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Loh MK, Rosenkranz JA. The medial orbitofrontal cortex governs reward-related circuits in an age-dependent manner. Cereb Cortex 2023; 33:1913-1924. [PMID: 35551358 PMCID: PMC9977359 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhac182] [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: 02/22/2022] [Revised: 04/19/2022] [Accepted: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Nucleus accumbens (NAc) neurons integrate excitatory inputs from cortical and limbic structures, contributing to critical cognitive functions, including decision-making. As these afferents mature from adolescence through adulthood, incoming signals to the NAc may summate differently between age groups. Decision-making evaluates both reward and risk before action selection, suggesting an interplay between reward- and risk-related circuits. Medial orbitofrontal cortex (MO)-NAc circuits permit risk assessment behaviors and likely underlie risk information incorporation. As adolescents make reward-centric choices regardless of risk, we hypothesized the impact of MO activity alters reward-related NAc circuits in an age-dependent manner. To test this hypothesis, we used single-unit electrophysiology to measure MO train stimulation's effect on reward-related pathways, specifically the basolateral amygdala (BLA)-NAc circuit, in adult and adolescent rats. MO train stimulation altered the strength but not the timing of BLA-NAc interactions in a frequency-dependent manner. In adults, MO train stimulation produced a frequency-dependent, bidirectional effect on BLA-evoked NAc AP probability. Contrastingly, MO train stimulation uniformly attenuated BLA-NAc interactions in adolescents. While the mature MO can govern reward-related circuits in an activity-dependent manner, perhaps to adapt to positive or negative decision-making outcomes, the adolescent MO may be less able to bidirectionally impact reward-related pathways resulting in biased decision-making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maxine K Loh
- Department of Foundational Sciences and Humanities, Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL 60064, USA.,Center for Neurobiology of Stress Resilience and Psychiatric Disorders, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL 60064, USA
| | - J Amiel Rosenkranz
- Department of Foundational Sciences and Humanities, Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL 60064, USA.,Center for Neurobiology of Stress Resilience and Psychiatric Disorders, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL 60064, USA
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Woon EP, Butkovich LM, Peluso AA, Elbasheir A, Taylor K, Gourley SL. Medial orbitofrontal neurotrophin systems integrate hippocampal input into outcome-specific value representations. Cell Rep 2022; 40:111334. [PMID: 36103822 PMCID: PMC9799221 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.111334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2022] [Revised: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2022] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
In everyday life, we mentally represent possible consequences of our behaviors and integrate specific outcome values into existing knowledge to inform decisions. The medial orbitofrontal cortex (MO) is necessary to adapt behaviors when outcomes are not immediately available-when they and their values need to be envisioned. Nevertheless, neurobiological mechanisms remain unclear. We find that the neuroplasticity-associated neurotrophin receptor tropomyosin receptor kinase B (TrkB) is necessary for mice to integrate outcome-specific value information into choice behavior. This function appears attributable to memory updating (and not retrieval) and the stabilization of dendritic spines on excitatory MO neurons, which led us to investigate inputs to the MO. Ventral hippocampal (vHC)-to-MO projections appear conditionally necessary for value updating, involved in long-term aversion-based value memory updating. Furthermore, vHC-MO-mediated control of choice is TrkB dependent. Altogether, we reveal a vHC-MO connection by which specific value memories are updated, and we position TrkB within this functional circuit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ellen P Woon
- Graduate Training Program in Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; Departments of Pediatrics and Psychiatry, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; Emory National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Laura M Butkovich
- Departments of Pediatrics and Psychiatry, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; Emory National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Arianna A Peluso
- Departments of Pediatrics and Psychiatry, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; Emory National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Aziz Elbasheir
- Graduate Training Program in Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; Departments of Pediatrics and Psychiatry, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; Emory National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Kian Taylor
- Graduate Training Program in Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; Departments of Pediatrics and Psychiatry, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; Emory National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Shannon L Gourley
- Graduate Training Program in Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; Departments of Pediatrics and Psychiatry, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; Emory National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
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Ferrara NC, Trask S, Ritger A, Padival M, Rosenkranz JA. Developmental differences in amygdala projection neuron activation associated with isolation-driven changes in social preference. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:956102. [PMID: 36090658 PMCID: PMC9449454 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.956102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2022] [Accepted: 07/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Adolescence is a developmental period characterized by brain maturation and changes in social engagement. Changes in the social environment influence social behaviors. Memories of social events, including remembering familiar individuals, require social engagement during encoding. Therefore, existing differences in adult and adolescent social repertoires and environmentally-driven changes in social behavior may impact novel partner preference, associated with social recognition. Several amygdala subregions are sensitive to the social environment and can influence social behavior, which is crucial for novelty preference. Amygdala neurons project to the septum and nucleus accumbens (NAc), which are linked to social engagement. Here, we investigated how the social environment impacts age-specific social behaviors during social encoding and its subsequent impact on partner preference. We then examined changes in amygdala-septal and -NAc circuits that accompany these changes. Brief isolation can drive social behavior in both adults and adolescents and was used to increase social engagement during encoding. We found that brief isolation facilitates social interaction in adolescents and adults, and analysis across time revealed that partner discrimination was intact in all groups, but there was a shift in preference within isolated and non-isolated groups. We found that this same isolation preferentially increases basal amygdala (BA) activity relative to other amygdala subregions in adults, but activity among amygdala subregions was similar in adolescents, even when considering conditions (no isolation, isolation). Further, we identify isolation-driven increases in BA-NAc and BA-septal circuits in both adults and adolescents. Together, these results provide evidence for changes in neuronal populations within amygdala subregions and their projections that are sensitive to the social environment that may influence the pattern of social interaction within briefly isolated groups during development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole C. Ferrara
- Department of Foundational Sciences and Humanities, Discipline of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, United States
- Center for Neurobiology of Stress Resilience and Psychiatric Disorders, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Sydney Trask
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States
| | - Alexandra Ritger
- Center for Neurobiology of Stress Resilience and Psychiatric Disorders, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Mallika Padival
- Department of Foundational Sciences and Humanities, Discipline of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, United States
- Center for Neurobiology of Stress Resilience and Psychiatric Disorders, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, United States
| | - J. Amiel Rosenkranz
- Department of Foundational Sciences and Humanities, Discipline of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, United States
- Center for Neurobiology of Stress Resilience and Psychiatric Disorders, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, United States
- *Correspondence: J. Amiel Rosenkranz,
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