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Benoit LJ, Canetta S, Kellendonk C. Thalamocortical Development: A Neurodevelopmental Framework for Schizophrenia. Biol Psychiatry 2022; 92:491-500. [PMID: 35550792 PMCID: PMC9999366 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2022.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Revised: 02/22/2022] [Accepted: 03/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Adolescence is a period of increased vulnerability for the development of psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia. The prefrontal cortex (PFC) undergoes substantial maturation during this period, and PFC dysfunction is central to cognitive impairments in schizophrenia. As a result, impaired adolescent maturation of the PFC has been proposed as a mechanism in the etiology of the disorder and its cognitive symptoms. In adulthood, PFC function is tightly linked to its reciprocal connections with the thalamus, and acutely inhibiting thalamic inputs to the PFC produces impairments in PFC function and cognitive deficits. Here, we propose that thalamic activity is equally important during adolescence because it is required for proper PFC circuit development. Because thalamic abnormalities have been observed early in the progression of schizophrenia, we further postulate that adolescent thalamic dysfunction can have long-lasting consequences for PFC function and cognition in patients with schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura J Benoit
- Graduate Program in Neurobiology and Behavior, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York
| | - Sarah Canetta
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York; Division of Developmental Neuroscience, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, New York
| | - Christoph Kellendonk
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York; Department of Pharmacology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York; Division of Molecular Therapeutics, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, New York.
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2
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Clinton SM, Unroe KA, Shupe EA, McCoy CR, Glover ME. Resilience to Stress: Lessons from Rodents about Nature versus Nurture. Neuroscientist 2022; 28:283-298. [PMID: 33567987 PMCID: PMC11092422 DOI: 10.1177/1073858421989357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Individual differences in human temperament influence how we respond to stress and can confer vulnerability (or resilience) to emotional disorders. For example, high levels of behavioral inhibition in children predict increased risk of mood and anxiety disorders in later life. The biological underpinnings of temperament are unknown, although improved understanding can offer insight into the pathogenesis of emotional disorders. Our laboratory has used a rat model of temperamental differences to study neurodevelopmental factors that lead to a highly inhibited, stress vulnerable phenotype. Selective breeding for high versus low behavioral response to novelty created two rat strains that exhibit dramatic behavior differences over multiple domains relevant to emotional disorders. Low novelty responder (bLR) rats exhibit high levels of behavioral inhibition, passive stress coping, anhedonia, decreased sociability and vulnerability to chronic stress compared to high novelty responders (bHRs). On the other hand, bHRs exhibit high levels of behavioral dis-inhibition, active coping, and aggression. This review article summarizes our work with the bHR/bLR model showing the developmental emergence of the bHR/bLR phenotypes, the role the environment plays in shaping it, and the involvement of epigenetic processes such as DNA methylation that mediate differences in emotionality and stress reactivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah M. Clinton
- School of Neuroscience, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
| | - Keaton A. Unroe
- School of Neuroscience, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
| | - Elizabeth A. Shupe
- School of Neuroscience, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
| | - Chelsea R. McCoy
- School of Neuroscience, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
| | - Matthew E. Glover
- School of Neuroscience, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
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3
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Breach MR, Dye CN, Joshi A, Platko S, Gilfarb RA, Krug AR, Franceschelli DV, Galan A, Dodson CM, Lenz KM. Maternal allergic inflammation in rats impacts the offspring perinatal neuroimmune milieu and the development of social play, locomotor behavior, and cognitive flexibility. Brain Behav Immun 2021; 95:269-286. [PMID: 33798637 PMCID: PMC8187275 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2021.03.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2020] [Revised: 03/22/2021] [Accepted: 03/27/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Maternal systemic inflammation increases risk for neurodevelopmental disorders like autism, ADHD, and schizophrenia in offspring. Notably, these disorders are male-biased. Studies have implicated immune system dysfunction in the etiology of these disorders, and rodent models of maternal immune activation provide useful tools to examine mechanisms of sex-dependent effects on brain development, immunity, and behavior. Here, we employed an allergen-induced model of maternal inflammation in rats to characterize levels of mast cells and microglia in the perinatal period in male and female offspring, as well as social, emotional, and cognitive behaviors throughout the lifespan. Adult female rats were sensitized to ovalbumin (OVA), bred, and challenged intranasally on gestational day 15 of pregnancy with OVA or saline. Allergic inflammation upregulated microglia in the fetal brain, increased mast cell number in the hippocampus on the day of birth, and conferred region-, time- and sex- specific changes in microglia measures. Additionally, offspring of OVA-exposed mothers subsequently exhibited abnormal social behavior, hyperlocomotion, and reduced cognitive flexibility. These data demonstrate the long-term effects of maternal allergic challenge on offspring development and provide a basis for understanding neurodevelopmental disorders linked to maternal systemic inflammation in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michaela R. Breach
- Department of Neuroscience, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA,Neuroscience Graduate Program, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Courtney N. Dye
- Department of Neuroscience, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA,Neuroscience Graduate Program, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Aarohi Joshi
- Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Steven Platko
- Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Rachel A. Gilfarb
- Department of Neuroscience, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA,Neuroscience Graduate Program, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Annemarie R. Krug
- Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | | | - Anabel Galan
- Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Claire M. Dodson
- Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Kathryn M. Lenz
- Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA,Department of Neuroscience, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA,Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
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4
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Clinton SM, Shupe EA, Glover ME, Unroe KA, McCoy CR, Cohen JL, Kerman IA. Modeling heritability of temperamental differences, stress reactivity, and risk for anxiety and depression: Relevance to research domain criteria (RDoC). Eur J Neurosci 2021; 55:2076-2107. [PMID: 33629390 PMCID: PMC8382785 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2020] [Revised: 01/29/2021] [Accepted: 02/20/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Animal models provide important tools to study biological and environmental factors that shape brain function and behavior. These models can be effectively leveraged by drawing on concepts from the National Institute of Mental Health Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) Initiative, which aims to delineate molecular pathways and neural circuits that underpin behavioral anomalies that transcend psychiatric conditions. To study factors that contribute to individual differences in emotionality and stress reactivity, our laboratory utilized Sprague-Dawley rats that were selectively bred for differences in novelty exploration. Selective breeding for low versus high locomotor response to novelty produced rat lines that differ in behavioral domains relevant to anxiety and depression, particularly the RDoC Negative Valence domains, including acute threat, potential threat, and loss. Bred Low Novelty Responder (LR) rats, relative to their High Responder (HR) counterparts, display high levels of behavioral inhibition, conditioned and unconditioned fear, avoidance, passive stress coping, anhedonia, and psychomotor retardation. The HR/LR traits are heritable, emerge in the first weeks of life, and appear to be driven by alterations in the developing amygdala and hippocampus. Epigenomic and transcriptomic profiling in the developing and adult HR/LR brain suggest that DNA methylation and microRNAs, as well as differences in monoaminergic transmission (dopamine and serotonin in particular), contribute to their distinct behavioral phenotypes. This work exemplifies ways that animal models such as the HR/LR rats can be effectively used to study neural and molecular factors driving emotional behavior, which may pave the way toward improved understanding the neurobiological mechanisms involved in emotional disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah M Clinton
- School of Neuroscience, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Elizabeth A Shupe
- School of Neuroscience, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Matthew E Glover
- School of Neuroscience, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Keaton A Unroe
- School of Neuroscience, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Chelsea R McCoy
- School of Neuroscience, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Joshua L Cohen
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Ilan A Kerman
- School of Neuroscience, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA.,Behavioral Health Service Line, Veterans Affairs Pittsburgh Health System, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
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5
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García-Domínguez I, Suárez-Pereira I, Santiago M, Pérez-Villegas EM, Bravo L, López-Martín C, Roca-Ceballos MA, García-Revilla J, Espinosa-Oliva AM, Rodríguez-Gómez JA, Joseph B, Berrocoso E, Armengol JÁ, Venero JL, Ruiz R, de Pablos RM. Selective deletion of Caspase-3 gene in the dopaminergic system exhibits autistic-like behaviour. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2021; 104:110030. [PMID: 32634539 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2020.110030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2020] [Revised: 06/09/2020] [Accepted: 06/28/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Apoptotic caspases are thought to play critical roles in elimination of excessive and non-functional synapses and removal of extra cells during early developmental stages. Hence, an impairment of this process may thus constitute a basis for numerous neurological and psychiatric diseases. This view is especially relevant for dopamine due to its pleiotropic roles in motor control, motivation and reward processing. Here, we have analysed the effect of caspase-3 depletion on the development of catecholaminergic neurons and performed a wide array of neurochemical, ultrastructural and behavioural assays. To achieve this, we performed selective deletion of the Casp3 gene in tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-expressing cells using Cre-loxP-mediated recombination. Histological evaluation of most relevant catecholaminergic nuclei revealed the ventral mesencephalon as the most affected region. Stereological analysis demonstrated an increase in the number of TH-positive neurons in both the substantia nigra and ventral tegmental area along with enlarged volume of the ventral midbrain. Analysis of main innervating tissues revealed a rather contrasting profile. In striatum, basal extracellular levels and potassium-evoked DA release were significantly reduced in mice lacking Casp3, a clear indication of dopaminergic hypofunction in dopaminergic innervating tissues. This view was sustained by analysis of TH-labelled dopaminergic terminals by confocal and electron microscopy. Remarkably, at a behavioural level, Casp3-deficient mice exhibited impaired social interaction, restrictive interests and repetitive stereotypies, which are considered the core symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Our study revitalizes the potential involvement of dopaminergic transmission in ASD and provides an excellent model to get further insights in ASD pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene García-Domínguez
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain; Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla-Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío/CSIC/Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Irene Suárez-Pereira
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Spain; Neuropsychopharmacology & Psychobiology Research Group, Department of Neuroscience, University of Cádiz, 11003 Cádiz, Spain; Instituto de Investigación e Innovación en Ciencias Biomédicas de Cádiz, INiBICA, Hospital Universitario Puerta del Mar, Avda. Ana de Viya 21, 11009 Cádiz, Spain
| | - Marti Santiago
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain; Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla-Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío/CSIC/Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Eva M Pérez-Villegas
- Departamento de Fisiología, Anatomía y Biología Celular, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Lidia Bravo
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Spain; Neuropsychopharmacology & Psychobiology Research Group, Department of Neuroscience, University of Cádiz, 11003 Cádiz, Spain; Instituto de Investigación e Innovación en Ciencias Biomédicas de Cádiz, INiBICA, Hospital Universitario Puerta del Mar, Avda. Ana de Viya 21, 11009 Cádiz, Spain
| | - Carolina López-Martín
- Neuropsychopharmacology & Psychobiology Research Group, Department of Neuroscience, University of Cádiz, 11003 Cádiz, Spain; Instituto de Investigación e Innovación en Ciencias Biomédicas de Cádiz, INiBICA, Hospital Universitario Puerta del Mar, Avda. Ana de Viya 21, 11009 Cádiz, Spain; Neuropsychopharmacology and Psychobiology Research Group, Department of Psychology, University of Cádiz, 11510 Puerto Real, Cádiz, Spain
| | - María Angustias Roca-Ceballos
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain; Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla-Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío/CSIC/Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Juan García-Revilla
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain; Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla-Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío/CSIC/Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Ana M Espinosa-Oliva
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain; Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla-Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío/CSIC/Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain
| | - José A Rodríguez-Gómez
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain; Departament of Medical Physiology and Biophysics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Seville, 41009 Sevilla, Spain; Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla-Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío/CSIC/Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Bertrand Joseph
- Institute of Environmental Medicine, Toxicology Unit, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Esther Berrocoso
- Neuropsychopharmacology & Psychobiology Research Group, Department of Neuroscience, University of Cádiz, 11003 Cádiz, Spain; Instituto de Investigación e Innovación en Ciencias Biomédicas de Cádiz, INiBICA, Hospital Universitario Puerta del Mar, Avda. Ana de Viya 21, 11009 Cádiz, Spain; Neuropsychopharmacology and Psychobiology Research Group, Department of Psychology, University of Cádiz, 11510 Puerto Real, Cádiz, Spain
| | - José Ángel Armengol
- Departamento de Fisiología, Anatomía y Biología Celular, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Sevilla, Spain
| | - José L Venero
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain; Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla-Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío/CSIC/Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Rocío Ruiz
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain; Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla-Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío/CSIC/Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain.
