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Colodete DA, Grace AA, Guimarães FS, Gomes FV. Degradation of Perineuronal Nets in the Ventral Hippocampus of Adult Rats Recreates an Adolescent-Like Phenotype of Stress Susceptibility. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY GLOBAL OPEN SCIENCE 2024; 4:100338. [PMID: 39099729 PMCID: PMC11295568 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsgos.2024.100338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2024] [Revised: 05/08/2024] [Accepted: 05/12/2024] [Indexed: 08/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Psychiatric disorders often emerge during late adolescence/early adulthood, a period with increased susceptibility to socioenvironmental factors that coincides with incomplete parvalbumin interneuron (PVI) development. Stress during this period causes functional loss of PVIs in the ventral hippocampus (vHip), which has been associated with dopamine system overdrive. This vulnerability persists until the appearance of perineuronal nets (PNNs) around PVIs. We assessed the long-lasting effects of adolescent or adult stress on behavior, ventral tegmental area dopamine neuron activity, and the number of PVIs and their associated PNNs in the vHip. Additionally, we tested whether PNN removal in the vHip of adult rats, proposed to reset PVIs to a juvenile-like state, would recreate an adolescent-like phenotype of stress susceptibility. Methods Male rats underwent a 10-day stress protocol during adolescence or adulthood. Three to 4 weeks poststress, we evaluated behaviors related to anxiety, sociability, and cognition, ventral tegmental area dopamine neuron activity, and the number of PV+ and PNN+ cells in the vHip. Furthermore, adult animals received intra-vHip infusion of ChABC (chondroitinase ABC) to degrade PNNs before undergoing stress. Results Unlike adult stress, adolescent stress induced anxiety responses, reduced sociability, cognitive deficits, ventral tegmental area dopamine system overdrive, and decreased PV+ and PNN+ cells in the vHip. However, intra-vHip ChABC infusion caused the adult stress to produce changes similar to the ones observed after adolescent stress. Conclusions Our findings underscore adolescence as a period of heightened vulnerability to the long-lasting impact of stress and highlight the protective role of PNNs against stress-induced damage in PVIs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Débora A.E. Colodete
- Department of Pharmacology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Anthony A. Grace
- Departments of Neuroscience, Psychiatry, and Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Francisco S. Guimarães
- Department of Pharmacology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Felipe V. Gomes
- Department of Pharmacology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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Derman RC, Lattal KM. Sex-dependent effects of acute stress in adolescence or adulthood on appetitive motivation. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2024; 241:1645-1662. [PMID: 38753027 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-024-06587-9] [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: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 07/25/2024]
Abstract
RATIONALE Intensely stressful experiences can lead to long-lasting changes in appetitive and aversive behaviors. In humans, post-traumatic stress disorder increases the risk of comorbid appetitive disorders including addiction and obesity. We have previously shown that an acute stressful experience in adult male rats suppresses motivation for natural reward. OBJECTIVES We examine the impact of sex and age on the effects of intense stress on action-based (instrumental) and stimulus-based (Pavlovian) motivation for natural reward (food). METHODS Rats received 15 unsignaled footshocks (stress) in a single session followed by appetitive training and testing in a distinct context. In Experiment 1, stress occurred in either adolescence (PN28) or adulthood (PN70) with appetitive training and testing beginning on PN71 for all rats. In Experiment 2, stress and appetitive training/testing occurred in adolescence. RESULTS Acute stress in adolescent females suppressed instrumental motivation assessed with progressive ratio testing when testing occurred in late adolescence or in adulthood, whereas in males stress in adolescence did not suppress instrumental motivation. Acute stress in adulthood did not alter instrumental motivation. In contrast, Pavlovian motivation assessed with single-outcome Pavlovian-to-instrumental transfer (SO-PIT) was consistently enhanced in females following adolescent or adult stress. In males, however, stress in adolescence had no effect, whereas stress in adulthood attenuated SO-PIT. CONCLUSIONS Acute stress in adolescence or adulthood altered instrumental motivation and stimulus-triggered Pavlovian motivation in a sex and developmentally specific manner. These findings suggest that the persistent effects of acute stress on Pavlovian and instrumental motivational processes differ in females and males, and that males may be less vulnerable to the deleterious effects of intense stress during adolescence on appetitive motivation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rifka C Derman
