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Bailey MCD, du Hoffmann JF, Dalley JW. A multimodal approach connecting cortical and behavioural responses to the visual continuity illusion. Brain Neurosci Adv 2024; 8:23982128241251685. [PMID: 38720796 PMCID: PMC11077936 DOI: 10.1177/23982128241251685] [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: 03/22/2024] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
In their recently published study, Gil, Valente and Shemesh combined behaviour, functional magnetic resonance imaging, electroencephalography and causal interventions to establish and validate a cortical processing substrate underlying the transition from static to dynamic visual states in the rat. Their research highlights the superior colliculus as the primary mediator of visual temporal discrimination by showing a direct correlation between behavioural and cortically derived flicker fusion frequency thresholds. This work provides the first empirical evidence addressing the previously established disparity between behavioural and cortically derived flicker fusion frequency thresholds. It demonstrates how important convergent multimodal approaches are to mapping and validating previously disputed cortical pathways. Here, we discuss and evaluate their work, suggesting possible future applications in the field of behavioural neuroscience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew C. D. Bailey
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co, Biberach an der Riss, Germany
| | | | - Jeffrey W. Dalley
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co, Biberach an der Riss, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry, Herchel Smith Building for Brain and Mind Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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2
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Zhou SF, Li SJ, Zhao TS, Liu Y, Li CQ, Cui YH, Li F. Female rats prefer to forage food from males, an effect that is not influenced by stress. Behav Brain Res 2023; 452:114597. [PMID: 37487838 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2023.114597] [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: 04/27/2023] [Revised: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 07/21/2023] [Indexed: 07/26/2023]
Abstract
As social beings, animals and humans alike make real life decisions that are often influenced by other members. Most current research has focused on the influence of same-sex peers on individual decision-making, with potential opposite sex effect scarcely explored. Here, we developed a behavioral model to observe food foraging decision-making in female rats under various social situations. We found that female rats preferred to forage food from male over female rats or from the no-rat storage side. Female rats were more likely to forage food from familiar males than from unfamiliar. This opposite-sex preference was not altered by the lure of sweet food, or with estrous cycle, nor under stress conditions. These results suggest that the opposite sex influences food foraging decision-making in female rats. The behavioral model established could facilitate future investigation into the underlying neurobiological mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shi-Fen Zhou
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan Province, China
| | - Song-Ji Li
- The International-Joint Lab for Non-invasive Neural Modulation/Key Laboratory for the Brain Research of Henan Province, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, Henan Province, China
| | - Tian-Shu Zhao
- Department of Psychiatry, National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, and National Center for Mental Disorders, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan Province, China
| | - Yu Liu
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan Province, China
| | - Chang-Qi Li
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan Province, China
| | - Yan-Hui Cui
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan Province, China.
| | - Fang Li
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan Province, China.
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3
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Taylor CM, Furman DJ, Berry AS, White RL, Jagust WJ, D’Esposito M, Jacobs EG. Striatal dopamine synthesis and cognitive flexibility differ between hormonal contraceptive users and nonusers. Cereb Cortex 2023; 33:8485-8495. [PMID: 37160338 PMCID: PMC10321119 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhad134] [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: 02/14/2023] [Revised: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 03/26/2023] [Indexed: 05/11/2023] Open
Abstract
In rodents and nonhuman primates, sex hormones are powerful modulators of dopamine (DA) neurotransmission. Yet less is known about hormonal regulation of the DA system in the human brain. Using positron emission tomography (PET), we address this gap by comparing hormonal contraceptive users and nonusers across multiple aspects of DA function: DA synthesis capacity via the PET radioligand 6-[18F]fluoro-m-tyrosine ([18F]FMT), baseline D2/3 receptor binding potential using [11C]raclopride, and DA release using methylphenidate-paired [11C]raclopride. Participants consisted of 36 healthy women (n = 15 hormonal contraceptive users; n = 21 naturally cycling/non users of hormonal contraception), and men (n = 20) as a comparison group. A behavioral index of cognitive flexibility was assessed prior to PET imaging. Hormonal contraceptive users exhibited greater DA synthesis capacity than NC participants, particularly in dorsal caudate, and greater cognitive flexibility. Furthermore, across individuals, the magnitude of striatal DA synthesis capacity was associated with cognitive flexibility. No group differences were observed in D2/3 receptor binding or DA release. Analyses by sex alone may obscure underlying differences in DA synthesis tied to women's hormone status. Hormonal contraception (in the form of pill, shot, implant, ring, or intrauterine device) is used by ~400 million women worldwide, yet few studies have examined whether chronic hormonal manipulations impact basic properties of the DA system. Findings from this study begin to address this critical gap in women's health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin M Taylor
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, United States
| | - Daniella J Furman
- Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, United States
| | - Anne S Berry
- Department of Psychology, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02453, United States
| | - Robert L White
- Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63112, United States
| | - William J Jagust
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, United States
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, United States
| | - Mark D’Esposito
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, United States
- Department of Psychology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, United States
| | - Emily G Jacobs
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, United States
- Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, United States
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4
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Klappenbach CM, Wang Q, Jensen AL, Glodosky NC, Delevich K. Sex and timing of gonadectomy relative to puberty interact to influence weight, body composition, and feeding behaviors in mice. Horm Behav 2023; 151:105350. [PMID: 36996734 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2023.105350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2022] [Revised: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 03/17/2023] [Indexed: 04/01/2023]
Abstract
Gonadal sex steroids are important regulators of energy balance in adult rodents, and gonadectomy (GDX) has opposing effects on weight gain in sexually mature males and females. Puberty is associated with the emergence of sex differences in weight, body composition, and feeding behaviors, yet the role of gonadal hormones at puberty remains unclear. To address this, we performed GDX or sham surgery in male and female C57Bl/6 mice at postnatal day (P)25 (prepubertal) or P60 (postpubertal) timepoints and measured weight and body composition for 35 days, after which ad libitum and operant food intake was measured using Feeding Experimentation Device 3 (FED3s) in the home cage. Consistent with previous studies, postpubertal GDX caused weight gain in females and weight loss in males and increased adiposity in both sexes. However, prepubertal GDX decreased weight gain and altered body composition across the adolescent transition (P25 to P60) in males but had no effect in females. Despite the varied effects on weight, GDX decreased food intake and motivation for food as assessed in operant tasks regardless of sex or timing of surgery relative to puberty. Our findings indicate that GDX interacts with both sex and age at surgery to influence weight, body composition, and feeding behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Courtney M Klappenbach
- Department of Integrative Physiology and Neuroscience, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USA
| | - Qing Wang
- Department of Integrative Physiology and Neuroscience, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USA
| | - Allison L Jensen
- Department of Integrative Physiology and Neuroscience, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USA
| | - Nicholas C Glodosky
- Department of Psychology Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USA
| | - Kristen Delevich
- Department of Integrative Physiology and Neuroscience, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USA.
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5
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Witt KM, Harper DN, Ellenbroek BA. Dopamine D1 receptor and effort-based decision making in rats: The moderating effect of sex. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2023; 120:110651. [PMID: 36191805 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2022.110651] [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: 04/18/2022] [Revised: 09/26/2022] [Accepted: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Dopamine is a modulating factor in effort-based decision-making, and emerging evidence from pharmacological research suggests that the dopamine D1 receptor is the primary regulator. Given the limited selectivity of pharmacological tools, we further explored this hypothesis using dopamine D1 mutant (DAD1-/-) rats which have a specific genetic reduction in functional D1 receptors. Moreover, given the strong focus on males in neuroscience research in general and in the role of D1 receptors in effort-based learning, we compared both sexes in the present study. Adult male and female DAD1-/- mutant rats and wild type controls were trained to press a lever for a reinforcer. Once trained, subjects completed multiple fixed ratio, progressive ratio, and operant effort-choice (concurrent progressive ratio/chow feeding task [PROG/chow]) experiments. We predicted that DAD1-/- mutant rats would press the lever significantly less than controls across all experiments, have lower breakpoints, and consume more freely available food. As predicted, DAD1-/- mutant rats (regardless of sex) pressed the lever significantly less than controls and had lower breakpoints. Interestingly, there was a sex * genotype interaction for acquisition rates of lever pressing and change in breakpoints with free food available. Only 31% of DAD1-/- mutant males acquired lever pressing while 73% of DAD1-/- mutant females acquired lever pressing. Additionally, DAD1-/- mutant males had significantly larger decreases in breakpoints when free food was available. These findings extend the pharmacological research suggesting that the dopamine D1 receptor modulates decisions based on effort, which has implications for the development of treatment targeting amotivation in neuropsychiatric disorders. The sex * genotype interaction highlights the importance of including both sexes in future research, especially when there are sex differences in incidences and severity of neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kate M Witt
- Behavioural Neurogenetics Group, Victoria University of Wellington, PO Box 600, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - David N Harper
- Behavioural Neurogenetics Group, Victoria University of Wellington, PO Box 600, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Bart A Ellenbroek
- Behavioural Neurogenetics Group, Victoria University of Wellington, PO Box 600, Wellington, New Zealand.
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6
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Hilz EN, Lee HJ. Estradiol and progesterone in female reward-learning, addiction, and therapeutic interventions. Front Neuroendocrinol 2023; 68:101043. [PMID: 36356909 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2022.101043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2022] [Revised: 09/24/2022] [Accepted: 10/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Sex steroid hormones like estradiol (E2) and progesterone (P4) guide the sexual organization and activation of the developing brain and control female reproductive behavior throughout the lifecycle; importantly, these hormones modulate functional activity of not just the endocrine system, but most of the nervous system including the brain reward system. The effects of E2 and P4 can be seen in the processing of and memory for rewarding stimuli and in the development of compulsive reward-seeking behaviors like those seen in substance use disorders. Women are at increased risk of developing substance use disorders; however, the origins of this sex difference are not well understood and therapeutic interventions targeting ovarian hormones have produced conflicting results. This article reviews the contribution of the E2 and P4 in females to functional modulation of the brain reward system, their possible roles in origins of addiction vulnerability, and the development and treatment of compulsive reward-seeking behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily N Hilz
- The University of Texas at Austin, Department of Pharmacology, USA.
| | - Hongjoo J Lee
- The University of Texas at Austin, Department of Psychology, USA; The University of Texas at Austin, Institute for Neuroscience, USA
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7
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Lacasse JM, Gomez-Perales E, Brake WG. Modeling hormonal contraception in female rats: A framework for studies in behavioral neurobiology. Front Neuroendocrinol 2022; 67:101020. [PMID: 35952797 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2022.101020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2022] [Revised: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Research on hormonal contraceptives (HC) in animal models is lacking, and as a result, so is our understanding of the impact of HC on the brain and behavior. Here, we provide a review of the pharmacology of HC, as well as the methodology and best practices for designing a model of HC in female rats. We outline specific methodological considerations regarding dosing, route of administration, exposure time/timing, and selecting a control group. We also provide a framework outlining important levels of analysis for thinking about the impact of HC on behavioral and neurobiological outcomes. The purpose of this review is to equip researchers with foundational knowledge, and some basic elements of experimental design for future studies investigating the impact of HC on the brain and behavior of female rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesse M Lacasse
- Centre for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montréal H4B 1R6, Canada.
| | - Eamonn Gomez-Perales
- Centre for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montréal H4B 1R6, Canada
| | - Wayne G Brake
- Centre for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montréal H4B 1R6, Canada.
