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Montgomery SE, Li L, Russo SJ, Calipari ES, Nestler EJ, Morel C, Han MH. Mesolimbic Neural Response Dynamics Predict Future Individual Alcohol Drinking in Mice. Biol Psychiatry 2024; 95:951-962. [PMID: 38061466 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2023.11.019] [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: 03/22/2023] [Revised: 11/11/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Individual variability in response to rewarding stimuli is a striking but understudied phenomenon. The mesolimbic dopamine system is critical in encoding the reinforcing properties of both natural reward and alcohol; however, how innate or baseline differences in the response dynamics of this circuit define individual behavior and shape future vulnerability to alcohol remain unknown. METHODS Using naturalistic behavioral assays, a voluntary alcohol drinking paradigm, in vivo fiber photometry, in vivo electrophysiology, and chemogenetics, we investigated how differences in mesolimbic neural circuit activity contribute to the individual variability seen in reward processing and, by proxy, alcohol drinking. RESULTS We first characterized heterogeneous behavioral and neural responses to natural reward and defined how these baseline responses predicted future individual alcohol-drinking phenotypes in male mice. We then determined spontaneous ventral tegmental area dopamine neuron firing profiles associated with responses to natural reward that predicted alcohol drinking. Using a dual chemogenetic approach, we mimicked specific mesolimbic dopamine neuron firing activity before or during voluntary alcohol drinking to link unique neurophysiological profiles to individual phenotype. We show that hyperdopaminergic individuals exhibit a lower neuronal response to both natural reward and alcohol that predicts lower levels of alcohol consumption in the future. CONCLUSIONS These findings reveal unique, circuit-specific neural signatures that predict future individual vulnerability or resistance to alcohol and expand the current knowledge base on how some individuals are able to titrate their alcohol consumption whereas others go on to engage in unhealthy alcohol-drinking behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah E Montgomery
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York; Friedman Brain Institute and the Center for Affective Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York; Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Long Li
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York; Friedman Brain Institute and the Center for Affective Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Scott J Russo
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York; Friedman Brain Institute and the Center for Affective Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Erin S Calipari
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York; Friedman Brain Institute and the Center for Affective Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York; Departments of Pharmacology, Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Eric J Nestler
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York; Friedman Brain Institute and the Center for Affective Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York; Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Carole Morel
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York.
| | - Ming-Hu Han
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York; Friedman Brain Institute and the Center for Affective Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York; Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York; Department of Mental Health and Public Health, Faculty of Life and Health Sciences, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China.
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2
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Verdier A, Bathellier B, Bagur S. Protocol for implementing medial forebrain bundle stimulation as a reward for perceptual tasks in mice. STAR Protoc 2023; 4:102669. [PMID: 37906597 PMCID: PMC10630816 DOI: 10.1016/j.xpro.2023.102669] [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: 08/07/2023] [Revised: 09/24/2023] [Accepted: 10/05/2023] [Indexed: 11/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Training mice to perform perceptual tasks is a vital part of integrative neuroscience. Replacing classical rewards like water with medial forebrain bundle (MFB) stimulation allows experimenters to avoid deprivation and obtain higher trial numbers per session. Here, we provide a protocol for implementing MFB-based reward in mice. We describe steps for MFB electrode implantation, efficacy testing, and stimulation calibration. After these steps, MFB reward can be used to facilitate sensory discrimination task training and enable nuanced characterization of psychophysical abilities. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Verdier et al. (2022).1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonin Verdier
- Institut de l'Audition, Institut Pasteur, Université de Paris, INSERM, Paris, France
| | - Brice Bathellier
- Institut de l'Audition, Institut Pasteur, Université de Paris, INSERM, Paris, France
| | - Sophie Bagur
- Institut de l'Audition, Institut Pasteur, Université de Paris, INSERM, Paris, France.
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3
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Frank CC, Seaman KL. Aging, uncertainty, and decision making-A review. COGNITIVE, AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2023; 23:773-787. [PMID: 36670294 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-023-01064-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/08/2023] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
There is a great deal of uncertainty in the world. One common source of uncertainty results from incomplete or missing information about probabilistic outcomes (i.e., outcomes that may occur), which influences how people make decisions. The impact of this type of uncertainty may particularly pronounced for older adults, who, as the primary leaders around the world, make highly impactful decisions with lasting outcomes. This review examines the ways in which uncertainty about probabilistic outcomes is perceived, handled, and represented in the aging brain, with an emphasis on how uncertainty may specifically affect decision making in later life. We describe the role of uncertainty in decision making and aging from four perspectives, including 1) theoretical, 2) self-report, 3) behavioral, and 4) neuroscientific. We report evidence of any age-related differences in uncertainty among these contexts and describe how these changes may affect decision making. We then integrate the findings across the distinct perspectives, followed by a discussion of important future directions for research on aging and uncertainty, including prospection, domain-specificity in risk-taking behaviors, and choice overload.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colleen C Frank
- Center for Vital Longevity, The University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, TX, USA.
| | - Kendra L Seaman
- Center for Vital Longevity, The University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, TX, USA
- School of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, USA
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4
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Bousseyrol E, Didienne S, Takillah S, Prevost-Solié C, Come M, Ahmed Yahia T, Mondoloni S, Vicq E, Tricoire L, Mourot A, Naudé J, Faure P. Dopaminergic and prefrontal dynamics co-determine mouse decisions in a spatial gambling task. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112523. [PMID: 37200189 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112523] [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: 10/05/2022] [Revised: 01/28/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 05/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The neural mechanisms by which animals initiate goal-directed actions, choose between options, or explore opportunities remain unknown. Here, we develop a spatial gambling task in which mice, to obtain intracranial self-stimulation rewards, self-determine the initiation, direction, vigor, and pace of their actions based on their knowledge of the outcomes. Using electrophysiological recordings, pharmacology, and optogenetics, we identify a sequence of oscillations and firings in the ventral tegmental area (VTA), orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), and prefrontal cortex (PFC) that co-encodes and co-determines self-initiation and choices. This sequence appeared with learning as an uncued realignment of spontaneous dynamics. Interactions between the structures varied with the reward context, particularly the uncertainty associated with the different options. We suggest that self-generated choices arise from a distributed circuit based on an OFC-VTA core determining whether to wait for or initiate actions, while the PFC is specifically engaged by reward uncertainty in action selection and pace.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elise Bousseyrol
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Neuroscience Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS - IBPS), 75005 Paris, France; Brain Plasticity Laboratory, CNRS, ESPCI Paris, PSL Research University, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Steve Didienne
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Neuroscience Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS - IBPS), 75005 Paris, France; Brain Plasticity Laboratory, CNRS, ESPCI Paris, PSL Research University, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Samir Takillah
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Neuroscience Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS - IBPS), 75005 Paris, France; Brain Plasticity Laboratory, CNRS, ESPCI Paris, PSL Research University, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Clement Prevost-Solié
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Neuroscience Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS - IBPS), 75005 Paris, France; Brain Plasticity Laboratory, CNRS, ESPCI Paris, PSL Research University, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Maxime Come
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Neuroscience Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS - IBPS), 75005 Paris, France; Brain Plasticity Laboratory, CNRS, ESPCI Paris, PSL Research University, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Tarek Ahmed Yahia
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Neuroscience Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS - IBPS), 75005 Paris, France
| | - Sarah Mondoloni
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Neuroscience Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS - IBPS), 75005 Paris, France
| | - Eléonore Vicq
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Neuroscience Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS - IBPS), 75005 Paris, France
| | - Ludovic Tricoire
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Neuroscience Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS - IBPS), 75005 Paris, France
| | - Alexandre Mourot
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Neuroscience Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS - IBPS), 75005 Paris, France; Brain Plasticity Laboratory, CNRS, ESPCI Paris, PSL Research University, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Jérémie Naudé
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Neuroscience Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS - IBPS), 75005 Paris, France; CNRS, Université de Montpellier, INSERM - Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle, 34094 Montpellier, France.