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - K Matthew Lattal
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA
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3
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Zhu X, Grace AA. Sex- and exposure age-dependent effects of adolescent stress on ventral tegmental area dopamine system and its afferent regulators. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:611-624. [PMID: 36224257 PMCID: PMC9918682 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-022-01820-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2022] [Revised: 09/21/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Adolescent stress is a risk factor for schizophrenia. Emerging evidence suggests that age-dependent sensitive windows for childhood trauma are associated more strongly with adult psychosis, but the neurobiological basis and potential sex differences are unknown.Using in vivo electrophysiology and immunohistology in rats, we systematically compared the effects of two age-defined adolescent stress paradigms, prepubertal (postnatal day [PD] 21-30; PreP-S) and postpubertal (PD41-50; PostP-S) foot-shock and restraint combined stress, on ventral tegmental area (VTA) dopaminergic activity, pyramidal neuron activity in the ventral hippocampus (vHipp) and the basolateral amygdala (BLA), corticoamygdalar functional inhibitory control, and vHipp and BLA parvalbumin interneuron (PVI) impairments. These endpoints were selected based on their well-documented roles in the pathophysiology of psychosis.Overall, we found distinct sex- and exposure age-dependent stress vulnerability. Specifically, while males were selectively vulnerable to PreP-S-induced adult VTA dopamine neuron and vHipp hyperactivities, females were selectively vulnerable to PostP-S. These male selective PreP-S effects were correlated with stress-induced aberrant persistent BLA hyperactivity, dysfunctional prefrontal inhibitory control of BLA neurons, and vHipp/BLA PVI impairments. In contrast, female PostP-S only produced vHipp PVI impairments in adults, with the BLA structure and functions largely unaffected.Our results indicated distinct adolescent-sensitive periods during which stress can sex-dependently confer maximal risks to corticolimbic systems to drive dopamine hyperactivity, which provide critical insights into the neurobiological basis for sex-biased stress-related psychopathologies emphasizing but not limited to schizophrenia. Furthermore, our work also provides a framework for future translational research on age-sensitive targeted interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiyu Zhu
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Anthony A. Grace
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, PA, USA,Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, PA, USA,Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, PA, USA,Corresponding author: Anthony A Grace;
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4
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Cavichioli AM, Santos-Silva T, Grace AA, Guimarães FS, Gomes FV. Levetiracetam Attenuates Adolescent Stress-induced Behavioral and Electrophysiological Changes Associated With Schizophrenia in Adult Rats. Schizophr Bull 2023; 49:68-77. [PMID: 35988039 PMCID: PMC9810001 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbac106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND HYPOTHESIS Stress during adolescence is a major risk factor for schizophrenia. We have found previously in rats that adolescent stress caused, in adulthood, behavioral changes and enhanced ventral tegmental area (VTA) dopamine system activity, which were associated with dysregulation of the excitatory-inhibitory (E/I) balance in the ventral hippocampus (vHip). Levetiracetam, an anticonvulsant drug, regulates the release of neurotransmitters, including glutamate, via SV2A inhibition. It also modulates parvalbumin interneuron activity via Kv3.1 channels. Therefore, levetiracetam could ameliorate deficits in the E/I balance. We tested whether levetiracetam attenuate the adolescent stress-induced behavioral changes, vHip hyperactivity, and enhanced VTA dopamine system activity in adult rats. STUDY DESIGN Male Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to a combination of daily footshock (postnatal day [PD] 31-40), and three 1 h-restraint stress sessions (at PD31, 32, and 40). In adulthood (PD62), animals were tested for anxiety responses (elevated plus-maze and light-dark box), social interaction, and cognitive function (novel object recognition test). The activity of vHip pyramidal neurons and VTA dopamine neurons was also recorded. STUDY RESULTS Adolescent stress produced anxiety-like responses and impaired sociability and cognitive function. Levetiracetam (10 mg/kg) reversed these changes. Levetiracetam also reversed the increased VTA dopamine neuron population activity and the enhanced firing rate of vHip pyramidal neurons induced by adolescent stress. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that levetiracetam attenuates the adverse outcomes associated with schizophrenia caused by stress during adolescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreza M Cavichioli
