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Pochapski JA, Gómez-A A, Stringfield SJ, Jaggers H, Boettiger CA, Da Cunha C, Robinson DL. Adolescent alcohol exposure persistently alters orbitofrontal cortical encoding of Pavlovian conditional stimulus components in female rats. Sci Rep 2024; 14:13775. [PMID: 38877100 PMCID: PMC11178901 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-64036-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2024] [Accepted: 06/04/2024] [Indexed: 06/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Exposure to alcohol during adolescence impacts cortical and limbic brain regions undergoing maturation. In rodent models, long-term effects on behavior and neurophysiology have been described after adolescent intermittent ethanol (AIE), especially in males. We hypothesized that AIE in female rats increases conditional approach to a reward-predictive cue and corresponding neuronal activity in the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and nucleus accumbens (NAc). We evaluated behavior and neuronal firing after AIE (5 g/kg intragastric) or water (CON) in adult female rats. Both AIE and CON groups expressed a ST phenotype, and AIE marginally increased sign-tracking (ST) and decreased goal-tracking (GT) metrics. NAc neurons exhibited phasic firing patterns to the conditional stimulus (CS), with no differences between groups. In contrast, neuronal firing in the OFC of AIE animals was greater at CS onset and offset than in CON animals. During reward omission, OFC responses to CS offset normalized to CON levels, but enhanced OFC firing to CS onset persisted in AIE. We suggest that the enhanced OFC neural activity observed in AIE rats to the CS could contribute to behavioral inflexibility. Ultimately, AIE persistently impacts the neurocircuitry of reward-motivated behavior in female rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jose A Pochapski
- Laboratorio de Fisiologia e Farmacologia do Sistema Nervoso Central, Department of Pharmacology, Universidade Federal do Parana, Curitiba, PR, Brazil
| | - Alexander Gómez-A
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | | | - Hannah Jaggers
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Charlotte A Boettiger
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Claudio Da Cunha
- Laboratorio de Fisiologia e Farmacologia do Sistema Nervoso Central, Department of Pharmacology, Universidade Federal do Parana, Curitiba, PR, Brazil
- Department of Biochemistry, Universidade Federal do Parana, Curitiba, PR, Brazil
| | - Donita L Robinson
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
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Zeng S, McLaughlin EFB, Ramesh A, Morrison SE. Propensity for risky choices despite lower cue reactivity in adolescent rats. Front Behav Neurosci 2023; 17:1297293. [PMID: 38053922 PMCID: PMC10694209 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2023.1297293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Adolescence is a time of heightened risk-taking across species. Salient audiovisual cues associated with rewards are a common feature of gambling environments and have been connected to increased risky decision-making. We have previously shown that, in adult male rats, sign tracking - a behavioral measure of cue reactivity - predicts an individual's propensity for suboptimal risky choices in a rodent gambling task (rGT) with win-paired cues. However, adolescents perform less sign tracking than adult animals, suggesting that they are less cue-reactive than adults in some circumstances. Therefore, we investigated the performance of adolescent male rats on the rGT with win cues and examined its relationship with their sign-tracking behavior. We found that adolescents make more risky choices and fewer optimal choices on the rGT compared with adults, evidence of the validity of the rGT as a model of adolescent gambling behavior. We also confirmed that adolescents perform less sign tracking than adults, and we found that, unlike in adults, adolescents' sign tracking was unrelated to their risk-taking in the rGT. This implies that adolescent risk-taking is less likely than that of adults to be driven by reward-related cues. Finally, we found that adults trained on the rGT as adolescents retained an adolescent-like propensity toward risky choices, suggesting that early exposure to a gambling environment may have a long-lasting impact on risk-taking behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Sara E. Morrison
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
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3
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Thompson SM, Rakoczy RJ, Duffy MA, Kiss AJ, McMurray MS. Differential consumption of alcohol, caffeine, and caffeinated alcohol by adolescent rats, and effects on post-adolescent gene expression signatures in the nucleus accumbens and orbitofrontal cortex. Drug Alcohol Depend 2023; 251:110921. [PMID: 37604013 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2023.110921] [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: 04/13/2023] [Revised: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 08/02/2023] [Indexed: 08/23/2023]
Abstract
Caffeinated alcoholic beverages (CABs) are widely consumed despite little known about their behavioral and biological effects. Furthermore, CABs are also popular among adolescents, a particularly vulnerable and maturing demographic. In this preliminary study, we compared levels of daily adolescent voluntary consumption of caffeine (0.03%), alcohol (10%), caffeinated alcohol (0.03% + 10%), or vehicle and evaluated the effects of this on mRNA expression in brain regions associated with addiction and known to be affected by each drug. Beginning on postnatal day 30, rats were allowed unrestricted access to gelatin combined with one, both, or neither drug for twenty days. Compared to vehicle-consuming animals, consumption of gelatin was significantly attenuated when alcohol was included. The addition of caffeine to alcohol increased alcohol consumption in the early days of access compared to alcohol alone; however, after two weeks, alcohol consumption between these groups reached comparable levels. Compared to animals consuming caffeine alone, combining caffeine with alcohol significantly reduced caffeine intake. Targeted mRNA analysis of tissue collected from the nucleus accumbens and orbitofrontal cortex after the consumption period identified unique patterns of differentially expressed genes between treatment groups, across a broad array of neurotransmitter systems. Of particular note were genes related to a number of solute transporters and serotonergic functions. This preliminary work suggests unique pharmacological and behavioral effects from consuming caffeinated alcohol during adolescence. Since CABs are widely consumed by adolescents, these results suggest that more research into the pharmacological and behavioral effects elicited by CABs is warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shannon M Thompson
- Department of Psychology, Miami University, 90 N. Patterson Ave, Oxford, OH 45056, USA
| | - Ryan J Rakoczy
- Department of Psychology, Miami University, 90 N. Patterson Ave, Oxford, OH 45056, USA
| | - Margot A Duffy
- Department of Psychology, Miami University, 90 N. Patterson Ave, Oxford, OH 45056, USA
| | - Andor J Kiss
- Center for Bioinformatics and Functional Genomics, Miami University, 700 E. High St, Oxford, OH 45056, USA
| | - Matthew S McMurray
- Department of Psychology, Miami University, 90 N. Patterson Ave, Oxford, OH 45056, USA.
