CI [-0.44, -0.08]), null effects on executive functions (gadj = 0.07, 95 % CI [-0.31, 0.46]), and enhancing effects on working memory (gadj = 0.16, 95 % CI [-0.01, 0.33]). Relating these findings to those in young adults, notable differences emerged for some cognitive functions, such as opposing effects on working memory between age groups. Our review further reveals that stress effects on older adults' memory retention, associative memory, prospective memory, interference control or cognitive flexibility are heavily understudied. We provide a conceptual and methodological framework for future studies in older adults.
Collapse
|
16
|
Meyer HC, Sangha S, Radley JJ, LaLumiere RT, Baratta MV. Environmental certainty influences the neural systems regulating responses to threat and stress. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 131:1037-1055. [PMID: 34673111 PMCID: PMC8642312 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.10.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2021] [Revised: 09/29/2021] [Accepted: 10/01/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Flexible calibration of threat responding in accordance with the environment is an adaptive process that allows an animal to avoid harm while also maintaining engagement of other goal-directed actions. This calibration process, referred to as threat response regulation, requires an animal to calculate the probability that a given encounter will result in a threat so they can respond accordingly. Here we review the neural correlates of two highly studied forms of threat response suppression: extinction and safety conditioning. We focus on how relative levels of certainty or uncertainty in the surrounding environment alter the acquisition and application of these processes. We also discuss evidence indicating altered threat response regulation following stress exposure, including enhanced fear conditioning, and disrupted extinction and safety conditioning. To conclude, we discuss research using an animal model of coping that examines the impact of stressor controllability on threat responding, highlighting the potential for previous experiences with control, or other forms of coping, to protect against the effects of future adversity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Heidi C Meyer
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.
| | - Susan Sangha
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA.
| | - Jason J Radley
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA.
| | - Ryan T LaLumiere
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA.
| | - Michael V Baratta
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, 80301, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Przybyl KJ, Jenz ST, Lim PH, Ji MT, Wert SL, Luo W, Gacek SA, Schaack AK, Redei EE. Genetic stress-reactivity, sex, and conditioning intensity affect stress-enhanced fear learning. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2021; 185:107523. [PMID: 34562618 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2021.107523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2021] [Revised: 08/11/2021] [Accepted: 09/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
The Stress-Enhanced Fear Learning (SEFL) model of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) reveals increased fear memory in animals exposed to stress prior to contextual fear conditioning (CFC), similar to the increased likelihood of developing PTSD in humans after prior stress. The present study utilized the SEFL model by exposing animals to restraint stress as the first stressor, followed by CFC using foot-shocks with 0.6 mA or 0.8 mA intensity. Adult males and females from the two nearly isogenic rat strains, the genetically more stress-reactive Wistar Kyoto (WKY) More Immobile (WMI), and the less stress-reactive WKY Less Immobile (WLI) were employed. Percent time spent freezing at acquisition and at recall differed between these strains in both prior stress and no stress conditions. The significant correlations between percent freezing at acquisition and at recall suggest that fear memory differences represent a true phenotype related to the stress-reactivity differences between the strains. This assumption is further substantiated by the lack of effect of either conditioning intensity on percent freezing in WLI males, while WMI males were affected by both intensities albeit with opposite directional changes after prior stress. Differences between the sexes in sensitivity to the two conditioning intensities became apparent by the opposite directional and inverse relationship between fear memory and the intensity of conditioning in WMI males and females. The present data also illustrate that although corticosterone (CORT) responses to prior stress are known to be necessary for SEFL, plasma CORT and percent freezing were positively correlated only in the stress less-reactive WLI strain. These differences in baseline fear acquisition, fear memory, and the percent freezing responses to the SEFL paradigm in the two genetically close inbred WMI and WLI strains provide a unique opportunity to study the genetic contribution to the variation in these phenotypes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- K J Przybyl
- Dept. of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - S T Jenz
- Dept. of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - P H Lim
- Dept. of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - M T Ji
- Dept. of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - S L Wert
- Dept. of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - W Luo
- Dept. of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - S A Gacek
- Dept. of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - A K Schaack
- Dept. of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - E E Redei
- Dept. of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States.
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Baldi E, Costa A, Rani B, Passani MB, Blandina P, Romano A, Provensi G. Oxytocin and Fear Memory Extinction: Possible Implications for the Therapy of Fear Disorders? Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:10000. [PMID: 34576161 PMCID: PMC8467761 DOI: 10.3390/ijms221810000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2021] [Revised: 09/07/2021] [Accepted: 09/10/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Several psychiatric conditions such as phobias, generalized anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are characterized by pathological fear and anxiety. The main therapeutic approach used in the management of these disorders is exposure-based therapy, which is conceptually based upon fear extinction with the formation of a new safe memory association, allowing the reduction in behavioral conditioned fear responses. Nevertheless, this approach is only partially resolutive, since many patients have difficulty following the demanding and long process, and relapses are frequently observed over time. One strategy to improve the efficacy of the cognitive therapy is the combination with pharmacological agents. Therefore, the identification of compounds able to strengthen the formation and persistence of the inhibitory associations is a key goal. Recently, growing interest has been aroused by the neuropeptide oxytocin (OXT), which has been shown to have anxiolytic effects. Furthermore, OXT receptors and binding sites have been found in the critical brain structures involved in fear extinction. In this review, the recent literature addressing the complex effects of OXT on fear extinction at preclinical and clinical levels is discussed. These studies suggest that the OXT roles in fear behavior are due to its local effects in several brain regions, most notably, distinct amygdaloid regions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Elisabetta Baldi
- Section of Physiological Sciences, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, 50134 Florence, Italy;
| | - Alessia Costa
- Section of Clinical Pharmacology and Oncology, Department of Health Sciences (DSS), University of Florence, 50139 Florence, Italy; (A.C.); (B.R.); (M.B.P.)
| | - Barbara Rani
- Section of Clinical Pharmacology and Oncology, Department of Health Sciences (DSS), University of Florence, 50139 Florence, Italy; (A.C.); (B.R.); (M.B.P.)
| | - Maria Beatrice Passani
- Section of Clinical Pharmacology and Oncology, Department of Health Sciences (DSS), University of Florence, 50139 Florence, Italy; (A.C.); (B.R.); (M.B.P.)
