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Giannone F, Ebrahimi C, Endrass T, Hansson AC, Schlagenhauf F, Sommer WH. Bad habits-good goals? Meta-analysis and translation of the habit construct to alcoholism. Transl Psychiatry 2024; 14:298. [PMID: 39030169 PMCID: PMC11271507 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-024-02965-1] [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: 10/08/2023] [Revised: 05/19/2024] [Accepted: 05/24/2024] [Indexed: 07/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Excessive alcohol consumption remains a global public health crisis, with millions suffering from alcohol use disorder (AUD, or simply "alcoholism"), leading to significantly reduced life expectancy. This review examines the interplay between habitual and goal-directed behaviors and the associated neurobiological changes induced by chronic alcohol exposure. Contrary to a strict habit-goal dichotomy, our meta-analysis of the published animal experiments combined with a review of human studies reveals a nuanced transition between these behavioral control systems, emphasizing the need for refined terminology to capture the probabilistic nature of decision biases in individuals with a history of chronic alcohol exposure. Furthermore, we distinguish habitual responding from compulsivity, viewing them as separate entities with diverse roles throughout the stages of the addiction cycle. By addressing species-specific differences and translational challenges in habit research, we provide insights to enhance future investigations and inform strategies for combatting AUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Giannone
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, 68159, Mannheim, Germany
| | - C Ebrahimi
- Faculty of Psychology, Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, 01062, Dresden, Germany
| | - T Endrass
- Faculty of Psychology, Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, 01062, Dresden, Germany
| | - A C Hansson
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, 68159, Mannheim, Germany
| | - F Schlagenhauf
- Department of Psychotherapy, Campus Charité Mitte, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin & St. Hedwig Hospital, 10117, Berlin, Germany
| | - W H Sommer
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, 68159, Mannheim, Germany.
- Bethania Hospital for Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Greifswald, Germany.
- German Center for Mental Health (DZPG), Partner Site Mannheim-Heidelberg-Ulm, 68159, Mannheim, Germany.
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Maki KA, Wallen GR, Bastiaanssen TF, Hsu LY, Valencia ME, Ramchandani VA, Schwandt ML, Diazgranados N, Cryan JF, Momenan R, Barb JJ. The gut-brain axis in individuals with alcohol use disorder: An exploratory study of associations among clinical symptoms, brain morphometry, and the gut microbiome. ALCOHOL, CLINICAL & EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 48:1261-1277. [PMID: 38982564 PMCID: PMC11239122 DOI: 10.1111/acer.15346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2023] [Revised: 04/10/2024] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 07/11/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is commonly associated with distressing psychological symptoms. Pathologic changes associated with AUD have been described in both the gut microbiome and brain, but the mechanisms underlying gut-brain signaling in individuals with AUD are unknown. This study examined associations among the gut microbiome, brain morphometry, and clinical symptoms in treatment-seeking individuals with AUD. METHODS We performed a secondary analysis of data collected during inpatient treatment for AUD in subjects who provided gut microbiome samples and had structural brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI; n = 16). Shotgun metagenomics sequencing was performed, and the morphometry of brain regions of interest was calculated. Clinical symptom severity was quantified using validated instruments. Gut-brain modules (GBMs) used to infer neuroactive signaling potential from the gut microbiome were generated in addition to microbiome features (e.g., alpha diversity and bacterial taxa abundance). Bivariate correlations were performed between MRI and clinical features, microbiome and clinical features, and MRI and microbiome features. RESULTS Amygdala volume was significantly associated with alpha diversity and the abundance of several bacteria including taxa classified to Blautia, Ruminococcus, Bacteroides, and Phocaeicola. There were moderate associations between amygdala volume and GBMs, including butyrate synthesis I, glutamate synthesis I, and GABA synthesis I & II, but these relationships were not significant after false discovery rate (FDR) correction. Other bacterial taxa with shared associations to MRI features and clinical symptoms included Escherichia coli and Prevotella copri. CONCLUSIONS We identified gut microbiome features associated with MRI morphometry and AUD-associated symptom severity. Given the small sample size and bivariate associations performed, these results require confirmation in larger samples and controls to provide meaningful clinical inferences. Nevertheless, these results will inform targeted future research on the role of the gut microbiome in gut-brain communication and how signaling may be altered in patients with AUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine A. Maki
- Translational Biobehavioral and Health Disparities Branch, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Gwenyth R. Wallen
- Translational Biobehavioral and Health Disparities Branch, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Thomaz F.S. Bastiaanssen
- APC Microbiome Ireland and Department of Anatomy & Neuroscience, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Li-Yueh Hsu
- Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Michael E. Valencia
- Translational Biobehavioral and Health Disparities Branch, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Vijay A. Ramchandani
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Melanie L. Schwandt
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Nancy Diazgranados
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - John F. Cryan
- APC Microbiome Ireland and Department of Anatomy & Neuroscience, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Reza Momenan
- Clinical NeuroImaging Research Core, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Jennifer J. Barb
- Translational Biobehavioral and Health Disparities Branch, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
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Perini I, Pabst A, Martinez D, Maurage P, Heilig M. Modeling social cognition in alcohol use disorder: lessons from schizophrenia. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2024:10.1007/s00213-024-06601-0. [PMID: 38761256 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-024-06601-0] [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: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/20/2024]
Abstract
A better understanding of social deficits in alcohol use disorder (AUD) has the potential to improve our understanding of the disorder. Clinical research shows that AUD is associated with interpersonal problems and the loss of a social network which impedes response to treatment. Translational research between animal models and clinical research may benefit from a discussion of the models and methods that currently guide research into social cognition in AUD. We propose that research in AUD should harness recent technological developments to improve ecological validity while maintaining experimental control. Novel methods allow us to parse naturalistic social cognition into tangible components, and to investigate previously neglected aspects of social cognition. Furthermore, to incorporate social cognition as a defining element of AUD, it is critical to clarify the timing of these social disturbances. Currently, there is limited evidence to distinguish factors that influence social cognition as a consequence of AUD, and those that precede the onset of the disorder. Both increasing the focus on operationalization of social cognition into objective components and adopting a perspective that spans the clinical spectrum will improve our understanding in humans, but also possibly increase methodological consistency and translational dialogue across species. This commentary underscores current challenges and perspectives in this area of research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene Perini
- Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden.
- Center for Medical Image Science and Visualization, Linköping, Sweden.
| | - Arthur Pabst
- Louvain Experimental Psychopathology research group (LEP), Psychological Sciences Research Institute, UCLouvain, Place C. Mercier 10, Louvain-la-Neuve, B-1348, Belgium
| | - Diana Martinez
- Columbia University, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Pierre Maurage
- Louvain Experimental Psychopathology research group (LEP), Psychological Sciences Research Institute, UCLouvain, Place C. Mercier 10, Louvain-la-Neuve, B-1348, Belgium
| | - Markus Heilig
- Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
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Loreto BBL, Sordi AO, de Castro MN, Ornell F, Guarnieri EP, Roza TH, Schuch JB, Cima MDS, Pechansky F, Grevet EH, Grassi-Oliveira R, von Diemen L, Kessler FHP. Proposing an integrative, dynamic and transdiagnostic model for addictions: dysregulation phenomena of the three main modes of the predostatic mind. Front Psychiatry 2024; 14:1298002. [PMID: 38274436 PMCID: PMC10808830 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1298002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/28/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Several theories have been proposed to explain the complex diagnostic aspects related to addiction disorders and their development. Recent frameworks tend to focus on dimensional perspectives of symptoms rather than categorical systems, since substance use disorders are frequently comorbid with other psychiatric and especially personality disorders. However, useful transdiagnostic models that could integrate clinical evaluation derived from neuroscientific theories are lacking. In the present manuscript, the authors propose a model based on a new paradigm, in an attempt to better explain this complex, multifaceted phenomenon. The new paradigm presupposes that emotions and behavior are a response to risk prediction. Individuals make choices and engage in actions to manage potential risks/rewards in order to seek or maintain homeostasis in their internal and external environments - a mechanism that the authors call predostatic (predictive mechanism with homeostatic purpose). The model considers three main modes of the predostatic mind: (1) Alarm Mode, activated by high and/or imminent risk prediction; (2) Seek Mode, activated by long-term risk or reward prediction; and (3) Balance Mode, a self-regulating state of mind related to low risk prediction, a soothing system and a calm state. Addiction is seen as a chronic dysregulation of organism systems leading to internalizing or externalizing phenomena mainly related to the Seek and Alarm Modes, which are persistently activated by reward and risk prediction, respectively, thus hindering Balance. Addiction neuroscience research has shown that chronic drug use or engagement in addictive behaviors can lead to neuroadaptations in the brain reward circuitry, disrupting normal balance and the regulation of reward processes. This dysregulation can contribute to persistent drug-seeking/addictive behaviors despite negative consequences. This newly proposed dynamic and integrative model, named dysregulation based on externalizing and internalizing phenomena of the three main modes of the predostatic mind (DREXI3), proposes six dysregulation dimensions with basic emotional and behavioral symptoms, such as neurophysiological alterations, impulsivity, compulsion, cognitive impairment/psychosis, mood, and anxiety/anger. In this paper, the authors explain the rationale behind DREXI3 and present some hypothetical clinical examples to better illustrate the use of the model in clinical practice. The development of this innovative model could possibly guide tailored treatment interventions in the addiction field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bibiana Bolten Lucion Loreto
- Graduate Program in Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Department of Psychiatry and Legal Medicine, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Anne Orgler Sordi
- Addiction and Forensic Psychiatry Service, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil
- Center for Drug and Alcohol Research, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Melina Nogueira de Castro
- Addiction and Forensic Psychiatry Service, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Felipe Ornell
- Graduate Program in Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Department of Psychiatry and Legal Medicine, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
- Center for Drug and Alcohol Research, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Eduardo Pegoraro Guarnieri
- Graduate Program in Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Department of Psychiatry and Legal Medicine, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
- Center for Drug and Alcohol Research, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | | | - Jaqueline Bohrer Schuch
- Graduate Program in Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Department of Psychiatry and Legal Medicine, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
- Center for Drug and Alcohol Research, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Marcos da Silveira Cima
- Graduate Program in Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Department of Psychiatry and Legal Medicine, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Flavio Pechansky
- Graduate Program in Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Department of Psychiatry and Legal Medicine, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
- Center for Drug and Alcohol Research, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Eugênio Horácio Grevet
- Graduate Program in Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Department of Psychiatry and Legal Medicine, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Rodrigo Grassi-Oliveira
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Translational Neuropsychiatry Unit, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Lisia von Diemen
- Graduate Program in Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Department of Psychiatry and Legal Medicine, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
- Center for Drug and Alcohol Research, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Felix Henrique Paim Kessler
- Graduate Program in Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Department of Psychiatry and Legal Medicine, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
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McArdle CJ, Arnone AA, Heaney CF, Raab-Graham KF. A paradoxical switch: the implications of excitatory GABAergic signaling in neurological disorders. Front Psychiatry 2024; 14:1296527. [PMID: 38268565 PMCID: PMC10805837 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1296527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is the primary inhibitory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system. In the mature brain, inhibitory GABAergic signaling is critical in maintaining neuronal homeostasis and vital human behaviors such as cognition, emotion, and motivation. While classically known to inhibit neuronal function under physiological conditions, previous research indicates a paradoxical switch from inhibitory to excitatory GABAergic signaling that is implicated in several neurological disorders. Various mechanisms have been proposed to contribute to the excitatory switch such as chloride ion dyshomeostasis, alterations in inhibitory receptor expression, and modifications in GABAergic synaptic plasticity. Of note, the hypothesized mechanisms underlying excitatory GABAergic signaling are highlighted in a number of neurodevelopmental, substance use, stress, and neurodegenerative disorders. Herein, we present an updated review discussing the presence of excitatory GABAergic signaling in various neurological disorders, and their potential contributions towards disease pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colin J. McArdle
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, United States
| | - Alana A. Arnone
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, United States
- Department of General Surgery, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, United States
| | - Chelcie F. Heaney
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, United States
| | - Kimberly F. Raab-Graham
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, United States
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Ademar K, Loftén A, Nilsson M, Domi A, Adermark L, Söderpalm B, Ericson M. Acamprosate reduces ethanol intake in the rat by a combined action of different drug components. Sci Rep 2023; 13:17863. [PMID: 37857829 PMCID: PMC10587117 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-45167-3] [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: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Alcohol misuse accounts for a sizeable proportion of the global burden of disease, and Campral® (acamprosate; calcium-bis-(N-acetylhomotaurinate)) is widely used as relapse prevention therapy. The mechanism underlying its effect has in some studies been attributed to the calcium moiety and not to the N-acetylhomotaurine part of the compound. We recently suggested that the dopamine elevating effect of acamprosate is mediated both by N-acetylhomotaurine and calcium in a glycine receptor dependent manner. Here we aimed to explore, by means of in vivo microdialysis, if our previous study using local administration was functionally relevant and if systemic administration of the sodium salt of N-acetylhomotaurine (sodium acamprosate; 200 mg/kg, i.p.) enhanced the effects of calcium chloride (CaCl2; 73.5 mg/kg, i.p.) on nucleus accumbens (nAc) dopamine and/or taurine levels in male Wistar rats. In addition, we investigated the impact of regular acamprosate and the combination of CaCl2 and N-acetylhomotaurine on the alcohol deprivation effect (ADE). Finally, we assessed if N-acetylhomotaurine potentiates the ethanol-intake reducing effect of CaCl2 in a two-bottle choice voluntary ethanol consumption model followed by an ADE paradigm. Systemic administration of regular acamprosate, sodium acamprosate and CaCl2 all trended to increase nAc dopamine whereas the combination of CaCl2 and sodium acamprosate produced a significant increase. Sodium acamprosate elevated extracellular taurine levels without additional effects of CaCl2. Ethanol intake was significantly reduced by systemic administration of CaCl2 without additional effects of the combination of CaCl2 and sodium acamprosate. Both acamprosate and CaCl2 combined with sodium acamprosate blocked the ADE following acute treatment. The data presented suggest that CaCl2 and N-acetylhomotaurine act in concert on a neurochemical level, but calcium appears to have the predominant effect on ethanol intake.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karin Ademar
- Addiction Biology Unit, Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Box 410, 405 30, Gothenburg, Sweden.