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Sauton P, Jeanblanc J, Benzerouk F, Gierski F, Naassila M. Sex-specific decision-making impairments and striatal dopaminergic changes after binge drinking history in rats. Front Pharmacol 2023; 14:1076465. [PMID: 36726581 PMCID: PMC9885167 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1076465] [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: 10/21/2022] [Accepted: 01/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Binge drinking (BD) is a harmful behavior for health and is a predictive factor for the development of alcohol addiction. Weak decision-making (DM) capacities could play a role in the vulnerability to BD which in turn would lead to DM impairments, thus perpetuating BD. Longitudinal preclinical studies are however lacking and necessary to understand this complex relationship. Both DM and BD are influenced by sex and involve dopamine release in the core of the nucleus accumbens, a central mechanism regulated by dopamine D2/3 autoreceptors. In this context, we used an operant self-administration procedure of BD in male and female rats, and longitudinally assessed DM capacity, memory and anxiety-like behavior. To better understand the mechanisms potentially involved in the relationship between DM and BD, ex vivo dopamine transmission was assessed short term after the end of the binge exposure in the core of the nucleus accumbens (NAc) using the fast-scan cyclic voltammetry (FSCV) technique and the D2/3 agonist quinpirole. We found important basal sex differences in DM, with female rats showing better performances at baseline. Choice processes were impaired exclusively in males after BD history, associated with a decrease in impulse control in both sexes, while memory and anxiety-like behavior were not affected. Our neurobiological results demonstrate that BD did not affect basal dopamine signaling in the NAc core, regardless of the sex, but reveal changes in the sensitivity to the inhibitory effects of quinpirole in females. DM impairments were neither associated with changes in basal dopamine signaling nor pre-synaptic D2 activity. Overall, our findings show that BD affects both DM processes and dopamine transmission in the core of the NAc in a sex-related manner, further suggesting that these effects may play a role in the vicious cycle leading to BD perpetuation and the early onset of AUD. Our results may inform novel strategies for therapeutic and prevention interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierre Sauton
- INSERM UMR 1247—Research Group on Alcohol & Pharmacodependences (GRAP), Université de Picardie Jules Verne, Centre Universitaire de Recherche en Santé, Amiens, France
| | - Jerome Jeanblanc
- INSERM UMR 1247—Research Group on Alcohol & Pharmacodependences (GRAP), Université de Picardie Jules Verne, Centre Universitaire de Recherche en Santé, Amiens, France
| | - Farid Benzerouk
- INSERM UMR 1247—Research Group on Alcohol & Pharmacodependences (GRAP), Université de Picardie Jules Verne, Centre Universitaire de Recherche en Santé, Amiens, France,Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne, Laboratoire Cognition, Santé, Société (C2S, EA6291), Reims, France
| | - Fabien Gierski
- INSERM UMR 1247—Research Group on Alcohol & Pharmacodependences (GRAP), Université de Picardie Jules Verne, Centre Universitaire de Recherche en Santé, Amiens, France,Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne, Laboratoire Cognition, Santé, Société (C2S, EA6291), Reims, France
| | - Mickael Naassila
- INSERM UMR 1247—Research Group on Alcohol & Pharmacodependences (GRAP), Université de Picardie Jules Verne, Centre Universitaire de Recherche en Santé, Amiens, France,*Correspondence: Mickael Naassila,
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Zhang M, Wang K, Xie L, Pan X. Short-term Montreal Cognitive Assessment predicts functional outcome after endovascular therapy. Front Aging Neurosci 2022; 14:808415. [PMID: 35992595 PMCID: PMC9382115 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.808415] [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: 11/03/2021] [Accepted: 07/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The previous studies have shown that cognition in patients 4–8 weeks after stroke can predict early functional outcomes after stroke. The analyses of data from the REVASCAT trial proved that stent thrombectomy improves post-morbid wiring test outcomes in patients with AIS compared with drug therapy. However, few studies focus on the relationship between cognitive impairment and functional outcomes in patients undergoing endovascular treatment. Methods A total of 647 participants registered from stroke centers. Stroke severity was evaluated by National Institutes of Health stroke scale (NIHSS). The functional status was estimated by modified Rankin scale (mRS). The cognitive impairment was assessed by trained neurologists at 14 (±4) and 90 (±7) days after stroke onset using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). A MoCA score of less than 26 was considered post-stroke cognitive impairment (PSCI). Results A total of 120 Patients who underwent endovascular therapy were included. The PSCI group had higher levels of age, men, educational status, atrial fibrillation, smoking, alcoholism, Alberta Stroke Program Early CT (ASPECT) score of the anterior circulation, and OTP time than the non-PSCI group (p < 0.05). In contrast, the 14-day MoCA score, 14-day NIHSS score, 3-month MoCA score, 3-month NIHSS score, 3-month mRS score, and 3-month EQ5D score were lower in those PSCI patients. The risk predictors of PSCI were age, sex, educational level, atrial fibrillation, smoking, alcoholism, ASPECT Score (anterior circulation), 14-day MoCA score, and 14-day NIHSS score. There were strong relationships between 3-month NIHSS and MoCA (r = –0.483, p < 0.001). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve indicated that 14-day MoCA score, memory, abstraction, visuospatial/executive functions, attention, and language, played a significant role to predict PSCI [area under the curve (AUC) > 0.7]. It had predictive value for the 14-day visuospatial/executive functions to predict 3-month functional outcomes. Conclusion Early application of the MoCA in different cognitive regions could predict the PSCI and future functional outcomes, which is necessary to screen high-risk patients with poor prognosis and conduct an early intervention.
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Ka-Yi Chat I, Gepty AA, Kautz M, Giollabhui NM, Adogli ZV, Coe CL, Abramson LY, Olino TM, Alloy LB. Residence in High-Crime Neighborhoods Moderates the Association between Interleukin-6 and Social and Non-Social Reward Brain Responses. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY GLOBAL OPEN SCIENCE 2022; 2:273-282. [PMID: 35873737 PMCID: PMC9306340 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsgos.2022.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Residence in high-crime neighborhoods, especially in childhood, is linked to mental health issues later. Detecting distinct neurobiological processes underlying the effects of this environmental stressor may be critical to identifying prevention and intervention targets. This study examined the relationships of levels of a circulating inflammatory protein with social and monetary reward–related brain function among adolescents who lived in high- versus low-crime neighborhoods during childhood. Methods A total of 70 participants (mean age = 16.3 years; 57% female) completed measures of inflammatory markers, depression history, and health and 2 functional magnetic resonance imaging tasks assessing responsivity to monetary and social rewards. Multivariate linear regression tested whether individuals with higher interleukin 6, an inflammatory cytokine, who also lived in neighborhoods with higher crime had distinct orbitofrontal cortex and nucleus accumbens activation to monetary reward and social acceptance. Results For adolescents who lived in neighborhoods with more crime, higher interleukin 6 was associated with higher nucleus accumbens responses to social acceptance. We did not detect significant moderating effects of neighborhood crime rates on the associations of interleukin 6 with orbitofrontal cortex responses to social acceptance or orbitofrontal cortex/nucleus accumbens activation during monetary reward anticipation or outcome. These results were obtained before and after adjusting for neighborhood income and other covariates. We did not detect significant moderating effects of neighborhood income. Conclusions High-threat residence environment and specific demands of the social context in childhood may have shaped the effect of peripheral immune activation on reward-related neural function in adolescence. The prevailing view that inflammation-associated behaviors are characterized by blunted responsiveness to reward may be oversimplistic.