| | - Rocío M de Pablos
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain; Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla-Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío/CSIC/Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain
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6
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Hsu CC, Madsen TE, O'Gorman E, Gourley SL, Rainnie DG. Reward-related dynamical coupling between basolateral amygdala and nucleus accumbens. Brain Struct Funct 2020; 225:1873-1888. [PMID: 32556583 PMCID: PMC7405940 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-020-02099-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2019] [Accepted: 06/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Recognizing reward-related stimuli is crucial for survival. Neuronal projections from the basolateral amygdala (BLA) to the nucleus accumbens (NAc) play an important role in processing reward-related cues. Previous studies revealed synchronization between distant brain regions in reward-sensitive neurocircuits; however, whether the NAc synchronizes with the BLA is unknown. Here, we recorded local field potentials simultaneously from the BLA and NAc of rats during social preference tests and an appetitive conditioning test in which explicit stimuli were associated with food. BLA-NAc coherence in the theta band (5-8 Hz) increased in response to food-associated cues. Meanwhile, the modulatory strength of theta-high gamma (50-110 Hz) phase-amplitude cross-frequency coupling (PAC) in the NAc decreased. Importantly, both of these neuromodulations disappeared upon extinction. In contrast, both theta and gamma power oscillations in each region increased in the presence of social conspecifics or contexts associated with conspecifics, but coherence did not change. To potentially disrupt behavior and associated neural activity, a subgroup of rats was exposed prenatally to valproic acid (VPA), which has been shown to disrupt transcriptome and excitatory/inhibitory balance in the amygdala. VPA-exposed rats demonstrated impulsive-like behavior, but VPA did not affect BLA-NAc coherence. These findings reveal changes in BLA-NAc coherence in response to select reward-related stimuli (i.e., food-predictive cues); the differences between the tasks used here could shed light onto the functional nature of BLA-NAc coherence and are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chia-Chun Hsu
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, USA
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Emory University, Atlanta, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory University, Atlanta, USA
| | - Teresa E Madsen
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, USA
| | | | - Shannon L Gourley
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, USA.
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Emory University, Atlanta, USA.
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory University, Atlanta, USA.
| | - Donald G Rainnie
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, USA.
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7
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Kozanian OO, Rohac DJ, Bavadian N, Corches A, Korzus E, Huffman KJ. Long-Lasting Effects of Prenatal Ethanol Exposure on Fear Learning and Development of the Amygdala. Front Behav Neurosci 2018; 12:200. [PMID: 30233337 PMCID: PMC6131196 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2018.00200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2018] [Accepted: 08/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Prenatal ethanol exposure (PrEE) produces developmental abnormalities in brain and behavior that often persist into adulthood. We have previously reported abnormal cortical gene expression, disorganized neural circuitry along with deficits in sensorimotor function and anxiety in our CD-1 murine model of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, or FASD (El Shawa et al., 2013; Abbott et al., 2016). We have proposed that these phenotypes may underlie learning, memory, and behavioral deficits in humans with FASD. Here, we evaluate the impact of PrEE on fear memory learning, recall and amygdala development at two adult timepoints. PrEE alters learning and memory of aversive stimuli; specifically, PrEE mice, fear conditioned at postnatal day (P) 50, showed deficits in fear acquisition and memory retrieval when tested at P52 and later at P70–P72. Interestingly, this deficit in fear acquisition observed during young adulthood was not present when PrEE mice were conditioned later, at P80. These mice displayed similar levels of fear expression as controls when tested on fear memory recall. To test whether PrEE alters development of brain circuitry associated with fear conditioning and fear memory recall, we histologically examined subdivisions of the amygdala in PrEE and control mice and found long-term effects of PrEE on fear memory circuitry. Thus, results from this study will provide insight on the neurobiological and behavioral effects of PrEE and provide new information on developmental trajectories of brain dysfunction in people prenatally exposed to ethanol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga O Kozanian
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, United States
| | - David J Rohac
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, United States
| | - Niusha Bavadian
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, United States
| | - Alex Corches
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, United States
| | - Edward Korzus
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, United States.,Division of Biomedical Sciences, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, United States
| | - Kelly J Huffman
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, United States.,Division of Biomedical Sciences, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, United States.,Interdepartmental Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, United States
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8
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Neale D, Clackson K, Georgieva S, Dedetas H, Scarpate M, Wass S, Leong V. Toward a Neuroscientific Understanding of Play: A Dimensional Coding Framework for Analyzing Infant-Adult Play Patterns. Front Psychol 2018; 9:273. [PMID: 29618994 PMCID: PMC5871690 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2017] [Accepted: 02/19/2018] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Play during early life is a ubiquitous activity, and an individual’s propensity for play is positively related to cognitive development and emotional well-being. Play behavior (which may be solitary or shared with a social partner) is diverse and multi-faceted. A challenge for current research is to converge on a common definition and measurement system for play – whether examined at a behavioral, cognitive or neurological level. Combining these different approaches in a multimodal analysis could yield significant advances in understanding the neurocognitive mechanisms of play, and provide the basis for developing biologically grounded play models. However, there is currently no integrated framework for conducting a multimodal analysis of play that spans brain, cognition and behavior. The proposed coding framework uses grounded and observable behaviors along three dimensions (sensorimotor, cognitive and socio-emotional), to compute inferences about playful behavior in a social context, and related social interactional states. Here, we illustrate the sensitivity and utility of the proposed coding framework using two contrasting dyadic corpora (N = 5) of mother-infant object-oriented interactions during experimental conditions that were either non-conducive (Condition 1) or conducive (Condition 2) to the emergence of playful behavior. We find that the framework accurately identifies the modal form of social interaction as being either non-playful (Condition 1) or playful (Condition 2), and further provides useful insights about differences in the quality of social interaction and temporal synchronicity within the dyad. It is intended that this fine-grained coding of play behavior will be easily assimilated with, and inform, future analysis of neural data that is also collected during adult–infant play. In conclusion, here, we present a novel framework for analyzing the continuous time-evolution of adult–infant play patterns, underpinned by biologically informed state coding along sensorimotor, cognitive and socio-emotional dimensions. We expect that the proposed framework will have wide utility amongst researchers wishing to employ an integrated, multimodal approach to the study of play, and lead toward a greater understanding of the neuroscientific basis of play. It may also yield insights into a new biologically grounded taxonomy of play interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dave Neale
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.,School of Education, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, United States
| | - Kaili Clackson
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Stanimira Georgieva
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Hatice Dedetas
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Melissa Scarpate
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Sam Wass
- Division of Psychology, University of East London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Victoria Leong
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.,Division of Psychology, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
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9
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Yenkoyan K, Grigoryan A, Fereshetyan K, Yepremyan D. Advances in understanding the pathophysiology of autism spectrum disorders. Behav Brain Res 2017; 331:92-101. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2017.04.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2017] [Revised: 04/16/2017] [Accepted: 04/18/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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10
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Vanderschuren LJMJ, Achterberg EJM, Trezza V. The neurobiology of social play and its rewarding value in rats. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2016; 70:86-105. [PMID: 27587003 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016.07.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 196] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2016] [Revised: 07/18/2016] [Accepted: 07/21/2016] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
In the young of many mammalian species, including humans, a vigorous and highly rewarding social activity is abundantly expressed, known as social play behaviour. Social play is thought to be important for the development of social, cognitive and emotional processes and their neural underpinnings, and it is disrupted in pediatric psychiatric disorders. Here, we summarize recent progress in our understanding of the brain mechanisms of social play behaviour, with a focus on its rewarding properties. Opioid, endocannabinoid, dopamine and noradrenaline systems play a prominent role in the modulation of social play. Of these, dopamine is particularly important for the motivational properties of social play. The nucleus accumbens has been identified as a key site for opioid and dopamine modulation of social play. Endocannabinoid influences on social play rely on the basolateral amygdala, whereas noradrenaline modulates social play through the basolateral amygdala, habenula and prefrontal cortex. In sum, social play behaviour is the result of coordinated activity in a network of corticolimbic structures, and its monoamine, opioid and endocannabinoid innervation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louk J M J Vanderschuren
- Department of Animals in Science and Society, Division of Behavioural Neuroscience, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
| | - E J Marijke Achterberg
- Department of Animals in Science and Society, Division of Behavioural Neuroscience, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Viviana Trezza
- Department of Science, Section of Biomedical Sciences and Technologies, University "Roma Tre", Rome, Italy
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11
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Bastle RM, Peartree NA, Goenaga J, Hatch KN, Henricks A, Scott S, Hood LE, Neisewander JL. Immediate early gene expression reveals interactions between social and nicotine rewards on brain activity in adolescent male rats. Behav Brain Res 2016; 313:244-254. [PMID: 27435419 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2016.07.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2016] [Revised: 07/12/2016] [Accepted: 07/15/2016] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Smoking initiation predominantly occurs during adolescence, often in the presence of peers. Therefore, understanding the neural mechanisms underlying the rewarding effects of nicotine and social stimuli is vital. Using the conditioned place preference (CPP) procedure, we measured immediate early gene (IEG) expression in animals following exposure either to a reward-conditioned environment or to the unconditioned stimuli (US). Adolescent, male rats were assigned to the following CPP US conditions: (1) Saline+Isolated, (2) Nicotine+Isolated, (3) Saline+Social, or (4) Nicotine+Social. For Experiment 1, brain tissue was collected 90min following the CPP expression test and processed for Fos immunohistochemistry. We found that rats conditioned with nicotine with or without a social partner exhibited CPP; however, we found no group differences in Fos expression in any brain region analyzed, with the exception of the nucleus accumbens core that exhibited a social-induced attenuation in Fos expression. For Experiment 2, brain tissue was collected 90min following US exposure during the last conditioning session. We found social reward-induced increases in IEG expression in striatal and amydalar subregions. In contrast, nicotine reduced IEG expression in prefrontal and striatal subregions. Reward interactions were also found in the dorsolateral striatum, basolateral amygdala, and ventral tegmental area where nicotine alone attenuated IEG expression and social reward reversed this effect. These results suggest that in general social rewards enhance, whereas nicotine attenuates, activation of mesocorticolimbic regions; however, the rewards given together interact to enhance activation in some regions. The findings contribute to knowledge of how a social environment influences nicotine effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan M Bastle
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-4501, United States; School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-4501, United States
| | - Natalie A Peartree
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-4501, United States
| | - Julianna Goenaga
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-4501, United States
| | - Kayla N Hatch
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-4501, United States
| | - Angela Henricks
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-4501, United States
| | - Samantha Scott
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-4501, United States
| | - Lauren E Hood
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-4501, United States
| | - Janet L Neisewander
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-4501, United States; School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-4501, United States.