| | - Philippe Faure
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Neuroscience Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS - IBPS), 75005 Paris, France; Brain Plasticity Laboratory, CNRS, ESPCI Paris, PSL Research University, 75005 Paris, France.
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5
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Walker NB, Yan Y, Tapia MA, Tucker BR, Thomas LN, George BE, West AM, Marotta CB, Lester HA, Dougherty DA, Holleran KM, Jones SR, Drenan RM. β2 nAChR Activation on VTA DA Neurons Is Sufficient for Nicotine Reinforcement in Rats. eNeuro 2023; 10:ENEURO.0449-22.2023. [PMID: 37193602 PMCID: PMC10216253 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0449-22.2023] [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: 11/03/2022] [Revised: 05/01/2023] [Accepted: 05/08/2023] [Indexed: 05/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Mesolimbic nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChRs) activation is necessary for nicotine reinforcement behavior, but it is unknown whether selective activation of nAChRs in the dopamine (DA) reward pathway is sufficient to support nicotine reinforcement. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that activation of β2-containing (β2*) nAChRs on VTA neurons is sufficient for intravenous nicotine self-administration (SA). We expressed β2 nAChR subunits with enhanced sensitivity to nicotine (referred to as β2Leu9'Ser) in the VTA of male Sprague Dawley (SD) rats, enabling very low concentrations of nicotine to selectively activate β2* nAChRs on transduced neurons. Rats expressing β2Leu9'Ser subunits acquired nicotine SA at 1.5 μg/kg/infusion, a dose too low to support acquisition in control rats. Saline substitution extinguished responding for 1.5 μg/kg/inf, verifying that this dose was reinforcing. β2Leu9'Ser nAChRs also supported acquisition at the typical training dose in rats (30 μg/kg/inf) and reducing the dose to 1.5 μg/kg/inf caused a significant increase in the rate of nicotine SA. Viral expression of β2Leu9'Ser subunits only in VTA DA neurons (via TH-Cre rats) also enabled acquisition of nicotine SA at 1.5 μg/kg/inf, and saline substitution significantly attenuated responding. Next, we examined electrically-evoked DA release in slices from β2Leu9'Ser rats with a history of nicotine SA. Single-pulse evoked DA release and DA uptake rate were reduced in β2Leu9'Ser NAc slices, but relative increases in DA following a train of stimuli were preserved. These results are the first to report that β2* nAChR activation on VTA neurons is sufficient for nicotine reinforcement in rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noah B Walker
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157
| | - Yijin Yan
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157
| | - Melissa A Tapia
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157
| | - Brenton R Tucker
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157
| | - Leanne N Thomas
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157
| | - Brianna E George
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157
| | - Alyssa M West
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157
| | - Christopher B Marotta
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91106
| | - Henry A Lester
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91106
| | - Dennis A Dougherty
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91106
| | - Katherine M Holleran
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157
| | - Sara R Jones
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157
| | - Ryan M Drenan
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157
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6
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Verdier A, Dominique N, Groussard D, Aldanondo A, Bathellier B, Bagur S. Enhanced perceptual task performance without deprivation in mice using medial forebrain bundle stimulation. CELL REPORTS METHODS 2022; 2:100355. [PMID: 36590697 PMCID: PMC9795331 DOI: 10.1016/j.crmeth.2022.100355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2022] [Revised: 10/04/2022] [Accepted: 11/09/2022] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Perceptual decision-making tasks are essential to many fields of neuroscience. Current protocols generally reward deprived animals with water. However, balancing animals' deprivation level with their well-being is challenging, and trial number is limited by satiation. Here, we present electrical stimulation of the medial forebrain bundle (MFB) as an alternative that avoids deprivation while yielding stable motivation for thousands of trials. Using licking or lever press as a report, MFB animals learnt auditory discrimination tasks at similar speed to water-deprived mice. Moreover, they more reliably reached higher accuracy in harder tasks, performing up to 4,500 trials per session without loss of motivation. MFB stimulation did not impact the underlying sensory behavior since psychometric parameters and response times are preserved. MFB mice lacked signs of metabolic or behavioral stress compared with water-deprived mice. Overall, MFB stimulation is a highly promising tool for task learning because it enhances task performance while avoiding deprivation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonin Verdier
- Institut de l’Audition, Institut Pasteur, Université de Paris, INSERM, 75012 Paris, France
| | - Noémi Dominique
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, DT, Animalerie Centrale, 75724 Paris, France
| | - Déborah Groussard
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, DT, Animalerie Centrale, 75724 Paris, France
| | - Anna Aldanondo
- Institut de l’Audition, Institut Pasteur, Université de Paris, INSERM, 75012 Paris, France
| | - Brice Bathellier
- Institut de l’Audition, Institut Pasteur, Université de Paris, INSERM, 75012 Paris, France
| | - Sophie Bagur
- Institut de l’Audition, Institut Pasteur, Université de Paris, INSERM, 75012 Paris, France
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7
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Krichmar JL, Hwu TJ. Design Principles for Neurorobotics. Front Neurorobot 2022; 16:882518. [PMID: 35692490 PMCID: PMC9174684 DOI: 10.3389/fnbot.2022.882518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In their book “How the Body Shapes the Way We Think: A New View of Intelligence,” Pfeifer and Bongard put forth an embodied approach to cognition. Because of this position, many of their robot examples demonstrated “intelligent” behavior despite limited neural processing. It is our belief that neurorobots should attempt to follow many of these principles. In this article, we discuss a number of principles to consider when designing neurorobots and experiments using robots to test brain theories. These principles are strongly inspired by Pfeifer and Bongard, but build on their design principles by grounding them in neuroscience and by adding principles based on neuroscience research. Our design principles fall into three categories. First, organisms must react quickly and appropriately to events. Second, organisms must have the ability to learn and remember over their lifetimes. Third, organisms must weigh options that are crucial for survival. We believe that by following these design principles a robot's behavior will be more naturalistic and more successful.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey L. Krichmar
- Department of Cognitive Sciences, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
- Department of Computer Science, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
- *Correspondence: Jeffrey L. Krichmar
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8
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Rational arbitration between statistics and rules in human sequence processing. Nat Hum Behav 2022; 6:1087-1103. [PMID: 35501360 DOI: 10.1038/s41562-021-01259-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2020] [Accepted: 11/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Detecting and learning temporal regularities is essential to accurately predict the future. A long-standing debate in cognitive science concerns the existence in humans of a dissociation between two systems, one for handling statistical regularities governing the probabilities of individual items and their transitions, and another for handling deterministic rules. Here, to address this issue, we used finger tracking to continuously monitor the online build-up of evidence, confidence, false alarms and changes-of-mind during sequence processing. All these aspects of behaviour conformed tightly to a hierarchical Bayesian inference model with distinct hypothesis spaces for statistics and rules, yet linked by a single probabilistic currency. Alternative models based either on a single statistical mechanism or on two non-commensurable systems were rejected. Our results indicate that a hierarchical Bayesian inference mechanism, capable of operating over distinct hypothesis spaces for statistics and rules, underlies the human capability for sequence processing.