| | - Patrizio Blandina
- Section of Pharmacology of Toxicology, Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health (NEUROFARBA), University of Florence, 50139 Florence, Italy;
| | - Adele Romano
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology ‘V. Erspamer’, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy;
| | - Gustavo Provensi
- Section of Pharmacology of Toxicology, Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health (NEUROFARBA), University of Florence, 50139 Florence, Italy;
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Woo E, Sansing LH, Arnsten AFT, Datta D. Chronic Stress Weakens Connectivity in the Prefrontal Cortex: Architectural and Molecular Changes. CHRONIC STRESS 2021; 5:24705470211029254. [PMID: 34485797 PMCID: PMC8408896 DOI: 10.1177/24705470211029254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2021] [Accepted: 06/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Chronic exposure to uncontrollable stress causes loss of spines and dendrites in the prefrontal cortex (PFC), a recently evolved brain region that provides top-down regulation of thought, action, and emotion. PFC neurons generate top-down goals through recurrent excitatory connections on spines. This persistent firing is the foundation for higher cognition, including working memory, and abstract thought. However, exposure to acute uncontrollable stress drives high levels of catecholamine release in the PFC, which activates feedforward calcium-cAMP signaling pathways to open nearby potassium channels, rapidly weakening synaptic connectivity to reduce persistent firing. Chronic stress exposures can further exacerbate these signaling events leading to loss of spines and resulting in marked cognitive impairment. In this review, we discuss how stress signaling mechanisms can lead to spine loss, including changes to BDNF-mTORC1 signaling, calcium homeostasis, actin dynamics, and mitochondrial actions that engage glial removal of spines through inflammatory signaling. Stress signaling events may be amplified in PFC spines due to cAMP magnification of internal calcium release. As PFC dendritic spine loss is a feature of many cognitive disorders, understanding how stress affects the structure and function of the PFC will help to inform strategies for treatment and prevention.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Woo
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale Medical School, New Haven, CT, USA.,Department of Neurology, Yale Medical School, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Lauren H Sansing
- Department of Neurology, Yale Medical School, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Amy F T Arnsten
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale Medical School, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Dibyadeep Datta
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale Medical School, New Haven, CT, USA
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Kausche FM, Zerbes G, Kampermann L, Büchel C, Schwabe L. Neural signature of delayed fear generalization under stress. Psychophysiology 2021; 58:e13917. [PMID: 34365641 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.13917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2020] [Revised: 05/11/2021] [Accepted: 07/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Although the generalization of fear to stimuli resembling a threatening stimulus is an adaptive mechanism, fear overgeneralization is maladaptive and thought to play a key role in anxiety-related disorders. Since there is typically a delay between an initial fear experience and a situation in which fear (over)generalization may occur, we assessed delayed fear generalization and its neural signature. Moreover, as stress is known to affect fear learning, we further tested whether acute stress modulates fear generalization. Therefore, we conducted a two-day fear generalization study, with initial fear acquisition on Day 1 and a fear generalization test after a 24-hr delay in the MRI scanner. Prior to fear generalization testing, participants were exposed to a stressor or a control manipulation. Our behavioral data showed the expected generalization of fear. At a neural level, fear generalization was accompanied by increased fear-signaling for stimuli that resembled the conditioned stimulus in the bilateral insula and frontal operculum, whereas activity declined in frontal, hippocampal, and temporal regions, including the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, as stimuli became more similar to the conditioned stimulus. Importantly, stress did not modulate fear generalization, neither on a behavioral nor on a neural level. Interestingly, in an explorative comparison to two other studies that used the same paradigm but tested generalization immediately after acquisition, we observed increased fear generalization in the delayed relative to the immediate generalization test. In sum, our results suggest that stress leaves fear generalization and its neural signature unaffected but that a temporal delay might increase the extent to which fear responses are generalized to stimuli resembling the threatening stimulus.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Gundula Zerbes
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Lea Kampermann
- Institute for Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Christian Büchel
- Institute for Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Lars Schwabe
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Overgeneralization of fear, but not avoidance, following acute stress. Biol Psychol 2021; 164:108151. [PMID: 34302889 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2021.108151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2021] [Revised: 07/02/2021] [Accepted: 07/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Research has demonstrated the spreading of fear from threat-related stimuli to perceptually similar, but innocuous, stimuli. Less is known, however, about the generalization of avoidance behavior. Given that stress is known to affect learning and memory, we were interested in the effect of acute stress on (over)generalization of fear and avoidance responses. On the first day, one geometrical shape was paired with a mild electrical stimulus (CS+), whereas another shape was not (CS-). One day later, after participants had been exposed to the Maastricht Acute Stress Test or a control task, generalization of avoidance responses and fear (shock expectancy and skin conductance responses) was tested to a range of perceptual generalization stimuli. Generalization gradients were observed across different outcome measures. Stress enhanced generalization of shock expectancy to the stimulus most similar to the CS+. Our findings confirm that stress can affect the generalization of fear, but further studies are warranted.
Collapse
|
22
|
Grant C, Loman B, Bailey M, Pyter L. Manipulations of the gut microbiome alter chemotherapy-induced inflammation and behavioral side effects in female mice. Brain Behav Immun 2021; 95:401-412. [PMID: 33895287 PMCID: PMC8461613 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2021.04.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2020] [Revised: 04/06/2021] [Accepted: 04/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Chemotherapy treatment is associated with acute behavioral side effects (fatigue, anorexia) that significantly reduce patient quality of life and are dose-limiting, thereby increasing mortality (Kidwell et al., 2014). Disruptions to gut homeostasis (diarrhea, constipation, microbial dysbiosis) are also observed in patients receiving chemotherapy. In non-oncological patients, facets of mental health (fatigue, anxiety, depression) correlate with alterations in the gut microbiome, suggestive of a contribution of the gut in CNS disease etiology. The potential gut-to-brain pathway is poorly understood in patients receiving chemotherapy. Our prior studies have demonstrated a correlation between chemotherapy treatment, gut changes, peripheral and central inflammation, and behavioral symptoms in mice. Here we aimed to determine the extent to which chemotherapy-associated gut manipulations modulate the behavioral and biological consequences of chemotherapy. We measured sickness behaviors, peripheral and central inflammatory mediators, and anxiety in conventional or germ-free female mice: 1) cohabitating with mice of the opposite treatment group, 2) pre-treated with broad-spectrum antibiotics, or 3) given an intra-gastric gavage of gut content from chemotherapy-treated mice. In cohabitation studies, presumed coprophagia promoted body mass recovery, however strong associations with inflammation and behavior were not observed. Reduction of gut microbial alpha diversity via antibiotics did not prevent chemotherapy-associated side effects, however the relative abundances of the genera Tyzzerella, Romboutsia, and Turicibacter correlated with circulating inflammatory (IL-1β) and behavioral outcomes (lethargy, anxiety-like behavior). A gut microbiota transplant from chemotherapy-treated mice decreased central locomotion in open field testing, increased circulating CXCL1, and increased hippocampal Il6 and Tnfa in germ-free mice compared to germ-free mice that received a transplant from vehicle-treated mice. Taken together, these data provide further evidence that the gut microbiota likely contributes to the development of chemotherapy-associated side effects. This work has significant implications in the future treatment of anxiety in patients, and warrants future studies using microbe-based treatment options.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- C.V. Grant
- Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - B.R. Loman
- Center for Microbial Pathogenesis, The Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - M.T. Bailey
- Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA.,Center for Microbial Pathogenesis, The Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, Ohio, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - L.M. Pyter
- Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA.,Department of Neuroscience, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Stress, memory, and implications for major depression. Behav Brain Res 2021; 412:113410. [PMID: 34116119 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2021.113410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2020] [Revised: 06/04/2021] [Accepted: 06/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The stress response comprises a phylogenetically conserved set of cognitive, physiological, and behavioral responses that evolved as a survival strategy. In this context, the memory of stressful events would be adaptive as it could avoid re-exposure to an adverse event, otherwise the event would be facilitated in positively stressful or non-distressful conditions. However, the interaction between stress and memory comprises complex responses, some of them which are not yet completely understood, and which depend on several factors such as the memory system that is recruited, the nature and duration of the stressful event, as well as the timing in which this interaction takes place. In this narrative review, we briefly discuss the mechanisms of the stress response, the main memory systems, and its neural correlates. Then, we show how stress, through the action of its biochemical mediators, influences memory systems and mnemonic processes. Finally, we make use of major depressive disorder to explore the possible implications of non-adaptive interactions between stress and memory to psychiatric disorders, as well as possible roles for memory studies in the field of psychiatry.
