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Li Y, Xue J, Ma Y, Ye K, Zhao X, Ge F, Zheng F, Liu L, Gao X, Wang D, Xia Q. The complex roles of m 6 A modifications in neural stem cell proliferation, differentiation, and self-renewal and implications for memory and neurodegenerative diseases. Neural Regen Res 2025; 20:1582-1598. [PMID: 38845217 DOI: 10.4103/nrr.nrr-d-23-01872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 08/07/2024] Open
Abstract
N6-methyladenosine (m 6 A), the most prevalent and conserved RNA modification in eukaryotic cells, profoundly influences virtually all aspects of mRNA metabolism. mRNA plays crucial roles in neural stem cell genesis and neural regeneration, where it is highly concentrated and actively involved in these processes. Changes in m 6 A modification levels and the expression levels of related enzymatic proteins can lead to neurological dysfunction and contribute to the development of neurological diseases. Furthermore, the proliferation and differentiation of neural stem cells, as well as nerve regeneration, are intimately linked to memory function and neurodegenerative diseases. This paper presents a comprehensive review of the roles of m 6 A in neural stem cell proliferation, differentiation, and self-renewal, as well as its implications in memory and neurodegenerative diseases. m 6 A has demonstrated divergent effects on the proliferation and differentiation of neural stem cells. These observed contradictions may arise from the time-specific nature of m 6 A and its differential impact on neural stem cells across various stages of development. Similarly, the diverse effects of m 6 A on distinct types of memory could be attributed to the involvement of specific brain regions in memory formation and recall. Inconsistencies in m 6 A levels across different models of neurodegenerative disease, particularly Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease, suggest that these disparities are linked to variations in the affected brain regions. Notably, the opposing changes in m 6 A levels observed in Parkinson's disease models exposed to manganese compared to normal Parkinson's disease models further underscore the complexity of m 6 A's role in neurodegenerative processes. The roles of m 6 A in neural stem cell proliferation, differentiation, and self-renewal, and its implications in memory and neurodegenerative diseases, appear contradictory. These inconsistencies may be attributed to the time-specific nature of m 6 A and its varying effects on distinct brain regions and in different environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanxi Li
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China
- College of Basic Medical Sciences, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China
| | - Jing Xue
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China
- College of Basic Medical Sciences, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China
| | - Yuejia Ma
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China
- College of Basic Medical Sciences, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China
| | - Ke Ye
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China
- College of Basic Medical Sciences, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China
| | - Xue Zhao
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China
- College of Basic Medical Sciences, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China
| | - Fangliang Ge
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China
- College of Basic Medical Sciences, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China
| | - Feifei Zheng
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China
- College of Basic Medical Sciences, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China
| | - Lulu Liu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China
- College of Basic Medical Sciences, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China
| | - Xu Gao
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China
- College of Basic Medical Sciences, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China
- Basic Medical Institute, Heilongjiang Academy of Medical Sciences, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China
- Key Laboratory of Heilongjiang Province for Genetically Modified Animals, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China
- Translational Medicine Research and Cooperation Center of Northern China, Heilongjiang Academy of Medical Sciences, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China
| | - Dayong Wang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China
- College of Basic Medical Sciences, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China
- Translational Medicine Research and Cooperation Center of Northern China, Heilongjiang Academy of Medical Sciences, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China
| | - Qing Xia
- Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
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2
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Diehl MM, Moscarello JM, Trask S. Behavioral outputs and overlapping circuits between conditional fear and active avoidance. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2024; 213:107943. [PMID: 38821256 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2024.107943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2024] [Revised: 05/19/2024] [Accepted: 05/27/2024] [Indexed: 06/02/2024]
Abstract
Aversive learning can produce a wide variety of defensive behavioral responses depending on the circumstances, ranging from reactive responses like freezing to proactive avoidance responses. While most of this initial learning is behaviorally supported by an expectancy of an aversive outcome and neurally supported by activity within the basolateral amygdala, activity in other brain regions become necessary for the execution of defensive strategies that emerge in other aversive learning paradigms such as active avoidance. Here, we review the neural circuits that support both reactive and proactive defensive behaviors that are motivated by aversive learning, and identify commonalities between the neural substrates of these distinct (and often exclusive) behavioral strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria M Diehl
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA
| | | | - Sydney Trask
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA; Purdue Institute for Integrative Neuroscience, West Lafayette, IN, USA.
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3
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Kim EJ, Kong MS, Park S, Cho J, Kim JJ. Periaqueductal gray activates antipredatory neural responses in the amygdala of foraging rats. eLife 2024; 12:RP88733. [PMID: 39133827 PMCID: PMC11318971 DOI: 10.7554/elife.88733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Pavlovian fear conditioning research suggests that the interaction between the dorsal periaqueductal gray (dPAG) and basolateral amygdala (BLA) acts as a prediction error mechanism in the formation of associative fear memories. However, their roles in responding to naturalistic predatory threats, characterized by less explicit cues and the absence of reiterative trial-and-error learning events, remain unexplored. In this study, we conducted single-unit recordings in rats during an 'approach food-avoid predator' task, focusing on the responsiveness of dPAG and BLA neurons to a rapidly approaching robot predator. Optogenetic stimulation of the dPAG triggered fleeing behaviors and increased BLA activity in naive rats. Notably, BLA neurons activated by dPAG stimulation displayed immediate responses to the robot, demonstrating heightened synchronous activity compared to BLA neurons that did not respond to dPAG stimulation. Additionally, the use of anterograde and retrograde tracer injections into the dPAG and BLA, respectively, coupled with c-Fos activation in response to predatory threats, indicates that the midline thalamus may play an intermediary role in innate antipredatory-defensive functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eun Joo Kim
- Department of Psychology, University of WashingtonSeattleUnited States
| | - Mi-Seon Kong
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of WashingtonSeattleUnited States
| | - Sanggeon Park
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Scranton College, Ewha Womans UniversitySeoulRepublic of Korea
- Brain Disease Research Institute, Ewha Brain Institute, Ewha Womans UniversitySeoulRepublic of Korea
| | - Jeiwon Cho
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Scranton College, Ewha Womans UniversitySeoulRepublic of Korea
- Brain Disease Research Institute, Ewha Brain Institute, Ewha Womans UniversitySeoulRepublic of Korea
| | - Jeansok John Kim
- Department of Psychology, University of WashingtonSeattleUnited States
- Program in Neuroscience, University of WashingtonSeattleUnited States
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4
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Santoni G, Astori S, Leleu M, Glauser L, Zamora SA, Schioppa M, Tarulli I, Sandi C, Gräff J. Chromatin plasticity predetermines neuronal eligibility for memory trace formation. Science 2024; 385:eadg9982. [PMID: 39052786 DOI: 10.1126/science.adg9982] [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: 02/03/2023] [Revised: 03/01/2024] [Accepted: 05/24/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024]
Abstract
Memories are encoded by sparse populations of neurons but how such sparsity arises remains largely unknown. We found that a neuron's eligibility to be recruited into the memory trace depends on its epigenetic state prior to encoding. Principal neurons in the mouse lateral amygdala display intrinsic chromatin plasticity, which when experimentally elevated favors neuronal allocation into the encoding ensemble. Such chromatin plasticity occurred at genomic regions underlying synaptic plasticity and was accompanied by increased neuronal excitability in single neurons in real time. Lastly, optogenetic silencing of the epigenetically altered neurons prevented memory expression, revealing a cell-autonomous relationship between chromatin plasticity and memory trace formation. These results identify the epigenetic state of a neuron as a key factor enabling information encoding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Santoni
- Laboratory of Neuroepigenetics, Brain Mind Institute, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Simone Astori
- Laboratory of Behavioural Genetics, Brain Mind Institute, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Marion Leleu
- Bioinformatics Competence Center, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Liliane Glauser
- Laboratory of Neuroepigenetics, Brain Mind Institute, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Simon A Zamora
- Laboratory of Neuroepigenetics, Brain Mind Institute, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Myriam Schioppa
- Laboratory of Neuroepigenetics, Brain Mind Institute, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
- The institute of Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB25 2ZD, UK
| | - Isabella Tarulli
- Laboratory of Neuroepigenetics, Brain Mind Institute, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Carmen Sandi
- Laboratory of Behavioural Genetics, Brain Mind Institute, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Johannes Gräff
- Laboratory of Neuroepigenetics, Brain Mind Institute, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
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5
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Hagihara KM, Lüthi A. Bidirectional valence coding in amygdala intercalated clusters: A neural substrate for the opponent-process theory of motivation. Neurosci Res 2024:S0168-0102(24)00088-9. [PMID: 39033998 DOI: 10.1016/j.neures.2024.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2024] [Revised: 06/30/2024] [Accepted: 07/16/2024] [Indexed: 07/23/2024]
Abstract
Processing emotionally meaningful stimuli and eliciting appropriate valence-specific behavior in response is a critical brain function for survival. Thus, how positive and negative valence are represented in neural circuits and how corresponding neural substrates interact to cooperatively select appropriate behavioral output are fundamental questions. In previous work, we identified that two amygdala intercalated clusters show opposite response selectivity to fear- and anxiety-inducing stimuli - negative valence (Hagihara et al., 2021). Here, we further show that the two clusters also exhibit distinctly different representations of stimuli with positive valence, demonstrating a broader role of the amygdala intercalated system beyond fear and anxiety. Together with the mutually inhibitory connectivity between the two clusters, our findings suggest that they serve as an ideal neural substrate for the integrated processing of valence for the selection of behavioral output.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenta M Hagihara
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland; University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
| | - Andreas Lüthi
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland; University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
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6
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Faress I, Khalil V, Hou WH, Moreno A, Andersen N, Fonseca R, Piriz J, Capogna M, Nabavi S. Non-Hebbian plasticity transforms transient experiences into lasting memories. eLife 2024; 12:RP91421. [PMID: 39023519 PMCID: PMC11257676 DOI: 10.7554/elife.91421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/20/2024] Open
Abstract
The dominant models of learning and memory, such as Hebbian plasticity, propose that experiences are transformed into memories through input-specific synaptic plasticity at the time of learning. However, synaptic plasticity is neither strictly input-specific nor restricted to the time of its induction. The impact of such forms of non-Hebbian plasticity on memory has been difficult to test, and hence poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate that synaptic manipulations can deviate from the Hebbian model of learning, yet produce a lasting memory. First, we established a weak associative conditioning protocol in mice, where optogenetic stimulation of sensory thalamic input to the amygdala was paired with a footshock, but no detectable memory was formed. However, when the same input was potentiated minutes before or after, or even 24 hr later, the associative experience was converted into a lasting memory. Importantly, potentiating an independent input to the amygdala minutes but not 24 hr after the pairing produced a lasting memory. Thus, our findings suggest that the process of transformation of a transient experience into a memory is neither restricted to the time of the experience nor to the synapses triggered by it; instead, it can be influenced by past and future events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Islam Faress
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus UniversityAahrusDenmark
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus UniversityAarhusDenmark
- DANDRITE, The Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience, Aarhus UniversityAahrusDenmark
- Center for Proteins in Memory – PROMEMO, Danish National Research Foundation, Aarhus UniversityAahrusDenmark
| | - Valentina Khalil
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus UniversityAahrusDenmark
- DANDRITE, The Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience, Aarhus UniversityAahrusDenmark
- Center for Proteins in Memory – PROMEMO, Danish National Research Foundation, Aarhus UniversityAahrusDenmark
| | - Wen-Hsien Hou
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus UniversityAarhusDenmark
| | - Andrea Moreno
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus UniversityAahrusDenmark
- DANDRITE, The Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience, Aarhus UniversityAahrusDenmark
- Center for Proteins in Memory – PROMEMO, Danish National Research Foundation, Aarhus UniversityAahrusDenmark
| | - Niels Andersen
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus UniversityAahrusDenmark
- DANDRITE, The Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience, Aarhus UniversityAahrusDenmark
- Center for Proteins in Memory – PROMEMO, Danish National Research Foundation, Aarhus UniversityAahrusDenmark
| | - Rosalina Fonseca
- Cellular and Systems Neurobiology, Universidade Nova de LisboaLisbonPortugal
| | - Joaquin Piriz
- Instituto de Fisiología Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE), Universidad de Buenos AiresBuenos AiresArgentina
| | - Marco Capogna
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus UniversityAarhusDenmark
- Center for Proteins in Memory – PROMEMO, Danish National Research Foundation, Aarhus UniversityAahrusDenmark
| | - Sadegh Nabavi
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus UniversityAahrusDenmark
- DANDRITE, The Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience, Aarhus UniversityAahrusDenmark
