Sustained attention in the mouse: A study of the relationship with the cerebellum

Executive functions in agenesis of the corpus callosum: Working memory and sustained attention in the BTBR inbred mouse strain

INTRODUCTION

Agenesis of the corpus callosum (AgCC) is characterized by the congenital partial or complete absence of the corpus callosum. Several strains of mice have been reported to carry AgCC, with the BTBR T⁺ Itpr3^tf /J (BTBR) inbred mouse strain consistently showing a complete absence of the corpus callosum, as well as a variable reduction in the size of the hippocampal commissure. While much research has focused on the social deficits of the BTBR strain, little research on its cognitive behavior has been conducted. The goal of our study was to compare two facets of executive functioning, spatial working memory, and sustained attention between the BTBR and C57BL/6J (B6) strains.

METHODS

Spatial working memory was measured utilizing a delayed matching-to-position (DMTP) task and sustained attention was measured utilizing an operant task in which mice were trained to distinguish signal and nonsignal events.

RESULTS

Both the BTBR and B6 mice demonstrated a predictable decline in performance on the DMTP task as the delay interval increased and predictable increase in performance on the sustained attention task as the duration of the signal event increased. Although no significant differences were found between strains on the performance of these tasks, there was a significant difference in learning the association between lever pressing and food reward. Histological investigation confirmed the complete absence of commissural fibers from the corpus callosum, but also the hippocampal commissure, counter to a previous study.

CONCLUSION

The results suggest spatial working memory and sustained attention are unaffected by the absence of these commissural fibers alone.

Identifying a glucose metabolic brain pattern in an adeno-associated viral vector based rat model for Parkinson's disease using 18F-FDG PET imaging

We investigated the glucose metabolism in an adeno-associated viral vector based alpha-synuclein rat model for Parkinson’s disease (PD) using longitudinal ¹⁸F-FDG PET imaging, which resulted in an improved characterization of this animal model. We generated a PD specific pattern (PDSP) based on a multivariate classification approach to differentiate between a PD and control group at a late disease stage, where the neurodegeneration is considered nearly complete. In particular, we applied a principal component analysis prior to classification by a support vector machine (SVM). Moreover, by using a SVM for regression to predict corresponding motor scores, a PD motor pattern (PDMP) was derived as well. The PDSP mainly corresponds to the PDMP and overlaps to a large extent with the human pattern. We were able to quantify disease expression at previous time points by projecting onto the PDSP and PDMP. While a univariate analysis indicated metabolic changes which did not persist through time, both PDSP and PDMP were able to differentiate significantly (p-value < 0.05) between the PD and control group at week 4, 6 and 9 post injection, while no significant differences were obtained at baseline and at week 3, which is in accordance with the animal model.

Cerebellar contribution to higher and lower order rule learning and cognitive flexibility in mice

Cognitive flexibility has traditionally been considered a frontal lobe function. However, converging evidence suggests involvement of a larger brain circuit which includes the cerebellum. Reciprocal pathways connecting the cerebellum to the prefrontal cortex provide a biological substrate through which the cerebellum may modulate higher cognitive functions, and it has been observed that cognitive inflexibility and cerebellar pathology co-occur in psychiatric disorders (e.g., autism, schizophrenia, addiction). However, the degree to which the cerebellum contributes to distinct forms of cognitive flexibility and rule learning is unknown. We tested lurcher↔wildtype aggregation chimeras which lose 0-100% of cerebellar Purkinje cells during development on a touchscreen-mediated attentional set-shifting task to assess the contribution of the cerebellum to higher and lower order rule learning and cognitive flexibility. Purkinje cells, the sole output of the cerebellar cortex, ranged from 0 to 108,390 in tested mice. Reversal learning and extradimensional set-shifting were impaired in mice with⩾95% Purkinje cell loss. Cognitive deficits were unrelated to motor deficits in ataxic mice. Acquisition of a simple visual discrimination and an attentional-set were unrelated to Purkinje cells. A positive relationship was observed between Purkinje cells and errors when exemplars from a novel, non-relevant dimension were introduced. Collectively, these data suggest that the cerebellum contributes to higher order cognitive flexibility, lower order cognitive flexibility, and attention to novel stimuli, but not the acquisition of higher and lower order rules. These data indicate that the cerebellar pathology observed in psychiatric disorders may underlie deficits involving cognitive flexibility and attention to novel stimuli.