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9
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Faure P, Fayad SL, Solié C, Reynolds LM. Social Determinants of Inter-Individual Variability and Vulnerability: The Role of Dopamine. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:836343. [PMID: 35386723 PMCID: PMC8979673 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.836343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Accepted: 02/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Individuals differ in their traits and preferences, which shape their interactions, their prospects for survival and their susceptibility to diseases. These correlations are well documented, yet the neurophysiological mechanisms underlying the emergence of distinct personalities and their relation to vulnerability to diseases are poorly understood. Social ties, in particular, are thought to be major modulators of personality traits and psychiatric vulnerability, yet the majority of neuroscience studies are performed on rodents in socially impoverished conditions. Rodent micro-society paradigms are therefore key experimental paradigms to understand how social life generates diversity by shaping individual traits. Dopamine circuitry is implicated at the interface between social life experiences, the expression of essential traits, and the emergence of pathologies, thus proving a possible mechanism to link these three concepts at a neuromodulatory level. Evaluating inter-individual variability in automated social testing environments shows great promise for improving our understanding of the link between social life, personality, and precision psychiatry – as well as elucidating the underlying neurophysiological mechanisms.
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10
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Seeking motivation and reward: roles of dopamine, hippocampus and supramammillo-septal pathway. Prog Neurobiol 2022; 212:102252. [PMID: 35227866 PMCID: PMC8961455 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2022.102252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2021] [Revised: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 02/23/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Reinforcement learning and goal-seeking behavior are thought to be mediated by midbrain dopamine neurons. However, little is known about neural substrates of curiosity and exploratory behavior, which occur in the absence of clear goal or reward. This is despite behavioral scientists having long suggested that curiosity and exploratory behaviors are regulated by an innate drive. We refer to such behavior as information-seeking behavior and propose 1) key neural substrates and 2) the concept of environment prediction error as a framework to understand information-seeking processes. The cognitive aspect of information-seeking behavior, including the perception of salience and uncertainty, involves, in part, the pathways from the posterior hypothalamic supramammillary region to the hippocampal formation. The vigor of such behavior is modulated by the following: supramammillary glutamatergic neurons; their projections to medial septal glutamatergic neurons; and the projections of medial septal glutamatergic neurons to ventral tegmental dopaminergic neurons. Phasic responses of dopaminergic neurons are characterized as signaling potentially important stimuli rather than rewards. This paper describes how novel stimuli and uncertainty trigger seeking motivation and how these neural substrates modulate information-seeking behavior.
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11
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Wills L, Ables JL, Braunscheidel KM, Caligiuri SPB, Elayouby KS, Fillinger C, Ishikawa M, Moen JK, Kenny PJ. Neurobiological Mechanisms of Nicotine Reward and Aversion. Pharmacol Rev 2022; 74:271-310. [PMID: 35017179 PMCID: PMC11060337 DOI: 10.1124/pharmrev.121.000299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2021] [Accepted: 08/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) regulate the rewarding actions of nicotine contained in tobacco that establish and maintain the smoking habit. nAChRs also regulate the aversive properties of nicotine, sensitivity to which decreases tobacco use and protects against tobacco use disorder. These opposing behavioral actions of nicotine reflect nAChR expression in brain reward and aversion circuits. nAChRs containing α4 and β2 subunits are responsible for the high-affinity nicotine binding sites in the brain and are densely expressed by reward-relevant neurons, most notably dopaminergic, GABAergic, and glutamatergic neurons in the ventral tegmental area. High-affinity nAChRs can incorporate additional subunits, including β3, α6, or α5 subunits, with the resulting nAChR subtypes playing discrete and dissociable roles in the stimulatory actions of nicotine on brain dopamine transmission. nAChRs in brain dopamine circuits also participate in aversive reactions to nicotine and the negative affective state experienced during nicotine withdrawal. nAChRs containing α3 and β4 subunits are responsible for the low-affinity nicotine binding sites in the brain and are enriched in brain sites involved in aversion, including the medial habenula, interpeduncular nucleus, and nucleus of the solitary tract, brain sites in which α5 nAChR subunits are also expressed. These aversion-related brain sites regulate nicotine avoidance behaviors, and genetic variation that modifies the function of nAChRs in these sites increases vulnerability to tobacco dependence and smoking-related diseases. Here, we review the molecular, cellular, and circuit-level mechanisms through which nicotine elicits reward and aversion and the adaptations in these processes that drive the development of nicotine dependence. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: Tobacco use disorder in the form of habitual cigarette smoking or regular use of other tobacco-related products is a major cause of death and disease worldwide. This article reviews the actions of nicotine in the brain that contribute to tobacco use disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren Wills
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, New York
| | - Jessica L Ables
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, New York
| | - Kevin M Braunscheidel
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, New York
| | - Stephanie P B Caligiuri
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, New York
| | - Karim S Elayouby
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, New York
| | - Clementine Fillinger
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, New York
| | - Masago Ishikawa
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, New York
| | - Janna K Moen
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, New York
| | - Paul J Kenny
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, New York
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12
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Chronic nicotine increases midbrain dopamine neuron activity and biases individual strategies towards reduced exploration in mice. Nat Commun 2021; 12:6945. [PMID: 34836948 PMCID: PMC8635406 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-27268-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2021] [Accepted: 11/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Long-term exposure to nicotine alters brain circuits and induces profound changes in decision-making strategies, affecting behaviors both related and unrelated to drug seeking and consumption. Using an intracranial self-stimulation reward-based foraging task, we investigated in mice the impact of chronic nicotine on midbrain dopamine neuron activity and its consequence on the trade-off between exploitation and exploration. Model-based and archetypal analysis revealed substantial inter-individual variability in decision-making strategies, with mice passively exposed to nicotine shifting toward a more exploitative profile compared to non-exposed animals. We then mimicked the effect of chronic nicotine on the tonic activity of dopamine neurons using optogenetics, and found that photo-stimulated mice adopted a behavioral phenotype similar to that of mice exposed to chronic nicotine. Our results reveal a key role of tonic midbrain dopamine in the exploration/exploitation trade-off and highlight a potential mechanism by which nicotine affects the exploration/exploitation balance and decision-making.
