1
|
Mack NR, Bouras NN, Gao WJ. Prefrontal Regulation of Social Behavior and Related Deficits: Insights From Rodent Studies. Biol Psychiatry 2024; 96:85-94. [PMID: 38490368 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2024.03.008] [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: 07/03/2023] [Revised: 03/02/2024] [Accepted: 03/05/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024]
Abstract
The prefrontal cortex (PFC) is well known as the executive center of the brain, combining internal states and goals to execute purposeful behavior, including social actions. With the advancement of tools for monitoring and manipulating neural activity in rodents, substantial progress has been made in understanding the specific cell types and neural circuits within the PFC that are essential for processing social cues and influencing social behaviors. Furthermore, combining these tools with translationally relevant behavioral paradigms has also provided novel insights into the PFC neural mechanisms that may contribute to social deficits in various psychiatric disorders. This review highlights findings from the past decade that have shed light on the PFC cell types and neural circuits that support social information processing and distinct aspects of social behavior, including social interactions, social memory, and social dominance. We also explore how the PFC contributes to social deficits in rodents induced by social isolation, social fear conditioning, and social status loss. These studies provide evidence that the PFC uses both overlapping and unique neural mechanisms to support distinct components of social cognition. Furthermore, specific PFC neural mechanisms drive social deficits induced by different contexts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nancy R Mack
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
| | - Nadia N Bouras
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Wen-Jun Gao
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Zhang S, Larsen B, Sydnor VJ, Zeng T, An L, Yan X, Kong R, Kong X, Gur RC, Gur RE, Moore TM, Wolf DH, Holmes AJ, Xie Y, Zhou JH, Fortier MV, Tan AP, Gluckman P, Chong YS, Meaney MJ, Deco G, Satterthwaite TD, Yeo BTT. In vivo whole-cortex marker of excitation-inhibition ratio indexes cortical maturation and cognitive ability in youth. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2318641121. [PMID: 38814872 PMCID: PMC11161789 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2318641121] [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: 10/26/2023] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024] Open
Abstract
A balanced excitation-inhibition ratio (E/I ratio) is critical for healthy brain function. Normative development of cortex-wide E/I ratio remains unknown. Here, we noninvasively estimate a putative marker of whole-cortex E/I ratio by fitting a large-scale biophysically plausible circuit model to resting-state functional MRI (fMRI) data. We first confirm that our model generates realistic brain dynamics in the Human Connectome Project. Next, we show that the estimated E/I ratio marker is sensitive to the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) agonist benzodiazepine alprazolam during fMRI. Alprazolam-induced E/I changes are spatially consistent with positron emission tomography measurement of benzodiazepine receptor density. We then investigate the relationship between the E/I ratio marker and neurodevelopment. We find that the E/I ratio marker declines heterogeneously across the cerebral cortex during youth, with the greatest reduction occurring in sensorimotor systems relative to association systems. Importantly, among children with the same chronological age, a lower E/I ratio marker (especially in the association cortex) is linked to better cognitive performance. This result is replicated across North American (8.2 to 23.0 y old) and Asian (7.2 to 7.9 y old) cohorts, suggesting that a more mature E/I ratio indexes improved cognition during normative development. Overall, our findings open the door to studying how disrupted E/I trajectories may lead to cognitive dysfunction in psychopathology that emerges during youth.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shaoshi Zhang
- Centre for Sleep and Cognition and Centre for Translational Magnetic Resonance Research, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore117594, Singapore
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore117583, Singapore
- N.1 Institute for Health, National University of Singapore, Singapore117456, Singapore
- Integrative Sciences and Engineering Programme, National University of Singapore, Singapore119077, Singapore
- Department of Medicine, Human Potential Translational Research Programme & Institute for Digital Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Signapore117456, Signapore
| | - Bart Larsen
- Penn Lifespan Informatics and Neuroimaging Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA19104
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA19104
- Lifespan Brain Institute of Penn Medicine and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA19104
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN55455
| | - Valerie J. Sydnor
- Penn Lifespan Informatics and Neuroimaging Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA19104
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA19104
- Lifespan Brain Institute of Penn Medicine and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA19104
| | - Tianchu Zeng
- Centre for Sleep and Cognition and Centre for Translational Magnetic Resonance Research, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore117594, Singapore
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore117583, Singapore
- N.1 Institute for Health, National University of Singapore, Singapore117456, Singapore
- Department of Medicine, Human Potential Translational Research Programme & Institute for Digital Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Signapore117456, Signapore
| | - Lijun An
- Centre for Sleep and Cognition and Centre for Translational Magnetic Resonance Research, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore117594, Singapore
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore117583, Singapore
- N.1 Institute for Health, National University of Singapore, Singapore117456, Singapore
- Department of Medicine, Human Potential Translational Research Programme & Institute for Digital Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Signapore117456, Signapore
| | - Xiaoxuan Yan
- Centre for Sleep and Cognition and Centre for Translational Magnetic Resonance Research, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore117594, Singapore
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore117583, Singapore
- N.1 Institute for Health, National University of Singapore, Singapore117456, Singapore
- Integrative Sciences and Engineering Programme, National University of Singapore, Singapore119077, Singapore
- Department of Medicine, Human Potential Translational Research Programme & Institute for Digital Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Signapore117456, Signapore
| | - Ru Kong
- Centre for Sleep and Cognition and Centre for Translational Magnetic Resonance Research, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore117594, Singapore
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore117583, Singapore
- N.1 Institute for Health, National University of Singapore, Singapore117456, Singapore
- Department of Medicine, Human Potential Translational Research Programme & Institute for Digital Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Signapore117456, Signapore
| | - Xiaolu Kong
- Centre for Sleep and Cognition and Centre for Translational Magnetic Resonance Research, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore117594, Singapore
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore117583, Singapore
- N.1 Institute for Health, National University of Singapore, Singapore117456, Singapore
- Department of Medicine, Human Potential Translational Research Programme & Institute for Digital Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Signapore117456, Signapore
- ByteDance, Singapore048583, Singapore
| | - Ruben C. Gur
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA19104
- Lifespan Brain Institute of Penn Medicine and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA19104
- Department of Radiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA19104
| | - Raquel E. Gur
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA19104
- Lifespan Brain Institute of Penn Medicine and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA19104
- Department of Radiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA19104
| | - Tyler M. Moore
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA19104
- Lifespan Brain Institute of Penn Medicine and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA19104
| | - Daniel H. Wolf
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA19104
| | - Avram J. Holmes
- Department of Psychiatry, Brain Health Institute, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ07103
- Wu Tsai Institute, Yale University, New Haven, CT06520
| | - Yapei Xie
- Centre for Sleep and Cognition and Centre for Translational Magnetic Resonance Research, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore117594, Singapore
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore117583, Singapore
- N.1 Institute for Health, National University of Singapore, Singapore117456, Singapore
- Department of Medicine, Human Potential Translational Research Programme & Institute for Digital Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Signapore117456, Signapore
| | - Juan Helen Zhou
- Centre for Sleep and Cognition and Centre for Translational Magnetic Resonance Research, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore117594, Singapore
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore117583, Singapore
- Integrative Sciences and Engineering Programme, National University of Singapore, Singapore119077, Singapore
- Department of Medicine, Human Potential Translational Research Programme & Institute for Digital Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Signapore117456, Signapore
| | - Marielle V. Fortier
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Imaging, Kandang Kerbau Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Singapore229899, Singapore
- Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore138632, Singapore
| | - Ai Peng Tan
- Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore138632, Singapore
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore119074, Singapore
| | - Peter Gluckman
- Centre for Human Evolution, Adaptation and Disease, Liggins Institute, University of Auckland, Auckland1142, New Zealand
| | - Yap Seng Chong
- Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore138632, Singapore
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore119228, Singapore
| | - Michael J. Meaney
- Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore138632, Singapore
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, QCH3A1A1, Canada
| | - Gustavo Deco
- Center for Brain and Cognition, Department of Technology and Information, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona08002, Spain
- Institució Catalana de la Recerca i Estudis Avançats, Universitat Barcelona, Barcelona08010, Spain
| | - Theodore D. Satterthwaite
- Penn Lifespan Informatics and Neuroimaging Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA19104
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA19104
- Lifespan Brain Institute of Penn Medicine and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA19104
| | - B. T. Thomas Yeo
- Centre for Sleep and Cognition and Centre for Translational Magnetic Resonance Research, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore117594, Singapore
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore117583, Singapore
- N.1 Institute for Health, National University of Singapore, Singapore117456, Singapore
- Integrative Sciences and Engineering Programme, National University of Singapore, Singapore119077, Singapore
- Department of Medicine, Human Potential Translational Research Programme & Institute for Digital Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Signapore117456, Signapore
- Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hopstial, Charlestown, MA02129
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Mu C, Dang X, Luo XJ. Mendelian randomization analyses reveal causal relationships between brain functional networks and risk of psychiatric disorders. Nat Hum Behav 2024:10.1038/s41562-024-01879-8. [PMID: 38724650 DOI: 10.1038/s41562-024-01879-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 05/19/2024]
Abstract