| | - Anna Loftén
- Addiction Biology Unit, Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Box 410, 405 30, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Beroendekliniken, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Mathilda Nilsson
- Addiction Biology Unit, Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Box 410, 405 30, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Ana Domi
- Addiction Biology Unit, Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Box 410, 405 30, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Louise Adermark
- Addiction Biology Unit, Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Box 410, 405 30, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Bo Söderpalm
- Addiction Biology Unit, Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Box 410, 405 30, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Beroendekliniken, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Mia Ericson
- Addiction Biology Unit, Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Box 410, 405 30, Gothenburg, Sweden
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Carvajal F, Sánchez-Gil A, Cardona D, Rincón-Cervera MA, Lerma-Cabrera JM. The Effect of Very-Long-Chain n-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in the Central Nervous System and Their Potential Benefits for Treating Alcohol Use Disorder: Reviewing Pre-Clinical and Clinical Data. Nutrients 2023; 15:2993. [PMID: 37447319 DOI: 10.3390/nu15132993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2023] [Revised: 06/28/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Alcohol use poses a significant global health concern, leading to serious physical and socioeconomic issues worldwide. The current treatment options for problematic alcohol consumption are limited, leading to the exploration of alternative approaches, such as nutraceuticals. One promising target is very-long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (VLC n-3 PUFAs). This review aims to compile the most relevant pre-clinical and clinical evidence on the effect of VLC n-3 PUFAs on alcohol use disorders and related outcomes. The findings suggest that VLC n-3 PUFAs may alleviate the physiological changes induced by alcohol consumption, including neuroinflammation and neurotransmitter dysregulation. Additionally, they can reduce withdrawal symptoms, improve mood, and reduce stress level, all of which are closely associated with problematic alcohol consumption. However, more research is required to fully understand the precise mechanisms by which VLC n-3 PUFAs exert their function. Furthermore, PUFAs should not be considered a standalone solution, but as a complement to other therapeutic approaches. Although preliminary evidence supports the potential therapeutic effect of VLC n-3 PUFAs on problematic alcohol consumption, additional research is needed to validate these findings and determine the optimal use of PUFAs as part of a comprehensive approach to the treatment of alcohol use disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisca Carvajal
- Department of Psychology, University of Almeria, 04120 Almeria, Spain
- Health Research Center, University of Almeria, 04120 Almeria, Spain
| | - Ainhoa Sánchez-Gil
- Department of Psychology, University of Almeria, 04120 Almeria, Spain
- Health Research Center, University of Almeria, 04120 Almeria, Spain
| | - Diana Cardona
- Health Research Center, University of Almeria, 04120 Almeria, Spain
- Department of Nursing, Physiotherapy and Medicine, University of Almeria, 04120 Almeria, Spain
| | - Miguel Angel Rincón-Cervera
- Food Technology Division, ceiA3, CIAMBITAL, University of Almeria, 04120 Almeria, Spain
- Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology, University of Chile, Santiago 830490, Chile
| | - Jose Manuel Lerma-Cabrera
- Department of Psychology, University of Almeria, 04120 Almeria, Spain
- Health Research Center, University of Almeria, 04120 Almeria, Spain
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Pérez-Cervera L, De Santis S, Marcos E, Ghorbanzad-Ghaziany Z, Trouvé-Carpena A, Selim MK, Pérez-Ramírez Ú, Pfarr S, Bach P, Halli P, Kiefer F, Moratal D, Kirsch P, Sommer WH, Canals S. Alcohol-induced damage to the fimbria/fornix reduces hippocampal-prefrontal cortex connection during early abstinence. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2023; 11:101. [PMID: 37344865 PMCID: PMC10286362 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-023-01597-8] [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: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/23/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Alcohol dependence is characterized by a gradual reduction in cognitive control and inflexibility to contingency changes. The neuroadaptations underlying this aberrant behavior are poorly understood. Using an animal model of alcohol use disorders (AUD) and complementing diffusion-weighted (dw)-MRI with quantitative immunohistochemistry and electrophysiological recordings, we provide causal evidence that chronic intermittent alcohol exposure affects the microstructural integrity of the fimbria/fornix, decreasing myelin basic protein content, and reducing the effective communication from the hippocampus (HC) to the prefrontal cortex (PFC). Using a simple quantitative neural network model, we show how disturbed HC-PFC communication may impede the extinction of maladaptive memories, decreasing flexibility. Finally, combining dw-MRI and psychometric data in AUD patients, we discovered an association between the magnitude of microstructural alteration in the fimbria/fornix and the reduction in cognitive flexibility. Overall, these findings highlight the vulnerability of the fimbria/fornix microstructure in AUD and its potential contribution to alcohol pathophysiology. Fimbria vulnerability to alcohol underlies hippocampal-prefrontal cortex dysfunction and correlates with cognitive impairment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Pérez-Cervera
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas and Universidad Miguel Hernández, Sant Joan d'Alacant, Alicante, Spain
| | - Silvia De Santis
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas and Universidad Miguel Hernández, Sant Joan d'Alacant, Alicante, Spain
| | - Encarni Marcos
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas and Universidad Miguel Hernández, Sant Joan d'Alacant, Alicante, Spain
| | - Zahra Ghorbanzad-Ghaziany
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas and Universidad Miguel Hernández, Sant Joan d'Alacant, Alicante, Spain
- Radiation Science and Biomedical Imaging, University of Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada
| | - Alejandro Trouvé-Carpena
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas and Universidad Miguel Hernández, Sant Joan d'Alacant, Alicante, Spain
| | - Mohamed Kotb Selim
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas and Universidad Miguel Hernández, Sant Joan d'Alacant, Alicante, Spain
| | - Úrsula Pérez-Ramírez
- Center for Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering, Universitat Politècnica de València, Valencia, Spain
| | - Simone Pfarr
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Patrick Bach
- Department of Addiction Medicine, Department of Clinical Psychology, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Central Institute of Mental Health, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Patrick Halli
- Department of Psychology, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Falk Kiefer
- Department of Addiction Medicine, Department of Clinical Psychology, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Central Institute of Mental Health, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - David Moratal
- Center for Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering, Universitat Politècnica de València, Valencia, Spain
| | - Peter Kirsch
- Department of Psychology, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Wolfgang H Sommer
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany.
- Department of Addiction Medicine, Department of Clinical Psychology, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Central Institute of Mental Health, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany.
| | - Santiago Canals
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas and Universidad Miguel Hernández, Sant Joan d'Alacant, Alicante, Spain.
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Domanegg K, Sommer WH, Meinhardt MW. Psychedelic Targeting of Metabotropic Glutamate Receptor 2 and Its Implications for the Treatment of Alcoholism. Cells 2023; 12:963. [PMID: 36980303 PMCID: PMC10047550 DOI: 10.3390/cells12060963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Revised: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Alcohol abuse is a leading risk factor for the public health burden worldwide. Approved pharmacotherapies have demonstrated limited effectiveness over the last few decades in treating alcohol use disorders (AUD). New therapeutic approaches are therefore urgently needed. Historical and recent clinical trials using psychedelics in conjunction with psychotherapy demonstrated encouraging results in reducing heavy drinking in AUD patients, with psilocybin being the most promising candidate. While psychedelics are known to induce changes in gene expression and neuroplasticity, we still lack crucial information about how this specifically counteracts the alterations that occur in neuronal circuits throughout the course of addiction. This review synthesizes well-established knowledge from addiction research about pathophysiological mechanisms related to the metabotropic glutamate receptor 2 (mGlu2), with findings and theories on how mGlu2 connects to the major signaling pathways induced by psychedelics via serotonin 2A receptors (2AR). We provide literature evidence that mGlu2 and 2AR are able to regulate each other's downstream signaling pathways, either through monovalent crosstalk or through the formation of a 2AR-mGlu2 heteromer, and highlight epigenetic mechanisms by which 2ARs can modulate mGlu2 expression. Lastly, we discuss how these pathways might be targeted therapeutically to restore mGlu2 function in AUD patients, thereby reducing the propensity to relapse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Domanegg
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, 69115 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Wolfgang H. Sommer
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, 69115 Heidelberg, Germany
- Bethanien Hospital for Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy Greifswald, 17489 Greifswald, Germany
| | - Marcus W. Meinhardt
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, 69115 Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Molecular Neuroimaging, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, 69115 Heidelberg, Germany
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10
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Chang VN, Peters J. Neural circuits controlling choice behavior in opioid addiction. Neuropharmacology 2023; 226:109407. [PMID: 36592884 PMCID: PMC9898219 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2022.109407] [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: 08/01/2022] [Revised: 12/23/2022] [Accepted: 12/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
As the opioid epidemic presents an ever-expanding public health threat, there is a growing need to identify effective new treatments for opioid use disorder (OUD). OUD is characterized by a behavioral misallocation in choice behavior between opioids and other rewards, as opioid use leads to negative consequences, such as job loss, family neglect, and potential overdose. Preclinical models of addiction that incorporate choice behavior, as opposed to self-administration of a single drug reward, are needed to understand the neural circuits governing opioid choice. These choice models recapitulate scenarios that humans suffering from OUD encounter in their daily lives. Indeed, patients with substance use disorders (SUDs) exhibit a propensity to choose drug under certain conditions. While most preclinical addiction models have focused on relapse as the outcome measure, our data suggest that choice is an independent metric of addiction severity, perhaps relating to loss of cognitive control over choice, as opposed to excessive motivational drive to seek drugs during relapse. In this review, we examine both preclinical and clinical literature on choice behavior for drugs, with a focus on opioids, and the neural circuits that mediate drug choice versus relapse. We argue that preclinical models of opioid choice are needed to identify promising new avenues for OUD therapy that are translationally relevant. Both forward and reverse translation will be necessary to identify novel treatment interventions. This article is part of the Special Issue on "Opioid-induced changes in addiction and pain circuits".
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria N Chang
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Colorado Denver, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA
| | - Jamie Peters
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Colorado Denver, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA; Department of Pharmacology, University of Colorado Denver, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA.
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11
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Tryptophan and Substance Abuse: Mechanisms and Impact. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24032737. [PMID: 36769059 PMCID: PMC9917371 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24032737] [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: 01/04/2023] [Revised: 01/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/28/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Addiction, the continuous misuse of addictive material, causes long-term dysfunction in the neurological system. It substantially affects the control strength of reward, memory, and motivation. Addictive substances (alcohol, marijuana, caffeine, heroin, methamphetamine (METH), and nicotine) are highly active central nervous stimulants. Addiction leads to severe health issues, including cardiovascular diseases, serious infections, and pulmonary/dental diseases. Drug dependence may result in unfavorable cognitive impairments that can continue during abstinence and negatively influence recovery performance. Although addiction is a critical global health challenge with numerous consequences and complications, currently, there are no efficient options for treating drug addiction, particularly METH. Currently, novel treatment approaches such as psychological contingency management, cognitive behavioral therapy, and motivational enhancement strategies are of great interest. Herein, we evaluate the devastating impacts of different addictive substances/drugs on users' mental health and the role of tryptophan in alleviating unfavorable side effects. The tryptophan metabolites in the mammalian brain and their potential to treat compulsive abuse of addictive substances are investigated by assessing the functional effects of addictive substances on tryptophan. Future perspectives on developing promising modalities to treat addiction and the role of tryptophan and its metabolites to alleviate drug dependency are discussed.
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12
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Domi E, Barchiesi R, Barbier E. Epigenetic Dysregulation in Alcohol-Associated Behaviors: Preclinical and Clinical Evidence. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2023. [PMID: 36717533 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2022_410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is characterized by loss of control over intake and drinking despite harmful consequences. At a molecular level, AUD is associated with long-term neuroadaptations in key brain regions that are involved in reward processing and decision-making. Over the last decades, a great effort has been made to understand the neurobiological basis underlying AUD. Epigenetic mechanisms have emerged as an important mechanism in the regulation of long-term alcohol-induced gene expression changes. Here, we review the literature supporting a role for epigenetic processes in AUD. We particularly focused on the three most studied epigenetic mechanisms: DNA methylation, Histone modification and non-coding RNAs. Clinical studies indicate an association between AUD and DNA methylation both at the gene and global levels. Using behavioral paradigms that mimic some of the characteristics of AUD, preclinical studies demonstrate that changes in epigenetic mechanisms can functionally impact alcohol-associated behaviors. While many studies support a therapeutic potential for targeting epigenetic enzymes, more research is needed to fully understand their role in AUD. Identification of brain circuits underlying alcohol-associated behaviors has made major advances in recent years. However, there are very few studies that investigate how epigenetic mechanisms can affect these circuits or impact the neuronal ensembles that promote alcohol-associated behaviors. Studies that focus on the role of circuit-specific and cell-specific epigenetic changes for clinically relevant alcohol behaviors may provide new insights on the functional role of epigenetic processes in AUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esi Domi
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
- School of Pharmacy, Pharmacology Unit, Center for Neuroscience, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy
| | - Riccardo Barchiesi
- Department of Neuroscience, Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Alcohol Addiction Research, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Estelle Barbier
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden.
