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Fan W, Engborg CB, Sciolino NR. Locus Ceruleus Dynamics Are Suppressed during Licking and Enhanced Postlicking Independent of Taste Novelty. eNeuro 2024; 11:ENEURO.0535-23.2024. [PMID: 38649278 PMCID: PMC11036117 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0535-23.2024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2023] [Revised: 03/26/2024] [Accepted: 04/01/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Attending to salient sensory attributes of food, such as tastes that are new, displeasing, or unexpected, allows the procurement of nutrients without food poisoning. Exposure to new tastes is known to increase norepinephrine (NE) release in taste processing forebrain areas, yet the central source for this release is unknown. Locus ceruleus norepinephrine neurons (LC-NE) emerge as a candidate in signaling salient information about taste, as other salient sensory stimuli (e.g., visual, auditory, somatosensation) are known to activate LC neurons. To determine if LC neurons are sensitive to features of taste novelty, we used fiber photometry to record LC-NE activity in water-restricted mice that voluntarily licked either novel or familiar substances of differential palatability (saccharine, citric acid). We observed that LC-NE activity was suppressed during lick bursts and transiently activated upon the termination of licking and that these dynamics were independent of the familiarity of the substance consumed. We next recorded LC dynamics during brief and unexpected consumption of tastants and found no increase in LC-NE activity, despite their responsiveness to visual and auditory stimuli, revealing selectivity in LC's responses to salient sensory information. Our findings suggest that LC activity during licking is not influenced by taste novelty, implicating a possible role for non-LC noradrenergic nuclei in signaling critical information about taste.
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Affiliation(s)
- Will Fan
- Departments of Physiology and Neurobiology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269
| | - Christopher B Engborg
- Departments of Physiology and Neurobiology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269
| | - Natale R Sciolino
- Departments of Physiology and Neurobiology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269
- Biomedical Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269
- Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269
- Institute for the Brain and Cognitive Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269
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2
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Gargano A, Olabiyi BF, Palmisano M, Zimmer A, Bilkei-Gorzo A. Possible role of locus coeruleus neuronal loss in age-related memory and attention deficits. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1264253. [PMID: 37694113 PMCID: PMC10492095 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1264253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Aging is associated with a decline in cognitive abilities, including memory and attention. It is generally accepted that age-related histological changes such as increased neuroinflammatory glial activity and a reduction in the number of specific neuronal populations contribute to cognitive aging. Noradrenergic neurons in the locus coeruleus (LC) undergo an approximately 20 % loss during ageing both in humans and mice, but whether this change contributes to cognitive deficits is not known. To address this issue, we asked whether a similar loss of LC neurons in young animals as observed in aged animals impairs memory and attention, cognitive domains that are both influenced by the noradrenergic system and impaired in aging. Methods For that, we treated young healthy mice with DSP-4, a toxin that specifically kills LC noradrenergic neurons. We compared the performance of DSP-4 treated young mice with the performance of aged mice in models of attention and memory. To do this, we first determined the dose of DSP-4, which causes a similar 20 % neuronal loss as is typical in aged animals. Results Young mice treated with DSP-4 showed impaired attention in the presence of distractor and memory deficits in the 5-choice serial reaction time test (5-CSRTT). Old, untreated mice showed severe deficits in both the 5-CSRTT and in fear extinction tests. Discussion Our data now suggest that a reduction in the number of LC neurons contributes to impaired working memory and greater distractibility in attentional tasks but not to deficits in fear extinction. We hypothesize that the moderate loss of LC noradrenergic neurons during aging contributes to attention deficits and working memory impairments.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Andras Bilkei-Gorzo
- Medical Faculty, Institute of Molecular Psychiatry, University of Bonn, Venusberg-Campus, Bonn, Germany
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3
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Yamazaki Y, Suwabe K, Nagano-Saito A, Saotome K, Kuwamizu R, Hiraga T, Torma F, Suzuki K, Sankai Y, Yassa MA, Soya H. A possible contribution of the locus coeruleus to arousal enhancement with mild exercise: evidence from pupillometry and neuromelanin imaging. Cereb Cortex Commun 2023; 4:tgad010. [PMID: 37323937 PMCID: PMC10267300 DOI: 10.1093/texcom/tgad010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2023] [Revised: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 05/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Acute mild exercise has been observed to facilitate executive function and memory. A possible underlying mechanism of this is the upregulation of the ascending arousal system, including the catecholaminergic system originating from the locus coeruleus (LC). Prior work indicates that pupil diameter, as an indirect marker of the ascending arousal system, including the LC, increases even with very light-intensity exercise. However, it remains unclear whether the LC directly contributes to exercise-induced pupil-linked arousal. Here, we examined the involvement of the LC in the change in pupil dilation induced by very light-intensity exercise using pupillometry and neuromelanin imaging to assess the LC integrity. A sample of 21 young males performed 10 min of very light-intensity exercise, and we measured changes in the pupil diameters and psychological arousal levels induced by the exercise. Neuromelanin-weighted magnetic resonance imaging scans were also obtained. We observed that pupil diameter and psychological arousal levels increased during very light-intensity exercise, which is consistent with previous findings. Notably, the LC contrast, a marker of LC integrity, predicted the magnitude of pupil dilation and psychological arousal enhancement with exercise. These relationships suggest that the LC-catecholaminergic system is a potential a mechanism for pupil-linked arousal induced by very light-intensity exercise.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yudai Yamazaki
- Laboratory of Exercise Biochemistry and Neuroendocrinology, Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tannoudai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8574, Japan
- Sport Neuroscience Division, Advanced Research Initiative for Human High Performance (ARIHHP), Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennoudai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8574, Japan
| | - Kazuya Suwabe
- Sport Neuroscience Division, Advanced Research Initiative for Human High Performance (ARIHHP), Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennoudai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8574, Japan
- Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences, Ryutsu Keizai University, 120 Ryugasaki, Ibaraki 301-0844, Japan
- Center for Cybernics Research, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennoudai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8573, Japan
| | - Atsuko Nagano-Saito
- Laboratory of Exercise Biochemistry and Neuroendocrinology, Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tannoudai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8574, Japan
- Sport Neuroscience Division, Advanced Research Initiative for Human High Performance (ARIHHP), Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennoudai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8574, Japan
- Department of Radiology, Ushiku Aiwa General Hospital, 896 Inoko-cho, Ushiku, Ibaraki 300-1296, Japan
| | - Kousaku Saotome
- Center for Cybernics Research, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennoudai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8573, Japan
- Department of Radiological Sciences, School of Health Sciences, Fukushima Medical University, 1 Hikarigaoka, Fukushima, Fukushima 960-1295, Japan
| | - Ryuta Kuwamizu
- Laboratory of Exercise Biochemistry and Neuroendocrinology, Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tannoudai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8574, Japan
- Graduate School of Letters, Kyoto University, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Taichi Hiraga
- Laboratory of Exercise Biochemistry and Neuroendocrinology, Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tannoudai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8574, Japan
| | - Ferenc Torma
- Laboratory of Exercise Biochemistry and Neuroendocrinology, Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tannoudai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8574, Japan
- Sport Neuroscience Division, Advanced Research Initiative for Human High Performance (ARIHHP), Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennoudai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8574, Japan
| | - Kenji Suzuki
- Center for Cybernics Research, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennoudai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8573, Japan
| | - Yoshiyuki Sankai
- Center for Cybernics Research, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennoudai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8573, Japan
| | - Michael A Yassa
- Sport Neuroscience Division, Advanced Research Initiative for Human High Performance (ARIHHP), Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennoudai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8574, Japan
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, CA 92679-3800, United States
- Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, University of California, Irvine, CA 92679-3800, United States
| | - Hideaki Soya
- Corresponding author: Laboratory of Exercise Biochemistry and Neuroendocrinology; Sport Neuroscience Division, Advanced Research Initiative for Human High Performance (ARIHHP), Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennoudai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8574, Japan.
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Scanga A, Lafontaine AL, Kaminska M. An overview of the effects of levodopa and dopaminergic agonists on sleep disorders in Parkinson's disease. J Clin Sleep Med 2023; 19:1133-1144. [PMID: 36716191 PMCID: PMC10235717 DOI: 10.5664/jcsm.10450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2022] [Revised: 12/09/2022] [Accepted: 12/09/2022] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Sleep disorders are among the most common nonmotor symptoms in Parkinson's disease and are associated with reduced cognition and health-related quality of life. Disturbed sleep can often present in the prodromal or early stages of this neurodegenerative disease, rendering it crucial to manage and treat these symptoms. Levodopa and dopaminergic agonists are frequently prescribed to treat motor symptoms in Parkinson's disease, and there is increasing interest in how these pharmacological agents affect sleep and their effect on concomitant sleep disturbances and disorders. In this review, we discuss the role of dopamine in regulating the sleep-wake state and the impact of neurodegeneration on sleep. We provide an overview of the effects of levodopa and dopaminergic agonists on sleep architecture, insomnia, excessive daytime sleepiness, sleep-disordered breathing, rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder, and restless legs syndrome in Parkinson's disease. Levodopa and dopaminergic drugs may have different effects, beneficial or adverse, depending on dosing, method of administration, and differential effects on the different dopamine receptors. Future research in this area should focus on elucidating the specific mechanisms by which these drugs affect sleep in order to better understand the pathophysiology of sleep disorders in Parkinson's disease and aid in developing suitable therapies and treatment regimens. CITATION Scanga A, Lafontaine A-L, Kaminska M. An overview of the effects of levodopa and dopaminergic agonists on sleep disorders in Parkinson's disease. J Clin Sleep Med. 2023;19(6):1133-1144.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda Scanga
- Division of Experimental Medicine, Glen Site, McGill University Health Centre, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Anne-Louise Lafontaine
- Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University Health Centre, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Marta Kaminska
- Respiratory Epidemiology and Clinical Research Unit, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montréal, Québec, Canada
- Respiratory Division and Sleep Laboratory, McGill University Health Centre, Montréal, Québec, Canada
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5
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Bouras NN, Mack NR, Gao WJ. Prefrontal modulation of anxiety through a lens of noradrenergic signaling. Front Syst Neurosci 2023; 17:1173326. [PMID: 37139472 PMCID: PMC10149815 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2023.1173326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2023] [Accepted: 03/30/2023] [Indexed: 05/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Anxiety disorders are the most common class of mental illness in the U.S., affecting 40 million individuals annually. Anxiety is an adaptive response to a stressful or unpredictable life event. Though evolutionarily thought to aid in survival, excess intensity or duration of anxiogenic response can lead to a plethora of adverse symptoms and cognitive dysfunction. A wealth of data has implicated the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) in the regulation of anxiety. Norepinephrine (NE) is a crucial neuromodulator of arousal and vigilance believed to be responsible for many of the symptoms of anxiety disorders. NE is synthesized in the locus coeruleus (LC), which sends major noradrenergic inputs to the mPFC. Given the unique properties of LC-mPFC connections and the heterogeneous subpopulation of prefrontal neurons known to be involved in regulating anxiety-like behaviors, NE likely modulates PFC function in a cell-type and circuit-specific manner. In working memory and stress response, NE follows an inverted-U model, where an overly high or low release of NE is associated with sub-optimal neural functioning. In contrast, based on current literature review of the individual contributions of NE and the PFC in anxiety disorders, we propose a model of NE level- and adrenergic receptor-dependent, circuit-specific NE-PFC modulation of anxiety disorders. Further, the advent of new techniques to measure NE in the PFC with unprecedented spatial and temporal resolution will significantly help us understand how NE modulates PFC function in anxiety disorders.