Dysfunction of brain resting-state functional networks has been widely reported in psychiatric disorders. However, the causal relationships between brain resting-state functional networks and psychiatric disorders remain largely unclear. Here we perform bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses to investigate the causalities between 191 resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rsfMRI) phenotypes (n = 34,691 individuals) and 12 psychiatric disorders (n = 14,307 to 698,672 individuals). Forward MR identified 8 rsfMRI phenotypes causally associated with the risk of psychiatric disorders. For example, the increase in the connectivity of motor, subcortical-cerebellum and limbic network was associated with lower risk of autism spectrum disorder. In adddition, increased connectivity in the default mode and central executive network was associated with lower risk of post-traumatic stress disorder and depression. Reverse MR analysis revealed significant associations between 4 psychiatric disorders and 6 rsfMRI phenotypes. For instance, the risk of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder increases the connectivity of the attention, salience, motor and subcortical-cerebellum network. The risk of schizophrenia mainly increases the connectivity of the default mode and central executive network and decreases the connectivity of the attention network. In summary, our findings reveal causal relationships between brain functional networks and psychiatric disorders, providing important interventional and therapeutic targets for psychiatric disorders at the brain functional network level.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Changgai Mu
- Department of Psychosomatics and Psychiatry, Zhongda Hospital, School of Medicine, Advanced Institute for Life and Health, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xinglun Dang
- Department of Psychosomatics and Psychiatry, Zhongda Hospital, School of Medicine, Advanced Institute for Life and Health, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xiong-Jian Luo
- Department of Psychosomatics and Psychiatry, Zhongda Hospital, School of Medicine, Advanced Institute for Life and Health, Southeast University, Nanjing, China.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Zhang S, Larsen B, Sydnor VJ, Zeng T, An L, Yan X, Kong R, Kong X, Gur RC, Gur RE, Moore TM, Wolf DH, Holmes AJ, Xie Y, Zhou JH, Fortier MV, Tan AP, Gluckman P, Chong YS, Meaney MJ, Deco G, Satterthwaite TD, Yeo BT. In-vivo whole-cortex marker of excitation-inhibition ratio indexes cortical maturation and cognitive ability in youth. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.06.22.546023. [PMID: 38586012 PMCID: PMC10996460 DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.22.546023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/09/2024]
Abstract
A balanced excitation-inhibition ratio (E/I ratio) is critical for healthy brain function. Normative development of cortex-wide E/I ratio remains unknown. Here we non-invasively estimate a putative marker of whole-cortex E/I ratio by fitting a large-scale biophysically-plausible circuit model to resting-state functional MRI (fMRI) data. We first confirm that our model generates realistic brain dynamics in the Human Connectome Project. Next, we show that the estimated E/I ratio marker is sensitive to the GABA-agonist benzodiazepine alprazolam during fMRI. Alprazolam-induced E/I changes are spatially consistent with positron emission tomography measurement of benzodiazepine receptor density. We then investigate the relationship between the E/I ratio marker and neurodevelopment. We find that the E/I ratio marker declines heterogeneously across the cerebral cortex during youth, with the greatest reduction occurring in sensorimotor systems relative to association systems. Importantly, among children with the same chronological age, a lower E/I ratio marker (especially in association cortex) is linked to better cognitive performance. This result is replicated across North American (8.2 to 23.0 years old) and Asian (7.2 to 7.9 years old) cohorts, suggesting that a more mature E/I ratio indexes improved cognition during normative development. Overall, our findings open the door to studying how disrupted E/I trajectories may lead to cognitive dysfunction in psychopathology that emerges during youth.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shaoshi Zhang
- Centre for Sleep and Cognition & Centre for Translational MR Research, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- N.1 Institute for Health, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Integrative Sciences and Engineering Programme (ISEP), National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Medicine, Human Potential Translational Research Programme & Institute for Digital Medicine (WisDM), Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National Univeristy of Singapore, Signapore
| | - Bart Larsen
- Penn Lifespan Informatics and Neuroimaging Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Lifespan Brain Institute (LiBI) of Penn Medicine and CHOP, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Valerie J. Sydnor
- Penn Lifespan Informatics and Neuroimaging Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Lifespan Brain Institute (LiBI) of Penn Medicine and CHOP, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Tianchu Zeng
- Centre for Sleep and Cognition & Centre for Translational MR Research, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- N.1 Institute for Health, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Medicine, Human Potential Translational Research Programme & Institute for Digital Medicine (WisDM), Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National Univeristy of Singapore, Signapore
| | - Lijun An
- Centre for Sleep and Cognition & Centre for Translational MR Research, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- N.1 Institute for Health, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Medicine, Human Potential Translational Research Programme & Institute for Digital Medicine (WisDM), Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National Univeristy of Singapore, Signapore
| | - Xiaoxuan Yan
- Centre for Sleep and Cognition & Centre for Translational MR Research, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- N.1 Institute for Health, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Integrative Sciences and Engineering Programme (ISEP), National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Medicine, Human Potential Translational Research Programme & Institute for Digital Medicine (WisDM), Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National Univeristy of Singapore, Signapore
| | - Ru Kong
- Centre for Sleep and Cognition & Centre for Translational MR Research, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- N.1 Institute for Health, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Medicine, Human Potential Translational Research Programme & Institute for Digital Medicine (WisDM), Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National Univeristy of Singapore, Signapore
| | - Xiaolu Kong
- Centre for Sleep and Cognition & Centre for Translational MR Research, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- N.1 Institute for Health, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Medicine, Human Potential Translational Research Programme & Institute for Digital Medicine (WisDM), Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National Univeristy of Singapore, Signapore
- ByteDance, Singapore
| | - Ruben C. Gur
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Lifespan Brain Institute (LiBI) of Penn Medicine and CHOP, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Department of Radiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Raquel E. Gur
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Lifespan Brain Institute (LiBI) of Penn Medicine and CHOP, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Department of Radiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Tyler M. Moore
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Lifespan Brain Institute (LiBI) of Penn Medicine and CHOP, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Daniel H. Wolf
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Avram J Holmes
- Department of Psychiatry, Brain Health Institute, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, United States
- Wu Tsai Institute, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Yapei Xie
- Centre for Sleep and Cognition & Centre for Translational MR Research, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- N.1 Institute for Health, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Medicine, Human Potential Translational Research Programme & Institute for Digital Medicine (WisDM), Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National Univeristy of Singapore, Signapore
| | - Juan Helen Zhou
- Centre for Sleep and Cognition & Centre for Translational MR Research, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Integrative Sciences and Engineering Programme (ISEP), National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Medicine, Human Potential Translational Research Programme & Institute for Digital Medicine (WisDM), Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National Univeristy of Singapore, Signapore
| | - Marielle V Fortier
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Imaging, KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Singapore
- Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences (SICS), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore
| | - Ai Peng Tan
- Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences (SICS), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Peter Gluckman
- UK Centre for Human Evolution, Adaptation and Disease, Liggins Institute, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Yap Seng Chong
- Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences (SICS), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Michael J Meaney
- Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences (SICS), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Gustavo Deco
- Center for Brain and Cognition, Department of Technology and Information, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
- Institució Catalana de la Recerca i Estudis Avançats, Universitat Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Theodore D. Satterthwaite
- Penn Lifespan Informatics and Neuroimaging Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Lifespan Brain Institute (LiBI) of Penn Medicine and CHOP, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - B.T. Thomas Yeo
- Centre for Sleep and Cognition & Centre for Translational MR Research, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- N.1 Institute for Health, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Integrative Sciences and Engineering Programme (ISEP), National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Medicine, Human Potential Translational Research Programme & Institute for Digital Medicine (WisDM), Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National Univeristy of Singapore, Signapore
- Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hopstial, Charlestown, MA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Flynn LT, Bouras NN, Migovich VM, Clarin JD, Gao WJ. The "psychiatric" neuron: the psychic neuron of the cerebral cortex, revisited. Front Hum Neurosci 2024; 18:1356674. [PMID: 38562227 PMCID: PMC10982399 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2024.1356674] [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: 12/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Nearly 25 years ago, Dr. Patricia Goldman-Rakic published her review paper, "The 'Psychic' Neuron of the Cerebral Cortex," outlining the circuit-level dynamics, neurotransmitter systems, and behavioral correlates of pyramidal neurons in the cerebral cortex, particularly as they relate to working memory. In the decades since the release of this paper, the existing literature and our understanding of the pyramidal neuron have increased tremendously, and research is still underway to better characterize the role of the pyramidal neuron in both healthy and psychiatric disease states. In this review, we revisit Dr. Goldman-Rakic's characterization of the pyramidal neuron, focusing on the pyramidal neurons of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and their role in working memory. Specifically, we examine the role of PFC pyramidal neurons in the intersection of working memory and social function and describe how deficits in working memory may actually underlie the pathophysiology of social dysfunction in psychiatric disease states. We briefly describe the cortico-cortical and corticothalamic connections between the PFC and non-PFC brain regions, as well the microcircuit dynamics of the pyramidal neuron and interneurons, and the role of both these macro- and microcircuits in the maintenance of the excitatory/inhibitory balance of the cerebral cortex for working memory function. Finally, we discuss the consequences to working memory when pyramidal neurons and their circuits are dysfunctional, emphasizing the resulting social deficits in psychiatric disease states with known working memory dysfunction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- L. Taylor Flynn