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13
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Beck A, Ebrahimi C, Rosenthal A, Charlet K, Heinz A. The Dopamine System in Mediating Alcohol Effects in Humans. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2023. [PMID: 36705911 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2022_415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Brain-imaging studies show that the development and maintenance of alcohol use disorder (AUD) is determined by a complex interaction of different neurotransmitter systems and multiple psychological factors. In this context, the dopaminergic reinforcement system appears to be of fundamental importance. We focus on the excitatory and depressant effects of acute versus chronic alcohol intake and its impact on dopaminergic neurotransmission. Furthermore, we describe alterations in dopaminergic neurotransmission as associated with symptoms of alcohol dependence. We specifically focus on neuroadaptations to chronic alcohol consumption and their effect on central processing of alcohol-associated and reward-related stimuli. Altered reward processing, complex conditioning processes, impaired reinforcement learning, and increased salience attribution to alcohol-associated stimuli enable alcohol cues to drive alcohol seeking and consumption. Finally, we will discuss how the neurobiological and neurochemical mechanisms of alcohol-associated alterations in reward processing and learning can interact with stress, cognition, and emotion processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Beck
- Faculty of Health, Health and Medical University, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Claudia Ebrahimi
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt- Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Annika Rosenthal
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt- Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Katrin Charlet
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt- Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Andreas Heinz
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt- Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
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14
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Meinhardt MW, Sommer WH. Schrooms against booze: Potential of mycotherapy for the treatment of AUD. Neuropsychopharmacology 2023; 48:211-212. [PMID: 36076019 PMCID: PMC9700780 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-022-01446-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Marcus W Meinhardt
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.
- Department of Molecular Neuroimaging, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Wolfgang H Sommer
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
- Bethanien Hospital for Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
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15
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Bozkurt M. Neuroscientific Basis of Treatment for Substance Use Disorders. Noro Psikiyatr Ars 2022; 59:S75-S80. [PMID: 36578985 PMCID: PMC9767124 DOI: 10.29399/npa.28172] [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: 03/19/2022] [Accepted: 09/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Substance use disorder is a chronic and relapsing disease that burdens both the individual and the society. In addition to psychosocial treatment approaches, currently there are approved pharmacological treatment options for opioid, alcohol and tobacco use disorders, but only symptomatic treatment can be offered to patients with other substance use disorders. Advances in neuroscience and a better understanding of the addiction process offer an opportunity to create new treatment options. There is a wide range of studies, ranging from the use of drugs with different indications to the development of new pharmacological treatments, and from vaccine studies to neuromodulation techniques. Establishing novel treatment goals in addition to complete abstinence and individualizing treatment by focusing on endophenotypes may increase the treatment alternatives and the efficacy of these treatments for SUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Müge Bozkurt
- İstanbul University, İstanbul Faculty of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, İstanbul, Turkey,Correspondence Address: Müge Bozkurt, İstanbul Üniversitesi, İstanbul Tıp Fakültesi, Psikiyatri Anabilim Dalı, Fatih, İstanbul, Turkey • E-mail:
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16
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Hamel R, Demers O, Boileau C, Roy ML, Théoret H, Bernier PM, Lepage JF. The neurobiological markers of acute alcohol's subjective effects in humans. Neuropsychopharmacology 2022; 47:2101-2110. [PMID: 35701548 PMCID: PMC9556716 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-022-01354-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2022] [Revised: 05/21/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The ingestion of alcohol yields acute biphasic subjective effects: stimulation before sedation. Despite their predictive relevance to the development of alcohol use disorders (AUD), the neurobiological markers accounting for the biphasic effects of alcohol remain poorly understood in humans. Informed by converging lines of evidence, this study tested the hypothesis that alcohol ingestion acutely increases gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-mediated inhibition, which would positively and negatively predict the feeling of stimulation and sedation, respectively. To do so, healthy participants (n = 20) ingested a single dose of 94% ABV alcohol (males: 1.0 ml/kg; females: 0.85 ml/kg) in a randomized placebo-controlled cross-over design. The alcohol's biphasic effects were assessed with the Brief-Biphasic Alcohol Effects Scale, and non-invasive neurobiological markers were measured with transcranial magnetic stimulation, before and every 30 min (up to 120 min) after the complete ingestion of the beverage. Results showed that acute alcohol ingestion selectively increased the duration of the cortical silent period (CSP) as compared to placebo, suggesting that alcohol increases non-specific GABAergic inhibition. Importantly, CSP duration positively and negatively predicted increases in the feeling of stimulation and sedation, respectively, suggesting that stimulation emerges as GABAergic inhibition increases and that sedation emerges as GABAergic inhibition returns to baseline values. Overall, these results suggest that modulations of GABAergic inhibition are central to the acute biphasic subjective effects of alcohol, providing a potential preventive target to curb the progression of at-risk individuals to AUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raphael Hamel
- Département de kinanthropologie, Faculté des sciences de l'activité physique, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
- Département de pédiatrie, Faculté de médecine et des sciences de la santé, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
- Centre de recherche du Centre hospitalier universitaire de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
| | - Olivier Demers
- Département de pédiatrie, Faculté de médecine et des sciences de la santé, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
- Centre de recherche du Centre hospitalier universitaire de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
| | - Camille Boileau
- Centre de recherche du Centre hospitalier universitaire de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
| | - Marie-Laurence Roy
- Centre de recherche du Centre hospitalier universitaire de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
| | - Hugo Théoret
- Département de psychologie, Faculté des arts et sciences, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Pierre-Michel Bernier
- Département de kinanthropologie, Faculté des sciences de l'activité physique, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
| | - Jean-Francois Lepage
- Département de pédiatrie, Faculté de médecine et des sciences de la santé, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada.
- Centre de recherche du Centre hospitalier universitaire de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada.
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17
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Bel-Bahar TS, Khan AA, Shaik RB, Parvaz MA. A scoping review of electroencephalographic (EEG) markers for tracking neurophysiological changes and predicting outcomes in substance use disorder treatment. Front Hum Neurosci 2022; 16:995534. [PMID: 36325430 PMCID: PMC9619053 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2022.995534] [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: 07/16/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Substance use disorders (SUDs) constitute a growing global health crisis, yet many limitations and challenges exist in SUD treatment research, including the lack of objective brain-based markers for tracking treatment outcomes. Electroencephalography (EEG) is a neurophysiological technique for measuring brain activity, and although much is known about EEG activity in acute and chronic substance use, knowledge regarding EEG in relation to abstinence and treatment outcomes is sparse. We performed a scoping review of longitudinal and pre-post treatment EEG studies that explored putative changes in brain function associated with abstinence and/or treatment in individuals with SUD. Following PRISMA guidelines, we identified studies published between January 2000 and March 2022 from online databases. Search keywords included EEG, addictive substances (e.g., alcohol, cocaine, methamphetamine), and treatment related terms (e.g., abstinence, relapse). Selected studies used EEG at least at one time point as a predictor of abstinence or other treatment-related outcomes; or examined pre- vs. post-SUD intervention (brain stimulation, pharmacological, behavioral) EEG effects. Studies were also rated on the risk of bias and quality using validated instruments. Forty-four studies met the inclusion criteria. More consistent findings included lower oddball P3 and higher resting beta at baseline predicting negative outcomes, and abstinence-mediated longitudinal decrease in cue-elicited P3 amplitude and resting beta power. Other findings included abstinence or treatment-related changes in late positive potential (LPP) and N2 amplitudes, as well as in delta and theta power. Existing studies were heterogeneous and limited in terms of specific substances of interest, brief times for follow-ups, and inconsistent or sparse results. Encouragingly, in this limited but maturing literature, many studies demonstrated partial associations of EEG markers with abstinence, treatment outcomes, or pre-post treatment-effects. Studies were generally of good quality in terms of risk of bias. More EEG studies are warranted to better understand abstinence- or treatment-mediated neural changes or to predict SUD treatment outcomes. Future research can benefit from prospective large-sample cohorts and the use of standardized methods such as task batteries. EEG markers elucidating the temporal dynamics of changes in brain function related to abstinence and/or treatment may enable evidence-based planning for more effective and targeted treatments, potentially pre-empting relapse or minimizing negative lifespan effects of SUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tarik S. Bel-Bahar
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Anam A. Khan
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Riaz B. Shaik
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Muhammad A. Parvaz
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
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18
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Meredith LR, Green R, Grodin EN, Chorpita M, Miotto K, Ray LA. Ibudilast moderates the effect of mood on alcohol craving during stress exposure. Exp Clin Psychopharmacol 2022; 30:620-631. [PMID: 36102596 PMCID: PMC9484034 DOI: 10.1037/pha0000458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Neuroinflammation is implicated in the development and maintenance of alcohol use disorder (AUD) and neuroimmune therapeutics show promise in treating AUD. Proinflammatory signaling contributes to progressive elevations in the dysfunction of mood and alcohol craving. The current study sought to examine potential biobehavioral mechanisms of neuroimmune modulation in AUD under experimental conditions. In a community sample of individuals with AUD who completed a placebo-controlled crossover trial of ibudilast, we tested the effect of ibudilast on the relationship between mood states and alcohol craving. Multilevel modeling analyses tested the hypothesis that ibudilast would moderate the effect of positive and negative mood states on alcohol craving during stress and cue exposures. Results revealed that after stress-induction, participants' feelings of depression and happiness were more strongly predictive of their craving for alcohol while taking ibudilast as compared with placebo (ps < .03). These results suggest that with neuroimmune modulation, positive and negative mood states may have a stronger influence on one's desire to drink, such that craving may be more mood dependent. No moderating effect of ibudilast on mood states and craving were observed after alcohol cue exposure. Given the potential of anti-inflammatory treatments to reduce depressive symptomatology, this strengthened relationship between mood and craving under ibudilast might reduce the likelihood of stress-related craving and subsequent drinking over time. Moreover, ibudilast may enhance the benefits of happiness, such that maintaining positive mood in the face of acute stress may attenuate craving. Future trials directly testing the clinical implications of these mechanistic findings are warranted. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).
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Affiliation(s)
| | - ReJoyce Green
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Erica N. Grodin
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Marie Chorpita
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Karen Miotto
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Lara A. Ray
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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19
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Körber C, Sommer WH. From ensembles to meta-ensembles: Specific reward encoding by correlated network activity. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:977474. [PMID: 36177094 PMCID: PMC9513968 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.977474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2022] [Accepted: 08/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuronal ensembles are local, sparsely distributed populations of neurons that are reliably re-activated by a specific stimulus, context or task. Such discrete cell populations can be defined either functionally, by electrophysiological recordings or in vivo calcium imaging, or anatomically, using the expression of markers such as the immediate early gene cFos. A typical example of tasks that involve the formation of neuronal ensembles is reward learning, such as the cue-reward pairing during operant conditioning. These ensembles are re-activated during cue-presentation and increasing evidence suggests that this re-activation is the neurophysiological basis for the execution of reward-seeking behavior. Whilst the pursuit of rewards is a common daily activity, it is also related to the consumption of drugs, such as alcohol, and may result in problematic behaviors including addiction. Recent research has identified neuronal ensembles in several reward-related brain regions that control distinct aspects of a conditioned response, e.g., contextual information about the availability of a specific reward or the actions needed to retrieve this reward under the given circumstances. Here, we review studies using the activity marker cFos to identify and characterize neuronal ensembles related to alcohol and non-drug rewards with a special emphasis on the discrimination between different rewards by meta-ensembles, i.e., by dynamic co-activation of multiple ensembles across different brain areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christoph Körber
- Department of Functional Neuroanatomy, Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Wolfgang H Sommer
- Medical Faculty Mannheim, Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
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20
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Dichrocephala integrifolia Aqueous Extract Antagonises Chronic and Binges Ethanol Feeding-Induced Memory Dysfunctions: Insights into Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Mechanisms. EVIDENCE-BASED COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE 2022; 2022:1620816. [PMID: 36110196 PMCID: PMC9470300 DOI: 10.1155/2022/1620816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2022] [Accepted: 08/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Ethanol consumption is widely accepted despite its addictive properties and its mind-altering effects. This study aimed to assess the effects of Dichrocephala integrifolia against, memory impairment, on a mouse model of chronic and binges ethanol feeding. Mice were divided, into groups of 8 animals each, and received distilled water, Dichrocephala integrifolia aqueous extract (25; 50; 100; or 200 mg/kg) or memantine (200 mg/kg) once a day, while fe, with Lieber-DeCarli control (sham group only) or Lieber-DeCarli ethanol diet ad libitum for 28 days. The Y maze and the novel object recognition (NOR) tests were used to evaluate spatial short-term and recognition memory, respectively. Malondialdehyde, nitric oxide, glutathione levels, and proinflammatory cytokines (Il-1β, TNF-α, and Il-6) were evaluated in brain homogenates following behavioral assessments. The results showed that chronic ethanol administration in mice was associated with a significant (p < 0.001) reduction in the spontaneous alternation percentage and the discrimination index, in the Y maze and the NOR tests, respectively. It significantly (p < 0.01) increased oxidative stress and inflammation markers levels in the brain. Dichrocephala integrifolia (100 and 200 mg/kg) as well as memantine (200 mg/kg) significantly (p < 0.001) increased the percentage of spontaneous alternation and the discrimination index, in the Y maze and NOR tests, respectively. Dichrocephala integrifolia (100 and 200 mg/kg) likewise memantine (200 mg/kg) significantly (p < 0.01) alleviated ethanol-induced increase, in the brain malondialdehyde level, nitric oxide, Il-1β, TNF-α, and Il-6. From these findings, it can be concluded that Dichrocephala integrifolia counteracted memory impairment, oxidative stress, and neuroinflammation induced by chronic ethanol consumption in mice.