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8
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Donovan A, Källström M, Wood RI. Effort-based decision making in response to high-dose androgens: role of dopamine receptors. Behav Pharmacol 2022; 33:435-441. [PMID: 36148834 PMCID: PMC9512319 DOI: 10.1097/fbp.0000000000000687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS) are performance-enhancing drugs used by both world-class and rank-and-file athletes. AAS abuse has been linked with risky decision-making, ranging from drunk driving to abusing multiple drugs. Our lab uses operant behavior in rats to test the effects of AAS (testosterone) on decision making. In our previous study, testosterone caused rats to work harder for food reward during an effort discounting (ED) task. ED is sensitive to dopamine in the nucleus accumbens, and AAS alter accumbens dopamine receptor expression. Accordingly, we determined if testosterone increases response to dopamine receptor antagonists during ED. METHODS Rats were treated chronically with high-dose testosterone (7.5 mg/kg; n = 9) or vehicle (n = 9). We measured baseline preference for the large reward in an ED task, where rats choose between a small easy reward (one lever press for one sugar pellet) and a large difficult reward (2, 5, 10, or 15 presses for three pellets). Preference for the large reward was measured after administration of D1-like (SCH23390, 0.01 mg/kg) or D2-like (eticlopride, 0.06 mg/kg) receptor antagonists. RESULTS At baseline, testosterone- and vehicle-treated rats showed similar preference for the large reward lever (FR5, testosterone: 68.6 ± 9.7% and vehicle: 85.7 ± 2.5%). SCH23390 reduced large reward preference significantly in both groups (FR5, testosterone: 41.3 ± 9.2%; vehicle: 49.1 ± 8.2%; F(1,16) = 17.7; P < 0.05). Eticlopride decreased large reward preference in both groups, but more strongly in testosterone-treated rats (FR5: testosterone: 37.0 ± 9.7%; vehicle: 56.3 ± 7.8%; F(1,16) = 35.3; P < 0.05). CONCLUSION Testosterone increases response to dopamine D2-like receptor blockade, and this contributes to previously observed changes in decision-making behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Donovan
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Malin Källström
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Ruth I. Wood
- Department of Integrative Anatomical Sciences, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
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9
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Prenatal dexamethasone exposure alters effort decision making and triggers nucleus accumbens and anterior cingulate cortex functional changes in male rats. Transl Psychiatry 2022; 12:338. [PMID: 35986000 PMCID: PMC9391327 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-022-02043-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2022] [Revised: 06/17/2022] [Accepted: 06/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Daily, individuals select actions based on cost-benefit to allocate resources into goal-directed actions. Different brain regions coordinate this complex decision, including the nucleus accumbens (NAc), anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), and ventral tegmental area (VTA). In utero exposure to synthetic glucocorticoids (iuGC), such as dexamethasone, triggers prominent motivation deficits but the impact of this exposure in the ACC-NAc and/or ACC-VTA circuits is unknown. Here, we show that iuGC exposure causes decreased motivation for natural rewards (food) and impaired effort-based decision-making. Importantly, reduced neuronal activation (number of c-fos+ neurons) was observed in the NAc core and ACC of iuGC rats in comparison to CTR rats after performing the effort-based decision-making task. In addition, iuGC treatment led to increased NAc and ACC basal neuronal activity. Electrophysiological recordings during optogenetic modulation of ACC terminals in the NAc revealed that the ACC-NAc circuit is dysfunctional in iuGC animals. These data suggest that iuGC animals present motivational and effort-based decision-making deficits that can be associated with the observed ACC-NAc dysfunction.
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10
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Orsini CA, Truckenbrod LM, Wheeler AR. Regulation of sex differences in risk-based decision making by gonadal hormones: Insights from rodent models. Behav Processes 2022; 200:104663. [PMID: 35661794 PMCID: PMC9893517 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2022.104663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2021] [Revised: 04/22/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Men and women differ in their ability to evaluate options that vary in their rewards and the risks that are associated with these outcomes. Most studies have shown that women are more risk averse than men and that gonadal hormones significantly contribute to this sex difference. Gonadal hormones can influence risk-based decision making (i.e., risk taking) by modulating the neurobiological substrates underlying this cognitive process. Indeed, estradiol, progesterone and testosterone modulate activity in the prefrontal cortex, amygdala and nucleus accumbens associated with reward and risk-related information. The use of animal models of decision making has advanced our understanding of the intersection between the behavioral, neural and hormonal mechanisms underlying sex differences in risk taking. This review will outline the current state of this literature, identify the current gaps in knowledge and suggest the neurobiological mechanisms by which hormones regulate risky decision making. Collectively, this knowledge can be used to understand the potential consequences of significant hormonal changes, whether endogenously or exogenously induced, on risk-based decision making as well as the neuroendocrinological basis of neuropsychiatric diseases that are characterized by impaired risk taking, such as substance use disorder and schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin A. Orsini
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA,Department of Neurology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA,Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA,Institute for Neuroscience, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA,Correspondence to: Department of Psychology & Neurology, Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, 108 E. Dean Keaton St., Stop A8000, Austin, TX 78712, USA. (C.A. Orsini)
| | - Leah M. Truckenbrod
- Department of Neurology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA,Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA,Institute for Neuroscience, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Alexa-Rae Wheeler
- Department of Neurology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA,Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA,Institute for Neuroscience, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
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11
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Smith A, Woodside B, Abizaid A. Ghrelin and the Control of Energy Balance in Females. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2022; 13:904754. [PMID: 35909536 PMCID: PMC9334675 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2022.904754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2022] [Accepted: 06/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Ghrelin is considered one of the most potent orexigenic peptide hormones and one that promotes homeostatic and hedonic food intake. Research on ghrelin, however, has been conducted predominantly in males and particularly in male rodents. In female mammals the control of energy metabolism is complex and it involves the interaction between ovarian hormones like estrogen and progesterone, and metabolic hormones. In females, the role that ghrelin plays in promoting feeding and how this is impacted by ovarian hormones is not well understood. Basal ghrelin levels are higher in females than in males, and ghrelin sensitivity changes across the estrus cycle. Yet, responses to ghrelin are lower in female and seem dependent on circulating levels of ovarian hormones. In this review we discuss the role that ghrelin plays in regulating homeostatic and hedonic food intake in females, and how the effects of ghrelin interact with those of ovarian hormones to regulate feeding and energy balance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Smith
- Department of Neuroscience, Carleton Unversity, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Barbara Woodside
- Department of Neuroscience, Carleton Unversity, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Alfonso Abizaid
- Department of Neuroscience, Carleton Unversity, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Stress, Trauma and Relience (STAR) Work Group Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- *Correspondence: Alfonso Abizaid,
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12
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Portella AK, Papantoni A, Joseph AT, Chen L, Lee RS, Silveira PP, Dube L, Carnell S. Genetically-predicted prefrontal DRD4 gene expression modulates differentiated brain responses to food cues in adolescent girls and boys. Sci Rep 2021; 11:24094. [PMID: 34916545 PMCID: PMC8677785 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-02797-9] [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: 05/13/2021] [Accepted: 11/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The dopamine receptor 4 (DRD4) in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) acts to modulate behaviours including cognitive control and motivation, and has been implicated in behavioral inhibition and responsivity to food cues. Adolescence is a sensitive period for the development of habitual eating behaviors and obesity risk, with potential mediation by development of the PFC. We previously found that genetic variations influencing DRD4 function or expression were associated with measures of laboratory and real-world eating behavior in girls and boys. Here we investigated brain responses to high energy–density (ED) and low-ED food cues using an fMRI task conducted in the satiated state. We used the gene-based association method PrediXcan to estimate tissue-specific DRD4 gene expression in prefrontal brain areas from individual genotypes. Among girls, those with lower vs. higher predicted prefrontal DRD4 expression showed lesser activation to high-ED and low-ED vs. non-food cues in a distributed network of regions implicated in attention and sensorimotor processing including middle frontal gyrus, and lesser activation to low-ED vs non-food cues in key regions implicated in valuation including orbitofrontal cortex and ventromedial PFC. In contrast, males with lower vs. higher predicted prefrontal DRD4 expression showed minimal differences in food cue response, namely relatively greater activation to high-ED and low-ED vs. non-food cues in the inferior parietal lobule. Our data suggest sex-specific effects of prefrontal DRD4 on brain food responsiveness in adolescence, with modulation of distributed regions relevant to cognitive control and motivation observable in female adolescents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andre K Portella
- Desautels Faculty of Management, McGill Center for the Convergence of Health and Economics, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.,Postgraduate Program in Pediatrics, Universidade Federal de Ciencias da Saude de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Afroditi Papantoni
- Department of Nutrition, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Antoneta T Joseph
- McGill Centre for the Convergence of Health and Economics (MCCHE), McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Liuyi Chen
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Division of Psychiatric Neuroimaging, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Richard S Lee
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Patricia P Silveira
- Ludmer Centre for Neuroinformatics and Mental Health, Montreal, QC, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Laurette Dube
- Desautels Faculty of Management, McGill Center for the Convergence of Health and Economics, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Susan Carnell
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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13