Collapse
|
24
|
Langer K, Jentsch VL, Wolf OT. Cortisol promotes the cognitive regulation of high intensive emotions independent of timing. Eur J Neurosci 2021; 55:2684-2698. [PMID: 33709613 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2020] [Revised: 02/22/2021] [Accepted: 03/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Failures to cognitively downregulate negative emotions are a crucial risk factor for mental disorders. Previous studies provide evidence for a stress-induced improvement of cognitive emotion regulation possibly mediated via glucocorticoid actions. Cortisol can initialize immediate non-genomic as well as delayed genomic effects on cognitive control functioning, but its distinct effects on emotion regulation processes remain to be shown. Here, we sought to characterize time-dependent effects of oral cortisol administration on cognitive emotion regulation outcomes. We expected cortisol to improve emotion regulation success. Possible interactions with the delay between cortisol treatment and emotion regulation, strategy use and intensity of the emotional stimuli were examined. Eighty-five healthy men received either 10 mg hydrocortisone or a placebo in a double-blind, randomized design 30 or 90 min prior to an emotion regulation paradigm, in which they were asked to downregulate their emotional responses towards low and high intensive negative pictures via reappraisal or distraction. Affective ratings and pupil dilation served as outcome measures. Reduced arousal, enhanced valence ratings as well as increases in pupil dilations indexing the cognitive regulatory effort indicated successful downregulation of negative emotions evoked by high intensive but not low intensive negative pictures. Cortisol significantly reduced arousal ratings when downregulating high intensive negative emotions via distraction and (at a trend level) via reappraisal, independent of timing, demonstrating a beneficial effect of cortisol on subjective regulatory outcomes. Taken together, this study provides initial evidence suggesting that cortisol promotes the cognitive control of high intensive negative emotions both, 30 and 90 min after treatment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Katja Langer
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Valerie L Jentsch
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Oliver T Wolf
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Langer K, Wolf OT, Jentsch VL. Delayed effects of acute stress on cognitive emotion regulation. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2021; 125:105101. [PMID: 33460986 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2020.105101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2020] [Revised: 11/30/2020] [Accepted: 12/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Acute stress has been shown to modulate cognitive emotion regulation. Besides interactions with strategy use or sex, another critical modulating factor appears to be stress timing. Exposure to acute stress initiates immediate and delayed glucocorticoid effects on cognitive control functions. Previous studies indicated a delayed increase in prefrontal activity after stress and cortisol elevations, which might also improve the ability to cognitively regulate emotions when the acute stress state has subsided. In this study, we investigated the delayed impact of acute stress on the two emotion regulation strategies reappraisal and distraction. Eighty-one healthy males and free-cycling females were exposed to the Trier Social Stress Test or a control condition 90 min before they were tested in an emotion regulation paradigm, which required them to up- and downregulate their emotional responses towards negative pictures. Affective ratings served to measure emotion regulation success, whereas pupil dilation was included to additionally assess the cognitive effort required to deliberately regulate emotions. Stress affected neither arousal, valence or success ratings nor pupil dilation. However, cortisol increases were significantly associated with reduced arousal and enhanced valence ratings when regulating negative emotions via distraction. Exploratory mediation analyses revealed an indirect effect of stress on arousal and valence ratings for distraction that was mediated by cortisol increase. Our findings thereby provide further evidence that cortisol is positively related to emotion regulation success, which might be driven by a glucocorticoid-mediated mechanism facilitating attentional shifting.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Katja Langer
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum, Germany
| | - Oliver T Wolf
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum, Germany
| | - Valerie L Jentsch
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Phasuk S, Pairojana T, Suresh P, Yang CH, Roytrakul S, Huang SP, Chen CC, Pakaprot N, Chompoopong S, Nudmamud-Thanoi S, Liu IY. Enhanced contextual fear memory in peroxiredoxin 6 knockout mice is associated with hyperactivation of MAPK signaling pathway. Mol Brain 2021; 14:42. [PMID: 33632301 PMCID: PMC7908735 DOI: 10.1186/s13041-021-00754-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2020] [Accepted: 02/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Fear dysregulation is one of the symptoms found in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) patients. The functional abnormality of the hippocampus is known to be implicated in the development of such pathology. Peroxiredoxin 6 (PRDX6) belongs to the peroxiredoxin family. This antioxidant enzyme is expressed throughout the brain, including the hippocampus. Recent evidence reveals that PRDX6 plays an important role in redox regulation and the modulation of several signaling molecules involved in fear regulation. Thus, we hypothesized that PRDX6 plays a role in the regulation of fear memory. We subjected a systemic Prdx6 knockout (Prdx6-/-) mice to trace fear conditioning and observed enhanced fear response after training. Intraventricular injection of lentivirus-carried mouse Prdx6 into the 3rd ventricle reduced the enhanced fear response in these knockout mice. Proteomic analysis followed by validation of western blot analysis revealed that several proteins in the MAPK pathway, such as NTRK2, AKT, and phospho-ERK1/2, cPLA2 were significantly upregulated in the hippocampus of Prdx6-/- mice during the retrieval stage of contextual fear memory. The distribution of PRDX6 found in the astrocytes was also observed throughout the hippocampus. This study identifies PRDX6 as a participant in the regulation of fear response. It suggests that PRDX6 and related molecules may have important implications for understanding fear-dysregulation associated disorders like PTSD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sarayut Phasuk
- Institute of Medical Sciences, Tzu Chi University, Hualien, Taiwan
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Tanita Pairojana
- Institute of Medical Sciences, Tzu Chi University, Hualien, Taiwan
| | - Pavithra Suresh
- Institute of Medical Sciences, Tzu Chi University, Hualien, Taiwan
| | - Chee-Hing Yang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Biotechnology, Tzu Chi University, Hualien, Taiwan
| | - Sittiruk Roytrakul
- National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, National Science and Technology Development Agency, Pathum Thani, Thailand
| | - Shun-Ping Huang
- Department of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics, Tzu Chi University, Hualien, Taiwan
| | - Chien-Chang Chen
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Narawut Pakaprot
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Supin Chompoopong
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Sutisa Nudmamud-Thanoi
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medical Science, Naresuan University, Phitsanulok, Thailand
- Centre of Excellence in Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Medical Science, Naresuan University, Phitsanulok, Thailand
| | - Ingrid Y. Liu
- Institute of Medical Sciences, Tzu Chi University, Hualien, Taiwan
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Lemmens A, Quaedflieg CWEM, Dibbets P, Rijkeboer M, Smeets T. Examining the effect of stress on the flexible updating of avoidance responses. Eur J Neurosci 2021; 55:2542-2557. [PMID: 33616263 PMCID: PMC9290344 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15155] [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: 09/23/2020] [Revised: 01/26/2021] [Accepted: 02/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Acute stress has been found to impair the flexible updating of stimulus − outcome associations. However, there is a lack of studies investigating the effect of acute stress on the flexible updating of stimulus–response associations, like active avoidance responses. The current study used an avoidance reversal learning paradigm to address this question. Sixty‐one participants learned that a red dot was associated with an aversive sound, whereas a green dot was not (Pavlovian Acquisition phase). Next, they were trained to avoid the aversive stimulus by selectively pressing a button in response to the red, but not the green, dot (Avoidance Acquisition phase). Subsequently, participants either underwent a stress induction task or a no‐stress control task. The flexible updating of expectancies of the US and avoidance responses were assessed after reversal of the original contingencies (Reversal Test). Acute stress did not impair the flexible updating of avoidance responses during the Reversal Test. In contrast, results showed that in the stress group the expectancies of the aversive sound were more in accordance with the reversed contingencies compared to the ratings of control participants. Additionally, cortisol responders avoided less often in comparison to cortisol non‐responders. Increased noradrenergic activity in stressed participants was related to impairments in the flexible updating of avoidance responses after contingency reversal, while this association was absent in the control participants. In conclusion, our results suggest that the autonomic response might account for shifting the balance toward inflexible updating of stimulus–outcome awareness while stress does not impair flexible updating of avoidance responses.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anke Lemmens
- Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Department of Clinical Psychological Science, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Conny W E M Quaedflieg
- Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Department of Clinical Psychological Science, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.,Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Department of Neuropsychology & Psychopharmacology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Pauline Dibbets
- Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Department of Clinical Psychological Science, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Marleen Rijkeboer
- Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Department of Clinical Psychological Science, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Tom Smeets
- Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Department of Clinical Psychological Science, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.,CoRPS - Center of Research on Psychological and Somatic disorders, Department of Medical and Clinical Psychology, Tilburg School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Tilburg University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Kausche FM, Zerbes G, Kampermann L, Müller JC, Wiedemann K, Büchel C, Schwabe L. Noradrenergic stimulation increases fear memory expression. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2021; 43:71-81. [PMID: 33358539 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2020.11.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2020] [Revised: 09/08/2020] [Accepted: 11/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Fear responses are typically not limited to the actual threatening stimulus but generalize to other stimuli resembling the threatening stimulus. Although this fear generalization is generally adaptive, fear overgeneralization is maladaptive and assumed to contribute to anxiety disorders. Despite the clinical relevance of fear (over)generalization, how the extent of fear generalization is modulated remains not well understood. Based on the known effects of stress on learning and memory, we tested here the impact of major stress mediators, glucocorticoids and noradrenergic arousal, on fear generalization. In a laboratory-based, placebo-controlled, double-blind, between-subject design, 125 healthy participants first underwent a fear conditioning procedure. About 24 h later, participants received orally either a placebo, hydrocortisone, the α2-adrenoceptor antagonist yohimbine, leading to increased noradrenergic stimulation, or both drugs before a test of fear generalization. Skin conductance responses as well as explicit rating data revealed that yohimbine intake led to enhanced fear memory expression, i.e. an enhanced responding to the CS+ but not to stimuli resembling the CS+. Moreover, neither enhanced safety learning nor a mere enhancement of perceptual discrimination ability could explain this result. In contrast to yohimbine, hydrocortisone had no significant effect on fear memory. These findings suggest that noradrenergic arousal strengthens fear memory expression and have important implications for mental disorders in which the overgeneralization of conditioned fear is prominent.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Gundula Zerbes
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, Universität Hamburg, 20146 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Lea Kampermann
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Jana Christina Müller
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Klaus Wiedemann