- Department of Pharmacology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Thamyris Santos-Silva
- Department of Pharmacology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Anthony A Grace
- Departments of Neuroscience, Psychiatry, and Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Francisco S Guimarães
- Department of Pharmacology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Felipe V Gomes
- Department of Pharmacology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
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Uliana DL, Zhu X, Gomes FV, Grace AA. Using animal models for the studies of schizophrenia and depression: The value of translational models for treatment and prevention. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:935320. [PMID: 36090659 PMCID: PMC9449416 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.935320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2022] [Accepted: 08/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Animal models of psychiatric disorders have been highly effective in advancing the field, identifying circuits related to pathophysiology, and identifying novel therapeutic targets. In this review, we show how animal models, particularly those based on development, have provided essential information regarding circuits involved in disorders, disease progression, and novel targets for intervention and potentially prevention. Nonetheless, in recent years there has been a pushback, largely driven by the US National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), to shift away from animal models and instead focus on circuits in normal subjects. This has been driven primarily from a lack of discovery of new effective therapeutic targets, and the failure of targets based on preclinical research to show efficacy. We discuss why animal models of complex disorders, when strongly cross-validated by clinical research, are essential to understand disease etiology as well as pathophysiology, and direct new drug discovery. Issues related to shortcomings in clinical trial design that confound translation from animal models as well as the failure to take patient pharmacological history into account are proposed to be a source of the failure of what are likely effective compounds from showing promise in clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela L. Uliana
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Xiyu Zhu
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Felipe V. Gomes
- Department of Pharmacology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Anthony A. Grace
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
- *Correspondence: Anthony A. Grace,
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6
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Foster JC, Cohodes EM, Brieant AE, McCauley S, Odriozola P, Zacharek SJ, Pierre JC, Hodges H, Kribakaran S, Haberman JT, Holt-Gosselin B, Gee DG. Associations between early-life stress exposure and internalizing symptomatology during the COVID-19 pandemic: Assessing the role of neurobehavioral mediators. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY GLOBAL OPEN SCIENCE 2022; 3:S2667-1743(22)00090-8. [PMID: 35959474 PMCID: PMC9356644 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsgos.2022.07.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2021] [Revised: 07/12/2022] [Accepted: 07/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is a major stressor that has been associated with increased risk for psychiatric illness in the general population. Recent work has highlighted that experiences of early-life stress (ELS) may impact individuals' psychological functioning and vulnerability for developing internalizing psychopathology in response to pandemic-related stress. However, little is known about the neurobehavioral factors that may mediate the association between ELS exposure and COVID-related internalizing symptomatology. The current study sought to examine the mediating roles of pre-pandemic resting-state frontoamygdala connectivity and concurrent emotion regulation (ER) in the association between ELS and pandemic-related internalizing symptomatology. Methods Retrospective life-stress histories, concurrent self-reported ER strategies (i.e., reappraisal and suppression), concurrent self-reported internalizing symptomatology (i.e., depression- and anxiety-related symptomatology), and resting-state functional connectivity data from a sample of adults (N = 64, M age = 22.12, female = 68.75%) were utilized. Results There were no significant direct associations between ELS and COVID-related internalizing symptomatology. Neither frontoamygdala functional connectivity nor ER strategy use mediated an association between ELS and COVID-related internalizing symptomatology (ps > 0.05). Exploratory analyses identified a significant moderating effect of reappraisal use on the association between ELS and internalizing symptomatology (β = -0.818, p = 0.047), such that increased reappraisal use buffered the impact of ELS on psychopathology. Conclusions While frontoamygdala connectivity and ER do not appear to mediate the association between ELS and COVID-related internalizing symptomatology, our findings suggest that the use of reappraisal may buffer against the effect of ELS on mental health during the pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordan C. Foster