Altered brainstem auditory evoked potentials in a rat central sensitization model are similar to those in migraine

Migraine symptoms often include auditory discomfort. Nitroglycerin (NTG)-triggered central sensitization (CS) provides a rodent model of migraine, but auditory brainstem pathways have not yet been studied in this example. Our objective was to examine brainstem auditory evoked potentials (BAEPs) in rat CS as a measure of possible auditory abnormalities. We used four subdermal electrodes to record horizontal (h) and vertical (v) dipole channel BAEPs before and after injection of NTG or saline. We measured the peak latencies (PLs), interpeak latencies (IPLs), and amplitudes for detectable waveforms evoked by 8, 16, or 32 kHz auditory stimulation. At 8 kHz stimulation, vertical channel positive PLs of waves 4, 5, and 6 (vP4, vP5, and vP6), and related IPLs from earlier negative or positive peaks (vN1-vP4, vN1-vP5, vN1-vP6; vP3-vP4, vP3-vP6) increased significantly 2h after NTG injection compared to the saline group. However, BAEP peak amplitudes at all frequencies, PLs and IPLs from the horizontal channel at all frequencies, and the vertical channel stimulated at 16 and 32 kHz showed no significant/consistent change. For the first time in the rat CS model, we show that BAEP PLs and IPLs ranging from putative bilateral medial superior olivary nuclei (P4) to the more rostral structures such as the medial geniculate body (P6) were prolonged 2h after NTG administration. These BAEP alterations could reflect changes in neurotransmitters and/or hypoperfusion in the midbrain. The similarity of our results with previous human studies further validates the rodent CS model for future migraine research.

Consensus paper: pathological role of the cerebellum in autism

There has been significant advancement in various aspects of scientific knowledge concerning the role of cerebellum in the etiopathogenesis of autism. In the current consensus paper, we will observe the diversity of opinions regarding the involvement of this important site in the pathology of autism. Recent emergent findings in literature related to cerebellar involvement in autism are discussed, including: cerebellar pathology, cerebellar imaging and symptom expression in autism, cerebellar genetics, cerebellar immune function, oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction, GABAergic and glutamatergic systems, cholinergic, dopaminergic, serotonergic, and oxytocin-related changes in autism, motor control and cognitive deficits, cerebellar coordination of movements and cognition, gene-environment interactions, therapeutics in autism, and relevant animal models of autism. Points of consensus include presence of abnormal cerebellar anatomy, abnormal neurotransmitter systems, oxidative stress, cerebellar motor and cognitive deficits, and neuroinflammation in subjects with autism. Undefined areas or areas requiring further investigation include lack of treatment options for core symptoms of autism, vermal hypoplasia, and other vermal abnormalities as a consistent feature of autism, mechanisms underlying cerebellar contributions to cognition, and unknown mechanisms underlying neuroinflammation.

Paying more attention to attention: towards more comprehensive cognitive translation using mouse models of Alzheimer's disease

The cognitive phenotyping of mouse models of Alzheimer's disease (AD) currently focuses on impairments in learning and memory. However, AD is not simply a memory disorder, but other cognitive domains, and in particular attention, can also be impaired even at very early stages of the disease. In this review we argue for the benefits of including other constructs, and in particular attention, in preclinical studies to identify drug targets and disease mechanisms of AD in mouse models. First we give a brief account of the evidence for attentional deficits in AD; we then summarise methods to assess equivalent aspects of attention in mice, followed by a review of recent evidence for attentional impairments in widely used mouse models of AD. We conclude by suggesting that a multidimensional approach to cognitive assessment in preclinical models, in which a number of aspects of cognition are investigated while confounding factors are minimized, is becoming increasingly feasible and may contribute significantly towards the development of more targeted therapeutic interventions.