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Christian Büchel
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Lars Schwabe
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, Universität Hamburg, 20146 Hamburg, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Saha R, Kriebel M, Anunu R, Volkmer H, Richter-Levin G. Intra-amygdala metaplasticity modulation of fear extinction learning. Eur J Neurosci 2020; 55:2455-2463. [PMID: 33305403 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2020] [Revised: 12/03/2020] [Accepted: 12/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The amygdala is a key brain region involved in emotional memory formation. It is also responsible for memory modulation in other brain areas. Under extreme conditions, amygdala modulation may lead to the generation of abnormal plasticity and trauma-related psychopathologies. However, the amygdala itself is a dynamic brain region, which is amenable to long-term plasticity and is affected by emotional experiences. These alterations may modify the way the amygdala modulates activity and plasticity in other related brain regions, which in turn may alter the animal's response to subsequent challenges in what could be termed as "Behavioral metaplasticity."Because of the reciprocal interactions between the amygdala and other emotion processing regions, such as the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) or the hippocampus, experience-induced intra-amygdala metaplasticity could lead to alterations in mPFC-dependent or hippocampus-dependent behaviors. While initiated by alterations within the basolateral amygdala (BLA), such alterations in other brain regions may come to be independent of BLA modulation, thus establishing what may be termed "Trans-regional metaplasticity." In this article, we review evidence supporting the notions of intra-BLA metaplasticity and how this may develop into "Trans-regional metaplasticity." Future research is needed to understand how such dynamic metaplastic alterations contribute to developing psychopathologies, and how this knowledge may be translated into promoting novel interventions in psychopathologies associated with fear, stress, and trauma.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rinki Saha
- Sagol Department of Neurobiology, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Martin Kriebel
- NMI Natural and Medical Sciences Institute at the University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Rachel Anunu
- Sagol Department of Neurobiology, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Hansjuergen Volkmer
- NMI Natural and Medical Sciences Institute at the University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Gal Richter-Levin
- Sagol Department of Neurobiology, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel.,Department of Psychology, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel.,The Integrated Brain and Behavior Research Center (IBBRC), University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Batouli SAH, Saba V. Larger Volume and Different Activation of the Brain in Response to Threat in Military Officers. Basic Clin Neurosci 2020; 11:669-685. [PMID: 33643560 PMCID: PMC7878053 DOI: 10.32598/bcn.9.10.160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2019] [Revised: 08/05/2019] [Accepted: 01/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Military missions involve stressful and life-threatening situations; however, soldiers should have a healthy cognition on the battlefield despite their high-stress levels. This is an ability that should be gained during prior military training. Successful and influential training is suggested to be associated with structural and functional improvements of the brain. Methods: This study investigated the pattern of brain activation while observing videos relevant to life-threatening situations, in addition to brain structure. Accordingly, the obtained data were compared between 20 military members and 26 healthy controls. The study participants were all male, aged between 19 to 24 years, right-handed, studying BSc, and from the same socioeconomic status. Results: The obtained data presented a larger volume in a total number of 1103 voxels of the brain (in 5 brain areas) in the military group. Furthermore, the military group suggested higher brain activation in the visual processing areas of the brain when observing real combat videos; however, this increment was mostly in the areas associated with motor processing and executive functions in the controls. Conclusion: This study indicated that military training is associated with positive structural changes in the brain. Besides, it provided a different brain activation in response to stressful situations. These findings highlighted the importance of qualified military training.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Valiallah Saba
- Department of Radiology, Faculty of Paramedicine, AJA University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Marchisella F, Paladini MS, Guidi A, Begni V, Brivio P, Spero V, Calabrese F, Molteni R, Riva MA. Chronic treatment with the antipsychotic drug blonanserin modulates the responsiveness to acute stress with anatomical selectivity. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2020; 237:1783-1793. [PMID: 32296859 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-020-05498-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2020] [Accepted: 02/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Patients diagnosed with schizophrenia typically receive life-long treatments with antipsychotic drugs (APDs). However, the impact of chronic APDs treatment on neuroplastic mechanisms in the brain remains largely elusive. OBJECTIVE Here, we focused on blonanserin, a second-generation antipsychotic (SGA) that acts as an antagonist at dopamine D2, D3, and serotonin 5-HT2A receptors, and represents an important tool for the treatment of schizophrenia. METHODS We used rats to investigate the ability of chronic treatment blonanserin to modulate the activity of brain structures relevant for schizophrenia, under baseline conditions or in response to an acute forced swim session (FSS). We measured the expression of different immediate early genes (IEGs), including c-Fos, Arc/Arg 3.1, Zif268 and Npas4. RESULTS Blonanserin per se produced limited changes in the expression of these genes under basal conditions, while, as expected, FSS produced a significant elevation of IEGs transcription in different brain regions. The response of blonanserin-treated rats to FSS show anatomical and gene-selective differences. Indeed, the upregulation of IEGs was greatly reduced in the striatum, a brain structure enriched in dopamine receptors, whereas the upregulation of some genes (Zif268, Npas4) was largely preserved in other regions, such as the prefrontal cortex and the ventral hippocampus. CONCLUSIONS Taken together, our findings show that chronic exposure to blonanserin modulates selective IEGs with a specific anatomical profile. Moreover, the differential activation of specific brain regions under challenging conditions may contribute to specific clinical features of the drug.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Marchisella
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, Via Balzaretti 9, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Maria Serena Paladini
- Department of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine, University of Milan, Via Vanvitelli 32, 20129, Milan, Italy
| | - Alice Guidi
- Department of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine, University of Milan, Via Vanvitelli 32, 20129, Milan, Italy
| | - Veronica Begni
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, Via Balzaretti 9, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Paola Brivio
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, Via Balzaretti 9, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Vittoria Spero
- Department of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine, University of Milan, Via Vanvitelli 32, 20129, Milan, Italy
| | - Francesca Calabrese
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, Via Balzaretti 9, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Raffaella Molteni
- Department of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine, University of Milan, Via Vanvitelli 32, 20129, Milan, Italy.
| | - Marco Andrea Riva
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, Via Balzaretti 9, 20133, Milan, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Mineur YS, Ernstsen C, Islam A, Lefoli Maibom K, Picciotto MR. Hippocampal knockdown of α2 nicotinic or M1 muscarinic acetylcholine receptors in C57BL/6J male mice impairs cued fear conditioning. GENES BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR 2020; 19:e12677. [PMID: 32447811 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2020] [Revised: 05/19/2020] [Accepted: 05/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Acetylcholine (ACh) signaling in the hippocampus is important for behaviors related to learning, memory and stress. In this study, we investigated the role of two ACh receptor subtypes previously shown to be involved in fear and anxiety, the M1 mAChR and the α2 nAChR, in mediating the effects of hippocampal ACh on stress-related behaviors. Adeno-associated viral vectors containing short-hairpin RNAs targeting M1 or α2 were infused into the hippocampus of male C57BL/6J mice, and behavior in a number of paradigms related to stress responses and fear learning was evaluated. There were no robust effects of hippocampal M1 mAChR or α2 nAChR knockdown (KD) in the light/dark box, tail suspension, forced swim or novelty-suppressed feeding tests. However, effects on fear learning were observed in both KD groups. Short term learning was intact immediately after training in all groups of mice, but both the M1 and α2 hippocampal knock down resulted in impaired cued fear conditioning 24 h after training. In addition, there was a trend for a deficit in contextual memory the M1 mAChR KD group 24 h after training. These results suggest that α2 nicotinic and M1 muscarinic ACh receptors in the hippocampus contribute to fear learning and could be relevant targets to modify brain circuits involved in stress-induced reactivity to associated cues.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yann S Mineur
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Charlotte Ernstsen
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Ashraful Islam
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Kathrine Lefoli Maibom
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Marina R Picciotto
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Peyrot C, Brouillard A, Morand-Beaulieu S, Marin MF. A review on how stress modulates fear conditioning: Let's not forget the role of sex and sex hormones. Behav Res Ther 2020; 129:103615. [PMID: 32334278 DOI: 10.1016/j.brat.2020.103615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2019] [Revised: 03/27/2020] [Accepted: 04/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Stress and fear are two fields of research that have evolved simultaneously. It was not until the eighties that these domains converged in order to better characterize the impact of stress on fear memory formation. Here, we reviewed the effects of stress occurring before fear acquisition on the main phases of fear conditioning protocols (acquisition training, extinction training, extinction retention test), with a specific focus on sex and sex hormones. We also paid close attention to methodological aspects in order to better understand and characterize discrepant findings across studies. In men, stress appears to potentiate fear acquisition at a physiological level but induces lower activations of fear-related brain regions. In women, results are inconsistent. Although some studies have shown that stress lowers physiological fear responses and heightens brain activations in women during fear acquisition, many studies report no significant effects. Irrespective of sex, pre-acquisition stress seems to induce fear extinction learning resistance. Overall, few studies have taken into account sex hormones, despite their impact on both the fear and stress brain networks. As methodological variability makes it complex to draw strong conclusions, several methodological aspects are discussed with the aim of orienting future research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Clémence Peyrot
- Research Center, Institut universitaire en santé mentale de Montréal, 7331 Hochelaga Street, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, H1N 3J4; Department of Psychiatry and Addictology, Université de Montréal, 2900 Édouard-Montpetit Boulevard, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, H3T 1J4.
| | - Alexandra Brouillard
- Research Center, Institut universitaire en santé mentale de Montréal, 7331 Hochelaga Street, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, H1N 3J4; Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, 100 Sherbrooke Street W, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, H2X 2P3.
| | - Simon Morand-Beaulieu
- Research Center, Institut universitaire en santé mentale de Montréal, 7331 Hochelaga Street, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, H1N 3J4; Department of Neuroscience, Université de Montréal, 2960 de la Tour Rd, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, H3T 1J4; Currently with the Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, 230 S Frontage Rd, New Haven, CT, 06519, USA.
| | - Marie-France Marin
- Research Center, Institut universitaire en santé mentale de Montréal, 7331 Hochelaga Street, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, H1N 3J4; Department of Psychiatry and Addictology, Université de Montréal, 2900 Édouard-Montpetit Boulevard, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, H3T 1J4; Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, 100 Sherbrooke Street W, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, H2X 2P3.