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21
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Fredriksson I, Jayaram-Lindström N, Kalivas PW, Melas PA, Steensland P. N-acetylcysteine improves impulse control and attenuates relapse-like alcohol intake in long-term drinking rats. Behav Brain Res 2022; 436:114089. [PMID: 36063970 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2022.114089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2022] [Revised: 08/25/2022] [Accepted: 08/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Increasing evidence suggests that individuals with alcohol use disorder (AUD) present with a disrupted glutamatergic system that underlies core components of addictive disorders, including drug relapse and low impulse control. N-acetylcysteine (NAC) is a cystine prodrug that has been found to promote glutamate homeostasis and drug abstinence. However, no studies to date have evaluated NAC's effect on impulsivity in substance use disorders. Here we determined whether NAC would decrease alcohol-intake behaviors, in addition to improving impulse control, in long-term alcohol drinking male Wistar-Han rats. Before the start of the experiments, all rats were exposed to long-term intermittent access to 20% ethanol for at least seven weeks. Next, in different groups of rats, the effect of NAC (60 and/or 90mg/kg) was evaluated on (i) voluntary alcohol drinking using a two-bottle free choice paradigm, (ii) the motivation to self-administer alcohol under a progressive ratio schedule of reinforcement, and (iii) relapse-like drinking using the alcohol deprivation effect model. Finally, (iv) NAC's effect on impulse control was evaluated using the five-choice serial reaction time task. Results showed that NAC administration at 90mg/kg significantly reduced relapse-like drinking and improved impulse control. In contrast, NAC had no effect on levels of alcohol drinking or motivation to drink alcohol. In conclusion, our findings continue to support the use of NAC as an adjuvant treatment for the maintenance of abstinence in AUD. Moreover, we provide evidence for NAC's efficacy in improving impulse control following drinking, which warrants further investigation in substance use settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ida Fredriksson
- Center for Psychiatry Research, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet & Stockholm Health Care Services, 11364 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Nitya Jayaram-Lindström
- Center for Psychiatry Research, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet & Stockholm Health Care Services, 11364 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Peter W Kalivas
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA; Ralph Johnson Veterans Administration, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Philippe A Melas
- Center for Psychiatry Research, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet & Stockholm Health Care Services, 11364 Stockholm, Sweden; Center for Molecular Medicine, L8:00, Karolinska University Hospital, 17176 Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Pia Steensland
- Center for Psychiatry Research, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet & Stockholm Health Care Services, 11364 Stockholm, Sweden
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22
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Lohoff FW. Targeting Unmet Clinical Needs in the Treatment of Alcohol Use Disorder. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:767506. [PMID: 35757224 PMCID: PMC9218222 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.767506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2021] [Accepted: 04/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) is a chronic psychiatric disorder marked by impaired control over drinking behavior that poses a significant challenge to the individual, their community, the healthcare system and economy. While the negative consequences of chronic excessive alcohol consumption are well-documented, effective treatment for AUD and alcohol-associated diseases remains challenging. Cognitive and behavioral treatment, with or without pharmaceutical interventions, remain the most commonly used methods; however, their efficacy is limited. The development of new treatment protocols for AUD is challenged by difficulty in accurately measuring patterns of alcohol consumption in AUD patients, a lack of a clear understanding of the neuropsychological basis of the disorder, the high likelihood of AUD patients relapsing after receiving treatment, and the numerous end-organ comorbidities associated with excessive alcohol use. Identification and prediction of patients who may respond well to a certain treatment mechanism as well as clinical measurement of a patient's alcohol exposure are bottlenecks in AUD research which should be further addressed. In addition, greater focus must be placed on the development of novel strategies of drug design aimed at targeting the integrated neural pathways implicated in AUD pathogenesis, so that next-generation AUD treatment protocols can address the broad and systemic effects of AUD and its comorbid conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Falk W. Lohoff
- Section on Clinical Genomics and Experimental Therapeutics, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH, Bethesda, MD, United States
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23
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Pérez-Ramírez Ú, López-Madrona VJ, Pérez-Segura A, Pallarés V, Moreno A, Ciccocioppo R, Hyytiä P, Sommer WH, Moratal D, Canals S. Brain Network Allostasis after Chronic Alcohol Drinking Is Characterized by Functional Dedifferentiation and Narrowing. J Neurosci 2022; 42:4401-4413. [PMID: 35437279 PMCID: PMC9145238 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0389-21.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2021] [Revised: 03/25/2022] [Accepted: 03/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) causes complex alterations in the brain that are poorly understood. The heterogeneity of drinking patterns and the high incidence of comorbid factors compromise mechanistic investigations in AUD patients. Here we used male Marchigian Sardinian alcohol-preferring (msP) rats, a well established animal model of chronic alcohol drinking, and a combination of longitudinal resting-state fMRI and manganese-enhanced MRI to provide objective measurements of brain connectivity and activity, respectively. We found that 1 month of chronic alcohol drinking changed the correlation between resting-state networks. The change was not homogeneous, resulting in the reorganization of pairwise interactions and a shift in the equilibrium of functional connections. We identified two fundamentally different forms of network reorganization. First is functional dedifferentiation, which is defined as a regional increase in neuronal activity and overall correlation, with a concomitant decrease in preferential connectivity between specific networks. Through this mechanism, occipital cortical areas lost their specific interaction with sensory-insular cortex, striatal, and sensorimotor networks. Second is functional narrowing, which is defined as an increase in neuronal activity and preferential connectivity between specific brain networks. Functional narrowing strengthened the interaction between striatal and prefrontocortical networks, involving the anterior insular, cingulate, orbitofrontal, prelimbic, and infralimbic cortices. Importantly, these two types of alterations persisted after alcohol discontinuation, suggesting that dedifferentiation and functional narrowing rendered persistent network states. Our results support the idea that chronic alcohol drinking, albeit at moderate intoxicating levels, induces an allostatic change in the brain functional connectivity that propagates into early abstinence.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Excessive consumption of alcohol is positioned among the top five risk factors for disease and disability. Despite this priority, the transformations that the nervous system undergoes from an alcohol-naive state to a pathologic alcohol drinking are not well understood. In our study, we use an animal model with proven translational validity to study this transformation longitudinally. The results show that shortly after chronic alcohol consumption there is an increase in redundant activity shared by brain structures, and the specific communication shrinks to a set of pathways. This functional dedifferentiation and narrowing are not reversed immediately after alcohol withdrawal but persist during early abstinence. We causally link chronic alcohol drinking with an early and abstinence-persistent retuning of the functional equilibrium of the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Úrsula Pérez-Ramírez
- Center for Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering, Universitat Politècnica de València, E-46022 Valencia, Spain
| | - Víctor J López-Madrona
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Universidad Miguel Hernández, 03550 Sant Joan d'Alacant, Spain
| | - Andrés Pérez-Segura
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Universidad Miguel Hernández, 03550 Sant Joan d'Alacant, Spain
| | - Vicente Pallarés
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Universidad Miguel Hernández, 03550 Sant Joan d'Alacant, Spain
| | - Andrea Moreno
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Universidad Miguel Hernández, 03550 Sant Joan d'Alacant, Spain
| | | | - Petri Hyytiä
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Wolfgang H Sommer
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
| | - David Moratal
- Center for Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering, Universitat Politècnica de València, E-46022 Valencia, Spain
| | - Santiago Canals
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Universidad Miguel Hernández, 03550 Sant Joan d'Alacant, Spain
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24
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Bornscheuer L, Lundin A, Forsell Y, Lavebratt C, Melas PA. The cannabinoid receptor-1 gene interacts with stressful life events to increase the risk for problematic alcohol use. Sci Rep 2022; 12:4963. [PMID: 35322131 PMCID: PMC8941304 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-08980-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Problematic alcohol use is a major contributor to the global burden of death and disabilities, and it represents a public health concern that has grown substantially following the COVID-19 pandemic. The available treatment options remain limited and to develop better pharmacotherapies for alcohol misuse we need to identify suitable biological targets. Previous research has implicated the brain’s endocannabinoid system (ECS) in psychiatric and stress-related outcomes, including substance use and habituation to repeated stress. Moreover, genetic variants in the cannabinoid-1 receptor gene (CNR1; CB1R) have been associated with personality traits, which are in turn predictors of substance use disorders. To date, however, no human genome-wide association study has provided evidence for an involvement of the ECS in substance use outcomes. One reason for this ECS-related “missing heritability” may be unexamined gene-environment interactions. To explore this possibility, we conducted cross-sectional analyses using DNA samples and stress-exposure data from a longitudinal Swedish population-based study (N = 2,915). Specifically, we genotyped rs2023239, a functional C/T single nucleotide polymorphism in CNR1, previously reported to be associated with CNR1 binding in the brain, subjective reward following alcohol intake, and alcohol cue-elicited brain activation. Our two outcomes of interest were (i) problematic alcohol use based on the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), and (ii) personality trait scores based on the Five Factor Model. We found no baseline association between rs2023239 and problematic alcohol use or personality traits. However, there was a clear trend for interaction between rs2023239’s risk allele (C) and stressful life events (SLEs) in both childhood and adulthood, which predicted problematic alcohol use. Although not significant, there was also some indication that the risk allele interacted with child SLEs to increase scores on neuroticism. Our study supports the notion that the ECS can affect alcohol intake behaviors by interacting with life adversities and is—to the best of our knowledge—the first to focus on the interaction between CNR1 and stressors in both childhood and adulthood in humans. Further studies are warranted to confirm these findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Bornscheuer
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Stockholm University, 10691, Stockholm, Sweden.,Center for Molecular Medicine, L8:00, Karolinska University Hospital, 17176, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Andreas Lundin
- Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, 17177, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Yvonne Forsell
- Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, 17177, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Catharina Lavebratt
- Center for Molecular Medicine, L8:00, Karolinska University Hospital, 17176, Stockholm, Sweden.,Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Karolinska Institutet, 17176, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Philippe A Melas
- Center for Molecular Medicine, L8:00, Karolinska University Hospital, 17176, Stockholm, Sweden. .,Center for Psychiatry Research, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm Health Care Services, 11364, Stockholm, Sweden.
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25
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Sommer WH, Canals S, Bifone A, Heilig M, Hyytiä P. From a systems view to spotting a hidden island: A narrative review implicating insula function in alcoholism. Neuropharmacology 2022; 209:108989. [PMID: 35217032 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2022.108989] [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] [Received: 09/07/2021] [Revised: 01/30/2022] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Excessive use of alcohol promotes the development of alcohol addiction, but the understanding of how alcohol-induced brain alterations lead to addiction remains limited. To further this understanding, we adopted an unbiased discovery strategy based on the principles of systems medicine. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging data from patients and animal models of alcohol addiction-like behaviors, and developed mathematical models of the 'relapse-prone' network states to identify brain sites and functional networks that can be selectively targeted by therapeutic interventions. Our systems level, non-local, and largely unbiased analyses converged on a few well-defined brain regions, with the insula emerging as one of the most consistent finding across studies. In proof-of-concept experiments we were able to demonstrate that it is possible to guide network dynamics towards increased resilience in animals but an initial translation into a clinical trial targeting the insula failed. Here, in a narrative review, we summarize the key experiments, methodological developments and knowledge gained from this completed round of a discovery cycle moving from identification of 'relapse-prone' network states in humans and animals to target validation and intervention trial. Future concerted efforts are necessary to gain a deeper understanding of insula function a in a state-dependent, circuit-specific and cell population perspective, and to develop the means for insula-directed interventions, before therapeutic targeting of this structure may become possible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wolfgang H Sommer
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, University of Heidelberg, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Bethania Hospital for Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy, Greifswald, Germany.