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6
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Knopper RW, Hansen B. Locus coeruleus and the defensive activation theory of rapid eye movement sleep: A mechanistic perspective. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1094812. [PMID: 36908790 PMCID: PMC9995765 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1094812] [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: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2023] Open
Abstract
The defensive activation theory (DAT) was recently proposed to explain the biological function of dreaming. Briefly, DAT states that dreams are primarily visual to prevent plastic take-over of an otherwise inactive visual cortex during sleep. Evidence to support the DAT revolve around the interplay between dream activity (REM%) and cortical plasticity found in evolutionary history, primate studies, and coinciding decline in human cortical plasticity and REM% with age. As the DAT may prove difficult to test experimentally, we investigate whether further support for the DAT can be found in the literature. Plasticity and REM sleep are closely linked to functions of the Locus Coeruleus (LC). We therefore review existing knowledge about the LC covering LC stability with age, and the role of the LC in the plasticity of the visual cortex. Recent studies show the LC to be more stable than previously believed and therefore, the LC likely supports the REM% and plasticity in the same manner throughout life. Based on this finding, we review the effect of aging on REM% and visual cortex plasticity. Here, we find that recent, weighty studies are not in complete agreement with the data originally provided as support for DAT. Results from these studies, however, are not in themselves irreconcilable with the DAT. Our findings therefore do not disprove the DAT. Importantly, we show that the LC is involved in all mechanisms central to the DAT. The LC may therefore provide an experimental window to further explore and test the DAT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rasmus West Knopper
- Center of Functionally Integrative Neuroscience, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.,Sino-Danish Center for Education and Research, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Brian Hansen
- Center of Functionally Integrative Neuroscience, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
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7
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Woodward SH. Autonomic regulation during sleep in PTSD. Neurobiol Stress 2022; 21:100483. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2022.100483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2022] [Revised: 08/01/2022] [Accepted: 08/25/2022] [Indexed: 10/31/2022] Open
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8
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Piccardi ES, Gliga T. Understanding sensory regulation in typical and atypical development: The case of sensory seeking. DEVELOPMENTAL REVIEW 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.dr.2022.101037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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9
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Challenges and Perspectives of Mapping Locus Coeruleus Activity in the Rodent with High-Resolution fMRI. Brain Sci 2022; 12:brainsci12081085. [PMID: 36009148 PMCID: PMC9405540 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12081085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2022] [Revised: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 08/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
The locus coeruleus (LC) is one of the most commonly studied brainstem nuclei when investigating brain–behavior associations. The LC serves as a major brainstem relay for both ascending bottom-up and descending top-down projections. Specifically, noradrenergic (NA) LC neurons not only connect globally to higher-order subcortical nuclei and cortex to mediate arousal and attention but also directly project to other brainstem nuclei and to the spinal cord to control autonomic function. Despite the extensive investigation of LC function using electrophysiological recordings and cellular/molecular imaging for both cognitive research and the contribution of LC to different pathological states, the role of neuroimaging to investigate LC function has been restricted. For instance, it remains challenging to identify LC-specific activation with functional MRI (fMRI) in animal models, due to the small size of this nucleus. Here, we discuss the complexity of fMRI applications toward LC activity mapping in mouse brains by highlighting the technological challenges. Further, we introduce a single-vessel fMRI mapping approach to elucidate the vascular specificity of high-resolution fMRI signals coupled to LC activation in the mouse brainstem.
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10
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Slater C, Liu Y, Weiss E, Yu K, Wang Q. The Neuromodulatory Role of the Noradrenergic and Cholinergic Systems and Their Interplay in Cognitive Functions: A Focused Review. Brain Sci 2022; 12:890. [PMID: 35884697 PMCID: PMC9320657 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12070890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2022] [Revised: 06/28/2022] [Accepted: 06/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The noradrenergic and cholinergic modulation of functionally distinct regions of the brain has become one of the primary organizational principles behind understanding the contribution of each system to the diversity of neural computation in the central nervous system. Decades of work has shown that a diverse family of receptors, stratified across different brain regions, and circuit-specific afferent and efferent projections play a critical role in helping such widespread neuromodulatory systems obtain substantial heterogeneity in neural information processing. This review briefly discusses the anatomical layout of both the noradrenergic and cholinergic systems, as well as the types and distributions of relevant receptors for each system. Previous work characterizing the direct and indirect interaction between these two systems is discussed, especially in the context of higher order cognitive functions such as attention, learning, and the decision-making process. Though a substantial amount of work has been done to characterize the role of each neuromodulator, a cohesive understanding of the region-specific cooperation of these two systems is not yet fully realized. For the field to progress, new experiments will need to be conducted that capitalize on the modular subdivisions of the brain and systematically explore the role of norepinephrine and acetylcholine in each of these subunits and across the full range of receptors expressed in different cell types in these regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cody Slater
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, ET 351, 500 W. 120th Street, New York, NY 10027, USA; (C.S.); (Y.L.); (E.W.); (K.Y.)
- Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, 630 West 168th Street, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Yuxiang Liu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, ET 351, 500 W. 120th Street, New York, NY 10027, USA; (C.S.); (Y.L.); (E.W.); (K.Y.)
| | - Evan Weiss
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, ET 351, 500 W. 120th Street, New York, NY 10027, USA; (C.S.); (Y.L.); (E.W.); (K.Y.)
| | - Kunpeng Yu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, ET 351, 500 W. 120th Street, New York, NY 10027, USA; (C.S.); (Y.L.); (E.W.); (K.Y.)
| | - Qi Wang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, ET 351, 500 W. 120th Street, New York, NY 10027, USA; (C.S.); (Y.L.); (E.W.); (K.Y.)
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11
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Ishikawa M, Itakura S. Pupil dilation predicts modulation of direct gaze on action value calculations. Biol Psychol 2022; 171:108340. [PMID: 35460818 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2022.108340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2022] [Revised: 04/15/2022] [Accepted: 04/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Perceiving direct gaze facilitates social cognition and behaviour. We hypothesized that direct gaze modulates decision-making, particularly calculations of action values. To test our hypothesis, we used the reinforcement learning paradigm in situations with or without direct gaze. Forty adults were recruited and participated in pupil size measurements and a two-armed bandit task. The task was conducted with 70% and 30% reward probabilities for each option. During the task, a female showing the Direct Gaze (DG) or Closed Eyes (CE) condition was presented from the start of each trial. The results showed that behavioural bias to choices with 70% reward probability increased more in the DG condition than in the CE condition and the expected reward value. This bias to choices with 70% reward in the DG condition was predicted by pupil dilation to DG. These results suggest that participants over-evaluated the expected reward value in the DG condition, and this DG effect may be related to subjective expectations of rewarding events indexed by pupil dilations. It is considered that perceiving direct gaze is a driver of reward expectations that modulate action value calculations and then cognitive processing and behaviours are facilitated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mitsuhiko Ishikawa
- Centre for Baby Science, Doshisha University, 4-1-1 Kizugawadai, Kizugawa, Kyoto 619-0295 Japan; Japan Society for the Promotion of Science.
| | - Shoji Itakura
- Centre for Baby Science, Doshisha University, 4-1-1 Kizugawadai, Kizugawa, Kyoto 619-0295 Japan
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12
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Hones VI, Mizumori SJY. Response Flexibility: The Role of the Lateral Habenula. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:852235. [PMID: 35444521 PMCID: PMC9014270 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.852235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 03/01/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
The ability to make appropriate decisions that result in an optimal outcome is critical for survival. This process involves assessing the environment as well as integrating prior knowledge about the environment with information about one’s current internal state. There are many neural structures that play critical roles in mediating these processes, but it is not yet known how such information coalesces to influence behavioral output. The lateral habenula (LHb) has often been cited as a structure critical for adaptive and flexible responding when environmental contexts and internal state changes. A challenge, however, has been understanding how LHb promotes response flexibility. In this review, we hypothesize that the LHb enables flexible responding following the integration of context memory and internal state information by signaling downstream brainstem structures known to drive hippocampal theta. In this way, animals respond more flexibly in a task situation not because the LHb selects a particular action, but rather because LHb enhances a hippocampal neural state that is often associated with greater attention, arousal, and exploration. In freely navigating animals, these are essential conditions that are needed to discover and implement appropriate alternative choices and behaviors. As a corollary to our hypothesis, we describe short- and intermediate-term functions of the LHb. Finally, we discuss the effects on the behavior of LHb dysfunction in short- and intermediate-timescales, and then suggest that new therapies may act on the LHb to alleviate the behavioral impairments following long-term LHb disruption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria I. Hones
- Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Sheri J. Y. Mizumori
- Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
- *Correspondence: Sheri J. Y. Mizumori
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13
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Groot JM, Csifcsák G, Wientjes S, Forstmann BU, Mittner M. Catching Wandering Minds with Tapping Fingers: Neural and Behavioral Insights into Task-unrelated Cognition. Cereb Cortex 2022; 32:4447-4463. [PMID: 35034114 PMCID: PMC9574234 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhab494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2021] [Revised: 12/03/2021] [Accepted: 12/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
When the human mind wanders, it engages in episodes during which attention is focused on self-generated thoughts rather than on external task demands. Although the sustained attention to response task is commonly used to examine relationships between mind wandering and executive functions, limited executive resources are required for optimal task performance. In the current study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between mind wandering and executive functions more closely by employing a recently developed finger-tapping task to monitor fluctuations in attention and executive control through task performance and periodical experience sampling during concurrent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and pupillometry. Our results show that mind wandering was preceded by increases in finger-tapping variability, which was correlated with activity in dorsal and ventral attention networks. The entropy of random finger-tapping sequences was related to activity in frontoparietal regions associated with executive control, demonstrating the suitability of this paradigm for studying executive functioning. The neural correlates of behavioral performance, pupillary dynamics, and self-reported attentional state diverged, thus indicating a dissociation between direct and indirect markers of mind wandering. Together, the investigation of these relationships at both the behavioral and neural level provided novel insights into the identification of underlying mechanisms of mind wandering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josephine M Groot
- Department of Psychology, UiT – The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø 9037 , Norway
- Integrative Model-Based Cognitive Neuroscience Research Unit, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam 1018 WB , The Netherlands
| | - Gábor Csifcsák
- Department of Psychology, UiT – The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø 9037 , Norway
| | - Sven Wientjes
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Ghent, Ghent 9000 , Belgium
| | - Birte U Forstmann
- Integrative Model-Based Cognitive Neuroscience Research Unit, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam 1018 WB , The Netherlands
| | - Matthias Mittner
- Address correspondence to Matthias Mittner, Department of Psychology, UiT – The Arctic University of Norway, Huginbakken 32, 9037 Tromsø, Norway.