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Gaulden AD, Burson N, Sadik N, Ghosh I, Khan S, Brummelte S, Kallakuri S, Perrine SA. Effects of fentanyl on acute locomotor activity, behavioral sensitization, and contextual reward in female and male rats. Drug Alcohol Depend 2021; 229:109101. [PMID: 34628096 PMCID: PMC8671359 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2021.109101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2021] [Revised: 09/05/2021] [Accepted: 09/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although fentanyl has gained widespread prominence, there remains a lack of knowledge on this opioid synthetic agonist, particularly related to sex effects. Therefore, we conducted behavioral tests in female and male rats to measure drug abuse-related responses to fentanyl hypothesizing sex-specific responses. METHODS Using female and male rats, we measured the effects of acute or repeated administration of fentanyl (20 μg/kg) on locomotor activity (LMA) and behavioral sensitization in an open field test. We further measured contextual-reward and associated locomotor activity during training in a conditioned place preference (CPP) paradigm using a low (4 μg/kg) or high (16 μg/kg) dose of fentanyl. Vaginal lavage samples were collected from female rats in the CPP study, and the estrous phase was determined based on the cytological characterization. RESULTS Female, but not male, rats showed elevated LMA in response to acute fentanyl and behavioral sensitization to repeated administration of fentanyl. Fentanyl produced significant CPP in both sexes, but it was more potent in males. Finally, our secondary investigation of the estrous cycle on fentanyl-CPP suggests that non-estrus phases, likely reflecting high estradiol, may predict the degree of fentanyl preference in females. CONCLUSIONS Fentanyl was more potent and/or effective to produce LMA and LMA sensitization in females but more potent to produce CPP in males. Furthermore, the role of sex in fentanyl responses varied across endpoints, and sex differences in LMA were not predictive of sex differences in CPP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew D. Gaulden
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI.,Translational Neuroscience Program, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI
| | - Nicole Burson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI
| | - Nareen Sadik
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI.,Research Services, John D. Dingell VA Medical Center, Detroit, MI
| | - Ishita Ghosh
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI
| | - Sabrina Khan
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI
| | - Susanne Brummelte
- Translational Neuroscience Program, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI.,Department of Psychology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI
| | - Srinivasu Kallakuri
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI.,Research Services, John D. Dingell VA Medical Center, Detroit, MI
| | - Shane A. Perrine
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI.,Translational Neuroscience Program, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI.,Research Services, John D. Dingell VA Medical Center, Detroit, MI
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14
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Sikes-Keilp C, Rubinow DR. In search of sex-related mediators of affective illness. Biol Sex Differ 2021; 12:55. [PMID: 34663459 PMCID: PMC8524875 DOI: 10.1186/s13293-021-00400-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2021] [Accepted: 10/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Sex differences in the rates of affective disorders have been recognized for decades. Studies of physiologic sex-related differences in animals and humans, however, have generally yielded little in terms of explaining these differences. Furthermore, the significance of these findings is difficult to interpret given the dynamic, integrative, and highly context-dependent nature of human physiology. In this article, we provide an overview of the current literature on sex differences as they relate to mood disorders, organizing existing findings into five levels at which sex differences conceivably influence physiology relevant to affective states. These levels include the following: brain structure, network connectivity, signal transduction, transcription/translation, and epigenesis. We then evaluate the importance and limitations of this body of work, as well as offer perspectives on the future of research into sex differences. In creating this overview, we attempt to bring perspective to a body of research that is complex, poorly synthesized, and far from complete, as well as provide a theoretical framework for thinking about the role that sex differences ultimately play in affective regulation. Despite the overall gaps regarding both the underlying pathogenesis of affective illness and the role of sex-related factors in the development of affective disorders, it is evident that sex should be considered as an important contributor to alterations in neural function giving rise to susceptibility to and expression of depression.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - David R Rubinow
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
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15
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Chronic non-discriminatory social defeat stress reduces effort-related motivated behaviors in male and female mice. Transl Psychiatry 2021; 11:125. [PMID: 33589585 PMCID: PMC7884699 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-021-01250-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2020] [Revised: 01/07/2021] [Accepted: 01/20/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Reward and motivation deficits are prominent symptoms in many mood disorders, including depression. Similar reward and effort-related choice behavioral tasks can be used to study aspects of motivation in both rodents and humans. Chronic stress can precipitate mood disorders in humans and maladaptive reward and motivation behaviors in male rodents. However, while depression is more prevalent in women, there is relatively little known about whether chronic stress elicits maladaptive behaviors in female rodents in effort-related motivated tasks and whether there are any behavioral sex differences. Chronic nondiscriminatory social defeat stress (CNSDS) is a variation of chronic social defeat stress that is effective in both male and female mice. We hypothesized that CNSDS would reduce effort-related motivated and reward behaviors, including reducing sensitivity to a devalued outcome, reducing breakpoint in progressive ratio, and shifting effort-related choice behavior. Separate cohorts of adult male and female C57BL/6 J mice were divided into Control or CNSDS groups, exposed to the 10-day CNSDS paradigm, and then trained and tested in instrumental reward or effort-related behaviors. CNSDS reduced motivation to lever press in progressive ratio and shifted effort-related choice behavior from a high reward to a more easily attainable low reward in both sexes. CNSDS caused more nuanced impairments in outcome devaluation. Taken together, CNSDS induces maladaptive shifts in effort-related choice and reduces motivated lever pressing in both sexes.
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16
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Ma R, Mikhail ME, Culbert KM, Johnson AW, Sisk CL, Klump KL. Ovarian Hormones and Reward Processes in Palatable Food Intake and Binge Eating. Physiology (Bethesda) 2021; 35:69-78. [PMID: 31799907 DOI: 10.1152/physiol.00013.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Ovarian hormones are associated with risk for binge eating in women. Recent animal and human studies suggest that food-related reward processing may be one set of neurobiological factors that contribute to these relationships, but additional studies are needed to confirm and extend findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruofan Ma
- Department of Psychology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan
| | - Megan E Mikhail
- Department of Psychology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan
| | - Kristen M Culbert
- Department of Psychology, University of Nevada-Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nevada
| | - Alex W Johnson
- Neuroscience Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan
| | - Cheryl L Sisk
- Neuroscience Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan
| | - Kelly L Klump
- Department of Psychology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan
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17
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Orsini CA, Blaes SL, Hernandez CM, Betzhold SM, Perera H, Wheeler AR, Ten Eyck TW, Garman TS, Bizon JL, Setlow B. Regulation of risky decision making by gonadal hormones in males and females. Neuropsychopharmacology 2021; 46:603-613. [PMID: 32919406 PMCID: PMC8027379 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-020-00827-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2020] [Revised: 08/11/2020] [Accepted: 08/18/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Psychiatric diseases characterized by dysregulated risky decision making are differentially represented in males and females. The factors that govern such sex differences, however, remain poorly understood. Using a task in which rats make discrete trial choices between a small, "safe" food reward and a large food reward accompanied by varying probabilities of footshock punishment, we recently showed that females are more risk averse than males. The objective of the current experiments was to test the extent to which these sex differences in risky decision making are mediated by gonadal hormones. Male and female rats were trained in the risky decision-making task, followed by ovariectomy (OVX), orchiectomy (ORX), or sham surgery. Rats were then retested in the task, under both baseline conditions and following administration of estradiol and/or testosterone. OVX increased choice of the large, risky reward (increased risky choice), an effect that was attenuated by estradiol administration. In contrast, ORX decreased risky choice, but testosterone administration was without effect in either ORX or sham males. Estradiol, however, decreased risky choice in both groups of males. Importantly, none of the effects of hormonal manipulation on risky choice were due to altered shock sensitivity or food motivation. These data show that gonadal hormones are required for maintaining sex-typical profiles of risk-taking behavior in both males and females, and that estradiol is sufficient to promote risk aversion in both sexes. The findings provide novel information about the mechanisms supporting sex differences in risk taking and may prove useful in understanding sex differences in the prevalence of psychiatric diseases associated with altered risk taking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin A Orsini
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
- Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
| | - Shelby L Blaes
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
| | - Caesar M Hernandez
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
- Department of Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, 35294, USA
| | - Sara M Betzhold
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
| | - Hassan Perera
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
| | - Alexa-Rae Wheeler
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
| | - Tyler W Ten Eyck
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
| | - Tyler S Garman
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
| | - Jennifer L Bizon
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
- Center for Addiction Research and Education, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
| | - Barry Setlow
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA.
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA.
- Center for Addiction Research and Education, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA.
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA.
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18
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Divergent Strategies for Learning in Males and Females. Curr Biol 2021; 31:39-50.e4. [PMID: 33125868 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.09.075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2020] [Revised: 07/08/2020] [Accepted: 09/24/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
A frequent assumption in value-based decision-making tasks is that agents make decisions based on the feature dimension that reward probabilities vary on. However, in complex, multidimensional environments, stimuli can vary on multiple dimensions at once, meaning that the feature deserving the most credit for outcomes is not always obvious. As a result, individuals may vary in the strategies used to sample stimuli across dimensions, and these strategies may have an unrecognized influence on decision-making. Sex is a proxy for multiple genetic and endocrine influences on behavior, including how environments are sampled. In this study, we examined the strategies adopted by female and male mice as they learned the value of stimuli that varied in both image and location in a visually cued two-armed bandit, allowing two possible dimensions to learn about. Female mice acquired the correct image-value associations more quickly than male mice, preferring a fundamentally different strategy. Female mice were more likely to constrain their decision-space early in learning by preferentially sampling one location over which images varied. Conversely, male mice were more likely to be inconsistent, changing their choice frequently and responding to the immediate experience of stochastic rewards. Individual strategies were related to sex-biased changes in neuronal activation in early learning. Together, we find that in mice, sex is associated with divergent strategies for sampling and learning about the world, revealing substantial unrecognized variability in the approaches implemented during value-based decision making.