| | - Santiago Canals
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas and Universidad Miguel Hernández, 03550, Sant Joan d'Alacant, Spain
| | - Angelo Bifone
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Torino, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Center for Sustainable Future Technologies, Torino, Italy
| | - Markus Heilig
- Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience, Linköping University and Dept. of Psychiatry, Linköping Univ. Hospital, S-581 85, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Petri Hyytiä
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Finland
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26
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de Biedma-Elduayen LG, Giménez-Gómez P, Morales-Puerto N, Vidal R, de la Calle CN, Gutiérrez-López MD, O'Shea E, Colado MI. Influx of kynurenine into the brain is involved in the reduction of ethanol consumption induced by Ro 61-8048 after chronic intermittent ethanol in mice. Br J Pharmacol 2022; 179:3711-3726. [PMID: 35189673 PMCID: PMC9314579 DOI: 10.1111/bph.15825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2021] [Revised: 01/07/2022] [Accepted: 02/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The kynurenine pathway has been proposed as a new target for modulating drug abuse. We previously demonstrated that inhibition of kynurenine 3-monooxygenase (KMO) using Ro 61-8048 reduces ethanol consumption in a binge drinking model. Here we investigate the effect of the kynurenine pathway modulation in ethanol -dependent mice. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH Adult male and female mice were subjected to the Chronic Intermittent Ethanol (CIE) paradigm. On the last day of CIE, mice were treated with Ro 61-8048, Ro 61-8048 + PNU-120596, a positive allosteric modulator of α7nAChR, and Ro 61-8048 + L-leucine or probenecid, which block the influx or efflux of kynurenine from the brain, respectively. Ethanol, water consumption and preference were measured and kynurenine levels in plasma and limbic forebrain were determined. KEY RESULTS Ro 61-8048 decreases consumption and preference for ethanol in both sexes exposed to the CIE model, an effect that is prevented by PNU-120596. The Ro 61-8048-induced decrease in ethanol consumption depends on the influx of kynurenine into the brain. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS Inhibition of KMO reduces ethanol consumption and preference in both male and female mice subjected to CIE model by a mechanism involving α7nAChR. Moreover, the effect which is mediated centrally depends on the influx of peripheral kynurenine to the brain and can be prolonged by blocking the efflux of kynurenine from the brain. Here, for the first time we demonstrate that the modulation of the kynurenine pathway is a valid strategy for the treatment of ethanol dependence in both sexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leticia Gil de Biedma-Elduayen
- Departamento de Farmacología y Toxicología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain.,Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Hospital 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain.,Red de Trastornos Adictivos del Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.,Instituto Universitario de Investigación Neuroquímica (IUIN), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain
| | - Pablo Giménez-Gómez
- Departamento de Farmacología y Toxicología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain.,Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Hospital 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain.,Red de Trastornos Adictivos del Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.,Instituto Universitario de Investigación Neuroquímica (IUIN), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain.,Current address: University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, The Brudnick Neuropsychiatric Research Institute, Worcester, MA
| | - Nuria Morales-Puerto
- Departamento de Farmacología y Toxicología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain.,Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Hospital 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain.,Red de Trastornos Adictivos del Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.,Instituto Universitario de Investigación Neuroquímica (IUIN), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain
| | - Rebeca Vidal
- Departamento de Farmacología y Toxicología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain.,Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Hospital 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain.,Red de Trastornos Adictivos del Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.,Instituto Universitario de Investigación Neuroquímica (IUIN), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain
| | - Carlos Núñez de la Calle
- Departamento de Farmacología y Toxicología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain.,Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Hospital 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain.,Red de Trastornos Adictivos del Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.,Instituto Universitario de Investigación Neuroquímica (IUIN), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain
| | - María Dolores Gutiérrez-López
- Departamento de Farmacología y Toxicología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain.,Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Hospital 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain.,Red de Trastornos Adictivos del Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.,Instituto Universitario de Investigación Neuroquímica (IUIN), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain
| | - Esther O'Shea
- Departamento de Farmacología y Toxicología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain.,Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Hospital 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain.,Red de Trastornos Adictivos del Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.,Instituto Universitario de Investigación Neuroquímica (IUIN), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain
| | - María Isabel Colado
- Departamento de Farmacología y Toxicología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain.,Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Hospital 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain.,Red de Trastornos Adictivos del Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.,Instituto Universitario de Investigación Neuroquímica (IUIN), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain
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27
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Yunusoğlu O. Evaluation of the effects of quercetin on the rewarding property of ethanol in mice. Neurosci Lett 2022; 768:136383. [PMID: 34864087 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2021.136383] [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: 06/17/2021] [Revised: 11/26/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The flavonoid quercetin has several pharmacological effects on the nervous system. Previous research showed that quercetin has useful influences on some mechanisms that are relevant in drug and substance addiction. Alcohol addiction, also known as alcoholism, is a disorder that influences the population in all walks of life. The purpose of the current study was to investigate whether quercetin affects the acquisition, extinction, and reinstatement of ethanol-induced conditioned place preference (ethanol-CPP) in adolescent mice. METHODS CPP was established by administration of intraperitoneal (i.p.) ethanol (2.0 g/kg) in a conditioning trial. The mice were pretreated with quercetin (at doses of 10, 30, and 100 mg/kg, i.p.) 30 minutes before each ethanol injection to test the effects of quercetin on the reward properties of ethanol. Ethanol-CPP was extinguished (13-days) by repeated testing, during which conditioned mice were given different doses of quercetin every day. Lastly, efficacy of quercetin in preventing reinstatement of ethanol-CPP triggers was also assessed by the administration of single dose ethanol (0.4 g/kg, i.p.). RESULTS Quercetin pretreatment attenuated the acquisition and reinstatement. In addition, quercetin administration accelerated the extinction of ethanol-CPP. CONCLUSIONS In conclusion, these results may cast a novel light on quercetin as an agent that could be potentially useful to attenuate different effects of ethanol and as adjuvant pharmacotherapy for ethanol addiction. However, future studies are needed to demonstrate the detailed underlying mechanisms of quercetin on ethanol addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oruç Yunusoğlu
- Bolu Abant Izzet Baysal University, Faculty of Medicine, Medical Pharmacology, 14030 Bolu, Turkey.
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28
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Non-coding RNA in alcohol use disorder by affecting synaptic plasticity. Exp Brain Res 2022; 240:365-379. [PMID: 35028694 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-022-06305-x] [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: 10/03/2021] [Accepted: 01/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is one of the most serious public health problems worldwide. AUD is a complex disorder, and there is ample evidence that genetic predisposition is critical to its development. Recent studies have shown that genetic predisposition leads to the onset of AUD, and alcohol metabolism can affect epigenetic inheritance, which in turn affects synaptic plasticity, alters brain function, and leads to more severe addictive behaviors. Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), especially microRNAs (miRNAs) and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), play an important role in alcohol addiction. This paper reviews the regulatory role of ncRNAs. ncRNAs are involved in enzyme and neurotransmitter reaction systems during alcohol use disorder. Alcohol consumption regulates the expression of ncRNAs that mediate epigenetic modification and synaptic plasticity, which play an important role in the development of chronic AUD. ncRNAs may be used not only as predictors of therapeutic responses but also as therapeutic targets of AUD. Chronic alcoholism is more likely to lead to neuroimmune disorders, including permanent brain dysfunction. AUD induced by long-term alcoholism greatly alters the expression of genes in the human genome, especially the expression of ncRNAs. Alcohol can cause a series of pathological changes by interfering with gene expression, such as through disordered miRNA-mRNA expression networks, epigenetic modifications, disordered metabolism, and even synaptic remodeling. ncRNAs are involved in the transition from moderate drinking to alcohol dependence.
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29
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Bordier C, Weil G, Bach P, Scuppa G, Nicolini C, Forcellini G, Pérez‐Ramirez U, Moratal D, Canals S, Hoffmann S, Hermann D, Vollstädt‐Klein S, Kiefer F, Kirsch P, Sommer WH, Bifone A. Increased network centrality of the anterior insula in early abstinence from alcohol. Addict Biol 2022; 27:e13096. [PMID: 34467604 PMCID: PMC9286046 DOI: 10.1111/adb.13096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2021] [Revised: 08/07/2021] [Accepted: 08/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Abnormal resting‐state functional connectivity, as measured by functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), has been reported in alcohol use disorders (AUD), but findings are so far inconsistent. Here, we exploited recent developments in graph‐theoretical analyses, enabling improved resolution and fine‐grained representation of brain networks, to investigate functional connectivity in 35 recently detoxified alcohol dependent patients versus 34 healthy controls. Specifically, we focused on the modular organization, that is, the presence of tightly connected substructures within a network, and on the identification of brain regions responsible for network integration using an unbiased approach based on a large‐scale network composed of more than 600 a priori defined nodes. We found significant reductions in global connectivity and region‐specific disruption in the network topology in patients compared with controls. Specifically, the basal brain and the insular–supramarginal cortices, which form tightly coupled modules in healthy subjects, were fragmented in patients. Further, patients showed a strong increase in the centrality of the anterior insula, which exhibited stronger connectivity to distal cortical regions and weaker connectivity to the posterior insula. Anterior insula centrality, a measure of the integrative role of a region, was significantly associated with increased risk of relapse. Exploratory analysis suggests partial recovery of modular structure and insular connectivity in patients after 2 weeks. These findings support the hypothesis that, at least during the early stages of abstinence, the anterior insula may drive exaggerated integration of interoceptive states in AUD patients with possible consequences for decision making and emotional states and that functional connectivity is dynamically changing during treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cecile Bordier
- Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia Rovereto Italy
- Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, U1172 ‐ LilNCog ‐ Lille Neuroscience & Cognition Lille France
| | - Georg Weil
- Department of Addictive Behavior and Addiction Medicine, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim University of Heidelberg Mannheim Germany
| | - Patrick Bach
- Department of Addictive Behavior and Addiction Medicine, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim University of Heidelberg Mannheim Germany
| | - Giulia Scuppa
- Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia Rovereto Italy
| | - Carlo Nicolini
- Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia Rovereto Italy
| | - Giulia Forcellini
- Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia Rovereto Italy
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences University of Trento Trento Italy
| | - Ursula Pérez‐Ramirez
- Center for Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering Universitat Politècnica de València Valencia Spain
| | - David Moratal
- Center for Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering Universitat Politècnica de València Valencia Spain
| | - Santiago Canals
- Instituto de Neurociencias Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas and Universidad Miguel Hernández San Juan de Alicante Spain
| | - Sabine Hoffmann
- Department of Addictive Behavior and Addiction Medicine, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim University of Heidelberg Mannheim Germany
| | - Derik Hermann
- Department of Addictive Behavior and Addiction Medicine, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim University of Heidelberg Mannheim Germany
| | - Sabine Vollstädt‐Klein
- Department of Addictive Behavior and Addiction Medicine, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim University of Heidelberg Mannheim Germany
| | - Falk Kiefer
- Department of Addictive Behavior and Addiction Medicine, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim University of Heidelberg Mannheim Germany
| | - Peter Kirsch
- Department for Clinical Psychology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim University of Heidelberg Mannheim Germany
| | - Wolfgang H. Sommer
- Department of Addictive Behavior and Addiction Medicine, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim University of Heidelberg Mannheim Germany
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim University of Heidelberg Mannheim Germany
| | - Angelo Bifone
- Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia Rovereto Italy
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences University of Torino Torino Italy
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30
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Bach P, Reinhard I, Koopmann A, Bumb JM, Sommer WH, Vollstädt‐Klein S, Kiefer F. Test-retest reliability of neural alcohol cue-reactivity: Is there light at the end of the magnetic resonance imaging tube? Addict Biol 2022; 27:e13069. [PMID: 34132011 DOI: 10.1111/adb.13069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2021] [Revised: 03/25/2021] [Accepted: 05/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Over the last decades, the assessment of alcohol cue-reactivity gained popularity in addiction research, and efforts were undertaken to establish neural biomarkers. This attempt however depends on the reliability of cue-induced brain activation. Thus, we assessed test-retest reliability of alcohol cue-reactivity and its implications for imaging studies in addiction. We investigated test-retest reliability of alcohol cue-induced brain activation in 144 alcohol-dependent patients over 2 weeks. We computed established reliability estimates, such as intraclass correlation (ICC), Dice and Jaccard coefficients, for the three contrast conditions of interest: 'alcohol', 'neutral' and the 'alcohol versus neutral' difference contrast. We also investigated how test-retest reliability of the different contrasts affected the capacity to establishing associations with clinical data and determining effect size estimates. Whereas brain activation, indexed by the constituting contrast conditions 'alcohol' and 'neutral' separately, displayed overall moderate (ICC > 0.4) to good (ICC > 0.75) test-retest reliability in areas of the mesocorticolimbic system, the difference contrast 'alcohol versus neutral' showed poor overall reliability (ICC < 0.40), which was related to the intercorrelation between the constituting conditions. Data simulations and analyses of craving data confirmed that the low reliability of the difference contrast substantially limited the capacity to establish associations with clinical data and precisely estimate effect sizes. Future research on alcohol cue-reactivity should be cautioned by the low reliability of the common 'alcohol versus neutral' difference contrast. We propose that this limitation can be overcome by using the constituent task conditions as an individual difference measure, when intending to longitudinally monitor brain responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Bach
- Department of Addictive Behavior and Addiction Medicine, Central Institute of Mental Health Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University Mannheim Germany
- Feuerlein Center on Translational Addiction Medicine (FCTS) University of Heidelberg Heidelberg Germany
| | - Iris Reinhard
- Department of Biostatistics, Central Institute of Mental Health Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University Mannheim Germany
| | - Anne Koopmann
- Department of Addictive Behavior and Addiction Medicine, Central Institute of Mental Health Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University Mannheim Germany
- Feuerlein Center on Translational Addiction Medicine (FCTS) University of Heidelberg Heidelberg Germany
| | - Jan M. Bumb
- Department of Addictive Behavior and Addiction Medicine, Central Institute of Mental Health Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University Mannheim Germany
- Feuerlein Center on Translational Addiction Medicine (FCTS) University of Heidelberg Heidelberg Germany
| | - Wolfgang H. Sommer
- Department of Addictive Behavior and Addiction Medicine, Central Institute of Mental Health Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University Mannheim Germany
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University Mannheim Germany
| | - Sabine Vollstädt‐Klein
- Department of Addictive Behavior and Addiction Medicine, Central Institute of Mental Health Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University Mannheim Germany
| | - Falk Kiefer
- Department of Addictive Behavior and Addiction Medicine, Central Institute of Mental Health Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University Mannheim Germany
- Feuerlein Center on Translational Addiction Medicine (FCTS) University of Heidelberg Heidelberg Germany
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Meinhardt MW, Giannone F, Hirth N, Bartsch D, Spampinato SM, Kelsch W, Spanagel R, Sommer WH, Hansson AC. Disrupted circadian expression of beta-arrestin 2 affects reward-related µ-opioid receptor function in alcohol dependence. J Neurochem 2021; 160:454-468. [PMID: 34919270 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.15559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2021] [Revised: 12/09/2021] [Accepted: 12/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
There is increasing evidence for a daily rhythm of μ-opioid receptor (MOR) efficacy and the development of alcohol dependence. Previous studies show that beta-Arrestin 2 (bArr2) has an impact on alcohol intake, at least partially mediated via modulation of MOR signaling, which in turn mediates the alcohol rewarding effects. Considering the interplay of circadian rhythms on MOR and alcohol dependence, we aimed to investigate bArr2 in alcohol dependence at different time-points of the day/light cycle on the level of bArr2 mRNA (in situ hybridization), MOR availability (receptor autoradiography) and MOR signaling (Damgo-stimulated G-protein coupling) in the nucleus accumbens of alcohol-dependent and non-dependent Wistar rats. Using a microarray data set we found that bArr2, but not bArr1, shows a diurnal transcription pattern in the accumbens of naïve rats with higher expression levels during the active cycle. In three-week abstinent rats, bArr2 is upregulated in the accumbens at the beginning of the active cycle (ZT15), whereas no differences were found at the beginning of the inactive cycle (ZT3), compared to controls. This effect was accompanied with a specific downregulation of MOR binding in the active cycle. Additionally, we detect a higher receptor coupling during the inactive cycle compared to the active cycle in alcohol-dependent animals. Together, we report a daily rhythmicity for bArr2 expression linked to an inverse pattern of MOR, suggesting an involvement for bArr2 on circadian regulation of G-protein coupled receptors in alcohol dependence. The presented data may have implications for the development of novel bArr2-related treatment targets for alcoholism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcus W Meinhardt
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Square J5, 68159, Mannheim, Germany.,Department of Molecular Neuroimaging, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Square J5, 68159, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Francesco Giannone
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Square J5, 68159, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Nathalie Hirth
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Square J5, 68159, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Dusan Bartsch
- Department of Molecular Biology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Square J5, 68159, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Santi M Spampinato
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Via Irnerio 48, 40126, Bologna, Italy
| | - Wolfgang Kelsch
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Square J5, 68159, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Rainer Spanagel
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Square J5, 68159, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Wolfgang H Sommer
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Square J5, 68159, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Anita C Hansson
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Square J5, 68159, Mannheim, Germany
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Interoception and alcohol: Mechanisms, networks, and implications. Neuropharmacology 2021; 200:108807. [PMID: 34562442 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2021.108807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2021] [Revised: 09/20/2021] [Accepted: 09/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Interoception refers to the perception of the internal state of the body and is increasingly being recognized as an important factor in mental health disorders. Drugs of abuse produce powerful interoceptive states that are upstream of behaviors that drive and influence drug intake, and addiction pathology is impacted by interoceptive processes. The goal of the present review is to discuss interoceptive processes related to alcohol. We will cover physiological responses to alcohol, how interoceptive states can impact drinking, and the recruitment of brain networks as informed by clinical research. We also review the molecular and brain circuitry mechanisms of alcohol interoceptive effects as informed by preclinical studies. Finally, we will discuss emerging treatments with consideration of interoception processes. As our understanding of the role of interoception in drug and alcohol use grows, we suggest that the convergence of information provided by clinical and preclinical studies will be increasingly important. Given the complexity of interoceptive processing and the multitude of brain regions involved, an overarching network-based framework can provide context for how focused manipulations modulate interoceptive processing as a whole. In turn, preclinical studies can systematically determine the roles of individual nodes and their molecular underpinnings in a given network, potentially suggesting new therapeutic targets and directions. As interoceptive processing drives and influences motivation, emotion, and subsequent behavior, consideration of interoception is important for our understanding of processes that drive ongoing drinking and relapse.