Mechanisms of compartmental purkinje cell death and survival in the lurcher mutant mouse

The Lurcher mutant mouse is characterized by its ataxic gait and loss of cerebellar Purkinje cells and their afferents, granule cells and olivary neurons, during the first weeks of postnatal development. For the 50 years since its discovery, the heterozygous Lurcher mutant has served as an important model system for studying neuron-target interactions in the developing cerebellum and cerebellar function. The identification of the Lurcher (Lc) gene over 10 years ago as a gain-of-function mutation in the δ2 glutamate receptor (GluRδ2) led to extensive studies of cell death mechanisms in the Lc/+ cerebellum. The advantage of this model system is that GluRδ2(+) receptors and GluRδ2(Lc) channels are expressed predominantly in Purkinje cells, making it possible to study the effects of a well-characterized leak current in a well-defined cell type during a critical phase of neuronal development. Yet there is still controversy surrounding the mechanisms of neuronal death in Lc/+ Purkinje cells with competing hypotheses for necrotic, apoptotic, and autophagic cell death pathways as a consequence of the excitotoxic stress caused by the GluRδ2(Lc) leak current. The goal of this review is to summarize recent studies that critically test the role of various cell death pathways in Lc/+ Purkinje cell degeneration with respect to evidence for the molecular heterogeneity of Purkinje cells. We propose that the expression of putative survival factors, such as heat shock proteins, in a subset of cerebellar Purkinje cells may affect cell death pathways and account for the pattern and diverse mechanisms of Lc/+ Purkinje degeneration.

Examining the genetic and neural components of cognitive flexibility using mice

This commentary summarizes the research presented during the symposium "Examining the genetic and neural components of cognitive flexibility using mice" at the annual meeting of the International Behavioral Neuroscience Society 2011. Research presented includes examining: 1) Corticostriatal networks underlying reversal learning using GluN2B knockout mice, cFos expression, and in vivo electrophysiological recording; 2) Cerebellar contribution to reversal learning using mutants with Purkinje cell loss and in vivo electrochemical recording; 3) Parvalbumin contribution to reversal learning and set-shifting using PLAUR mutants and in vitro recording to examine fast-spiking interneurones; and 4) Alpha 7 nAChR contribution to reversal learning, set-shifting, motivation, and the 'eureka moment' of rule acquisition. It is proposed that these studies revealed more about the neurobiology underlying these behaviors than could be discovered using pharmacological techniques alone. Together, the research presented stressed the importance of exploring the genetic contribution to neuropsychiatric disease and the important role that the mouse, coupled with robust behavioral measures, can play in understanding neurobiology underlying cognitive flexibility.

Sustained attention in mice: expanding the translational utility of the SAT by incorporating the Michigan Controlled Access Response Port (MICARP)

Advances in mouse genetic technology have spurred increasing interest in the development of cognitive tasks for mice. Here, we describe and discuss the modifications necessary to adapt a task for the assessment of sustained attention performance for use in mice, including for taxing the top-down control of such performance. The validity of the Sustained Attention Task (SAT), including the distractor version (dSAT), has previously been demonstrated in rats and humans. This task requires moveable or retractable operanda; insertion of operanda into the operant chambers cues animals to respond to a prior signal or non-signal event, reporting either a hit or a miss, or a correct rejection or false alarm, respectively. Retractable levers did not support sufficiently high and stable levels of performance in mice. Given the widespread use of static nose-poke devices for testing operant performance in mice, we therefore designed and fabricated a retractable nose-poke device. As this device extends into chambers, a hole for nose-poking is slowly opened and closed again as the device retracts (termed the "Michigan Controlled Access Response Port", MICARP). Results describe the effects of variation of signal duration and event rate, trial outcome and trial type probability, effects of mice deprivation levels, and the reliability of SAT and dSAT performance. Mice perform the SAT and dSAT at levels comparable to those observed in rats. This task will be of assistance in expanding the translational usefulness of the SAT and dSAT.

Connecting the dots of the cerebro-cerebellar role in cognitive function: neuronal pathways for cerebellar modulation of dopamine release in the prefrontal cortex

Cerebellar involvement in autism, schizophrenia, and other cognitive disorders is typically associated with prefrontal cortical pathology. However, the underlying neuronal mechanisms are largely unknown. It has previously been shown in mice that stimulation of the dentate nucleus (DN) of the cerebellum evokes dopamine (DA) release in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). Here, we investigated the neuronal circuitry by which the cerebellum modulates mPFC DA release. Fixed potential amperometry was used to determine the contribution of two candidate pathways by which the cerebellum may modulate mPFC DA release. In urethane anesthetized mice, DA release evoked by DN stimulation (50 Hz) was recorded in mPFC following local anesthetic lidocaine (0.02 μg) or ionotropic glutamate receptor antagonist kynurenate (0.5 μg) infusions into the mediodorsal or ventrolateral thalamic nucleus (ThN md; ThN vl), or the ventral tegmental area (VTA). Following intra-VTA lidocaine or kynurenate infusions, DA release was decreased by ∼50%. Following intra-ThN md and ThN vl infusions of either drug, DA release was decreased by ∼35% and 15%, respectively. Reductions in DA release following lidocaine or kynurenate infusions were not significantly different indicating that neuronal cells in the VTA and ThN were activated primarily if not entirely by glutamatergic inputs. The present study suggests that neuropathological changes in the cerebellum commonly observed in autism, schizophrenia, and other cognitive disorders could result in a loss of functionality of cerebellar-mPFC circuitry that is manifested as aberrant dopaminergic activity in the mPFC. Additionally, these results specifically implicate glutamate as a modulator of mPFC dopaminergic activity.

