1
|
Martinez MX, Alizo Vera V, Ruiz CM, Floresco SB, Mahler SV. Adolescent THC impacts on mPFC dopamine-mediated cognitive processes in male and female rats. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2024:10.1007/s00213-024-06676-9. [PMID: 39190156 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-024-06676-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2024] [Accepted: 08/17/2024] [Indexed: 08/28/2024]
Abstract
RATIONALE Adolescent cannabis use is linked to later-life changes in cognition, learning, and memory. Rodent experimental studies suggest Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) influences development of circuits underlying these processes, especially in the prefrontal cortex, which matures during adolescence. OBJECTIVE We determined how 14 daily THC injections (5 mg/kg) during adolescence persistently impacts medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) dopamine-dependent cognition. METHODS In adult Long Evans rats treated as adolescents with THC (AdoTHC), we quantify performance on two mPFC dopamine-dependent reward-based tasks-strategy set shifting and probabilistic discounting. We also determined how acute dopamine augmentation with amphetamine (0, 0.25, 0.5 mg/kg), or specific chemogenetic stimulation of ventral tegmental area (VTA) dopamine neurons and their projections to mPFC impact probabilistic discounting. RESULTS AdoTHC sex-dependently impacts acquisition of cue-guided instrumental reward seeking, but has minimal effects on set-shifting or probabilistic discounting in either sex. When we challenged dopamine circuits acutely with amphetamine during probabilistic discounting, we found reduced discounting of improbable reward options, with AdoTHC rats being more sensitive to these effects than controls. In contrast, neither acute chemogenetic stimulation of VTA dopamine neurons nor pathway-specific chemogenetic stimulation of their projection to mPFC impacted probabilistic discounting in control rats, although stimulation of this cortical dopamine projection slightly disrupted choices in AdoTHC rats. CONCLUSIONS These studies confirm a marked specificity in the cognitive processes impacted by AdoTHC exposure. They also suggest that some persistent AdoTHC effects may alter amphetamine-induced cognitive changes in a manner independent of VTA dopamine neurons or their projections to mPFC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maricela X Martinez
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, 1132 McGaugh Hall, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA.
| | - Vanessa Alizo Vera
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, 1132 McGaugh Hall, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Christina M Ruiz
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, 1132 McGaugh Hall, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Stan B Floresco
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Stephen V Mahler
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, 1132 McGaugh Hall, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Martinez MX, Alizo Vera V, Ruiz CM, Floresco SB, Mahler SV. Adolescent THC impacts on mPFC dopamine-mediated cognitive processes in male and female rats. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.12.588937. [PMID: 38826339 PMCID: PMC11142049 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.12.588937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2024]
Abstract
Rationale Adolescent cannabis use is linked to later-life changes in cognition, learning, and memory. Rodent experimental studies suggest Δ 9 -tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) influences development of circuits underlying these processes, especially in the prefrontal cortex, which matures during adolescence. Objective We determined how 14 daily THC injections (5mg/kg) during adolescence persistently impacts medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) dopamine-dependent cognition. Methods In adult Long Evans rats treated as adolescents with THC (AdoTHC), we quantify performance on two mPFC dopamine-dependent reward-based tasks-strategy set shifting and probabilistic discounting. We also determined how acute dopamine augmentation with amphetamine (0, 0.25, 0.5 mg/kg), or specific chemogenetic stimulation of ventral tegmental area (VTA) dopamine neurons and their projections to mPFC impacts probabilistic discounting. Results AdoTHC sex-dependently impacts acquisition of cue-guided instrumental reward seeking, but has minimal effects on set-shifting or probabilistic discounting in either sex. When we challenged dopamine circuits acutely with amphetamine during probabilistic discounting, we found reduced discounting of improbable reward options, with AdoTHC rats being more sensitive to these effects than controls. In contrast, neither acute chemogenetic stimulation of VTA dopamine neurons nor pathway-specific chemogenetic stimulation of their projection to mPFC impacted probabilistic discounting in control rats, although stimulation of this cortical dopamine projection slightly disrupted choices in AdoTHC rats. Conclusions These studies confirm a marked specificity in the cognitive processes impacted by AdoTHC exposure. They also suggest that some persistent AdoTHC effects may alter amphetamine-induced cognitive changes in a manner independent of VTA dopamine neurons or their projections to mPFC.