- Center for Proteins in Memory – PROMEMO, Danish National Research Foundation, Aarhus UniversityAahrusDenmark
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7
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Zhang BB, Ling XY, Shen QY, Zhang YX, Li QX, Xie ST, Li HZ, Zhang QP, Yung WH, Wang JJ, Ke Y, Zhang XY, Zhu JN. Suppression of excitatory synaptic transmission in the centrolateral amygdala via presynaptic histamine H3 heteroreceptors. J Physiol 2024. [PMID: 38953534 DOI: 10.1113/jp286392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 06/04/2024] [Indexed: 07/04/2024] Open
Abstract
The central histaminergic system has a pivotal role in emotional regulation and psychiatric disorders, including anxiety, depression and schizophrenia. However, the effect of histamine on neuronal activity of the centrolateral amygdala (CeL), an essential node for fear and anxiety processing, remains unknown. Here, using immunostaining and whole-cell patch clamp recording combined with optogenetic manipulation of histaminergic terminals in CeL slices prepared from histidine decarboxylase (HDC)-Cre rats, we show that histamine selectively suppresses excitatory synaptic transmissions, including glutamatergic transmission from the basolateral amygdala, on both PKC-δ- and SOM-positive CeL neurons. The histamine-induced effect is mediated by H3 receptors expressed on VGLUT1-/VGLUT2-positive presynaptic terminals in CeL. Furthermore, optoactivation of histaminergic afferent terminals from the hypothalamic tuberomammillary nucleus (TMN) also significantly suppresses glutamatergic transmissions in CeL via H3 receptors. Histamine neither modulates inhibitory synaptic transmission by presynaptic H3 receptors nor directly excites CeL neurons by postsynaptic H1, H2 or H4 receptors. These results suggest that histaminergic afferent inputs and presynaptic H3 heteroreceptors may hold a critical position in balancing excitatory and inhibitory synaptic transmissions in CeL by selective modulation of glutamatergic drive, which may not only account for the pathophysiology of psychiatric disorders but also provide potential psychotherapeutic targets. KEY POINTS: Histamine selectively suppresses the excitatory, rather than inhibitory, synaptic transmissions on both PKC-δ- and SOM-positive neurons in the centrolateral amygdala (CeL). H3 receptors expressed on VGLUT1- or VGLUT2-positive afferent terminals mediate the suppression of histamine on glutamatergic synaptic transmission in CeL. Optogenetic activation of hypothalamic tuberomammillary nucleus (TMN)-CeL histaminergic projections inhibits glutamatergic transmission in CeL via H3 receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bei-Bei Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, National Resource Center for Mutant Mice, and Department of Physiology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xin-Yu Ling
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, National Resource Center for Mutant Mice, and Department of Physiology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Qing-Yi Shen
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, National Resource Center for Mutant Mice, and Department of Physiology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yang-Xun Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, National Resource Center for Mutant Mice, and Department of Physiology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Qian-Xiao Li
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, National Resource Center for Mutant Mice, and Department of Physiology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Shu-Tao Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, National Resource Center for Mutant Mice, and Department of Physiology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Hong-Zhao Li
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, National Resource Center for Mutant Mice, and Department of Physiology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Qi-Peng Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, National Resource Center for Mutant Mice, and Department of Physiology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
- Institute for Brain Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Wing-Ho Yung
- Department of Neuroscience, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, China
| | - Jian-Jun Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, National Resource Center for Mutant Mice, and Department of Physiology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Ya Ke
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, China
| | - Xiao-Yang Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, National Resource Center for Mutant Mice, and Department of Physiology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
- Institute for Brain Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Jing-Ning Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, National Resource Center for Mutant Mice, and Department of Physiology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
- Institute for Brain Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
- Chemistry and Biomedicine Innovation Center, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
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8
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Zhang J, Wang J, Wang Y, Zhang D, Li H, Lei Y. Sleep deprivation increases the generalization of perceptual and concept-based fear: An fNIRS study. J Anxiety Disord 2024; 105:102892. [PMID: 38889495 DOI: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2024.102892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2023] [Revised: 05/20/2024] [Accepted: 06/10/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024]
Abstract
Insufficient sleep can initiate or exacerbate anxiety by triggering excessive fear generalization. In this study, a de novo paradigm was developed and used to examine the neural mechanisms governing the effects of sleep deprivation on processing perceptual and concept-based fear generalizations. A between-subject design was adopted, wherein a control group (who had a typical night's sleep) and a one-night sleep deprivation group completed a fear acquisition task at 9:00 PM on the first day and underwent a generalization test the following morning at 7:00 AM. In the fear acquisition task, navy blue and olive green were used as perceptual cues (P+ and P-, respectively), while animals and furniture items were used as conceptual cues (C+ and C-, respectively). Generalization was tested for four novel generalized categories (C+P+, C+P-, C-P+, and C-P-). Shock expectancy ratings, skin conductance responses, and functional near-infrared spectroscopy were recorded during the fear acquisition and generalization processes. Compared with the group who had a typical night's sleep, the sleep deprived group showed higher shock expectancy ratings (especially for P+ and C-), increased oxygenated hemoglobin in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, and increased activation in the triangular inferior frontal gyrus during the generalization test. These findings suggest that sleep deprivation increases the generalization of threat memories, thus providing insights into the overgeneralization characteristics of anxiety and fear-related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Zhang
- Institute of Brain and Psychological Sciences, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu 610066, China; School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
| | - Jinxia Wang
- Institute of Brain and Psychological Sciences, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu 610066, China; Faculty of Education and Psychology, University of Jyvaskyla, Finland
| | - Yuanyuan Wang
- School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
| | - Dandan Zhang
- Institute of Brain and Psychological Sciences, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu 610066, China
| | - Hong Li
- Institute of Brain and Psychological Sciences, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu 610066, China; School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
| | - Yi Lei
- Institute of Brain and Psychological Sciences, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu 610066, China.
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Kim EJ, Kong MS, Park S, Cho J, Kim JJ. Periaqueductal gray activates antipredatory neural responses in the amygdala of foraging rats. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.05.19.541463. [PMID: 38559038 PMCID: PMC10979854 DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.19.541463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Pavlovian fear conditioning research suggests that the interaction between the dorsal periaqueductal gray (dPAG) and basolateral amygdala (BLA) acts as a prediction error mechanism in the formation of associative fear memories. However, their roles in responding to naturalistic predatory threats, characterized by less explicit cues and the absence of reiterative trial-and-error learning events, remain unexplored. In this study, we conducted single-unit recordings in rats during an 'approach food-avoid predator' task, focusing on the responsiveness of dPAG and BLA neurons to a rapidly approaching robot predator. Optogenetic stimulation of the dPAG triggered fleeing behaviors and increased BLA activity in naive rats. Notably, BLA neurons activated by dPAG stimulation displayed immediate responses to the robot, demonstrating heightened synchronous activity compared to BLA neurons that did not respond to dPAG stimulation. Additionally, the use of anterograde and retrograde tracer injections into the dPAG and BLA, respectively, coupled with c-Fos activation in response to predatory threats, indicates that the midline thalamus may play an intermediary role in innate antipredatory defensive functioning.
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10
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Liu Y, Ye S, Li XN, Li WG. Memory Trace for Fear Extinction: Fragile yet Reinforceable. Neurosci Bull 2024; 40:777-794. [PMID: 37812300 PMCID: PMC11178705 DOI: 10.1007/s12264-023-01129-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2023] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Fear extinction is a biological process in which learned fear behavior diminishes without anticipated reinforcement, allowing the organism to re-adapt to ever-changing situations. Based on the behavioral hypothesis that extinction is new learning and forms an extinction memory, this new memory is more readily forgettable than the original fear memory. The brain's cellular and synaptic traces underpinning this inherently fragile yet reinforceable extinction memory remain unclear. Intriguing questions are about the whereabouts of the engram neurons that emerged during extinction learning and how they constitute a dynamically evolving functional construct that works in concert to store and express the extinction memory. In this review, we discuss recent advances in the engram circuits and their neural connectivity plasticity for fear extinction, aiming to establish a conceptual framework for understanding the dynamic competition between fear and extinction memories in adaptive control of conditioned fear responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Liu
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and Ministry of Education Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Huashan Hospital, Institute for Translational Brain Research, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Shuai Ye
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and Ministry of Education Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Huashan Hospital, Institute for Translational Brain Research, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Xin-Ni Li
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and Ministry of Education Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Huashan Hospital, Institute for Translational Brain Research, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Wei-Guang Li
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and Ministry of Education Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Huashan Hospital, Institute for Translational Brain Research, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
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11
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Luo RH, Su F, Zhao XY, Cao TH, Liao J, Xue YX, Huang GD, Yang JL. Impairment in acquisition of conditioned fear in people with depressive symptoms. Front Psychol 2024; 15:1384053. [PMID: 38863669 PMCID: PMC11166000 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1384053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2024] [Accepted: 05/08/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Depression is one of the primary global public health issues, and there has been a dramatic increase in depression levels among young people over the past decade. The neuroplasticity theory of depression postulates that a malfunction in neural plasticity, which is responsible for learning, memory, and adaptive behavior, is the primary source of the disorder's clinical manifestations. Nevertheless, the impact of depression symptoms on associative learning remains underexplored. Methods We used the differential fear conditioning paradigm to investigate the effects of depressive symptoms on fear acquisition and extinction learning. Skin conductance response (SCR) is an objective evaluation indicator, and ratings of nervousness, likeability, and unconditioned stimuli (US) expectancy are subjective evaluation indicators. In addition, we used associability generated by a computational reinforcement learning model to characterize the skin conductance response. Results The findings indicate that individuals with depressive symptoms exhibited significant impairment in fear acquisition learning compared to those without depressive symptoms based on the results of the skin conductance response. Moreover, in the discrimination fear learning task, the skin conductance response was positively correlated with associability, as estimated by the hybrid model in the group without depressive symptoms. Additionally, the likeability rating scores improved post-extinction learning in the group without depressive symptoms, and no such increase was observed in the group with depressive symptoms. Conclusion The study highlights that individuals with pronounced depressive symptoms exhibit impaired fear acquisition and extinction learning, suggesting a possible deficit in associative learning. Employing the hybrid model to analyze the learning process offers a deeper insight into the associative learning processes of humans, thus allowing for improved comprehension and treatment of these mental health problems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui-Han Luo
- Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Feng Su
- Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Xin-Yue Zhao
- Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Tian-Hui Cao
- Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Jing Liao
- Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Yan-Xue Xue
- National Institute on Drug Dependence and Beijing Key Laboratory of Drug Dependence, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Geng-Di Huang
- Department of Addiction Medicine, Shenzhen Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Shenzhen Kangning Hospital, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Jian-Li Yang
- Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
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12
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Wang J, Yang Q, Liu X, Li J, Wen YL, Hu Y, Xu TL, Duan S, Xu H. The basal forebrain to lateral habenula circuitry mediates social behavioral maladaptation. Nat Commun 2024; 15:4013. [PMID: 38740778 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-48378-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Elucidating the neural basis of fear allows for more effective treatments for maladaptive fear often observed in psychiatric disorders. Although the basal forebrain (BF) has an essential role in fear learning, its function in fear expression and the underlying neuronal and circuit substrates are much less understood. Here we report that BF glutamatergic neurons are robustly activated by social stimulus following social fear conditioning in male mice. And cell-type-specific inhibition of those excitatory neurons largely reduces social fear expression. At the circuit level, BF glutamatergic neurons make functional contacts with the lateral habenula (LHb) neurons and these connections are potentiated in conditioned mice. Moreover, optogenetic inhibition of BF-LHb glutamatergic pathway significantly reduces social fear responses. These data unravel an important function of the BF in fear expression via its glutamatergic projection onto the LHb, and suggest that selective targeting BF-LHb excitatory circuitry could alleviate maladaptive fear in relevant disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Wang
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Psychiatry of the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310058, China.