- Department of Neurobiology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Nadia N. Bouras
- Department of Neurobiology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Volodar M. Migovich
- Department of Neurobiology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Jacob D. Clarin
- Department of Neurobiology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Wen-Jun Gao
- Department of Neurobiology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Caznok Silveira AC, Antunes ASLM, Athié MCP, da Silva BF, Ribeiro dos Santos JV, Canateli C, Fontoura MA, Pinto A, Pimentel-Silva LR, Avansini SH, de Carvalho M. Between neurons and networks: investigating mesoscale brain connectivity in neurological and psychiatric disorders. Front Neurosci 2024; 18:1340345. [PMID: 38445254 PMCID: PMC10912403 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2024.1340345] [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: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024] Open
Abstract
The study of brain connectivity has been a cornerstone in understanding the complexities of neurological and psychiatric disorders. It has provided invaluable insights into the functional architecture of the brain and how it is perturbed in disorders. However, a persistent challenge has been achieving the proper spatial resolution, and developing computational algorithms to address biological questions at the multi-cellular level, a scale often referred to as the mesoscale. Historically, neuroimaging studies of brain connectivity have predominantly focused on the macroscale, providing insights into inter-regional brain connections but often falling short of resolving the intricacies of neural circuitry at the cellular or mesoscale level. This limitation has hindered our ability to fully comprehend the underlying mechanisms of neurological and psychiatric disorders and to develop targeted interventions. In light of this issue, our review manuscript seeks to bridge this critical gap by delving into the domain of mesoscale neuroimaging. We aim to provide a comprehensive overview of conditions affected by aberrant neural connections, image acquisition techniques, feature extraction, and data analysis methods that are specifically tailored to the mesoscale. We further delineate the potential of brain connectivity research to elucidate complex biological questions, with a particular focus on schizophrenia and epilepsy. This review encompasses topics such as dendritic spine quantification, single neuron morphology, and brain region connectivity. We aim to showcase the applicability and significance of mesoscale neuroimaging techniques in the field of neuroscience, highlighting their potential for gaining insights into the complexities of neurological and psychiatric disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ana Clara Caznok Silveira
- National Laboratory of Biosciences, Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials, Campinas, Brazil
- School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Campinas, Campinas, Brazil
| | | | - Maria Carolina Pedro Athié
- National Laboratory of Biosciences, Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials, Campinas, Brazil
| | - Bárbara Filomena da Silva
- National Laboratory of Biosciences, Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials, Campinas, Brazil
| | | | - Camila Canateli
- National Laboratory of Biosciences, Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials, Campinas, Brazil
| | - Marina Alves Fontoura
- National Laboratory of Biosciences, Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials, Campinas, Brazil
| | - Allan Pinto
- Brazilian Synchrotron Light Laboratory, Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials, Campinas, Brazil
| | | | - Simoni Helena Avansini
- National Laboratory of Biosciences, Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials, Campinas, Brazil
| | - Murilo de Carvalho
- National Laboratory of Biosciences, Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials, Campinas, Brazil
- Brazilian Synchrotron Light Laboratory, Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials, Campinas, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Adámek P, Grygarová D, Jajcay L, Bakštein E, Fürstová P, Juríčková V, Jonáš J, Langová V, Neskoroďana I, Kesner L, Horáček J. The Gaze of Schizophrenia Patients Captured by Bottom-up Saliency. SCHIZOPHRENIA (HEIDELBERG, GERMANY) 2024; 10:21. [PMID: 38378724 PMCID: PMC10879495 DOI: 10.1038/s41537-024-00438-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024]
Abstract
Schizophrenia (SCHZ) notably impacts various human perceptual modalities, including vision. Prior research has identified marked abnormalities in perceptual organization in SCHZ, predominantly attributed to deficits in bottom-up processing. Our study introduces a novel paradigm to differentiate the roles of top-down and bottom-up processes in visual perception in SCHZ. We analysed eye-tracking fixation ground truth maps from 28 SCHZ patients and 25 healthy controls (HC), comparing these with two mathematical models of visual saliency: one bottom-up, based on the physical attributes of images, and the other top-down, incorporating machine learning. While the bottom-up (GBVS) model revealed no significant overall differences between groups (beta = 0.01, p = 0.281, with a marginal increase in SCHZ patients), it did show enhanced performance by SCHZ patients with highly salient images. Conversely, the top-down (EML-Net) model indicated no general group difference (beta = -0.03, p = 0.206, lower in SCHZ patients) but highlighted significantly reduced performance in SCHZ patients for images depicting social interactions (beta = -0.06, p < 0.001). Over time, the disparity between the groups diminished for both models. The previously reported bottom-up bias in SCHZ patients was apparent only during the initial stages of visual exploration and corresponded with progressively shorter fixation durations in this group. Our research proposes an innovative approach to understanding early visual information processing in SCHZ patients, shedding light on the interplay between bottom-up perception and top-down cognition.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Petr Adámek
- Center for Advanced Studies of Brain and Consciousness, National Institute of Mental Health, Klecany, Czech Republic.
- Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic.
| | - Dominika Grygarová
- Center for Advanced Studies of Brain and Consciousness, National Institute of Mental Health, Klecany, Czech Republic
- Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Lucia Jajcay
- Center for Advanced Studies of Brain and Consciousness, National Institute of Mental Health, Klecany, Czech Republic
- Institute of Computer Science of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Eduard Bakštein
- Early Episodes of SMI Research Center, National Institute of Mental Health, Klecany, Czech Republic
- Department of Cybernetics, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Czech Technical University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Petra Fürstová
- Early Episodes of SMI Research Center, National Institute of Mental Health, Klecany, Czech Republic
| | - Veronika Juríčková
- Center for Advanced Studies of Brain and Consciousness, National Institute of Mental Health, Klecany, Czech Republic
- First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Juraj Jonáš
- Center for Advanced Studies of Brain and Consciousness, National Institute of Mental Health, Klecany, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Humanities, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Veronika Langová
- Center for Advanced Studies of Brain and Consciousness, National Institute of Mental Health, Klecany, Czech Republic
- Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Iryna Neskoroďana
- Center for Advanced Studies of Brain and Consciousness, National Institute of Mental Health, Klecany, Czech Republic
| | - Ladislav Kesner
- Center for Advanced Studies of Brain and Consciousness, National Institute of Mental Health, Klecany, Czech Republic
- Department of Art History, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Jiří Horáček
- Center for Advanced Studies of Brain and Consciousness, National Institute of Mental Health, Klecany, Czech Republic
- Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Pang B, Wu X, Chen H, Yan Y, Du Z, Yu Z, Yang X, Wang W, Lu K. Exploring the memory: existing activity-dependent tools to tag and manipulate engram cells. Front Cell Neurosci 2024; 17:1279032. [PMID: 38259503 PMCID: PMC10800721 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2023.1279032] [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: 08/17/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
The theory of engrams, proposed several years ago, is highly crucial to understanding the progress of memory. Although it significantly contributes to identifying new treatments for cognitive disorders, it is limited by a lack of technology. Several scientists have attempted to validate this theory but failed. With the increasing availability of activity-dependent tools, several researchers have found traces of engram cells. Activity-dependent tools are based on the mechanisms underlying neuronal activity and use a combination of emerging molecular biological and genetic technology. Scientists have used these tools to tag and manipulate engram neurons and identified numerous internal connections between engram neurons and memory. In this review, we provide the background, principles, and selected examples of applications of existing activity-dependent tools. Using a combination of traditional definitions and concepts of engram cells, we discuss the applications and limitations of these tools and propose certain developmental directions to further explore the functions of engram cells.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bo Pang
- The Second Clinical Medical College, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaoyan Wu
- The First Clinical Medical College, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Hailun Chen
- The Second Clinical Medical College, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yiwen Yan
- School of Basic Medicine Science, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zibo Du
- The First Clinical Medical College, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zihan Yu
- School of Basic Medicine Science, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiai Yang
- Department of Neurology, Ankang Central Hospital, Ankang, China
| | - Wanshan Wang
- Laboratory Animal Management Center, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- Guangzhou Southern Medical Laboratory Animal Sci. and Tech. Co., Ltd., Guangzhou, China
| | - Kangrong Lu
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Safety Evaluation of Cosmetics, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Clarin JD, Reddy N, Alexandropoulos C, Gao WJ. The role of cell adhesion molecule IgSF9b at the inhibitory synapse and psychiatric disease. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2024; 156:105476. [PMID: 38029609 PMCID: PMC10842117 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105476] [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: 09/06/2023] [Revised: 11/15/2023] [Accepted: 11/18/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023]
Abstract
Understanding perturbations in synaptic function between health and disease states is crucial to the treatment of neuropsychiatric illness. While genome-wide association studies have identified several genetic loci implicated in synaptic dysfunction in disorders such as autism and schizophrenia, many have not been rigorously characterized. Here, we highlight immunoglobulin superfamily member 9b (IgSF9b), a cell adhesion molecule thought to localize exclusively to inhibitory synapses in the brain. While both pre-clinical and clinical studies suggest its association with psychiatric diseases, our understanding of IgSF9b in synaptic maintenance, neural circuits, and behavioral phenotypes remains rudimentary. Moreover, these functions wield undiscovered influences on neurodevelopment. This review evaluates current literature and publicly available gene expression databases to explore the implications of IgSF9b dysfunction in rodents and humans. Through a focused analysis of one high-risk gene locus, we identify areas requiring further investigation and unearth clues related to broader mechanisms contributing to the synaptic etiology of psychiatric disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jacob D Clarin
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19129, United States
| | - Natasha Reddy
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19129, United States
| | - Cassandra Alexandropoulos
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19129, United States
| | - Wen-Jun Gao
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19129, United States.