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Schuh KM, Sneddon EA, Nader AM, Muench MA, Radke AK. Orbitofrontal cortex subregion inhibition during binge-like and aversion-resistant alcohol drinking. Alcohol 2022; 99:1-8. [PMID: 34863917 PMCID: PMC8844094 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2021.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2021] [Revised: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 11/28/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Two important contributors to alcohol-related problems and alcohol use disorder (AUD) are binge- and compulsive-like drinking. The orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), a brain region implicated in outcome valuation and behavioral flexibility, is functionally altered by alcohol exposure. Data from animal models also suggest that both the medial (mOFC) and lateral (lOFC) subregions of the OFC regulate alcohol-related behaviors. The current study was designed to examine the contributions of mOFC and lOFC using a model of binge-like and aversion-resistant ethanol drinking in C57BL/6J male and female mice. The inhibitory Designer Receptor Exclusively Activated by Designer Drugs (DREADD) hM4Di were used to inhibit neurons in either the mOFC or the lOFC in mice drinking 15% ethanol in a two-bottle, limited-access, modified drinking in the dark paradigm. The effects of chemogenetic inhibition on consumption of quinine-adulterated ethanol, water, and water + quinine were also assessed. Inhibiting the mOFC did not alter consumption of ethanol or aversion-resistant drinking of ethanol + quinine. In contrast, inhibition of neurons in the lOFC increased consumption, but not preference, of ethanol alone. mOFC and lOFC inhibition did not alter water or quinine-adulterated water intake, indicating the effects shown here are specific to ethanol drinking. These data support the role of the lOFC in regulating alcohol consumption but fail to find a similar role for mOFC.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Anna K. Radke
- Correspondence to: Anna K. Radke, Ph.D., 90 N. Patterson Ave., Oxford, OH, USA 45056, , Phone: 513-529-6941, Fax: 513-529-2420
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8
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De Falco E, White SM, Morningstar MD, Ma B, Nkurunziza LT, Ahmed‐Dilibe A, Wellman CL, Lapish CC. Impaired cognitive flexibility and heightened urgency are associated with increased alcohol consumption in rodent models of excessive drinking. Addict Biol 2021; 26:e13004. [PMID: 33508872 DOI: 10.1111/adb.13004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2020] [Revised: 11/10/2020] [Accepted: 12/20/2020] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is characterized by impairments in decision-making that can exist as stable traits or transient states. Cognitive inflexibility reflects an inability to update information that guides decision-making and is thought to contribute to the inability to abstain from drinking. While several studies have reported evidence of impaired cognitive flexibility following chronic alcohol exposure, evidence that a pre-existing impairment in cognitive flexibility is a heritable risk factor for AUD is scarce. Here, we found that cognitive flexibility was impaired in rodents selectively bred for excessive alcohol consumption (alcohol preferring (P) rats), on the attentional set-shifting task (ASST). Further, the degree of impairment is predictive of future ethanol consumption, thus suggesting that cognitive inflexibility is a stable trait capable of predisposing one for drinking. In a second set of experiments, we observed an impairment in the ability of P rats to use a previously learned rule to guide foraging in a simple discrimination task. Convergence across several behavioral measures suggested that this impairment reflected a state of heightened urgency that interfered with decision-making. A similar impairment on a simple discrimination task was observed in Wistar rats with a history of alcohol consumption. These findings indicate how trait and state variables-in this case, impaired cognitive flexibility and heightened urgency, respectively-may influence the risk for excessive drinking. Furthermore, our results suggest that cognitive inflexibility and urgency can exist as both risk factors for and the result of alcohol exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emanuela De Falco
- Department of Psychology Indiana University‐Purdue University Indianapolis Indianapolis IN USA
| | - Shelby M. White
- Department of Psychology Indiana University‐Purdue University Indianapolis Indianapolis IN USA
| | - Mitchell D. Morningstar
- Department of Psychology Indiana University‐Purdue University Indianapolis Indianapolis IN USA
| | - Baofeng Ma
- Department of Psychology Indiana University‐Purdue University Indianapolis Indianapolis IN USA
| | - Lionnel T. Nkurunziza
- Department of Psychology Indiana University‐Purdue University Indianapolis Indianapolis IN USA
| | - Anisah Ahmed‐Dilibe
- Department of Psychology Indiana University‐Purdue University Indianapolis Indianapolis IN USA
| | - Cara L. Wellman
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences Indiana University, Bloomington IN USA
| | - Christopher C. Lapish
- Department of Psychology Indiana University‐Purdue University Indianapolis Indianapolis IN USA
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Piantadosi PT, Halladay LR, Radke AK, Holmes A. Advances in understanding meso-cortico-limbic-striatal systems mediating risky reward seeking. J Neurochem 2021; 157:1547-1571. [PMID: 33704784 PMCID: PMC8981567 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.15342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2021] [Revised: 03/04/2021] [Accepted: 03/06/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The risk of an aversive consequence occurring as the result of a reward-seeking action can have a profound effect on subsequent behavior. Such aversive events can be described as punishers, as they decrease the probability that the same action will be produced again in the future and increase the exploration of less risky alternatives. Punishment can involve the omission of an expected rewarding event ("negative" punishment) or the addition of an unpleasant event ("positive" punishment). Although many individuals adaptively navigate situations associated with the risk of negative or positive punishment, those suffering from substance use disorders or behavioral addictions tend to be less able to curtail addictive behaviors despite the aversive consequences associated with them. Here, we discuss the psychological processes underpinning reward seeking despite the risk of negative and positive punishment and consider how behavioral assays in animals have been employed to provide insights into the neural mechanisms underlying addictive disorders. We then review the critical contributions of dopamine signaling to punishment learning and risky reward seeking, and address the roles of interconnected ventral striatal, cortical, and amygdala regions to these processes. We conclude by discussing the ample opportunities for future study to clarify critical gaps in the literature, particularly as related to delineating neural contributions to distinct phases of the risky decision-making process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick T. Piantadosi
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Genomic Neuroscience, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Lindsay R. Halladay
- Department of Psychology, Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, California 95053, USA
| | - Anna K. Radke
- Department of Psychology and Center for Neuroscience and Behavior, Miami University, Oxford, OH, USA
| | - Andrew Holmes
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Genomic Neuroscience, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
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Chat IKY, Nusslock R, Moriarity DP, Bart CP, Mac Giollabhui N, Damme KSF, Carroll AL, Miller GE, Alloy LB. Goal-striving tendencies moderate the relationship between reward-related brain function and peripheral inflammation. Brain Behav Immun 2021; 94:60-70. [PMID: 33705866 PMCID: PMC8075112 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2021.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2020] [Revised: 03/04/2021] [Accepted: 03/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Inflammation is associated with both lower and higher activity in brain regions that process rewarding stimuli. How can both low and high sensitivity to rewards be associated with higher inflammation? We propose that one potential mechanism underlying these apparently conflicting findings pertains to how people pursue goals in their environment. This prediction is based on evidence that both an inability to disengage from unattainable goals and low interest in and pursuit of important life goals are associated with poor health outcomes, including inflammation. Accordingly, this study examined the relationship between reward-related brain function and peripheral inflammation among individuals with different levels of ambitious goal-striving tendencies. Eighty-three participants completed an ambitious goal-striving tendency measure, an fMRI Monetary Incentive Delay task assessing orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and nucleus accumbens (NAc) activation during reward anticipation and outcome, and a venous blood draw to assess the inflammatory biomarkers interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and C-reactive protein, from which we computed an inflammation composite score. We observed a reward anticipation by goal-striving interaction on inflammation, such that high OFC and NAc activation to reward anticipation (but not outcome) were associated with more inflammation, among high goal-striving individuals. By contrast, low NAc activation during reward anticipation (but not outcome) was associated with more inflammation, among low goal-striving individuals. The current study provides further evidence that both blunted and elevated reward function can be associated with inflammation. It also highlights the role that goal-striving tendencies may play in moderating the relationship between neural reward anticipation and inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iris Ka-Yi Chat
- Department of Psychology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Robin Nusslock
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA; Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | | | - Corinne P Bart
- Department of Psychology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | | | - Katherine S F Damme
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA; Institute for Innovations in Developmental Sciences (DevSci), Northwestern University, Evanston and Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Ann L Carroll
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Gregory E Miller
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA; Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Lauren B Alloy
- Department of Psychology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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Altered Activity of Lateral Orbitofrontal Cortex Neurons in Mice following Chronic Intermittent Ethanol Exposure. eNeuro 2021; 8:ENEURO.0503-20.2021. [PMID: 33593732 PMCID: PMC7932186 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0503-20.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2020] [Revised: 02/09/2021] [Accepted: 02/09/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The lateral orbitofrontal cortex (LOFC) is thought to encode information associated with consumption of rewarding substances and is essential for flexible decision-making. Indeed, firing patterns of LOFC neurons are modulated following changes in reward value associated with an action outcome relationship. Damage to the LOFC impairs behavioral flexibility in humans and is associated with suboptimal performance in reward devaluation protocols in rodents. As chronic intermittent ethanol (CIE) exposure also impairs OFC-dependent behaviors, we hypothesized that CIE exposure would alter LOFC neuronal activity during alcohol drinking, especially under conditions when the reward value of ethanol was modulated by aversive or appetitive tastants. To test this hypothesis, we monitored LOFC activity using GCaMP6f fiber photometry in mice receiving acute injections of ethanol and in those trained in operant ethanol self-administration. In naive mice, an acute injection of ethanol caused a dose-dependent decrease in the frequency but not amplitude of GCaMP6f transients. In operant studies, mice were trained on a fixed ratio one schedule of reinforcement and were then separated into CIE or Air groups. Following four cycles of CIE exposure, GCaMP6f activity was recorded during self-administration of alcohol, alcohol+quinine (aversive), or alcohol+sucrose (appetitive) solutions. LOFC neurons showed discrete patterns of activity surrounding lever presses and surrounding drinking bouts. Responding for and consumption of ethanol was greatly enhanced by CIE exposure, was aversion resistant, and was associated with signs of LOFC hyperexcitability. CIE-exposed mice also showed altered patterns of LOFC activity that varied with the ethanol solution consumed.