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13
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Jha MK, Kim JW, Kenny PJ, Chin Fatt C, Minhajuddin A, Salas R, Ely BA, Klein M, Abdallah CG, Xu J, Trivedi MH. Smoking status links habenular volume to glycated hemoglobin: Findings from the Human Connectome Project-Young Adult. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2021; 131:105321. [PMID: 34157587 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2021.105321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2021] [Revised: 06/07/2021] [Accepted: 06/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The habenula-pancreas axis regulates the stimulatory effects of nicotine on blood glucose levels and may participate in the emergence of type 2 diabetes in human tobacco smokers. This secondary analysis of young adults from the Human Connectome Project (HCP-YA) evaluated whether smoking status links the relationship between habenular volume and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), a marker of long-term glycemic control. METHODS Habenula segmentation was performed using a fully-automated myelin content-based approach in HCP-YA participants and the results were inspected visually (n = 693; aged 22-37 years). A linear regression analysis was used with habenular volume as the dependent variable, the smoking-by-HbA1c interaction as the independent variable of interest, and age, gender, race, ethnicity, education, income, employment status, body mass index, and total gray matter volume as covariates. RESULTS Habenula volume and HbA1c were similar in smokers and nonsmokers. There was a significant interaction effect (F(1, 673)= 5.03, p = 0.025) indicating that habenular volume was related to HbA1c in a manner that depended on smoking status. Among participants who were smokers (n = 120), higher HbA1c was associated with apparently larger habenular volume (β = 6.74, standard error=2.36, p = 0.005). No such association between habenular volume and HbA1c was noted among participants who were nonsmokers (n = 573). DISCUSSION Blood glucose levels over an extended time period, reflected by HbA1c, were correlated with habenular volume in smokers, consistent with a relationship between the habenula and blood glucose homeostasis in smokers. Future studies are needed to evaluate how habenular function relates to glycemic control in smokers and nonsmokers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manish K Jha
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States; Center for Depression Research and Clinical Care, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
| | - Joo-Won Kim
- Department of Radiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States; Department of Psychiatry, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Paul J Kenny
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Cherise Chin Fatt
- Center for Depression Research and Clinical Care, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
| | - Abu Minhajuddin
- Center for Depression Research and Clinical Care, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
| | - Ramiro Salas
- Department of Psychiatry, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States; Michael E DeBakey VA Medical Center, Houston, TX, United States; The Menninger Clinic, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Benjamin A Ely
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, The Bronx, NY, United States
| | - Matthew Klein
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Chadi G Abdallah
- Department of Psychiatry, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States; Michael E DeBakey VA Medical Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Junqian Xu
- Department of Radiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States; Department of Psychiatry, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Madhukar H Trivedi
- Center for Depression Research and Clinical Care, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States.
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14
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Iglesias S, Kasper L, Harrison SJ, Manka R, Mathys C, Stephan KE. Cholinergic and dopaminergic effects on prediction error and uncertainty responses during sensory associative learning. Neuroimage 2020; 226:117590. [PMID: 33285332 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.117590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2020] [Revised: 10/20/2020] [Accepted: 11/19/2020] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Navigating the physical world requires learning probabilistic associations between sensory events and their change in time (volatility). Bayesian accounts of this learning process rest on hierarchical prediction errors (PEs) that are weighted by estimates of uncertainty (or its inverse, precision). In a previous fMRI study we found that low-level precision-weighted PEs about visual outcomes (that update beliefs about associations) activated the putative dopaminergic midbrain; by contrast, precision-weighted PEs about cue-outcome associations (that update beliefs about volatility) activated the cholinergic basal forebrain. These findings suggested selective dopaminergic and cholinergic influences on precision-weighted PEs at different hierarchical levels. Here, we tested this hypothesis, repeating our fMRI study under pharmacological manipulations in healthy participants. Specifically, we performed two pharmacological fMRI studies with a between-subject double-blind placebo-controlled design: study 1 used antagonists of dopaminergic (amisulpride) and muscarinic (biperiden) receptors, study 2 used enhancing drugs of dopaminergic (levodopa) and cholinergic (galantamine) modulation. Pooled across all pharmacological conditions of study 1 and study 2, respectively, we found that low-level precision-weighted PEs activated the midbrain and high-level precision-weighted PEs the basal forebrain as in our previous study. However, we found pharmacological effects on brain activity associated with these computational quantities only when splitting the precision-weighted PEs into their PE and precision components: in a brainstem region putatively containing cholinergic (pedunculopontine and laterodorsal tegmental) nuclei, biperiden (compared to placebo) enhanced low-level PE responses and attenuated high-level PE activity, while amisulpride reduced high-level PE responses. Additionally, in the putative dopaminergic midbrain, galantamine compared to placebo enhanced low-level PE responses (in a body-weight dependent manner) and amisulpride enhanced high-level precision activity. Task behaviour was not affected by any of the drugs. These results do not support our hypothesis of a clear-cut dichotomy between different hierarchical inference levels and neurotransmitter systems, but suggest a more complex interaction between these neuromodulatory systems and hierarchical Bayesian quantities. However, our present results may have been affected by confounds inherent to pharmacological fMRI. We discuss these confounds and outline improved experimental tests for the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Iglesias
- Translational Neuromodeling Unit (TNU), Institute for Biomedical Engineering, University of Zurich & Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zurich), Wilfriedstr. 6, 8032 Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Lars Kasper
- Translational Neuromodeling Unit (TNU), Institute for Biomedical Engineering, University of Zurich & Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zurich), Wilfriedstr. 6, 8032 Zurich, Switzerland; Institute for Biomedical Engineering, ETH Zurich and University of Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Samuel J Harrison
- Translational Neuromodeling Unit (TNU), Institute for Biomedical Engineering, University of Zurich & Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zurich), Wilfriedstr. 6, 8032 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Robert Manka
- Department of Cardiology, University Hospital Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Christoph Mathys
- Translational Neuromodeling Unit (TNU), Institute for Biomedical Engineering, University of Zurich & Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zurich), Wilfriedstr. 6, 8032 Zurich, Switzerland; Interacting Minds Centre, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Klaas E Stephan
- Translational Neuromodeling Unit (TNU), Institute for Biomedical Engineering, University of Zurich & Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zurich), Wilfriedstr. 6, 8032 Zurich, Switzerland; Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research, Cologne, Germany
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15
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Distinct Temporal Structure of Nicotinic ACh Receptor Activation Determines Responses of VTA Neurons to Endogenous ACh and Nicotine. eNeuro 2020; 7:ENEURO.0418-19.2020. [PMID: 32737187 PMCID: PMC7470928 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0418-19.2020] [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: 10/10/2019] [Revised: 02/10/2020] [Accepted: 04/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The addictive component of tobacco, nicotine, acts via nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs). The β2 subunit-containing nAChRs (β2-nAChRs) play a crucial role in the rewarding properties of nicotine and are particularly densely expressed in the mesolimbic dopamine (DA) system. Specifically, nAChRs directly and indirectly affect DA neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA). The understanding of ACh and nicotinic regulation of DA neuron activity is incomplete. By computational modeling, we provide mechanisms for several apparently contradictory experimental results. First, systemic knockout of β2-containing nAChRs drastically reduces DA neurons bursting, although the major glutamatergic (Glu) afferents that have been shown to evoke this bursting stay intact. Second, the most intuitive way to rescue this bursting—by re-expressing the nAChRs on VTA DA neurons—fails. Third, nAChR re-expression on VTA GABA neurons rescues bursting in DA neurons and increases their firing rate under the influence of ACh input, whereas nicotinic application results in the opposite changes in firing. Our model shows that, first, without ACh receptors, Glu excitation of VTA DA and GABA neurons remains balanced and GABA inhibition cancels the direct excitation. Second, re-expression of ACh receptors on DA neurons provides an input that impedes membrane repolarization and is ineffective in restoring firing of DA neurons. Third, the distinct responses to ACh and nicotine occur because of distinct temporal patterns of these inputs: pulsatile versus continuous. Altogether, this study highlights how β2-nAChRs influence coactivation of the VTA DA and GABA neurons required for motivation and saliency signals carried by DA neuron activity.