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Slabe Z, Balesar RA, Verwer RWH, Van Heerikhuize JJ, Pechler GA, Zorović M, Hoogendijk WJ, Swaab DF. Alterations in pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide in major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, and comorbid depression in Alzheimer's disease in the human hypothalamus and prefrontal cortex. Psychol Med 2023; 53:7537-7549. [PMID: 37226771 PMCID: PMC10755247 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291723001265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2022] [Revised: 03/01/2023] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase-Activating Polypeptide (PACAP) is involved in the stress response and may play a key role in mood disorders, but no information is available on PACAP for the human brain in relation to mood disorders. METHODS PACAP-peptide levels were determined in a major stress-response site, the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN), of people with major depressive disorder (MDD), bipolar disorder (BD) and of a unique cohort of Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients with and without depression, all with matched controls. The expression of PACAP-(Adcyap1mRNA) and PACAP-receptors was determined in the MDD and BD patients by qPCR in presumed target sites of PACAP in stress-related disorders, the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). RESULTS PACAP cell bodies and/or fibres were localised throughout the hypothalamus with differences between immunocytochemistry and in situ hybridisation. In the controls, PACAP-immunoreactivity-(ir) in the PVN was higher in women than in men. PVN-PACAP-ir was higher in male BD compared to the matched male controls. In all AD patients, the PVN-PACAP-ir was lower compared to the controls, but higher in AD depressed patients compared to those without depression. There was a significant positive correlation between the Cornell depression score and PVN-PACAP-ir in all AD patients combined. In the ACC and DLPFC, alterations in mRNA expression of PACAP and its receptors were associated with mood disorders in a differential way depending on the type of mood disorder, suicide, and psychotic features. CONCLUSION The results support the possibility that PACAP plays a role in mood disorder pathophysiology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zala Slabe
- Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, an Institute of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Meibergdreef 47, 1105 BA Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Pharmacology and Experimental Toxicology, Korytkova 2, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Rawien A. Balesar
- Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, an Institute of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Meibergdreef 47, 1105 BA Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Ronald W. H. Verwer
- Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, an Institute of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Meibergdreef 47, 1105 BA Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Joop J. Van Heerikhuize
- Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, an Institute of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Meibergdreef 47, 1105 BA Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Gwyneth A. Pechler
- Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, an Institute of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Meibergdreef 47, 1105 BA Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Pharmacology and Experimental Toxicology, Korytkova 2, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Maja Zorović
- University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Pathophysiology, Zaloška 4, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Witte J.G. Hoogendijk
- Erasmus University Medical Centre, Department of Psychiatry, Doctor Molewaterplein 40, 3015 GD Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Dick F. Swaab
- Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, an Institute of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Meibergdreef 47, 1105 BA Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Pharmacology and Experimental Toxicology, Korytkova 2, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Acutain MF, Baez MV. Reduced expression of GluN2A induces a delay in neuron maturation. J Neurochem 2023. [PMID: 38037434 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.16023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2023] [Revised: 11/13/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023]
Abstract
NMDA receptors (NMDARs) play an important role in synaptic plasticity both in physiological and pathological conditions. GluN2A and GluN2B are the most expressed NMDAR regulatory subunits, in the hippocampus and other cognitive-related brain structures. GluN2B is characteristic of immature structures and GluN2A of mature ones. Changes in GluN2A expression were associated with complex phenotypes that led to complex neurodevelopmental disorders, including the occurrence of seizures. However, little is known about the role of GluN2A in these phenotypes. In this work, we reduced GluN2A expression in mature neuronal cultures and observed an altered GluN2A/GluN2B ratio. Furthermore, those neurons exhibit an increase in immature dendritic spines and dendritic branching, as well as an increased response to glutamate stimulus. This phenotype (considering GluN2A/GluN2B ratio, index branching and glutamate response) resembles those observed at immature neuronal stages in vitro. We propose that this immature phenotype led to a higher response to glutamate stimulus which, in vivo, would be the basis of reduced threshold for seizure onset in GluN2A-pathological conditions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- María Florencia Acutain
- Laboratorio de Sinapsis y Neurobiología Celular, Instituto de Biología Celular y Neurociencia (IBCN)-CONICET-UBA, Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - María Verónica Baez
- Laboratorio de Sinapsis y Neurobiología Celular, Instituto de Biología Celular y Neurociencia (IBCN)-CONICET-UBA, Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina
- 1UA de Histología, Embriología, Biología Celular y Genética, Facultad de Medicina, UBA, Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Chen K, Forrest A, Gonzalez Burgos G, Kozai TDY. Neuronal functional connectivity is impaired in a layer dependent manner near the chronically implanted microelectrodes. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.11.06.565852. [PMID: 37986883 PMCID: PMC10659303 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.06.565852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2023]
Abstract
Objective This study aims to reveal longitudinal changes in functional network connectivity within and across different brain structures near the chronically implanted microelectrode. While it is well established that the foreign-body response (FBR) contributes to the gradual decline of the signals recorded from brain implants over time, how does the FBR impact affect the functional stability of neural circuits near implanted Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCIs) remains unknown. This research aims to illuminate how the chronic FBR can alter local neural circuit function and the implications for BCI decoders. Approach This study utilized multisite Michigan-style microelectrodes that span all cortical layers and the hippocampal CA1 region to collect spontaneous and visually-evoked electrophysiological activity. Alterations in neuronal activity near the microelectrode were tested assessing cross-frequency synchronization of LFP and spike entrainment to LFP oscillatory activity throughout 16 weeks after microelectrode implantation. Main Results The study found that cortical layer 4, the input-receiving layer, maintained activity over the implantation time. However, layers 2/3 rapidly experienced severe impairment, leading to a loss of proper intralaminar connectivity in the downstream output layers 5/6. Furthermore, the impairment of interlaminar connectivity near the microelectrode was unidirectional, showing decreased connectivity from Layers 2/3 to Layers 5/6 but not the reverse direction. In the hippocampus, CA1 neurons gradually became unable to properly entrain to the surrounding LFP oscillations. Significance This study provides a detailed characterization of network connectivity dysfunction over long-term microelectrode implantation periods. This new knowledge could contribute to the development of targeted therapeutic strategies aimed at improving the health of the tissue surrounding brain implants and potentially inform engineering of adaptive decoders as the FBR progresses. Our study's understanding of the dynamic changes in the functional network over time opens the door to developing interventions for improving the long-term stability and performance of intracortical microelectrodes.
Collapse
|
13
|
Slabe Z, Balesar RA, Verwer RWH, Drevenšek G, Swaab DF. Increased pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating peptide genes expression in the prefrontal cortex in schizophrenia in relation to suicide. Front Mol Neurosci 2023; 16:1277958. [PMID: 38025265 PMCID: PMC10652791 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2023.1277958] [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: 08/15/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating peptide (PACAP) is a stress-related neuropeptide that is produced in several brain areas. It acts by 3 receptors: PACAP type-1 (PAC1), vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) -1 and -2 (VPAC1 and 2). Data on polymorphisms in PACAP and PAC1 indicate a relationship of the PACAP system with schizophrenia (SCZ). Methods The prefrontal cortex was chosen to measure PACAP-gene related expression changes, since this is a central structure in the symptoms of schizophrenia (SCZ). We investigated alterations in the expression of the PACAP-related genes by qPCR in the human dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) of 35 SCZ patients and 34 matched controls in relation to SCZ, suicide, gender and medication. Results The ACC revealed an upregulation in PACAP, PAC1, VPAC1 and VPAC2 in SCZ suicide (S) completers compared to controls. An increase in PACAP, VPAC1 and VPAC2 expression was also present in the ACC in SCZ-S compared to SCZ patients who died naturally (SCZ-N). In the DLPFC, an increase in PAC1 was found in SCZ-N patients compared to SCZ-S and controls. Moreover, an increase in all PACAP-related genes was present in SCZ-N male patients compared to SCZ-N females. Concluding, expression changes were found in PACAP-related genes in relation to SCZ, suicide and gender. In particular, there was a higher PACAP-related gene expression in SCZ patients in the ACC in relation to suicide and in DLPFC in relation to SCZ. Discussion These findings suggest a potential link between PACAP and the pathophysiology of SCZ and suicide. Further research is needed to understand the functional significance and potential clinical applications of these changes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zala Slabe
- Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Institute of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Institute of Pharmacology and Experimental Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Rawien A. Balesar
- Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Institute of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Ronald W. H. Verwer
- Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Institute of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Gorazd Drevenšek
- Institute of Pharmacology and Experimental Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Dick F. Swaab
- Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Institute of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Institute of Pharmacology and Experimental Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Flynn LT, Gao WJ. DNA methylation and the opposing NMDAR dysfunction in schizophrenia and major depression disorders: a converging model for the therapeutic effects of psychedelic compounds in the treatment of psychiatric illness. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:4553-4567. [PMID: 37679470 PMCID: PMC11034997 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-023-02235-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2023] [Revised: 08/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023]
Abstract
Psychedelic compounds are being increasingly explored as a potential therapeutic option for treating several psychiatric conditions, despite relatively little being known about their mechanism of action. One such possible mechanism, DNA methylation, is a process of epigenetic regulation that changes gene expression via chemical modification of nitrogenous bases. DNA methylation has been implicated in the pathophysiology of several psychiatric conditions, including schizophrenia (SZ) and major depressive disorder (MDD). In this review, we propose alterations to DNA methylation as a converging model for the therapeutic effects of psychedelic compounds, highlighting the N-methyl D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR), a crucial mediator of synaptic plasticity with known dysfunction in both diseases, as an example and anchoring point. We review the established evidence relating aberrant DNA methylation to NMDAR dysfunction in SZ and MDD and provide a model asserting that psychedelic substances may act through an epigenetic mechanism to provide therapeutic effects in the context of these disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- L Taylor Flynn
- Department of Neurobiology & Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- MD/PhD program, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Wen-Jun Gao
- Department of Neurobiology & Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Ladagu AD, Olopade FE, Adejare A, Olopade JO. GluN2A and GluN2B N-Methyl-D-Aspartate Receptor (NMDARs) Subunits: Their Roles and Therapeutic Antagonists in Neurological Diseases. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2023; 16:1535. [PMID: 38004401 PMCID: PMC10674917 DOI: 10.3390/ph16111535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2023] [Revised: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDARs) are ion channels that respond to the neurotransmitter glutamate, playing a crucial role in the permeability of calcium ions and excitatory neurotransmission in the central nervous system (CNS). Composed of various subunits, NMDARs are predominantly formed by two obligatory GluN1 subunits (with eight splice variants) along with regulatory subunits GluN2 (GluN2A-2D) and GluN3 (GluN3A-B). They are widely distributed throughout the CNS and are involved in essential functions such as synaptic transmission, learning, memory, plasticity, and excitotoxicity. The presence of GluN2A and GluN2B subunits is particularly important for cognitive processes and has been strongly implicated in neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease. Understanding the roles of GluN2A and GluN2B NMDARs in neuropathologies provides valuable insights into the underlying causes and complexities of major nervous system disorders. This knowledge is vital for the development of selective antagonists targeting GluN2A and GluN2B subunits using pharmacological and molecular methods. Such antagonists represent a promising class of NMDA receptor inhibitors that have the potential to be developed into neuroprotective drugs with optimal therapeutic profiles.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amany Digal Ladagu
- Department of Veterinary Anatomy, University of Ibadan, Ibadan 200284, Nigeria; (A.D.L.); (J.O.O.)