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Shields CN, Gremel CM. Review of Orbitofrontal Cortex in Alcohol Dependence: A Disrupted Cognitive Map? Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2020; 44:1952-1964. [PMID: 32852095 PMCID: PMC8261866 DOI: 10.1111/acer.14441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2020] [Accepted: 08/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Alcoholism is a persistent worldwide problem associated with long-lasting impairments to decision making processes. Some aspects of dysfunction are thought to reflect alcohol-induced changes to relevant brain areas such as the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC). In this review, we will examine how chronic alcohol exposure alters OFC function to potentially contribute to maladaptive decision making, and explore experimental behavioral approaches that may be better suited to test whether alcohol dependence disrupts OFC's function. We argue that although past works suggest impairments in aspects of OFC function, more information may be gained by specifically targeting tasks to the broader function of OFC as put forth by the recent hypothesis of OFC as a "cognitive map" of task space. Overall, we suggest that such a focus could provide a better understanding of how OFC function changes in alcohol dependence, and could inform better assessment tools and treatment options for clinicians working with this population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chloe N. Shields
- Department of Psychology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Christina M. Gremel
- Department of Psychology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- The Neurosciences Graduate Program, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
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13
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Tapp DN, Zerkle HL, McMurray MS. Extent of food restriction affects probability but not delay-based decision-making. J Exp Anal Behav 2020; 114:179-192. [PMID: 32776567 DOI: 10.1002/jeab.624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2019] [Revised: 07/10/2020] [Accepted: 07/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Rodent studies on decision-making often use food rewards and food-restrict subjects in order to motivate performance. However, food restriction has widespread effects on brain and behavior, which depend on factors including extent of restriction and feeding schedule. These factors are well recognized for their effects on motivation, but may also cause effects on decision-making independent of motivation. We examined how the degree of weight-based food restriction in rats influenced decision-making on the probability and delay discounting tasks. Additionally, we examined how the method of food restriction (consistent amount vs. time constrained feeding schedule) influenced decision-making. Our results showed that the degree of weight-based food restriction significantly altered probability, but not delay discounting, and that these effects were not entirely explainable by differences in motivation. Additionally, the method of food restriction did not significantly influence discounting when animals were within the same range of weight-based restriction. Together, our findings suggest that the degree of food restriction may modulate the neural circuitry responsible for selective aspects of decision-making related to probability. Further, these data support the need for tight control and reporting of weight and feeding in studies relying on food restriction, and suggest that the effects of food restriction may be broader than previously considered.
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Galaj E, Barrera E, Morris D, Ma YY, Ranaldi R. Aberrations in Incentive Learning and Responding to Heroin in Male Rats After Adolescent or Adult Chronic Binge-Like Alcohol Exposure. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2020; 44:1214-1223. [PMID: 32311102 PMCID: PMC7313436 DOI: 10.1111/acer.14341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2020] [Accepted: 04/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Binge drinking is a serious problem among adolescents and young adults despite its adverse consequences on the brain and behavior. One area that remains poorly understood concerns the impact of chronic intermittent ethanol (CIE) exposure on incentive learning. METHODS Here, we examined the effects of CIE exposure during different developmental stages on conditioned approach and conditioned reward learning in rats experiencing acute or protracted withdrawal from alcohol. Two or 21 days after adolescent or adult CIE exposure, male rats were exposed to pairings of a light stimulus (CS) and food pellets for 3 consecutive daily sessions (30 CS-food pellet pairings per session). This was followed by conditioned approach testing measuring responses (food trough head entries) to the CS-only presentations and by conditioned reward testing measuring responses on a lever producing the CS and on another producing a tone. We then measured behavioral sensitization to repeated injections of heroin (2 mg/kg/d for 9 days). RESULTS Adolescent and adult alcohol-treated rats showed significantly impaired conditioned reward learning regardless of withdrawal period (acute or prolonged). We found no evidence of changes to conditioned approach learning after adolescent or adult exposure to CIE. Finally, in addition to producing long-term impairments in incentive learning, CIE exposure enhanced locomotor activity in response to heroin and had no effect on behavioral sensitization to heroin regardless of age and withdrawal period. CONCLUSIONS Our work sets a framework for identifying CIE-induced alterations in incentive learning and inducing susceptibility to subsequent opioid effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ewa Galaj
- National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, Molecular Targets and Medication Discovery Branch, 251 Bayview Blvd, Baltimore, MD, 21224, US
| | - Eddy Barrera
- Queens College, City University of New York, Department of Psychology, 65-30 Kissena Blvd., Flushing, NY, 11367, US
| | - Debra Morris
- Queens College, City University of New York, Department of Psychology, 65-30 Kissena Blvd., Flushing, NY, 11367, US
| | - Yao-Ying Ma
- Indiana University School of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, 635 Barnhill Drive, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, US
| | - Robert Ranaldi
- Queens College, City University of New York, Department of Psychology, 65-30 Kissena Blvd., Flushing, NY, 11367, US
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15
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Arinze I, Moorman DE. Selective impact of lateral orbitofrontal cortex inactivation on reinstatement of alcohol seeking in male Long-Evans rats. Neuropharmacology 2020; 168:108007. [PMID: 32092436 PMCID: PMC10373069 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2020.108007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2018] [Revised: 02/05/2020] [Accepted: 02/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) plays a fundamental role in motivated behavior and decision-making. In humans, OFC structure and function is significantly disrupted in drug using and dependent individuals, including those exhibiting chronic alcohol use and alcoholism. In animal models, the OFC has been shown to significantly influence the seeking of non-alcohol drugs of abuse. However direct investigations of the OFC during alcohol seeking and use have been more limited. In the studies reported here, we inactivated lateral (lOFC) or medial OFC (mOFC) subregions in rats during multiple stages of alcohol seeking. After one month of intermittent access to homecage 20% ethanol (EtOH), rats were trained to self-administer EtOH under an FR3 schedule and implanted with cannulae directed to lOFC or mOFC. We inactivated OFC subregions with baclofen/muscimol during EtOH self-administration, extinction, cue-induced reinstatement, and progressive ratio testing to broadly characterize the influence of these subregions on alcohol seeking. There were no significant effects of mOFC or lOFC inactivation during FR3 self-administration, extinction, or progressive ratio self-administration. However, lOFC, and not mOFC, inactivation significantly decreased cue-induced reinstatement of EtOH seeking. These findings contribute new information to the specific impact of OFC manipulation on operant alcohol seeking, support previous studies investigating the role of OFC in seeking and consumption of alcohol and other drugs of abuse, and indicate a specific role for lOFC vs. mOFC in reinstatement.