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Emily M. Cohodes
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
| | | | - Sarah McCauley
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Paola Odriozola
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Sadie J. Zacharek
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | | | - H.R. Hodges
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
| | | | | | | | - Dylan G. Gee
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
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7
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Uliana DL, Gomes FV, Grace AA. Nucleus reuniens inactivation reverses stress-induced hypodopaminergic state and altered hippocampal-accumbens synaptic plasticity. Neuropsychopharmacology 2022; 47:1513-1522. [PMID: 35488085 PMCID: PMC9205859 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-022-01333-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2021] [Revised: 03/11/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The nucleus reuniens of the thalamus (RE) is a pivotal area responsible for the connectivity of the prefrontal-hippocampus pathway that regulates cognitive, executive, and fear learning processes. Recently, it was proposed that the RE participates in the pathophysiological states related to affective dysregulation. We investigated the role of RE in motivational behavioral and electrophysiological dysregulation induced by stress. Adult Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to a combination of stressors (restraint stress+footshock) for 10 days and tested one to two weeks later in the forced swim test (FST), ventral tegmental area (VTA)dopamine (DA) neuron electrophysiological activity, and hippocampal-nucleus accumbens plasticity. The RE was inactivated by injecting TTX prior to the procedures. The stress exposure increased the immobility in the FST and decreased VTA DA neuron population activity. Whereas an early long-term potentiation (e-LTP) in the ventral hippocampus-nucleus accumbens pathway was found after fimbria high-frequency stimulation in naïve animals, stressed animals showed an early long-term depression (e-LTD). Inactivation of the RE reversed the stress-induced changes in the FST and restored dopaminergic activity. RE inactivation partially recovered the stress-induced abnormal hippocampal-accumbens plasticity observed in controls. Our findings support the role of the RE in regulating affective dysregulation and blunted VTA DA system function induced by stress. Also, it points to the hippocampal-accumbens pathway as a potential neural circuit through which RE could modulate activity. Therefore, RE may represent a key brain region involved in the neurobiology of amotivational states and may provide insights into circuit dysfunction and markers of the maladaptive stress response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela L. Uliana
- grid.21925.3d0000 0004 1936 9000Departments of Neuroscience, Psychiatry and Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA USA
| | - Felipe V. Gomes
- grid.21925.3d0000 0004 1936 9000Departments of Neuroscience, Psychiatry and Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA USA ,grid.11899.380000 0004 1937 0722Present Address: Department of Pharmacology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP Brazil
| | - Anthony A. Grace
- grid.21925.3d0000 0004 1936 9000Departments of Neuroscience, Psychiatry and Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA USA
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8
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Zhu Y, Wang MJ, Crawford KM, Ramírez-Tapia JC, Lussier AA, Davis KA, de Leeuw C, Takesian AE, Hensch TK, Smoller JW, Dunn EC. Sensitive period-regulating genetic pathways and exposure to adversity shape risk for depression. Neuropsychopharmacology 2022; 47:497-506. [PMID: 34689167 PMCID: PMC8674315 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-021-01172-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2021] [Revised: 07/23/2021] [Accepted: 08/30/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Animal and human studies have documented the existence of developmental windows (or sensitive periods) when experience can have lasting effects on brain structure or function, behavior, and disease. Although sensitive periods for depression likely arise through a complex interplay of genes and experience, this possibility has not yet been explored in humans. We examined the effect of genetic pathways regulating sensitive periods, alone and in interaction with common childhood adversities, on depression risk. Guided by a translational approach, we: (1) performed association analyses of three gene sets (60 genes) shown in animal studies to regulate sensitive periods using summary data from a genome-wide association study of depression (n = 807,553); (2) evaluated the developmental expression patterns of these genes using data from BrainSpan (n = 31), a transcriptional atlas of postmortem brain samples; and (3) tested gene-by-development interplay (dGxE) by analyzing the combined effect of common variants in