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Pittig A, Wong AH, Glück VM, Boschet JM. Avoidance and its bi-directional relationship with conditioned fear: Mechanisms, moderators, and clinical implications. Behav Res Ther 2020; 126:103550. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brat.2020.103550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2019] [Revised: 12/16/2019] [Accepted: 01/07/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
|
35
|
Gilmore AK, Flanagan JC. Acute mental health symptoms among individuals receiving a sexual assault medical forensic exam: the role of previous intimate partner violence victimization. Arch Womens Ment Health 2020; 23:81-89. [PMID: 30762148 PMCID: PMC6733667 DOI: 10.1007/s00737-019-0947-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2018] [Accepted: 01/28/2019] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Sexual assault and intimate partner violence (IPV) are common in the USA, and they often co-occur. Individuals with multiple victimization experiences have more severe mental health outcomes compared to those with one victimization. The current study examined mental health symptoms and their association with IPV victimization history among a sample of individuals who experienced a recent sexual assault and received a sexual assault medical forensic examination. A total of 82 participants (92.70% female) completed a post-sexual assault survey as part of clinical care to coordinate follow-up services. IPV history and prior sexual assault were assessed as well as mental health symptoms including acute stress and depressive symptoms. It was found that individuals with an IPV history reported more acute stress and depressive symptoms compared to those without an IPV history. No differences were found based on prior sexual assault history. These findings highlight the importance of screening for IPV history during the sexual assault medical forensic examination to coordinate care.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amanda K Gilmore
- College of Nursing, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
| | - Julianne C Flanagan
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Bahji A, Forsyth A, Groll D, Hawken ER. Efficacy of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)-assisted psychotherapy for posttraumatic stress disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2020; 96:109735. [PMID: 31437480 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2019.109735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2019] [Revised: 06/27/2019] [Accepted: 08/10/2019] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a common psychiatric condition that can develop following a traumatic experience. PTSD is associated with significant disability, a large economic burden, and despite the range of therapies to treat PTSD, response to antidepressants is limited. A growing body of clinical research suggests the efficacy of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)-assisted psychotherapy in individuals with treatment-refractory PTSD. AIM To assess the effectiveness and safety of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for reducing symptoms of PTSD, a systematic review and meta-analysis was undertaken. METHODS Six online databases were searched from inception to December 2018. Reference lists of relevant articles were manually searched as well as electronic sources of ongoing trials and conference proceedings. Researchers active in the subject were also contacted. Eligible studies included randomized and quasi-randomized clinical trials using MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD in comparison with other medications, placebo or no medication (supportive care). We used standard methodological procedures expected by the Cochrane Collaboration. Two authors assessed studies for inclusion and extracted data. Using random-effects meta-analysis with Cochrane's Review Manager 5.3, we obtained standardized mean differences [SMD] and rate ratios [RR] for reduction in PTSD symptomatology. RESULTS A total of 5 trials met inclusion criteria, totaling 106 participants (average age: 35-40 years, 70% female). Studies were rated as moderate in quality. MDMA-assisted psychotherapy demonstrated a high rate of clinical response (RR = 3.47, 95% CI: 1.70, 7.06), remission (RR = 2.63, 95% CI: 1.37, 5.02), with a large effect size at reducing the symptoms of PTSD (SMD = 1.30, 95% CI: 0.66, 1.94). Available evidence indicates that MDMA was well-tolerated, with few serious adverse events reported across studies. CONCLUSIONS MDMA-assisted psychotherapy appears to be a potentially safe, effective, and durable treatment for individuals with chronic, treatment-refractory PTSD. However, future studies involving larger samples and longer durations of treatment and follow-up are warranted-and underway.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anees Bahji
- Department of Psychiatry, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada; Department of Public Health Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada.
| | - Ashleigh Forsyth
- Department of Psychiatry, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada; Providence Care Hospital, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
| | - Dianne Groll
- Department of Psychiatry, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
| | - Emily R Hawken
- Department of Psychiatry, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada; Providence Care Hospital, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Angiotensin II Type 2 Receptor-Expressing Neurons in the Central Amygdala Influence Fear-Related Behavior. Biol Psychiatry 2019; 86:899-909. [PMID: 31420088 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2019.05.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2019] [Revised: 05/29/2019] [Accepted: 05/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The renin-angiotensin system has been implicated in posttraumatic stress disorder; however, the mechanisms responsible for this connection and the therapeutic potential of targeting the renin-angiotensin system in posttraumatic stress disorder remain unknown. Using an angiotensin receptor bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) and enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP) reporter mouse, combined with neuroanatomical, pharmacological, and behavioral approaches, we examined the role of angiotensin II type 2 receptor (AT2R) in fear-related behavior. METHODS Dual immunohistochemistry with retrograde labeling was used to characterize AT2R-eGFP+ cells in the amygdala of the AT2R-eGFP-BAC reporter mouse. Pavlovian fear conditioning and behavioral pharmacological analyses were used to demonstrate the effects of AT2R activation on fear memory in male C57BL/6 mice. RESULTS AT2R-eGFP+ neurons in the amygdala were predominantly expressed in the medial amygdala and the medial division of the central amygdala (CeM), with little AT2R-eGFP expression in the basolateral amygdala or lateral division of the central amygdala. Characterization of AT2R-eGFP+ neurons in the CeM demonstrated distinct localization to gamma-aminobutyric acidergic projection neurons. Mice receiving acute intra-central amygdala injections of the selective AT2R agonist compound 21 prior to tests for cued or contextual fear expression displayed less freezing. Retrograde labeling of AT2R-eGFP+ neurons projecting to the periaqueductal gray revealed AT2R-eGFP+ neuronal projections from the CeM to the periaqueductal gray, a key brain structure mediating fear-related freezing. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that CeM AT2R-expressing neurons can modulate central amygdala outputs that play a role in fear expression, providing new evidence for a novel angiotensinergic circuit in the regulation of fear.
Collapse
|
38
|
Locus Coeruleus Norepinephrine Drives Stress-Induced Increases in Basolateral Amygdala Firing and Impairs Extinction Learning. J Neurosci 2019; 40:907-916. [PMID: 31801809 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1092-19.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2019] [Revised: 11/08/2019] [Accepted: 11/26/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Stress impairs extinction learning, and these deficits depend, in part, on stress-induced norepinephrine (NE) release in the basolateral amygdala (BLA). For example, systemic or intra-BLA administration of propranolol reduces the immediate extinction deficit (IED), an impairment in extinction learning that occurs when extinction trials are administered soon after fear conditioning. Here, we explored whether locus coeruleus (LC)-NE regulates stress-induced changes in spike firing in the BLA and consequent extinction learning impairments. Rats were implanted with recording arrays in the BLA and, after recovery from surgery, underwent a standard auditory fear conditioning procedure. Fear conditioning produced an immediate and dramatic increase in the spontaneous firing of BLA neurons that persisted (and in some units, increased further) up to an hour after conditioning. This stress-induced increase in BLA firing was prevented by systemic administration of propranolol. Conditioning with a weaker footshock caused smaller increases in BLA firing rate, but this could be augmented by chemogenetic activation of the LC. Conditioned freezing in response to a tone paired with a weak footshock was immune to the IED, but chemogenetic activation of the LC before the weak conditioning protocol increased conditioned freezing behavior and induced an IED; this effect was blocked with intra-BLA infusions of propranolol. These data suggest that stress-induced activation of the LC increases BLA spike firing and causes impairments in extinction learning. Stress-induced increases in BLA activity mediated by LC-NE may be a viable therapeutic target for individuals with stress- and trauma-related disorders.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Patients with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) show heightened amygdala activity; elevated levels of stress hormones, including norepinephrine; and are resistant to the extinction of fear memories. Here, we show that stress increases basolateral amygdala (BLA) spike firing. This could be attenuated by systemic propranolol and mimicked by chemogenetic activation of the locus coeruleus (LC), the source of forebrain norepinephrine (NE). Finally, we show that LC-NE activation is sufficient to produce extinction deficits, and this is blocked by intra-BLA propranolol. Stress-induced increases in BLA activity mediated by LC-NE may be a viable therapeutic target for individuals with PTSD and related disorders.