- Nanhu Brain-computer Interface Institute, Hangzhou, 311100, China.
- Liangzhu Laboratory, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, State Key Laboratory of Brain-machine Intelligence, Zhejiang University, 1369 West Wenyi Road, Hangzhou, 311121, China.
- NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China.
| | - Qian Yang
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Psychiatry of the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Xue Liu
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Psychiatry of the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310058, China
- Lingang Laboratory, Shanghai, 200031, China
| | - Jie Li
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Psychiatry of the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Ya-Lan Wen
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Psychiatry of the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Yuzheng Hu
- Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China
| | - Tian-Le Xu
- Center for Brain Science and Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025, China
| | - Shumin Duan
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Psychiatry of the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310058, China
- Liangzhu Laboratory, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, State Key Laboratory of Brain-machine Intelligence, Zhejiang University, 1369 West Wenyi Road, Hangzhou, 311121, China
- NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Han Xu
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Psychiatry of the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310058, China.
- Nanhu Brain-computer Interface Institute, Hangzhou, 311100, China.
- Liangzhu Laboratory, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, State Key Laboratory of Brain-machine Intelligence, Zhejiang University, 1369 West Wenyi Road, Hangzhou, 311121, China.
- NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China.
- Lingang Laboratory, Shanghai, 200031, China.
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13
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Coll MP, Walden Z, Bourgoin PA, Taylor V, Rainville P, Robert M, Nguyen DK, Jolicoeur P, Roy M. Pain reflects the informational value of nociceptive inputs. Pain 2024:00006396-990000000-00595. [PMID: 38713801 DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000003254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 05/09/2024]
Abstract
ABSTRACT Pain perception and its modulation are fundamental to human learning and adaptive behavior. This study investigated the hypothesis that pain perception is tied to pain's learning function. Thirty-one participants performed a threat conditioning task where certain cues were associated with a possibility of receiving a painful electric shock. The cues that signaled potential pain or safety were regularly changed, requiring participants to continually establish new associations. Using computational models, we quantified participants' pain expectations and prediction errors throughout the task and assessed their relationship with pain perception and electrophysiological responses. Our findings suggest that subjective pain perception increases with prediction error, that is, when pain was unexpected. Prediction errors were also related to physiological nociceptive responses, including the amplitude of nociceptive flexion reflex and electroencephalography markers of cortical nociceptive processing (N1-P2-evoked potential and gamma-band power). In addition, higher pain expectations were related to increased late event-related potential responses and alpha/beta decreases in amplitude during cue presentation. These results further strengthen the idea of a crucial link between pain and learning and suggest that understanding the influence of learning mechanisms in pain modulation could help us understand when and why pain perception is modulated in health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michel-Pierre Coll
- École de Psychologie, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
- Centre interdisciplinaire de recherche en réadaptation et intégration sociale (CIRRIS), Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Zoey Walden
- Department of Psychology, McGill University, 2001 McGill College, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | | | - Veronique Taylor
- Department of Epidemiology, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States
| | - Pierre Rainville
- Research Center of the Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
- Department of Stomatology, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Manon Robert
- Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CRCHUM), Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Dang Khoa Nguyen
- Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CRCHUM), Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Pierre Jolicoeur
- Department of Psychology, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Mathieu Roy
- Department of Psychology, McGill University, 2001 McGill College, Montréal, QC, Canada
- Alan Edwards Centre for Research on Pain, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
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14
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Hamati R, Ahrens J, Shvetz C, Holahan MR, Tuominen L. 65 years of research on dopamine's role in classical fear conditioning and extinction: A systematic review. Eur J Neurosci 2024; 59:1099-1140. [PMID: 37848184 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.16157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Revised: 09/08/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023]
Abstract
Dopamine, a catecholamine neurotransmitter, has historically been associated with the encoding of reward, whereas its role in aversion has received less attention. Here, we systematically gathered the vast evidence of the role of dopamine in the simplest forms of aversive learning: classical fear conditioning and extinction. In the past, crude methods were used to augment or inhibit dopamine to study its relationship with fear conditioning and extinction. More advanced techniques such as conditional genetic, chemogenic and optogenetic approaches now provide causal evidence for dopamine's role in these learning processes. Dopamine neurons encode conditioned stimuli during fear conditioning and extinction and convey the signal via activation of D1-4 receptor sites particularly in the amygdala, prefrontal cortex and striatum. The coordinated activation of dopamine receptors allows for the continuous formation, consolidation, retrieval and updating of fear and extinction memory in a dynamic and reciprocal manner. Based on the reviewed literature, we conclude that dopamine is crucial for the encoding of classical fear conditioning and extinction and contributes in a way that is comparable to its role in encoding reward.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rami Hamati
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- University of Ottawa Institute of Mental Health Research, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jessica Ahrens
- Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Department of Neuroscience, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Cecelia Shvetz
- University of Ottawa Institute of Mental Health Research, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Neuroscience, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Matthew R Holahan
- Department of Neuroscience, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Lauri Tuominen
- University of Ottawa Institute of Mental Health Research, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Neuroscience, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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15
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Gao Y, Gao D, Zhang H, Zheng D, Du J, Yuan C, Mingxi Ma, Yin Y, Wang J, Zhang X, Wang Y. BLA DBS improves anxiety and fear by correcting weakened synaptic transmission from BLA to adBNST and CeL in a mouse model of foot shock. Cell Rep 2024; 43:113766. [PMID: 38349792 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.113766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2023] [Revised: 10/24/2023] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 02/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Deep brain stimulation (DBS) in the basal lateral amygdala (BLA) has been established to correct symptoms of refractory post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, how BLA DBS operates in correcting PTSD symptoms and how the BLA elicits pathological fear and anxiety in PTSD remain unclear. Here, we discover that excitatory synaptic transmission from the BLA projection neurons (PNs) to the adBNST, and lateral central amygdala (CeL) is greatly suppressed in a mouse PTSD model induced by foot shock (FS). BLA DBS revises the weakened inputs from the BLA to these two areas to improve fear and anxiety. Optogenetic manipulation of the BLA-adBNST and BLA-CeL circuits shows that both circuits are responsible for anxiety but the BLA-CeL for fear in FS mice. Our results reveal that synaptic transmission dysregulation of the BLA-adBNST or BLA-CeL circuits is reversed by BLA DBS, which improves anxiety and fear in the FS mouse model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Gao
- Center of Cognition and Brain Science, Beijing Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Dawen Gao
- Center of Cognition and Brain Science, Beijing Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Hui Zhang
- Center of Cognition and Brain Science, Beijing Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Danhao Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance in Biological Systems, State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, National Center for Magnetic Resonance in Wuhan, Innovation Academy for Precision Measurement Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences-Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Jun Du
- Center of Cognition and Brain Science, Beijing Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Chao Yuan
- Center of Cognition and Brain Science, Beijing Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Mingxi Ma
- Center of Cognition and Brain Science, Beijing Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yao Yin
- Center of Cognition and Brain Science, Beijing Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jie Wang
- Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance in Biological Systems, State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, National Center for Magnetic Resonance in Wuhan, Innovation Academy for Precision Measurement Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences-Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Wuhan 430071, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xiaohui Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience & Learning and IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Yizheng Wang
- Center of Cognition and Brain Science, Beijing Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing, China; National Clinical Research Center for Aging and Medicine, Huashan Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
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16
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Yeh LF, Zuo S, Liu PW. Molecular diversity and functional dynamics in the central amygdala. Front Mol Neurosci 2024; 17:1364268. [PMID: 38419794 PMCID: PMC10899328 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2024.1364268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2024] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
The central amygdala (CeA) is crucial in integrating sensory and associative information to mediate adaptive responses to emotional stimuli. Recent advances in genetic techniques like optogenetics and chemogenetics have deepened our understanding of distinct neuronal populations within the CeA, particularly those involved in fear learning and memory consolidation. However, challenges remain due to overlapping genetic markers complicating neuron identification. Furthermore, a comprehensive understanding of molecularly defined cell types and their projection patterns, which are essential for elucidating functional roles, is still developing. Recent advancements in transcriptomics are starting to bridge these gaps, offering new insights into the functional dynamics of CeA neurons. In this review, we provide an overview of the expanding genetic markers for amygdala research, encompassing recent developments and current trends. We also discuss how novel transcriptomic approaches are redefining cell types in the CeA and setting the stage for comprehensive functional studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li-Feng Yeh
- RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Saitama, Japan
| | - Shuzhen Zuo
- RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Saitama, Japan
- Department of Life Sciences, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Pin-Wu Liu
- Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
- Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
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17
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Palchaudhuri S, Osypenko D, Schneggenburger R. Fear Learning: An Evolving Picture for Plasticity at Synaptic Afferents to the Amygdala. Neuroscientist 2024; 30:87-104. [PMID: 35822657 DOI: 10.1177/10738584221108083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Unraveling the neuronal mechanisms of fear learning might allow neuroscientists to make links between a learned behavior and the underlying plasticity at specific synaptic connections. In fear learning, an innocuous sensory event such as a tone (called the conditioned stimulus, CS) acquires an emotional value when paired with an aversive outcome (unconditioned stimulus, US). Here, we review earlier studies that have shown that synaptic plasticity at thalamic and cortical afferents to the lateral amygdala (LA) is critical for the formation of auditory-cued fear memories. Despite the early progress, it has remained unclear whether there are separate synaptic inputs that carry US information to the LA to act as a teaching signal for plasticity at CS-coding synapses. Recent findings have begun to fill this gap by showing, first, that thalamic and cortical auditory afferents can also carry US information; second, that the release of neuromodulators contributes to US-driven teaching signals; and third, that synaptic plasticity additionally happens at connections up- and downstream of the LA. Together, a picture emerges in which coordinated synaptic plasticity in serial and parallel circuits enables the formation of a finely regulated fear memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shriya Palchaudhuri
- Laboratory of Synaptic Mechanisms, Brain Mind Institute, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Denys Osypenko
- Laboratory of Synaptic Mechanisms, Brain Mind Institute, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Ralf Schneggenburger
- Laboratory of Synaptic Mechanisms, Brain Mind Institute, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
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18
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Felix-Ortiz AC, Terrell JM, Gonzalez C, Msengi HD, Boggan MB, Ramos AR, Magalhães G, Burgos-Robles A. Prefrontal Regulation of Safety Learning during Ethologically Relevant Thermal Threat. eNeuro 2024; 11:ENEURO.0140-23.2024. [PMID: 38272673 PMCID: PMC10903390 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0140-23.2024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2023] [Revised: 01/02/2024] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 01/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Learning and adaptation during sources of threat and safety are critical mechanisms for survival. The prelimbic (PL) and infralimbic (IL) subregions of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) have been broadly implicated in the processing of threat and safety. However, how these regions regulate threat and safety during naturalistic conditions involving thermal challenge still remains elusive. To examine this issue, we developed a novel paradigm in which adult mice learned that a particular zone that was identified with visuospatial cues was associated with either a noxious cold temperature ("threat zone") or a pleasant warm temperature ("safety zone"). This led to the rapid development of avoidance behavior when the zone was paired with cold threat or approach behavior when the zone was paired with warm safety. During a long-term test without further thermal reinforcement, mice continued to exhibit robust avoidance or approach to the zone of interest, indicating that enduring spatial-based memories were formed to represent the thermal threat and thermal safety zones. Optogenetic experiments revealed that neural activity in PL and IL was not essential for establishing the memory for the threat zone. However, PL and IL activity bidirectionally regulated memory formation for the safety zone. While IL activity promoted safety memory during normal conditions, PL activity suppressed safety memory especially after a stress pretreatment. Therefore, a working model is proposed in which balanced activity between PL and IL is favorable for safety memory formation, whereas unbalanced activity between these brain regions is detrimental for safety memory after stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ada C Felix-Ortiz
- Department of Neuroscience, Developmental, and Regenerative Biology, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas 78249
| | - Jaelyn M Terrell
- Department of Neuroscience, Developmental, and Regenerative Biology, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas 78249
| | - Carolina Gonzalez
- Department of Neuroscience, Developmental, and Regenerative Biology, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas 78249
| | - Hope D Msengi
- Department of Neuroscience, Developmental, and Regenerative Biology, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas 78249
| | - Miranda B Boggan
- Department of Neuroscience, Developmental, and Regenerative Biology, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas 78249