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16
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Leichtweis KS, Carvalho M, Morais-Silva G, Marin MT, Amaral VCS. Short and prolonged maternal separation impacts on ethanol-related behaviors in rats: sex and age differences. Stress 2020; 23:162-173. [PMID: 31429361 DOI: 10.1080/10253890.2019.1653847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Maternal separation (MS) is an animal model widely used to evaluate the influence of early-life stress exposure on ethanol consumption and dependence. The goal of this study was to evaluate the effects of brief and prolonged MS on the pattern of consumption and ethanol conditioned place preference (CPP) in male and female rats during adolescence and adulthood. Wistar rat pups were separated daily from their dams for 15 or 180 minutes during the 2 to 10 postnatal days (PND). In adolescence, half of the litter from each group was evaluated in the ethanol consumption test using the three-bottle test choice paradigm. In addition, using biased procedure, ethanol-conditioned place preference was also evaluated. In adulthood, the other half of the litter was evaluated on the same tests. Our results showed that there are differences in consumption pattern and in alcohol reinforcement between males and females, adolescents and adults. While prolonged MS had no effect on total ethanol consumption in adolescents of both sexes, it induced CPP in these animals. In turn, in adults, previous exposure to prolonged MS increased ethanol consumption without altering ethanol-CPP.Lay summaryGiving the importance of the mother-children (dam-pups when talking about rodents) relationship to proper brain development, the separation of pups from their dam is broadly used as an animal model to study the impact of early-life stress exposure. Here, we used a protocol of brief or prolonged maternal separation to study the impact of early-life stress exposure in the alcohol consumption and conditioned place preference in rats, and how age and sex influence it. We showed that, overall, the prolonged maternal separation increased alcohol consumption in both males and females, but only when animals were tested during the adulthood. In the other hand, prolonged maternal separation increased ethanol conditioned place preference in adolescent rats, both male and female.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kamila Souto Leichtweis
- Programa de Pós-Graduação Stricto Sensu em Ciências Aplicadas a Produtos para Saúde (PPGCAPS), Universidade Estadual de Goiás, Anápolis, Brasil
| | - Marielly Carvalho
- Programa de Pós-Graduação Stricto Sensu em Ciências Aplicadas a Produtos para Saúde (PPGCAPS), Universidade Estadual de Goiás, Anápolis, Brasil
| | - Gessynger Morais-Silva
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp), Araraquara, Brasil
- Programa Interinstitucional de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Fisiológicas, Universidade Federal de São Carlos/Universidade Estadual Paulista (UFSCar/UNESP), São Carlos, Brasil
| | - Marcelo Tadeu Marin
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp), Araraquara, Brasil
- Programa Interinstitucional de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Fisiológicas, Universidade Federal de São Carlos/Universidade Estadual Paulista (UFSCar/UNESP), São Carlos, Brasil
| | - Vanessa Cristiane Santana Amaral
- Programa de Pós-Graduação Stricto Sensu em Ciências Aplicadas a Produtos para Saúde (PPGCAPS), Universidade Estadual de Goiás, Anápolis, Brasil
- Campus Anápolis de Ciências Exatas e Tecnológicas Henrique Santillo (CCET), Universidade Estadual de Goiás, Anápolis, Brasil
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17
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Thompson SM, Simmons AN, McMurray MS. The effects of multiple early life stressors on adolescent alcohol consumption. Behav Brain Res 2020; 380:112449. [PMID: 31870780 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2019.112449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2019] [Revised: 11/27/2019] [Accepted: 12/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Alcohol use disorder is pervasive and effects the health of millions. Identifying factors such as early life stress that contribute to the development of alcohol use disorder is therefore critical, especially those that contribute to adolescent drinking, a strong predictor of AUD development. The majority of prior studies have examined early life effects on adult drinking, but have not studied intake during adolescence, and no prior studies have examined how the effects of multiple stressors may be additive. Therefore, this study determined if experiencing individual or multiple stressors increases adolescent alcohol intake. Male Long Evans rats underwent either early or late maternal separation (postnatal day 2-9 or 13-20), early adolescent social defeat (PND 30-40), both, or neither. All rats were then given two-hour access to alcohol, and voluntary intake assessed daily in late adolescence (PND 41-51). In adulthood, sensitivity to alcohol's sedative effects was assessed using loss and regain of righting reflex tests. Results indicate that experiencing maternal separation (at either time point) or social defeat increased adolescent alcohol consumption, but experiencing the combined stressors did not, and that no stressor significantly affected body weight during adolescence or loss and regain of righting reflex in adulthood. Overall, this pattern of effects suggests that experiencing any individual early life stressor may increase adolescent alcohol intake, in agreement with prior literature, but that the combined effects of multiple early life stressors may be more complicated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shannon M Thompson
- Department of Psychology, Miami University, 90 N. Patterson Ave., Oxford, OH 45056, USA
| | - Amber N Simmons
- Department of Psychology, Miami University, 90 N. Patterson Ave., Oxford, OH 45056, USA
| | - Matthew S McMurray
- Department of Psychology, Miami University, 90 N. Patterson Ave., Oxford, OH 45056, USA.
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18
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Langenecker SA, Kling LR, Crane NA, Gorka SM, Nusslock R, Damme KSF, Weafer J, de Wit H, Phan KL. Anticipation of monetary reward in amygdala, insula, caudate are predictors of pleasure sensitivity to d-Amphetamine administration. Drug Alcohol Depend 2020; 206:107725. [PMID: 31757518 PMCID: PMC6980714 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2019.107725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2019] [Revised: 10/25/2019] [Accepted: 11/03/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Drug addiction and dependence continue as an unresolved source of morbidity and mortality. Two approaches to identifying risk for abuse and addiction are psychopharmacological challenge studies and neuroimaging experiments. The present study combined these two approaches by examining associations between self-reported euphoria or liking after a dose of d-amphetamine and neural-based responses to anticipation of a monetary reward. METHODS Healthy young adults (N = 73) aged 19 and 26, without any history of alcohol/substance dependence completed four laboratory sessions in which they received oral d-amphetamine (20 mg) or placebo, and completed drug effect questionnaires. On a separate session they underwent a functional magnetic resonance imaging scan while they completed a monetary incentive delay task. During the task, we recorded neural signal related to anticipation of winning $5 or $1.50 compared to winning no money (WinMoney-WinZero), in reward related regions. RESULTS Liking of amphetamine during the drug sessions was related to differences in activation during the WinMoney-WinZero conditions - in the amygdala (positive), insula (negative) and caudate (negative). In posthoc analyses, liking of amphetamine was also positively correlated with activation of the amygdala during anticipation of large rewards and negatively related to activation of the left insula to both small and large anticipated rewards. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that individual differences in key regions of the reward network are related to rewarding subjective effects of a stimulant drug. To further clarify these relationships, future pharmacofMRI studies could probe the influence of amphetamine at the neural level during reward anticipation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott A Langenecker
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Utah, 501 Chipeta Way, Salt Lake City, UT 84108, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1601 W Taylor St, Chicago, IL 60612, USA.