Collapse
|
39
|
Investigating Causality Between Blood Metabolites and Emotional and Behavioral Responses to Traumatic Stress: a Mendelian Randomization Study. Mol Neurobiol 2019; 57:1542-1552. [PMID: 31786776 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-019-01823-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2019] [Accepted: 10/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
To investigate the causal relationship between blood metabolites and traits related to trauma-response, we combined genome-wide and metabolome-wide datasets generated from large-scale cohorts. Five trauma-response traits ascertained in the UK Biobank (52,816 < N < 117,900 individuals) were considered: (i) "Avoided activities/situations because of previous stressful experience" (Avoidance); (ii) "Felt distant from other people" (Distant); (iii) "Felt irritable/had angry outbursts" (Irritable); (iv) "Felt very upset when reminded of stressful experience" (Upset); (v) "Repeated disturbing thoughts of stressful experience". These were investigated with respect to 52 blood metabolites tested in a previous genome-wide-association study (N = 24,925 European-ancestry individuals). Linkage disequilibrium score regression, polygenic risk scoring (PRS), and Mendelian randomization were applied to the datasets. We observed that 14 metabolites were genetically correlated with trauma-response traits (p < 0.05). High-resolution PRS of 4 metabolites (citrate; glycoprotein acetyls; concentration of large very-low-density lipoproteins (VLDL) particles (LVLDLP); total cholesterol in medium particles of VLDL (MVLDLC)) were associated with trauma-response traits (false discovery rate Q < 10%). These genetic associations were partially due to causal relationships (Citrate→Upset β = - 0.058, p = 9.1 × 10-4; Glycoproteins→Avoidance β = 0.008, p = 0.003; LVLDLP→Distant β = 0.008, p = 0.022; MVLDLC→Avoidance β = 0.019, p = 3 × 10-4). No reverse associations were observed. In conclusion, our study supports causal relationships between certain blood metabolites and emotional and behavioral responses to traumatic experiences.
Collapse
|
40
|
Goldfarb EV, Sinha R. Fighting the Return of Fear: Roles of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction and the Hippocampus. Biol Psychiatry 2019; 86:652-653. [PMID: 31601362 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2019.08.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2019] [Accepted: 08/31/2019] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth V Goldfarb
- Yale Stress Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut; Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Rajita Sinha
- Yale Stress Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut; Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut; Department of Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut.
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
A new stress model by predatory sound produces persistent anxiety-like behaviours in male SD rats but not ICR mice. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2019.104843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
|
42
|
Timmers I, Quaedflieg CWEM, Hsu C, Heathcote LC, Rovnaghi CR, Simons LE. The interaction between stress and chronic pain through the lens of threat learning. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2019; 107:641-655. [PMID: 31622630 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2019] [Revised: 10/08/2019] [Accepted: 10/09/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Stress and pain are interleaved at multiple levels - interacting and influencing each other. Both are modulated by psychosocial factors including fears, beliefs, and goals, and are served by overlapping neural substrates. One major contributing factor in the development and maintenance of chronic pain is threat learning, with pain as an emotionally-salient threat - or stressor. Here, we argue that threat learning is a central mechanism and contributor, mediating the relationship between stress and chronic pain. We review the state of the art on (mal)adaptive learning in chronic pain, and on effects of stress and particularly cortisol on learning. We then provide a theoretical integration of how stress may affect chronic pain through its effect on threat learning. Prolonged stress, as may be experienced by patients with chronic pain, and its resulting changes in key brain networks modulating stress responses and threat learning, may further exacerbate these impairing effects on threat learning. We provide testable hypotheses and suggestions for how this integration may guide future research and clinical approaches in chronic pain.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Inge Timmers
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative, and Pain Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, 1070 Arastradero Road, Suite 300, Palo Alto, CA 94304, United States.
| | - Conny W E M Quaedflieg
- Department of Clinical Psychological Science, Maastricht University, P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Connie Hsu
- Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, 420 E Superior St, Chicago, IL 60611, United States
| | - Lauren C Heathcote
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative, and Pain Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, 1070 Arastradero Road, Suite 300, Palo Alto, CA 94304, United States
| | - Cynthia R Rovnaghi
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, 770 Welch Road, Suite 435, Stanford, CA 94304, United States
| | - Laura E Simons
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative, and Pain Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, 1070 Arastradero Road, Suite 300, Palo Alto, CA 94304, United States
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Cryan JF, O'Riordan KJ, Cowan CSM, Sandhu KV, Bastiaanssen TFS, Boehme M, Codagnone MG, Cussotto S, Fulling C, Golubeva AV, Guzzetta KE, Jaggar M, Long-Smith CM, Lyte JM, Martin JA, Molinero-Perez A, Moloney G, Morelli E, Morillas E, O'Connor R, Cruz-Pereira JS, Peterson VL, Rea K, Ritz NL, Sherwin E, Spichak S, Teichman EM, van de Wouw M, Ventura-Silva AP, Wallace-Fitzsimons SE, Hyland N, Clarke G, Dinan TG. The Microbiota-Gut-Brain Axis. Physiol Rev 2019; 99:1877-2013. [DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00018.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1243] [Impact Index Per Article: 248.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The importance of the gut-brain axis in maintaining homeostasis has long been appreciated. However, the past 15 yr have seen the emergence of the microbiota (the trillions of microorganisms within and on our bodies) as one of the key regulators of gut-brain function and has led to the appreciation of the importance of a distinct microbiota-gut-brain axis. This axis is gaining ever more traction in fields investigating the biological and physiological basis of psychiatric, neurodevelopmental, age-related, and neurodegenerative disorders. The microbiota and the brain communicate with each other via various routes including the immune system, tryptophan metabolism, the vagus nerve and the enteric nervous system, involving microbial metabolites such as short-chain fatty acids, branched chain amino acids, and peptidoglycans. Many factors can influence microbiota composition in early life, including infection, mode of birth delivery, use of antibiotic medications, the nature of nutritional provision, environmental stressors, and host genetics. At the other extreme of life, microbial diversity diminishes with aging. Stress, in particular, can significantly impact the microbiota-gut-brain axis at all stages of life. Much recent work has implicated the gut microbiota in many conditions including autism, anxiety, obesity, schizophrenia, Parkinson’s disease, and Alzheimer’s disease. Animal models have been paramount in linking the regulation of fundamental neural processes, such as neurogenesis and myelination, to microbiome activation of microglia. Moreover, translational human studies are ongoing and will greatly enhance the field. Future studies will focus on understanding the mechanisms underlying the microbiota-gut-brain axis and attempt to elucidate microbial-based intervention and therapeutic strategies for neuropsychiatric disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- John F. Cryan
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioural Science, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; and Department of Physiology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Kenneth J. O'Riordan
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioural Science, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; and Department of Physiology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Caitlin S. M. Cowan
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioural Science, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; and Department of Physiology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Kiran V. Sandhu
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioural Science, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; and Department of Physiology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Thomaz F. S. Bastiaanssen
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioural Science, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; and Department of Physiology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Marcus Boehme
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioural Science, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; and Department of Physiology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Martin G. Codagnone
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioural Science, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; and Department of Physiology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Sofia Cussotto
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioural Science, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; and Department of Physiology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Christine Fulling
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioural Science, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; and Department of Physiology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Anna V. Golubeva
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioural Science, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; and Department of Physiology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Katherine E. Guzzetta
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioural Science, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; and Department of Physiology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Minal Jaggar
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioural Science, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; and Department of Physiology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Caitriona M. Long-Smith
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioural Science, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; and Department of Physiology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Joshua M. Lyte
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioural Science, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; and Department of Physiology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Jason A. Martin
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioural Science, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; and Department of Physiology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Alicia Molinero-Perez
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioural Science, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; and Department of Physiology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Gerard Moloney
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioural Science, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; and Department of Physiology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Emanuela Morelli
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioural Science, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; and Department of Physiology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Enrique Morillas
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioural Science, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; and Department of Physiology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Rory O'Connor
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioural Science, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; and Department of Physiology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Joana S. Cruz-Pereira
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioural Science, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; and Department of Physiology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Veronica L. Peterson