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16
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Jahn CI, Varazzani C, Sallet J, Walton ME, Bouret S. Noradrenergic But Not Dopaminergic Neurons Signal Task State Changes and Predict Reengagement After a Failure. Cereb Cortex 2020; 30:4979-4994. [PMID: 32390051 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhaa089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2019] [Revised: 03/11/2020] [Accepted: 03/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The two catecholamines, noradrenaline and dopamine, have been shown to play comparable roles in behavior. Both noradrenergic and dopaminergic neurons respond to cues predicting reward availability and novelty. However, even though both are thought to be involved in motivating actions, their roles in motivation have seldom been directly compared. We therefore examined the activity of putative noradrenergic neurons in the locus coeruleus and putative midbrain dopaminergic neurons in monkeys cued to perform effortful actions for rewards. The activity in both regions correlated with engagement with a presented option. By contrast, only noradrenaline neurons were also (i) predictive of engagement in a subsequent trial following a failure to engage and (ii) more strongly activated in nonrepeated trials, when cues indicated a new task condition. This suggests that while both catecholaminergic neurons are involved in promoting action, noradrenergic neurons are sensitive to task state changes, and their influence on behavior extends beyond the immediately rewarded action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline I Jahn
- Motivation, Brain and Behavior Team, Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle Épinière, 75013 Paris, France.,Sorbonne Paris Cité universités, Université Paris Descartes, Frontières du Vivant, 75005 Paris, France.,Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX13SR, UK
| | - Chiara Varazzani
- Motivation, Brain and Behavior Team, Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle Épinière, 75013 Paris, France.,Sorbonne Paris Cité universités, Université Paris Descartes, Frontières du Vivant, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Jérôme Sallet
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX13SR, UK.,Inserm, Stem Cell and Brain Research Institute U1208, Université Lyon, Université Lyon 1, 69500 Bron, France
| | - Mark E Walton
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX13SR, UK
| | - Sébastien Bouret
- Motivation, Brain and Behavior Team, Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle Épinière, 75013 Paris, France
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17
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Neuromodulated attention and goal-driven perception in uncertain domains. Neural Netw 2020; 125:56-69. [PMID: 32070856 DOI: 10.1016/j.neunet.2020.01.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2019] [Revised: 12/13/2019] [Accepted: 01/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
In uncertain domains, the goals are often unknown and need to be predicted by the organism or system. In this paper, contrastive Excitation Backprop (c-EB) was used in two goal-driven perception tasks - one with pairs of noisy MNIST digits and the other with a robot in an action-based attention scenario. The first task included attending to even, odd, low, and high digits, whereas the second task included action goals, such as "eat", "work-on-computer", "read", and "say-hi" that led to attention to objects associated with those actions. The system needed to increase attention to target items and decrease attention to distractor items and background noise. Because the valid goal was unknown, an online learning model based on the cholinergic and noradrenergic neuromodulatory systems was used to predict a noisy goal (expected uncertainty) and re-adapt when the goal changed (unexpected uncertainty). This neurobiologically plausible model demonstrates how neuromodulatory systems can predict goals in uncertain domains and how attentional mechanisms can enhance the perception for that goal.
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18
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Belkaid M, Bousseyrol E, Durand-de Cuttoli R, Dongelmans M, Duranté EK, Ahmed Yahia T, Didienne S, Hanesse B, Come M, Mourot A, Naudé J, Sigaud O, Faure P. Mice adaptively generate choice variability in a deterministic task. Commun Biol 2020; 3:34. [PMID: 31965053 PMCID: PMC6972896 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-020-0759-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2019] [Accepted: 12/20/2019] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Can decisions be made solely by chance? Can variability be intrinsic to the decision-maker or is it inherited from environmental conditions? To investigate these questions, we designed a deterministic setting in which mice are rewarded for non-repetitive choice sequences, and modeled the experiment using reinforcement learning. We found that mice progressively increased their choice variability. Although an optimal strategy based on sequences learning was theoretically possible and would be more rewarding, animals used a pseudo-random selection which ensures high success rate. This was not the case if the animal is exposed to a uniform probabilistic reward delivery. We also show that mice were blind to changes in the temporal structure of reward delivery once they learned to choose at random. Overall, our results demonstrate that a decision-making process can self-generate variability and randomness, even when the rules governing reward delivery are neither stochastic nor volatile.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marwen Belkaid
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Institut des Systèmes Intelligents et de Robotique (ISIR), 75005, Paris, France
| | - Elise Bousseyrol
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Neuroscience Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS - IBPS), 75005, Paris, France
| | - Romain Durand-de Cuttoli
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Neuroscience Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS - IBPS), 75005, Paris, France
| | - Malou Dongelmans
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Neuroscience Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS - IBPS), 75005, Paris, France
| | - Etienne K Duranté
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Neuroscience Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS - IBPS), 75005, Paris, France
| | - Tarek Ahmed Yahia
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Neuroscience Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS - IBPS), 75005, Paris, France
| | - Steve Didienne
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Neuroscience Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS - IBPS), 75005, Paris, France
| | - Bernadette Hanesse
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Neuroscience Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS - IBPS), 75005, Paris, France
| | - Maxime Come
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Neuroscience Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS - IBPS), 75005, Paris, France
| | - Alexandre Mourot
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Neuroscience Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS - IBPS), 75005, Paris, France
| | - Jérémie Naudé
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Neuroscience Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS - IBPS), 75005, Paris, France
| | - Olivier Sigaud
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Institut des Systèmes Intelligents et de Robotique (ISIR), 75005, Paris, France
| | - Philippe Faure
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Neuroscience Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS - IBPS), 75005, Paris, France.