| | - Angelica R Ramos
- Department of Neuroscience, Developmental, and Regenerative Biology, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas 78249
| | - Gabrielle Magalhães
- Department of Neuroscience, Developmental, and Regenerative Biology, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas 78249
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215
| | - Anthony Burgos-Robles
- Department of Neuroscience, Developmental, and Regenerative Biology, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas 78249
- Brain Health Consortium, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas 78249
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19
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Dorst KE, Senne RA, Diep AH, de Boer AR, Suthard RL, Leblanc H, Ruesch EA, Pyo AY, Skelton S, Carstensen LC, Malmberg S, McKissick OP, Bladon JH, Ramirez S. Hippocampal Engrams Generate Variable Behavioral Responses and Brain-Wide Network States. J Neurosci 2024; 44:e0340232023. [PMID: 38050098 PMCID: PMC10860633 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0340-23.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2023] [Revised: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Freezing is a defensive behavior commonly examined during hippocampal-mediated fear engram reactivation. How these cellular populations engage the brain and modulate freezing across varying environmental demands is unclear. To address this, we optogenetically reactivated a fear engram in the dentate gyrus subregion of the hippocampus across three distinct contexts in male mice. We found that there were differential amounts of light-induced freezing depending on the size of the context in which reactivation occurred: mice demonstrated robust light-induced freezing in the most spatially restricted of the three contexts but not in the largest. We then utilized graph theoretical analyses to identify brain-wide alterations in cFos expression during engram reactivation across the smallest and largest contexts. Our manipulations induced positive interregional cFos correlations that were not observed in control conditions. Additionally, regions spanning putative "fear" and "defense" systems were recruited as hub regions in engram reactivation networks. Lastly, we compared the network generated from engram reactivation in the small context with a natural fear memory retrieval network. Here, we found shared characteristics such as modular composition and hub regions. By identifying and manipulating the circuits supporting memory function, as well as their corresponding brain-wide activity patterns, it is thereby possible to resolve systems-level biological mechanisms mediating memory's capacity to modulate behavioral states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaitlyn E Dorst
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston 02215, Massachusetts
- Graduate Program for Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston 02215, Massachusetts
| | - Ryan A Senne
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston 02215, Massachusetts
- Graduate Program for Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston 02215, Massachusetts
| | - Anh H Diep
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston 02215, Massachusetts
| | - Antje R de Boer
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston 02215, Massachusetts
| | - Rebecca L Suthard
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston 02215, Massachusetts
- Graduate Program for Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston 02215, Massachusetts
| | - Heloise Leblanc
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston 02215, Massachusetts
- Graduate Program for Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston 02215, Massachusetts
| | - Evan A Ruesch
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston 02215, Massachusetts
| | - Angela Y Pyo
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston 02215, Massachusetts
| | - Sara Skelton
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston 02215, Massachusetts
| | - Lucas C Carstensen
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston 02215, Massachusetts
- Graduate Program for Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston 02215, Massachusetts
| | - Samantha Malmberg
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston 02215, Massachusetts
- Graduate Program for Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston 02215, Massachusetts
| | - Olivia P McKissick
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston 02215, Massachusetts
| | - John H Bladon
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston 02215, Massachusetts
| | - Steve Ramirez
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston 02215, Massachusetts
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20
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Congiu M, Mondoloni S, Zouridis IS, Schmors L, Lecca S, Lalive AL, Ginggen K, Deng F, Berens P, Paolicelli RC, Li Y, Burgalossi A, Mameli M. Plasticity of neuronal dynamics in the lateral habenula for cue-punishment associative learning. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:5118-5127. [PMID: 37414924 PMCID: PMC11041652 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-023-02155-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2023] [Revised: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023]
Abstract
The brain's ability to associate threats with external stimuli is vital to execute essential behaviours including avoidance. Disruption of this process contributes instead to the emergence of pathological traits which are common in addiction and depression. However, the mechanisms and neural dynamics at the single-cell resolution underlying the encoding of associative learning remain elusive. Here, employing a Pavlovian discrimination task in mice we investigate how neuronal populations in the lateral habenula (LHb), a subcortical nucleus whose excitation underlies negative affect, encode the association between conditioned stimuli and a punishment (unconditioned stimulus). Large population single-unit recordings in the LHb reveal both excitatory and inhibitory responses to aversive stimuli. Additionally, local optical inhibition prevents the formation of cue discrimination during associative learning, demonstrating a critical role of LHb activity in this process. Accordingly, longitudinal in vivo two-photon imaging tracking LHb calcium neuronal dynamics during conditioning reveals an upward or downward shift of individual neurons' CS-evoked responses. While recordings in acute slices indicate strengthening of synaptic excitation after conditioning, support vector machine algorithms suggest that postsynaptic dynamics to punishment-predictive cues represent behavioral cue discrimination. To examine the presynaptic signaling in LHb participating in learning we monitored neurotransmitter dynamics with genetically-encoded indicators in behaving mice. While glutamate, GABA, and serotonin release in LHb remain stable across associative learning, we observe enhanced acetylcholine signaling developing throughout conditioning. In summary, converging presynaptic and postsynaptic mechanisms in the LHb underlie the transformation of neutral cues in valued signals supporting cue discrimination during learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mauro Congiu
- The Department of Fundamental Neuroscience, The University of Lausanne, 1005, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Sarah Mondoloni
- The Department of Fundamental Neuroscience, The University of Lausanne, 1005, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Ioannis S Zouridis
- Institute of Neurobiology and Werner Reichardt Centre for Integrative Neuroscience (CIN), University of Tübingen, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
- Graduate Training Centre of Neuroscience, International Max Planck Research School (IMPRS), University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Lisa Schmors
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Hertie Institute for AI in Brain Health, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Salvatore Lecca
- The Department of Fundamental Neuroscience, The University of Lausanne, 1005, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Arnaud L Lalive
- The Department of Fundamental Neuroscience, The University of Lausanne, 1005, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Kyllian Ginggen
- The Department of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Lausanne, 1005, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Fei Deng
- School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Philipp Berens
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Tübingen AI Center, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Rosa Chiara Paolicelli
- The Department of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Lausanne, 1005, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Yulong Li
- School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Andrea Burgalossi
- Institute of Neurobiology and Werner Reichardt Centre for Integrative Neuroscience (CIN), University of Tübingen, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Manuel Mameli
- The Department of Fundamental Neuroscience, The University of Lausanne, 1005, Lausanne, Switzerland.
- Inserm, UMR-S 839, 75005, Paris, France.
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21
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de Melo MB, Daldegan-Bueno D, Favaro VM, Oliveira MGM. The subiculum role on learning and memory tasks using rats and mice: A scoping review. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 155:105460. [PMID: 37939978 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2023] [Revised: 10/24/2023] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/10/2023]
Abstract
This scoping review aimed to systematically identify and summarize data related to subiculum involvement in learning and memory behavioral tasks in rats and mice. Following a systematic strategy based on PICO and PRISMA guidelines, we searched five indexed databases (PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, Scopus, and PsycInfo) using a standardized search strategy to identify peer-reviewed articles published in English (pre-registration: osf.io/hm5ea). We identified 31 articles investigating the role of the subiculum in spatial, working, and recognition memories (n = 11), memories related to addiction models (n = 9), aversive memories (n = 7), and memories related to appetitive learning (n = 5). We highlight a dissociation in the dorsoventral axis of the subiculum with many studies exploring the ventral subiculum (n = 21) but only a few exploring the dorsal one (n = 10). We also observe the necessity of more data including mice, female animals, genetic tools, and better statistical approaches for replication purposes and research refinement. These findings provide a broad framework of the subiculum involvement in learning and memory, showing essential questions that can be explored by further studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Márcio Braga de Melo
- Departamento de Psicobiologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Dimitri Daldegan-Bueno
- School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Vanessa Manchim Favaro
- Setor de Investigação de Doenças Neuromusculares, Departamento de Neurologia e Neurocirurgia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
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22
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Bertocchi I, Rocha-Almeida F, Romero-Barragán MT, Cambiaghi M, Carretero-Guillén A, Botta P, Dogbevia GK, Treviño M, Mele P, Oberto A, Larkum ME, Gruart A, Sprengel R, Delgado-García JM, Hasan MT. Pre- and postsynaptic N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors are required for sequential printing of fear memory engrams. iScience 2023; 26:108050. [PMID: 37876798 PMCID: PMC10590821 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.108050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2023] [Revised: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 09/22/2023] [Indexed: 10/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The organization of fear memory involves the participation of multiple brain regions. However, it is largely unknown how fear memory is formed, which circuit pathways are used for "printing" memory engrams across brain regions, and the role of identified brain circuits in memory retrieval. With advanced genetic methods, we combinatorially blocked presynaptic output and manipulated N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) in the basolateral amygdala (BLA) and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) before and after cued fear conditioning. Further, we tagged fear-activated neurons during associative learning for optogenetic memory recall. We found that presynaptic mPFC and postsynaptic BLA NMDARs are required for fear memory formation, but not expression. Our results provide strong evidence that NMDAR-dependent synaptic plasticity drives multi-trace systems consolidation for the sequential printing of fear memory engrams from BLA to mPFC and, subsequently, to the other regions, for flexible memory retrieval.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilaria Bertocchi
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, Jahnstrasse 29, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Neuroscience "Rita Levi Montalcini", Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri Ottolenghi (NICO), University of Turin, 10043 Turin, Italy
| | - Florbela Rocha-Almeida
- Division of Neurosciences, University Pablo de Olavide, Ctra. de Utrera, km. 1 41013 Seville, Spain
| | | | - Marco Cambiaghi
- Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Strada le Grazie 8, Verona, Italy
| | - Alejandro Carretero-Guillén
- Laboratory of Brain Circuits Therapeutics, Achucarro Basque Center for Neuroscience, Science Park of the UPV/EHU, Sede Building, Barrio Sarriena, s/n, 48940 Leioa, Spain
| | - Paolo Botta
- CNS drug development, Copenhagen, Capital Region, Denmark
| | - Godwin K. Dogbevia
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, Jahnstrasse 29, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
- Health Canada, 70 Colombine Driveway, Ottawa, ON K1A0K9, Canada
| | - Mario Treviño
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, Jahnstrasse 29, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
- Laboratorio de Plasticidad Cortical y Aprendizaje Perceptual, Instituto de Neurociencias, Universidad de Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Mexico
| | - Paolo Mele
- Department of Neuroscience "Rita Levi Montalcini", Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri Ottolenghi (NICO), University of Turin, 10043 Turin, Italy
| | - Alessandra Oberto
- Department of Neuroscience "Rita Levi Montalcini", Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri Ottolenghi (NICO), University of Turin, 10043 Turin, Italy
| | - Matthew E. Larkum
- NeuroCure, Charité-Universitatsmedizin, Virchowweg 6, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Agnes Gruart
- Division of Neurosciences, University Pablo de Olavide, Ctra. de Utrera, km. 1 41013 Seville, Spain
| | - Rolf Sprengel
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, Jahnstrasse 29, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | | | - Mazahir T. Hasan
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, Jahnstrasse 29, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
- Laboratory of Brain Circuits Therapeutics, Achucarro Basque Center for Neuroscience, Science Park of the UPV/EHU, Sede Building, Barrio Sarriena, s/n, 48940 Leioa, Spain
- Ikerbasque – Basque Foundation for Science, Bilbao, Spain
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23
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Chen APF, Chen L, Shi KW, Cheng E, Ge S, Xiong Q. Nigrostriatal dopamine modulates the striatal-amygdala pathway in auditory fear conditioning. Nat Commun 2023; 14:7231. [PMID: 37945595 PMCID: PMC10636191 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43066-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2023] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The auditory striatum, a sensory portion of the dorsal striatum, plays an essential role in learning and memory. In contrast to its roles and underlying mechanisms in operant conditioning, however, little is known about its contribution to classical auditory fear conditioning. Here, we reveal the function of the auditory striatum in auditory-conditioned fear memory. We find that optogenetically inhibiting auditory striatal neurons impairs fear memory formation, which is mediated through the striatal-amygdala pathway. Using calcium imaging in behaving mice, we find that auditory striatal neuronal responses to conditioned tones potentiate across memory acquisition and expression. Furthermore, nigrostriatal dopaminergic projections plays an important role in modulating conditioning-induced striatal potentiation. Together, these findings demonstrate the existence of a nigro-striatal-amygdala circuit for conditioned fear memory formation and expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allen P F Chen
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, SUNY Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, USA
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Renaissance School of Medicine at SUNY Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, USA
| | - Lu Chen
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, SUNY Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, USA
| | - Kaiyo W Shi
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, SUNY Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, USA
| | - Eileen Cheng
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, SUNY Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, USA
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, SUNY Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, USA
| | - Shaoyu Ge
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, SUNY Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, USA
| | - Qiaojie Xiong
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, SUNY Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, USA.