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioural Science, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; and Department of Physiology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Kieran Rea
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioural Science, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; and Department of Physiology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Nathaniel L. Ritz
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioural Science, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; and Department of Physiology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Eoin Sherwin
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioural Science, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; and Department of Physiology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Simon Spichak
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioural Science, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; and Department of Physiology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Emily M. Teichman
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioural Science, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; and Department of Physiology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Marcel van de Wouw
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioural Science, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; and Department of Physiology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Ana Paula Ventura-Silva
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioural Science, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; and Department of Physiology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Shauna E. Wallace-Fitzsimons
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioural Science, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; and Department of Physiology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Niall Hyland
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioural Science, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; and Department of Physiology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Gerard Clarke
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioural Science, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; and Department of Physiology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Timothy G. Dinan
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioural Science, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; and Department of Physiology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Raeder F, Karbach L, Struwe H, Margraf J, Zlomuzica A. Low Perceived Self-Efficacy Impedes Discriminative Fear Learning. Front Psychol 2019; 10:1191. [PMID: 31275188 PMCID: PMC6591439 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2018] [Accepted: 05/06/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Perceived self-efficacy refers to a subject’s expectation about the outcomes his/her behavior will have in a challenging situation. Low self-efficacy has been implicated in the origins and maintenance of phobic behavior. Correlational studies suggest an association between perceived self-efficacy and learning. The experimental manipulation of perceived self-efficacy offers an interesting approach to examine the impact of self-efficacy beliefs on cognitive and emotional functions. Recently, a positive effect of an experimentally induced increased self-efficacy on associative learning has been demonstrated. Changes in associative learning constitute a central hallmark of pathological fear and anxiety. Such alterations in the acquisition and extinction of conditioned fear may be related to cognitive and neurobiological factors that predict a certain vulnerability to anxiety disorders. The present study builds on previous own work by investigating the effect of an experimentally induced low perceived self-efficacy on fear acquisition, extinction and extinction retrieval in a differential fear conditioning task. Our results suggest that a negative verbal feedback, which leads to a decreased self-efficacy, is associated with changes in the acquisition of conditioned fear. During fear acquisition, the negative verbal feedback group showed decreased discrimination of fear responses between the aversive and safe conditioned stimuli (CS) relative to a group receiving a neutral feedback. The effects of the negative verbal feedback on the acquisition of fear discrimination learning were indexed by an impaired ability to discriminate the probability of receiving a shock during acquisition upon presentation of the aversive (CS+) relative to the safe stimuli (CS−). However, the effects of low self-efficacy on discrimination learning were limited to fear acquisition. No differences between the groups were observed during extinction and extinction retrieval. Furthermore, analysis of other outcome measures, i.e., skin conductance responses and CS valence ratings, revealed no group differences during the different phases of fear conditioning. In conclusion, lower perceived self-efficacy alters cognitive/expectancy components of discrimination during fear learning but not evaluative components and physiological responding. The pattern of findings suggests a selective, detrimental role of low(er) self-efficacy on the subject’s ability to learn the association between ambiguous cues and threat/safety.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Friederike Raeder
- Ruhr University Bochum, Faculty of Psychology, Mental Health Research and Treatment Center, Bochum, Germany
| | - Lioba Karbach
- Ruhr University Bochum, Faculty of Psychology, Mental Health Research and Treatment Center, Bochum, Germany
| | - Helena Struwe
- Ruhr University Bochum, Faculty of Psychology, Mental Health Research and Treatment Center, Bochum, Germany
| | - Jürgen Margraf
- Ruhr University Bochum, Faculty of Psychology, Mental Health Research and Treatment Center, Bochum, Germany
| | - Armin Zlomuzica
- Ruhr University Bochum, Faculty of Psychology, Mental Health Research and Treatment Center, Bochum, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Raber J, Arzy S, Bertolus JB, Depue B, Haas HE, Hofmann SG, Kangas M, Kensinger E, Lowry CA, Marusak HA, Minnier J, Mouly AM, Mühlberger A, Norrholm SD, Peltonen K, Pinna G, Rabinak C, Shiban Y, Soreq H, van der Kooij MA, Lowe L, Weingast LT, Yamashita P, Boutros SW. Current understanding of fear learning and memory in humans and animal models and the value of a linguistic approach for analyzing fear learning and memory in humans. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2019; 105:136-177. [PMID: 30970272 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.03.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2018] [Revised: 01/30/2019] [Accepted: 03/18/2019] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Fear is an emotion that serves as a driving factor in how organisms move through the world. In this review, we discuss the current understandings of the subjective experience of fear and the related biological processes involved in fear learning and memory. We first provide an overview of fear learning and memory in humans and animal models, encompassing the neurocircuitry and molecular mechanisms, the influence of genetic and environmental factors, and how fear learning paradigms have contributed to treatments for fear-related disorders, such as posttraumatic stress disorder. Current treatments as well as novel strategies, such as targeting the perisynaptic environment and use of virtual reality, are addressed. We review research on the subjective experience of fear and the role of autobiographical memory in fear-related disorders. We also discuss the gaps in our understanding of fear learning and memory, and the degree of consensus in the field. Lastly, the development of linguistic tools for assessments and treatment of fear learning and memory disorders is discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jacob Raber
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, ONPRC, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA; Departments of Neurology and Radiation Medicine, and Division of Neuroscience, ONPRC, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA.
| | - Shahar Arzy
- Department of Medical Neurobiology, Hebrew University, Jerusalem 91904, Israel
| | | | - Brendan Depue
- Departments of Psychological and Brain Sciences and Anatomical Sciences and Neurobiology, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
| | - Haley E Haas
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Stefan G Hofmann
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Maria Kangas
- Department of Psychology, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
| | | | - Christopher A Lowry
- Department of Integrative Physiology and Center for Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Hilary A Marusak
- Department of Pharmacy Practice, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Jessica Minnier
- School of Public Health, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Anne-Marie Mouly
- Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, CNRS-UMR 5292, INSERM U1028, Université Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Andreas Mühlberger
- Department of Psychology (Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy), University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany; PFH - Private University of Applied Sciences, Department of Psychology (Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy Research), Göttingen, Germany
| | - Seth Davin Norrholm
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Kirsi Peltonen
- Faculty of Social Sciences/Psychology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
| | - Graziano Pinna
- The Psychiatric Institute, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Christine Rabinak
- Department of Pharmacy Practice, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Youssef Shiban
- Department of Psychology (Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy), University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany; PFH - Private University of Applied Sciences, Department of Psychology (Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy Research), Göttingen, Germany
| | - Hermona Soreq
- Department of Biological Chemistry, Edmond and Lily Safra Center of Brain Science and The Institute of Life Sciences, Hebrew University, Jerusalem 91904, Israel
| | - Michael A van der Kooij
- Translational Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Universitatsmedizin der Johannes Guttenberg University Medical Center, Mainz, Germany
| | | | - Leah T Weingast
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Paula Yamashita
- School of Public Health, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Sydney Weber Boutros
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, ONPRC, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Fobian AD, Elliott L. A review of functional neurological symptom disorder etiology and the integrated etiological summary model. J Psychiatry Neurosci 2019; 44:8-18. [PMID: 30565902 PMCID: PMC6306282 DOI: 10.1503/jpn.170190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Functional neurological symptom disorder (FNSD) is characterized by neurological symptoms that are unexplained by other traditional neurological or medical conditions. Both physicians and patients have limited understanding of FNSD, which is often explained as a physical manifestation of psychological distress. Recently, diagnostic criteria have shifted from requiring a preceding stressor to relying on positive symptoms. Given this shift, we have provided a review of the etiology of FNSD. Predisposing factors include trauma or psychiatric symptoms, somatic symptoms, illness exposure, symptom monitoring and neurobiological factors. Neurobiological research has indicated that patients with FNSD have a decreased sense of agency and abnormal attentional focus on the affected area, both of which are modulated by beliefs and expectations about illness. Sick role and secondary gain may reinforce and maintain FNSD. The integrated etiological summary model combines research from various fields and other recent etiological models to represent the current understanding of FNSD etiology. It discusses a potential causal mechanism and informs future research and treatment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Aaron D. Fobian
- From the Department of Psychiatry, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL (Fobian); and the Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL (Elliott)
| | - Lindsey Elliott
- From the Department of Psychiatry, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL (Fobian); and the Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL (Elliott)
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