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14
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Martin JT, Whittaker AH, Johnston SJ. Pupillometry and the vigilance decrement: Task-evoked but not baseline pupil measures reflect declining performance in visual vigilance tasks. Eur J Neurosci 2022; 55:778-799. [PMID: 34978115 PMCID: PMC9306885 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2021] [Revised: 12/22/2021] [Accepted: 12/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/05/2022]
Abstract
Baseline and task‐evoked pupil measures are known to reflect the activity of the nervous system's central arousal mechanisms. With the increasing availability, affordability and flexibility of video‐based eye tracking hardware, these measures may one day find practical application in real‐time biobehavioural monitoring systems to assess performance or fitness for duty in tasks requiring vigilant attention. But real‐world vigilance tasks are predominantly visual in their nature and most research in this area has taken place in the auditory domain. Here, we explore the relationship between pupil size—both baseline and task‐evoked—and behavioural performance measures in two novel vigilance tasks requiring visual target detection: (1) a traditional vigilance task involving prolonged, continuous and uninterrupted performance (n = 28) and (2) a psychomotor vigilance task (n = 25). In both tasks, behavioural performance and task‐evoked pupil responses declined as time spent on task increased, corroborating previous reports in the literature of a vigilance decrement with a corresponding reduction in task‐evoked pupil measures. Also in line with previous findings, baseline pupil size did not show a consistent relationship with performance measures. Our data offer novel insights into the complex interplay of brain systems involved in vigilant attention and question the validity of the assumption that baseline (prestimulus) pupil size and task‐evoked (poststimulus) pupil measures reflect the tonic and phasic firing modes of the locus coeruleus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joel T Martin
- School of Human and Health Sciences, Department of Psychology, University of Swansea, Swansea, UK.,Department of Psychology, University of York, York, UK
| | - Annalise H Whittaker
- Platform Systems Division, Defence, Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), Porton Down, Salisbury, UK
| | - Stephen J Johnston
- School of Human and Health Sciences, Department of Psychology, University of Swansea, Swansea, UK
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15
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Omoluabi T, Torraville SE, Maziar A, Ghosh A, Power KD, Reinhardt C, Harley CW, Yuan Q. Novelty-like activation of locus coeruleus protects against deleterious human pretangle tau effects while stress-inducing activation worsens its effects. ALZHEIMER'S & DEMENTIA (NEW YORK, N. Y.) 2021; 7:e12231. [PMID: 35005208 PMCID: PMC8719346 DOI: 10.1002/trc2.12231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2021] [Revised: 11/02/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The earliest abnormality associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the presence of persistently phosphorylated pretangle tau in locus coeruleus (LC) neurons. LC neuron numbers and fiber density are positive predictors of cognition prior to death. Using an animal model of LC pretangle tau, we ask if LC activity patterns influence the sequelae of pretangle tau. We seeded LC neurons with a pretangle human tau gene. We provided daily novelty- or stress-associated optogenetic activation patterns to LC neurons for 6 weeks in mid-adulthood and, subsequently, probed cognitive and anatomical changes. Prior LC phasic stimulation prevented spatial and olfactory discrimination deficits and preserved LC axonal density. A stress-associated activation pattern increased indices of anxiety and depression, did not improve cognition, and worsened LC neuronal health. These results argue that variations in environmental experiences associated with differing LC activity patterns may account for individual susceptibility to development of AD in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamunotonye Omoluabi
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of MedicineMemorial UniversitySt. John'sNewfoundland and LabradorCanada
| | - Sarah E. Torraville
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of MedicineMemorial UniversitySt. John'sNewfoundland and LabradorCanada
| | - Aida Maziar
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of MedicineMemorial UniversitySt. John'sNewfoundland and LabradorCanada
| | - Abhinaba Ghosh
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of MedicineMemorial UniversitySt. John'sNewfoundland and LabradorCanada
| | - Kyron D. Power
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of MedicineMemorial UniversitySt. John'sNewfoundland and LabradorCanada
| | - Camila Reinhardt
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of MedicineMemorial UniversitySt. John'sNewfoundland and LabradorCanada
| | - Carolyn W. Harley
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of ScienceMemorial UniversitySt. John'sNewfoundland and LabradorCanada
| | - Qi Yuan
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of MedicineMemorial UniversitySt. John'sNewfoundland and LabradorCanada
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16
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Mendes AJ, Pacheco-Barrios K, Lema A, Gonçalves ÓF, Fregni F, Leite J, Carvalho S. Modulation of the cognitive event-related potential P3 by transcranial direct current stimulation: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 132:894-907. [PMID: 34742723 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.11.002] [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: 04/15/2021] [Revised: 07/16/2021] [Accepted: 11/01/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has been widely used to modulate cognition and behavior. However, only a few studies have been probing the brain mechanism underlying the effects of tDCS on cognitive processing, especially throughout electrophysiological markers, such as the P3. This meta-analysis assessed the effects of tDCS in P3 amplitude and latency during an oddball, n-back, and Go/No-Go tasks, as well as during emotional processing. A total of 36 studies were identified, but only 23 were included in the quantitative analysis. The results show that the parietal P3 amplitude increased during oddball and n-back tasks, mostly after anodal stimulation over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (p = 0.018, SMD = 0.4) and right inferior frontal gyrus (p < 0.001, SMD = 0.669) respectively. These findings suggest the potential usefulness of the parietal P3 ERP as a marker of tDCS-induced effects during task performance. Nonetheless, this study had a low number of studies and the presence of considerable risk of bias, highlighting issues to be addressed in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Augusto J Mendes
- Psychological Neuroscience Laboratory, CIPsi, School of Psychology, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057, Braga, Portugal
| | - Kevin Pacheco-Barrios
- Neuromodulation Center and Center for Clinical Research Learning, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA; Universidad San Ignacio de Loyola, Vicerrectorado de Investigación, Unidad de Investigación para la Generación y Síntesis de Evidencias en Salud, Lima, Peru
| | - Alberto Lema
- Psychological Neuroscience Laboratory, CIPsi, School of Psychology, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057, Braga, Portugal
| | - Óscar F Gonçalves
- Proaction Laboratory - CINEICC, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Felipe Fregni
- Neuromodulation Center and Center for Clinical Research Learning, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA
| | - Jorge Leite
- INPP, Portucalense University, Porto, Portugal
| | - Sandra Carvalho
- Psychological Neuroscience Laboratory, CIPsi, School of Psychology, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057, Braga, Portugal; Department of Education and Psychology, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, Aveiro, Portugal.
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17
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Stephan AM, Lecci S, Cataldi J, Siclari F. Conscious experiences and high-density EEG patterns predicting subjective sleep depth. Curr Biol 2021; 31:5487-5500.e3. [PMID: 34710350 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.10.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2021] [Revised: 07/06/2021] [Accepted: 10/06/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
What accounts for feeling deeply asleep? Standard sleep recordings only incompletely reflect subjective aspects of sleep and some individuals with so-called sleep misperception frequently feel awake although sleep recordings indicate clear-cut sleep. To identify the determinants of sleep perception, we performed 787 awakenings in 20 good sleepers and 10 individuals with sleep misperception and interviewed them about their subjective sleep depth while they underwent high-density EEG sleep recordings. Surprisingly, in good sleepers, sleep was subjectively lightest in the first 2 h of non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep, generally considered the deepest sleep, and deepest in rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. Compared to good sleepers, sleep misperceptors felt more frequently awake during sleep and reported lighter REM sleep. At the EEG level, spatially widespread high-frequency power was inversely related to subjective sleep depth in NREM sleep in both groups and in REM sleep in misperceptors. Subjective sleep depth positively correlated with dream-like qualities of reports of mental activity. These findings challenge the widely held notion that slow wave sleep best accounts for feeling deeply asleep. Instead, they indicate that subjective sleep depth is inversely related to a neurophysiological process that predominates in early NREM sleep, becomes quiescent in REM sleep, and is reflected in high-frequency EEG activity. In sleep misperceptors, this process is more frequently active, more spatially widespread, and abnormally persists into REM sleep. These findings help identify the neuromodulatory systems involved in subjective sleep depth and are relevant for studies aiming to improve subjective sleep quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aurélie M Stephan
- Center for Investigation and Research on Sleep, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Rue du Bugnon 46, 1010 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Sandro Lecci
- Center for Investigation and Research on Sleep, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Rue du Bugnon 46, 1010 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Jacinthe Cataldi
- Center for Investigation and Research on Sleep, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Rue du Bugnon 46, 1010 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Francesca Siclari
- Center for Investigation and Research on Sleep, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Rue du Bugnon 46, 1010 Lausanne, Switzerland; Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Rue du Bugnon 46, 1010 Lausanne, Switzerland.
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18
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Niu L, Zhang F, Xu X, Yang Y, Li S, Liu H, Le W. Chronic sleep deprivation altered the expression of circadian clock genes and aggravated Alzheimer's disease neuropathology. Brain Pathol 2021; 32:e13028. [PMID: 34668266 PMCID: PMC9048513 DOI: 10.1111/bpa.13028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2021] [Revised: 09/18/2021] [Accepted: 09/27/2021] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Circadian disruption is prevalent in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and may contribute to cognitive impairment, psychological symptoms, and neurodegeneration. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of environmental and genetic factors on the molecular clock and to establish a link between circadian rhythm disturbance and AD. We investigated the pathological effects of chronic sleep deprivation (CSD) in the APPswe/PS1ΔE9 transgenic mice and their wild‐type (WT) littermates for 2 months and evaluated the expression levels of clock genes in the circadian rhythm‐related nuclei. Our results showed that CSD impaired learning and memory, and further exaggerated disease progression in the AD mice. Furthermore, CSD caused abnormal expression of Bmal1, Clock, and Cry1 in the circadian rhythm‐related nuclei of experimental mice, and these changes are more significant in AD mice. Abnormal expression of clock genes in AD mice suggested that the expression of clock genes is affected by APP/PS1 mutations. In addition, abnormal tau phosphorylation was found in the retrosplenial cortex, which was co‐located with the alteration of BMAL1 protein level. Moreover, the level of tyrosine hydroxylase in the locus coeruleus of AD and WT mice was significantly increased after CSD. There may be a potential link between the molecular clock, Aβ pathology, tauopathy, and the noradrenergic system. The results of this study provided new insights into the potential link between the disruption of circadian rhythm and the development of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Long Niu
- Center for Clinical Research on Neurological Diseases, the First Affiliated Hospital, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China.,Liaoning Provincial Key Laboratory for Research on the Pathogenic Mechanisms of Neurological Diseases, the First Affiliated Hospital, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
| | - Feng Zhang
- Center for Clinical Research on Neurological Diseases, the First Affiliated Hospital, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China.,Liaoning Provincial Key Laboratory for Research on the Pathogenic Mechanisms of Neurological Diseases, the First Affiliated Hospital, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
| | - Xiaojiao Xu
- Center for Clinical Research on Neurological Diseases, the First Affiliated Hospital, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China.,Liaoning Provincial Key Laboratory for Research on the Pathogenic Mechanisms of Neurological Diseases, the First Affiliated Hospital, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
| | - Yuting Yang
- Center for Clinical Research on Neurological Diseases, the First Affiliated Hospital, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China.,Liaoning Provincial Key Laboratory for Research on the Pathogenic Mechanisms of Neurological Diseases, the First Affiliated Hospital, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
| | - Song Li
- Center for Clinical Research on Neurological Diseases, the First Affiliated Hospital, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China.,Liaoning Provincial Key Laboratory for Research on the Pathogenic Mechanisms of Neurological Diseases, the First Affiliated Hospital, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
| | - Hui Liu
- Department of Neurology, Minhang Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Weidong Le
- Center for Clinical Research on Neurological Diseases, the First Affiliated Hospital, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China.,Liaoning Provincial Key Laboratory for Research on the Pathogenic Mechanisms of Neurological Diseases, the First Affiliated Hospital, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China.,Department of Neurology and Institute of Neurology, Sichuan Academy of Medical Science-Sichuan Provincial Hospital, Chengdu, China
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19
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Holland N, Robbins TW, Rowe JB. The role of noradrenaline in cognition and cognitive disorders. Brain 2021; 144:2243-2256. [PMID: 33725122 PMCID: PMC8418349 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awab111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2020] [Revised: 01/08/2021] [Accepted: 01/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Many aspects of cognition and behaviour are regulated by noradrenergic projections to the forebrain originating from the locus coeruleus, acting through alpha and beta adrenoreceptors. Loss of these projections is common in neurodegenerative diseases and contributes to their cognitive and behavioural deficits. We review the evidence for a noradrenergic modulation of cognition in its contribution to Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and other cognitive disorders. We discuss the advances in human imaging and computational methods that quantify the locus coeruleus and its function in humans, and highlight the potential for new noradrenergic treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Negin Holland
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0SZ, UK
| | - Trevor W Robbins
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EB, UK
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EB, UK
| | - James B Rowe
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0SZ, UK
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EB, UK
- MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 7EF, UK
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20
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Attention-enhancing effects of propranolol and synergistic effects with nicotine. COGNITIVE AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2021; 20:658-668. [PMID: 32405757 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-020-00794-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Nicotine increases the output of every major neurotransmitter. In previous studies designed to identify the secondary neurotransmitter systems mediating nicotine's attention-enhancing effects in a rat model, the β-adrenoceptor antagonist propranolol blocked these effects. The present study was designed to test whether this mechanism held true in humans, thus guiding development of novel nicotinic agonists for cognitive enhancement. Twenty-six nonsmokers completed a nicotine (7 mg/24 h transdermally) x propranolol (40 mg p.o., body weight-adjusted) interaction study. Over four test days, each participant received double-placebo, nicotine only, propranolol only, and nicotine plus propranolol in randomized sequence before cognitive testing. No drug effects were seen in a visuospatial attention task. In the Rapid Visual Information Processing Task, performed in two 15-min blocks, neither drug alone significantly affected hit rate, but both drugs combined acted synergistically to alleviate its decrement over time in the first block and displayed additive beneficial effects in the second. In a change detection task, propranolol enhanced accuracy and reduced reaction time independent of nicotine presence. Propranolol also enhanced subjective self-reports of vigor. Overall, the findings were contrary to those hypothesized. Propranolol displayed beneficial effects on cognition, especially on sustaining performance over time. β-adrenoceptor activation by nicotine-induced noradrenaline release appeared to limit performance-enhancing effects of nicotine, because they were unmasked by β-adrenoceptor antagonism. The results suggest that cognitive effects of changes in β-adrenoceptor tone are context-dependent; contrary to rodent paradigms, human cognitive paradigms require no physical orienting in space but prolonged periods of remaining stationary while sustaining predictable processing demands.