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24
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Asokan MM, Watanabe Y, Kimchi EY, Polley DB. Potentiation of cholinergic and corticofugal inputs to the lateral amygdala in threat learning. Cell Rep 2023; 42:113167. [PMID: 37742187 PMCID: PMC10879743 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2023] [Revised: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The amygdala, cholinergic basal forebrain, and higher-order auditory cortex (HO-AC) regulate brain-wide plasticity underlying auditory threat learning. Here, we perform multi-regional extracellular recordings and optical measurements of acetylcholine (ACh) release to characterize the development of discriminative plasticity within and between these brain regions as mice acquire and recall auditory threat memories. Spiking responses are potentiated for sounds paired with shock (CS+) in the lateral amygdala (LA) and optogenetically identified corticoamygdalar projection neurons, although not in neighboring HO-AC units. Spike- or optogenetically triggered local field potentials reveal enhanced corticofugal-but not corticopetal-functional coupling between HO-AC and LA during threat memory recall that is correlated with pupil-indexed memory strength. We also note robust sound-evoked ACh release that rapidly potentiates for the CS+ in LA but habituates across sessions in HO-AC. These findings highlight a distributed and cooperative plasticity in LA inputs as mice learn to reappraise neutral stimuli as possible threats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meenakshi M Asokan
- Eaton-Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Division of Medical Sciences, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA.
| | - Yurika Watanabe
- Eaton-Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Eyal Y Kimchi
- Eaton-Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Daniel B Polley
- Eaton-Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Division of Medical Sciences, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
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25
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Parameshwaran D, Thiagarajan TC. High Variability Periods in the EEG Distinguish Cognitive Brain States. Brain Sci 2023; 13:1528. [PMID: 38002488 PMCID: PMC10669877 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13111528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2023] [Revised: 10/14/2023] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To describe a novel measure of EEG signal variability that distinguishes cognitive brain states. METHOD We describe a novel characterization of amplitude variability in the EEG signal termed "High Variability Periods" or "HVPs", defined as segments when the standard deviation of a moving window is continuously higher than the quartile cutoff. We characterize the parameter space of the metric in terms of window size, overlap, and threshold to suggest ideal parameter choice and compare its performance as a discriminator of brain state to alternate single channel measures of variability such as entropy, complexity, harmonic regression fit, and spectral measures. RESULTS We show that the average HVP duration provides a substantially distinct view of the signal relative to alternate metrics of variability and, when used in combination with these metrics, significantly enhances the ability to predict whether an individual has their eyes open or closed and is performing a working memory and Raven's pattern completion task. In addition, HVPs disappear under anesthesia and do not reappear in early periods of recovery. CONCLUSIONS HVP metrics enhance the discrimination of various brain states and are fast to estimate. SIGNIFICANCE HVP metrics can provide an additional view of signal variability that has potential clinical application in the rapid discrimination of brain states.
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26
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Agetsuma M, Sato I, Tanaka YR, Carrillo-Reid L, Kasai A, Noritake A, Arai Y, Yoshitomo M, Inagaki T, Yukawa H, Hashimoto H, Nabekura J, Nagai T. Activity-dependent organization of prefrontal hub-networks for associative learning and signal transformation. Nat Commun 2023; 14:5996. [PMID: 37803014 PMCID: PMC10558457 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-41547-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2022] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 10/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Associative learning is crucial for adapting to environmental changes. Interactions among neuronal populations involving the dorso-medial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC) are proposed to regulate associative learning, but how these neuronal populations store and process information about the association remains unclear. Here we developed a pipeline for longitudinal two-photon imaging and computational dissection of neural population activities in male mouse dmPFC during fear-conditioning procedures, enabling us to detect learning-dependent changes in the dmPFC network topology. Using regularized regression methods and graphical modeling, we found that fear conditioning drove dmPFC reorganization to generate a neuronal ensemble encoding conditioned responses (CR) characterized by enhanced internal coactivity, functional connectivity, and association with conditioned stimuli (CS). Importantly, neurons strongly responding to unconditioned stimuli during conditioning subsequently became hubs of this novel associative network for the CS-to-CR transformation. Altogether, we demonstrate learning-dependent dynamic modulation of population coding structured on the activity-dependent formation of the hub network within the dmPFC.
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Grants
- MEXT | Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS)
- This study was supported by the Japan Science and Technology Agency, PRESTO (to M.A.), JSPS KAKENHI Grant (grant number JP18K06536, JP18H05144, JP20H05076, JP21H02801, JP22H05081, JP22H05519 to M.A.; JP20H03357, JP20H05073, JP21K18563 to Y.R.T.; JP20H05065, JP22H05080 to A.K.; JP22H05081 to A.N.), JSPS Bilateral Program (JPJSBP1-20199901 to M.A.), AMED (grant number JP19dm0207086 to M.A.; JP21dm0207117 to H.H.), the grant of Joint Research by the National Institutes of Natural Sciences (NINS program No 01112008 and 01112106 to M.A.), and grants from Brain Science Foundation and Shimadzu Foundation to M.A. and the Takeda Science Foundation to A.K. and H.H. Authors declare that they have no competing interests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masakazu Agetsuma
- Division of Homeostatic Development, National Institute for Physiological Sciences, 38 Nishigohnaka Myodaiji-cho, Okazaki, Aichi, 444-8585, Japan.
- Japan Science and Technology Agency, PRESTO, 4-1-8 Honcho, Kawaguchi, Saitama, 332-0012, Japan.
- SANKEN (The Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research), Osaka University, Mihogaoka 8-1, Ibaraki, Osaka, 567-0047, Japan.
- Division of Molecular Design, Research Center for Systems Immunology, Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, 812-8582, Japan.
- Quantum Regenerative and Biomedical Engineering Team, Institute for Quantum Life Science, National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology (QST), Anagawa 4-9-1, Chiba Inage-ku, Chiba, 263-8555, Japan.
| | - Issei Sato
- Department of Computer Science, Graduate School of Information Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
| | - Yasuhiro R Tanaka
- Brain Science Institute, Tamagawa University, 6-1-1 Tamagawagakuen, Machida, Tokyo, 194-8610, Japan
| | - Luis Carrillo-Reid
- Instituto de Neurobiologia, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Boulevard Juriquilla 3001, Juriquilla, Queretaro, CP, 76230, Mexico
| | - Atsushi Kasai
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, Yamadaoka 1-6, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Atsushi Noritake
- Division of Behavioral Development, National Institute for Physiological Sciences, 38 Nishigohnaka Myodaiji-cho, Okazaki, Aichi, 444-8585, Japan
| | - Yoshiyuki Arai
- SANKEN (The Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research), Osaka University, Mihogaoka 8-1, Ibaraki, Osaka, 567-0047, Japan
| | - Miki Yoshitomo
- Division of Homeostatic Development, National Institute for Physiological Sciences, 38 Nishigohnaka Myodaiji-cho, Okazaki, Aichi, 444-8585, Japan
| | - Takashi Inagaki
- Division of Homeostatic Development, National Institute for Physiological Sciences, 38 Nishigohnaka Myodaiji-cho, Okazaki, Aichi, 444-8585, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Yukawa
- Quantum Regenerative and Biomedical Engineering Team, Institute for Quantum Life Science, National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology (QST), Anagawa 4-9-1, Chiba Inage-ku, Chiba, 263-8555, Japan
- Institute of Nano-Life-Systems, Institutes of Innovation for Future Society Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, 464-8603, Japan
| | - Hitoshi Hashimoto
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, Yamadaoka 1-6, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
- United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Kanazawa University, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Chiba University, and University of Fukui, 2-2 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
- Division of Bioscience, Institute for Datability Science, Osaka University, 1-8 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
- Open and Transdisciplinary Research Initiatives, Osaka University, 2-1 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
- Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, 2-2 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Junichi Nabekura
- Division of Homeostatic Development, National Institute for Physiological Sciences, 38 Nishigohnaka Myodaiji-cho, Okazaki, Aichi, 444-8585, Japan
| | - Takeharu Nagai
- SANKEN (The Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research), Osaka University, Mihogaoka 8-1, Ibaraki, Osaka, 567-0047, Japan
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27
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Arihara Y, Fukuyama Y, Kida S. Consolidation, reconsolidation, and extinction of contextual fear memory depend on de novo protein synthesis in the locus coeruleus. Brain Res Bull 2023; 202:110746. [PMID: 37604301 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2023.110746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2023] [Revised: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 08/18/2023] [Indexed: 08/23/2023]
Abstract
Memory consolidation is the process underlying the stabilization of labile short-term memory and the generation of long-term memory for persistent memory storage. The retrieval of contextual fear memory induces two distinct and opposite memory processes: reconsolidation and extinction. Reconsolidation re-stabilizes retrieved memory for re-storage, whereas memory extinction weakens fear memory and generates a new inhibitory memory. Importantly, the requirement for new gene expression is a critical biochemical feature of the consolidation, reconsolidation, and long-term extinction of memory. The locus coeruleus (LC) is a small nucleus in the brain stem that is composed predominantly of noradrenergic neurons that project to many brain regions. Recent studies have shown that the LC plays modulatory roles in the consolidation and extinction of auditory fear memory through its projections to brain regions contributing to memory storage. Here, we show that the LC is required for the consolidation, reconsolidation, and long-term extinction of contextual fear memory. We first observed that c-fos expression was induced in the LC following contextual fear conditioning to induce consolidation and following short and long re-exposure to the conditioning context to induce reconsolidation and long-term extinction, respectively. More importantly, inhibition of protein synthesis in the LC by a micro-infusion of anisomycin blocked the consolidation, reconsolidation, and long-term extinction of contextual fear memory. Our findings suggest that consolidation, reconsolidation, and long-term extinction occur in the LC and that the LC plays an essential role in memory storage and maintenance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Arihara
- :Department of Applied Biological Chemistry, Graduate school of Agriculture and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan; Department of Bioscience, Faculty of Applied Bioscience, Tokyo University of Agriculture, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yudai Fukuyama
- :Department of Applied Biological Chemistry, Graduate school of Agriculture and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan; Research Fellow of Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Satoshi Kida
- :Department of Applied Biological Chemistry, Graduate school of Agriculture and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan; Department of Bioscience, Faculty of Applied Bioscience, Tokyo University of Agriculture, Tokyo, Japan.
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28
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Penzo MA, Moscarello JM. From aversive associations to defensive programs: experience-dependent synaptic modifications in the central amygdala. Trends Neurosci 2023; 46:701-711. [PMID: 37495461 PMCID: PMC10529247 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2023.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2023] [Revised: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 06/29/2023] [Indexed: 07/28/2023]
Abstract
Plasticity elicited by fear conditioning (FC) is thought to support the storage of aversive associative memories. Although work over the past decade has revealed FC-induced plasticity beyond canonical sites in the basolateral complex of the amygdala (BLA), it is not known whether modifications across distributed circuits make equivalent or distinct contributions to aversive memory. Here, we review evidence demonstrating that experience-dependent synaptic plasticity in the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) has a circumscribed role in memory expression per se, guiding the selection of defensive programs in response to acquired threats. We argue that the CeA may be a key example of a broader phenomenon by which synaptic plasticity at specific nodes of a distributed network makes a complementary contribution to distinct memory processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mario A Penzo
- Unit on the Neurobiology of Affective Memory, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Justin M Moscarello
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA.