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12
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Kim KC, Gonzales EL, Lázaro MT, Choi CS, Bahn GH, Yoo HJ, Shin CY. Clinical and Neurobiological Relevance of Current Animal Models of Autism Spectrum Disorders. Biomol Ther (Seoul) 2016; 24:207-43. [PMID: 27133257 PMCID: PMC4859786 DOI: 10.4062/biomolther.2016.061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2016] [Accepted: 04/05/2016] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by social and communication impairments, as well as repetitive and restrictive behaviors. The phenotypic heterogeneity of ASD has made it overwhelmingly difficult to determine the exact etiology and pathophysiology underlying the core symptoms, which are often accompanied by comorbidities such as hyperactivity, seizures, and sensorimotor abnormalities. To our benefit, the advent of animal models has allowed us to assess and test diverse risk factors of ASD, both genetic and environmental, and measure their contribution to the manifestation of autistic symptoms. At a broader scale, rodent models have helped consolidate molecular pathways and unify the neurophysiological mechanisms underlying each one of the various etiologies. This approach will potentially enable the stratification of ASD into clinical, molecular, and neurophenotypic subgroups, further proving their translational utility. It is henceforth paramount to establish a common ground of mechanistic theories from complementing results in preclinical research. In this review, we cluster the ASD animal models into lesion and genetic models and further classify them based on the corresponding environmental, epigenetic and genetic factors. Finally, we summarize the symptoms and neuropathological highlights for each model and make critical comparisons that elucidate their clinical and neurobiological relevance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ki Chan Kim
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA.,Center for Neuroscience Research, SMART Institute of Advanced Biomedical Sciences, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Republic of Korea
| | - Edson Luck Gonzales
- Center for Neuroscience Research, SMART Institute of Advanced Biomedical Sciences, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Republic of Korea.,School of Medicine, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Republic of Korea
| | - María T Lázaro
- Program in Neurogenetics, Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Chang Soon Choi
- Center for Neuroscience Research, SMART Institute of Advanced Biomedical Sciences, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Republic of Korea.,School of Medicine, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Republic of Korea
| | - Geon Ho Bahn
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, School of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, Republic of Korea
| | - Hee Jeong Yoo
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Seoul National University Bungdang Hospital, Seongnam 13620, Republic of Korea
| | - Chan Young Shin
- Center for Neuroscience Research, SMART Institute of Advanced Biomedical Sciences, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Republic of Korea.,School of Medicine, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Republic of Korea
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13
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Sharma AN, Fries GR, Galvez JF, Valvassori SS, Soares JC, Carvalho AF, Quevedo J. Modeling mania in preclinical settings: A comprehensive review. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2016; 66:22-34. [PMID: 26545487 PMCID: PMC4728043 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2015.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2015] [Revised: 09/29/2015] [Accepted: 11/03/2015] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The current pathophysiological understanding of mechanisms leading to onset and progression of bipolar manic episodes remains limited. At the same time, available animal models for mania have limited face, construct, and predictive validities. Additionally, these models fail to encompass recent pathophysiological frameworks of bipolar disorder (BD), e.g. neuroprogression. Therefore, there is a need to search for novel preclinical models for mania that could comprehensively address these limitations. Herein we review the history, validity, and caveats of currently available animal models for mania. We also review new genetic models for mania, namely knockout mice for genes involved in neurotransmission, synapse formation, and intracellular signaling pathways. Furthermore, we review recent trends in preclinical models for mania that may aid in the comprehension of mechanisms underlying the neuroprogressive and recurring nature of BD. In conclusion, the validity of animal models for mania remains limited. Nevertheless, novel (e.g. genetic) animal models as well as adaptation of existing paradigms hold promise.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ajaykumar N. Sharma
- Center for Translational Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77054, USA,Center of Excellence on Mood Disorders, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77054, USA
| | - Gabriel R. Fries
- Center for Translational Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77054, USA
| | - Juan F. Galvez
- Department of Psychiatry, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana School of Medicine, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Samira S. Valvassori
- Laboratory of Neurosciences, Graduate Program in Health Sciences, Health Sciences Unit, University of Southern Santa Catarina, Criciúma, SC, Brazil
| | - Jair C. Soares
- Center of Excellence on Mood Disorders, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77054, USA
| | - André F. Carvalho
- Department of Clinical Medicine and Translational Psychiatry Research Group, Faculty of Medicine, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil
| | - Joao Quevedo
- Center for Translational Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77054, USA; Center of Excellence on Mood Disorders, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77054, USA; Laboratory of Neurosciences, Graduate Program in Health Sciences, Health Sciences Unit, University of Southern Santa Catarina, Criciúma, SC, Brazil.
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14
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McCoy CR, Golf SR, Melendez-Ferro M, Perez-Costas E, Glover ME, Jackson NL, Stringfellow SA, Pugh PC, Fant AD, Clinton SM. Altered metabolic activity in the developing brain of rats predisposed to high versus low depression-like behavior. Neuroscience 2016; 324:469-484. [PMID: 26979051 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2016.03.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2015] [Revised: 02/27/2016] [Accepted: 03/05/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Individual differences in human temperament can increase the risk of psychiatric disorders like depression and anxiety. Our laboratory utilized a rat model of temperamental differences to assess neurodevelopmental factors underlying emotional behavior differences. Rats selectively bred for low novelty exploration (Low Responders, LR) display high levels of anxiety- and depression-like behavior compared to High Novelty Responder (HR) rats. Using transcriptome profiling, the present study uncovered vast gene expression differences in the early postnatal HR versus LR limbic brain, including changes in genes involved in cellular metabolism. These data led us to hypothesize that rats prone to high (versus low) anxiety/depression-like behavior exhibit distinct patterns of brain metabolism during the first weeks of life, which may reflect disparate patterns of synaptogenesis and brain circuit development. Thus, in a second experiment we examined activity of cytochrome C oxidase (COX), an enzyme responsible for ATP production and a correlate of metabolic activity, to explore functional energetic differences in the HR/LR early postnatal brain. We found that HR rats display higher COX activity in the amygdala and specific hippocampal subregions compared to LRs during the first 2 weeks of life. Correlational analysis examining COX levels across several brain regions and multiple early postnatal time points suggested desynchronization in the developmental timeline of the limbic HR versus LR brain during the first two postnatal weeks. These early divergent COX activity levels may reflect altered circuitry or synaptic activity in the early postnatal HR/LR brain, which could contribute to the emergence of their distinct behavioral phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chelsea R McCoy
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, 1720 7th Ave S., SC 745, University of Alabama-Birmingham AL, USA
| | - Samantha R Golf
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, 1720 7th Ave S., SC 745, University of Alabama-Birmingham AL, USA
| | - Miguel Melendez-Ferro
- Department of Surgery, 1600 7 Ave S., ACC300, University of Alabama-Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Emma Perez-Costas
- Department of Pediatrics, 1600 7 Ave S., ACC502, University of Alabama-Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Matthew E Glover
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, 1720 7th Ave S., SC 745, University of Alabama-Birmingham AL, USA
| | - Nateka L Jackson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, 1720 7th Ave S., SC 745, University of Alabama-Birmingham AL, USA
| | - Sara A Stringfellow
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, 1720 7th Ave S., SC 745, University of Alabama-Birmingham AL, USA
| | - Phyllis C Pugh
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, 1720 7th Ave S., SC 745, University of Alabama-Birmingham AL, USA
| | - Andrew D Fant
- Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 27599, USA
| | - Sarah M Clinton
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, 1720 7th Ave S., SC 745, University of Alabama-Birmingham AL, USA
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15
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Zuloaga DG, Lahvis GP, Mills B, Pearce HL, Turner J, Raber J. Fetal domoic acid exposure affects lateral amygdala neurons, diminishes social investigation and alters sensory-motor gating. Neurotoxicology 2016; 53:132-140. [PMID: 26797589 PMCID: PMC5929993 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuro.2016.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2015] [Revised: 01/14/2016] [Accepted: 01/15/2016] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Domoic acid (DA) is an algal neurotoxin that accumulates in marine fish and shellfish. DA can move across the placenta and concentrate in amniotic fluid, which can be swallowed during late gestation. DA also transfers to infants via milk. Preclinical studies to determine effects of developmental DA expose have primarily involved DA exposure during the postnatal period and little is known about late CNS effects following prenatal DA. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that prenatal exposure of FVB mice to low levels of DA would result in diminished social interaction and sensory motor gating associated with alterations in parvalbumin immunoreactivity in relevant brain regions undergoing development during and following DA exposure. In addition to parvalbumin, we stained with NeuN for a neuronal specific nuclear protein to determine if neuronal loss followed prenatal DA exposure. A single moderate dose of DA administered during gestation produces diminishes social investigation and alters sensorimotor gating, behavioral effects more pronounced in males than females. These behavioral changes were associated with discrete alterations in the parvalbumin-positive subtype of GABAergic neurons in the dentate gyrus and lateral amygdala.