sensitive period genes and time-varying exposure to two types of childhood adversity within a population-based birth cohort (n = 6254). The gene set regulating sensitive period opening associated with increased depression risk. Notably, 6 of the 15 genes in this set showed developmentally regulated gene-level expression. We also identified a statistical interaction between caregiver physical or emotional abuse during ages 1-5 years and genetic risk for depression conferred by the opening genes. Genes involved in regulating sensitive periods are differentially expressed across the life course and may be implicated in depression vulnerability. Our findings about gene-by-development interplay motivate further research in large, more diverse samples to further unravel the complexity of depression etiology through a sensitive period lens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiwen Zhu
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Min-Jung Wang
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | | | - Alexandre A Lussier
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Center for Brain Science, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Kathryn A Davis
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Christiaan de Leeuw
- Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Department of Complex Trait Genetics, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Anne E Takesian
- Eaton-Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye & Ear and Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head/Neck Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Takao K Hensch
- Center for Brain Science, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jordan W Smoller
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, The Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Erin C Dunn
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, The Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Harvard Center on the Developing Child, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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Perica MI, Ravindranath O, Calabro FJ, Foran W, Luna B. Hippocampal-Prefrontal Connectivity Prior to the COVID-19 Pandemic Predicts Stress Reactivity. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY GLOBAL OPEN SCIENCE 2021; 1:283-290. [PMID: 34849503 PMCID: PMC8612769 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsgos.2021.06.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2021] [Revised: 05/26/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND By adolescence, foundational cognitive and affective neurobehavioral processes specialize based on environmental demands, such as stress, to determine the basis of adult trajectories. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has increased stress for everyone, particularly adolescents who face unique stressors such as restrictions in socialization and education. However, variability in brain processes supporting stress reactivity is not well understood. Here, we leverage pre-pandemic brain development studies to identify how maturity of prefrontal connectivity with the amygdala and hippocampus (HPC) is associated with response to COVID-19. We hypothesized that age-related changes in connectivity of affective and cognitive brain systems may underlie the emotional response of adolescents during the pandemic. METHODS In this study, 10- to 31-year-old participants (n = 111) completed resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging scans prior to the pandemic and then completed a questionnaire 9 months into the pandemic measuring worry, COVID-related stress, sadness, perceived stress, and positive affect. Associations between pairwise functional connectivity of HPC/amygdala subregions with prefrontal cortex subdivisions and affective reactivity during the pandemic were examined. RESULTS Regression analyses indicated that both worry and COVID-19-related stress increased with age (false discovery rate-corrected p < .05). Furthermore, greater connectivity between the anterior ventromedial prefrontal cortex and posterior HPC was associated with greater worry and COVID-19-related stress (p < .05 corrected), which was primarily driven by individuals younger than 18 years. CONCLUSIONS Taken together, our results indicate that increases in stress reactivity to the COVID-19 pandemic across the transition to adulthood are driven by maturation of posterior HPC-ventromedial prefrontal cortex coupling, which integrates stress response and emotional memory processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria I. Perica
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Center for Neural Basis of Cognition, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Orma Ravindranath
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Center for Neural Basis of Cognition, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Finnegan J. Calabro
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Center for Neural Basis of Cognition, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - William Foran
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Beatriz Luna
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Center for Neural Basis of Cognition, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