| | - Funmilayo Eniola Olopade
- Developmental Neurobiology Laboratory, Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan 200284, Nigeria
| | - Adeboye Adejare
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Philadelphia College of Pharmacy, Saint Joseph’s University, Philadelphia, PA 19131, USA
| | - James Olukayode Olopade
- Department of Veterinary Anatomy, University of Ibadan, Ibadan 200284, Nigeria; (A.D.L.); (J.O.O.)
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Sønderstrup M, Batiuk MY, Mantas P, Tapias-Espinosa C, Oliveras I, Cañete T, Sampedro-Viana D, Brudek T, Rydbirk R, Khodosevich K, Fernandez-Teruel A, Elfving B, Aznar S. A maturational shift in the frontal cortex synaptic transcriptional landscape underlies schizophrenia-relevant behavioural traits: A congenital rat model. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2023; 74:32-46. [PMID: 37263043 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2023.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Revised: 04/05/2023] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Disruption of brain development early in life may underlie the neurobiology behind schizophrenia. We have reported more immature synaptic spines in the frontal cortex (FC) of adult Roman High-Avoidance (RHA-I) rats, a behavioural model displaying schizophrenia-like traits. Here, we performed a whole transcriptome analysis in the FC of 4 months old male RHA-I (n=8) and its counterpart, the Roman Low-Avoidance (RLA-I) (n=8). We identified 203 significant genes with overrepresentation of genes involved in synaptic function. Next, we performed a gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) for genes co-expressed during neurodevelopment. Gene networks were obtained by weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) of a transcriptomic dataset containing human FC during lifespan (n=269). Out of thirty-one functional gene networks, six were significantly enriched in the RHA-I. These were differentially regulated during infancy and enriched in biological ontologies related to myelination, synaptic function, and immune response. We validated differential gene expression in a new cohort of adolescent (<=2 months old) and young-adult (>=3 months old) RHA-I and RLA-I rats. The results confirmed overexpression of Gsn, Nt5cd1, Ppp1r1b, and Slc9a3r1 in young-adult RHA-I, while Cables1, a regulator of Cdk5 phosphorylation in actin regulation and involved in synaptic plasticity and maturation, was significantly downregulated in adolescent RHA-I. This age-related expression change was also observed for presynaptic components Snap25 and Snap29. Our results show a different maturational expression profile of synaptic components in the RHA-I strain, supporting a shift in FC maturation underlying schizophrenia-like behavioural traits and adding construct validity to this strain as a neurodevelopmental model.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marie Sønderstrup
- Centre for Neuroscience and Stereology, Copenhagen University Hospital Bispebjerg-Frederiksberg, Denmark; Translational Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Denmark
| | - Mykhailo Y Batiuk
- Biotech Research and Innovation Centre (BRIC), Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Panagiotis Mantas
- Department of Health Technology, Technical University of Denmark (DTU), Denmark
| | - Carles Tapias-Espinosa
- Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ignasi Oliveras
- Centre for Neuroscience and Stereology, Copenhagen University Hospital Bispebjerg-Frederiksberg, Denmark; Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona, Spain
| | - Toni Cañete
- Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona, Spain
| | - Daniel Sampedro-Viana
- Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona, Spain
| | - Tomasz Brudek
- Centre for Neuroscience and Stereology, Copenhagen University Hospital Bispebjerg-Frederiksberg, Denmark; Center for Translational Research, Copenhagen University Hospital Bispebjerg-Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | - Rasmus Rydbirk
- Biotech Research and Innovation Centre (BRIC), Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Konstantin Khodosevich
- Biotech Research and Innovation Centre (BRIC), Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Alberto Fernandez-Teruel
- Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Betina Elfving
- Translational Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Denmark
| | - Susana Aznar
- Centre for Neuroscience and Stereology, Copenhagen University Hospital Bispebjerg-Frederiksberg, Denmark; Center for Translational Research, Copenhagen University Hospital Bispebjerg-Frederiksberg, Denmark.
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Eo J, Kang J, Youn T, Park HJ. Neuropharmacological computational analysis of longitudinal electroencephalograms in clozapine-treated patients with schizophrenia using hierarchical dynamic causal modeling. Neuroimage 2023; 275:120161. [PMID: 37172662 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.120161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Revised: 04/15/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The hierarchical characteristics of the brain are prominent in the pharmacological treatment of psychiatric diseases, primarily targeting cellular receptors that extend upward to intrinsic connectivity within a region, interregional connectivity, and, consequently, clinical observations such as an electroencephalogram (EEG). To understand the long-term effects of neuropharmacological intervention on neurobiological properties at different hierarchical levels, we explored long-term changes in neurobiological parameters of an N-methyl-D-aspartate canonical microcircuit model (CMM-NMDA) in the default mode network (DMN) and auditory hallucination network (AHN) using dynamic causal modeling of longitudinal EEG in clozapine-treated patients with schizophrenia. The neurobiological properties of the CMM-NMDA model associated with symptom improvement in schizophrenia were found across hierarchical levels, from a reduced membrane capacity of the deep pyramidal cell and intrinsic connectivity with the inhibitory population in DMN and intrinsic and extrinsic connectivity in AHN. The medication duration mainly affects the intrinsic connectivity and NMDA time constant in DMN. Virtual perturbation analysis specified the contribution of each parameter to the cross-spectral density (CSD) of the EEG, particularly intrinsic connectivity and membrane capacitances for CSD frequency shifts and progression. It further reveals that excitatory and inhibitory connectivity complements frequency-specific CSD changes, notably the alpha frequency band in DMN. Positive and negative synergistic interactions exist between neurobiological properties primarily within the same region in patients treated with clozapine. The current study shows how computational neuropharmacology helps explore the multiscale link between neurobiological properties and clinical observations and understand the long-term mechanism of neuropharmacological intervention reflected in clinical EEG.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jinseok Eo
- Graduate School of Medical Science, Brain Korea 21 Project, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Center for Systems and Translational Brain Science, Institute of Human Complexity and Systems Science, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jiyoung Kang
- Department of Scientific Computing, Pukyong National University, Busan, Republic of Korea; Center for Systems and Translational Brain Science, Institute of Human Complexity and Systems Science, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Tak Youn
- Department of Psychiatry and Electroconvulsive Therapy Center, Dongguk University International Hospital, Goyang, Republic of Korea; Institute of Buddhism and Medicine, Dongguk University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Hae-Jeong Park
- Graduate School of Medical Science, Brain Korea 21 Project, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Center for Systems and Translational Brain Science, Institute of Human Complexity and Systems Science, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Department of Cognitive Science, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Li BZ, Sumera A, Booker SA, McCullagh EA. Current Best Practices for Analysis of Dendritic Spine Morphology and Number in Neurodevelopmental Disorder Research. ACS Chem Neurosci 2023; 14:1561-1572. [PMID: 37070364 PMCID: PMC10161226 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.3c00062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2023] [Accepted: 04/07/2023] [Indexed: 04/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Quantitative methods for assessing neural anatomy have rapidly evolved in neuroscience and provide important insights into brain health and function. However, as new techniques develop, it is not always clear when and how each may be used to answer specific scientific questions posed. Dendritic spines, which are often indicative of synapse formation and neural plasticity, have been implicated across many brain regions in neurodevelopmental disorders as a marker for neural changes reflecting neural dysfunction or alterations. In this Perspective we highlight several techniques for staining, imaging, and quantifying dendritic spines as well as provide a framework for avoiding potential issues related to pseudoreplication. This framework illustrates how others may apply the most rigorous approaches. We consider the cost-benefit analysis of the varied techniques, recognizing that the most sophisticated equipment may not always be necessary for answering some research questions. Together, we hope this piece will help researchers determine the best strategy toward using the ever-growing number of techniques available to determine neural changes underlying dendritic spine morphology in health and neurodevelopmental disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ben-Zheng Li
- Department
of Physiology and Biophysics, University
of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado 80045, United States
| | - Anna Sumera
- Simons
Initiative for the Developing Brain, Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9XD, U.K.