Behavioral flexibility in a mouse model of developmental cerebellar Purkinje cell loss

Although behavioral inflexibility and Purkinje cell loss are both well established in autism, it is unknown if these phenomena are causally related. Using a mouse model, we tested the hypothesis that developmental abnormalities of the cerebellum, including Purkinje cell loss, result in behavioral inflexibility. Specifically, we made aggregation chimeras (Lc/+<-->+/+) between lurcher (Lc/+) mutant embryos and wildtype (+/+) control embryos. Lurcher mice lose 100% of their Purkinje cells postnatally, while chimeric mice lose varying numbers of Purkinje cells. We tested these mice on the acquisition and serial reversals of an operant conditional visual discrimination, a test of behavioral flexibility in rodents. During reversals 1 and 2, all groups of mice committed similar numbers of "perseverative" errors (those committed while session performance was <= 40% correct). Lurchers, however, committed a significantly greater number of "learning" errors (those committed while session performance was between 41% and 85% correct) than both controls and chimeras, and most were unable to advance past reversal 3. During reversals 3 and 4, chimeras, as a group, committed more "perseverative", but not "learning" errors than controls, although a comparison of Purkinje cell number and performance in individual mice revealed that chimeras with fewer Purkinje cells made more "learning" errors and had shorter response latencies than chimeras with more Purkinje cells. These data suggest that developmental cerebellar Purkinje cell loss may affect higher level cognitive processes which have previously been shown to be mediated by the prefrontal cortex, and are commonly deficient in autism spectrum disorders.

Repetitive behavior and increased activity in mice with Purkinje cell loss: a model for understanding the role of cerebellar pathology in autism

Repetitive behaviors and hyperactivity are common features of developmental disorders, including autism. Neuropathology of the cerebellum is also a frequent occurrence in autism and other developmental disorders. Recent studies have indicated that cerebellar pathology may play a causal role in the generation of repetitive and hyperactive behaviors. In this study, we examined the relationship between cerebellar pathology and these behaviors in a mouse model of Purkinje cell loss. Specifically, we made aggregation chimeras between Lc/+ mutant embryos and +/+ embryos. Lc/+ mice lose 100% of their Purkinje cells postnatally due to a cell-intrinsic gain-of-function mutation. Through our histological examination, we demonstrated that Lc/+<-->+/+ chimeric mice have Purkinje cells ranging from zero to normal numbers. Our analysis of these chimeric cerebella confirmed previous studies on Purkinje cell lineage. The results of both open-field activity and hole-board exploration testing indicated negative relationships between Purkinje cell number and measures of activity and investigatory nose-poking. Additionally, in a progressive-ratio operant paradigm, we found that Lc/+ mice lever-pressed significantly less than +/+ controls, which led to significantly lower breakpoints in this group. In contrast, chimeric mice lever-pressed significantly more than controls and this repetitive lever-pressing behavior was significantly and negatively correlated with total Purkinje cell numbers. Although the performance of Lc/+ mice is probably related to their motor deficits, the significant relationships between Purkinje cell number and repetitive lever-pressing behavior as well as open-field activity measures provide support for a role of cerebellar pathology in generating repetitive behavior and increased activity in chimeric mice.