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10
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Gomes FV, Grace AA. Beyond Dopamine Receptor Antagonism: New Targets for Schizophrenia Treatment and Prevention. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:4467. [PMID: 33922888 PMCID: PMC8123139 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22094467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2021] [Revised: 04/20/2021] [Accepted: 04/22/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Treatment of schizophrenia (SCZ) historically relies on the use of antipsychotic drugs to treat psychosis, with all of the currently available antipsychotics acting through the antagonism of dopamine D2 receptors. Although antipsychotics reduce psychotic symptoms in many patients, they induce numerous undesirable effects and are not effective against negative and cognitive symptoms. These highlight the need to develop new drugs to treat SCZ. An advanced understanding of the circuitry of SCZ has pointed to pathological origins in the excitation/inhibition balance in regions such as the hippocampus, and restoring function in this region, particularly as a means to compensate for parvalbumin (PV) interneuron loss and resultant hippocampal hyperactivity, may be a more efficacious approach to relieve a broad range of SCZ symptoms. Other targets, such as cholinergic receptors and the trace amine-associated receptor 1 (TAAR1), have also shown some promise for the treatment of SCZ. Importantly, assessing efficacy of novel compounds must take into consideration treatment history of the patient, as preclinical studies suggest prior antipsychotic treatment may interfere with the efficacy of these novel agents. However, while novel therapeutic targets may be more effective in treating SCZ, a more effective approach would be to prevent the transition to SCZ in susceptible individuals. A focus on stress, which has been shown to be a predisposing factor in risk for SCZ, is a possible avenue that has shown promise in preclinical studies. Therefore, therapeutic approaches based on our current understanding of the circuitry of SCZ and its etiology are likely to enable development of more effective therapeutic interventions for this complex disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felipe V. Gomes
- Department of Pharmacology, Ribeirao Preto Medical School, University of Sao Paulo, Ribeirao Preto 01000-000, Brazil;
| | - Anthony A. Grace
- Departments of Neuroscience, Psychiatry and Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
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11
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Oswald LM, Dunn KE, Seminowicz DA, Storr CL. Early Life Stress and Risks for Opioid Misuse: Review of Data Supporting Neurobiological Underpinnings. J Pers Med 2021; 11:315. [PMID: 33921642 PMCID: PMC8072718 DOI: 10.3390/jpm11040315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2021] [Revised: 04/09/2021] [Accepted: 04/13/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
A robust body of research has shown that traumatic experiences occurring during critical developmental periods of childhood when neuronal plasticity is high increase risks for a spectrum of physical and mental health problems in adulthood, including substance use disorders. However, until recently, relatively few studies had specifically examined the relationships between early life stress (ELS) and opioid use disorder (OUD). Associations with opioid use initiation, injection drug use, overdose, and poor treatment outcome have now been demonstrated. In rodents, ELS has also been shown to increase the euphoric and decrease antinociceptive effects of opioids, but little is known about these processes in humans or about the neurobiological mechanisms that may underlie these relationships. This review aims to establish a theoretical model that highlights the mechanisms by which ELS may alter opioid sensitivity, thereby contributing to future risks for OUD. Alterations induced by ELS in mesocorticolimbic brain circuits, and endogenous opioid and dopamine neurotransmitter systems are described. The limited but provocative evidence linking these alterations with opioid sensitivity and risks for OUD is presented. Overall, the findings suggest that better understanding of these mechanisms holds promise for reducing vulnerability, improving prevention strategies, and prescribing guidelines for high-risk individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lynn M. Oswald
- Department of Family and Community Health, University of Maryland School of Nursing, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA;
| | - Kelly E. Dunn
- Behavioral Pharmacology Research Unit, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21230, USA;
| | - David A. Seminowicz
- Department of Neural and Pain Sciences, School of Dentistry, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA;
- Center to Advance Chronic Pain Research, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Carla L. Storr
- Department of Family and Community Health, University of Maryland School of Nursing, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA;
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