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29
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Bai T, Zhan L, Zhang N, Lin F, Saur D, Xu C. Learning-prolonged maintenance of stimulus information in CA1 and subiculum during trace fear conditioning. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112853. [PMID: 37481720 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2022] [Revised: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/08/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Temporal associative learning binds discontiguous conditional stimuli (CSs) and unconditional stimuli (USs), possibly by maintaining CS information in the hippocampus after its offset. Yet, how learning regulates such maintenance of CS information in hippocampal circuits remains largely unclear. Using the auditory trace fear conditioning (TFC) paradigm, we identify a projection from the CA1 to the subiculum critical for TFC. Deep-brain calcium imaging shows that the peak of trace activity in the CA1 and subiculum is extended toward the US and that the CS representation during the trace period is enhanced during learning. Interestingly, such plasticity is consolidated only in the CA1, not the subiculum, after training. Moreover, CA1 neurons, but not subiculum neurons, increasingly become active during CS-and-trace and shock periods, respectively, and correlate with CS-evoked fear retrieval afterward. These results indicate that learning dynamically enhances stimulus information maintenance in the CA1-subiculum circuit during learning while storing CS and US memories primarily in the CA1 area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Bai
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China; University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Lijie Zhan
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Na Zhang
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Feikai Lin
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Dieter Saur
- Department of Internal Medicine 2, Technische Universität München, Ismaningerstrasse 22, 81675 Munich, Germany
| | - Chun Xu
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China; University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Shanghai Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Technology, Shanghai 201210, China.
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30
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Franceschini A, Mazzamuto G, Checcucci C, Chicchi L, Fanelli D, Costantini I, Passani MB, Silva BA, Pavone FS, Silvestri L. Brain-wide neuron quantification toolkit reveals strong sexual dimorphism in the evolution of fear memory. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112908. [PMID: 37516963 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Revised: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 07/14/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Fear responses are functionally adaptive behaviors that are strengthened as memories. Indeed, detailed knowledge of the neural circuitry modulating fear memory could be the turning point for the comprehension of this emotion and its pathological states. A comprehensive understanding of the circuits mediating memory encoding, consolidation, and retrieval presents the fundamental technological challenge of analyzing activity in the entire brain with single-neuron resolution. In this context, we develop the brain-wide neuron quantification toolkit (BRANT) for mapping whole-brain neuronal activation at micron-scale resolution, combining tissue clearing, high-resolution light-sheet microscopy, and automated image analysis. The robustness and scalability of this method allow us to quantify the evolution of activity patterns across multiple phases of memory in mice. This approach highlights a strong sexual dimorphism in recruited circuits, which has no counterpart in the behavior. The methodology presented here paves the way for a comprehensive characterization of the evolution of fear memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra Franceschini
- European Laboratory for Non-linear Spectroscopy (LENS), University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy; Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy.
| | - Giacomo Mazzamuto
- European Laboratory for Non-linear Spectroscopy (LENS), University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy; Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy; National Institute of Optics - National Research Council (CNR-INO), Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| | - Curzio Checcucci
- Department of Information Engineering (DINFO), University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Chicchi
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| | - Duccio Fanelli
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| | - Irene Costantini
- European Laboratory for Non-linear Spectroscopy (LENS), University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy; Department of Biology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | | | - Bianca Ambrogina Silva
- National Research Council of Italy, Institute of Neuroscience, Milan, Italy; IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Lab of Circuits Neuroscience, Rozzano, Milan, Italy
| | - Francesco Saverio Pavone
- European Laboratory for Non-linear Spectroscopy (LENS), University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy; Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy; National Institute of Optics - National Research Council (CNR-INO), Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| | - Ludovico Silvestri
- European Laboratory for Non-linear Spectroscopy (LENS), University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy; Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy; National Institute of Optics - National Research Council (CNR-INO), Sesto Fiorentino, Italy.
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Klune CB, Goodpaster CM, Gongwer MW, Gabriel CJ, Chen R, Jones NS, Schwarz LA, DeNardo LA. Developmentally distinct architectures in top-down circuits. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.08.27.555010. [PMID: 37693480 PMCID: PMC10491090 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.27.555010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/12/2023]
Abstract
The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) plays a key role in learning, mood and decision making, including in how individuals respond to threats 1-6 . mPFC undergoes a uniquely protracted development, with changes in synapse density, cortical thickness, long-range connectivity, and neuronal encoding properties continuing into early adulthood 7-21 . Models suggest that before adulthood, the slow-developing mPFC cannot adequately regulate activity in faster-developing subcortical centers 22,23 . They propose that during development, the enhanced influence of subcortical systems underlies distinctive behavioural strategies of juveniles and adolescents and that increasing mPFC control over subcortical structures eventually allows adult behaviours to emerge. Yet it has remained unclear how a progressive strengthening of top-down control can lead to nonlinear changes in behaviour as individuals mature 24,25 . To address this discrepancy, here we monitored and manipulated activity in the developing brain as animals responded to threats, establishing direct causal links between frontolimbic circuit activity and the behavioural strategies of juvenile, adolescent and adult mice. Rather than a linear strengthening of mPFC synaptic connectivity progressively regulating behaviour, we uncovered multiple developmental switches in the behavioural roles of mPFC circuits targeting the basolateral amygdala (BLA) and nucleus accumbens (NAc). We show these changes are accompanied by axonal pruning coinciding with functional strengthening of synaptic connectivity in the mPFC-BLA and mPFC-NAc pathways, which mature at different rates. Our results reveal how developing mPFC circuits pass through distinct architectures that may make them optimally adapted to the demands of age-specific challenges.
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Kopaeva L, Yakimov A, Urien L, Bauer EP. Chemogenetic activation of the ventral subiculum-BNST pathway reduces context fear expression. Learn Mem 2023; 30:164-168. [PMID: 37620150 PMCID: PMC10519403 DOI: 10.1101/lm.053797.123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023]
Abstract
An inability to reduce fear in nonthreatening environments characterizes many anxiety disorders. The pathway from the ventral subiculum (vSUB) to the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) is more active in safe contexts than in aversive ones, as indexed by FOS expression. Here, we used chemogenetic techniques to specifically activate the vSUB-BNST pathway during both context and cued fear expression by expressing a Cre-dependent hM3D(Gq) receptor in BNST-projecting vSUB neurons. Activation of the vSUB-BNST pathway reduced context but not cued fear expression. These data suggest that the vSUB-BNST pathway contributes to behavioral responses to nonaversive contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leeza Kopaeva
- Department of Biology, Barnard College of Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, USA
- Department of Neuroscience and Behavior, Barnard College of Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, USA
| | - Alexandrina Yakimov
- Department of Biology, Barnard College of Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, USA
- Department of Neuroscience and Behavior, Barnard College of Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, USA
| | - Louise Urien
- Department of Biology, Barnard College of Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, USA
- Department of Neuroscience and Behavior, Barnard College of Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, USA
| | - Elizabeth P Bauer
- Department of Biology, Barnard College of Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, USA
- Department of Neuroscience and Behavior, Barnard College of Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, USA
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Sridhar S, Khamaj A, Asthana MK. Cognitive neuroscience perspective on memory: overview and summary. Front Hum Neurosci 2023; 17:1217093. [PMID: 37565054 PMCID: PMC10410470 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2023.1217093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023] Open
Abstract
This paper explores memory from a cognitive neuroscience perspective and examines associated neural mechanisms. It examines the different types of memory: working, declarative, and non-declarative, and the brain regions involved in each type. The paper highlights the role of different brain regions, such as the prefrontal cortex in working memory and the hippocampus in declarative memory. The paper also examines the mechanisms that underlie the formation and consolidation of memory, including the importance of sleep in the consolidation of memory and the role of the hippocampus in linking new memories to existing cognitive schemata. The paper highlights two types of memory consolidation processes: cellular consolidation and system consolidation. Cellular consolidation is the process of stabilizing information by strengthening synaptic connections. System consolidation models suggest that memories are initially stored in the hippocampus and are gradually consolidated into the neocortex over time. The consolidation process involves a hippocampal-neocortical binding process incorporating newly acquired information into existing cognitive schemata. The paper highlights the role of the medial temporal lobe and its involvement in autobiographical memory. Further, the paper discusses the relationship between episodic and semantic memory and the role of the hippocampus. Finally, the paper underscores the need for further research into the neurobiological mechanisms underlying non-declarative memory, particularly conditioning. Overall, the paper provides a comprehensive overview from a cognitive neuroscience perspective of the different processes involved in memory consolidation of different types of memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sruthi Sridhar
- Department of Psychology, Mount Allison University, Sackville, NB, Canada
| | - Abdulrahman Khamaj
- Department of Industrial Engineering, College of Engineering, Jazan University, Jazan, Saudi Arabia
| | - Manish Kumar Asthana
- Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Roorkee, India
- Department of Design, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Roorkee, India
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Huang Z, Chung M, Tao K, Watarai A, Wang MY, Ito H, Okuyama T. Ventromedial prefrontal neurons represent self-states shaped by vicarious fear in male mice. Nat Commun 2023; 14:3458. [PMID: 37400435 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39081-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2022] [Accepted: 05/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Perception of fear induced by others in danger elicits complex vicarious fear responses and behavioral outputs. In rodents, observing a conspecific receive aversive stimuli leads to escape and freezing behavior. It remains unclear how these behavioral self-states in response to others in fear are neurophysiologically represented. Here, we assess such representations in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC), an essential site for empathy, in an observational fear (OF) paradigm in male mice. We classify the observer mouse's stereotypic behaviors during OF using a machine-learning approach. Optogenetic inhibition of the vmPFC specifically disrupts OF-induced escape behavior. In vivo Ca2+ imaging reveals that vmPFC neural populations represent intermingled information of other- and self-states. Distinct subpopulations are activated and suppressed by others' fear responses, simultaneously representing self-freezing states. This mixed selectivity requires inputs from the anterior cingulate cortex and the basolateral amygdala to regulate OF-induced escape behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziyan Huang
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroscience, Institute for Quantitative Biosciences (IQB), The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Myung Chung
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroscience, Institute for Quantitative Biosciences (IQB), The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kentaro Tao
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroscience, Institute for Quantitative Biosciences (IQB), The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Akiyuki Watarai
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroscience, Institute for Quantitative Biosciences (IQB), The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Mu-Yun Wang
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroscience, Institute for Quantitative Biosciences (IQB), The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hiroh Ito
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroscience, Institute for Quantitative Biosciences (IQB), The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Teruhiro Okuyama
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroscience, Institute for Quantitative Biosciences (IQB), The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
- Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
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Sun XY, Liu L, Song YT, Wu T, Zheng T, Hao JR, Cao JL, Gao C. Two parallel medial prefrontal cortex-amygdala pathways mediate memory deficits via glutamatergic projection in surgery mice. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112719. [PMID: 37392387 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2022] [Revised: 04/19/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The neural circuit mechanisms underlying postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) remain elusive. We hypothesized that projections from the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) to the amygdala are involved in POCD. A mouse model of POCD in which isoflurane (1.5%) combined with laparotomy was used. Virally assisted tracing techniques were used to label the relevant pathways. Fear conditioning, immunofluorescence, whole-cell patch-clamp recordings, and chemogenetic and optogenetic techniques were applied to investigate the role of mPFC-amygdala projections in POCD. We find that surgery impairs memory consolidation but not retrieval of consolidated memories. In POCD mice, the glutamatergic pathway from the prelimbic cortex to the basolateral amygdala (PL-BLA) shows reduced activity, whereas the glutamatergic pathway from the infralimbic cortex to the basomedial amygdala (IL-BMA) shows enhanced activity. Our study indicates that the hypoactivity in the PL-BLA pathway interrupts memory consolidation, whereas the hyperactivity in the IL-BMA promotes memory extinction, in POCD mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Yu Sun
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China; Department of Anesthesiology, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University, 160 Pujian Road, Shanghai 200127, China
| | - Le Liu
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China
| | - Yu-Tong Song
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China
| | - Tong Wu
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China
| | - Teng Zheng
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China
| | - Jing-Ru Hao
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China
| | - Jun-Li Cao
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China
| | - Can Gao
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China.