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21
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Toyota R, Fukui KI, Kamimura M, Katagiri A, Sato H, Toyoda H, Rompré P, Ikebe K, Kato T. Sleep stage-dependent changes in tonic masseter and cortical activities in young subjects with primary sleep bruxism. Sleep 2021; 45:6349091. [PMID: 34383078 DOI: 10.1093/sleep/zsab207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2021] [Revised: 07/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
STUDY OBJECTIVES The present study investigated the hypothesis that subjects with primary sleep bruxism (SB) exhibit masseter and cortical hyperactivities during quiet sleep periods that are associated with a high frequency of rhythmic masticatory muscle activity (RMMA). METHODS Fifteen SB and ten control participants underwent polysomnographic recordings. The frequencies of oromotor events and arousals and the percentage of arousals with oromotor events were assessed. Masseter muscle tone during sleep was quantified using a cluster analysis. Electroencephalography power and heart rate variability were quantified and then compared between the two groups and among sleep stages. RESULTS The frequency of RMMA and percentage of arousals with RMMA were significantly higher in SB subjects than in controls in all stages, while these variables for non-rhythmic oromotor events did not significantly differ between the groups. In SB subjects, the frequency of RMMA was the highest in stage N1 and the lowest in stages N3 and R, while the percentage of arousals with RMMA was higher in stage N3 than stages N1 and R. The cluster analysis classified masseter activity during sleep into two clusters for masseter tone and contractions. Masseter muscle tone showed typical stage-dependent changes in both groups, but did not significantly differ between the groups. Furthermore, no significant differences were observed in electroencephalography power or heart rate variability between the groups. CONCLUSION Young SB subjects exhibited sleep stage-dependent increases in the responsiveness of RMMA to transient arousals, but did not show masseter or cortical hyperactivity during sleep.
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Affiliation(s)
- Risa Toyota
- Department of Oral Physiology, Osaka University Graduate School of Dentistry, Osaka, Japan.,Department of Prosthodontics, Gerodontology and Oral Rehabilitation, Osaka University Graduate School of Dentistry, Osaka, Japan
| | - Ken-Ichi Fukui
- SANKEN (The Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research), Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Mayo Kamimura
- Department of Oral Physiology, Osaka University Graduate School of Dentistry, Osaka, Japan
| | - Ayano Katagiri
- Department of Oral Physiology, Osaka University Graduate School of Dentistry, Osaka, Japan
| | - Hajime Sato
- Department of Oral Physiology, Osaka University Graduate School of Dentistry, Osaka, Japan.,Division of Pharmacology, Meikai University School of Dentistry
| | - Hiroki Toyoda
- Department of Oral Physiology, Osaka University Graduate School of Dentistry, Osaka, Japan
| | - Pierre Rompré
- Faculty of Dentistry, Université de Montréal, Montreal
| | - Kazunori Ikebe
- Department of Prosthodontics, Gerodontology and Oral Rehabilitation, Osaka University Graduate School of Dentistry, Osaka, Japan
| | - Takafumi Kato
- Department of Oral Physiology, Osaka University Graduate School of Dentistry, Osaka, Japan.,Sleep Medicine Center, Osaka University Hospital, Osaka, Japan
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22
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Jiménez EC, Sierra-Marcos A, Romeo A, Hashemi A, Leonovych O, Bustos Valenzuela P, Solé Puig M, Supèr H. Altered Vergence Eye Movements and Pupil Response of Patients with Alzheimer's Disease and Mild Cognitive Impairment During an Oddball Task. J Alzheimers Dis 2021; 82:421-433. [PMID: 34024820 DOI: 10.3233/jad-201301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by progressive deterioration of cognitive functions and may be preceded by mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Evidence shows changes in pupil and vergence responses related to cognitive processing of visual information. OBJECTIVE Here we test the hypothesis that MCI and AD are associated with specific patterns in vergence and pupil responses. METHODS We employed a visual oddball task. In the distractor condition (80%of the trials), a blue stimulus was presented whereas in the target condition (20%of trials) it was red. Participants (23 Controls, 33 MCI patients, and 18 AD patients) were instructed to press a button when a target appeared. RESULTS Participants briefly converged their eyes 200 ms after stimulus presentation. In controls, this transient peak response was followed by a delay response to targets but not to distractor stimuli. In the patient groups, delay responses to distractors were noticed. Consequently, the differential vergence response was strong in the control group, weak in the MCI group, and absent in the AD group. Pupils started to dilate 500-600 ms after the appearance of a target but slightly contracted after the presentation of a distractor. This differential pupil response was strongest in the AD group. CONCLUSION Our findings support the idea of a role of vergence and pupil responses in attention and reveal altered responses in MCI and AD patients. Further studies should assess the value of vergence and pupil measurements as an objective support tool for early diagnosis of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Carolina Jiménez
- Department of Cognition, Development and Educational Psychology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,University of Guadalajara, Jalisco, México
| | - Alba Sierra-Marcos
- Department of Neurology and Neurophysiology, Hospital Sanitas CIMA, Barcelona, Spain
| | - August Romeo
- Department of Cognition, Development and Educational Psychology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Amin Hashemi
- Department of Cognition, Development and Educational Psychology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Oleksii Leonovych
- Department of Cognition, Development and Educational Psychology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Braingaze SL, Mataró, Spain
| | - Patricia Bustos Valenzuela
- Department of Cognition, Development and Educational Psychology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Maria Solé Puig
- Department of Cognition, Development and Educational Psychology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Hans Supèr
- Department of Cognition, Development and Educational Psychology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Institute of Neurosciences of the University of Barcelona (UBNeuro), Barcelona, Spain.,Braingaze SL, Mataró, Spain.,Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA), Barcelona, Spain
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23
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Bethea CL, Cameron JL. Neuro-pharmacological reinstatement of ovulation and associated neurobiology in a macaque model of functional hypothalamic amenorrhoea. Hum Reprod 2021; 36:175-188. [PMID: 33319240 DOI: 10.1093/humrep/deaa296] [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: 02/21/2020] [Revised: 09/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
STUDY QUESTION What is the underlying neuropathology in a cynomolgus macaque model of functional hypothalamic amenorrhoea (FHA) and can it be normalized to restore ovulation? SUMMARY ANSWER Anovulatory monkeys exhibited increased hypothalamic norepinephrine (NE), kisspeptin and gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) in the early follicular phase, but administration of the NE reuptake inhibitor (NRI), reboxetine (REB), restored ovulation during stress and normalized NE, kisspeptin and GnRH. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY Female cynomolgus macaques, like women, show individual reproductive sensitivity to modest psychosocial and metabolic stress. During stress, resilient females ovulate through two menstrual cycles whereas stress-sensitive (SS) macaques immediately cease ovulation. On Day 5 of a non-stressed menstrual cycle, resilient macaques have less NE synthesizing enzyme [dopamine β-hydroxylase (DBH)], kisspeptin and GnRH innervation of the medial basal hypothalamus but more endogenous serotonin than SS macaques. Stress increased DBH/NE, kisspeptin and GnRH but did not alter serotonin. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION In a longitudinal design, 27 adult (7-13 years) female cynomolgus macaques (Macaca fascicularis) with three different levels of sensitivity to stress were monitored with daily vaginal swabs and frequent serum progesterone (P) measurements. Three 90-day experimental periods called 'Cycle Sets' were monitored. A Cycle Set consisted of one ovulatory menstrual cycle without stress, and two cycles, or 60 days, with modest stress. Each Cycle Set was followed by a rest period. During a Cycle Set, individuals were either untreated (placebo) or administered escitalopram (CIT) or REB. Ultimately, half of each sensitivity group was euthanized during stress with CIT or REB treatment and the hypothalamus was obtained. Neurobiological endpoints were compared between CIT and REB treatment groups in stress resilient and SS monkeys. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS The monkeys were housed at the University of Pittsburgh primate facility for the duration of the experiments. Upon euthanasia, their brains and serum samples were shipped to the Oregon National Primate Research Center. The hypothalamus was examined with immunohistochemistry for the expression of DBH (a marker for NE axons), kisspeptin and GnRH. P was measured in the serum samples by radioimmunoassay. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE Daily administration of REB restored ovulation in 9 of 10 SS animals during stress. Of note, REB significantly increased P secretion during stress in the most sensitive group (P = 0.032), which indicates ovulation. CIT lacked efficacy. REB significantly reduced DBH/NE, kisspeptin and GnRH axon density in the hypothalamus relative to CIT treatment (P = 0.003. 0.018 and 0.0001, respectively) on Day 5 of the menstrual cycle in resilient and sensitive groups. LARGE SCALE DATA N/A. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION The US FDA has not approved REB for human use, although it is used in Europe for the treatment of depression/anxiety as EdronaxTR. Whether REB could be useful for the treatment of FHA in women has not been determined. WIDER IMPLICATIONS FOR THE FINDINGS The use of an NRI to treat FHA is a novel approach and the potential reinstatement of ovulation could be straightforward compared to current treatment protocols. The underlying neurobiology provides a compelling case for treating the origin of the pathology, i.e. elevated NE, rather than circumventing the hypothalamus altogether with gonadotropins, which have associated risks such as hyperstimulation syndrome or multiple births. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S) Portions of this study were supported by NIH grant HD062864 to C.L.B., NIH grant HD62618 to J.L.C. and C.L.B. and 1P51 OD011092 for the operation of the Oregon National Primate Research Center. There were no competing interests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cynthia L Bethea
- Division of Reproductive Sciences, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Beaverton, OR 97006, USA.,Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Beaverton, OR 97006, USA.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR 97201, USA
| | - Judy L Cameron
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
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24
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Robayo Avendaño O, Alvira Botero X, Garzón M. Ultrastructural evidence for mu and delta opioid receptors at noradrenergic dendrites and glial profiles in the cat locus coeruleus. Brain Res 2021; 1762:147443. [PMID: 33745926 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2021.147443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2020] [Revised: 02/01/2021] [Accepted: 03/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The Locus Coeruleus (LC) is a pontine nucleus involved in many physiological processes, including the control of the sleep/wake cycle (SWC). At cellular level, the LC displays a high density of opioid receptors whose activation decreases the activity of LC noradrenergic neurons. Also, microinjections of morphine administered locally in the LC of the cat produce sleep associated with synchronized brain activity in the electroencephalogram (EEG). Even though much of the research on sleep has been done in the cat, the subcellular location of opioid receptors in the LC and their relationship with LC noradrenergic neurons is not known yet in this species. Therefore, we conducted a study to describe the ultrastructural localization of mu-opioid receptors (MOR), delta-opioid receptors (DOR) and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) in the cat LC using high resolution electron microscopy double-immunocytochemical detection. MOR and DOR were localized mainly in dendrites (45% and 46% of the total number of profiles respectively), many of which were noradrenergic (35% and 53% for MOR and DOR, respectively). TH immunoreactivity was more frequent in dendrites (65% of the total number of profiles), which mostly also expressed opioid receptors (58% and 73% for MOR and DOR, respectively). Because the distribution of MORs and DORs are similar, it is possible that a substantial sub-population of neurons co-express both receptors, which may facilitate the formation of MOR-DOR heterodimers. Moreover, we found differences in the cat subcellular DOR distribution compared with the rat. This opens the possibility to the existence of diverse mechanisms for opioid modulation of LC activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Omar Robayo Avendaño
- Universidad Pedagógica y Tecnológica de Colombia. Antiguo Hospital San Rafael, 150001 Tunja, Colombia.