| | - Sam A Booker
- Simons
Initiative for the Developing Brain, Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9XD, U.K.
| | - Elizabeth A. McCullagh
- Department
of Integrative Biology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma 74078, United States
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Adraoui FW, Douw L, Martens GJM, Maas DA. Connecting Neurobiological Features with Interregional Dysconnectivity in Social-Cognitive Impairments of Schizophrenia. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24097680. [PMID: 37175387 PMCID: PMC10177877 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24097680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2023] [Revised: 04/18/2023] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Schizophrenia (SZ) is a devastating psychiatric disorder affecting about 1% of the world's population. Social-cognitive impairments in SZ prevent positive social interactions and lead to progressive social withdrawal. The neurobiological underpinnings of social-cognitive symptoms remain poorly understood, which hinders the development of novel treatments. At the whole-brain level, an abnormal activation of social brain regions and interregional dysconnectivity within social-cognitive brain networks have been identified as major contributors to these symptoms. At the cellular and subcellular levels, an interplay between oxidative stress, neuroinflammation and N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor hypofunction is thought to underly SZ pathology. However, it is not clear how these molecular processes are linked with interregional dysconnectivity in the genesis of social-cognitive symptoms. Here, we aim to bridge the gap between macroscale (connectivity analyses) and microscale (molecular and cellular mechanistic) knowledge by proposing impaired myelination and the disinhibition of local microcircuits as possible causative biological pathways leading to dysconnectivity and abnormal activity of the social brain. Furthermore, we recommend electroencephalography as a promising translational technique that can foster pre-clinical drug development and discuss attractive drug targets for the treatment of social-cognitive symptoms in SZ.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Florian W Adraoui
- Biotrial, Preclinical Pharmacology Department, 7-9 rue Jean-Louis Bertrand, 35000 Rennes, France
| | - Linda Douw
- Anatomy and Neurosciences, Amsterdam UMC Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Boelelaan, 1081 HZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Gerard J M Martens
- Donders Centre for Neuroscience (DCN), Department of Molecular Animal Physiology, Faculty of Science, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- NeuroDrug Research Ltd., 6525 ED Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Dorien A Maas
- Anatomy and Neurosciences, Amsterdam UMC Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Boelelaan, 1081 HZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Speers LJ, Bilkey DK. Maladaptive explore/exploit trade-offs in schizophrenia. Trends Neurosci 2023; 46:341-354. [PMID: 36878821 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2023.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2022] [Revised: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 03/07/2023]
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a complex disorder that remains poorly understood, particularly at the systems level. In this opinion article we argue that the explore/exploit trade-off concept provides a holistic and ecologically valid framework to resolve some of the apparent paradoxes that have emerged within schizophrenia research. We review recent evidence suggesting that fundamental explore/exploit behaviors may be maladaptive in schizophrenia during physical, visual, and cognitive foraging. We also describe how theories from the broader optimal foraging literature, such as the marginal value theorem (MVT), could provide valuable insight into how aberrant processing of reward, context, and cost/effort evaluations interact to produce maladaptive responses.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lucinda J Speers
- Department of Psychology, University of Otago, Dunedin 9016, New Zealand
| | - David K Bilkey
- Department of Psychology, University of Otago, Dunedin 9016, New Zealand.
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Nakamura T, Dinh TH, Asai M, Matsumoto J, Nishimaru H, Setogawa T, Honda S, Yamada H, Mihara T, Nishijo H. Suppressive effects of ketamine on auditory steady-state responses in intact, awake macaques: A non-human primate model of schizophrenia. Brain Res Bull 2023; 193:84-94. [PMID: 36539101 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2022.12.006] [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: 11/01/2022] [Revised: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 12/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Auditory steady-state responses (ASSRs) are recurrent neural activities entrained to regular cyclic auditory stimulation. ASSRs are altered in individuals with schizophrenia, and may be related to hypofunction of the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) glutamate receptor. Noncompetitive NMDA receptor antagonists, including ketamine, have been used in ASSR studies of rodent models of schizophrenia. Although animal studies using non-human primates are required to complement rodent studies, the effects of ketamine on ASSRs are unknown in intact awake non-human primates. In this study, after administration of vehicle or ketamine, click trains at 20-83.3 Hz were presented to elicit ASSRs during recording of electroencephalograms in intact, awake macaque monkeys. The results indicated that ASSRs quantified by event-related spectral perturbation and inter-trial coherence were maximal at 83.3 Hz after vehicle administration, and that ketamine reduced ASSRs at 58.8 and 83.3 Hz, but not at 20 and 40 Hz. The present results demonstrated a reduction of ASSRs by the NMDA receptor antagonist at optimal frequencies with maximal responses in intact, awake macaques, comparable to ASSR reduction in patients with schizophrenia. These findings suggest that ASSR can be used as a neurophysiological biomarker of the disturbance of gamma-oscillatory neural circuits in this ketamine model of schizophrenia using intact, awake macaques. Thus, this model with ASSRs would be useful in the investigation of human brain pathophysiology as well as in preclinical translational research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tomoya Nakamura
- System Emotional Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toyama, Toyama 930-0194, Japan; Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toyama, Toyama 930-0194, Japan
| | - Trong Ha Dinh
- System Emotional Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toyama, Toyama 930-0194, Japan; Department of Physiology, Vietnam Military Medical University, Hanoi 100000, Viet Nam
| | - Makoto Asai
- Candidate Discovery Science Labs, Drug Discovery Research, Astellas Pharma Inc., Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8585, Japan
| | - Jumpei Matsumoto
- System Emotional Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toyama, Toyama 930-0194, Japan; Research Center for Idling Brain Science (RCIBS), University of Toyama, Toyama 930-0194, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Nishimaru
- System Emotional Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toyama, Toyama 930-0194, Japan; Research Center for Idling Brain Science (RCIBS), University of Toyama, Toyama 930-0194, Japan
| | - Tsuyoshi Setogawa
- System Emotional Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toyama, Toyama 930-0194, Japan; Research Center for Idling Brain Science (RCIBS), University of Toyama, Toyama 930-0194, Japan
| | - Sokichi Honda
- Candidate Discovery Science Labs, Drug Discovery Research, Astellas Pharma Inc., Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8585, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Yamada
- Candidate Discovery Science Labs, Drug Discovery Research, Astellas Pharma Inc., Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8585, Japan
| | - Takuma Mihara
- Candidate Discovery Science Labs, Drug Discovery Research, Astellas Pharma Inc., Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8585, Japan
| | - Hisao Nishijo
- System Emotional Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toyama, Toyama 930-0194, Japan; Research Center for Idling Brain Science (RCIBS), University of Toyama, Toyama 930-0194, Japan.
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Niu M, Yang X, Li Y, Sun Y, Wang L, Ha J, Xie Y, Gao Z, Tian C, Wang L, Sun Y. Progresses in GluN2A-containing NMDA Receptors and their Selective Regulators. Cell Mol Neurobiol 2023; 43:139-153. [PMID: 34978648 DOI: 10.1007/s10571-021-01185-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Accepted: 12/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
NMDA receptors play an important physiological role in regulating synaptic plasticity, learning and memory. GluN2A subunits are the most abundant functional subunits of NMDA receptors expressed in mature brain, and their dysfunction is related to various neurological diseases. According to subunit composition, GluN2A-containing NMDA receptors can be divided into two types: diheteromeric and triheteromeric receptors. In this review, the expression, functional and pharmacological properties of different kinds of GluN2A-containing NMDA receptors as well as selective GluN2A regulators were described to further understand this type of NMDA receptors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Menghan Niu
- Department of Pharmacy, Hebei University of Science and Technology, Yuhua East Road 70, Shijiazhuang, 050018, Hebei, China
| | - Xin Yang
- Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering, Hebei Chemical & Pharmaceutical College, Fangxing Road 88, Shijiazhuang, 050026, Hebei, China.,Hebei Technological Innovation Center of Chiral Medicine, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Yuanyuan Li
- Department of Pharmacy, Hebei University of Science and Technology, Yuhua East Road 70, Shijiazhuang, 050018, Hebei, China
| | - Yanping Sun
- Department of Pharmacy, Hebei University of Science and Technology, Yuhua East Road 70, Shijiazhuang, 050018, Hebei, China.,Hebei Research Center of Pharmaceutical and Chemical Engineering, Hebei University of Science and Technology, Shijiazhuang, China.,State Key Laboratory Breeding Base-Hebei Province Key Laboratory of Molecular Chemistry for Drug, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Long Wang
- Department of Family and Consumer Sciences, California State University, Long Beach, USA
| | - Jing Ha
- Department of Pharmacy, Hebei University of Science and Technology, Yuhua East Road 70, Shijiazhuang, 050018, Hebei, China
| | - Yinghua Xie
- Department of Pharmacy, Hebei University of Science and Technology, Yuhua East Road 70, Shijiazhuang, 050018, Hebei, China
| | - Zibin Gao
- Department of Pharmacy, Hebei University of Science and Technology, Yuhua East Road 70, Shijiazhuang, 050018, Hebei, China.,Hebei Research Center of Pharmaceutical and Chemical Engineering, Hebei University of Science and Technology, Shijiazhuang, China.,State Key Laboratory Breeding Base-Hebei Province Key Laboratory of Molecular Chemistry for Drug, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Changzheng Tian
- Department of Anesthesiology, The First Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Donggang Road 89, Shijiazhuang, 050000, Hebei, China.