| | - Leah R Kling
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1601 W Taylor St, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Natania A Crane
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1601 W Taylor St, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Stephanie M Gorka
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1601 W Taylor St, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Robin Nusslock
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Swift Hall 102, 2029 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Katherine S F Damme
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Swift Hall 102, 2029 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Jessica Weafer
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Chicago, Billings Hospital, 5841 S. Maryland Avenue, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Harriet de Wit
- Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky, 171 Funkhouser Drive Lexington, KY 40506-0044, USA
| | - K Luan Phan
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1601 W Taylor St, Chicago, IL 60612, USA; Mental Health Service Line, Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, 820 S Damen Ave, Chicago, IL 60612, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, The Ohio State University, OSU Harding Hospital, 1670 Upham Drive, Suite 130, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
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19
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Galaj E, Kipp BT, Floresco SB, Savage LM. Persistent Alterations of Accumbal Cholinergic Interneurons and Cognitive Dysfunction after Adolescent Intermittent Ethanol Exposure. Neuroscience 2019; 404:153-164. [PMID: 30742967 PMCID: PMC6450752 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2019.01.062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2018] [Revised: 01/28/2019] [Accepted: 01/30/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Adolescent binge drinking renders young drinkers vulnerable to alcohol use disorders in adulthood; therefore, understanding alcohol-induced brain damage and associated cognitive dysfunctions is of paramount importance. Here we investigated the effects of binge-like adolescent intermittent ethanol (AIE) exposure on nonspatial working memory, behavioral flexibility and cholinergic alterations in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) in male and female rats. On postnatal days P25-57 rats were intubated with water or ethanol (at a dose of 5 g/kg) on a 2-day-on/2-day-off cycle and were then tested in adulthood on social recognition and probabilistic reversal learning tasks. During the social recognition task AIE-treated rats spent similar amounts of time interacting with familiar and novel juveniles, indicating an impaired ability to sustain memory of the familiar juvenile. During probabilistic reversal learning, AIE-treated male and female rats showed behavioral inflexibility as indicated by a higher number of trials needed to complete three reversals within a session, longer response latencies for lever selection, and for males, a higher number of errors as compared to water-treated rats. AIE exposure also reduced the number of cholinergic interneurons in the NAc in males and females. These findings indicate AIE-related pathologies of accumbal cholinergic interneurons and long lasting cognitive-behavioral deficits, which may be associated with cortico-striatal hypofunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Galaj
- Department of Psychology, Binghamton University of the State University of New York, New York, USA
| | - B T Kipp
- Department of Psychology, Binghamton University of the State University of New York, New York, USA
| | - S B Floresco
- Department of Psychology and Brain Research Center, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - L M Savage
- Department of Psychology, Binghamton University of the State University of New York, New York, USA.
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20
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Jacobs-Brichford E, Manson KF, Roitman JD. Effects of chronic cannabinoid exposure during adolescence on reward preference and mPFC activation in adulthood. Physiol Behav 2019; 199:395-404. [PMID: 30529340 PMCID: PMC6386194 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2018.12.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2018] [Revised: 12/03/2018] [Accepted: 12/03/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Cannabis is one of the most commonly used drugs among adolescents, with initial use beginning between the ages of 12 to 17. Although often perceived as a 'soft drug', both short- and long-term use have been associated with numerous adverse outcomes, including cognitive impairment, increased risk of substance abuse, and heightened risk of psychosis or schizophrenia in individuals with a predisposition. Further, the severity of these impairments is closely linked to initiation of use, i.e. earlier use increases risk. It has been suggested that adolescent vulnerability to the adverse consequences of cannabis use is due to ongoing brain development occurring during this time. Indeed, the adolescent brain continues to be remodeled well into adolescence and early adulthood, particularly in the prefrontal cortex (PFC). The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) has been implicated in reward processing and decision-making and alterations in mPFC development due to adolescent cannabis exposure could impair these functions. To model the effects of cannabis on mPFC function, we administered the synthetic cannabinoid WIN 55, 212-2 (WIN) to male and female rats from postnatal day 30-60. Once animals reached adulthood, we used a Probabilistic Reward (PR) choice task to elicit PFC activity and measure how patterns of activity to task-related events were modulated by adolescent WIN-treatment. Adult animals showed subtle effects of WIN-treatment on choice patterns. During task performance, mPFC activity elicited by lever press at the time of choices and reward delivery following choices were reduced in WIN-treated animals. This lasting effect of WIN suggests an impairment of the maturation of excitatory-inhibitory balance of signals in mPFC during adolescence, which may alter executive function into adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kirk F Manson
- Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Jamie D Roitman
- Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA; Laboratory of Integrative Neuroscience, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
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21
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Berenz EC, McNett S, Rappaport LM, Vujanovic AA, Viana AG, Dick D, Amstadter AB. Age of alcohol use initiation and psychiatric symptoms among young adult trauma survivors. Addict Behav 2019; 88:150-156. [PMID: 30195854 DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2018.08.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2018] [Revised: 08/20/2018] [Accepted: 08/21/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) evidences high rates of comorbidity with a range of psychiatric disorders, particularly within high-risk populations, such as individuals exposed to physical or sexual violence. Increasing efforts are focused on understanding the role of early alcohol use (e.g., during adolescence) on emotional and psychiatric functioning over time, as well as sex differences in these associations. The aim of the current study was to evaluate patterns of association between age of initiation of regular alcohol use and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and depressive symptoms as a function of sex. Participants were 269 college students with a history of interpersonal trauma and alcohol use who completed a battery of questionnaires regarding alcohol use and emotional health. Neither bivariate correlations nor results from structural equation models covarying for key factors showed a relationship between age of alcohol use initiation and current psychiatric symptoms among men (n = 63). Results of a structural equation model supported an association between earlier age of alcohol use initiation and greater levels of current PTSD (β = -0.14), anxiety (β = -0.15), and depression symptoms (β = -0.16) in the female sub-sample (n = 202), after controlling for covariates, as well as intercorrelations among criterion variables. Statistical support for sex as a moderator of these associations was not detected. The current study provides preliminary evidence for potential sex differences in the role of early alcohol use in the development of psychiatric symptoms and highlights the need for systematic longitudinal research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin C Berenz
- Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
| | - Sage McNett
- Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Lance M Rappaport
- Department of Psychiatry, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Anka A Vujanovic
- Department of Psychology, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Andres G Viana
- Department of Psychology, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Danielle Dick
- Department of Psychology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA; Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Ananda B Amstadter
- Department of Psychiatry, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA; Department of Psychology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
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22
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Moorman DE. The role of the orbitofrontal cortex in alcohol use, abuse, and dependence. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2018; 87:85-107. [PMID: 29355587 PMCID: PMC6072631 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2018.01.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2017] [Revised: 12/22/2017] [Accepted: 01/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
One of the major functions of the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) is to promote flexible motivated behavior. It is no surprise, therefore, that recent work has demonstrated a prominent impact of chronic drug use on the OFC and a potential role for OFC disruption in drug abuse and addiction. Among drugs of abuse, the use of alcohol is particularly salient with respect to OFC function. Although a number of studies in humans have implicated OFC dysregulation in alcohol use disorders, animal models investigating the association between OFC and alcohol use are only beginning to be developed, and there is still a great deal to be revealed. The goal of this review is to consider what is currently known regarding the role of the OFC in alcohol use and dependence. I will first provide a brief, general overview of current views of OFC function and its contributions to drug seeking and addiction. I will then discuss research to date related to the OFC and alcohol use, both in human clinical populations and in non-human models. Finally I will consider issues and strategies to guide future study that may identify this brain region as a key player in the transition from moderated to problematic alcohol use and dependence.