| | - Ximena Alvira Botero
- Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Calle del Arzobispo Morcillo 4, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Miguel Garzón
- Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Calle del Arzobispo Morcillo 4, 28029 Madrid, Spain
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Yang B, Sanches-Padilla J, Kondapalli J, Morison SL, Delpire E, Awatramani R, Surmeier DJ. Locus coeruleus anchors a trisynaptic circuit controlling fear-induced suppression of feeding. Neuron 2021; 109:823-838.e6. [PMID: 33476548 PMCID: PMC9272546 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2020.12.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2020] [Revised: 11/17/2020] [Accepted: 12/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The circuit mechanisms underlying fear-induced suppression of feeding are poorly understood. To help fill this gap, mice were fear conditioned, and the resulting changes in synaptic connectivity among the locus coeruleus (LC), the parabrachial nucleus (PBN), and the central nucleus of amygdala (CeA)-all of which are implicated in fear and feeding-were studied. LC neurons co-released noradrenaline and glutamate to excite PBN neurons and suppress feeding. LC neurons also suppressed inhibitory input to PBN neurons by inducing heterosynaptic, endocannabinoid-dependent, long-term depression of CeA synapses. Blocking or knocking down endocannabinoid receptors in CeA neurons prevented fear-induced depression of CeA synaptic transmission and fear-induced suppression of feeding. Altogether, these studies demonstrate that LC neurons play a pivotal role in modulating the circuitry that underlies fear-induced suppression of feeding, pointing to new ways of alleviating stress-induced eating disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ben Yang
- Department of Physiology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA.
| | - Javier Sanches-Padilla
- Department of Physiology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Jyothisri Kondapalli
- Department of Physiology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Sage L Morison
- Department of Neurology and Center for Genetic Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Eric Delpire
- Department of Anesthesiology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Rajeshwar Awatramani
- Department of Neurology and Center for Genetic Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - D James Surmeier
- Department of Physiology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA.
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Locus Coeruleus Acid-Sensing Ion Channels Modulate Sleep-Wakefulness and State Transition from NREM to REM Sleep in the Rat. Neurosci Bull 2021; 37:684-700. [PMID: 33638800 DOI: 10.1007/s12264-020-00625-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2020] [Accepted: 06/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The locus coeruleus (LC) is one of the essential chemoregulatory and sleep-wake (S-W) modulating centers in the brain. LC neurons remain highly active during wakefulness, and some implicitly become silent during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. LC neurons are also involved in CO2-dependent modulation of the respiratory drive. Acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) are highly expressed in some brainstem chemosensory breathing regulatory areas, but their localization and functions in the LC remain unknown. Mild hypercapnia increases the amount of non-REM (NREM) sleep and the number of REM sleep episodes, but whether ASICs in the LC modulate S-W is unclear. Here, we investigated the presence of ASICs in the LC and their role in S-W modulation and the state transition from NREM to REM sleep. Male Wistar rats were surgically prepared for chronic polysomnographic recordings and drug microinjections into the LC. The presence of ASIC-2 and ASIC-3 in the LC was immunohistochemically characterized. Microinjections of amiloride (an ASIC blocker) and APETx2 (a blocker of ASIC-2 and -3) into the LC significantly decreased wakefulness and REM sleep, but significantly increased NREM sleep. Mild hypercapnia increased the amount of NREM and the number of REM episodes. However, APETx2 microinjection inhibited this increase in REM frequency. These results suggest that the ASICs of LC neurons modulate S-W, indicating that ASICs could play an important role in vigilance-state transition. A mild increase in CO2 level during NREM sleep sensed by ASICs could be one of the determinants of state transition from NREM to REM sleep.
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de la Cruz F, Wagner G, Schumann A, Suttkus S, Güllmar D, Reichenbach JR, Bär KJ. Interrelations between dopamine and serotonin producing sites and regions of the default mode network. Hum Brain Mapp 2021; 42:811-823. [PMID: 33128416 PMCID: PMC7814772 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2020] [Revised: 10/05/2020] [Accepted: 10/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies showed that blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) signal fluctuations in the default mode network (DMN) are functionally tightly connected to those in monoaminergic nuclei, producing dopamine (DA), and serotonin (5-HT) transmitters, in the midbrain/brainstem. We combined accelerated fMRI acquisition with spectral Granger causality and coherence analysis to investigate causal relationships between these areas. Both methods independently lead to similar results and confirm the existence of a top-down information flow in the resting-state condition, where activity in core DMN areas influences activity in the neuromodulatory centers producing DA/5-HT. We found that latencies range from milliseconds to seconds with high inter-subject variability, likely attributable to the resting condition. Our novel findings provide new insights into the functional organization of the human brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feliberto de la Cruz
- Lab for Autonomic Neuroscience, Imaging and Cognition (LANIC), Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Jena University Hospital, Germany
| | - Gerd Wagner
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Jena University Hospital, Germany
| | - Andy Schumann
- Lab for Autonomic Neuroscience, Imaging and Cognition (LANIC), Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Jena University Hospital, Germany
| | - Stefanie Suttkus
- Lab for Autonomic Neuroscience, Imaging and Cognition (LANIC), Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Jena University Hospital, Germany
| | - Daniel Güllmar
- Medical Physics Group, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Jena University Hospital, Germany
| | - Jürgen R Reichenbach
- Medical Physics Group, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Jena University Hospital, Germany
| | - Karl-Jürgen Bär
- Lab for Autonomic Neuroscience, Imaging and Cognition (LANIC), Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Jena University Hospital, Germany
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Developmental outcomes of early adverse care on amygdala functional connectivity in nonhuman primates. Dev Psychopathol 2021; 32:1579-1596. [PMID: 33427167 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579420001133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Despite the strong link between childhood maltreatment and psychopathology, the underlying neurodevelopmental mechanisms are poorly understood and difficult to disentangle from heritable and prenatal factors. This study used a translational macaque model of infant maltreatment in which the adverse experience occurs in the first months of life, during intense maturation of amygdala circuits important for stress and emotional regulation. Thus, we examined the developmental impact of maltreatment on amygdala functional connectivity (FC) longitudinally, from infancy through the juvenile period. Using resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) we performed amygdala-prefrontal cortex (PFC) region-of-interest and exploratory whole-brain amygdala FC analyses. The latter showed (a) developmental increases in amygdala FC with many regions, likely supporting increased processing of socioemotional-relevant stimuli with age; and (b) maltreatment effects on amygdala coupling with arousal and stress brain regions (locus coeruleus, laterodorsal tegmental area) that emerged with age. Maltreated juveniles showed weaker FC than controls, which was negatively associated with infant hair cortisol concentrations. Findings from the region-of-interest analysis also showed weaker amygdala FC with PFC regions in maltreated animals than controls since infancy, whereas bilateral amygdala FC was stronger in maltreated animals. These effects on amygdala FC development may underlie the poor behavioral outcomes associated with this adverse experience.
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Wang X, Li Y, Li X, Duan H, Li Y, Hu W. Role of Avoidance-Motivation Intensity in Creative Thinking: Similar and Differential Effects across Creative Idea Generation and Evaluation. CREATIVITY RESEARCH JOURNAL 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/10400419.2020.1856595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Weiping Hu
- Shaanxi Normal University
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Assessment Towards Basic Education Quality at Beijing Normal University
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Matthews AR, Buhusi M, Buhusi CV. Blockade of Catecholamine Reuptake in the Prelimbic Cortex Decreases Top-down Attentional Control in Response to Novel, but Not Familiar Appetitive Distracters, within a Timing Paradigm. NEUROSCI 2020; 1:99-114. [PMID: 35036990 PMCID: PMC8758100 DOI: 10.3390/neurosci1020010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Emotionally charged distracters delay timing behavior. Increasing catecholamine levels within the prelimbic cortex has beneficial effects on timing by decreasing the delay after aversive distracters. We examined whether increasing catecholamine levels within the prelimbic cortex also protects against the deleterious timing delays caused by novel distracters or by familiar appetitive distracters. Rats were trained in a peak-interval procedure and tested in trials with either a novel (unreinforced) distracter, a familiar appetitive (food-reinforced) distracter, or no distracter after being locally infused within the prelimbic cortex with catecholamine reuptake blocker nomifensine. Prelimbic infusion of nomifensine did not alter timing accuracy and precision. However, it increased the delay caused by novel distracters in an inverted-U dose-dependent manner, while being ineffective for appetitive distracters. Together with previous data, these results suggest that catecholaminergic modulation of prelimbic top-down attentional control of interval timing varies with distracter’s valence: prelimbic catecholamines increase attentional control when presented with familiar aversive distracters, have no effect on familiar neutral or familiar appetitive distracters, and decrease it when presented with novel distracters. These findings detail complex interactions between catecholaminergic modulation of attention to timing and nontemporal properties of stimuli, which should be considered when developing therapeutic methods for attentional or affective disorders.