Sep MSC, Gorter R, van Ast VA, Joëls M, Geuze E. No Time-Dependent Effects of Psychosocial Stress on Fear Contextualization and Generalization: A Randomized-Controlled Study With Healthy Participants. CHRONIC STRESS (THOUSAND OAKS, CALIF.) 2019; 3:2470547019896547. [PMID: 32440603 PMCID: PMC7219903 DOI: 10.1177/2470547019896547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2019] [Accepted: 12/03/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
The formation of context-dependent fear memories (fear contextualization) can aid the recognition of danger in new, similar, situations. Overgeneralization of fear is often seen as hallmark of anxiety and trauma-related disorders. In this randomized-controlled study, we investigated whether exposure to a psychosocial stressor influences retention of fear contextualization and generalization in a time-dependent manner. The Trier Social Stress Test was used to induce psychosocial stress. Healthy male participants (n = 117) were randomly divided into three experimental groups that were subjected to the acquisition phase of the Fear Generalization Task: (1) without stress, (2) immediately after acute stress, or (3) 2 h after acute stress. In this task, a male with neutral facial expression (conditioned stimuli) was depicted in two different contexts that modulated the conditioned stimuli-unconditioned stimuli (=shock) association (threat, safe). Salivary alpha-amylase and cortisol levels were measured throughout the experiment. After a 24-h delay, context-dependency of fear memory was investigated with an unannounced memory test consisting of the threat and safe contexts alternated with a novel context (the generalization context). Multilevel analyses revealed that participants showed increased fear-potentiated startle responses to the conditioned stimuli in the threat compared to the safe context, at the end of the acquisition phase, indicating adequate fear contextualization. Directly after acquisition, there were no time-dependent effects of psychosocial stress on fear contextualization. Context-dependency of fear memories was retained 24 h later, as fear-potentiated startle responding was modulated by context (threat > safe or novel). At that time, the context-dependency of fear memories was also not influenced by the early or late effects of the endogenous stress response during acquisition. These results with experimental stress deviate in some aspects from those earlier obtained with exogenous hydrocortisone administration, suggesting a distinct role for stress mediators other than cortisol.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Milou S. C. Sep
- Brain Research and Innovation
Centre, Ministry of Defence, Utrecht, the Netherlands
- Department of Translational
Neuroscience, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the
Netherlands
| | - Rosalie Gorter
- Brain Research and Innovation
Centre, Ministry of Defence, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Vanessa A. van Ast
- Department of Clinical Psychology,
University
of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the
Netherlands
| | - Marian Joëls
- Department of Translational
Neuroscience, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the
Netherlands
- University of Groningen, University
Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Elbert Geuze
- Brain Research and Innovation
Centre, Ministry of Defence, Utrecht, the Netherlands
- Department of Psychiatry, UMC
Utrecht Brain Center, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
48
|
Lisboa SF, Vila-Verde C, Rosa J, Uliana DL, Stern CAJ, Bertoglio LJ, Resstel LB, Guimaraes FS. Tempering aversive/traumatic memories with cannabinoids: a review of evidence from animal and human studies. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2019; 236:201-226. [PMID: 30604182 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-018-5127-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2018] [Accepted: 11/14/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Aversive learning and memory are essential to cope with dangerous and stressful stimuli present in an ever-changing environment. When this process is dysfunctional, however, it is associated with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The endocannabinoid (eCB) system has been implicated in synaptic plasticity associated with physiological and pathological aversive learning and memory. OBJECTIVE AND METHODS The objective of this study was to review and discuss evidence on how and where in the brain genetic or pharmacological interventions targeting the eCB system would attenuate aversive/traumatic memories through extinction facilitation in laboratory animals and humans. The effect size of the experimental intervention under investigation was also calculated. RESULTS Currently available data indicate that direct or indirect activation of cannabinoid type-1 (CB1) receptor facilitates the extinction of aversive/traumatic memories. Activating CB1 receptors around the formation of aversive/traumatic memories or their reminders can potentiate their subsequent extinction. In most cases, the effect size has been large (Cohen's d ≥ 1.0). The brain areas responsible for the abovementioned effects include the medial prefrontal cortex, amygdala, and/or hippocampus. The potential role of cannabinoid type-2 (CB2) receptors in extinction learning is now under investigation. CONCLUSION Drugs augmenting the brain eCB activity can temper the impact of aversive/traumatic experiences by diverse mechanisms depending on the moment of their administration. Considering the pivotal role the extinction process plays in PTSD, the therapeutic potential of these drugs is evident. The sparse number of clinical trials testing these compounds in stress-related disorders is a gap in the literature that needs to be addressed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sabrina F Lisboa
- Department of Pharmacology, Medical School of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo (FMRP/USP), Av Bandeirantes 3900, Monte Alegre, 14049900, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil. .,Center for Interdisciplinary Research on Applied Neurosciences (NAPNA), Medical School of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo (USP), Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.
| | - C Vila-Verde
- Department of Pharmacology, Medical School of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo (FMRP/USP), Av Bandeirantes 3900, Monte Alegre, 14049900, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil.,Center for Interdisciplinary Research on Applied Neurosciences (NAPNA), Medical School of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo (USP), Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - J Rosa
- Department of Pharmacology, Medical School of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo (FMRP/USP), Av Bandeirantes 3900, Monte Alegre, 14049900, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil.,Center for Interdisciplinary Research on Applied Neurosciences (NAPNA), Medical School of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo (USP), Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - D L Uliana
- Department of Pharmacology, Medical School of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo (FMRP/USP), Av Bandeirantes 3900, Monte Alegre, 14049900, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil.,Center for Interdisciplinary Research on Applied Neurosciences (NAPNA), Medical School of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo (USP), Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - C A J Stern
- Department of Pharmacology, Federal University of Parana, Curitiba, PR, Brazil
| | - L J Bertoglio
- Department of Pharmacology, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianopolis, SC, Brazil
| | - L B Resstel
- Department of Pharmacology, Medical School of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo (FMRP/USP), Av Bandeirantes 3900, Monte Alegre, 14049900, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil.,Center for Interdisciplinary Research on Applied Neurosciences (NAPNA), Medical School of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo (USP), Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - F S Guimaraes
- Department of Pharmacology, Medical School of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo (FMRP/USP), Av Bandeirantes 3900, Monte Alegre, 14049900, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil.,Center for Interdisciplinary Research on Applied Neurosciences (NAPNA), Medical School of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo (USP), Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
49
|
Harnett NG, Ference EW, Wood KH, Wheelock MD, Knight AJ, Knight DC. Trauma exposure acutely alters neural function during Pavlovian fear conditioning. Cortex 2018; 109:1-13. [PMID: 30265859 PMCID: PMC6261786 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2018.08.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2018] [Revised: 06/29/2018] [Accepted: 08/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with dysfunction of the neural circuitry that supports fear learning and memory processes. However, much of what is known about neural dysfunction in PTSD is based on research in chronic PTSD populations. Less is known about neural function that supports fear learning acutely following trauma exposure. Determining the acute effects of trauma exposure on brain function would provide new insight into the neural processes that mediate the cognitive-affective dysfunction associated with PTSD. Therefore, the present study investigated neural activity that supports fear learning and memory processes in recently Trauma-Exposed (TE) and Non-Trauma-Exposed (NTE) participants. Participants completed a Pavlovian fear conditioning procedure during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). During fMRI, participants' threat expectancy was continuously monitored. NTE participants showed greater threat expectancy during warning than safety cues, while no difference was observed in the TE group. This finding suggests TE participants overgeneralized the fear association to the safety cue. Further, only the TE group showed a negative relationship between fMRI signal responses within dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (PFC) and threat expectancy during safety cues. These results suggest the dorsomedial PFC mediates overgeneralization of learned fear as an acute result of trauma exposure. Finally, neural activity within the PFC and inferior parietal lobule showed a negative relationship with PTSD symptom severity assessed three months posttrauma. Thus, neural activity measured acutely following trauma exposure predicted future PTSD symptom severity. The present findings elucidate the acute effects of trauma exposure on cognitive-affective function and provide new insight into the neural mechanisms of PTSD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nathaniel G Harnett
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Edward W Ference
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Kimberly H Wood
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Muriah D Wheelock
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Amy J Knight
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - David C Knight
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
Goldfarb EV, Sinha R. Drug-Induced Glucocorticoids and Memory for Substance Use. Trends Neurosci 2018; 41:853-868. [PMID: 30170822 PMCID: PMC6204074 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2018.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2018] [Revised: 07/13/2018] [Accepted: 08/08/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The biological stress response of the body forms one of the foundations of adaptive behavior, including promoting (and impairing) different forms of memory. This response transcends stressful experiences and underlies reactions to challenges and even reinforcers such as addictive substances. Nevertheless, drug-induced stress responses are rarely incorporated into models of addiction. We propose here that drug-induced stress responses (particularly glucocorticoids) play a crucial role in addictive behavior by modulating the formation of memories for substance-use experiences. We review the contributions of amygdala-, striatum-, and hippocampus-based memory systems to addiction, and reveal common effects of addictive drugs and acute stress on these different memories. We suggest that the contributions of drug-induced stress responses to memory may provide insights into the mechanisms driving addictive behavior.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth V Goldfarb
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology; Yale Stress Center; Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.
| | - Rajita Sinha
- Departments of Psychiatry and Neuroscience; Yale Stress Center; Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| |
Collapse
|