| | - Le Wang
- Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering, Hebei Chemical & Pharmaceutical College, Fangxing Road 88, Shijiazhuang, 050026, Hebei, China. .,Hebei Technological Innovation Center of Chiral Medicine, Shijiazhuang, China.
| | - Yongjun Sun
- Department of Pharmacy, Hebei University of Science and Technology, Yuhua East Road 70, Shijiazhuang, 050018, Hebei, China. .,Hebei Research Center of Pharmaceutical and Chemical Engineering, Hebei University of Science and Technology, Shijiazhuang, China. .,State Key Laboratory Breeding Base-Hebei Province Key Laboratory of Molecular Chemistry for Drug, Shijiazhuang, China.
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Schizophrenia and psychedelic state: Dysconnection versus hyper-connection. A perspective on two different models of psychosis stemming from dysfunctional integration processes. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:59-67. [PMID: 35931756 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-022-01721-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2022] [Revised: 07/15/2022] [Accepted: 07/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Psychotic symptoms are a cross-sectional dimension affecting multiple diagnostic categories, despite schizophrenia represents the prototype of psychoses. Initially, dopamine was considered the most involved molecule in the neurobiology of schizophrenia. Over the next years, several biological factors were added to the discussion helping to constitute the concept of schizophrenia as a disease marked by a deficit of functional integration, contributing to the formulation of the Dysconnection Hypothesis in 1995. Nowadays the notion of dysconnection persists in the conceptualization of schizophrenia enriched by neuroimaging findings which corroborate the hypothesis. At the same time, in recent years, psychedelics received a lot of attention by the scientific community and astonishing findings emerged about the rearrangement of brain networks under the effect of these compounds. Specifically, a global decrease in functional connectivity was found, highlighting the disintegration of preserved and functional circuits and an increase of overall connectivity in the brain. The aim of this paper is to compare the biological bases of dysconnection in schizophrenia with the alterations of neuronal cyto-architecture induced by psychedelics and the consequent state of cerebral hyper-connection. These two models of psychosis, despite diametrically opposed, imply a substantial deficit of integration of neural signaling reached through two opposite paths.
Collapse
|
24
|
Benoit LJ, Canetta S, Kellendonk C. Thalamocortical Development: A Neurodevelopmental Framework for Schizophrenia. Biol Psychiatry 2022; 92:491-500. [PMID: 35550792 PMCID: PMC9999366 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2022.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Revised: 02/22/2022] [Accepted: 03/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Adolescence is a period of increased vulnerability for the development of psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia. The prefrontal cortex (PFC) undergoes substantial maturation during this period, and PFC dysfunction is central to cognitive impairments in schizophrenia. As a result, impaired adolescent maturation of the PFC has been proposed as a mechanism in the etiology of the disorder and its cognitive symptoms. In adulthood, PFC function is tightly linked to its reciprocal connections with the thalamus, and acutely inhibiting thalamic inputs to the PFC produces impairments in PFC function and cognitive deficits. Here, we propose that thalamic activity is equally important during adolescence because it is required for proper PFC circuit development. Because thalamic abnormalities have been observed early in the progression of schizophrenia, we further postulate that adolescent thalamic dysfunction can have long-lasting consequences for PFC function and cognition in patients with schizophrenia.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Laura J Benoit
- Graduate Program in Neurobiology and Behavior, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York
| | - Sarah Canetta
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York; Division of Developmental Neuroscience, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, New York
| | - Christoph Kellendonk
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York; Department of Pharmacology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York; Division of Molecular Therapeutics, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, New York.
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Wada M, Noda Y, Iwata Y, Tsugawa S, Yoshida K, Tani H, Hirano Y, Koike S, Sasabayashi D, Katayama H, Plitman E, Ohi K, Ueno F, Caravaggio F, Koizumi T, Gerretsen P, Suzuki T, Uchida H, Müller DJ, Mimura M, Remington G, Grace AA, Graff-Guerrero A, Nakajima S. Dopaminergic dysfunction and excitatory/inhibitory imbalance in treatment-resistant schizophrenia and novel neuromodulatory treatment. Mol Psychiatry 2022; 27:2950-2967. [PMID: 35444257 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-022-01572-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2021] [Revised: 03/31/2022] [Accepted: 04/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Antipsychotic drugs are the mainstay in the treatment of schizophrenia. However, one-third of patients do not show adequate improvement in positive symptoms with non-clozapine antipsychotics. Additionally, approximately half of them show poor response to clozapine, electroconvulsive therapy, or other augmentation strategies. However, the development of novel treatment for these conditions is difficult due to the complex and heterogenous pathophysiology of treatment-resistant schizophrenia (TRS). Therefore, this review provides key findings, potential treatments, and a roadmap for future research in this area. First, we review the neurobiological pathophysiology of TRS, particularly the dopaminergic, glutamatergic, and GABAergic pathways. Next, the limitations of existing and promising treatments are presented. Specifically, this article focuses on the therapeutic potential of neuromodulation, including electroconvulsive therapy, repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, transcranial direct current stimulation, and deep brain stimulation. Finally, we propose multivariate analyses that integrate various perspectives of the pathogenesis, such as dopaminergic dysfunction and excitatory/inhibitory imbalance, thereby elucidating the heterogeneity of TRS that could not be obtained by conventional statistics. These analyses can in turn lead to a precision medicine approach with closed-loop neuromodulation targeting the detected pathophysiology of TRS.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Masataka Wada
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University, School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yoshihiro Noda
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University, School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yusuke Iwata
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, University of Yamanashi Faculty of Medicine, Yamanashi, Japan
| | - Sakiko Tsugawa
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University, School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kazunari Yoshida
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University, School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.,Tanenbaum Centre for Pharmacogenetics, Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Azrieli Adult Neurodevelopmental Centre, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Hideaki Tani
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University, School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yoji Hirano
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.,Neural Dynamics Laboratory, Research Service, VA Boston Healthcare System, and Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Shinsuke Koike
- Center for Evolutionary Cognitive Sciences, Graduate School of Art and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Daiki Sasabayashi
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, University of Toyama Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Toyama, Japan.,Research Center for Idling Brain Science, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
| | - Haruyuki Katayama
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University, School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Eric Plitman
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Kazutaka Ohi
- Department of Psychiatry, Gifu University Graduate School of Medicine, Gifu, Japan
| | - Fumihiko Ueno
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University, School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Brain Health Imaging Centre, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Fernando Caravaggio
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Brain Health Imaging Centre, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Teruki Koizumi
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University, School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.,Department of Psychiatry, National Hospital Organization Shimofusa Psychiatric Medical Center, Chiba, Japan
| | - Philip Gerretsen
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Brain Health Imaging Centre, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), Toronto, ON, Canada.,Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Takefumi Suzuki
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, University of Yamanashi Faculty of Medicine, Yamanashi, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Uchida
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University, School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Daniel J Müller
- Tanenbaum Centre for Pharmacogenetics, Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Masaru Mimura
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University, School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Gary Remington
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Anthony A Grace
- Departments of Neuroscience, Psychiatry and Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Ariel Graff-Guerrero
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Brain Health Imaging Centre, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), Toronto, ON, Canada.,Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Shinichiro Nakajima
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University, School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan. .,Brain Health Imaging Centre, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), Toronto, ON, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Rosenbrock H, Dorner-Ciossek C, Giovannini R, Schmid B, Schuelert N. Effects of the glycine transporter-1 inhibitor iclepertin (BI 425809) on sensory processing, neural network function, and cognition in animal models related to schizophrenia. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 2022; 382:223-232. [PMID: 35661632 DOI: 10.1124/jpet.121.001071] [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: 12/22/2021] [Accepted: 05/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor hypofunction leading to neural network dysfunction is thought to play an important role in the pathophysiology of cognitive impairment associated with schizophrenia (CIAS). Increasing extracellular concentrations of the NMDA receptor co-agonist glycine through inhibition of glycine transporter-1 (GlyT1) has the potential to treat CIAS by improving cortical network function through enhanced glutamatergic signaling. Indeed, the novel GlyT1 inhibitor iclepertin (BI 425809) improved cognition in a recent clinical study in patients with schizophrenia. The present study tested the ability of iclepertin to reverse MK-801-induced deficits in auditory sensory processing and cortical network function using electroencephalography (EEG) to measure auditory event-related potentials (AERP) and 40 Hz auditory steady-state response (ASSR). In addition, improvements in memory performance with iclepertin were evaluated using the T-maze spontaneous alternation test in MK-801-treated mice and the social recognition test in naïve rats. Iclepertin reversed MK-801-induced deficits in the AERP readouts N1 amplitude and N1 gating, as well as 40 Hz ASSR power and inter-trial coherence. Additionally, iclepertin significantly attenuated an MK-801-induced increase in basal gamma power. Furthermore, iclepertin reversed MK-801-induced working memory deficits in mice and improved social recognition memory performance in rats. Overall, this study demonstrates that inhibition of GlyT1 is sufficient to attenuate MK-801-induced deficits in translatable EEG parameters relevant to schizophrenia. Moreover, iclepertin showed memory-enhancing effects in rodent cognition tasks, further demonstrating the potential for GlyT1 inhibition to treat CIAS. Significance Statement Despite the significant patient burden caused by cognitive impairment associated with schizophrenia, there are currently no approved pharmacotherapies. In this preclinical study, the novel glycine transporter inhibitor iclepertin (BI 425809) reversed sensory processing deficits and neural network dysfunction evoked by inhibition of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors, and enhanced working memory performance and social recognition in rodents. These findings support previous clinical evidence for the pro-cognitive effects of iclepertin.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Holger Rosenbrock