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Transcutaneous Vagus Nerve Stimulation in Humans Induces Pupil Dilation and Attenuates Alpha Oscillations. J Neurosci 2020; 41:320-330. [PMID: 33214317 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1361-20.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2020] [Revised: 10/28/2020] [Accepted: 10/30/2020] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is widely used to treat drug-resistant epilepsy and depression. While the precise mechanisms mediating its long-term therapeutic effects are not fully resolved, they likely involve locus coeruleus (LC) stimulation via the nucleus of the solitary tract, which receives afferent vagal inputs. In rats, VNS elevates LC firing and forebrain noradrenaline levels, whereas LC lesions suppress VNS therapeutic efficacy. Noninvasive transcutaneous VNS (tVNS) uses electrical stimulation that targets the auricular branch of the vagus nerve at the cymba conchae of the ear. However, the extent to which tVNS mimics VNS remains unclear. Here, we investigated the short-term effects of tVNS in healthy human male volunteers (n = 24), using high-density EEG and pupillometry during visual fixation at rest. We compared short (3.4 s) trials of tVNS to sham electrical stimulation at the earlobe (far from the vagus nerve branch) to control for somatosensory stimulation. Although tVNS and sham stimulation did not differ in subjective intensity ratings, tVNS led to robust pupil dilation (peaking 4-5 s after trial onset) that was significantly higher than following sham stimulation. We further quantified, using parallel factor analysis, how tVNS modulates idle occipital alpha (8-13Hz) activity identified in each participant. We found greater attenuation of alpha oscillations by tVNS than by sham stimulation. This demonstrates that tVNS reliably induces pupillary and EEG markers of arousal beyond the effects of somatosensory stimulation, thus supporting the hypothesis that tVNS elevates noradrenaline and other arousal-promoting neuromodulatory signaling, and mimics invasive VNS.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Current noninvasive brain stimulation techniques are mostly confined to modulating cortical activity, as is typical with transcranial magnetic or transcranial direct/alternating current electrical stimulation. Transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS) has been proposed to stimulate subcortical arousal-promoting nuclei, though previous studies yielded inconsistent results. Here we show that short (3.4 s) tVNS pulses in naive healthy male volunteers induced transient pupil dilation and attenuation of occipital alpha oscillations. These markers of brain arousal are in line with the established effects of invasive VNS on locus coeruleus-noradrenaline signaling, and support that tVNS mimics VNS. Therefore, tVNS can be used as a tool for studying how endogenous subcortical neuromodulatory signaling affects human cognition, including perception, attention, memory, and decision-making; and also for developing novel clinical applications.
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Perez DM. α 1-Adrenergic Receptors in Neurotransmission, Synaptic Plasticity, and Cognition. Front Pharmacol 2020; 11:581098. [PMID: 33117176 PMCID: PMC7553051 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2020.581098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2020] [Accepted: 09/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
α1-adrenergic receptors are G-Protein Coupled Receptors that are involved in neurotransmission and regulate the sympathetic nervous system through binding and activating the neurotransmitter, norepinephrine, and the neurohormone, epinephrine. There are three α1-adrenergic receptor subtypes (α1A, α1B, α1D) that are known to play various roles in neurotransmission and cognition. They are related to two other adrenergic receptor families that also bind norepinephrine and epinephrine, the β- and α2-, each with three subtypes (β1, β2, β3, α2A, α2B, α2C). Previous studies assessing the roles of α1-adrenergic receptors in neurotransmission and cognition have been inconsistent. This was due to the use of poorly-selective ligands and many of these studies were published before the characterization of the cloned receptor subtypes and the subsequent development of animal models. With the availability of more-selective ligands and the development of animal models, a clearer picture of their role in cognition and neurotransmission can be assessed. In this review, we highlight the significant role that the α1-adrenergic receptor plays in regulating synaptic efficacy, both short and long-term synaptic plasticity, and its regulation of different types of memory. We will also present evidence that the α1-adrenergic receptors, and particularly the α1A-adrenergic receptor subtype, are a potentially good target to treat a wide variety of neurological conditions with diminished cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dianne M Perez
- The Lerner Research Institute, The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH, United States
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33
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Abstract
As all human activities, verbal communication is fraught with errors. It is estimated that humans produce around 16,000 words per day, but the word that is selected for production is not always correct and neither is the articulation always flawless. However, to facilitate communication, it is important to limit the number of errors. This is accomplished via the verbal monitoring mechanism. A body of research over the last century has uncovered a number of properties of the mechanisms at work during verbal monitoring. Over a dozen routes for verbal monitoring have been postulated. However, to date a complete account of verbal monitoring does not exist. In the current paper we first outline the properties of verbal monitoring that have been empirically demonstrated. This is followed by a discussion of current verbal monitoring models: the perceptual loop theory, conflict monitoring, the hierarchical state feedback control model, and the forward model theory. Each of these models is evaluated given empirical findings and theoretical considerations. We then outline lacunae of current theories, which we address with a proposal for a new model of verbal monitoring for production and perception, based on conflict monitoring models. Additionally, this novel model suggests a mechanism of how a detected error leads to a correction. The error resolution mechanism proposed in our new model is then tested in a computational model. Finally, we outline the advances and predictions of the model.
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Morris LS, McCall JG, Charney DS, Murrough JW. The role of the locus coeruleus in the generation of pathological anxiety. Brain Neurosci Adv 2020; 4:2398212820930321. [PMID: 32954002 PMCID: PMC7479871 DOI: 10.1177/2398212820930321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2020] [Accepted: 04/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
This review aims to synthesise a large pre-clinical and clinical
literature related to a hypothesised role of the locus coeruleus
norepinephrine system in responses to acute and chronic threat, as
well as the emergence of pathological anxiety. The locus coeruleus has
widespread norepinephrine projections throughout the central nervous
system, which act to globally modulate arousal states and adaptive
behavior, crucially positioned to play a significant role in
modulating both ascending visceral and descending cortical
neurocognitive information. In response to threat or a stressor, the
locus coeruleus–norepinephrine system globally modulates arousal,
alerting and orienting functions and can have a powerful effect on the
regulation of multiple memory systems. Chronic stress leads to
amplification of locus coeruleus reactivity to subsequent stressors,
which is coupled with the emergence of pathological anxiety-like
behaviors in rodents. While direct in vivo evidence for locus
coeruleus dysfunction in humans with pathological anxiety remains
limited, recent advances in high-resolution 7-T magnetic resonance
imaging and computational modeling approaches are starting to provide
new insights into locus coeruleus characteristics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurel S Morris
- The Depression and Anxiety Center for Discovery and Treatment, Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jordan G McCall
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Dennis S Charney
- Dean's Office, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - James W Murrough
- The Depression and Anxiety Center for Discovery and Treatment, Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
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35
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Khakpay R, Azaddar M, Khakpai F. Involvement of glutamate receptors of the paragigantocellularis lateralis nucleus in the pain modulatory effect of 17β-estradiol in male rats. Acta Neurol Belg 2020; 120:653-660. [PMID: 30132138 DOI: 10.1007/s13760-018-0998-5] [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: 03/05/2018] [Accepted: 07/28/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
The pain modulatory role of the paragigantocellularis lateralis nucleus (LPGi) and the 17β-estradiol has thoroughly been probed. This study investigates the contribution of ionotropic glutamate receptors in pain modulatory effect of intra-LPGi injection of 17β-estradiol. For this purpose, the LPGi nucleus cannulation was performed and drugs were injected into this nucleus, 15 min prior to the formalin test. The duration of formalin-induced flexing and licking behaviors was recorded for 60 min immediately after formalin injection. The results showed that the flexing behavior is significantly decreased by intra-LPGi injection of 0.8 µmol 17β-estradiol duringboth phases of formalin test (P < 0.001). However, 17β-estradiol attenuated the licking duration only in the second phase (P < 0.001). Interestingly, NMDA and AMPA/kainate receptor antagonists (AP5 and CNQX, respectively) significantly counteracted the analgesic effect of intra-LPGi injection of 17β-estradiol in both phases of the formalin test (P < 0.001). Consequently, the revealing results showed that the analgesic effect of intra-LPGi injection of 17β-estradiol on acute inflammatory pain might be mediated via the activation of ionotropic glutamate receptors.
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Robbins TW. Pharmacological treatment of cognitive deficits in nondementing mental health disorders
. DIALOGUES IN CLINICAL NEUROSCIENCE 2020; 21:301-308. [PMID: 31749654 PMCID: PMC6829171 DOI: 10.31887/dcns.2019.21.3/trobbins] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Evidence for pharmacological remediation of cognitive deficits in three major
psychiatric disorders—attention deficit- hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), schizophrenia,
and depression—is reviewed. ADHD is effectively treated with the stimulant medications
methylphenidate and d-amphetamine, as well as nonstimulants such as atomoxetine,
implicating cognitive enhancing effects mediated by noradrenaline and dopamine. However,
the precise mechanisms underlying these effects remains unclear. Cognitive deficits in
schizophrenia are less effectively treated, but attempts via a variety of
neurotransmitter strategies are surveyed. The possibility of treating cognitive deficits
in depression via antidepressant medication (eg, selective serotonin reuptake
inhibitors) and by adjunctive drug treatment has only recently received attention
because of confounding, or possibly interactive, effects on mood. Prospects for future
advances in this important area may need to take into account transdiagnostic
perspectives on cognition (including neurodegenerative diseases) as well as improvements
in neuropsychological, neurobiological, and clinical trial design approaches to
cognitive enhancement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trevor W Robbins
- Department of Psychology and Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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37
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He M, Heindel WC, Nassar MR, Siefert EM, Festa EK. Age-related changes in the functional integrity of the phasic alerting system: a pupillometric investigation. Neurobiol Aging 2020; 91:136-147. [PMID: 32224065 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2020.02.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2018] [Revised: 02/24/2020] [Accepted: 02/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Enhanced processing following a warning cue is thought to be mediated by a phasic alerting response involving the locus coeruleus-noradrenergic (LC-NA) system. We examined the effect of aging on phasic alerting using pupil dilation as a marker of LC-NA activity in conjunction with a novel assessment of task-evoked pupil dilation. While both young and older adults displayed behavioral and pupillary alerting effects, reflected in decreased RT and increased pupillary response under high (tone) versus low (no tone) alerting conditions, older adults displayed a weaker pupillary response that benefited more from the alerting tone. The strong association between dilation and speed displayed by older adults in both alerting conditions was reduced in young adults in the high alerting condition, suggesting that in young (but not older) adults the tone conferred relatively little behavioral benefit beyond that provided by the alerting effect elicited by the target. These findings suggest a functioning but deficient LC-NA alerting system in older adults, and help reconcile previous results concerning the effects of aging on phasic alerting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingjian He
- Department of Cognitive, Linguistic, and Psychological Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | - William C Heindel
- Department of Cognitive, Linguistic, and Psychological Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | - Matthew R Nassar
- Department of Cognitive, Linguistic, and Psychological Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | - Elizabeth M Siefert
- Department of Cognitive, Linguistic, and Psychological Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | - Elena K Festa
- Department of Cognitive, Linguistic, and Psychological Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA.