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19
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Ambrase A, Lewis CA, Barth C, Derntl B. Influence of ovarian hormones on value-based decision-making systems: Contribution to sexual dimorphisms in mental disorders. Front Neuroendocrinol 2021; 60:100873. [PMID: 32987043 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2020.100873] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2020] [Revised: 07/28/2020] [Accepted: 09/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Women and men exhibit differences in behavior when making value-based decisions. Various hypotheses have been proposed to explain these findings, stressing differences in functional lateralization of the brain, functional activation, neurotransmitter involvement and more recently, sex hormones. While a significant interaction of neurotransmitter systems and sex hormones has been shown for both sexes, decision-making in women might be particularly affected by variations of ovarian hormones. In this review we have gathered information from animal and human studies on how ovarian hormones affect decision-making processes in females by interacting with neurotransmitter systems at functionally relevant brain locations and thus modify the computation of decision aspects. We also review previous findings on impaired decision-making in animals and clinical populations with substance use disorder and depression, emphasizing how little we know about the role of ovarian hormones in aberrant decision-making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aiste Ambrase
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Tuebingen, Tübingen, Germany; International Max Planck Research School for Cognitive and Systems Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Carolin A Lewis
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Tuebingen, Tübingen, Germany; Emotion Neuroimaging Lab, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany; International Max Planck Research School on Neuroscience of Communication: Function, Structure, and Plasticity, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Claudia Barth
- Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Birgit Derntl
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Tuebingen, Tübingen, Germany; International Max Planck Research School for Cognitive and Systems Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, Tuebingen, Germany; TübingenNeuroCampus, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany; LEAD Research School and Graduate Network, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
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20
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Porter BS, Li K, Hillman KL. Regional Activity in the Rat Anterior Cingulate Cortex and Insula during Persistence and Quitting in a Physical-Effort Task. eNeuro 2020; 7:ENEURO.0243-20.2020. [PMID: 32859724 PMCID: PMC7545432 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0243-20.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2020] [Revised: 08/05/2020] [Accepted: 08/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
As animals carry out behaviors, particularly costly ones, they must constantly assess whether or not to persist in the behavior or quit. The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) has been shown to assess the value of behaviors and to be especially sensitive to physical effort costs. Complimentary to these functions, the insula is thought to represent the internal state of the animal including factors such as hunger, thirst, and fatigue. Using a novel weight-lifting task for rats, we characterized the local field potential (LFP) activity of the ACC and anterior insula (AI) during effort expenditure. In the task, male rats are challenged to work for sucrose reward, which costs progressively more effort over time to obtain. Rats are able to quit the task at any point. We found modest shifts in LFP theta (7-9 Hz) activity as the task got progressively more difficult in terms of absolute effort expenditure. However, when the LFP data were analyzed based on the relative progress of the rat toward quitting the task, substantial shifts in LFP power in the theta and gamma (55-100 Hz) frequency bands were observed in ACC and AI. Both ACC and AI theta power decreased as the rats got closer to quitting, while ACC and AI gamma power increased. Furthermore, coherency between ACC and AI in the delta (2-4 Hz) range shifted alongside the performance state of the rat. Overall, we show that ACC and AI LFP activity changes correlate to the relative performance state of rats in an effort-based task.
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Affiliation(s)
- Blake S Porter
- Department of Psychology, Brain Health Research Centre, University of Otago, 9016, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Kunling Li
- Department of Psychology, Brain Health Research Centre, University of Otago, 9016, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Kristin L Hillman
- Department of Psychology, Brain Health Research Centre, University of Otago, 9016, Dunedin, New Zealand
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21
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Hernandez CM, Orsini C, Wheeler AR, Ten Eyck TW, Betzhold SM, Labiste CC, Wright NG, Setlow B, Bizon JL. Testicular hormones mediate robust sex differences in impulsive choice in rats. eLife 2020; 9:58604. [PMID: 32985975 PMCID: PMC7521924 DOI: 10.7554/elife.58604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2020] [Accepted: 09/09/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Impairments in choosing optimally between immediate and delayed rewards are associated with numerous psychiatric disorders. Such ‘intertemporal’ choice is influenced by genetic and experiential factors; however, the contributions of biological sex are understudied and data to date are largely inconclusive. Rats were used to determine how sex and gonadal hormones influence choices between small, immediate and large, delayed rewards. Females showed markedly greater preference than males for small, immediate over large, delayed rewards (greater impulsive choice). This difference was neither due to differences in food motivation or reward magnitude perception, nor was it affected by estrous cycle. Ovariectomies did not affect choice in females, whereas orchiectomies increased impulsive choice in males. These data show that male rats exhibit less impulsive choice than females and that this difference is at least partly maintained by testicular hormones. These differences in impulsive choice could be linked to gender differences across multiple neuropsychiatric conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caesar M Hernandez
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, United States.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Florida, Gainesville, United States
| | - Caitlin Orsini
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Florida, Gainesville, United States
| | - Alexa-Rae Wheeler
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, United States
| | - Tyler W Ten Eyck
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, United States
| | - Sara M Betzhold
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Florida, Gainesville, United States
| | - Chase C Labiste
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, United States
| | - Noelle G Wright
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, United States
| | - Barry Setlow
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Florida, Gainesville, United States
| | - Jennifer L Bizon
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, United States
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22
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Islas-Preciado D, Wainwright SR, Sniegocki J, Lieblich SE, Yagi S, Floresco SB, Galea LAM. Risk-based decision making in rats: Modulation by sex and amphetamine. Horm Behav 2020; 125:104815. [PMID: 32640197 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2020.104815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2020] [Revised: 06/29/2020] [Accepted: 06/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Decision-making is a complex process essential to daily adaptation in many species. Risk is an inherent aspect of decision-making and it is influenced by gonadal hormones. Testosterone and 17β-estradiol may modulate decision making and impact the mesocorticolimbic dopamine pathway. Here, we explored sex differences, the effect of gonadal hormones and the dopamine agonist amphetamine on risk-based decision making. Intact or gonadectomised (GDX) male and female rats underwent to a probabilistic discounting task. High and low doses of testosterone propionate (1.0 or 0.2 mg) and 17β-estradiol benzoate (0.3 μg) were administered to assess acute effects on risk-based decision making. After 3-days of washout period, intact and GDX rats received high or low (0.5 or 0.125 mg/kg) doses of amphetamine and re-tested in the probabilistic discounting task. Under baseline conditions, males made more risky choices during probability discounting compared to female rats, particularly in the lower probability blocks, but GDX did not influence risky choice. The high, but not the low dose, of testosterone modestly reduced risky decision making in GDX male rats. Conversely, 17β-estradiol had no significant effect on risky choice regardless of GDX status in either sex. Lastly, a higher dose of amphetamine increased risky decision making in both intact males and females, but had no effect in GDX rats. These findings demonstrated sex differences in risk-based decision making, with males showing a stronger bias toward larger, uncertain rewards. GDX status influenced the effects of amphetamine, suggesting different dopaminergic regulation in risk-based choices among males and females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dannia Islas-Preciado
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada; Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Steven R Wainwright
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Julia Sniegocki
- Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Stephanie E Lieblich
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada; Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Shunya Yagi
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Stan B Floresco
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada; Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada; Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Liisa A M Galea
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada; Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada; Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada.
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23
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Silveira MM, Wittekindt SN, Ebsary S, Winstanley CA. Evaluation of cognitive effort in rats is not critically dependent on ventrolateral orbitofrontal cortex. Eur J Neurosci 2020; 53:852-860. [PMID: 32810880 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.14940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2020] [Revised: 08/07/2020] [Accepted: 08/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Organisms must frequently evaluate the amount of effort to invest in pursuing future rewards. Despite explicit awareness of the potential benefits of cognitive work, individuals vary in their willingness to attempt cognitively demanding tasks, regardless of intellectual ability. Such differences may suggest that the degree to which cognitive effort degrades perceived outcome value is a subjective, rather than objective, process, similar to risk and delay discounting. Although numerous studies suggest the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) is important for allowing subjective value estimates to be updated and/or used in cost/benefit decision-making, the causal role of the OFC in valuations of mental effort has received scant investigation. We therefore trained 24 female Long-Evans rats on the rodent cognitive effort task (rCET) and assessed performance following temporary bilateral inactivation of the ventrolateral OFC (vlOFC). In the rCET, rats decide at trial outset whether to perform an easy or hard attentional challenge, namely to localize a brief visual stimulus to one of five possible locations. The difficulty of the challenge is determined by the stimulus duration (1.0 vs. 0.2s for easy vs. hard trials respectively), and success on hard trials results in double the sugar pellet rewards. Somewhat surprisingly, inactivations of the vlOFC did not affect rats' willingness or ability to exert cognitive effort for larger rewards, despite increasing omissions and motor impulsivity on-task. When considered with previous work, it appears the vlOFC plays a minimal role in cognitive effort allocation specifically, and in valuations of effort more generally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mason M Silveira
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Sebastian N Wittekindt
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Sophie Ebsary
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Catharine A Winstanley
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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24
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Statham G. Understanding the effects of the menstrual cycle on training and performance in elite athletes: A preliminary study. PROGRESS IN BRAIN RESEARCH 2020; 253:25-58. [PMID: 32771127 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pbr.2020.05.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/25/2023]
Abstract
Success at an Olympic level can come down to the smallest of margins. However little research has been conducted into how the menstrual cycle affects elite athletes' performance and decision making. This study uses a combination of quantitative and qualitative research methods to explore this question. Physiological performance data was collected from eight elite athletes for 7 months and analyzed as a function of menstrual phase. The Cambridge Gambling Task (CGT) was used to test decision making and testing occurred twice in one cycle, during the early follicular phase and during the mid-luteal phase. Menstrual cycle phase was determined using menstrual cycle mapping and urine ovulation tests. In the qualitative part of this project, two elite athletes, two Olympic level athletes, and two coaches participated in semi-structured interviews. The study found that physiological performance was significantly better during the menses phase (MP) compared to the proliferative and secretory phases (PSP). There was variation in how elite athletes were individually affected however. Oral contraceptive users showed a greater performance change from MP to PSP suggesting that oral contraceptives may be detrimental to performance in some athletes. The results of the CGT showed that impulsivity is significantly affected by menstrual cycle phase. Risk taking, error rates and response times were not affected. The qualitative interviews revealed that elite athletes and their coaches understand little of the menstrual cycle. Despite this, there are preconceptions that it negatively effects performance during the menses phase. The findings suggest that the menstrual cycle can have a significant effect on an elite athlete's performance and this paper discusses how individuals can possibly improve aspects of physiological and psychological performance by understanding and monitoring their menstrual patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgia Statham
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom.