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Meinhardt MW, Pfarr S, Fouquet G, Rohleder C, Meinhardt ML, Barroso-Flores J, Hoffmann R, Jeanblanc J, Paul E, Wagner K, Hansson AC, Köhr G, Meier N, von Bohlen und Halbach O, Bell RL, Endepols H, Neumaier B, Schönig K, Bartsch D, Naassila M, Spanagel R, Sommer WH. Psilocybin targets a common molecular mechanism for cognitive impairment and increased craving in alcoholism. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:eabh2399. [PMID: 34788104 PMCID: PMC8598005 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abh2399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2021] [Accepted: 09/28/2021] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Alcohol-dependent patients commonly show impairments in executive functions that facilitate craving and can lead to relapse. However, the molecular mechanisms leading to executive dysfunction in alcoholism are poorly understood, and new effective pharmacological treatments are desired. Here, using a bidirectional neuromodulation approach, we demonstrate a causal link between reduced prefrontal mGluR2 function and both impaired executive control and alcohol craving. A neuron-specific prefrontal mGluR2 knockdown in rats generated a phenotype of reduced cognitive flexibility and excessive alcohol seeking. Conversely, virally restoring prefrontal mGluR2 levels in alcohol-dependent rats rescued these pathological behaviors. In the search for a pharmacological intervention with high translational potential, psilocybin was capable of restoring mGluR2 expression and reducing relapse behavior. Last, we propose a FDG-PET biomarker strategy to identify mGluR2 treatment-responsive individuals. In conclusion, we identified a common molecular pathological mechanism for both executive dysfunction and alcohol craving and provided a personalized mGluR2 mechanism-based intervention strategy for medication development for alcoholism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcus W. Meinhardt
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
- Corresponding author. (M.W.M.); (W.H.S.); (R.S.)
| | - Simone Pfarr
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
| | - Grégory Fouquet
- Université de Picardie Jules Verne, INSERM UMRS, 1247 Amiens, France
| | - Cathrin Rohleder
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
- Institute of Radiochemistry and Experimental Molecular Imaging, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Department of Multimodal Imaging, Max Planck Institute for Neurological Research, Cologne, Germany
- Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Manuela L. Meinhardt
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
| | - Janet Barroso-Flores
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
| | - Rebecca Hoffmann
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
| | - Jérôme Jeanblanc
- Université de Picardie Jules Verne, INSERM UMRS, 1247 Amiens, France
| | - Elisabeth Paul
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
| | - Konstantin Wagner
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
| | - Anita C. Hansson
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
| | - Georg Köhr
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
- Department of Neurophysiology, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Nils Meier
- Institute for Anatomy and Cell Biology, Universitätsmedizin Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | | | - Richard L. Bell
- Department of Psychiatry, Stark Neuroscience Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Heike Endepols
- Institute of Radiochemistry and Experimental Molecular Imaging, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Department of Multimodal Imaging, Max Planck Institute for Neurological Research, Cologne, Germany
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, Nuclear Chemistry (INM-5), Jülich, Germany
| | - Bernd Neumaier
- Institute of Radiochemistry and Experimental Molecular Imaging, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Institute for Anatomy and Cell Biology, Universitätsmedizin Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Kai Schönig
- Department of Molecular Biology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Dusan Bartsch
- Department of Molecular Biology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Mickaël Naassila
- Université de Picardie Jules Verne, INSERM UMRS, 1247 Amiens, France
| | - Rainer Spanagel
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
- Corresponding author. (M.W.M.); (W.H.S.); (R.S.)
| | - Wolfgang H. Sommer
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
- Department of Addiction Medicine, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
- Corresponding author. (M.W.M.); (W.H.S.); (R.S.)
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Morley KC. Commentary on Donoghue: Low prescribing rates of pharmacotherapy for alcohol use disorder limit potential public health impact. Addiction 2021; 116:3027-3028. [PMID: 33973676 DOI: 10.1111/add.15532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2021] [Accepted: 04/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kirsten C Morley
- Specialty of Addiction Medicine, Central Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, NSW, Australia.,Edith Collins Centre (Translational Research in Alcohol Drugs and Toxicology), Sydney Local Health District, NSW, Australia
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Rodriguez FD. Targeting Epigenetic Mechanisms to Treat Alcohol Use Disorders (AUD). Curr Pharm Des 2021; 27:3252-3272. [PMID: 33535943 PMCID: PMC8778698 DOI: 10.2174/1381612827666210203142539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2020] [Accepted: 12/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The impact of abusive alcohol consumption on human health is remarkable. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 3.3 million people die annually because of harmful alcohol consumption (the figure represents around 5.9% of global deaths). Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) is a chronic disease where individuals exhibit compulsive alcohol drinking and present negative emotional states when they do not drink. In the most severe manifestations of AUD, the individuals lose control over intake despite a decided will to stop drinking. Given the multiple faces and the specific forms of this disease, the term AUD often appears in the plural (AUDs). Since only a few approved pharmacological treatments are available to treat AUD and they do not apply to all individuals or AUD forms, the search for compounds that may help to eliminate the burden of the disease and complement other therapeutical approaches is necessary. METHODS This work reviews recent research focused on the involvement of epigenetic mechanisms in the pathophysiology of AUD. Excessive drinking leads to chronic and compulsive consumption that eventually damages the organism. The central nervous system is a key target and is the focus of this study. The search for the genetic and epigenetic mechanisms behind the intricated dysregulation induced by ethanol will aid researchers in establishing new therapy approaches. CONCLUSION Recent findings in the field of epigenetics are essential and offer new windows for observation and research. The study of small molecules that inhibit key epienzymes involved in nucleosome architecture dynamics is necessary in order to prove their action and specificity in the laboratory and to test their effectivity and safety in clinical trials with selected patients bearing defined alterations caused by ethanol.
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Affiliation(s)
- F. David Rodriguez
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Salamanca and Group GIR BMD (Bases Moleculares del Desarrollo), University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
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Nieto SJ, Grodin EN, Aguirre CG, Izquierdo A, Ray LA. Translational opportunities in animal and human models to study alcohol use disorder. Transl Psychiatry 2021; 11:496. [PMID: 34588417 PMCID: PMC8481537 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-021-01615-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2021] [Revised: 08/20/2021] [Accepted: 09/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Animal and human laboratory paradigms offer invaluable approaches to study the complex etiologies and mechanisms of alcohol use disorder (AUD). We contend that human laboratory models provide a "bridge" between preclinical and clinical studies of AUD by allowing for well-controlled experimental manipulations in humans with AUD. As such, examining the consilience between experimental models in animals and humans in the laboratory provides unique opportunities to refine the translational utility of such models. The overall goal of the present review is to provide a systematic description and contrast of commonly used animal paradigms for the study of AUD, as well as their human laboratory analogs if applicable. While there is a wide breadth of animal species in AUD research, the paradigms discussed in this review rely predominately on rodent research. The overarching goal of this effort is to provide critical analysis of these animal models and to link them to human laboratory models of AUD. By systematically contrasting preclinical and controlled human laboratory models, we seek to identify opportunities to enhance their translational value through forward and reverse translation. We provide future directions to reconcile differences between animal and human work and to improve translational research for AUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven J. Nieto
- grid.19006.3e0000 0000 9632 6718Department of Psychology, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA USA
| | - Erica N. Grodin
- grid.19006.3e0000 0000 9632 6718Department of Psychology, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA USA
| | - Claudia G. Aguirre
- grid.19006.3e0000 0000 9632 6718Department of Psychology, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA USA
| | - Alicia Izquierdo
- grid.19006.3e0000 0000 9632 6718Department of Psychology, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA USA
| | - Lara A. Ray
- grid.19006.3e0000 0000 9632 6718Department of Psychology, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA USA ,grid.19006.3e0000 0000 9632 6718Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA USA
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Noworyta K, Cieslik A, Rygula R. Reinforcement-based cognitive biases as vulnerability factors in alcohol addiction: From humans to animal models. Br J Pharmacol 2021; 179:4265-4280. [PMID: 34232505 DOI: 10.1111/bph.15613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2021] [Revised: 06/06/2021] [Accepted: 06/30/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is one of the most common, but still poorly treated, psychiatric conditions. Developing new treatments requires a better understanding of the aetiology of symptoms and evaluation of novel therapeutic targets in preclinical studies. Recent developments in our understanding of the reinforcement-based cognitive biases (RBCBs) that contribute to the development of AUD and its treatment offer new opportunities for both clinical and preclinical research. In this review, we first briefly describe psychological and cognitive theories that involve various aspects of reinforcement sensitivity in the development, maintenance, and recurrence of alcohol addiction. Furthermore, in separate sections, we describe studies investigating RBCBs and their neural, neurochemical, and pharmacological correlates, and we discuss possible interactions between RBCBs and trajectories of AUD. Finally, we describe how recent translational studies using state-of-the-art animal models can facilitate our understanding of the role of reinforcement sensitivity and RBCBs in various aspects of AUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karolina Noworyta
- Department of Pharmacology, Affective Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Maj Institute of Pharmacology Polish Academy of Sciences, Krakow, Poland
| | - Agata Cieslik
- Department of Pharmacology, Affective Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Maj Institute of Pharmacology Polish Academy of Sciences, Krakow, Poland
| | - Rafal Rygula
- Department of Pharmacology, Affective Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Maj Institute of Pharmacology Polish Academy of Sciences, Krakow, Poland
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Yunusoğlu O. Resveratrol impairs acquisition, reinstatement and precipitates extinction of alcohol-induced place preference in mice. Neurol Res 2021; 43:985-994. [PMID: 34210247 DOI: 10.1080/01616412.2021.1948749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Alcohol abuse causes several neurological disorders. Resveratrol is a natural polyphenol that occurs as a phytoalexin. In different studies, it has been investigated that resveratrol has positive effects on various mechanisms that are important in drug addiction or substance use disorder. The objective of the present study was to examine the effect of resveratrol on alcohol-induced conditioned place preference (CPP) in mice. METHODS CPP was induced by intraperitoneal (i.p.) administration of ethanol (2 g/kg) in an 8-day conditioning program. The influence of reference drug, acamprosate and resveratrol on the rewarding properties of ethanol was tested in mice given treatment of acamprosate (300 mg/kg, i.p.) and resveratrol (25, 50, and 75 mg/kg, i.p.) 30 minutes prior to ethanol administration. Once established, CPP was extinguished by repeated testing, through which conditioned mice were administered acamprosate, various doses of resveratrol or saline daily. Subsequently, the potency of acamprosate and resveratrol in preventing reinstatement of CPP provoked by priming with low-dose ethanol (0.4 g/kg, i.p.) was also evaluated. RESULTS The present findings confirm that resveratrol impairs acquisition, reinstatement and precipitates the extinction of preference for alcohol-induced CPP. Resveratrol presented a similar effect in the CPP phases to the acamprosate. CONCLUSIONS The effect of resveratrol on ethanol-induced CPP in mice demonstrated for the first time. As a conclusion, these findings may shed light on the fact that resveratrol can be utilized as an agent which is potentially beneficial to prevent the various harmful effects of ethanol, however, more research is needed to completely elucidate this attribute.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oruç Yunusoğlu
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Van Yuzuncu Yil University, Van, Turkey
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The monoamine stabilizer OSU6162 has anxiolytic-like properties and reduces voluntary alcohol intake in a genetic rat model of depression. Sci Rep 2021; 11:11856. [PMID: 34088937 PMCID: PMC8178366 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-91215-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2021] [Accepted: 05/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Alcohol use disorders (AUD) often co-occur with anxiety and depressive disorders, and anxiety often drives relapse during alcohol abstinence. Optimal AUD pharmacotherapies may thus need to target both excessive alcohol intake and elevated anxiety. (−)-OSU6162 (OSU) is a monoamine stabilizer that attenuates alcohol-mediated behaviors in both preclinical and clinical settings. However, OSU’s effect on anxiety-like behavior following long-term drinking remains unknown. To this end, we utilized a genetic rat model that exhibits increased anxiety- and depression-like behaviors (Flinders Sensitive Line; FSL) and their controls (Flinders Resistant Line; FRL). Using the novelty suppressed feeding (NSF) test, we evaluated anxiety-like behaviors (1) at baseline, (2) following long-term voluntary drinking and after 24 h of alcohol deprivation, and (3) following OSU administration in the same animals. At baseline, FSL animals displayed significantly elevated anxiety-like characteristics compared to FRL. Compared to alcohol-naïve animals, long-term drinking significantly reduced anxiety-like behaviors in FSL, without any significant effects in FRL animals. Compared to vehicle, OSU administration significantly reduced anxiety-like behaviors in alcohol-naïve FSL and long-term drinking FRL animals. While there was no significant difference in alcohol intake between FSL and FRL, OSU attenuated alcohol intake in both strains. Conclusively, in addition to the compound’s previously identified ability to suppress alcohol-mediated behaviors, OSU may also possess anxiolytic properties, warranting further clinical evaluation in both AUD and anxiety disorder settings.