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36
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Fossati G, Kiss-Bodolay D, Prados J, Chéreau R, Husi E, Cadilhac C, Gomez L, Silva BA, Dayer A, Holtmaat A. Bimodal modulation of L1 interneuron activity in anterior cingulate cortex during fear conditioning. Front Neural Circuits 2023; 17:1138358. [PMID: 37334059 PMCID: PMC10272719 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2023.1138358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) plays a crucial role in encoding, consolidating and retrieving memories related to emotionally salient experiences, such as aversive and rewarding events. Various studies have highlighted its importance for fear memory processing, but its circuit mechanisms are still poorly understood. Cortical layer 1 (L1) of the ACC might be a particularly important site of signal integration, since it is a major entry point for long-range inputs, which is tightly controlled by local inhibition. Many L1 interneurons express the ionotropic serotonin receptor 3a (5HT3aR), which has been implicated in post-traumatic stress disorder and in models of anxiety. Hence, unraveling the response dynamics of L1 interneurons and subtypes thereof during fear memory processing may provide important insights into the microcircuit organization regulating this process. Here, using 2-photon laser scanning microscopy of genetically encoded calcium indicators through microprisms in awake mice, we longitudinally monitored over days the activity of L1 interneurons in the ACC in a tone-cued fear conditioning paradigm. We observed that tones elicited responses in a substantial fraction of the imaged neurons, which were significantly modulated in a bidirectional manner after the tone was associated to an aversive stimulus. A subpopulation of these neurons, the neurogliaform cells (NGCs), displayed a net increase in tone-evoked responses following fear conditioning. Together, these results suggest that different subpopulations of L1 interneurons may exert distinct functions in the ACC circuitry regulating fear learning and memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuliana Fossati
- Department of Basic Neurosciences, and Neurocenter, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- Neuro Center, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Milan, Italy
| | - Daniel Kiss-Bodolay
- Department of Basic Neurosciences, and Neurocenter, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- Department of Neurosurgery, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
- Lemanic Neuroscience Doctoral School, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Julien Prados
- Department of Basic Neurosciences, and Neurocenter, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Ronan Chéreau
- Department of Basic Neurosciences, and Neurocenter, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Elodie Husi
- Department of Basic Neurosciences, and Neurocenter, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Christelle Cadilhac
- Department of Basic Neurosciences, and Neurocenter, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Lucia Gomez
- Department of Basic Neurosciences, and Neurocenter, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Bianca A. Silva
- Neuro Center, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Milan, Italy
- National Research Council of Italy, Institute of Neuroscience, Milan, Italy
| | - Alexandre Dayer
- Department of Basic Neurosciences, and Neurocenter, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Anthony Holtmaat
- Department of Basic Neurosciences, and Neurocenter, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
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37
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Lee JM, Lin D, Pyo YW, Kim HR, Park HG, Lieber CM. Stitching Flexible Electronics into the Brain. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2023:e2300220. [PMID: 37127888 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202300220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2023] [Revised: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Understanding complex neuronal networks requires monitoring long-term neuronal activity in various regions of the brain. Significant progress has been made in multisite implantations of well-designed probes, such as multisite implantation of Si-based and polymer-based probes. However, these multiprobe strategies are limited by the sizes and weights of interfaces to the multiple probes and the inability to track the activity of the same neurons and changes in neuronal activity over longer time periods. Here, a long single flexible probe that can be implanted by stitching into multiple regions of the mouse brain and subsequently transmit chronically stable neuronal signals from the multiple sites via a single low-mass interface is reported. The probe at four different sites is implemented using a glass capillary needle or two sites using an ultrathin metal needle. In vitro tests in brain-mimicking hydrogel show that multisite probe implantations achieve a high connection yield of >86%. In vivo histological images at each site of probes, implanted by stitching using either glass capillary or ultrathin metal insertion needles exhibit seamless tissue-probe interfaces with negligible chronic immune response. In addition, electrophysiology studies demonstrate the ability to track single neuron activities at every injection site with chronic stability over at least one month. Notably, the measured spike amplitudes and signal-to-noise ratios at different implantation sites show no statistically significant differences. Multisite stitching implantation of flexible electronics in the brain opens up new opportunities for both fundamental neuroscience research and electrotherapeutic applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jung Min Lee
- Department of Physics, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
| | - Dingchang Lin
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
| | - Young-Woo Pyo
- Department of Physics, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Ha-Reem Kim
- Department of Physics, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Hong-Gyu Park
- Department of Physics, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Charles M Lieber
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
- Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
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38
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Cuevas JS, Watanabe M, Uematsu A, Johansen JP. Whole-brain afferent input mapping to functionally distinct brainstem noradrenaline cell types. Neurosci Res 2023:S0168-0102(23)00074-3. [PMID: 37062443 DOI: 10.1016/j.neures.2023.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2023] [Revised: 04/10/2023] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 04/18/2023]
Abstract
The locus coeruleus (LC) is a small region in the pons and the main source of noradrenaline (NA) to the forebrain. While traditional models suggested that all LC-NA neurons project indiscriminately throughout the brain, accumulating evidence indicates that these cells can be heterogeneous based on their anatomical connectivity and behavioral functionality and exhibit distinct coding modes. How LC-NA neuronal subpopulations are endowed with unique functional properties is unclear. Here, we used a viral-genetic approach for mapping anatomical connectivity at different levels of organization based on inputs and outputs of defined cell classes. Specifically, we studied the whole-brain afferent inputs onto two functionally distinct LC-NA neuronal subpopulations which project to amygdala or medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). We found that the global input distribution is similar for both LC-NA neuronal subpopulations. However, finer analysis demonstrated important differences in inputs from specific brain regions. Moreover, sex related differences were apparent, but only in inputs to amygdala-projecting LC-NA neurons. These findings reveal a cell type and sex specific afferent input organization which could allow for context dependent and target specific control of NA outflow to forebrain structures involved in emotional control and decision making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Sulkes Cuevas
- RIKEN Center for Brain Science, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako-shi, Saitama, Japan 351-0198; Department of Life Sciences, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 0Japan
| | - Mayumi Watanabe
- RIKEN Center for Brain Science, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako-shi, Saitama, Japan 351-0198; Department of Life Sciences, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 0Japan
| | - Akira Uematsu
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan; International Research Center for Neurointelligence, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Joshua P Johansen
- RIKEN Center for Brain Science, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako-shi, Saitama, Japan 351-0198; Department of Life Sciences, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 0Japan.
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Asim M, Wang H, Waris A. Altered neurotransmission in stress-induced depressive disorders: The underlying role of the amygdala in depression. Neuropeptides 2023; 98:102322. [PMID: 36702033 DOI: 10.1016/j.npep.2023.102322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2022] [Revised: 12/30/2022] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Depression is the second leading cause of disability in the world population, for which currently available pharmacological therapies either have poor efficacy or have some adverse effects. Accumulating evidence from clinical and preclinical studies demonstrates that the amygdala is critically implicated in depressive disorders, though the underlying pathogenesis mechanism needs further investigation. In this literature review, we overviewed depression and the key role of Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and Glutamate neurotransmission in depression. Notably, we discussed a new cholecystokinin-dependent plastic changes mechanism under stress and a possible antidepressant response of cholecystokinin B receptor (CCKBR) antagonist. Moreover, we discussed the fundamental role of the amygdala in depression, to discuss and understand the pathophysiology of depression and the inclusive role of the amygdala in this devastating disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Asim
- Department of Biomedical science, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong 0000, Hong Kong; City University of Hong Kong Shenzhen research institute, Shenzhen 518507, PR China; Department of Neuroscience, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong 0000, Hong Kong.
| | - Huajie Wang
- City University of Hong Kong Shenzhen research institute, Shenzhen 518507, PR China; Department of Neuroscience, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong 0000, Hong Kong
| | - Abdul Waris
- Department of Biomedical science, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong 0000, Hong Kong; City University of Hong Kong Shenzhen research institute, Shenzhen 518507, PR China
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40
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Perisse E, Miranda M, Trouche S. Modulation of aversive value coding in the vertebrate and invertebrate brain. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2023; 79:102696. [PMID: 36871400 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2023.102696] [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: 12/02/2022] [Revised: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023]
Abstract
Avoiding potentially dangerous situations is key for the survival of any organism. Throughout life, animals learn to avoid environments, stimuli or actions that can lead to bodily harm. While the neural bases for appetitive learning, evaluation and value-based decision-making have received much attention, recent studies have revealed more complex computations for aversive signals during learning and decision-making than previously thought. Furthermore, previous experience, internal state and systems level appetitive-aversive interactions seem crucial for learning specific aversive value signals and making appropriate choices. The emergence of novel methodologies (computation analysis coupled with large-scale neuronal recordings, neuronal manipulations at unprecedented resolution offered by genetics, viral strategies and connectomics) has helped to provide novel circuit-based models for aversive (and appetitive) valuation. In this review, we focus on recent vertebrate and invertebrate studies yielding strong evidence that aversive value information can be computed by a multitude of interacting brain regions, and that past experience can modulate future aversive learning and therefore influence value-based decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuel Perisse
- Institute of Functional Genomics, University of Montpellier, CNRS, Inserm, 141 rue de la Cardonille, 34094 Montpellier Cedex 5, France.
| | - Magdalena Miranda
- Institute of Functional Genomics, University of Montpellier, CNRS, Inserm, 141 rue de la Cardonille, 34094 Montpellier Cedex 5, France
| | - Stéphanie Trouche
- Institute of Functional Genomics, University of Montpellier, CNRS, Inserm, 141 rue de la Cardonille, 34094 Montpellier Cedex 5, France.
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Yang T, Yu K, Zhang X, Xiao X, Chen X, Fu Y, Li B. Plastic and stimulus-specific coding of salient events in the central amygdala. Nature 2023; 616:510-519. [PMID: 37020025 PMCID: PMC10665639 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-05910-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2021] [Accepted: 03/01/2023] [Indexed: 04/07/2023]
Abstract
The central amygdala (CeA) is implicated in a range of mental processes including attention, motivation, memory formation and extinction and in behaviours driven by either aversive or appetitive stimuli1-7. How it participates in these divergent functions remains elusive. Here we show that somatostatin-expressing (Sst+) CeA neurons, which mediate much of CeA functions3,6,8-10, generate experience-dependent and stimulus-specific evaluative signals essential for learning. The population responses of these neurons in mice encode the identities of a wide range of salient stimuli, with the responses of separate subpopulations selectively representing the stimuli that have contrasting valences, sensory modalities or physical properties (for example, shock and water reward). These signals scale with stimulus intensity, undergo pronounced amplification and transformation during learning, and are required for both reward and aversive learning. Notably, these signals contribute to the responses of dopamine neurons to reward and reward prediction error, but not to their responses to aversive stimuli. In line with this, Sst+ CeA neuron outputs to dopamine areas are required for reward learning, but are dispensable for aversive learning. Our results suggest that Sst+ CeA neurons selectively process information about differing salient events for evaluation during learning, supporting the diverse roles of the CeA. In particular, the information for dopamine neurons facilitates reward evaluation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Yang
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, USA.
| | - Kai Yu
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, USA
| | - Xian Zhang
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, USA
- Bioscience and Biomedical Engineering Thrust, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou), Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiong Xiao
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, USA
- Institute of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaoke Chen
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Yu Fu
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Singapore
| | - Bo Li
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, USA.
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Kenna M, Marek R, Sah P. Insights into the encoding of memories through the circuitry of fear. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2023; 80:102712. [PMID: 37003106 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2023.102712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2022] [Revised: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 04/03/2023]
Abstract
Associative learning induces physical changes to a network of cells, known as the memory engram. Fear is widely used as a model to understand the circuit motifs that underpin associative memories. Recent advances suggest that the distinct circuitry engaged by different conditioned stimuli (e.g. tone vs. context) can provide insights into what information is being encoded in the fear engram. Moreover, as the fear memory matures, the circuitry engaged indicates how information is remodelled after learning and hints at potential mechanisms for consolidation. Finally, we propose that the consolidation of fear memories involves plasticity of engram cells through coordinated activity between brain regions, and the inherent characteristics of the circuitry may mediate this process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Kenna
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Roger Marek
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Pankaj Sah
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia.