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25
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Silveira MM, Wittekindt SN, Mortazavi L, Hathaway BA, Winstanley CA. Investigating serotonergic contributions to cognitive effort allocation, attention, and impulsive action in female rats. J Psychopharmacol 2020; 34:452-466. [PMID: 31913079 DOI: 10.1177/0269881119896043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Individuals must frequently evaluate whether it is worth allocating cognitive effort for desired outcomes. Motivational deficits are a common feature of psychiatric illness such as major depression. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors are commonly used to treat this disorder, yet some data suggest these compounds are ineffective at treating amotivation, and may even exacerbate it. AIMS Here we used the rodent Cognitive Effort Task (rCET) to assess serotonergic (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) contributions to decision-making with cognitive effort costs. METHODS The rCET is a modified version of the 5-choice serial reaction time task, a well-validated test of visuospatial attention and impulse control. At the start of each rCET trial, rats chose one of two levers, which set the difficulty of an attentional challenge, namely the localization of a visual stimulus illuminated for 0.2 or 1 s on hard versus easy trials. Successful completion of hard trials was rewarded with double the sugar pellets. Twenty-four female Long-Evans rats were trained on the rCET and systemically administered the 5-HT1A agonist 8-OH-DPAT, the 5-HT2A antagonist M100907, the 5-HT2C agonist Ro-60-0175, as well as the 5-HT2C antagonist SB 242, 084. RESULTS 5-HT2A antagonism dose-dependently reduced premature responding, while 5-HT2C antagonism had the opposite effect. 8-OH-DPAT impaired accuracy of target detection at higher doses, while Ro-60-0175 dose-dependently improved accuracy on difficult trials. However, none of the drugs affected the rats' choice of the harder option. CONCLUSION When considered with existing work evaluating decision-making with physical effort costs, it appears that serotonergic signalling plays a minor role in guiding effort allocation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mason M Silveira
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Sebastian N Wittekindt
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Leili Mortazavi
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Brett A Hathaway
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Catharine A Winstanley
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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Woodcock EA, Zakiniaeiz Y, Morris ED, Cosgrove KP. Sex and the dopaminergic system: Insights from addiction studies. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2020; 175:141-165. [PMID: 33008522 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-444-64123-6.00011-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Sex differences are present in psychiatric disorders associated with disrupted dopamine function, and thus, sex differences in dopamine neurobiology may underlie these clinical disparities. In this chapter, we review sex differences in the dopaminergic system with a focus on substance use disorders, especially tobacco smoking, as our exemplar disorder. This chapter is organized into five sections describing sex differences in the dopaminergic system: (1) neurobiology, (2) role of sex hormones, (3) genetic underpinnings, (4) cognitive function, and (5) influence on addiction. In each section, we provide an overview of the topic area, summarize sex differences identified to date, highlight addiction research, especially clinical neuroimaging studies, and suggest avenues for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric A Woodcock
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States; Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States; Yale Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Center, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Yasmin Zakiniaeiz
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States; Yale Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Center, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Evan D Morris
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States; Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States; Invicro, LLC, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Kelly P Cosgrove
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States; Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States; Yale Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Center, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States.
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27
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Mehta D, Rex-Haffner M, Søndergaard HB, Pinborg A, Binder EB, Frokjaer VG. Genome-wide gene expression in a pharmacological hormonal transition model and its relation to depressive symptoms. Acta Psychiatr Scand 2019; 140:77-84. [PMID: 31099405 DOI: 10.1111/acps.13038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/25/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Sensitivity to sex-steroid hormone fluctuations may increase risk for perinatal depression. We aimed to identify genome-wide biological profiles in women demonstrating sensitivity to pharmacological sex-hormone manipulation with gonadotrophin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRHa). METHODS Longitudinal gene expression (Illumina Human HT12.v4) and DNA methylation data (Infinium HumanMethylation450K BeadChip) from 60 women (30 GnRHa, 30 placebo) were generated (Trial ID: NCT02661789). Differences between baseline and two follow-up points (initial stimulation- and subsequent early suppression phase) in the biphasic ovarian hormone response to GnRHa were assessed using linear mixed effects models. RESULTS Genome-wide analysis revealed 588 probes differentially expressed from GnRHa intervention to first stimulatory phase follow-up (intervention group × time) after 10% fdr multiple testing correction. Of these, 54% genes were also significantly associated with estradiol changes over time (proxy for GnRHa response magnitude), 9.5% were associated with changes in depressive symptoms, and 38% were associated with changes in neocortical serotonin transporter binding. The genes were implicated in TGF beta signaling, adipogenesis, regulation of actin cytoskeleton, and focal adhesion pathways and enriched for DNA methylation changes (P = 0.006). CONCLUSIONS These findings point toward an altered peripheral blood transcriptomic landscape in a pharmacological model of sex-hormone-induced depressive symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Mehta
- School of Psychology and Counselling, Faculty of Health, Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove, Qld, Australia
| | | | - H B Søndergaard
- Danish Multiple Sclerosis Center, Copenhagen University Hospital Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - A Pinborg
- Fertility Clinic, Copenhagen University Hospital Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark.,Gynecology and Obstetrics, Copenhagen University Hospital, Hvidovre, Denmark
| | - E B Binder
- Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany.,Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - V G Frokjaer
- Neurobiology Research Unit, Copenhagen University Hospital Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark.,Center for Integrated Molecular Brain Imaging, Copenhagen University Hospital Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark.,Mental Health Services Copenhagen, Copenhagen University Hospital Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
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28
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Wallner B, Windhager S, Schaschl H, Nemeth M, Pflüger LS, Fieder M, Domjanić J, Millesi E, Seidler H. Sexual Attractiveness: a Comparative Approach to Morphological, Behavioral and Neurophysiological Aspects of Sexual Signaling in Women and Nonhuman Primate Females. ADAPTIVE HUMAN BEHAVIOR AND PHYSIOLOGY 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s40750-019-00111-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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29
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Estradiol-Induced Potentiation of Dopamine Release in Dorsal Striatum Following Amphetamine Administration Requires Estradiol Receptors and mGlu5. eNeuro 2019; 6:eN-NWR-0446-18. [PMID: 30766916 PMCID: PMC6374122 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0446-18.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2018] [Revised: 01/10/2019] [Accepted: 01/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Estradiol potentiates behavioral sensitization to cocaine as well as self-administration of cocaine and other drugs of abuse in female rodents. Furthermore, stimulated dopamine (DA) in the dorsolateral striatum (DLS) is rapidly enhanced by estradiol, and it is hypothesized that this enhanced DA release mediates the more rapid escalation of drug taking seen in females, compared with males. The mechanisms mediating the effect of estradiol to enhance stimulated DA release were investigated in this study. Using in vivo microdialysis and high performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrochemical detection, we first examined the effect of estradiol on amphetamine-induced DA increase in the DLS of ovariectomized rats. We then tested whether the potentiation of this DA increase could be blocked by the estradiol receptor antagonist, ICI 182,780 (ICI), or an antagonist to the metabotropic glutamate receptor subtype 5 (mGlu5), 2-methyl-6-(phenylethynyl)pyridine (MPEP). There is evidence that estradiol receptors collaborate with mGlu5 within caveoli in DLS and mGlu5 is hypothesized to mediate many of the effects of estradiol in the addiction processes in females. Our data show that estradiol enhances the DA response to amphetamine. Either ICI or MPEP prevented the effect of estradiol to enhance DA release. Importantly, our results also showed that neither ICI or MPEP alone is able to influence the DA response to amphetamine when estradiol is not administrated, suggesting that ICI and MPEP act via estradiol receptors. Together, our findings demonstrate that estradiol potentiates amphetamine-stimulated DA release in the DLS and this effect requires both estradiol receptors and mGlu5.
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30
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Abreu MS, Messias JPM, Giacomini ACVV, Soares MC. Estradiol shapes mutualistic behaviour of female cleaner fish (Labroides dimidiatus - Valenciennes, 1839): Potential implications of environmental disturbance. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2018; 157:244-248. [PMID: 29625398 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2018.03.072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2017] [Revised: 02/20/2018] [Accepted: 03/25/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The presence of endocrine-derived compounds in the environment occurs due to a myriad of human or industrial activity and can disrupt the endocrine system of animals, including fish. One important group of endocrine disruptors are the estrogens, such as 17-β estradiol (E2, estradiol). Estrogens are gonadal steroid hormones, able to be influential even in small concentrations. Here, we demonstrate that E2 is linked to female' decisions made by an important coral reef species, the cleaner fish Labroides dimidiatus, during interactions with other reef fishes (known as clients). E2 treatment in natural conditions interfered directly in the cooperative relationships, by increasing cleaners' willingness to interact with clients, providing greater amounts of physical contact to their fish partners. We discuss the meaning of the observed behavioural disruption produced by E2, which by affecting a key species (cleaners) may produce a cascade impact in the aquatic ecosystem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Murilo S Abreu
- Graduate Program in Pharmacology, Federal University of Santa Maria (UFSM), Santa Maria, RS 97105-900, Brazil
| | - João P M Messias
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
| | - Ana C V V Giacomini
- Graduate Program in Environmental Sciences, University of Passo Fundo (UPF), Passo Fundo, RS, 99052-900, Brazil
| | - Marta C Soares
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal.