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Affiliation(s)
- D G Zuloaga
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, United States
| | - G P Lahvis
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, United States.
| | - B Mills
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, United States
| | - H L Pearce
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, United States
| | - J Turner
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, United States
| | - J Raber
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, United States; Departments of Neurology and Radiation Medicine, Division of Neuroscience, ONPRC, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, United States.
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16
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Ooka T, Hironaka S, Mukai Y. A primary study on feeding behaviors of autism model rat pups in the weaning period. PEDIATRIC DENTAL JOURNAL 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pdj.2013.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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17
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Kazama AM, Heuer E, Davis M, Bachevalier J. Effects of neonatal amygdala lesions on fear learning, conditioned inhibition, and extinction in adult macaques. Behav Neurosci 2013; 126:392-403. [PMID: 22642884 DOI: 10.1037/a0028241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Fear conditioning studies have demonstrated the critical role played by the amygdala in emotion processing. Although all lesion studies until now investigated the effect of adult-onset damage on fear conditioning, the current study assessed fear-learning abilities, as measured by fear-potentiated startle, in adult monkeys that had received neonatal neurotoxic amygdala damage or sham-operations. After fear acquisition, their abilities to learn and use a safety cue to modulate their fear to the conditioned cue, and, finally, to extinguish their response to the fear conditioned cue were measured with the AX+/BX- Paradigm. Neonatal amygdala damage retarded, but did not completely abolish, the acquisition of a learned fear. After acquisition of the fear signal, four of the six animals with neonatal amygdala lesions discriminated between the fear and safety cues and were also able to use the safety signal to reduce the potentiated-startle response and to extinguish the fear response when the air-blast was absent. In conclusion, the present results support the critical contribution of the amygdala during the early phases of fear conditioning that leads to quick, robust responses to potentially threatening stimuli, a highly adaptive process across all species and likely to be present in early infancy. The neonatal amygdala lesions also indicated the presence of amygdala-independent alternate pathways that are capable to support fear learning in the absence of a functional amygdala. This parallel processing of fear responses within these alternate pathways was also sufficient to support the ability to flexibly modulate the magnitude of the fear responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andy M Kazama
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30029, USA.
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18
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Olexová L, Talarovičová A, Lewis-Evans B, Borbélyová V, Kršková L. Animal models of autism with a particular focus on the neural basis of changes in social behaviour: An update article. Neurosci Res 2012; 74:184-94. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neures.2012.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2012] [Revised: 09/25/2012] [Accepted: 10/25/2012] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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19
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Vázquez-Roque RA, Solis O, Camacho-Abrego I, Rodríguez-Moreno A, Cruz FDL, Zamudio S, Flores G. Dendritic morphology of neurons in prefrontal cortex and ventral hippocampus of rats with neonatal amygdala lesion. Synapse 2012; 66:373-82. [PMID: 22170567 DOI: 10.1002/syn.21517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2011] [Accepted: 11/21/2011] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Neonatal basolateral amygdala (nBLA) lesions in rats have been widely used as a neurodevelopmental model that mimics schizophrenia-like behaviors. Recently, we reported that nBLA lesions result in significant decreases in the dendritic spine number of layer 3 prefrontal cortex (PFC) pyramidal cells and medium spiny neurons of the nucleus accumbens (NAcc), which all changes after puberty. At present, we aimed to evaluate the effect of this lesion in pyramidal neurons of CA1 of the ventral hippocampus (VH) and layer 5 of the PFC. In order to assess the effects of nBLA lesions on the dendritic morphology of the PFC and VH neurons, we carried out nBLA lesions in rats on postnatal day (PD) 7, and then we studied the dendritic morphology of these two limbic subregions at prepubertal (PD35) and postpubertal (PD60) ages. Dendritic characteristics were measured by Golgi-Cox procedure followed by Sholl analysis. We also evaluated the effects of nBLA lesions on the prepulse inhibition (PPI) and acoustic startle responses. The nBLA lesion induced a significant increase in dendritic length of layer 5 pyramidal neurons of the PFC at both ages, with a decrease in the dendritic spines density after puberty. The spine density of CA1 VH pyramidal neurons showed significant decreases at both ages. PPI was decreased in adulthood in the animals with an nBLA lesion. These results show that an nBLA lesion alters the dendritic morphology at the level of the PFC and VH in distinct ways before puberty, suggesting a disconnection between these limbic structures at an early age, and increasing our understanding of the implications of the VH in early amygdala dysfunction in schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rubén Antonio Vázquez-Roque
- Laboratorio de Neuropsiquiatría, Instituto de Fisiología, Universidad Autónoma de Puebla. 14 Sur 6301, CP: 72570 Puebla, México
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20
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Siviy SM, Panksepp J. In search of the neurobiological substrates for social playfulness in mammalian brains. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2011; 35:1821-30. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2011.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2010] [Revised: 03/06/2011] [Accepted: 03/07/2011] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
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21
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Balaszczuk V, Bender C, Pereno GL, Beltramino CA. Alcohol-induced neuronal death in central extended amygdala and pyriform cortex during the postnatal period of the rat. Int J Dev Neurosci 2011; 29:733-42. [PMID: 21664448 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijdevneu.2011.05.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2010] [Revised: 05/12/2011] [Accepted: 05/25/2011] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Mothers who consume alcohol during pregnancy may cause a neurotoxic syndrome defined as fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) in their offspring. This disorder is characterized by reduction in brain size, cognitive deficits and emotional/social disturbances. These alterations are thought to be caused by an alcohol-induced increase in apoptosis during neurodevelopment. Little is known about neuroapoptosis in the central extended amygdala and the pyriform cortex, which are key structures in emotional/social behaviors. The goal of this study was to determine the vulnerability of neuroapoptotic alcohol effects in those areas. Rats were administered alcohol (2.5g/kg s.c. at 0 and 2h) or saline on postnatal day (PND) 7, 15 and 20. The Amino-cupric-silver technique was used to evaluate neurodegeneration and immunohistochemistry to detect activated caspases 3-8 and 9 at 2h, 4, 6, 8, 12 and 24h after drug administration. We measured blood alcohol levels each hour, from 2 to 8h post second administration of alcohol in each of the ages studied. Results showed alcohol induced apoptotic neurodegeneration in the central extended amygdala on PND 7 and 15, and pyriform cortex on PND 7, 15 and 20. These structures showed activation of caspase 3 and 9 but not of caspase 8 suggesting that alcohol-induced apoptosis could occur by the intrinsic pathway. The pharmacokinetic differences between ages did not associate with the neurodegeneration age dependence. In conclusion, these limbic areas are damaged by alcohol, and each one has their own window of vulnerability during the postnatal period. The possible implications in emotional/social features in FASD are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- V Balaszczuk
- Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra, Friuli, Córdoba, Argentina.
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22
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Oblak AL, Rosene DL, Kemper TL, Bauman ML, Blatt GJ. Altered posterior cingulate cortical cyctoarchitecture, but normal density of neurons and interneurons in the posterior cingulate cortex and fusiform gyrus in autism. Autism Res 2011; 4:200-11. [PMID: 21360830 DOI: 10.1002/aur.188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2010] [Accepted: 01/07/2011] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Autism is a developmental disorder with prenatal origins, currently estimated to affect 1 in 91 children in the United States. Social-emotional deficits are a hallmark of autism and early neuropathology studies have indicated involvement of the limbic system. Imaging studies demonstrate abnormal activation of the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), a component of the limbic system. Abnormal activation has also been noted in the fusiform gyrus (FFG), a region important for facial recognition and a key element in social interaction. A potential imbalance between excitatory and inhibitory interneurons in the cortex may contribute to altered information processing in autism. Furthermore, reduced numbers of GABA receptors have previously been reported in the autistic brain. Thionin-stained sections were used to qualitatively assess cytoarchitectonic patterning and quantitatively determine the density of neurons and immunohistochemistry was used to determine the densities of a subset of GABAergic interneurons utilizing parvalbumin-and calbindin-immunoreactivity. In autism, the PCC displayed altered cytoarchitecture with irregularly distributed neurons, poorly demarcated layers IV and V, and increased presence of white matter neurons. In contrast, no neuropathology was observed in the FFG. There was no significant difference in the density of thionin, parvalbumin, or calbindin interneurons in either region and there was a trend towards a reduced density of calbindin neurons in the PCC. This study highlights the presence of abnormal findings in the PCC, which appear to be developmental in nature and could affect the local processing of social-emotional behaviors as well as functioning of interrelated areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrian L Oblak
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts 02118, USA.