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Ishikawa M, Senju A, Itakura S. Learning Process of Gaze Following: Computational Modeling Based on Reinforcement Learning. Front Psychol 2020; 11:213. [PMID: 32194471 PMCID: PMC7063100 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2019] [Accepted: 01/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Many studies have explored factors which influence gaze-following behavior of young infants. However, the results of empirical studies were inconsistent, and the mechanism underlying the contextual modulation of gaze following remains unclear. In order to provide valuable insight into the mechanisms underlying gaze following, we conducted computational modeling using Q-learning algorithm and simulated the learning process of infant gaze following to suggest a feasible model. In Experiment 1, we simulated how communicative cues and infant internal states affect the learning process of gaze following. The simulation indicated that the model in which communicative cues enhance infant internal states is the most feasible to explain the infant learning process. In Experiment 2, we simulated how individual differences in motivation for communication affect the learning process. The results showed that low motivation for communication can delay the learning process and decrease the frequency of gaze following. These simulations suggest that communicative cues may enhance infants' internal states and promote the development of gaze following. Also, initial social motivation may affect the learning process of social behaviors in the long term.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mitsuhiko Ishikawa
- Department of Psychology, Graduate School of Letters, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
- Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Atsushi Senju
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck, University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Shoji Itakura
- Department of Psychology, Graduate School of Letters, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
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Finke JB, Schächinger H. Central Sympathetic Nervous System Effects on Cognitive-Motor Performance. Exp Psychol 2020; 67:77-87. [DOI: 10.1027/1618-3169/a000475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Abstract. The intriguing interplay between acute stress physiology and cognitive processes has long been noted. However, while stress-induced release of glucocorticoids has repeatedly been shown to impact brain mechanisms underlying cognition and memory, less experimental research addressed the effects of stress-induced central sympathetic nervous system (SNS) activation on cognitive performance. Moreover, despite the long-standing notion that the way performance is modulated by arousal may crucially depend on task complexity, mechanistic research demonstrating a direct, causal influence of altered SNS activity is scarce. Twelve healthy men participated in a placebo-controlled, pharmacologic dose–response study involving three within-subject assessments (1-week intervals). Subjective and objective indices of SNS activity as well as reaction time (RT) in three different tasks varying in cognitive demand (simple RT, choice RT, and verbal RT in complex mental arithmetic) were assessed during modulation of central SNS tone by intravenous infusions of dexmedetomidine (alpha2-agonist), yohimbine (alpha2-antagonist), and placebo. Cognitive performance was negatively affected by alpha2-agonism in all task conditions. By contrast, administration of yohimbine improved simple RT, while diminishing complex RT, supporting the assumption of a nonlinear way of action depending on task characteristics. Our results highlight the consequences of central (noradrenergic) SNS activation for cognitive-motor performance in RT tasks of varying complexity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johannes B. Finke
- Institute of Psychobiology, Department of Clinical Psychophysiology, University of Trier, Trier, Germany
- Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Siegen, Siegen, Germany
| | - Hartmut Schächinger
- Institute of Psychobiology, Department of Clinical Psychophysiology, University of Trier, Trier, Germany
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Morris LS, Tan A, Smith DA, Grehl M, Han-Huang K, Naidich TP, Charney DS, Balchandani P, Kundu P, Murrough JW. Sub-millimeter variation in human locus coeruleus is associated with dimensional measures of psychopathology: An in vivo ultra-high field 7-Tesla MRI study. NEUROIMAGE-CLINICAL 2020; 25:102148. [PMID: 32097890 PMCID: PMC7037543 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2019.102148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2019] [Revised: 12/23/2019] [Accepted: 12/26/2019] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
We combined ultra-high field 7-Tesla and 0.4 × 0.4 × 0.5 mm quantitative MR imaging with a computational LC localization and segmentation algorithm. LC was delineated in 29 human subjects including subjects with and without an anxiety or stress-related disorder. Patients with an anxiety or stress-related disorder had larger LC compared to controls (Cohen's d = 1.08, p = 0.024). Larger LC was additionally associated with poorer attentional and inhibitory control and higher anxious arousal (FDR-corrected p's<0.025), trans-diagnostically across the full sample.
The locus coeruleus (LC) has a long-established role in the attentional and arousal response to threat, and in the emergence of pathological anxiety in pre-clinical models. However, human evidence of links between LC function and pathological anxiety has been restricted by limitations in discerning LC with current neuroimaging techniques. We combined ultra-high field 7-Tesla and 0.4 × 0.4 × 0.5 mm quantitative MR imaging with a computational LC localization and segmentation algorithm to delineate the LC in 29 human subjects including subjects with and without an anxiety or stress-related disorder. Our automated, data-driven LC segmentation algorithm provided LC delineations that corresponded well with postmortem anatomic definitions of the LC. There was variation of LC size in healthy subjects (125.7 +/- 59.3 mm3), which recapitulates histological reports. Patients with an anxiety or stress-related disorder had larger LC compared to controls (Cohen's d = 1.08, p = 0.024). Larger LC was additionally associated with poorer attentional and inhibitory control and higher anxious arousal (FDR-corrected p's<0.025), trans-diagnostically across the full sample. This study combined high-resolution and quantitative MR with a mixture of supervised and unsupervised computational techniques to provide robust, sub-millimeter measurements of the LC in vivo, which were additionally related to common psychopathology. This work has wide-reaching applications for a range of neurological and psychiatric disorders characterized by expected LC dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurel S Morris
- Depression and Anxiety Center for Discovery and Treatment, Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine of Mount Sinai.
| | - Aaron Tan
- Depression and Anxiety Center for Discovery and Treatment, Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine of Mount Sinai
| | - Derek A Smith
- BioMedical Engineering and Imaging Institute, Icahn School of Medicine of Mount Sinai
| | - Mora Grehl
- Depression and Anxiety Center for Discovery and Treatment, Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine of Mount Sinai
| | - Kuang Han-Huang
- BioMedical Engineering and Imaging Institute, Icahn School of Medicine of Mount Sinai
| | - Thomas P Naidich
- BioMedical Engineering and Imaging Institute, Icahn School of Medicine of Mount Sinai; Department of Neurosurgery, Icahn School of Medicine of Mount Sinai; Department of Pediatrics, Icahn School of Medicine of Mount Sinai
| | | | - Priti Balchandani
- BioMedical Engineering and Imaging Institute, Icahn School of Medicine of Mount Sinai
| | - Prantik Kundu
- BioMedical Engineering and Imaging Institute, Icahn School of Medicine of Mount Sinai
| | - James W Murrough
- Depression and Anxiety Center for Discovery and Treatment, Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine of Mount Sinai.
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Effects of precondition α 2-adrenoceptor agents on memory- and anxiety-related processes in the transient cerebral ischemic rats. Naunyn Schmiedebergs Arch Pharmacol 2019; 393:315-324. [PMID: 31616966 DOI: 10.1007/s00210-019-01723-1] [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: 05/26/2019] [Accepted: 08/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Neurological evidence for the neuroprotective function of α2-adrenoceptors in the cerebral ischemia is inconsistent. It is not examined how pretreatment with a single dose of α2-adrenoceptor agents can affect motor function and anxiety- and memory-related responses in the cerebral ischemic animals. The transient forebrain ischemia model was provided, using a bilateral common carotid arterial occlusion (two-vessel occlusion, 2VO) in male Wistar rats. The 2VO rats impaired motor functions in the Rota-rod and wire grip tests and also decreased the step-through latency and the percentage of time spent on the open arms (%OAT), the percentage of entries into the open arms (%OAE) as well as locomotion in the elevated plus maze (EPM), indicating a memory deficit and anxiety-like behavior. Intraperitoneal single administration of yohimbine (0, 0.001, 0.01, and 0.1 mg/kg) before the 2VO did not alter these parameters while the higher and middle doses of clonidine (0.01 and 0.1 mg/kg) prevented the memory deficit and hypo-locomotion and its middle dose abrogated Rota-rod dysfunction and anxiety-like response. Meanwhile, both drugs did not influence on the measured behaviors in the sham groups by themselves. Moreover, yohimbine (0.001 mg/kg) abolished the beneficial effects of clonidine (0.01 and 0.1 mg/kg) on motor function in the Rota-rod and memory retention and also at its middle dose on the %OAT and locomotion in the 2VO rats. Our findings show a neuroprotective role for clonidine in motor function and memory- and anxiety-related behaviors of 2VO rats and the importance of α2-adrenoceptors in these processes.
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Thiele A, Bellgrove MA. Neuromodulation of Attention. Neuron 2019; 97:769-785. [PMID: 29470969 PMCID: PMC6204752 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2018.01.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 176] [Impact Index Per Article: 35.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2017] [Revised: 10/26/2017] [Accepted: 01/02/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Attention is critical to high-level cognition and attention deficits are a hallmark of neurologic and neuropsychiatric disorders. Although years of research indicates that distinct neuromodulators influence attentional control, a mechanistic account that traverses levels of analysis (cells, circuits, behavior) is missing. However, such an account is critical to guide the development of next-generation pharmacotherapies aimed at forestalling or remediating the global burden associated with disorders of attention. Here, we summarize current neuroscientific understanding of how attention affects single neurons and networks of neurons. We then review key results that have informed our understanding of how neuromodulation shapes these neuron and network properties and thereby enables the appropriate allocation of attention to relevant external or internal events. Finally, we highlight areas where we believe hypotheses can be formulated and tackled experimentally in the near future, thereby critically increasing our mechanistic understanding of how attention is implemented at the cellular and network levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Thiele
- Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
| | - Mark A Bellgrove
- Monash Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neurosciences (MICCN) and School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
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Effects of Exercise on Cognitive Performance in Children and Adolescents with ADHD: Potential Mechanisms and Evidence-based Recommendations. J Clin Med 2019; 8:jcm8060841. [PMID: 31212854 PMCID: PMC6617109 DOI: 10.3390/jcm8060841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2019] [Revised: 06/04/2019] [Accepted: 06/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder with a complex symptomatology, and core symptoms as well as functional impairment often persist into adulthood. Recent investigations estimate the worldwide prevalence of ADHD in children and adolescents to be ~7%, which is a substantial increase compared to a decade ago. Conventional treatment most often includes pharmacotherapy with central nervous stimulants, but the number of non-responders and adverse effects call for treatment alternatives. Exercise has been suggested as a safe and low-cost adjunctive therapy for ADHD and is reported to be accompanied by positive effects on several aspects of cognitive functions in the general child population. Here we review existing evidence that exercise affects cognitive functions in children with and without ADHD and present likely neurophysiological mechanisms of action. We find well-described associations between physical activity and ADHD, as well as causal evidence in the form of small to moderate beneficial effects following acute aerobic exercise on executive functions in children with ADHD. Despite large heterogeneity, meta-analyses find small positive effects of exercise in population-based control (PBC) children, and our extracted effect sizes from long-term interventions suggest consistent positive effects in children and adolescents with ADHD. Paucity of studies probing the effect of different exercise parameters impedes finite conclusions in this regard. Large-scale clinical trials with appropriately timed exercise are needed. In summary, the existing preliminary evidence suggests that exercise can improve cognitive performance intimately linked to ADHD presentations in children with and without an ADHD diagnosis. Based on the findings from both PBC and ADHD children, we cautiously provide recommendations for parameters of exercise.