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31
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Song Z, Kalyani M, Becker JB. Sex differences in motivated behaviors in animal models. Curr Opin Behav Sci 2018; 23:98-102. [PMID: 30467551 DOI: 10.1016/j.cobeha.2018.04.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
Sex differences exist in the motivation for sexual behavior, food, parental care and motivation to take drugs. There are also sex differences in the likelihood of exhibiting motivational disorders such as anhedonia, depression, addictive behavior, and eating disorders. This brief review summaries recent studies on sex differences in all motivated behaviors in social and non-social contexts, focusing on animal models. We also discuss the roles of gonadal hormones and the nonapeptides (nine amino acid peptides) in modulating sex differences in motivation. We propose that sex differences in the neural mechanisms mediating endogenous motivation for food, sex, partners and care of offspring underlie sex differences in all motivated behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhimin Song
- Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
| | - Manu Kalyani
- Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
| | - Jill B Becker
- Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109.,Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
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32
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Hernandez-Leon A, De la Luz-Cuellar YE, Granados-Soto V, González-Trujano ME, Fernández-Guasti A. Sex differences and estradiol involvement in hyperalgesia and allodynia in an experimental model of fibromyalgia. Horm Behav 2018; 97:39-46. [PMID: 29080671 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2017.10.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2017] [Revised: 09/21/2017] [Accepted: 10/24/2017] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Fibromyalgia (FM) is a musculoskeletal chronic pain syndrome. Its prevalence in women is higher than in men possibly by hormonal factors given that symptoms are aggravated during sex hormone-related events, such as the premenstrual period, pregnancy, postpartum or menopause. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether hyperalgesia and allodynia, in reserpine-induced experimental FM, depend on sex, estrous cycle, ovariectomy and replacement with 17β-estradiol. To fulfill this objective, we compared males, intact females with known estrous cycle phases and ovariectomized (OVX) rats treated with 17β-estradiol. Data demonstrated that reserpine administration disrupted the normal estrous cycle and produced that all females entered metestrus/diestrus. In addition, this treatment leads to muscle hyperalgesia and tactile allodynia in a similar manner in male and intact female rats. However, the absence of ovarian hormones (in OVX rats) increased muscle nociception. 17β-estradiol (2.5-10μg/rat) produced antihyperalgesic and antiallodynic effects 24h, but not 8h, after its administration, suggesting a genomic mechanism. The present results support the validity of the reserpine-induced FM model for searching alternatives of treatment, particularly during endocrine phases when pain is exacerbated such as menopause, and that 17β-estradiol replacement might be useful.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Hernandez-Leon
- Departamento de Farmacobiología, Cinvestav, Unidad Coapa, Calz. De los Tenorios 235, Col. Granjas Coapa, 14330 Mexico City, Mexico; Dirección de Investigaciones en Neurociencias, Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz, Calz. México-Xochimilco 101, Col. San Lorenzo, Huipulco, 14370 Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Yarim Elideth De la Luz-Cuellar
- Departamento de Farmacobiología, Cinvestav, Unidad Coapa, Calz. De los Tenorios 235, Col. Granjas Coapa, 14330 Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Vinicio Granados-Soto
- Departamento de Farmacobiología, Cinvestav, Unidad Coapa, Calz. De los Tenorios 235, Col. Granjas Coapa, 14330 Mexico City, Mexico
| | - María Eva González-Trujano
- Dirección de Investigaciones en Neurociencias, Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz, Calz. México-Xochimilco 101, Col. San Lorenzo, Huipulco, 14370 Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Alonso Fernández-Guasti
- Departamento de Farmacobiología, Cinvestav, Unidad Coapa, Calz. De los Tenorios 235, Col. Granjas Coapa, 14330 Mexico City, Mexico.
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33
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Tobiansky DJ, Korol AM, Ma C, Hamden JE, Jalabert C, Tomm RJ, Soma KK. Testosterone and Corticosterone in the Mesocorticolimbic System of Male Rats: Effects of Gonadectomy and Caloric Restriction. Endocrinology 2018; 159:450-464. [PMID: 29069423 DOI: 10.1210/en.2017-00704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2017] [Accepted: 10/17/2017] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Steroid hormones can modulate motivated behaviors through the mesocorticolimbic system. Gonadectomy (GDX) is a common method to determine how steroids influence the mesocorticolimbic system, and caloric restriction (CR) is often used to invigorate motivated behaviors. A common assumption is that the effects of these manipulations on brain steroid levels reflects circulating steroid levels. We now know that the brain regulates local steroid levels in a region-specific manner; however, previous studies have low spatial resolution. Using ultrasensitive liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry, we examined steroids in microdissected regions of the mesocorticolimbic system (ventral tegmental area, nucleus accumbens, medial prefrontal cortex). We examined whether GDX or CR influences systemic and local steroids, particularly testosterone (T) and steroidogenic enzyme transcripts. Adult male rats underwent a GDX surgery and/or CR for either 2 or 6 weeks. Levels of T, the primary steroid of interest, were higher in all brain regions than in the blood, whereas corticosterone (CORT) was lower in the brain than in the blood. Importantly, GDX completely eliminated T in the blood and lowered T in the brain. Yet, T remained present in the brain, even 6 weeks after GDX. CR decreased both T and CORT in the blood and brain. Steroidogenic enzyme (Cyp17a1, 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase, aromatase) transcripts and androgen receptor transcripts were expressed in the mesocorticolimbic system and differentially affected by GDX and CR. Together, these results suggest that T is synthesized within the mesocorticolimbic system. These results provide a foundation for future studies examining how neurosteroids influence behaviors mediated by the mesocorticolimbic system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel J Tobiansky
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Anastasia M Korol
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Chunqi Ma
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Jordan E Hamden
- Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Cecilia Jalabert
- Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Ryan J Tomm
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Kiran K Soma
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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34
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Orsini CA, Setlow B. Sex differences in animal models of decision making. J Neurosci Res 2017; 95:260-269. [PMID: 27870448 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.23810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2016] [Revised: 05/24/2016] [Accepted: 06/10/2016] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
The ability to weigh the costs and benefits of various options to make an adaptive decision is critical to an organism's survival and wellbeing. Many psychiatric diseases are characterized by maladaptive decision making, indicating a need for better understanding of the mechanisms underlying this process and the ways in which it is altered under pathological conditions. Great strides have been made in uncovering these mechanisms, but the majority of what is known comes from studies conducted solely in male subjects. In recent years, decision-making research has begun to include female subjects to determine whether sex differences exist and to identify the mechanisms that contribute to such differences. This Mini-Review begins by describing studies that have examined sex differences in animal (largely rodent) models of decision making. Possible explanations, both theoretical and biological, for such differences in decision making are then considered. The Mini-Review concludes with a discussion of the implications of sex differences in decision making for understanding psychiatric conditions. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin A Orsini
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
| | - Barry Setlow
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.,Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.,Department of Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.,Center for Addiction Research and Education, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
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35
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Rosenfeld CS. Sex-dependent differences in voluntary physical activity. J Neurosci Res 2017; 95:279-290. [PMID: 27870424 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.23896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2016] [Revised: 07/25/2016] [Accepted: 08/01/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Numbers of overweight and obese individuals are increasing in the United States and globally, and, correspondingly, the associated health care costs are rising dramatically. More than one-third of children are currently considered obese with a predisposition to type 2 diabetes, and it is likely that their metabolic conditions will worsen with age. Physical inactivity has also risen to be the leading cause of many chronic, noncommunicable diseases (NCD). Children are more physically inactive now than they were in past decades, which may be due to intrinsic and extrinsic factors. In rodents, the amount of time engaged in spontaneous activity within the home cage is a strong predictor of later adiposity and weight gain. Thus, it is important to understand primary motivators stimulating physical activity (PA). There are normal sex differences in PA levels in rodents and humans. The perinatal environment can induce sex-dependent differences in PA disturbances. This Review considers the current evidence for sex differences in PA in rodents and humans. The rodent studies showing that early exposure to environmental chemicals can shape later adult PA responses are discussed. Next, whether there are different motivators stimulating exercise in male vs. female humans are examined. Finally, the brain regions, genes, and pathways that modulate PA in rodents, and possibly by translation in humans, are described. A better understanding of why each sex remains physically active through the life span could open new avenues for preventing and treating obesity in children and adults. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheryl S Rosenfeld
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri.,Bond Life Sciences Center University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri.,Thompson Center for Autism and Neurobehavioral Disorders, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri.,Genetics Area Program, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri
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36
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Voss P, Thomas ME, Cisneros-Franco JM, de Villers-Sidani É. Dynamic Brains and the Changing Rules of Neuroplasticity: Implications for Learning and Recovery. Front Psychol 2017; 8:1657. [PMID: 29085312 PMCID: PMC5649212 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2017] [Accepted: 09/08/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
A growing number of research publications have illustrated the remarkable ability of the brain to reorganize itself in response to various sensory experiences. A traditional view of this plastic nature of the brain is that it is predominantly limited to short epochs during early development. Although examples showing that neuroplasticity exists outside of these finite time-windows have existed for some time, it is only recently that we have started to develop a fuller understanding of the different regulators that modulate and underlie plasticity. In this article, we will provide several lines of evidence indicating that mechanisms of neuroplasticity are extremely variable across individuals and throughout the lifetime. This variability is attributable to several factors including inhibitory network function, neuromodulator systems, age, sex, brain disease, and psychological traits. We will also provide evidence of how neuroplasticity can be manipulated in both the healthy and diseased brain, including recent data in both young and aged rats demonstrating how plasticity within auditory cortex can be manipulated pharmacologically and by varying the quality of sensory inputs. We propose that a better understanding of the individual differences that exist within the various mechanisms that govern experience-dependent neuroplasticity will improve our ability to harness brain plasticity for the development of personalized translational strategies for learning and recovery following brain injury or disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrice Voss
- *Correspondence: Étienne de Villers-Sidani, Patrice Voss,
| | | | | | - Étienne de Villers-Sidani
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, MontrealQC, Canada
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37
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Morales I, Currie PJ, Hackenberg TD, Pastor R. Opioidergic and dopaminergic modulation of cost/benefit decision-making in Long Evans Rats. Physiol Behav 2017; 179:442-450. [DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2017.07.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2017] [Revised: 07/12/2017] [Accepted: 07/12/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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38
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Gervais NJ, Mong JA, Lacreuse A. Ovarian hormones, sleep and cognition across the adult female lifespan: An integrated perspective. Front Neuroendocrinol 2017; 47:134-153. [PMID: 28803147 PMCID: PMC7597864 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2017.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2017] [Revised: 08/07/2017] [Accepted: 08/08/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Loss of ovarian function in women is associated with sleep disturbances and cognitive decline, which suggest a key role for estrogens and/or progestins in modulating these symptoms. The effects of ovarian hormones on sleep and cognitive processes have been studied in separate research fields that seldom intersect. However, sleep has a considerable impact on cognitive function. Given the tight connections between sleep and cognition, ovarian hormones may influence selective aspects of cognition indirectly, via the modulation of sleep. In support of this hypothesis, a growing body of evidence indicates that the development of sleep disorders following menopause contributes to accelerated cognitive decline and dementia in older women. This paper draws from both the animal and human literature to present an integrated view of the effects of ovarian hormones on sleep and cognition across the adult female lifespan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole J Gervais
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, 135 Hicks Way, Amherst, MA 01003, United States.