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Sauchinone Blocks Ethanol Withdrawal-Induced Anxiety but Spares Locomotor Sensitization: Involvement of Nitric Oxide in the Bed Nucleus of the Stria Terminalis. EVIDENCE-BASED COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE 2021; 2021:6670212. [PMID: 34035825 PMCID: PMC8116157 DOI: 10.1155/2021/6670212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2020] [Revised: 03/26/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Both the positive (manifested by locomotor sensitization) and negative (withdrawal symptoms) reinforcing effects of ethanol (EtOH) involve central nitric oxide (NO) signaling. Sauchinone (a bioactive lignan in Saururus chinensis) has been shown to improve methamphetamine-induced behavioral and neurochemical changes via the NO signaling pathway. Thus, this study evaluated the effects of sauchinone on locomotor sensitization and anxiety during EtOH withdrawal (EtOHW). Male adult Sprague-Dawley rats were treated with 1.5 g/kg/day of EtOH (20%, vol/vol) via intraperitoneal injection for 28 days, followed by a 3-day withdrawal. During withdrawal, the rats were given intragastric sauchinone (2.5, 7.5, or 25 mg/kg/day) once a day. EtOH locomotor sensitization was determined by challenging EtOHW rats with 0.75 g/kg EtOH, while EtOHW-induced anxiety was assessed using the elevated plus maze (EPM). None of the three doses of sauchinone affected EtOH locomotor sensitization. However, in the EPM, treatment of EtOHW rats with sauchinone at 7.5 or 25 mg/kg/day increased both the number of entries into and the time spent in the open arms. Moreover, the two doses of sauchinone inhibited the oversecretion of plasma corticosterone during EtOHW. In the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST), EtOHW increased NO production, enhanced gene and protein expression of both inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and neuronal NOS (nNOS), and also elevated protein levels of corticotropin-releasing factor, which were all inhibited by 25 mg/kg/day sauchinone. In an in vitro experiment, sauchinone (3, 10, and 30 μM) inhibited H2O2-stimulated nNOS protein expression in neuronal PC12 cells. Finally, intra-BNST infusion of sodium nitroprusside, a NO donor, after sauchinone (25 mg/kg/day) administration, abolished its expected anxiolytic effect. Taken together, these results indicate that sauchinone attenuates anxiety-like behavior in rats during EtOHW but spares EtOH locomotor sensitization, and the anxiolytic effect is mediated via the NO signaling pathway in the BNST.
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Khan DM, Yahya N, Kamel N, Faye I. Effective Connectivity in Default Mode Network for Alcoholism Diagnosis. IEEE Trans Neural Syst Rehabil Eng 2021; 29:796-808. [PMID: 33900918 DOI: 10.1109/tnsre.2021.3075737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) is a chronic relapsing brain disease characterized by excessive alcohol use, loss of control over alcohol intake, and negative emotional states under no alcohol consumption. The key factor in successful treatment of AUD is the accurate diagnosis for better medical and therapy management. Conventionally, for individuals to be diagnosed with AUD, certain criteria as outlined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) should be met. However, this process is subjective in nature and could be misleading due to memory problems and dishonesty of some AUD patients. In this paper, an assessment scheme for objective diagnosis of AUD is proposed. For this purpose, EEG recording of 31 healthy controls and 31 AUD patients are used for the calculation of effective connectivity (EC) between the various regions of the brain Default Mode Network (DMN). The EC is estimated using partial directed coherence (PDC) which are then used as input to a 3D Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) for binary classification of AUD cases. Using 5-fold cross validation, the classification of AUD vs. HC effective connectivity matrices using the proposed 3D-CNN gives an accuracy of 87.85 ± 4.64 %. For further validation, 32 and 30 subjects are randomly selected for training and testing, respectively, giving 100% correct classification of all the testing subjects.
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Pervin Z, Stephen JM. Effect of alcohol on the central nervous system to develop neurological disorder: pathophysiological and lifestyle modulation can be potential therapeutic options for alcohol-induced neurotoxication. AIMS Neurosci 2021; 8:390-413. [PMID: 34183988 PMCID: PMC8222771 DOI: 10.3934/neuroscience.2021021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2021] [Accepted: 03/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The central nervous system (CNS) is the major target for adverse effects of alcohol and extensively promotes the development of a significant number of neurological diseases such as stroke, brain tumor, multiple sclerosis (MS), Alzheimer's disease (AD), and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Excessive alcohol consumption causes severe neuro-immunological changes in the internal organs including irreversible brain injury and it also reacts with the defense mechanism of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) which in turn leads to changes in the configuration of the tight junction of endothelial cells and white matter thickness of the brain. Neuronal injury associated with malnutrition and oxidative stress-related BBB dysfunction may cause neuronal degeneration and demyelination in patients with alcohol use disorder (AUD); however, the underlying mechanism still remains unknown. To address this question, studies need to be performed on the contributing mechanisms of alcohol on pathological relationships of neurodegeneration that cause permanent neuronal damage. Moreover, alcohol-induced molecular changes of white matter with conduction disturbance in neurotransmission are a likely cause of myelin defect or axonal loss which correlates with cognitive dysfunctions in AUD. To extend our current knowledge in developing a neuroprotective environment, we need to explore the pathophysiology of ethanol (EtOH) metabolism and its effect on the CNS. Recent epidemiological studies and experimental animal research have revealed the association between excessive alcohol consumption and neurodegeneration. This review supports an interdisciplinary treatment protocol to protect the nervous system and to improve the cognitive outcomes of patients who suffer from alcohol-related neurodegeneration as well as clarify the pathological involvement of alcohol in causing other major neurological disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zinia Pervin
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
| | - Julia M Stephen
- The Mind Research Network and Lovelace Biomedical and Environmental Research Institute, Albuquerque, NM 87106, USA
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Domi E, Domi A, Adermark L, Heilig M, Augier E. Neurobiology of alcohol seeking behavior. J Neurochem 2021; 157:1585-1614. [PMID: 33704789 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.15343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2020] [Revised: 03/02/2021] [Accepted: 03/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Alcohol addiction is a chronic relapsing brain disease characterized by an impaired ability to stop or control alcohol use despite adverse consequences. A main challenge of addiction treatment is to prevent relapse, which occurs in more than >50% of newly abstinent patients with alcohol disorder within 3 months. In people suffering from alcohol addiction, stressful events, drug-associated cues and contexts, or re-exposure to a small amount of alcohol trigger a chain of behaviors that frequently culminates in relapse. In this review, we first present the preclinical models that were developed for the study of alcohol seeking behavior, namely the reinstatement model of alcohol relapse and compulsive alcohol seeking under a chained schedule of reinforcement. We then provide an overview of the neurobiological findings obtained using these animal models, focusing on the role of opioids systems, corticotropin-release hormone and neurokinins, followed by dopaminergic, glutamatergic, and GABAergic neurotransmissions in alcohol seeking behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esi Domi
- Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience, BKV, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Ana Domi
- Addiction Biology Unit, Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Louise Adermark
- Addiction Biology Unit, Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Markus Heilig
- Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience, BKV, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Eric Augier
- Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience, BKV, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
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Barbier E, Barchiesi R, Domi A, Chanthongdee K, Domi E, Augier G, Augier E, Xu L, Adermark L, Heilig M. Downregulation of Synaptotagmin 1 in the Prelimbic Cortex Drives Alcohol-Associated Behaviors in Rats. Biol Psychiatry 2021; 89:398-406. [PMID: 33160605 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2020.08.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2020] [Revised: 08/17/2020] [Accepted: 08/25/2020] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alcohol addiction is characterized by persistent neuroadaptations in brain structures involved in motivation, emotion, and decision making, including the medial prefrontal cortex, the nucleus accumbens, and the amygdala. We previously reported that induction of alcohol dependence was associated with long-term changes in the expression of genes involved in neurotransmitter release. Specifically, Syt1, which plays a key role in neurotransmitter release and neuronal functions, was downregulated. Here, we therefore examined the role of Syt1 in alcohol-associated behaviors in rats. METHODS We evaluated the effect of Syt1 downregulation using an adeno-associated virus (AAV) containing a short hairpin RNA against Syt1. Cre-dependent Syt1 was also used in combination with an rAAV2 retro-Cre virus to assess circuit-specific effects of Syt1 knockdown (KD). RESULTS Alcohol-induced downregulation of Syt1 is specific to the prelimbic cortex (PL), and KD of Syt1 in the PL resulted in escalated alcohol consumption, increased motivation to consume alcohol, and increased alcohol drinking despite negative consequences ("compulsivity"). Syt1 KD in the PL altered the excitation/inhibition balance in the basolateral amygdala, while the nucleus accumbens core was unaffected. Accordingly, a projection-specific Syt1 KD in the PL-basolateral amygdala projection was sufficient to increase compulsive alcohol drinking, while a KD of Syt1 restricted to PL-nucleus accumbens core projecting neurons had no effect on tested alcohol-related behaviors. CONCLUSIONS Together, these data suggest that dysregulation of Syt1 is an important mechanism in long-term neuroadaptations observed after a history of alcohol dependence, and that Syt1 regulates alcohol-related behaviors in part by affecting a PL-basolateral amygdala brain circuit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Estelle Barbier
- Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden.
| | - Riccardo Barchiesi
- Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Ana Domi
- Addiction Biology Unit, Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Kanat Chanthongdee
- Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden; Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine Siraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Esi Domi
- Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Gaelle Augier
- Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Eric Augier
- Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Li Xu
- Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden; Psychosomatic Medicine Center, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, Chengdu, China
| | - Louise Adermark
- Addiction Biology Unit, Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Markus Heilig
- Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
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Wandres M, Pfarr S, Molnár B, Schöllkopf U, Ercsey-Ravasz M, Sommer WH, Körber C. Alcohol and sweet reward are encoded by distinct meta-ensembles. Neuropharmacology 2021; 195:108496. [PMID: 33582149 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2021.108496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2020] [Revised: 01/30/2021] [Accepted: 02/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Cue-reward associations form distinct memories that can drive appetitive behaviors and cravings for both drugs and natural rewards. It is still unclear how such memories are encoded in the brain's reward system. We trained rats to concurrently self-administer either alcohol or a sweet saccharin solution as drug or natural rewards, respectively. Memory recall due to cue exposure reactivated reward-associated functional ensembles in reward-related brain regions, marked by a neural cFos response. While the local ensembles activated by cue presentation for either reward consisted of similar numbers of neurons, using advanced statistical network theory, we found robust reward-specific co-activation patterns across brain regions. Interestingly, the resulting meta-ensemble networks differed by the most influential regions, which in case of saccharin comprised the prefrontal cortex, while for alcohol seeking control shifted to insular cortex with strong involvement of the amygdala. Our results support the view of memory representation as a differential co-activation of local neuronal ensembles. This article is part of the special issue on 'Neurocircuitry Modulating Drug and Alcohol Abuse'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miriam Wandres
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Department of Functional Neuroanatomy, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 307, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Simone Pfarr
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Square J5, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
| | - Botond Molnár
- Faculty of Mathematics and Informatics, Babeş-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania; Faculty of Physics, Babeş-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania; Transylvanian Institute of Neuroscience, Network Science Lab, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Ursula Schöllkopf
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Department of Functional Neuroanatomy, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 307, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Maria Ercsey-Ravasz
- Faculty of Physics, Babeş-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania; Transylvanian Institute of Neuroscience, Network Science Lab, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Wolfgang H Sommer
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Square J5, 68159 Mannheim, Germany; Department of Addiction Medicine, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Square J5, 68159 Mannheim, Germany.