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23
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Zimmerberg B, Sageser KA. Comparison of two rodent models of maternal separation on juvenile social behavior. Front Psychiatry 2011; 2:39. [PMID: 21747771 PMCID: PMC3128242 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2011.00039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2011] [Accepted: 06/14/2011] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Early childhood deprivation is associated with an increased risk of attachment disorders and psychopathology. The neural consequences of exposure to stress early in life have used two major rodent models to provide important tools for translational research. Although both models have been termed maternal separation (MS), the paradigms differ in ways that clearly shift the focus of stress between maternal and offspring units. The first model, here called early deprivation (ED), isolates pups individually while the dam is left not alone, but with a subset of littermates in the home nest ("stay-at-homes"). The other model, here called MS, isolates the dam in a novel cage while the pups are separated together. In this study, these two early stress models were directly compared for their effects on social behaviors in male and female juvenile offspring. Although both models altered play behavior compared to controls, patterns of prosocial behaviors versus submissive behaviors differed by model and sex. Additionally, there were main effects of sex, with female ED subjects exhibited masculinizing effects of early stress during play sessions. Maternal behavior upon reunion with the isolated subjects was significantly increased in the MS condition compared to both ED and control conditions, which also differed but by a lesser magnitude. "stay-at-homes" were tested since some laboratories use them for controls rather than undisturbed litters; they displayed significantly different sex-dependent play compared to undisturbed subjects. These results indicate that early stress effects vary by paradigm of separation. We suggest that MS produces greater stress on the dam and thus greater maternal mediation, while ED causes greater stress on the neonates, resulting in different behavioral sequela that warrant attention when using these models for translational research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Betty Zimmerberg
- Department of Psychology, Williams College Williamstown, MA, USA
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24
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Solis O, Vázquez-Roque RA, Camacho-Abrego I, Gamboa C, De La Cruz F, Zamudio S, Flores G. Decreased dendritic spine density of neurons of the prefrontal cortex and nucleus accumbens and enhanced amphetamine sensitivity in postpubertal rats after a neonatal amygdala lesion. Synapse 2009; 63:1143-53. [DOI: 10.1002/syn.20697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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25
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Bauman MD, Toscano JE, Babineau BA, Mason WA, Amaral DG. Emergence of stereotypies in juvenile monkeys (Macaca mulatta) with neonatal amygdala or hippocampus lesions. Behav Neurosci 2008; 122:1005-15. [PMID: 18823158 PMCID: PMC2884986 DOI: 10.1037/a0012600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The emergence of stereotypies was examined in juvenile rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) who, at 2 weeks of postnatal age, received selective bilateral ibotenic acid lesions of the amygdala (N = 8) or hippocampus (N = 8). The lesion groups were compared to age-matched control subjects that received a sham surgical procedure (N = 8). All subjects were maternally reared for the first 6 months and provided access to social groups throughout development. Pronounced stereotypies were not observed in any of the experimental groups during the first year of life. However, between 1 to 2 years of age, both amygdala- and hippocampus-lesioned subjects began to exhibit stereotypies. When observed as juveniles, both amygdala- and hippocampus-lesioned subjects consistently produced more stereotypies than the control subjects in a variety of contexts. More interesting, neonatal lesions of either the amygdala or hippocampus resulted in unique repertoires of repetitive behaviors. Amygdala-lesioned subjects exhibited more self-directed stereotypies and the hippocampus-lesioned subjects displayed more head-twisting. We discuss these results in relation to the neurobiological basis of repetitive stereotypies in neurodevelopmental disorders, such as autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- M D Bauman
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Center for Neuroscience, The M.I.N.D. Institute, University of California at Davis, CA 95817, USA.
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Inhibition of serotonin but not norepinephrine transport during development produces delayed, persistent perturbations of emotional behaviors in mice. J Neurosci 2008; 28:199-207. [PMID: 18171937 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.3973-07.2008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 225] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Serotonin (5-HT) acts as a neurotransmitter, but also modulates brain maturation during early development. The demonstrated influence of genetic variants on brain function, personality traits, and susceptibility to neuropsychiatric disorders suggests a critical importance of developmental mechanisms. However, little is known about how and when developmentally perturbed 5-HT signaling affects circuitry and resulting behavior. The 5-HT transporter (5-HTT) is a key regulator of extracellular 5-HT levels and we used pharmacologic strategies to manipulate 5-HTT function during development and determine behavioral consequences. Transient exposure to the 5-HTT inhibitors fluoxetine, clomipramine, and citalopram from postnatal day 4 (P4) to P21 produced abnormal emotional behaviors in adult mice. Similar treatment with the norepinephrine transporter (NET) inhibitor, desipramine, did not adversely affect adult behavior, suggesting that 5-HT and norepinephrine (NE) do not share the same effects on brain development. Shifting our period of treatment/testing to P90/P185 failed to mimic the effect of earlier exposure, demonstrating that 5-HT effects on adult behavior are developmentally specific. We have hypothesized that early-life perturbations of 5-HT signaling affect corticolimbic circuits that do not reach maturity until the peri-adolescent period. In support of this idea, we found that abnormal behaviors resulting from postnatal fluoxetine exposure have a post-pubescent onset and persist long after reaching adult age. A better understanding of the underlying 5-HT sensitive circuits and how they are perturbed should lead to new insights into how various genetic polymorphisms confer their risk to carriers. Furthermore, these studies should help determine whether in utero exposure to 5-HTT blocking drugs poses a risk for behavioral abnormalities in later life.
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Bouwmeester H, Gerrits MAFM, Roozemond JG, Snapper J, Ronken E, Kruse CG, Westenberg HGM, van Ree JM. Neonatal basolateral amygdala lesions affect monoamine and cannabinoid brain systems in adult rats. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol 2007; 10:727-39. [PMID: 17076936 DOI: 10.1017/s1461145706007346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
There is evidence for neurodevelopment disturbances in schizophrenia. In rats, a neonatal basolateral amygdala lesion induces behavioural features in adults reminiscent of the symptomatology of schizophrenia. Dopamine plays a key role in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia, and cannabis use has been implicated in the risk for developing schizophrenia. The effects of an excitotoxic, bilateral basolateral amygdala lesion on postnatal days 7 or 21 were compared when the rats were adult. The behavioural response to a novelty challenge and the level of dopamine receptors and cannabinoid receptors in the brain using in-vitro autoradiography was determined. In brain tissue punches concentrations of monoamines and metabolites were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography. The neonatal lesion, but not the later lesion induced behavioural hyperactivity and biochemical effects. The neonatal lesion reduced the density of dopamine D2-like, but not D3-, and less markely D1-like receptors and increased dopamine turnover. These effects were observed in the mesolimbic, but not in the striatal regions. In contrast, density of cannabinoid receptors was increased in the striatal, but not the mesolimbic regions of these animals. Noradrenergic neurotransmission was reduced in both regions. The present findings contribute to the idea that the neonatal basolateral amygdala lesion induces features in adults reminiscent of the neurodevelopmental disturbances in schizophrenia, with a focus on the amygdala-prefrontal cortex-nucleus accumbens circuit.
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MESH Headings
- Amygdala/pathology
- Amygdala/physiology
- Animals
- Animals, Newborn/physiology
- Autoradiography
- Behavior, Animal/drug effects
- Biogenic Monoamines/physiology
- Brain Chemistry/drug effects
- Cannabinoid Receptor Modulators/physiology
- Dopamine/metabolism
- Excitatory Amino Acid Agonists/toxicity
- Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid/metabolism
- Ibotenic Acid/toxicity
- Image Processing, Computer-Assisted
- Male
- Norepinephrine/metabolism
- Rats
- Rats, Wistar
- Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1/drug effects
- Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1/metabolism
- Receptors, Dopamine D1/drug effects
- Receptors, Dopamine D1/metabolism
- Receptors, Dopamine D2/drug effects
- Receptors, Dopamine D2/metabolism
- Receptors, Dopamine D3/drug effects
- Serotonin/metabolism
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Affiliation(s)
- Hans Bouwmeester
- Rudolf Magnus Institute of Neuroscience, Department of Pharmacology and Anatomy, University Medical Centre Utrecht, Utrecht University, The Netherlands
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Truitt WA, Sajdyk TJ, Dietrich AD, Oberlin B, McDougle CJ, Shekhar A. From anxiety to autism: spectrum of abnormal social behaviors modeled by progressive disruption of inhibitory neuronal function in the basolateral amygdala in Wistar rats. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2007; 191:107-18. [PMID: 17277936 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-006-0674-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2006] [Accepted: 12/07/2006] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Social behaviors are disrupted in several psychiatric disorders. The amygdala is a key brain region involved in social behaviors, and amygdala pathology has been implicated in disease states ranging from social anxiety disorder to autism. OBJECTIVE To test the effects of progressive disruption of the inhibitory function within the basolateral nucleus of the amygdala (BLA) on conspecific social interaction in rats and investigate functional networks from the ventral medial prefrontal cortex (mPFCv) to the BLA. MATERIALS AND METHODS BLA inhibitory tone was disrupted by priming it with the stress-peptide corticotrophin releasing factor (CRF) receptor agonist urocortin 1 (Ucn 1, 6 fmol), or by selective lesioning of a subset of BLA-GABAergic interneurons containing neurokinin 1 receptors using the targeted toxin SSP-Saporin. The effects of the disruption of GABAergic tone in the BLA were examined using a repeated exposure and habituation paradigm of social interaction (SI/h). Lesions and selectivity of lesions were confirmed postmortem. Additionally, effects of stimulating mPFCv on cFos activity in interneurons of the BLA were examined. RESULTS Rats primed with Ucn 1 showed persistent social inhibition, which could be overcome with habituation, putatively modeling social anxiety. Rats with a selective lesioning of a subset of GABAergic interneurons in the BLA exhibited persistent social inhibition that was not reversed by SI/h paradigm. We also demonstrate selective functional inputs to this subset of interneurons when mPFCv was activated. CONCLUSIONS These models with different gradations of disrupted BLA inhibition could help to study social dysfunction in disorders ranging from social anxiety to autism spectrum disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- William A Truitt
- Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine, 1111 West 10th Street, Indianapolis, IN 4620, USA
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29