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Affiliation(s)
- David E. Moorman
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Neuroscience and Behavior Graduate Program, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst MA 01003 USA
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Alcohol Consumption during Adolescence in a Mouse Model of Binge Drinking Alters the Intrinsic Excitability and Function of the Prefrontal Cortex through a Reduction in the Hyperpolarization-Activated Cation Current. J Neurosci 2018; 38:6207-6222. [PMID: 29915134 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0550-18.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2018] [Revised: 05/24/2018] [Accepted: 05/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Periodic episodes of excessive alcohol consumption ("binge drinking") occur frequently among adolescents, and early binge drinking is associated with an increased risk of alcohol use disorders later in life. The PFC undergoes significant development during adolescence and hence may be especially susceptible to the effects of binge drinking. In humans and in animal models, adolescent alcohol exposure is known to alter PFC neuronal activity and produce deficits in PFC-dependent behaviors, such as decision making, response inhibition, and working memory. Using a voluntary intermittent access to alcohol (IA EtOH) procedure in male mice, we demonstrate that binge-level alcohol consumption during adolescence leads to altered drinking patterns and working memory deficits in young adulthood, two outcomes that suggest medial PFC dysfunction. We recorded from pyramidal neurons (PNs) in the prelimbic subregion of the medial PFC in slices obtained from mice that had IA EtOH and found that they display altered excitability, including a hyperpolarization of the resting membrane potential and reductions in the hyperpolarization-activated cation current (Ih) and in intrinsic persistent activity (a mode of neuronal firing that is dependent on Ih). Many of these effects on intrinsic excitability were sustained following abstinence and observed in mice that showed working memory deficits. In addition, we found that resting membrane potential and the Ih-dependent voltage "sag" in prelimbic PFC PNs are developmentally regulated during adolescence, suggesting that adolescent alcohol exposure may compromise PFC function by arresting the normal developmental trajectory of PN intrinsic excitability.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Binge alcohol drinking during adolescence has negative consequences for the function of the developing PFC. Using a mouse model of voluntary binge drinking during adolescence, we found that this behavior leads to working memory deficits and altered drinking behavior in adulthood. In addition, we found that adolescent drinking is associated with specific changes to the intrinsic excitability of pyramidal neurons in the PFC, reducing the ability of these neurons to generate intrinsic persistent activity, a phenomenon thought to be important for working memory. These findings may help explain why human adolescent binge drinkers show performance deficits on tasks mediated by the PFC.
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24
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Gene expression changes in the ventral hippocampus and medial prefrontal cortex of adolescent alcohol-preferring (P) rats following binge-like alcohol drinking. Alcohol 2018; 68:37-47. [PMID: 29448234 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2017.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2017] [Revised: 09/06/2017] [Accepted: 09/08/2017] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Binge drinking of alcohol during adolescence is a serious public health concern with long-term consequences, including decreased hippocampal and prefrontal cortex volume and deficits in memory. We used RNA sequencing to assess the effects of adolescent binge drinking on gene expression in these regions. Male adolescent alcohol-preferring (P) rats were exposed to repeated binge drinking (three 1-h sessions/day during the dark/cycle, 5 days/week for 3 weeks starting at 28 days of age; ethanol intakes of 2.5-3 g/kg/session). Ethanol significantly altered the expression of 416 of 11,727 genes expressed in the ventral hippocampus. Genes and pathways involved in neurogenesis, long-term potentiation, and axonal guidance were decreased, which could relate to the impaired memory function found in subjects with adolescent alcohol binge-like exposure. The decreased expression of myelin and cholesterol genes and apparent decrease in oligodendrocytes in P rats could result in decreased myelination. In the medial prefrontal cortex, 638 of 11,579 genes were altered; genes in cellular stress and inflammatory pathways were increased, as were genes involved in oxidative phosphorylation. Overall, the results of this study suggest that adolescent binge-like alcohol drinking may alter the development of the ventral hippocampus and medial prefrontal cortex and produce long-term consequences on learning and memory, and on control of impulsive behaviors.
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Ahmed SH. Individual decision-making in the causal pathway to addiction: contributions and limitations of rodent models. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2018; 164:22-31. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2017.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2017] [Revised: 06/16/2017] [Accepted: 07/10/2017] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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26
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Ferrini F, Dering B, De Giorgio A, Lossi L, Granato A. Effects of Acute Alcohol Exposure on Layer 5 Pyramidal Neurons of Juvenile Mice. Cell Mol Neurobiol 2017; 38:955-963. [PMID: 29224183 DOI: 10.1007/s10571-017-0571-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2017] [Accepted: 12/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Early-onset drinking during childhood or preadolescence is a serious social problem. Yet, most of the basic neurobiological research on the acute effects of ethanol has been carried out on adult or early postnatal animals. We studied the effect of alcohol exposure on the basic electrophysiological properties and cell viability of layer 5 pyramidal neurons from the somatosensory cortex of juvenile (P21-P23) C57BL/6N mice. After bath application of 50 mM ethanol to acute slices of the somatosensory cortex, no adverse effects were detected on cells survival, whereas the input resistance and firing rate of layer 5 neurons were significantly reduced. While the effect on the input resistance was reversible, the depressing effect on cell firing remained stable after 6 min of alcohol exposure. Ethanol application did not result in any significant change of mIPSC frequency, amplitude, and rise time. A slight increase of mIPSC decay time was observed after 6 min of ethanol exposure. The molecular mechanisms leading to these alterations and their significance for the physiology of the cerebral cortex are briefly discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Ferrini
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Turin, Largo Braccini 2, 10095, Grugliasco, Italy
| | - Benjamin Dering
- Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, UK
| | | | - Laura Lossi
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Turin, Largo Braccini 2, 10095, Grugliasco, Italy
| | - Alberto Granato
- Department of Psychology, Catholic University, Largo A. Gemelli 1, 20123, Milan, Italy.
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27
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Moaddab M, Mangone E, Ray MH, McDannald MA. Adolescent Alcohol Drinking Renders Adult Drinking BLA-Dependent: BLA Hyper-Activity as Contributor to Comorbid Alcohol Use Disorder and Anxiety Disorders. Brain Sci 2017; 7:brainsci7110151. [PMID: 29135933 PMCID: PMC5704158 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci7110151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2017] [Revised: 10/31/2017] [Accepted: 11/10/2017] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Adolescent alcohol drinking increases the risk for alcohol-use disorder in adulthood. Yet, the changes in adult neural function resulting from adolescent alcohol drinking remain poorly understood. We hypothesized that adolescent alcohol drinking alters basolateral amygdala (BLA) function, making alcohol drinking BLA-dependent in adulthood. Male, Long Evans rats were given voluntary, intermittent access to alcohol (20% ethanol) or a bitter, isocaloric control solution, across adolescence. Half of the rats in each group received neurotoxic BLA lesions. In adulthood, all rats were given voluntary, intermittent access to alcohol. BLA lesions reduced adult alcohol drinking in rats receiving adolescent access to alcohol, but not in rats receiving adolescent access to the control solution. The effect of the BLA lesion was most apparent in high alcohol drinking adolescent rats. The BLA is essential for fear learning and is hyper-active in anxiety disorders. The results are consistent with adolescent heavy alcohol drinking inducing BLA hyper-activity, providing a neural mechanism for comorbid alcohol use disorder and anxiety disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahsa Moaddab
- Department of Psychology, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, USA.
| | - Elizabeth Mangone
- Department of Psychology, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, USA.
| | - Madelyn H Ray
- Department of Psychology, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, USA.