- CNS Discovery Research, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Germany
| | | | | | - Bernhard Schmid
- Drug Discovery Sciences, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Germany
| | - Niklas Schuelert
- CNS Discovery Research, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Mack NR, Deng SX, Yang SS, Shu YS, Gao WJ. Prefrontal Cortical Control of Anxiety: Recent Advances. Neuroscientist 2022:10738584211069071. [PMID: 35086369 PMCID: PMC9869286 DOI: 10.1177/10738584211069071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Dysfunction in the prefrontal cortex is commonly implicated in anxiety disorders, but the mechanisms remain unclear. Approach-avoidance conflict tasks have been extensively used in animal research to better understand how changes in neural activity within the prefrontal cortex contribute to avoidance behaviors, which are believed to play a major role in the maintenance of anxiety disorders. In this article, we first review studies utilizing in vivo electrophysiology to reveal the relationship between changes in neural activity and avoidance behavior in rodents. We then review recent studies that take advantage of optical and genetic techniques to test the unique contribution of specific prefrontal cortex circuits and cell types to the control of anxiety-related avoidance behaviors. This new body of work reveals that behavior during approach-avoidance conflict is dynamically modulated by individual cell types, distinct neural pathways, and specific oscillatory frequencies. The integration of these different pathways, particularly as mediated by interactions between excitatory and inhibitory neurons, represents an exciting opportunity for the future of understanding anxiety.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nancy R. Mack
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19129
| | - Sui-Xin Deng
- Department of Neurology, Huashan Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Institute for Translational Brain Research, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Sha-Sha Yang
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19129
| | - You-Sheng Shu
- Department of Neurology, Huashan Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Institute for Translational Brain Research, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China,Corresponding author: You-Sheng Shu, Ph.D., Department of Neurology, Huashan Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Institute for Translational Brain Research, Fudan University, 131 Dong’an Road, Xuhui District, Shanghai, 200032, China, ; Wen-Jun Gao, M.D., Ph.D.,
| | - Wen-Jun Gao
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19129,Corresponding author: You-Sheng Shu, Ph.D., Department of Neurology, Huashan Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Institute for Translational Brain Research, Fudan University, 131 Dong’an Road, Xuhui District, Shanghai, 200032, China, ; Wen-Jun Gao, M.D., Ph.D.,
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Zick JL, Crowe DA, Blackman RK, Schultz K, Bergstrand DW, DeNicola AL, Carter RE, Ebner TJ, Lanier LM, Netoff TI, Chafee MV. Disparate insults relevant to schizophrenia converge on impaired spike synchrony and weaker synaptic interactions in prefrontal local circuits. Curr Biol 2022; 32:14-25.e4. [PMID: 34678162 PMCID: PMC10038008 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.10.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2020] [Revised: 08/25/2021] [Accepted: 10/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Schizophrenia results from hundreds of known causes, including genetic, environmental, and developmental insults that cooperatively increase risk of developing the disease. In spite of the diversity of causal factors, schizophrenia presents with a core set of symptoms and brain abnormalities (both structural and functional) that particularly impact the prefrontal cortex. This suggests that many different causal factors leading to schizophrenia may cause prefrontal neurons and circuits to fail in fundamentally similar ways. The nature of convergent malfunctions in prefrontal circuits at the cell and synaptic levels leading to schizophrenia are not known. Here, we apply convergence-guided search to identify core pathological changes in the functional properties of prefrontal circuits that lie downstream of mechanistically distinct insults relevant to the disease. We compare the impacts of blocking NMDA receptors in monkeys and deleting a schizophrenia risk gene in mice on activity timing and effective communication in prefrontal local circuits. Although these manipulations operate through distinct molecular pathways and biological mechanisms, we found they produced convergent pathophysiological effects on prefrontal local circuits. Both manipulations reduced the frequency of synchronous (0-lag) spiking between prefrontal neurons and weakened functional interactions between prefrontal neurons at monosynaptic lags as measured by information transfer between the neurons. The two observations may be related, as reduction in synchronous spiking between prefrontal neurons would be expected to weaken synaptic connections between them via spike-timing-dependent synaptic plasticity. These data suggest that the link between spike timing and synaptic connectivity could comprise the functional vulnerability that multiple risk factors exploit to produce disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer L Zick
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; Medical Scientist Training Program (MD/PhD), University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - David A Crowe
- Department of Biology, Augsburg University, Minneapolis, MN 55454, USA
| | - Rachael K Blackman
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; Medical Scientist Training Program (MD/PhD), University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Kelsey Schultz
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | | | - Adele L DeNicola
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Russell E Carter
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Timothy J Ebner
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Lorene M Lanier
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Theoden I Netoff
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Matthew V Chafee
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; Brain Sciences Center, VA Medical Center, Minneapolis, MN 55417, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Bonfanti L, Charvet CJ. Brain Plasticity in Humans and Model Systems: Advances, Challenges, and Future Directions. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:9358. [PMID: 34502267 PMCID: PMC8431131 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22179358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2021] [Revised: 08/26/2021] [Accepted: 08/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Plasticity, and in particular, neurogenesis, is a promising target to treat and prevent a wide variety of diseases (e.g., epilepsy, stroke, dementia). There are different types of plasticity, which vary with age, brain region, and species. These observations stress the importance of defining plasticity along temporal and spatial dimensions. We review recent studies focused on brain plasticity across the lifespan and in different species. One main theme to emerge from this work is that plasticity declines with age but that we have yet to map these different forms of plasticity across species. As part of this effort, we discuss our recent progress aimed to identify corresponding ages across species, and how this information can be used to map temporal variation in plasticity from model systems to humans.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Luca Bonfanti
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Turin, Largo Braccini 2, 10095 Grugliasco, TO, Italy
- Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri Ottolenghi (NICO), Regione Gonzole 10, 10043 Orbassano, TO, Italy
| | | |
Collapse
|
30
|
Pei JC, Luo DZ, Gau SS, Chang CY, Lai WS. Directly and Indirectly Targeting the Glycine Modulatory Site to Modulate NMDA Receptor Function to Address Unmet Medical Needs of Patients With Schizophrenia. Front Psychiatry 2021; 12:742058. [PMID: 34658976 PMCID: PMC8517243 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.742058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2021] [Accepted: 09/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a severe mental illness that affects ~1% of the world's population. It is clinically characterized by positive, negative, and cognitive symptoms. Currently available antipsychotic medications are relatively ineffective in improving negative and cognitive deficits, which are related to a patient's functional outcomes and quality of life. Negative symptoms and cognitive deficits are unmet by the antipsychotic medications developed to date. In recent decades, compelling animal and clinical studies have supported the NMDA receptor (NMDAR) hypofunction hypothesis of schizophrenia and have suggested some promising therapeutic agents. Notably, several NMDAR-enhancing agents, especially those that function through the glycine modulatory site (GMS) of NMDAR, cause significant reduction in psychotic and cognitive symptoms in patients with schizophrenia. Given that the NMDAR-mediated signaling pathway has been implicated in cognitive/social functions and that GMS is a potential therapeutic target for enhancing the activation of NMDARs, there is great interest in investigating the effects of direct and indirect GMS modulators and their therapeutic potential. In this review, we focus on describing preclinical and clinical studies of direct and indirect GMS modulators in the treatment of schizophrenia, including glycine, D-cycloserine, D-serine, glycine transporter 1 (GlyT1) inhibitors, and D-amino acid oxidase (DAO or DAAO) inhibitors. We highlight some of the most promising recently developed pharmacological compounds designed to either directly or indirectly target GMS and thus augment NMDAR function to treat the cognitive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia. Overall, the current findings suggest that indirectly targeting of GMS appears to be more beneficial and leads to less adverse effects than direct targeting of GMS to modulate NMDAR functions. Indirect GMS modulators, especially GlyT1 inhibitors and DAO inhibitors, open new avenues for the treatment of unmet medical needs for patients with schizophrenia.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ju-Chun Pei
- Department of Psychology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Da-Zhong Luo
- Department of Psychology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Shiang-Shin Gau
- Department of Psychology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chia-Yuan Chang
- Department of Psychology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Neurobiology and Cognitive Science Center, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Wen-Sung Lai
- Department of Psychology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Neurobiology and Cognitive Science Center, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Graduate Institute of Brain and Mind Sciences, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| |
Collapse
|