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Kreczmanski P, Heinsen H, Mantua V, Woltersdorf F, Masson T, Ulfig N, Schmidt-Kastner R, Korr H, Steinbusch HWM, Hof PR, Schmitz C. Volume, neuron density and total neuron number in five subcortical regions in schizophrenia. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2007; 130:678-92. [PMID: 17303593 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awl386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 125] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Several studies have pointed to alterations in mean volumes, neuron densities and total neuron numbers in the caudate nucleus (CN), putamen, nucleus accumbens (NA), mediodorsal nucleus of the thalamus (MDNT) and lateral nucleus of the amygdala (LNA) in schizophrenia. However, the results of these studies are conflicting and no clear pattern of alterations has yet been established in these subcortical regions, possibly due to differences in quantitative histological methods used as well as differences in the investigated case series. The present study investigates these subcortical regions in both hemispheres of the same post-mortem brains for volume, neuron density and total neuron number with high-precision design-based stereology. The analysed case series consisted of 13 post-mortem brains from male schizophrenic patients [age range: 22-64 years; mean age 51.5 +/- 3.3 years (mean +/- SEM)] and 13 age-matched male controls (age range: 25-65 years; mean age 51.9 +/- 3.1 years). A general linear model multivariate analysis of variance with diagnosis and hemisphere as fixed factors and illness duration (schizophrenic patients) or age (controls), post-mortem interval and fixation time as covariates showed a number of statistically significant alterations in the brains from schizophrenic patients compared with the controls. There was a reduced mean volume of the putamen [-5.0% on the left side (l) and -4.1% on the right side (r)] and the LNA (l: -12.1%, r: -17.6%), and a reduced mean total neuron number in the CN (l: -10.4%, r: -10.2%), putamen (l: -8.1%, r: -11.6%) and the LNA (l: -15.9%, r: -16.2%). These data show a previously unreported, distinct pattern of alterations in mean total neuron numbers in identified subcortical brain regions in a carefully selected sample of brains from schizophrenic patients. The rigorous quantitative analysis of several regions in brains from schizophrenic patients and matched controls is crucial to provide reliable information on the neuropathology of schizophrenia as well as insights about its pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pawel Kreczmanski
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, Division of Cellular Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
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Gerrits MAFM, Wolterink G, van Ree JM. Cerebral metabolic consequences in the adult brain after neonatal excitotoxic lesions of the amygdala in rats. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2006; 16:358-65. [PMID: 16356694 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2005.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2005] [Revised: 09/23/2005] [Accepted: 11/04/2005] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
In the present study the effects of neonatal excitotoxic lesions of the amygdala or ventral hippocampus on local cerebral glucose utilisation in the adult rat were studied by means of the [14C]2-deoxyglucose autoradiographic method. Our hypothesis was that damage to the brain during early development leads to long-term functional activity changes in brain regions outside the primary lesioned area which might underlie the behavioural deficits observed in animals with neonatal brain damage. Cerebral glucose utilisation in animals with a neonatal amygdala lesion was significantly decreased in the amygdala itself and in several other brain regions. The neonatal ventral hippocampal lesion did not cause significant changes in cerebral glucose utilisation, except for a decrease in the primary damaged region (i.e. caudal ventral hippocampus). Behaviourally, animals lesioned in the amygdala displayed increased ambulatory activity both before and after puberty when exposed to a novel open field, while neonatal ventral hippocampal lesions did not affect adult exploratory behaviour as compared to sham controls. These results support our hypothesis that neonatal brain damage leads to long-term functional activity changes in brain regions outside the primary lesioned area. Moreover, they suggest that this long-term effect depends on the primary area lesioned since only damage to the amygdala, and not to the ventral hippocampus, affects the functional organisation of the brain of the animals later in life. Additionally, the findings may suggest that the functional changes in the brain may underlie the behavioural deficits observed after neonatal amygdala lesion in the rat.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mirjam A F M Gerrits
- Rudolf Magnus Institute of Neuroscience, Department of Pharmacology and Anatomy, University Medical Center Utrecht, Universiteitsweg 100, 3584 CG, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
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Abstract
The amygdala plays a critical role in generating the emotion of fear, and alterations in amygdala fear processing are thought to underlie the acquisition and maintenance of anxiety disorders. The prenatally stressed (PS) rat displays hormonal, behavioral and brain anatomical similarities to anxious humans and is useful to study the neurobiological underpinnings of pathological anxiety. We studied PS and control male rats at postnatal days 7 (P7), P25, P45 and P60. Using unbiased stereological analyses we examined the volumes, anterior-posterior lengths and total numbers of neurons and glia of the basolateral (BL), central (Ce) and lateral (La) amygdalar nuclei. We found prenatal stress-associated differences in the developmental trajectories of each nucleus. These were apparent in some measures as early as P7, most extensive at P25 and resolved by P45, at least as seen by Nissl staining. These changes were not a result of differential brain growth. This early divergence in developmental trajectories seen here may be the harbinger of PS rat amygdalas that ultimately function very differently in adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michał Kraszpulski
- Medical University of Gdańsk, Laboratory of Electron Microscopy, Gdańsk, Poland
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Cassidy CM, Quirion R, Srivastava LK. Blockade of presynaptic voltage-gated calcium channels in the medial prefrontal cortex of neonatal rats leads to post-pubertal alterations in locomotor behavior. Brain Res 2006; 1083:164-73. [PMID: 16546143 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2006.01.118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2005] [Revised: 01/25/2006] [Accepted: 01/28/2006] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Although the etiology of neurodevelopmental mental disorders remains obscure, converging lines of evidence using animal modeling suggest a critical role for activity-dependent neurodevelopmental processes during neonatal life. Here, we report the behavioral effects of a novel technique designed to induce targeted, transient disruption of activity-dependent processes in early development via reduction of calcium-mediated neurotransmitter release. We examined the post-pubertal behavioral effects of neonatal (postnatal day 7) medial prefrontal cortex infusion of either vehicle or N-type and P/Q-type presynaptic voltage-dependent calcium channel blockers (omega-conotoxins MVIIA and MVIIC respectively; 6.8 and 45 pmol infused respectively) in rat pups. In a test of amphetamine-induced behavioral sensitization, neonatal omega-conotoxin MVIIA treatment significantly increased locomotion following repeated amphetamine injections (1.5 mg/kg i.p.) and significantly decreased locomotion following repeated saline injections relative to animals treated neonatally with vehicle. However, there was no effect of conotoxin treatment on the long-term expression of amphetamine sensitization. Neonatal treatment with omega-conotoxins had no effect on the other behaviors assayed, namely, acoustic startle response, prepulse inhibition of startle, novelty- and amphetamine-induced (1.5 mg/kg i.p.) locomotion, and anxiety-like behavior in the elevated plus-maze. These data confirm that transient, region-specific disruption of synaptic transmission during early development can have long-term effects on behaviors relevant to neurodevelopmental mental disorders.
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MESH Headings
- Aging/physiology
- Amphetamine/pharmacology
- Animals
- Animals, Newborn
- Anxiety/metabolism
- Anxiety/physiopathology
- Behavior, Animal/drug effects
- Behavior, Animal/physiology
- Calcium Channel Blockers/pharmacology
- Calcium Channels/drug effects
- Calcium Channels/metabolism
- Calcium Channels, N-Type/drug effects
- Calcium Channels, N-Type/metabolism
- Calcium Channels, P-Type/drug effects
- Calcium Channels, P-Type/metabolism
- Central Nervous System Stimulants
- Disease Models, Animal
- Drug Interactions/physiology
- Mental Disorders/metabolism
- Mental Disorders/physiopathology
- Motor Activity/drug effects
- Motor Activity/physiology
- Prefrontal Cortex/drug effects
- Prefrontal Cortex/growth & development
- Prefrontal Cortex/metabolism
- Presynaptic Terminals/drug effects
- Presynaptic Terminals/metabolism
- Rats
- Rats, Sprague-Dawley
- Reflex, Startle/drug effects
- Reflex, Startle/physiology
- Synaptic Transmission/drug effects
- Synaptic Transmission/physiology
- Time
- omega-Conotoxins/pharmacology
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Affiliation(s)
- Clifford M Cassidy
- Departments of Psychiatry and Neurology and Neurosurgery, Douglas Hospital Research Centre, McGill University, 6875 LaSalle Boulevard, Verdun, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H4H 1R3
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Abstract
Autism is a behaviorally defined disorder associated with characteristic impairments in social interactions and communication, as well as restricted and repetitive behaviors and interest. Its prevalence was once thought to be 2/10,000, but recently several large autism prevalence reviews revealed that the rate of occurrence was roughly 30/10,000. While it has been considered a developmental disorder, little is certain about its etiology. Neuroanatomical studies at the histological level in the brains of autistic patients provide many arguments in the etiology of autism. Results from postmortem and imaging studies have implicated many major structures of the brain including the limbic system, cerebellum, corpus callosum, basal ganglia and brainstem. There is no single biological or clinical marker for autism. While several promising candidate genes have been presented, the critical loci are yet unknown. Environmental influences such as rubella virus, valproic acid, and thalidomide exposure during pregnancy are also considered important, as concordance in monozygotic twins is less than 100% and the phenotypic expression of the disorder varies widely. It is thus hypothesized that non-genetic mechanisms contribute to the onset of autistic syndrome. In light of these ambiguities, hope is held that an animal model of autism may help elucidate matters. In this article, we overview most of the currently available animal models for autism, and propose the rat with mild and transient neonatal hypothyroidism as a novel model for autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miyuki Sadamatsu
- Department of Psychiatry, Shiga University of Medical Science, Otsu, Japan
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Bachevalier J, Loveland KA. The orbitofrontal-amygdala circuit and self-regulation of social-emotional behavior in autism. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2005; 30:97-117. [PMID: 16157377 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2005.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 260] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2005] [Accepted: 07/27/2005] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Individuals with an autistic spectrum disorder are impaired not only in understanding others' mental states, but also in self-regulation of social-emotional behavior. Therefore, a model of the brain in autism must encompass not only those brain systems that subserve social-cognitive and emotional functioning, but also those that subserve the self-regulation of behavior in response to a changing social environment. We present evidence to support the hypothesis that developmental dysfunction of the orbitofrontal-amygdala circuit of the brain is a critical factor in the development of autism and that some of the characteristic deficits of persons with autism in socio-emotional cognition and behavioral self-regulation are related to early dysfunction of different components of this circuit. A secondary hypothesis posits that the degree of intellectual impairment present in individuals with autism is directly related to the integrity of the dorsolateral prefrontal-hippocampal circuit of the brain. Together, these hypotheses have the potential to help explain the neurodevelopmental basis of some of the primary manifestations of autism as well as the heterogeneity of outcomes.