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19
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Dopamine blockade impairs the exploration-exploitation trade-off in rats. Sci Rep 2019; 9:6770. [PMID: 31043685 PMCID: PMC6494917 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-43245-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2018] [Accepted: 04/18/2019] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
In a volatile environment where rewards are uncertain, successful performance requires a delicate balance between exploitation of the best option and exploration of alternative choices. It has theoretically been proposed that dopamine contributes to the control of this exploration-exploitation trade-off, specifically that the higher the level of tonic dopamine, the more exploitation is favored. We demonstrate here that there is a formal relationship between the rescaling of dopamine positive reward prediction errors and the exploration-exploitation trade-off in simple non-stationary multi-armed bandit tasks. We further show in rats performing such a task that systemically antagonizing dopamine receptors greatly increases the number of random choices without affecting learning capacities. Simulations and comparison of a set of different computational models (an extended Q-learning model, a directed exploration model, and a meta-learning model) fitted on each individual confirm that, independently of the model, decreasing dopaminergic activity does not affect learning rate but is equivalent to an increase in random exploration rate. This study shows that dopamine could adapt the exploration-exploitation trade-off in decision-making when facing changing environmental contingencies.
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20
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Deperrois N, Moiseeva V, Gutkin B. Minimal Circuit Model of Reward Prediction Error Computations and Effects of Nicotinic Modulations. Front Neural Circuits 2019; 12:116. [PMID: 30687021 PMCID: PMC6336136 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2018.00116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2018] [Accepted: 12/14/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Dopamine (DA) neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) are thought to encode reward prediction errors (RPE) by comparing actual and expected rewards. In recent years, much work has been done to identify how the brain uses and computes this signal. While several lines of evidence suggest the interplay of the DA and the inhibitory interneurons in the VTA implements the RPE computation, it still remains unclear how the DA neurons learn key quantities, for example the amplitude and the timing of primary rewards during conditioning tasks. Furthermore, endogenous acetylcholine and exogenous nicotine, also likely affect these computations by acting on both VTA DA and GABA (γ -aminobutyric acid) neurons via nicotinic-acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs). To explore the potential circuit-level mechanisms for RPE computations during classical-conditioning tasks, we developed a minimal computational model of the VTA circuitry. The model was designed to account for several reward-related properties of VTA afferents and recent findings on VTA GABA neuron dynamics during conditioning. With our minimal model, we showed that the RPE can be learned by a two-speed process computing reward timing and magnitude. By including models of nAChR-mediated currents in the VTA DA-GABA circuit, we showed that nicotine should reduce the acetylcholine action on the VTA GABA neurons by receptor desensitization and potentially boost DA responses to reward-related signals in a non-trivial manner. Together, our results delineate the mechanisms by which RPE are computed in the brain, and suggest a hypothesis on nicotine-mediated effects on reward-related perception and decision-making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Deperrois
- Group for Neural Theory, LNC2 INSERM U960, DEC, École Normale Supérieure PSL University, Paris, France
| | - Victoria Moiseeva
- Center for Cognition and Decision Making, Institute for Cognitive Neuroscience, National Research University Higher School of Economics, Moscow, Russia
| | - Boris Gutkin
- Group for Neural Theory, LNC2 INSERM U960, DEC, École Normale Supérieure PSL University, Paris, France.,Center for Cognition and Decision Making, Institute for Cognitive Neuroscience, National Research University Higher School of Economics, Moscow, Russia
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21
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Morel C, Montgomery S, Han MH. Nicotine and alcohol: the role of midbrain dopaminergic neurons in drug reinforcement. Eur J Neurosci 2018; 50:2180-2200. [PMID: 30251377 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.14160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2018] [Revised: 07/31/2018] [Accepted: 08/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Nicotine and alcohol addiction are leading causes of preventable death worldwide and continue to constitute a huge socio-economic burden. Both nicotine and alcohol perturb the brain's mesocorticolimbic system. Dopamine (DA) neurons projecting from the ventral tegmental area (VTA) to multiple downstream structures, including the nucleus accumbens, prefrontal cortex, and amygdala, are highly involved in the maintenance of healthy brain function. VTA DA neurons play a crucial role in associative learning and reinforcement. Nicotine and alcohol usurp these functions, promoting reinforcement of drug taking behaviors. In this review, we will first describe how nicotine and alcohol individually affect VTA DA neurons by examining how drug exposure alters the heterogeneous VTA microcircuit and network-wide projections. We will also examine how coadministration or previous exposure to nicotine or alcohol may augment the reinforcing effects of the other. Additionally, this review briefly summarizes the role of VTA DA neurons in nicotine, alcohol, and their synergistic effects in reinforcement and also addresses the remaining questions related to the circuit-function specificity of the dopaminergic system in mediating nicotine/alcohol reinforcement and comorbidity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carole Morel
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Icahn Building Floor 12 Room 12-75B, 1425 Madison Ave, New York, NY 10029, USA.,Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.,Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.,Center for Affective Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Sarah Montgomery
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Icahn Building Floor 12 Room 12-75B, 1425 Madison Ave, New York, NY 10029, USA.,Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.,Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.,Center for Affective Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Ming-Hu Han
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Icahn Building Floor 12 Room 12-75B, 1425 Madison Ave, New York, NY 10029, USA.,Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.,Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.,Center for Affective Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
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22
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Durand-de Cuttoli R, Mondoloni S, Marti F, Lemoine D, Nguyen C, Naudé J, d'Izarny-Gargas T, Pons S, Maskos U, Trauner D, Kramer RH, Faure P, Mourot A. Manipulating midbrain dopamine neurons and reward-related behaviors with light-controllable nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. eLife 2018; 7:37487. [PMID: 30176987 PMCID: PMC6122951 DOI: 10.7554/elife.37487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2018] [Accepted: 08/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Dopamine (DA) neurons of the ventral tegmental area (VTA) integrate cholinergic inputs to regulate key functions such as motivation and goal-directed behaviors. Yet the temporal dynamic range and mechanism of action of acetylcholine (ACh) on the modulation of VTA circuits and reward-related behaviors are not known. Here, we used a chemical-genetic approach for rapid and precise optical manipulation of nicotinic neurotransmission in VTA neurons in living mice. We provide direct evidence that the ACh tone fine-tunes the firing properties of VTA DA neurons through β2-containing (β2*) nicotinic ACh receptors (nAChRs). Furthermore, locally photo-antagonizing these receptors in the VTA was sufficient to reversibly switch nicotine reinforcement on and off. By enabling control of nicotinic transmission in targeted brain circuits, this technology will help unravel the various physiological functions of nAChRs and may assist in the design of novel therapies relevant to neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Romain Durand-de Cuttoli