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43
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Venkataraman A, Dias BG. Expanding the canon: An inclusive neurobiology of thalamic and subthalamic fear circuits. Neuropharmacology 2023; 226:109380. [PMID: 36572176 PMCID: PMC9984284 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2022.109380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2022] [Revised: 12/09/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Appropriate expression of fear in the face of threats in the environment is essential for survival. The sustained expression of fear in the absence of threat signals is a central pathological feature of trauma- and anxiety-related disorders. Our understanding of the neural circuitry that controls fear inhibition coalesces around the amygdala, hippocampus, and prefrontal cortex. By discussing thalamic and sub-thalamic influences on fear-related learning and expression in this review, we suggest a more inclusive neurobiological framework that expands our canonical view of fear. First, we visit how fear-related learning and expression is influenced by the aforementioned canonical brain regions. Next, we review emerging data that shed light on new roles for thalamic and subthalamic nuclei in fear-related learning and expression. Then, we highlight how these neuroanatomical hubs can modulate fear via integration of sensory and salient stimuli, gating information flow and calibrating behavioral responses, as well as maintaining and updating memory representations. Finally, we propose that the presence of this thalamic and sub-thalamic neuroanatomy in parallel with the tripartite prefrontal cortex-amygdala-hippocampus circuit allows for dynamic modulation of information based on interoceptive and exteroceptive signals. This article is part of the Special Issue on "Fear, Anxiety and PTSD".
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Affiliation(s)
- Archana Venkataraman
- Department of Cellular & Molecular Pharmacology, University of San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Brian George Dias
- Department of Pediatrics, Keck School of Medicine of USC, Los Angeles, CA, United States; Division of Endocrinology, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States; Developmental Neuroscience and Neurogenetics Program, The Saban Research Institute, Los Angeles, CA, United States.
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Schroeder A, Pardi MB, Keijser J, Dalmay T, Groisman AI, Schuman EM, Sprekeler H, Letzkus JJ. Inhibitory top-down projections from zona incerta mediate neocortical memory. Neuron 2023; 111:727-738.e8. [PMID: 36610397 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2022.12.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2022] [Revised: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 12/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Top-down projections convey a family of signals encoding previous experiences and current aims to the sensory neocortex, where they converge with external bottom-up information to enable perception and memory. Whereas top-down control has been attributed to excitatory pathways, the existence, connectivity, and information content of inhibitory top-down projections remain elusive. Here, we combine synaptic two-photon calcium imaging, circuit mapping, cortex-dependent learning, and chemogenetics in mice to identify GABAergic afferents from the subthalamic zona incerta as a major source of top-down input to the neocortex. Incertocortical transmission undergoes robust plasticity during learning that improves information transfer and mediates behavioral memory. Unlike excitatory pathways, incertocortical afferents form a disinhibitory circuit that encodes learned top-down relevance in a bidirectional manner where the rapid appearance of negative responses serves as the main driver of changes in stimulus representation. Our results therefore reveal the distinctive contribution of long-range (dis)inhibitory afferents to the computational flexibility of neocortical circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Schroeder
- Institute for Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, 79108 Freiburg, Germany; Max Planck Institute for Brain Research, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany.
| | - M Belén Pardi
- Institute for Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, 79108 Freiburg, Germany; Université Paris Cité, Institute of Psychiatry and Neuroscience of Paris (IPNP), INSERM U1266, 75014 Paris, France
| | - Joram Keijser
- Modelling of Cognitive Processes, Institute of Software Engineering and Theoretical Computer Science, Technische Universität Berlin, 10587 Berlin, Germany; Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Einstein Center for Neurosciences Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Tamas Dalmay
- Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel, 4031 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Ayelén I Groisman
- Institute for Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, 79108 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Erin M Schuman
- Max Planck Institute for Brain Research, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Henning Sprekeler
- Modelling of Cognitive Processes, Institute of Software Engineering and Theoretical Computer Science, Technische Universität Berlin, 10587 Berlin, Germany; Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Berlin, 10115 Berlin, Germany; Science of Intelligence, Research Cluster of Excellence, 10587 Berlin, Germany
| | - Johannes J Letzkus
- Institute for Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, 79108 Freiburg, Germany; Center for Basics in NeuroModulation (NeuroModul Basics), University of Freiburg, 79106 Freiburg, Germany; IMBIT//BrainLinks-BrainTools, University of Freiburg, 79110 Freiburg, Germany.
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Molecular and cellular evolution of the amygdala across species analyzed by single-nucleus transcriptome profiling. Cell Discov 2023; 9:19. [PMID: 36788214 PMCID: PMC9929086 DOI: 10.1038/s41421-022-00506-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2022] [Accepted: 11/24/2022] [Indexed: 02/16/2023] Open
Abstract
The amygdala, or an amygdala-like structure, is found in the brains of all vertebrates and plays a critical role in survival and reproduction. However, the cellular architecture of the amygdala and how it has evolved remain elusive. Here, we generated single-nucleus RNA-sequencing data for more than 200,000 cells in the amygdala of humans, macaques, mice, and chickens. Abundant neuronal cell types from different amygdala subnuclei were identified in all datasets. Cross-species analysis revealed that inhibitory neurons and inhibitory neuron-enriched subnuclei of the amygdala were well-conserved in cellular composition and marker gene expression, whereas excitatory neuron-enriched subnuclei were relatively divergent. Furthermore, LAMP5+ interneurons were much more abundant in primates, while DRD2+ inhibitory neurons and LAMP5+SATB2+ excitatory neurons were dominant in the human central amygdalar nucleus (CEA) and basolateral amygdalar complex (BLA), respectively. We also identified CEA-like neurons and their species-specific distribution patterns in chickens. This study highlights the extreme cell-type diversity in the amygdala and reveals the conservation and divergence of cell types and gene expression patterns across species that may contribute to species-specific adaptations.
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History of suicide attempt associated with amygdala and hippocampus changes among individuals with schizophrenia. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2023:10.1007/s00406-023-01554-5. [PMID: 36788147 DOI: 10.1007/s00406-023-01554-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2022] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2023]
Abstract
Abnormalities in subcortical brain structures may reflect higher suicide risk in mood disorders, but less is known about its associations for schizophrenia. This cross-sectional imaging study aimed to explore whether the history of suicide attempts was associated with subcortical changes among individuals with schizophrenia. We recruited 44 individuals with schizophrenia and a history of suicide attempts (SZ-SA) and 44 individuals with schizophrenia but without a history of suicide attempts (SZ-NSA) and 44 healthy controls. Linear regression showed that SZ-SA had smaller volumes of the hippocampus (Cohen's d = -0.72), the amygdala (Cohen's d = -0.69), and some nuclei of the amygdala (Cohen's d, -0.57 to -0.72) than SZ-NSA after adjusting for age, sex, illness phase, and intracranial volume. There was no difference in the volume of the subfields of the hippocampus. It suggests the history of suicide attempts is associated with subcortical volume alterations in schizophrenia.
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Asokan MM, Watanabe Y, Kimchi EY, Polley DB. Potentiated cholinergic and corticofugal inputs support reorganized sensory processing in the basolateral amygdala during auditory threat acquisition and retrieval. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.01.31.526307. [PMID: 36778308 PMCID: PMC9915656 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.31.526307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Reappraising neutral stimuli as environmental threats reflects rapid and discriminative changes in sensory processing within the basolateral amygdala (BLA). To understand how BLA inputs are also reorganized during discriminative threat learning, we performed multi-regional measurements of acetylcholine (ACh) release, single unit spiking, and functional coupling in the mouse BLA and higher-order auditory cortex (HO-AC). During threat memory recall, sounds paired with shock (CS+) elicited relatively higher firing rates in BLA units and optogenetically targeted corticoamygdalar (CAmy) units, though not in neighboring HO-AC units. Functional coupling was potentiated for descending CAmy projections prior to and during CS+ threat memory recall but ascending amygdalocortical coupling was unchanged. During threat acquisition, sound-evoked ACh release was selectively enhanced for the CS+ in BLA but not HO-AC. These findings suggest that phasic cholinergic inputs facilitate discriminative plasticity in the BLA during threat acquisition that is subsequently reinforced through potentiated auditory corticofugal inputs during memory recall.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meenakshi M. Asokan
- Eaton-Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Boston MA 02114 USA
- Division of Medical Sciences, Harvard Medical School, Boston MA 02114 USA
| | - Yurika Watanabe
- Eaton-Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Boston MA 02114 USA
| | - Eyal Y. Kimchi
- Eaton-Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Boston MA 02114 USA
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Daniel B. Polley
- Eaton-Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Boston MA 02114 USA
- Division of Medical Sciences, Harvard Medical School, Boston MA 02114 USA
- Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Boston MA 02114 USA
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Newsome P, Ruiz SG, Gold AL, Pine DS, Abend R. Fear-potentiated startle reveals diminished threat extinction in pathological anxiety. Int J Psychophysiol 2023; 183:81-91. [PMID: 36442665 PMCID: PMC9812922 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2022.11.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2022] [Revised: 10/13/2022] [Accepted: 11/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Major theories propose that perturbed threat learning is central to pathological anxiety, but empirical support is inconsistent. Failures to detect associations with anxiety may reflect limitations in quantifying conditioned responses to anticipated threat, and hinder translation of theory into empirical work. In prior work, we could not detect threat-specific anxiety effects on states of conditioned threat using psychophysiology in a large sample of patients and healthy comparisons. Here, we examine the utility of an alternative fear potentiated startle (FPS) scoring in revealing associations between anxiety and threat conditioning and extinction in this dataset. Secondary analyses further explored associations among conditioned threat responses, subcortical morphometry, and treatment outcomes. METHODS Youths and adults with anxiety disorders and healthy comparisons (n = 306; 178 female participants; 8-50 years) previously completed a well-validated differential threat learning paradigm. FPS and skin conductance response (SCR) quantified psychophysiological responses during threat conditioning and extinction. In this report, we examined normalizing raw FPS scores to intertrial intervals (ITI) to address challenges in more common approaches to FPS scoring which could mask group effects. Secondary analyses examined associations between FPS and subcortical morphometry and with response to exposure-based cognitive behavioral therapy in a subsample of patients. RESULTS Patients and comparisons showed comparable differential threat conditioning using FPS and SCR. While SCR suggested comparable extinction between groups, FPS revealed stronger retention of threat contingency during extinction in individuals with anxiety disorders. Extinction indexed with FPS was not associated with age, morphometry, or anxiety treatment outcome. CONCLUSION ITI-normalized FPS may have utility in detecting difficulties in extinguishing conditioned threat responses in anxiety. These findings provide support for extinction theories of anxiety and encourage continued research on aberrant extinction in pathological anxiety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip Newsome
- Emotion and Development Branch, National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Sonia G Ruiz
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Andrea L Gold
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Daniel S Pine
- Emotion and Development Branch, National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Rany Abend
- Baruch Ivcher School of Psychology, Reichman University, Israel.
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Bauer EP. Sex differences in fear responses: Neural circuits. Neuropharmacology 2023; 222:109298. [PMID: 36328063 PMCID: PMC11267399 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2022.109298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2022] [Revised: 09/26/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Women have increased vulnerability to PTSD and anxiety disorders compared to men. Understanding the neurobiological underpinnings of these disorders is critical for identifying risk factors and developing appropriate sex-specific interventions. Despite the clear clinical relevance of an examination of sex differences in fear responses, the vast majority of pre-clinical research on fear learning and memory formation has exclusively used male animals. This review highlights sex differences in context and cued fear conditioning, fear extinction and fear generalization with a focus on the neural circuits underlying these behaviors in rodents. There are mixed reports of behavioral sex differences in context and cued fear conditioning paradigms, which can depend upon the behavioral indices of fear. However, there is greater evidence of differential activation of the hippocampus, amygdalar nuclei and the prefrontal cortical regions in male and female rodents during context and cued fear conditioning. The bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST), a sexually dimorphic structure, is of particular interest as it differentially contributes to fear responses in males and females. In addition, while the influence of the estrous cycle on different phases of fear conditioning is delineated, the clearest modulatory effect of estrogen is on fear extinction processes. Examining the variability in neural responses and behavior in both sexes should increase our understanding of how that variability contributes to the neurobiology of affective disorders. This article is part of the Special Issue on 'Fear, anxiety and PTSD'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth P Bauer
- Departments of Biology and Neuroscience & Behavior, Barnard College of Columbia University, 3009 Broadway, New York, NY, 10027, United States.
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L'amnésie dissociative dans le Trouble de Stress Post-Traumatique: analyse de la validité scientifique d'un phénomène psychologique controversé. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF TRAUMA & DISSOCIATION 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejtd.2023.100314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
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