| | - Jessica A Mong
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 655 West Baltimore Street, Baltimore, MD 21201, United States
| | - Agnès Lacreuse
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, 135 Hicks Way, Amherst, MA 01003, United States
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39
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Wallin-Miller KG, Chesley J, Castrillon J, Wood RI. Sex differences and hormonal modulation of ethanol-enhanced risk taking in rats. Drug Alcohol Depend 2017; 174:137-144. [PMID: 28324816 PMCID: PMC5400719 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2017.01.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2016] [Revised: 12/01/2016] [Accepted: 01/09/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ethanol (EtOH) intake correlates with increased risk-taking, and sex differences exist in both EtOH use and risk-taking in humans and rats. However, the interaction of sex and gonadal hormones to affect risk-taking under the influence of EtOH has not been determined. This was the focus of the current study. METHODS Adult Long-Evans rats (n=18 males and females) were gonadectomized and received hormone replacement at physiologic levels or blank implants (n=7-9/group). Risk-taking was assessed with probability discounting, requiring rats to choose between a small/certain reward and a large/uncertain reward delivered with decreasing probability throughout each daily session. Before testing, rats received saline or EtOH (0.5 or 1.0g/kg) ip. RESULTS In males, EtOH increased preference for the large/uncertain reward lever (F2,28=10.462, p<0.05). However, there was no effect of EtOH on lever preference in females (F1,30=0.914, p>0.05). At baseline, ORCHX+T males showed a greater preference for the large/uncertain reward lever then ORCHX males (F1,14=13.805, p<0.05). In females only, EtOH decreased choice latency relative to baseline (F1,10=7.25, p<0.05). EtOH decreased loss sensitivity in both sexes, with all rats exhibiting decreased lose-shift ratios (males: F2,18=5.10, p<0.05; females F2,10=4.37, p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS These results show that EtOH, sex, and hormones interact to influence decision making. EtOH increases risk taking in males, but not in females. However, EtOH selectively decreases choice latency in females, and decreases loss sensitivity in both sexes. These findings are relevant to understanding human behavior, particularly in adolescents who experience increased hormone levels and often drink EtOH and engage in risky behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn G Wallin-Miller
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA.
| | - Jordyn Chesley
- Department of Cell and Neurobiology, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA.
| | - Juliana Castrillon
- Department of Cell and Neurobiology, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA.
| | - Ruth I Wood
- Department of Cell and Neurobiology, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA.
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Hamson DK, Roes MM, Galea LAM. Sex Hormones and Cognition: Neuroendocrine Influences on Memory and Learning. Compr Physiol 2016; 6:1295-337. [DOI: 10.1002/cphy.c150031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 118] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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Ricker JM, Hatch JD, Powers DD, Cromwell HC. Fractionating choice: A study on reward discrimination, preference, and relative valuation in the rat (Rattus norvegicus). ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016; 130:174-86. [PMID: 27078079 DOI: 10.1037/com0000034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Choice behavior combines discrimination between distinctive outcomes, preference for specific outcomes and relative valuation of comparable outcomes. Previous work has focused on 1 component (i.e., preference) disregarding other influential processes that might provide a more complete understanding. Animal models of choice have been explored primarily utilizing extensive training, limited freedom for multiple decisions and sparse behavioral measures constrained to a single phase of motivated action. The present study used a paradigm that combines different elements of previous methods with the goal to distinguish among components of choice and explore how well components match predictions based on risk-sensitive foraging strategies. In order to analyze discrimination and relative valuation, it was necessary to have an option that shifted and an option that remained constant. Shifting outcomes among weeks included a change in single-option outcome (0 to 1 to 2 pellets) or a change in mixed-option outcome (0 or 5 to 0 or 3 to 0 or 1 pellets). Constant outcomes among weeks were also mixed-option (0 or 3 pellets) or single-option (1 pellet). Shifting single-option outcomes among weeks led to better discrimination, more robust preference and significant incentive contrast effects for the alternative outcome. Shifting multioptions altered choice components and led to dissociations among discrimination, preference, and reduced contrast effects. During extinction, all components were impacted with the greatest deficits during the shifting mixed-option outcome sessions. Results suggest choice behavior can be optimized for 1 component but suboptimal for others depending upon the complexity of alterations in outcome value between options. (PsycINFO Database Record
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua M Ricker
- J.P. Scott Center for Neuroscience, Mind and Behavior, Bowling Green State University
| | - Justin D Hatch
- J.P. Scott Center for Neuroscience, Mind and Behavior, Bowling Green State University
| | - Daniel D Powers
- J.P. Scott Center for Neuroscience, Mind and Behavior, Bowling Green State University
| | - Howard Casey Cromwell
- J.P. Scott Center for Neuroscience, Mind and Behavior, Bowling Green State University
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Willing J, Drzewiecki CM, Cuenod BA, Cortes LR, Juraska JM. A role for puberty in water maze performance in male and female rats. Behav Neurosci 2016; 130:422-7. [PMID: 27054406 DOI: 10.1037/bne0000145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Adolescence is characterized by neuroanatomical changes that coincide with increased cognitive performance. This developmental period is particularly important for the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), which mediates higher-order cognitive functioning. The authors' laboratory has shown that puberty is associated with sex-specific changes in neuron number and the dendritic tree in the rat mPFC, but the effects of pubertal onset on cognitive performance remain relatively unexplored. Here, we use a water maze task to assess spatial memory for the location of an escape platform, followed by a test of reversal learning, when the platform is moved to an alternate quadrant in the maze. For both males and females, 2 groups of prepubertal animals were tested (postnatal day [P]30 and P33 for females, P40 and P43 for males), along with 1 group of newly (2 days) postpubertal animals and 1 group of young adults (P60). There were no group differences in learning the initial location of the platform or when the platform location changed, although grouping pre- and postpubertal ages did result in significantly better performance in postpubertal animals. In addition after the platform location changed, individual prepubertal males and females spent a significantly greater percentage of time in the quadrant of the maze where the platform was formerly located than the postpubertal animals. This collectively implies that pubertal onset in both males and females coincides with improved performance on a reversal task, which may be linked with the neuroanatomical changes occurring in the mPFC during this time. (PsycINFO Database Record
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Affiliation(s)
- Jari Willing
- Department of Psychology, Behavioral Neuroscience Division
| | | | | | - Laura R Cortes
- Department of Psychology, Behavioral Neuroscience Division
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Mathar D, Horstmann A, Pleger B, Villringer A, Neumann J. Is it Worth the Effort? Novel Insights into Obesity-Associated Alterations in Cost-Benefit Decision-Making. Front Behav Neurosci 2016; 9:360. [PMID: 26793079 PMCID: PMC4709417 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2015.00360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2015] [Accepted: 12/14/2015] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Cost-benefit decision-making entails the process of evaluating potential actions according to the trade-off between the expected reward (benefit) and the anticipated effort (costs). Recent research revealed that dopaminergic transmission within the fronto-striatal circuitry strongly modulates cost-benefit decision-making. Alterations within the dopaminergic fronto-striatal system have been associated with obesity, but little is known about cost-benefit decision-making differences in obese compared with lean individuals. With a newly developed experimental task we investigate obesity-associated alterations in cost-benefit decision-making, utilizing physical effort by handgrip-force exertion and both food and non-food rewards. We relate our behavioral findings to alterations in local gray matter volume assessed by structural MRI. Obese compared with lean subjects were less willing to engage in physical effort in particular for high-caloric sweet snack food. Further, self-reported body dissatisfaction negatively correlated with the willingness to invest effort for sweet snacks in obese men. On a structural level, obesity was associated with reductions in gray matter volume in bilateral prefrontal cortex. Nucleus accumbens volume positively correlated with task induced implicit food craving. Our results challenge the common notion that obese individuals are willing to work harder to obtain high-caloric food and emphasize the need for further exploration of the underlying neural mechanisms regarding cost-benefit decision-making differences in obesity.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Mathar
- Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain SciencesLeipzig, Germany; IFB Adiposity Diseases, Leipzig University Medical CenterLeipzig, Germany
| | - Annette Horstmann
- Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain SciencesLeipzig, Germany; IFB Adiposity Diseases, Leipzig University Medical CenterLeipzig, Germany
| | - Burkhard Pleger
- Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain SciencesLeipzig, Germany; IFB Adiposity Diseases, Leipzig University Medical CenterLeipzig, Germany; Clinic of Cognitive Neurology, University Hospital LeipzigLeipzig, Germany
| | - Arno Villringer
- Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain SciencesLeipzig, Germany; IFB Adiposity Diseases, Leipzig University Medical CenterLeipzig, Germany; Clinic of Cognitive Neurology, University Hospital LeipzigLeipzig, Germany; Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Mind and Brain Institute, Humboldt-UniversityBerlin, Germany
| | - Jane Neumann
- Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain SciencesLeipzig, Germany; IFB Adiposity Diseases, Leipzig University Medical CenterLeipzig, Germany
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Orsini CA, Willis ML, Gilbert RJ, Bizon JL, Setlow B. Sex differences in a rat model of risky decision making. Behav Neurosci 2015; 130:50-61. [PMID: 26653713 DOI: 10.1037/bne0000111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 113] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Many debilitating psychiatric conditions, including drug addiction, are characterized by poor decision making and maladaptive risk-taking. Recent research has begun to probe this relationship to determine how brain mechanisms mediating risk-taking become compromised after chronic drug use. Currently, however, the majority of work in this field has used male subjects. Given the well-established sex differences in drug addiction, it is conceivable that such differences are also evident in risk-based decision making. To test this possibility, male and female adult rats were trained in a risky decision making task (RDT), in which they chose between a small, "safe" food reward and a large, "risky" food reward accompanied by an increasing probability of mild footshock punishment. Consistent with findings in human subjects, females were more risk averse, choosing the large, risky reward significantly less than males. This effect was not due to differences in shock reactivity or body weight, and risk-taking in females was not modulated by estrous phase. Systemic amphetamine administration decreased risk-taking in both males and females; however, females exhibited greater sensitivity to amphetamine, suggesting that dopaminergic signaling may partially account for sex differences in risk-taking. Finally, although males displayed greater instrumental responding for food reward, reward choice in the RDT was not affected by satiation, indicating that differences in motivation to obtain food reward cannot fully account for sex differences in risk-taking. These results should prove useful for developing targeted treatments for psychiatric conditions in which risk-taking is altered and that are known to differentially affect males and females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin A Orsini
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Florida College of Medicine
| | - Markie L Willis
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Florida College of Medicine
| | - Ryan J Gilbert
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida College of Medicine
| | - Jennifer L Bizon
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Florida College of Medicine
| | - Barry Setlow
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Florida College of Medicine
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Yoest KE, Cummings JA, Becker JB. Estradiol, dopamine and motivation. Cent Nerv Syst Agents Med Chem 2015; 14:83-9. [PMID: 25540977 DOI: 10.2174/1871524914666141226103135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2014] [Revised: 12/16/2014] [Accepted: 12/16/2014] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The gonadal hormone estradiol modulates mesolimbic dopamine systems in the female rat. This modulatory effect is thought to be responsible for the observed effects of estradiol on motivated behaviors. Dopamine acting in the nucleus accumbens is thought to be important for the attribution of incentive motivational properties to cues that predict reward delivery, while dopamine in the striatum is associated with the expression of repetitive or stereotyped behaviors. Elevated concentrations of estradiol are associated with increased motivation for sex or cues associated with access to a mate, while simultaneously attenuating motivation for food. This shift in motivational salience is important for adaptive choice behavior in the natural environment. Additionally, estradiol's adaptive effects on motivation can be maladaptive when increasing motivation for non-natural reinforcers, such as drugs of abuse. Here we discuss the effect of estradiol on mesotelencephalic dopamine transmission and subsequent effects on motivated behaviors.