- Neuroscience Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS - IBPS), Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Sarah Mondoloni
- Neuroscience Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS - IBPS), Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Fabio Marti
- Neuroscience Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS - IBPS), Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Damien Lemoine
- Neuroscience Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS - IBPS), Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Claire Nguyen
- Neuroscience Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS - IBPS), Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Jérémie Naudé
- Neuroscience Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS - IBPS), Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Thibaut d'Izarny-Gargas
- Neuroscience Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS - IBPS), Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Stéphanie Pons
- Unité de Neurobiologie Intégrative des Systèmes Cholinergiques, Department of Neuroscience, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Uwe Maskos
- Unité de Neurobiologie Intégrative des Systèmes Cholinergiques, Department of Neuroscience, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Dirk Trauner
- Department of Chemistry, New York University, New York, United States
| | - Richard H Kramer
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, United States
| | - Philippe Faure
- Neuroscience Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS - IBPS), Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Alexandre Mourot
- Neuroscience Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS - IBPS), Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Paris, France
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23
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Torquet N, Marti F, Campart C, Tolu S, Nguyen C, Oberto V, Benallaoua M, Naudé J, Didienne S, Debray N, Jezequel S, Le Gouestre L, Hannesse B, Mariani J, Mourot A, Faure P. Social interactions impact on the dopaminergic system and drive individuality. Nat Commun 2018; 9:3081. [PMID: 30082725 PMCID: PMC6079008 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-05526-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2018] [Accepted: 07/09/2018] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Individuality is a striking feature of animal behavior. Individual animals differ in traits and preferences which shape their interactions and their prospects for survival. However, the mechanisms underlying behavioral individuation are poorly understood and are generally considered to be genetic-based. Here, we devised a large environment, Souris City, in which mice live continuously in large groups. We observed the emergence of individual differences in social behavior, activity levels, and cognitive traits, even though the animals had low genetic diversity (inbred C57BL/6J strain). We further show that the phenotypic divergence in individual behaviors was mirrored by developing differences in midbrain dopamine neuron firing properties. Strikingly, modifying the social environment resulted in a fast re-adaptation of both the animal's traits and its dopamine firing pattern. Individuality can rapidly change upon social challenges, and does not just depend on the genetic status or the accumulation of small differences throughout development.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Torquet
- Sorbonne Université, UPMC Univ Paris 06, INSERM, CNRS, Neuroscience Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS - IBPS), 75005, Paris, France
| | - F Marti
- Sorbonne Université, UPMC Univ Paris 06, INSERM, CNRS, Neuroscience Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS - IBPS), 75005, Paris, France
| | - C Campart
- Sorbonne Université, UPMC Univ Paris 06, INSERM, CNRS, Neuroscience Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS - IBPS), 75005, Paris, France
| | - S Tolu
- Sorbonne Université, UPMC Univ Paris 06, INSERM, CNRS, Neuroscience Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS - IBPS), 75005, Paris, France
| | - C Nguyen
- Sorbonne Université, UPMC Univ Paris 06, INSERM, CNRS, Neuroscience Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS - IBPS), 75005, Paris, France
| | - V Oberto
- Sorbonne Université, UPMC Univ Paris 06, INSERM, CNRS, Neuroscience Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS - IBPS), 75005, Paris, France
| | - M Benallaoua
- Sorbonne Université, UPMC Univ Paris 06, INSERM, CNRS, Neuroscience Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS - IBPS), 75005, Paris, France
| | - J Naudé
- Sorbonne Université, UPMC Univ Paris 06, INSERM, CNRS, Neuroscience Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS - IBPS), 75005, Paris, France
| | - S Didienne
- Sorbonne Université, UPMC Univ Paris 06, INSERM, CNRS, Neuroscience Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS - IBPS), 75005, Paris, France
| | - N Debray
- Sorbonne Université, UPMC Univ Paris 06, INSERM, CNRS, Biological Adaptation and Ageing - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (B2A - IBPS), 75005, Paris, France.,APHP Hôpital Charles Foix, DHU FAST, Institut de la Longévité, Ivry-Sur-Seine, France
| | - S Jezequel
- APHP Hôpital Charles Foix, DHU FAST, Institut de la Longévité, Ivry-Sur-Seine, France.,Sorbonne Université, UPMC Univ Paris 06, INSERM, CNRS UMS, 28 Phénotypage du Petit Animal, 75005, Paris, France
| | - L Le Gouestre
- APHP Hôpital Charles Foix, DHU FAST, Institut de la Longévité, Ivry-Sur-Seine, France.,Sorbonne Université, UPMC Univ Paris 06, INSERM, CNRS UMS, 28 Phénotypage du Petit Animal, 75005, Paris, France
| | - B Hannesse
- Sorbonne Université, UPMC Univ Paris 06, INSERM, CNRS, Neuroscience Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS - IBPS), 75005, Paris, France
| | - J Mariani
- Sorbonne Université, UPMC Univ Paris 06, INSERM, CNRS, Biological Adaptation and Ageing - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (B2A - IBPS), 75005, Paris, France.,APHP Hôpital Charles Foix, DHU FAST, Institut de la Longévité, Ivry-Sur-Seine, France
| | - A Mourot
- Sorbonne Université, UPMC Univ Paris 06, INSERM, CNRS, Neuroscience Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS - IBPS), 75005, Paris, France
| | - P Faure
- Sorbonne Université, UPMC Univ Paris 06, INSERM, CNRS, Neuroscience Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS - IBPS), 75005, Paris, France.
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Hutchison MA, Gu X, Adrover MF, Lee MR, Hnasko TS, Alvarez VA, Lu W. Genetic inhibition of neurotransmission reveals role of glutamatergic input to dopamine neurons in high-effort behavior. Mol Psychiatry 2018; 23:1213-1225. [PMID: 28194005 PMCID: PMC5555825 DOI: 10.1038/mp.2017.7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2016] [Revised: 11/29/2016] [Accepted: 12/28/2016] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Midbrain dopamine neurons are crucial for many behavioral and cognitive functions. As the major excitatory input, glutamatergic afferents are important for control of the activity and plasticity of dopamine neurons. However, the role of glutamatergic input as a whole onto dopamine neurons remains unclear. Here we developed a mouse line in which glutamatergic inputs onto dopamine neurons are specifically impaired, and utilized this genetic model to directly test the role of glutamatergic inputs in dopamine-related functions. We found that while motor coordination and reward learning were largely unchanged, these animals showed prominent deficits in effort-related behavioral tasks. These results provide genetic evidence that glutamatergic transmission onto dopaminergic neurons underlies incentive motivation, a willingness to exert high levels of effort to obtain reinforcers, and have important implications for understanding the normal function of the midbrain dopamine system.