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Risterucci C, Jeanneau K, Schöppenthau S, Bielser T, Künnecke B, von Kienlin M, Moreau JL. Functional magnetic resonance imaging reveals similar brain activity changes in two different animal models of schizophrenia. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2005; 180:724-34. [PMID: 15726331 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-005-2204-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2004] [Accepted: 02/06/2005] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES In schizophrenia research, most of the functional imaging studies have been performed in psychotic patients, but little is known about brain areas involved in the expression of psychotic-like symptoms in animal models. The objective of this study was to visualize and compare brain activity abnormalities in a neurodevelopmental and a pharmacological animal model of schizophrenia. METHODS Blood perfusion of specific brain areas, taken as indirect measure of brain activity, was investigated in adult rats following either neonatal ventral hippocampal lesion or acute administration of phencyclidine. Quantitative perfusion magnetic resonance imaging was performed on five frontal brain slices using the continuous arterial spin labeling technique. The mean perfusion was calculated in several brain structures, which were identified on anatomical images. RESULTS Lesioned animals exhibiting deficits in prepulse inhibition of the startle reflex showed a significant blood perfusion increase in the nucleus accumbens, basolateral amygdala, ventral pallidum, entorhinal-piriform cortex, orbital prefrontal cortex, and in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, and a decrease of perfusion in the temporal cortex. Similar effects were seen following acute phencyclidine administration in naïve animals. CONCLUSION Our data point out specific cortical and subcortical brain areas involved in the development of psychotic-like symptoms in two different animal models of schizophrenia. The observed brain activity abnormalities are reminiscent of classical neuroimaging findings described in schizophrenic patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Céline Risterucci
- CNS Research, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., PRBD-N, Bldg 72/129, 4070, Basel, Switzerland.
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Schneider M, Koch M. Deficient social and play behavior in juvenile and adult rats after neonatal cortical lesion: effects of chronic pubertal cannabinoid treatment. Neuropsychopharmacology 2005; 30:944-57. [PMID: 15592349 DOI: 10.1038/sj.npp.1300634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 104] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of neonatal excitotoxic lesions of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) on social play, social behavior unrelated to play, and self-grooming in juvenile and adult rats. We additionally examined the behavioral effects of chronic pubertal treatment with the cannabinoid agonist WIN 55,212-2 (WIN) in order to test the hypothesis that early lesions render the brain vulnerable to cannabinoid intake in later life. Neonatal mPFC lesions and pubertal WIN treatment disrupted social play, social behavior, and self-grooming in juvenile and adult rats. Additionally, we observed more social play behaviors during light cycle in WIN-treated than in vehicle-treated rats. Notably, the combination of surgery and WIN treatment disrupted social behavior in lesioned and sham-lesioned rats. The present data indicate that the mPFC is important for adequate juvenile response selection in the context of social play and might be involved in the development of adult social and nonsocial behavior. Moreover, our data add further evidence for an involvement of the cannabinoid system in anxiety and social behavior. Additive effects of neonatal surgery-induced stress or cortical lesions in combination with pubertal cannabinoid administration are also shown. The disturbances of social and nonsocial behavior in rats are comparable to symptoms of early frontal cortex damage, as well as neurodevelopmental disorders in humans, such as schizophrenia and autism. Therefore, we propose the combination of neonatal cortical lesions with chronic cannabinoid administration during puberty as an animal model for studying neuronal mechanisms of impaired social functioning in neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miriam Schneider
- Department of Neuropharmacology, Brain Research Institute, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany.
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Diergaarde L, Gerrits MAFM, Brouwers JPW, van Ree JM. Early amygdala damage disrupts performance on medial prefrontal cortex-related tasks but spares spatial learning and memory in the rat. Neuroscience 2005; 130:581-90. [PMID: 15590142 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2004.09.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/04/2004] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Recent studies have demonstrated that the postnatal development of connections between the basolateral amygdala (BLA) and the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) mature around postnatal days 13-15 (pd13-15), whereas these between the BLA and other structures such as the nucleus accumbens and the mediodorsal thalamus are completed by pd7. Accordingly, it is hypothesized that mPFC cytoarchitecture and hence its function may be specifically affected by neonatal (i.e. on pd7) but not later induced (i.e. on pd21) damage to the BLA. To test this hypothesis, rats received excitotoxic lesions to the BLA on either pd7 or pd21 and were subjected to two tests putatively sensitive to mPFC dysfunction, namely food hoarding and spontaneous alternation. In addition, rats were tested for spatial learning and memory, to determine any possible effects on hippocampal function. Consistent with the documented effects of mPFC lesions, pd7 damage to the BLA impaired spontaneous alternation and food hoarding performance, an effect that was not found in rats with BLA lesions induced on pd21. Spatial learning and memory, however, were not affected by the (neonatal) lesion procedure. Together, these results indicate that neonatal BLA damage affects species-specific sequential behavior and flexibility, which may be attributed to abnormal functioning of the mPFC.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Diergaarde
- Rudolf Magnus Institute of Neuroscience, Department of Pharmacology and Anatomy, University Medical Center Utrecht, P.O. Box 80040, 3508 TA Utrecht, The Netherlands.
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Diergaarde L, Spruijt BM, Wolterink-Donselaar IG, Gerrits MAFM, van Ree JM. Neonatal Amygdala Lesions Affect Appetitive Motivational and Consummatory Aspects of Social Behavior in the Rat. Behav Neurosci 2005; 119:814-20. [PMID: 15998203 DOI: 10.1037/0735-7044.119.3.814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
In the present study, rats received amygdala lesions (AMX) on either Postnatal Day 7 (PD 7; immature brain) or PD 21 (almost mature brain), and adult social activity was studied after short-term isolation housing. Sham-operated rats demonstrated increased following and approaching behavior after 7 days of isolation compared with after 4 days of isolation, an effect that was absent in AMX-PD 7 and AMX-PD 21 rats. Furthermore, AMX-PD 7 rats, but not AMX-PD 21 rats, displayed a reduction in investigatory behavior after prolonged isolation. This indicates that in AMX-PD 21 rats, mainly appetitive motivational aspects of social behavior were affected, whereas in AMX-PD 7 rats both motivational and consummatory aspects were disturbed. Finally, the reported deficits in AMX-PD 7 rats may reflect neurodevelopmental deficits of structures connected with the amygdala.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leontien Diergaarde
- Rudolf Magnus Institute of Neuroscience, Department of Pharmacology and Anatomy, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands.
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Flagstad P, Mørk A, Glenthøj BY, van Beek J, Michael-Titus AT, Didriksen M. Disruption of neurogenesis on gestational day 17 in the rat causes behavioral changes relevant to positive and negative schizophrenia symptoms and alters amphetamine-induced dopamine release in nucleus accumbens. Neuropsychopharmacology 2004; 29:2052-64. [PMID: 15199377 DOI: 10.1038/sj.npp.1300516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 154] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Gestational disruption of neurodevelopment has been proposed to lead to pathophysiological changes similar to those underlying schizophrenia. We induced such disruption by treating pregnant rat dams with methylazoxymethanol acetate (MAM) on gestational day 17 (GD17). Total brain size and that of the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus were reduced in adult rats exposed prenatally to MAM. When locomotor activity was assessed in an open field, MAM-exposed rats were hyper-responsive to a mild stress and to amphetamine (2 mg/kg, s.c.). They also engaged in less social interaction than controls. We studied, by microdialysis, the effect of amphetamine on extracellular dopamine in the nucleus accumbens and the medial prefrontal cortex of freely moving control and MAM-exposed rats. Amphetamine (2 mg/kg, s.c.) induced an increase in dopamine release that was larger in the nucleus accumbens of MAM-exposed rats than in controls, whereas no difference was seen in the medial prefrontal cortex. In controls, amphetamine infused into the medial prefrontal cortex (50 microM) led to a slight decrease in extracellular dopamine in the nucleus accumbens. This effect was absent in MAM-exposed rats, where a transient increase in nucleus accumbens dopamine levels was seen after amphetamine infusion. These results show that the late gestational disruption of neurogenesis in the rat leads to behavioral changes that mimic positive and negative schizophrenia symptoms, and also to a dysregulation of subcortical dopamine neurotransmission. This study contributes to the evaluation of the validity of the prenatal MAM GD17 treatment in rats as an animal model for schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Flagstad
- Department of Psychopharmacology, H Lundbeck A/S, Copenhagen-Valby, Denmark.
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Murcia CL, Gulden F, Herrup K. A question of balance: a proposal for new mouse models of autism. Int J Dev Neurosci 2004; 23:265-75. [PMID: 15749251 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijdevneu.2004.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2004] [Revised: 07/01/2004] [Accepted: 07/02/2004] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) represents a major mental health problem with estimates of prevalence ranging from 1/500 to 1/2000. While generally recognized as developmental in origin, little to nothing is certain about its etiology. Currently, diagnosis is made on the basis of a variety of early developmental delays and/or regressions in behavior. There are no universally agreed upon changes in brain structure or cell composition. No biomarkers of any type are available to aid or confirm the clinical diagnosis. In addition, while estimates of the heritability of the condition range from 60 to 90%, as of this writing no disease gene has been unequivocally identified. The prevalence of autism is three- to four-fold higher in males than in females, but the reason for this sexual dimorphism is unknown. In light of all of these ambiguities, a proposal to discuss potential animal models may seem the heart of madness. However, parsing autism into its individual genetic, behavioral, and neurobiological components has already facilitated a 'conversation' between the human disease and the neuropathology and biochemistry underlying the disorder. Building on these results, it should be possible to not just replicate one aspect of autism but to connect the developmental abnormalities underlying the ultimate behavioral phenotype. A reciprocal conversation such as this, wherein the human disease informs on how to make a better animal model and the animal model teaches of the biology causal to autism, would be highly beneficial.
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Affiliation(s)
- Crystal L Murcia
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, E504 2109 Adelbert Road, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
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Schwabe K, Enkel T, Klein S, Schütte M, Koch M. Effects of neonatal lesions of the medial prefrontal cortex on adult rat behaviour. Behav Brain Res 2004; 153:21-34. [PMID: 15219703 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2003.10.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2003] [Revised: 10/26/2003] [Accepted: 10/27/2003] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
While prefrontal lesions in rodents serve as models for frontal lobe syndromes, neonatal lesions are considered as models for disconnection syndromes, such as schizophrenia. We investigated the effect of neonatal lesions of the rat medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) together with pubertal dexamethasone-challenge on adult rat behaviour and on apomorphine-induced behavioural changes. Adult lesions were used as controls. Rats with neonatal (postnatal day 7) or adult excitotoxic lesions or sham-lesions of the mPFC were tested 9 weeks after surgery. At postnatal day 49 one group of neonatal operated rats were systemically injected with the glucocorticoid receptor agonist dexamethasone (20 mg/kg), in order to simulate stress-induced glucocorticoid receptor activation. Working memory and perseveration was tested in T-maze tasks (continuous delayed alternation and reversal learning). Additionally, locomotor activity and prepulse inhibition (PPI) of startle was tested with and without apomorphine-treatment. Brain tissue damage was assessed using Nissl-staining and parvalbumine-immunocytochemistry. Pronounced thinning of the prelimbic-infralimbic subregion of the mPFC accompanied by altered cytoarchitecture and reduced number of parvalbumine-immunopositive neurones was found after neonatal lesions while adult lesions resulted in loss of neurones accompanied by gliosis. Neonatal lesions increased perseveration in the T-maze tasks and enhanced PPI, while adult lesions induced a working memory deficit. This differential behavioural outcome presumably reflects neurodevelopmentally induced alterations in neuronal circuits after neonatal lesions versus damage to mPFC alone after adult lesions. Dexamethasone-injection at day 49 did not alter behaviour in these tasks. Motor activity was not affected by neonatal or adult lesions but dexamethasone reduced apomorphine-induced hyperlocomotion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kerstin Schwabe
- Brain Research Institute, Department of Neuropharmacology, University of Bremen, FB2 P.O. Box 330440, 28334 Bremen, Germany.