Using the MATRICS to guide development of a preclinical cognitive test battery for research in schizophrenia

Cognitive deficits in schizophrenia are among the core symptoms of the disease, correlate with functional outcome, and are not well treated with current antipsychotic therapies. In order to bring together academic, industrial, and governmental bodies to address this great 'unmet therapeutic need', the NIMH sponsored the Measurement and Treatment Research to Improve Cognition in Schizophrenia (MATRICS) initiative. Through careful factor analysis and consensus of expert opinion, MATRICS identified seven domains of cognition that are deficient in schizophrenia (attention/vigilance, working memory, reasoning and problem solving, processing speed, visual learning and memory, verbal learning and memory, and social cognition) and recommended a specific neuropsychological test battery to probe these domains. In order to move the field forward and outline an approach for translational research, there is a need for a "preclinical MATRICS" to develop a rodent test battery that is appropriate for drug development. In this review, we outline such an approach and review current rodent tasks that target these seven domains of cognition. The rodent tasks are discussed in terms of their validity for probing each cognitive domain as well as a brief overview of the pharmacology and manipulations relevant to schizophrenia for each task.

The 5-choice continuous performance test: evidence for a translational test of vigilance for mice

Background

Attentional dysfunction is related to functional disability in patients with neuropsychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and Alzheimer's disease. Indeed, sustained attention/vigilance is among the leading targets for new medications designed to improve cognition in schizophrenia. Although vigilance is assessed frequently using the continuous performance test (CPT) in humans, few tests specifically assess vigilance in rodents.

Methods

We describe the 5-choice CPT (5C-CPT), an elaboration of the 5-choice serial reaction (5CSR) task that includes non-signal trials, thus mimicking task parameters of human CPTs that use signal and non-signal events to assess vigilance. The performances of C57BL/6J and DBA/2J mice were assessed in the 5C-CPT to determine whether this task could differentiate between strains. C57BL/6J mice were also trained in the 5CSR task and a simple reaction-time (RT) task involving only one choice (1CRT task). We hypothesized that: 1) C57BL/6J performance would be superior to DBA/2J mice in the 5C-CPT as measured by the sensitivity index measure from signal detection theory; 2) a vigilance decrement would be observed in both strains; and 3) RTs would increase across tasks with increased attentional load (1CRT task<5CSR task<5C-CPT).

Conclusions

C57BL/6J mice exhibited superior SI levels compared to DBA/2J mice, but with no difference in accuracy. A vigilance decrement was observed in both strains, which was more pronounced in DBA/2J mice and unaffected by response bias. Finally, we observed increased RTs with increased attentional load, such that 1CRT task<5CSR task<5C-CPT, consistent with human performance in simple RT, choice RT, and CPT tasks. Thus we have demonstrated construct validity for the 5C-CPT as a measure of vigilance that is analogous to human CPT studies.

Cerebellar modulation of frontal cortex dopamine efflux in mice: relevance to autism and schizophrenia

Cerebellar and frontal cortical pathologies have been commonly reported in schizophrenia, autism, and other developmental disorders. Whether there is a relationship between prefrontal and cerebellar pathologies is unknown. Using fixed potential amperometry, dopamine (DA) efflux evoked by cerebellar or, dentate nucleus electrical stimulation (50 Hz, 200 muA) was recorded in prefrontal cortex of urethane anesthetized lurcher (Lc/+) mice with 100% loss of cerebellar Purkinje cells and wildtype (+/+) control mice. Cerebellar stimulation with 25 and 100 pulses evoked prefrontal cortex DA efflux in +/+ mice that persisted for 12 and 25 s poststimulation, respectively. In contrast, 25 pulse cerebellar stimulation failed to evoke prefrontal cortex DA efflux in Lc/+ mice indicating a dependency on cerebellar Purkinje cell outputs. Dentate nucleus stimulation (25 pulses) evoked a comparable but briefer (baseline recovery within 7 s) increase in prefrontal cortex DA efflux compared to similar cerebellar stimulation in +/+ mice. However, in Lc/+ mice 25 pulse dentate nucleus evoked prefrontal cortex DA efflux was attenuated by 60% with baseline recovery within 4 s suggesting that dentate nucleus outputs to prefrontal cortex remain partially functional. DA reuptake blockade enhanced 100 pulse stimulation evoked prefrontal cortex responses, while serotonin or norepinephrine reuptake blockade were without effect indicating the specificity of the amperometric recordings to DA. Results provide neurochemical evidence that the cerebellum can modulate DA efflux in the prefrontal cortex. Together, these findings may explain why cerebellar and frontal cortical pathologies co-occur, and may provide a mechanism that accounts for the diversity of symptoms common to multiple developmental disorders.