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Schatz KC, Brown LM, Barrett AR, Roth LC, Grinevich V, Paul MJ. Viral rescue of magnocellular vasopressin cells in adolescent Brattleboro rats ameliorates diabetes insipidus, but not the hypoaroused phenotype. Sci Rep 2019; 9:8243. [PMID: 31160697 PMCID: PMC6546688 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-44776-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2019] [Accepted: 05/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Dysregulated arousal often accompanies neurodevelopmental disorders such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and autism spectrum disorder. Recently, we have found that adolescent homozygous Brattleboro (Hom) rats, which contain a mutation in the arginine vasopressin (AVP) gene, exhibit lower behavioral arousal than their heterozygous (Het) littermates in the open field test. This hypoaroused phenotype could be due to loss of AVP in magnocellular cells that supply AVP to the peripheral circulation and project to limbic structures or parvocellular cells that regulate the stress axis and other central targets. Alternatively, hypoarousal could be a side effect of diabetes insipidus - polydipsia and polyuria seen in Hom rats due to loss of AVP facilitation of water reabsorption in the kidney. We developed a viral-rescue approach to "cure" magnocellular AVP cells of their Brattleboro mutation. Infusion of a recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) containing a functional Avp gene and promoter (rAAV-AVP) rescued AVP within magnocellular cells and fiber projections of the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN) of male and female adolescent Hom rats. Furthermore, water intake was markedly reduced, ameliorating the symptoms of diabetes insipidus. In contrast, open field activity was unaffected. These findings indicate that the hyporaoused phenotype of adolescent Hom rats is not due to the loss of AVP function in magnocellular cells or a side effect of diabetes insipidus, but favors the hypothesis that central, parvocellular AVP mechanisms underlie the regulation of arousal during adolescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- K C Schatz
- Department of Psychology, University at Buffalo, SUNY, Buffalo, 14260, NY, USA.
| | - L M Brown
- Department of Psychology, University at Buffalo, SUNY, Buffalo, 14260, NY, USA
| | - A R Barrett
- Department of Psychology, University at Buffalo, SUNY, Buffalo, 14260, NY, USA
| | - L C Roth
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, Heidelberg, 69120, Germany
- Letten Centre and GliaLab, Department of Physiology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo, 0317, Oslo, Norway
| | - V Grinevich
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, Heidelberg, 69120, Germany
- Schaller Group on Neuropeptides, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, 69120, Germany
- Department of Neuropeptide Research for Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, 68159, Germany
| | - M J Paul
- Department of Psychology, University at Buffalo, SUNY, Buffalo, 14260, NY, USA
- Neuroscience Program, University at Buffalo, SUNY, Buffalo, 14260, NY, USA
- Evolution, Ecology and Behavior Program, University at Buffalo, SUNY, Buffalo, 14260, NY, USA
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Klarer M, Weber-Stadlbauer U, Arnold M, Langhans W, Meyer U. Abdominal vagal deafferentation alters affective behaviors in rats. J Affect Disord 2019; 252:404-412. [PMID: 31003109 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2019.04.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2018] [Revised: 02/19/2019] [Accepted: 04/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is growing evidence for a role of abnormal gut-brain signaling in disorders involving altered mood and affect, including depression. Studies using vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) suggest that the disruption of vagal afferent signaling may contribute to these abnormalities. To test this hypothesis, we used a rat model of subdiaphragmatic vagal deafferentation (SDA), the most complete and selective vagal deafferentation method existing to date, to study the consequences of complete disconnection of abdominal vagal afferents on affective behaviors. METHODS SDA- and Sham-operated male rats were subjected to several tests that are commonly used in preclinical rodent models to assess the presence of anhedonic behavior, namely the novel object-induced exploration test, the novelty-suppressed eating test, and the sucrose preference test. In addition, we compared SDA and Sham rats in a social interaction test and the forced swim test to assess sociability and behavioral despair, respectively. RESULTS Compared to Sham controls, SDA rats consistently displayed signs of anhedonic behavior in all test settings used. SDA rats also showed increased immobility and reduced swimming in the forced swim test, whereas they did not differ from Sham controls with regards to social approach behavior. LIMITATIONS This study was conducted in male rats only. Hence, possible sex-specific effects of SDA on affective behaviors remained unexamined. CONCLUSIONS Our findings demonstrate that hedonic behavior and behavioral despair are subject to visceral modulation through abdominal vagal afferents. These data are compatible with preclinical models and clinical trials showing beneficial effects of VNS on depression-like and affective behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melanie Klarer
- Physiology and Behavior Laboratory, ETH Zurich, Schwerzenbach, Switzerland; Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zurich-Vetsuisse, Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Ulrike Weber-Stadlbauer
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zurich-Vetsuisse, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Myrtha Arnold
- Physiology and Behavior Laboratory, ETH Zurich, Schwerzenbach, Switzerland
| | - Wolfgang Langhans
- Physiology and Behavior Laboratory, ETH Zurich, Schwerzenbach, Switzerland
| | - Urs Meyer
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zurich-Vetsuisse, Zurich, Switzerland; Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Switzerland
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Chen J, Chen W, Han K, Qi E, Chen R, Yu M, Hou L, Lv L. Effect of oxidative stress in rostral ventrolateral medulla on sympathetic hyperactivity after traumatic brain injury. Eur J Neurosci 2019; 50:1972-1980. [PMID: 30762917 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.14374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2018] [Revised: 01/18/2019] [Accepted: 02/07/2019] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Sympathetic hyperactivity occurs in a subgroup of patients after traumatic brain injury (TBI). The rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM) is a key region for the activity of sympathetic nervous system. Oxidative stress in the RVLM is proved to be responsible for the increased level of sympathetic activity in animal models of hypertension and heart failure. In this study, we investigated whether oxidative stress in the RVLM contributed to the development of sympathetic hyperactivity after TBI in rats. Model of diffuse axonal injury was induced using Sprague-Dawley rats, and level of mean arterial pressure (MAP) and plasma Norepinephrine (NE) was measured to evaluate the sympathetic activity. For the assessment of oxidative stress, expression of reactive oxygen species (ROS), malondialdehyde (MDA), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) in the RVLM was determined. Microinjection of Tempol into the RVLM was performed to determine the effect of oxidative stress on sympathetic hyperactivity. According to the results, TBI led to elevated MAP and plasma NE in rats. It also induced a significantly increased level of ROS, MDA production and decreased level of SOD in the RVLM. The sympathetic activity, ROS, and MDA in the RVLM decreased significantly after microinjection of Tempol. Therefore, the present results suggested that oxidative stress in the RVLM was involved in the development of sympathetic hyperactivity following TBI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jigang Chen
- Department of Neurosurgery, Changzheng Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Wen Chen
- Department of Neurosurgery, Changzheng Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Kaiwei Han
- Department of Neurosurgery, Changzheng Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Enbo Qi
- Department of Neurosurgery, Changzheng Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Rongbin Chen
- Department of Neurosurgery, Changzheng Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Minkun Yu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Changzheng Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Lijun Hou
- Department of Neurosurgery, Changzheng Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Liquan Lv
- Department of Neurosurgery, Changzheng Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
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Abstract
It has long been known from animal literature that the locus coeruleus (LC), the source region of noradrenergic neurons in the brain, is sensitive to unexpected, novel, and other salient events. In humans, however, direct assessment of LC activity has proven to be challenging due to its small size and difficult localization, which is why noradrenergic activity has often been assessed using more indirect measures such as electroencephalography (EEG) and pupil recordings. Here, we combined high-resolution functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) with a special anatomical sequence to assess neural activity in the LC in response to different types of salient stimuli in an oddball paradigm (novel neutral oddballs, novel emotional oddballs, and familiar target oddballs). We found a significant linear increase of LC activity from standard trials, over familiar target oddballs, to novel neutral and novel emotional oddballs. Importantly, when breaking down this linear trend, only novel oddball stimuli led to robust activity increases as compared to standard trials, with no statistical difference between neutral and emotional ones. This pattern suggests that activity modulations in the LC in the present study were mainly driven by stimulus novelty, rather than by emotional saliency, task relevance, or contextual novelty alone. Moreover, the absence of significant activity modulations in response to target oddballs (which were reported in a recent study) suggests that the LC represents relative rather than absolute saliency of a stimulus in its respective context.
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Davoudi M, Azizi H, Mirnajafi-Zadeh J, Semnanian S. Decrease of inhibitory synaptic currents of locus coeruleus neurons via orexin type 1 receptors in the context of naloxone-induced morphine withdrawal. J Physiol Sci 2019; 69:281-293. [PMID: 30406600 PMCID: PMC10717061 DOI: 10.1007/s12576-018-0645-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2018] [Accepted: 10/25/2018] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Acute opioid withdrawal syndrome is a series of neurological symptoms caused by the abrupt cessation of the chronic administration of opioids such as morphine. The locus coeruleus (LC) in the brain stem receives a dense projection of orexinergic fibers from the hypothalamus and is a candidate site for the expression of the somatic aspects of morphine withdrawal. Previous studies have shown that orexin-A contributes to the behavioral symptoms of naloxone-induced morphine withdrawal, partly by reducing the activity of GABAergic neurons, suggesting that orexin-A may negatively modulate fast GABAergic neurotransmission during morphine withdrawal. We used whole-cell patch-clamp recordings of LC neurons in brainstem slices to investigate the effect of orexin-A on bicuculline-sensitive GABAergic inhibitory postsynaptic currents (IPSCs) during naloxone-induced morphine withdrawal. Male Wistar rats (P14-P21) were given morphine (20 mg/kg, i.p.) daily for seven consecutive days to create dependency on the drug. The application of naloxone (1 µM) to brain slices of morphine-treated rats reduced the amplitude of evoked IPSCs (eIPSCs) as well as spontaneous IPSCs (sIPSCs) frequency but did not change sIPSCs amplitude. Orexin-A (100 nM) significantly enhanced the suppressive effect of naloxone on eIPSCs amplitude and sIPSCs frequency but had no effect on the presence of the orexin type 1 receptor (OX1R) antagonist, SB-334867. Orexin-A alone had no significant effect on eIPSCs and sIPSCs in the absence of naloxone. In summary, our results show that orexin-A, via OX1R, potentiates the suppressive effect of naloxone on GABAergic IPSCs of LC neurons in morphine-treated rats. We conclude that orexins may have a critical role in regulating GABAergic neurotransmission to LC neurons during naloxone-induced morphine withdrawal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahnaz Davoudi
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Hossein Azizi
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Javad Mirnajafi-Zadeh
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Saeed Semnanian
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.
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Abstract
According to the natural pedagogy theory, infant gaze following is based on an understanding of the communicative intent of specific ostensive cues. However, it has remained unclear how eye contact affects this understanding and why it induces gaze following behaviour. In this study, we examined infant arousal in different gaze following contexts and whether arousal levels during eye contact predict gaze following. Twenty-five infants, ages 9-10 months participated in this study. They watched a video of an actress gazing towards one of two objects and then either looking directly into the camera to make eye contact or not showing any communicative intent. We found that eye contact led to an elevation in the infants' heart rates (HRs) and that HR during eye contact was predictive of later gaze following. Furthermore, increases in HR predicted gaze following whether it was accompanied by communicative cues or not. These findings suggest that infant gaze following behaviour is associated with both communicative cues and physiological arousal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mitsuhiko Ishikawa
- 1 Department of Psychology, Graduate School of Letters, Kyoto University , Yoshida-Honmachi, Kyoto 606-8501 , Japan.,2 Japan Society for Promotion of Science , 5-3-1 Kojimachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-0083 , Japan
| | - Shoji Itakura
- 1 Department of Psychology, Graduate School of Letters, Kyoto University , Yoshida-Honmachi, Kyoto 606-8501 , Japan
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Behavioral correlates of activity of optogenetically identified locus coeruleus noradrenergic neurons in rats performing T-maze tasks. Sci Rep 2019; 9:1361. [PMID: 30718532 PMCID: PMC6362200 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-37227-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2018] [Accepted: 11/28/2018] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The nucleusLocus Coeruleus (LC) is the major source of forebrain norepinephrine. LC is implicated in arousal, response to novelty, and cognitive functions, including decision-making and behavioral flexibility. One hypothesis is that LC activation promotes rapid shifts in cortical attentional networks following changes in environmental contingencies. Recent recordings further suggest LC is critical for mobilizing resources to deal with challenging situations. In the present study optogenetically identified LC neuronal activity was recorded in rats in a self-paced T-maze. Rats were trained on visual discrimination; then place-reward contingencies were instated. In the session where the animal shifted tasks the first time, the LC firing rate after visual cue onset increased significantly, even as the animal adhered to the previous rule. Firing rate also increased prior to crossing photodetectors that controlled stimulus onset and offset, and this was positively correlated with accelerations, consistent with a role in mobilizing effort. The results contribute to the growing evidence that the noradrenergic LC is essential for behavioral adaptation by promoting cognitive flexibility and mobilizing effort in face of changing environmental contingencies.
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