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Abstract
Autism is reaching epidemic proportions. The diagnosis can be made as early as 2 years of age, and autistic patients are expected to have a normal life span. Thus, in terms of the number of 'patient years', autism spectrum disorder (ASD) represents a market that is as large as that of the biggest neurological indication, Alzheimer's disease. However, despite the clear unmet medical need no effective treatment is yet available. This could be because the biology of ASD is not clearly understood and thus proper drug treatment has not been possible. However, significant advances are being made toward understanding the mechanisms of the disease. Here, we review the most recent preclinical advances in the hope that they will lead to a breakthrough in the near future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Gerlai
- Department of Psychology University of Hawai'i at Manoa, 2430 Campus Road Honolulu, HI 96822-2216, USA.
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Machado-Vieira R, Kapczinski F, Soares JC. Perspectives for the development of animal models of bipolar disorder. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2004; 28:209-24. [PMID: 14751416 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2003.10.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 118] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Bipolar disorder (BD) has been a particularly challenging illness for the development of adequate animal models for neurobiological studies. These difficulties are largely related to the peculiar clinical characteristics of this illness, with an intriguing alternation of mania, depression, euthymia, and mixed states. The etiology and brain mechanisms involved in this several mental illness remain unknown. Preclinical studies with animal models of mania or depression have been developed to evaluate the potential efficacy of new psychotropic drugs and generate information concerning the biochemical effects of these drugs on specific targets. These models try to mimic the behavioral components of mania and depression in human subjects and examine the pharmacological responses and mechanisms of action of potentially new therapeutic agents. The main limitation is that there is currently no model that would mimic mood cyclicity, which is a hallmark feature of BD. Thus, these models do not represent valid paradigms for the study of this illness, because they do not address key questions regarding cyclicity. In this review, we propose that new genetics approaches involving potential animal models of BD are a promising new area for further development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodrigo Machado-Vieira
- Laboratory of Experimental Psychiatry, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, School of Medicine, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
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Jagalska-Majewska H, Wójcik S, Dziewiatkowski J, Luczyńska A, Kurlapska R, Moryś J. Postnatal development of the basolateral complex of rabbit amygdala: a stereological and histochemical study. J Anat 2004; 203:513-21. [PMID: 14635804 PMCID: PMC1571186 DOI: 10.1046/j.1469-7580.2003.00240.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The aim of the study was to estimate developmental changes in the rabbit basolateral complex (BLC) by stereological and histochemical methods. Material consisted of 45 brains of New Zealand rabbits (aged from 2 to 180 days, P2 to P180) of both sexes, divided into nine groups. The following parameters were estimated: volume of the cerebral hemisphere; volume of the whole BLC and of particular BLC nuclei; neuronal density and total number of neurons in these nuclei. Developmental changes in acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity in the BLC were also examined. The volume of the cerebral hemisphere increased until P30, whereas volumes of nuclei increased for longer--until P90. The density of neurons in all nuclei studied reached the level characteristic for an adult animal at about P30. The total number of neurons in the dorsolateral division of the lateral nucleus (Ldl) stabilized the earliest--between P30 and P60, whereas in the ventromedial division of the lateral nucleus (Lvm), basomedial (BM) and basolateral (BL) nuclei the number stabilized later--between P60 and P90. AChE activity appears minimal in the BLC on P2, reaches a maximum on P30 and then decreases to the level characteristic of an adult animal on P60. AChE activity was greater in BL than in other nuclei in all age groups. Reaching adult AChE activity 1 month earlier than the total number of neurons in the BLC may indicate a role of the cholinergic system in BLC maturation.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Jagalska-Majewska
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Medical University of Gdańsk, Poland
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Diergaarde L, Gerrits MAFM, Stuy A, Spruijt BM, van Ree JM. Neonatal Amygdala Lesions and Juvenile Isolation in the Rat: Differential Effects on Locomotor and Social Behavior Later in Life. Behav Neurosci 2004; 118:298-305. [PMID: 15113254 DOI: 10.1037/0735-7044.118.2.298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Pervasive developmental disorders such as autism are characterized by deficits in social interaction and communication. Disturbed development of limbic structures such as the amygdala might underlie these deficits. The authors examined the effects of amygdala lesions on Postnatal Day 7 and juvenile isolation (2 weeks of individual housing during Weeks 4 and 5 of life) on rat locomotor and social activity later in life. Before puberty, but more pronounced after puberty, lesioned rats displayed enhanced locomotor activity. Adult social behavior was selectively disturbed by the lesion and the isolation procedure. In particular, the combination of neonatal lesions and juvenile isolation severely disrupted social interaction. These results suggest that a combination of neonatal amygdala damage and juvenile isolation may serve as an animal model of certain psychopathological neurodevelopmental disorders, such as autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leontien Diergaarde
- Department of Pharmacology and Anatomy, Rudolf Magnus Institute of Neuroscience, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands
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Le Pen G, Kew J, Alberati D, Borroni E, Heitz MP, Moreau JL. Prepulse inhibition deficits of the startle reflex in neonatal ventral hippocampal-lesioned rats: reversal by glycine and a glycine transporter inhibitor. Biol Psychiatry 2003; 54:1162-70. [PMID: 14643083 DOI: 10.1016/s0006-3223(03)00374-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Neonatal ventral hippocampal (NVH) lesions in rats induce behavioral abnormalities at adulthood thought to simulate some aspects of the positive, negative, and cognitive deficits classically observed in schizophrenic patients. Such lesions induce a postpubertal emergence of prepulse inhibition (PPI) deficits of the startle reflex reminiscent of the sensorimotor gating deficits observed in a majority of schizophrenic patients. To study the potential involvement of the glycinergic neurotransmission in such deficits, we investigated the capacity of glycine (an obligatory N-methyl-D-aspartate [NMDA] receptor co-agonist) and ORG 24598 (a selective glycine transporter 1 inhibitor) to reverse NVH lesion-induced PPI deficits in rats. METHODS Ibotenic acid was injected bilaterally into the ventral hippocampus of 7-day-old pups. Prepulse inhibition of the startle reflex was measured at adulthood. RESULTS Glycine (.8 and 1.6 g/kg IP) and ORG 24598 (10 mg/kg IP) fully and partially reversed lesion-induced PPI deficits, respectively. CONCLUSIONS These findings confirm that an impaired glutamatergic neurotransmission may be responsible for PPI deficits exhibited by NVH-lesioned rats and support the hypoglutamatergic hypothesis of schizophrenia. They also suggest that drugs acting either directly at the NMDA receptor glycine site or indirectly on the glycine transporter 1 could offer promising targets for the development of novel therapies for schizophrenia.
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Zirlinger M, Anderson D. Molecular dissection of the amygdala and its relevance to autism. GENES BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR 2003; 2:282-94. [PMID: 14606693 DOI: 10.1034/j.1601-183x.2003.00039.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
The limbic system, and in particular the amygdala, have been implicated in autism. The amygdala is a complex structure that in rodents consists of at least 12 different nuclei or subnuclei. A comparative analysis of amygdala neuroanatomy in normal vs. autistic brains would be aided by the availability of molecular markers to unambiguously recognize these different amygdala substructures. Here we report on the development of methods to identify genes enriched in the central, lateral and medial nuclei of the rodent amygdala. Our results suggest that laser-capture microdissection of specific amygdala subnuclei, when combined with linear amplification of cRNA probes for oligonucleotide microarray hybridization, can efficiently identify genes whose expression is confined to these substructures. Importantly, many of these genes were missed in previous gene expression-profiling experiments using whole amygdala tissue. The isolation of human orthologs of these subnucleus-specific genes, and/or the application of these methods directly to human tissue, may provide useful markers for characterizing neuropathological correlates of autism, as well as for identifying molecular differences between normal and autistic brains.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Zirlinger
- Division of Biology, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
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Daenen EWPM, Wolterink G, Van Ree JM. Hyperresponsiveness to phencyclidine in animals lesioned in the amygdala on day 7 of life. Implications for an animal model of schizophrenia. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2003; 13:273-9. [PMID: 12888187 DOI: 10.1016/s0924-977x(03)00029-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Phencyclidine (PCP) has been described to exacerbate psychotic symptoms in patients suffering from schizophrenia. In rats, PCP, dose-dependently, induces hyperactivity, stereotyped behaviour and social isolation, postulated to represent the positive (hyperactivity, stereotypy) and negative (social isolation) symptoms of schizophrenia. Based on previous studies, ibotenic acid lesions in the amygdala on day 7 of life have been proposed as an animal model of psychiatric neurodevelopmental disorders like schizophrenia. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether the responsiveness to PCP on locomotor activity in animals lesioned in the amygdala on day 7 of life is different from the response to this drug in sham-operated animals. The effect of graded doses of PCP on behaviour was assessed in a small open field. Animals lesioned in the amygdala on day 7 of life appeared to be hyperresponsive to PCP compared to sham-operated animals. The hyperresponsiveness to PCP in rats lesioned in the amygdala on day 7 of life further contributes to the validation of this putative animal model of schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- E W P M Daenen
- Rudolf Magnus Institute of Neuroscience, University Medical Center Utrecht, Department of Pharmacology and Anatomy, P.O. Box 85060, 3508 AB Utrecht, The Netherlands
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