| | - Christoph Körber
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Department of Functional Neuroanatomy, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 307, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
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Peng SY, Shi Z, Zhou DS, Wang XY, Li XX, Liu XL, Wang WD, Lin GN, Pan BX, Voon V, Grace AA, Heilig M, Wong ML, Yuan TF. Reduced motor cortex GABA BR function following chronic alcohol exposure. Mol Psychiatry 2021; 26:383-395. [PMID: 33432190 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-020-01009-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2020] [Revised: 12/15/2020] [Accepted: 12/17/2020] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
The GABAB receptor (GABABR) agonist baclofen has been used to treat alcohol and several other substance use disorders (AUD/SUD), yet its underlying neural mechanism remains unclear. The present study aimed to investigate cortical GABABR dynamics following chronic alcohol exposure. Ex vivo brain slice recordings from mice chronically exposed to alcohol revealed a reduction in GABABR-mediated currents, as well as a decrease of GABAB1/2R and G-protein-coupled inwardly rectifying potassium channel 2 (GIRK2) activities in the motor cortex. Moreover, our data indicated that these alterations could be attributed to dephosphorylation at the site of serine 783 (ser-783) in GABAB2 subunit, which regulates the surface expression of GABABR. Furthermore, a human study using paired-pulse-transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) analysis further demonstrated a reduced cortical inhibition mediated by GABABR in patients with AUD. Our findings provide the first evidence that chronic alcohol exposure is associated with significantly impaired cortical GABABR function. The ability to promote GABABR signaling may account for the therapeutic efficacy of baclofen in AUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shi-Yu Peng
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhe Shi
- Division of Stem Cell Regulation and Application, Key Laboratory for Quality Evaluation of Bulk Herbs of Hunan Province, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | | | - Xin-Yue Wang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Xing-Xing Li
- Ningbo Kangning Hospital, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
| | - Xiao-Li Liu
- Ningbo Kangning Hospital, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
| | - Wei-Di Wang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Guan-Ning Lin
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.,School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Bing-Xing Pan
- Institute of Life Sciences, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
| | - Valerie Voon
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Anthony A Grace
- Center for Neuroscience, Psychiatry and Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Markus Heilig
- Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences,, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Ma-Li Wong
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, State University of New York Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, USA
| | - Ti-Fei Yuan
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China. .,Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, China. .,TianQiao and Chrissy Chen Institute for Translational Research, Shanghai, China. .,The State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
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47
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Jia T, Xie C, Banaschewski T, Barker GJ, Bokde ALW, Büchel C, Quinlan EB, Desrivières S, Flor H, Grigis A, Garavan H, Gowland P, Heinz A, Ittermann B, Martinot JL, Martinot MLP, Nees F, Orfanos DP, Poustka L, Fröhner JH, Smolka MN, Walter H, Whelan R, Schumann G, Robbins TW, Feng J. Neural network involving medial orbitofrontal cortex and dorsal periaqueductal gray regulation in human alcohol abuse. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:eabd4074. [PMID: 33536210 PMCID: PMC7857680 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abd4074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2020] [Accepted: 12/16/2020] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Prompted by recent evidence of neural circuitry in rodent models, functional magnetic resonance imaging and functional connectivity analyses were conducted for a large adolescent population at two ages, together with alcohol abuse measures, to characterize a neural network that may underlie the onset of alcoholism. A network centered on the medial orbitofrontal cortex (mOFC), as well as including the dorsal periaqueductal gray (dPAG), central nucleus of the amygdala, and nucleus accumbens, was identified, consistent with the rodent models, with evidence of both inhibitory and excitatory coregulation by the mOFC over the dPAG. Furthermore, significant relationships were detected between raised baseline excitatory coregulation in this network and impulsivity measures, supporting a role for negative urgency in alcohol dependence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianye Jia
- Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
- Key Laboratory of Computational Neuroscience and Brain-Inspired Intelligence (Fudan University), Ministry of Education, Shanghai, China
- Centre for Population Neuroscience and Precision Medicine (PONS), Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, SGDP Centre, King's College London, London SE5 8AF, UK
| | - Chao Xie
- Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Key Laboratory of Computational Neuroscience and Brain-Inspired Intelligence (Fudan University), Ministry of Education, Shanghai, China
| | - Tobias Banaschewski
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Square J5, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
| | - Gareth J Barker
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Arun L W Bokde
- Discipline of Psychiatry, School of Medicine and Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Christian Büchel
- University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Erin Burke Quinlan
- Centre for Population Neuroscience and Precision Medicine (PONS), Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, SGDP Centre, King's College London, London SE5 8AF, UK
| | - Sylvane Desrivières
- Centre for Population Neuroscience and Precision Medicine (PONS), Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, SGDP Centre, King's College London, London SE5 8AF, UK
| | - Herta Flor
- Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Square J5, Mannheim, Germany
- Department of Psychology, School of Social Sciences, University of Mannheim, 68131 Mannheim, Germany
| | - Antoine Grigis
- NeuroSpin, C.E.A., Université Paris-Saclay, F-91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Hugh Garavan
- Departments of Psychiatry and Psychology, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405, USA
| | - Penny Gowland
- Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, UK
| | - Andreas Heinz
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Bernd Ittermann
- Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB), Braunschweig and Berlin, Germany
| | - Jean-Luc Martinot
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, INSERM U A10 "Trajectoires développementales en psychiatrie," Université Paris-Saclay, Ecole Normale supérieure Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Centre Borelli, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Marie-Laure Paillère Martinot
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, INSERM U A10 "Trajectoires développementales en psychiatrie," Université Paris-Saclay, Ecole Normale supérieure Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Centre Borelli, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
- AP-HP.Sorbonne Université, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, Paris, France
| | - Frauke Nees
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Square J5, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
- Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Square J5, Mannheim, Germany
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Medical Sociology, University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
| | | | - Luise Poustka
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Centre Göttingen, von-Siebold-Str. 5, 37075 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Juliane H Fröhner
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroimaging Center, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Michael N Smolka
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroimaging Center, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Henrik Walter
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Robert Whelan
- School of Psychology and Global Brain Health Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Gunter Schumann
- Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- PONS-Research Group, Charité Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Campus Charité Mitte, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Sports and Health Sciences, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
- PONS Centre, Institute for Science and Technology of Brain-inspired Intelligence (ISTBI), Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Trevor W Robbins
- Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
- Department of Psychology and Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Jianfeng Feng
- Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
- Key Laboratory of Computational Neuroscience and Brain-Inspired Intelligence (Fudan University), Ministry of Education, Shanghai, China
- School of Mathematical Sciences and Centre for Computational Systems Biology, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Department of Computer Science, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK
- Fudan ISTBI-ZJNU Algorithm Centre for Brain-inspired Intelligence, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, China
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Bach P, Weil G, Pompili E, Hoffmann S, Hermann D, Vollstädt-Klein S, Kiefer F, Mann K, Sommer WH. FMRI-based prediction of naltrexone response in alcohol use disorder: a replication study. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2021; 271:915-927. [PMID: 33884495 PMCID: PMC8236024 DOI: 10.1007/s00406-021-01259-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2020] [Accepted: 03/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Pharmacological treatment in alcohol use disorder suffers from modest effect sizes. Efforts have been undertaken to identify patient characteristics that help to select individuals that benefit from pharmacological treatment. Previous studies indicated that neural alcohol cue-reactivity (CR) might provide a marker that identifies patients, which benefit from naltrexone treatment.We investigated the reproducibility of the association between ventral striatum (VS) activation and naltrexone (NTX) treatment response by analyzing data from a recent longitudinal clinical trial in N = 44 abstinent treatment-seeking alcohol-dependent patients. A follow-up was conducted over 3 months. We computed the percentage of significant voxels in VS and tested main effects and interactions with NTX treatment on relapse risk using Cox Regression models.We found a significant interaction effect between pre-treatment cue reactivity in the VS and NTX treatment on time to first heavy relapse (Hazard Ratio = 7.406, 95% CI 1.17-46.56, p = 0.033), such that the patient group with high VS activation (defined by a mean split) showed a significant medication effect (Hazard Ratio = 0.140, 95% CI 0.02-0.75, p = 0.022) with a number needed to treat of 3.4 [95% CI 2.413.5], while there was no significant effect in the group with low VS activation (Hazard Ratio = 0.726, p = 0.454).Thus, using an independent sample we replicated the previously described positive association between VS activation and NTX efficacy. Although our results should be considered cautiously in light of the small sample size, our results support the potential of neural alcohol CR as a tool for precision medicine approaches in alcohol dependence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Bach
- Department of Addictive Behavior and Addiction Medicine, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Central Institute of Mental Health, University of Heidelberg, Square J5, 68159, Mannheim, Germany. .,Feuerlein Center On Translational Addiction Medicine (FCTS), University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Georg Weil
- Department of Addictive Behavior and Addiction Medicine, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Central Institute of Mental Health, University of Heidelberg, Square J5, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
| | - Enrico Pompili
- Department of Addictive Behavior and Addiction Medicine, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Central Institute of Mental Health, University of Heidelberg, Square J5, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
| | - Sabine Hoffmann
- Department of Addictive Behavior and Addiction Medicine, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Central Institute of Mental Health, University of Heidelberg, Square J5, 68159 Mannheim, Germany ,Feuerlein Center On Translational Addiction Medicine (FCTS), University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Derik Hermann
- Department of Addictive Behavior and Addiction Medicine, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Central Institute of Mental Health, University of Heidelberg, Square J5, 68159 Mannheim, Germany ,Feuerlein Center On Translational Addiction Medicine (FCTS), University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Sabine Vollstädt-Klein
- Department of Addictive Behavior and Addiction Medicine, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Central Institute of Mental Health, University of Heidelberg, Square J5, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
| | - Falk Kiefer
- Department of Addictive Behavior and Addiction Medicine, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Central Institute of Mental Health, University of Heidelberg, Square J5, 68159 Mannheim, Germany ,Feuerlein Center On Translational Addiction Medicine (FCTS), University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Karl Mann
- Department of Addictive Behavior and Addiction Medicine, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Central Institute of Mental Health, University of Heidelberg, Square J5, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
| | - Wolfgang H. Sommer
- Department of Addictive Behavior and Addiction Medicine, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Central Institute of Mental Health, University of Heidelberg, Square J5, 68159 Mannheim, Germany ,Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany ,Bethanien Hospital for Psychiatry, Greifswald, Germany
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49
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Schuster R, Winkler M, Koopmann A, Bach P, Hoffmann S, Reinhard I, Spanagel R, Bumb JM, Sommer WH, Kiefer F. Calcium Carbonate Attenuates Withdrawal and Reduces Craving: A Randomized Controlled Trial in Alcohol-Dependent Patients. Eur Addict Res 2021; 27:332-340. [PMID: 33567423 DOI: 10.1159/000512763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2020] [Accepted: 11/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Preclinical studies have shown that calcium seems to be the active component of the anti-craving drug acamprosate (Ca2+ bis-acetyl-homotaurinate). Clinical effects in humans have also indicated an association between increased calcium plasma concentration due to acamprosate treatment and better outcome relating to time to relapse and cumulative abstinence. In contrast, low calcium concentration in alcohol-dependent patients was related with craving for alcohol. The main goal of the trial was to investigate whether an oral calcium administration is able to affect craving, withdrawal, and relapse risk in alcohol-dependent patients. METHODS We conducted a single-blind, randomized, monocentric, controlled clinical two-arm trial in alcohol-dependent patients (Clinical Trials Registration: DRKS00011293). A total of 55 alcohol-dependent subjects received calcium carbonate (800 mg + 5 μg vitamin D) versus sodium bicarbonate (1,000 mg) daily during the 14 days of inpatient alcohol-withdrawal treatment. RESULTS Based on an intention-to-treat protocol, withdrawal intensity (assessed with CIWA-Ar) in the calcium carbonate group attenuated faster than in the sodium bicarbonate subgroup. Alcohol craving (assessed with OCDS) in the calcium carbonate subgroup was also significantly reduced versus the sodium bicarbonate subgroup. CONCLUSION Our data support earlier findings and show that treatment with calcium carbonate during alcohol withdrawal reduces symptoms of alcohol withdrawal as well as alcohol craving in a controlled clinical pilot study. Mode of actions will need to be determined to allow the further development of pharmacological interventions beyond Ca2+ bis-acetyl-homotaurinate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rilana Schuster
- Department of Addictive Behavior and Addiction Medicine, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany, .,Feuerlein Center on Translational Addiction Medicine, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany, .,Spinal Cord Injury Center, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany,
| | - Matthias Winkler
- Department of Addictive Behavior and Addiction Medicine, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Anne Koopmann
- Department of Addictive Behavior and Addiction Medicine, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany.,Feuerlein Center on Translational Addiction Medicine, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Patrick Bach
- Department of Addictive Behavior and Addiction Medicine, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany.,Feuerlein Center on Translational Addiction Medicine, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Sabine Hoffmann
- Department of Addictive Behavior and Addiction Medicine, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany.,Feuerlein Center on Translational Addiction Medicine, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Iris Reinhard
- Biostatistik, Zentralinstitut für Seelische Gesundheit, Medizinische Fakultät Mannheim/Universität Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Rainer Spanagel
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - J Malte Bumb
- Department of Addictive Behavior and Addiction Medicine, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany.,Feuerlein Center on Translational Addiction Medicine, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Wolfgang H Sommer
- Department of Addictive Behavior and Addiction Medicine, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany.,Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Falk Kiefer
- Department of Addictive Behavior and Addiction Medicine, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany.,Feuerlein Center on Translational Addiction Medicine, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
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50
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Neuroimaging reveals functionally distinct neuronal networks associated with high-level alcohol consumption in two genetic rat models. Behav Pharmacol 2020; 32:229-238. [PMID: 32925226 DOI: 10.1097/fbp.0000000000000582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Human imaging data suggest that the motivational processes associated with alcohol reward are reflected in the patterns of neural activation after alcohol or alcohol-related cues. In animal models of alcohol drinking, however, the changes in brain activation during voluntary alcohol ingestion are poorly known. In order to improve the translational utility of animal models, we examined alcohol-induced functional brain activation in Alko Alcohol (AA) and Marchigian-Sardinian alcohol-preferring (msP) rats that drink voluntarily high levels of alcohol, but exhibit widely different neurochemical and behavioral traits cosegregated with alcohol preference. Brain imaging was performed using manganese-enhanced MRI (MEMRI), which is based on accumulation of Mn2+ ions in activated neurons, allowing the identification of functional neuronal networks recruited during specific behaviors in awake animals during a subsequent imaging session under anesthesia. MEMRI was performed following 4 weeks of voluntary alcohol drinking, using water drinking as the control. Despite similar levels of alcohol drinking, strikingly different alcohol-induced neuronal activity patterns were observed in AA and msP rats. Overall, functional activation in the AA rats was more widespread, involving large cortical areas and subcortical structures, such as the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, preoptic area, hypothalamus, periaqueductal grey, and substantia nigra. In the msP rats, however, alcohol-related activation was largely confined to prefrontal cortical regions and insular cortex, and olfactory areas. Overlapping areas of activation found in both rat lines included the nucleus accumbens, prelimbic, orbital, and insular cortex. In conclusion, our data reveal strikingly different brain circuits associated with alcohol drinking in two genetically different rat lines and suggest innately different motivational and behavioral processes driving alcohol drinking. These findings have important implications for the use of these lines in translational alcohol research.
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