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Affiliation(s)
- M A Hutchison
- Synapse and Neural Circuit Research Unit, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - X Gu
- Synapse and Neural Circuit Research Unit, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - M F Adrover
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - M R Lee
- Synapse and Neural Circuit Research Unit, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - T S Hnasko
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - V A Alvarez
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - W Lu
- Synapse and Neural Circuit Research Unit, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA,Synapse and Neural Circuit Research Unit, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, 3C 1000, 35 Convent Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA. E-mail:
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25
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Zhang C, Liu X, Zhou P, Zhang J, He W, Yuan TF. Cholinergic tone in ventral tegmental area: Functional organization and behavioral implications. Neurochem Int 2018; 114:127-133. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuint.2018.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2017] [Revised: 01/20/2018] [Accepted: 02/01/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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26
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Durand-de Cuttoli R, Mondoloni S, Mourot A. [Optically dissecting brain nicotinic receptor function with photo-controllable designer receptors]. Biol Aujourdhui 2017; 211:173-188. [PMID: 29236669 DOI: 10.1051/jbio/2017022] [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: 08/10/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) are pentameric ligand-gated ion channels widely expressed in the central nervous system and the periphery. They play an important modulatory role in learning, memory and attention, and have been implicated in various diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, schizophrenia and addiction. These receptors are activated by the endogenous neurotransmitter acetylcholine, or by nicotine, the alkaloid found in tobacco leaves. Both molecules open the ion channel and cause the movement of cations across the membrane, which directly affects neuronal excitability and synaptic plasticity. nAChRs are very heterogeneous in their subunit composition (α2-10 et β2-4), in their brain distribution (cortex, midbrain, striatum…) and in their sub-cellular localization (pre- vs post-synaptic, axonal, dendritic…). This heterogeneity highly contributes to the very diverse roles these receptors have in health and disease. The ability to activate or block a specific nAChR subtype, at a defined time and space within the brain, would greatly help obtaining a clearer picture of these various functions. To this aim, we are developing novel optogenetic pharmacology strategies for optically controlling endogenous nAChR isoforms within the mouse brain. The idea is to tether a chemical photoswitch on the surface of a cysteine-modified nAChR, and use light for rapidly and reversibly turning that receptor mutant on and off. Here we will discuss the history of optogenetic pharmacology, and the recent advances for the optical control of brain nicotinic receptors in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Romain Durand-de Cuttoli
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, INSERM, CNRS, Neuroscience Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS - IBPS), 75005 Paris, France
| | - Sarah Mondoloni
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, INSERM, CNRS, Neuroscience Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS - IBPS), 75005 Paris, France
| | - Alexandre Mourot
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, INSERM, CNRS, Neuroscience Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS - IBPS), 75005 Paris, France
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27
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Stojakovic A, Espinosa EP, Farhad OT, Lutfy K. Effects of nicotine on homeostatic and hedonic components of food intake. J Endocrinol 2017; 235:R13-R31. [PMID: 28814527 PMCID: PMC5578410 DOI: 10.1530/joe-17-0166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2017] [Accepted: 07/17/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Chronic tobacco use leads to nicotine addiction that is characterized by exaggerated urges to use the drug despite the accompanying negative health and socioeconomic burdens. Interestingly, nicotine users are found to be leaner than the general population. Review of the existing literature revealed that nicotine affects energy homeostasis and food consumption via altering the activity of neurons containing orexigenic and anorexigenic peptides in the brain. Hypothalamus is one of the critical brain areas that regulates energy balance via the action of these neuropeptides. The equilibrium between these two groups of peptides can be shifted by nicotine leading to decreased food intake and weight loss. The aim of this article is to review the existing literature on the effect of nicotine on food intake and energy homeostasis and report on the changes that nicotine brings about in the level of these peptides and their receptors that may explain changes in food intake and body weight induced by nicotine. Furthermore, we review the effect of nicotine on the hedonic aspect of food intake. Finally, we discuss the involvement of different subtypes of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in the regulatory action of nicotine on food intake and energy homeostasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Stojakovic
- Department of Pharmaceutical SciencesCollege of Pharmacy, Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, California, USA
- Mitochondrial Neurobiology and Therapeutics LaboratoryMayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Enma P Espinosa
- Department of Pharmaceutical SciencesCollege of Pharmacy, Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, California, USA
- Faculty of MedicineSchool of Clinica Biochemistry, Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador (PUCE), Quito, Ecuador
| | - Osman T Farhad
- Department of Pharmaceutical SciencesCollege of Pharmacy, Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, California, USA
| | - Kabirullah Lutfy
- Department of Pharmaceutical SciencesCollege of Pharmacy, Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, California, USA
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28
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Addicott MA, Pearson JM, Sweitzer MM, Barack DL, Platt ML. A Primer on Foraging and the Explore/Exploit Trade-Off for Psychiatry Research. Neuropsychopharmacology 2017; 42:1931-1939. [PMID: 28553839 PMCID: PMC5561336 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2017.108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2016] [Revised: 05/19/2017] [Accepted: 05/24/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Foraging is a fundamental behavior, and many types of animals appear to have solved foraging problems using a shared set of mechanisms. Perhaps the most common foraging problem is the choice between exploiting a familiar option for a known reward and exploring unfamiliar options for unknown rewards-the so-called explore/exploit trade-off. This trade-off has been studied extensively in behavioral ecology and computational neuroscience, but is relatively new to the field of psychiatry. Explore/exploit paradigms can offer psychiatry research a new approach to studying motivation, outcome valuation, and effort-related processes, which are disrupted in many mental and emotional disorders. In addition, the explore/exploit trade-off encompasses elements of risk-taking and impulsivity-common behaviors in psychiatric disorders-and provides a novel framework for understanding these behaviors within an ecological context. Here we explain relevant concepts and some common paradigms used to measure explore/exploit decisions in the laboratory, review clinically relevant research on the neurobiology and neuroanatomy of explore/exploit decision making, and discuss how computational psychiatry can benefit from foraging theory.
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Affiliation(s)
- M A Addicott
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - J M Pearson
- Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - M M Sweitzer
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - D L Barack
- Department of Philosophy and Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - M L Platt
- Departments of Psychology, Neuroscience, and Marketing, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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29
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Nicotinic receptors in mouse prefrontal cortex modulate ultraslow fluctuations related to conscious processing. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2016; 113:14823-14828. [PMID: 27911815 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1614417113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The prefrontal cortex (PFC) plays an important role in cognitive processes, including access to consciousness. The PFC receives significant cholinergic innervation and nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) contribute greatly to the effects of acetylcholine signaling. Using in vivo two-photon imaging of both awake and anesthetized mice, we recorded spontaneous, ongoing neuronal activity in layer II/III in the PFC of WT mice and mice deleted for different nAChR subunits. As in humans, this activity is characterized by synchronous ultraslow fluctuations and neuronal synchronicity is disrupted by light general anesthesia. Both the α7 and β2 nAChR subunits play an important role in the generation of ultraslow fluctuations that occur to a different extent during quiet wakefulness and light general anesthesia. The β2 subunit is specifically required for synchronized activity patterns. Furthermore, chronic application of mecamylamine, an antagonist of nAChRs, disrupts the generation of ultraslow fluctuations. Our findings provide new insight into the ongoing spontaneous activity in the awake and anesthetized state, and the role of cholinergic neurotransmission in the orchestration of cognitive functions.
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