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28
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Miller KM, Risher ML, Acheson SK, Darlow M, Sexton HG, Schramm-Sapyta N, Swartzwelder HS. Behavioral Inefficiency on a Risky Decision-Making Task in Adulthood after Adolescent Intermittent Ethanol Exposure in Rats. Sci Rep 2017; 7:4680. [PMID: 28680108 PMCID: PMC5498633 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-04704-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2016] [Accepted: 05/18/2017] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Adolescence is a period of development in neural circuits that are critical for adult functioning. There is a relationship between alcohol exposure and risky decision-making, though the enduring effects of adolescent ethanol exposure on risky decision-making in adulthood have not been fully explored. Studies using positive reinforcement have shown that adolescent intermittent ethanol (AIE) exposure results in higher levels of risky decision-making in adulthood, but the effects of AIE on punishment-mediated decision-making have not been explored. Adolescent rats were exposed to AIE or saline vehicle across a 16-day period, and then allowed to mature into adulthood. They were then trained to lever press for food reward and were assessed for risky decision-making by pairing increased levels of food reward with the probability of footshock punishment. AIE did not alter punishment-mediated risky decision-making. However, it did result in a significant increase in the delay to lever pressing. This finding is consistent with previous reports, using other behavioral tasks, which show decreased behavioral efficiency in adulthood after AIE. These findings indicate that AIE increases behavioral inefficiency, but not punishment-mediated risk-taking, in adulthood. Thus they contribute to a more nuanced understanding of the long-term effects of AIE on adult behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelsey M Miller
- Neurobiology Research Laboratory, Durham VA Medical Center, Durham, NC, 27705, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
| | - Mary-Louise Risher
- Neurobiology Research Laboratory, Durham VA Medical Center, Durham, NC, 27705, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
| | - Shawn K Acheson
- Neurobiology Research Laboratory, Durham VA Medical Center, Durham, NC, 27705, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
| | - Matthew Darlow
- Neurobiology Research Laboratory, Durham VA Medical Center, Durham, NC, 27705, USA
- McGovern Medical School, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Hannah G Sexton
- Neurobiology Research Laboratory, Durham VA Medical Center, Durham, NC, 27705, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
| | | | - H S Swartzwelder
- Neurobiology Research Laboratory, Durham VA Medical Center, Durham, NC, 27705, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, 27710, USA.
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27708, USA.
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29
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Montesinos J, Gil A, Guerri C. Nalmefene Prevents Alcohol-Induced Neuroinflammation and Alcohol Drinking Preference in Adolescent Female Mice: Role of TLR4. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2017; 41:1257-1270. [DOI: 10.1111/acer.13416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2016] [Accepted: 05/04/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jorge Montesinos
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Pathology of Alcohol; Príncipe Felipe Research Center; Valencia Spain
| | - Anabel Gil
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Pathology of Alcohol; Príncipe Felipe Research Center; Valencia Spain
| | - Consuelo Guerri
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Pathology of Alcohol; Príncipe Felipe Research Center; Valencia Spain
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30
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Marquardt K, Sigdel R, Brigman JL. Touch-screen visual reversal learning is mediated by value encoding and signal propagation in the orbitofrontal cortex. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2017; 139:179-188. [PMID: 28111339 PMCID: PMC5372695 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2017.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2016] [Revised: 12/23/2016] [Accepted: 01/16/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Behavioral inflexibility is a common symptom of neuropsychiatric disorders which can have a major detrimental impact on quality of life. While the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) has been strongly implicated in behavioral flexibility in rodents across paradigms, our understanding of how the OFC mediates these behaviors is rapidly adapting. Here we examined neuronal activity during reversal learning by coupling in vivo electrophysiological recording with a mouse touch-screen learning paradigm to further elucidate the role of the OFC in updating reward value. Single unit and oscillatory activity was recorded during well-learned discrimination and 3 distinct phases of reversal (early, chance and well-learned). During touch-screen performance, OFC neuronal firing tracked rewarded responses following a previous rewarded choice when behavior was well learned, but shifted to primarily track repeated errors following a previous error in early reversal. Spike activity tracked rewarded choices independent of previous trial outcome during chance reversal, and returned to the initial pattern of reward response at criterion. Analysis of spike coupling to oscillatory local field potentials showed that less frequently occurring behaviors had significantly fewer neurons locked to any oscillatory frequency. Together, these data support the role of the OFC in tracking the value of individual choices to inform future responses and suggests that oscillatory signaling may be involved in propagating responses to increase or decrease the likelihood that action is taken in the future. They further support the use of touch-screen paradigms in preclinical studies to more closely model clinical approaches to measuring behavioral flexibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristin Marquardt
- Department of Neurosciences, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM, United States
| | - Rahul Sigdel
- Department of Neurosciences, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM, United States
| | - Jonathan L Brigman
- Department of Neurosciences, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM, United States; New Mexico Alcohol Research Center, UNM Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM, United States.
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31
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Amodeo LR, Jacobs-Brichford E, McMurray MS, Roitman JD. Acute and long-term effects of adolescent methylphenidate on decision-making and dopamine receptor mRNA expression in the orbitofrontal cortex. Behav Brain Res 2017; 324:100-108. [PMID: 28212944 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2017.02.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2016] [Revised: 02/01/2017] [Accepted: 02/11/2017] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Though commonly used as a treatment for ADHD, the psychostimulant methylphenidate (MPH) is also misused and abused in adolescence in both clinical and general populations. Although MPH acts via pathways activated by other drugs of abuse, the short- and long-term effects of MPH on reward processing in learning and decision-making are not clearly understood. We examined the effect of adolescent MPH treatment on a battery of reward-directed behaviors both in adolescence during its administration and in adulthood after its discontinuation. We further measured whether MPH had lasting effects on dopamine receptor mRNA expression in orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) that may correspond with behavior. Long-Evans rats were injected with MPH (0, 1, 2.5, or 5mg/kg IP) twice daily from middle to late adolescence (PD38-57). During adolescence, the high dose of MPH reduced preference for large rewards in a Reward Magnitude Discrimination task, but did not affect preference for smaller-sooner rewards in a Delay Discounting task. In adulthood, after discontinuation of MPH, animals previously treated with the moderate dose of MPH showed improved acquisition, but not reversal, in a Reversal Learning task. MPH exposure did not increase preference for large-risky rewards in a Risk task in adulthood. We then quantified mRNA expression of D1, D2, and D3 receptors in the OFC using qPCR. MPH increased mRNA expression of dopamine D3 receptor subtype, but not D1 or D2. Overall, these results indicate that MPH has both immediate and lasting effects on reward-dependent learning and decisions, as well as dopaminergic function in rodents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leslie R Amodeo
- Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1007 West Harrison Street, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
| | - Eliza Jacobs-Brichford
- Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1007 West Harrison Street, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
| | - Matthew S McMurray
- Department of Psychology, Miami University, 90 N Patterson Ave, Oxford, OH 45056, USA
| | - Jamie D Roitman
- Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1007 West Harrison Street, Chicago, IL 60607, USA; Laboratory of Integrative Neuroscience, University of Illinois at Chicago,1007 West Harrison Street, Chicago, IL 60607, USA.
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