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Abstract
Sex- and species-specific patterns of estrogen receptor (ER)-α expression are established early in development, which may contribute to sexual differentiation of behavior and determine male social organization. The current study investigated the effects of ERα and ERβ activation during the second postnatal week on subsequent alloparental behavior and ERα expression in juvenile prairie voles. Male and female pups were treated daily with 17β-estradiol (E2, ERα/ERβ agonist), PPT (selective ERα agonist), DPN (selective ERβ agonist), or the oil vehicle on postnatal days (PD) 8-14. Alloparental behavior and ERα expression were examined at PD21. PPT treatment inhibited prosocial motivation in males and increased pup-directed aggression in both sexes. E2 and DPN had no apparent effect on behavior in either sex. PPT-treated males had increased ERα expression in the medial preoptic area (MPN), medial amygdala (MEApd) and bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BSTpr). DPN treatment also increased ERα expression in males, but only in the BSTpr. Female ERα expression was unaffected by treatment. These results support the hypothesis that ERα activation in early life is associated with less prosocial patterns of central ERα expression and alloparental behavior in males. The lack of an effect of E2 on behavior suggests that ERβ may antagonize the effects of ERα on alloparental behavior. The results in DPN-treated males suggest that ERα in the MEApd, and not the BSTpr, may be a primary determinant of alloparental behavior in males.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam N Perry
- The Brain-Body Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, United States.
| | - C Sue Carter
- The Brain-Body Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, United States
| | - Bruce S Cushing
- The Brain-Body Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, United States
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Duarte-Guterman P, Yagi S, Chow C, Galea LAM. Hippocampal learning, memory, and neurogenesis: Effects of sex and estrogens across the lifespan in adults. Horm Behav 2015; 74:37-52. [PMID: 26122299 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2015.05.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 125] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2015] [Revised: 04/29/2015] [Accepted: 05/26/2015] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
This article is part of a Special Issue "Estradiol and Cognition". There are sex differences in hippocampus-dependent cognition and neurogenesis suggesting that sex hormones are involved. Estrogens modulate certain forms of spatial and contextual memory and neurogenesis in the adult female rodent, and to a lesser extent male, hippocampus. This review focuses on the effects of sex and estrogens on hippocampal learning, memory, and neurogenesis in the young and aged adult rodent. We discuss how factors such as the type of estrogen, duration and dose of treatment, timing of treatment, and type of memory influence the effects of estrogens on cognition and neurogenesis. We also address how reproductive experience (pregnancy and mothering) and aging interact with estrogens to modulate hippocampal cognition and neurogenesis in females. Given the evidence that adult hippocampal neurogenesis plays a role in long-term spatial memory and pattern separation, we also discuss the functional implications of regulating neurogenesis in the hippocampus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula Duarte-Guterman
- Department of Psychology, Centre for Brain Health, Program in Neuroscience, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Shunya Yagi
- Department of Psychology, Centre for Brain Health, Program in Neuroscience, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Carmen Chow
- Department of Psychology, Centre for Brain Health, Program in Neuroscience, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Liisa A M Galea
- Department of Psychology, Centre for Brain Health, Program in Neuroscience, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
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Labouesse MA, Langhans W, Meyer U. Effects of selective estrogen receptor alpha and beta modulators on prepulse inhibition in male mice. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2015; 232:2981-94. [PMID: 25893642 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-015-3935-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2015] [Accepted: 04/02/2015] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Multiple lines of evidence suggest that the sex steroid hormone 17-β estradiol (E2) plays a protective role in schizophrenia. Systemic E2 enhances prepulse inhibition (PPI) of the acoustic startle reflex, an operational measure of sensorimotor gating known to be impaired in schizophrenia and related disorders. However, the relative contribution of different estrogen-receptor (ER) isoforms in these associations still awaits examination. OBJECTIVES The present study explored the effects of ER-α and ER-β stimulation or blockade on PPI and their functional relevance in an amphetamine-induced PPI deficiency model in male mice. METHODS Prior to the assessment of PPI, C57BL/6N male mice were injected with the ER-α agonist 4,4',4″-(4-propyl-[1H]-pyrazole-1,3,5-triyl) trisphenol (PPT), the ER-α antagonist 1,3-bis (4-hydroxyphenyl)-4-methyl-5-[4-(2-piperidinylethoxy) phenol]-1N-pyrozole dihydrochloride (MPP), the ER-β agonist 2,3-bis (4-hydroxyphenyl)-propionitrile (DPN), or the ER-β antagonist 4-[2-phenyl-5,7-bis (trifluoromethyl) pyrazolo [1,5-a] pyrimidin-3-yl] phenol (PHTPP), with or without concomitant amphetamine treatment. RESULTS Acute pharmacological stimulation and blockade of ER-α, respectively, led to a dose-dependent increase and decrease in basal PPI. In contrast, acute treatment with preferential ER-β modulators spared PPI under basal conditions. Pretreatment with either ER-α or ER-β agonist was, however, effective in blocking amphetamine-induced PPI disruption. CONCLUSIONS Our study demonstrates that activation of either ER isoform is capable of modulating dopamine-dependent PPI levels. At the same time, our results suggest that endogenous ER-α signaling may be more relevant than ER-β in the regulation of sensorimotor gating under basal conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie A Labouesse
- Physiology and Behavior Laboratory, ETH Zurich, Schorenstrasse 16, 8603, Schwerzenbach, Switzerland,
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Anabolic-androgenic steroids and decision making: Probability and effort discounting in male rats. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2015; 57:84-92. [PMID: 25900595 PMCID: PMC4437834 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2015.03.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2014] [Revised: 03/09/2015] [Accepted: 03/30/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Anabolic-androgenic steroid (AAS) abuse is implicated in maladaptive behaviors such as increased aggression and risk taking. Impaired judgment due to changes in the mesocorticolimbic dopamine system may contribute to these behavioral changes. While AAS are known to influence dopamine function in mesocorticolimbic circuitry, the effects on decision making are unknown. This was the focus of the present study. Adolescent male Long-Evans rats were treated chronically with high-dose testosterone (7.5 mg/kg) or vehicle (13% cyclodextrin in water), and tested for cost/benefit decision making in two discounting paradigms. Rats chose between a small reward (1 sugar pellet) and a large discounted reward (3 or 4 pellets). Probability discounting (PD) measures sensitivity to reward uncertainty by decreasing the probability (100, 75, 50, 25, 0%) of receiving the large reward in successive blocks of each daily session. Effort discounting (ED) measures sensitivity to a work cost by increasing the lever presses required to earn the large reward (1, 2, 5, 10, 15 presses). In PD, testosterone-treated rats selected the large/uncertain reward significantly less than vehicle-treated controls. However, during ED, testosterone-treated rats selected the large/high effort reward significantly more than controls. These studies show that testosterone has divergent effects on different aspects of decision making. Specifically, testosterone increases aversion to uncertainty but decreases sensitivity to the output of effort for reward. These results have implications for understanding maladaptive behavioral changes in human AAS users.
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Uban KA, Comeau WL, Bodnar T, Yu WK, Weinberg J, Galea LAM. Amphetamine sensitization and cross-sensitization with acute restraint stress: impact of prenatal alcohol exposure in male and female rats. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2015; 232:1705-16. [PMID: 25420606 PMCID: PMC4412762 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-014-3804-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2014] [Accepted: 11/03/2014] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Individuals with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) are at increased risk for substance use disorders (SUD). In typically developing individuals, susceptibility to SUD is associated with alterations in dopamine and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) systems, and their interactions. Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) alters dopamine and HPA systems, yet effects of PAE on dopamine-HPA interactions are unknown. Amphetamine-stress cross-sensitization paradigms were utilized to investigate sensitivity of dopamine and stress (HPA) systems, and their interactions following PAE. METHODS Adult Sprague-Dawley offspring from PAE, pair-fed, and ad libitum-fed control groups were assigned to amphetamine-(1-2 mg/kg) or saline-treated conditions, with injections every other day for 15 days. Fourteen days later, all animals received an amphetamine challenge (1 mg/kg) and 5 days later, hormones were measured under basal or acute stress conditions. Amphetamine sensitization (augmented locomotion, days 1-29) and cross-sensitization with acute restraint stress (increased stress hormones, day 34) were assessed. RESULTS PAE rats exhibited a lower threshold for amphetamine sensitization compared to controls, suggesting enhanced sensitivity of dopaminergic systems to stimulant-induced changes. Cross-sensitization between amphetamine (dopamine) and stress (HPA hormone) systems was evident in PAE, but not in control rats. PAE males exhibited increased dopamine receptor expression (medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC)) compared to controls. CONCLUSIONS PAE alters induction and expression of sensitization/cross-sensitization, as reflected in locomotor, neural, and endocrine changes, in a manner consistent with increased sensitivity of dopamine and stress systems. These results provide insight into possible mechanisms that could underlie increased prevalence of SUD, as well as the impact of widely prescribed stimulant medications among adolescents with FASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristina A Uban
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada,
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