Collapse
|
3
|
Montgomery SE, Li L, Russo SJ, Calipari ES, Nestler EJ, Morel C, Han MH. Mesolimbic Neural Response Dynamics Predict Future Individual Alcohol Drinking in Mice. Biol Psychiatry 2024; 95:951-962. [PMID: 38061466 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2023.11.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2023] [Revised: 11/11/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Individual variability in response to rewarding stimuli is a striking but understudied phenomenon. The mesolimbic dopamine system is critical in encoding the reinforcing properties of both natural reward and alcohol; however, how innate or baseline differences in the response dynamics of this circuit define individual behavior and shape future vulnerability to alcohol remain unknown. METHODS Using naturalistic behavioral assays, a voluntary alcohol drinking paradigm, in vivo fiber photometry, in vivo electrophysiology, and chemogenetics, we investigated how differences in mesolimbic neural circuit activity contribute to the individual variability seen in reward processing and, by proxy, alcohol drinking. RESULTS We first characterized heterogeneous behavioral and neural responses to natural reward and defined how these baseline responses predicted future individual alcohol-drinking phenotypes in male mice. We then determined spontaneous ventral tegmental area dopamine neuron firing profiles associated with responses to natural reward that predicted alcohol drinking. Using a dual chemogenetic approach, we mimicked specific mesolimbic dopamine neuron firing activity before or during voluntary alcohol drinking to link unique neurophysiological profiles to individual phenotype. We show that hyperdopaminergic individuals exhibit a lower neuronal response to both natural reward and alcohol that predicts lower levels of alcohol consumption in the future. CONCLUSIONS These findings reveal unique, circuit-specific neural signatures that predict future individual vulnerability or resistance to alcohol and expand the current knowledge base on how some individuals are able to titrate their alcohol consumption whereas others go on to engage in unhealthy alcohol-drinking behaviors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah E Montgomery
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York; Friedman Brain Institute and the Center for Affective Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York; Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Long Li
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York; Friedman Brain Institute and the Center for Affective Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Scott J Russo
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York; Friedman Brain Institute and the Center for Affective Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Erin S Calipari
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York; Friedman Brain Institute and the Center for Affective Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York; Departments of Pharmacology, Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Eric J Nestler
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York; Friedman Brain Institute and the Center for Affective Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York; Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Carole Morel
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York.
| | - Ming-Hu Han
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York; Friedman Brain Institute and the Center for Affective Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York; Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York; Department of Mental Health and Public Health, Faculty of Life and Health Sciences, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Tsuboi D, Nagai T, Yoshimoto J, Kaibuchi K. Neuromodulator regulation and emotions: insights from the crosstalk of cell signaling. Front Mol Neurosci 2024; 17:1376762. [PMID: 38516040 PMCID: PMC10954900 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2024.1376762] [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: 01/26/2024] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024] Open
Abstract
The unraveling of the regulatory mechanisms that govern neuronal excitability is a major challenge for neuroscientists worldwide. Neurotransmitters play a critical role in maintaining the balance between excitatory and inhibitory activity in the brain. The balance controls cognitive functions and emotional responses. Glutamate and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) are the primary excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters of the brain, respectively. Disruptions in the balance between excitatory and inhibitory transmission are implicated in several psychiatric disorders, including anxiety disorders, depression, and schizophrenia. Neuromodulators such as dopamine and acetylcholine control cognition and emotion by regulating the excitatory/inhibitory balance initiated by glutamate and GABA. Dopamine is closely associated with reward-related behaviors, while acetylcholine plays a role in aversive and attentional behaviors. Although the physiological roles of neuromodulators have been extensively studied neuroanatomically and electrophysiologically, few researchers have explored the interplay between neuronal excitability and cell signaling and the resulting impact on emotion regulation. This review provides an in-depth understanding of "cell signaling crosstalk" in the context of neuronal excitability and emotion regulation. It also anticipates that the next generation of neurochemical analyses, facilitated by integrated phosphorylation studies, will shed more light on this topic.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daisuke Tsuboi
- Division of Cell Biology, International Center for Brain Science, Fujita Health University, Toyoake, Aichi, Japan
| | - Taku Nagai
- Division of Behavioral Neuropharmacology, International Center for Brain Science, Fujita Health University, Toyoake, Aichi, Japan
| | - Junichiro Yoshimoto
- Department of Biomedical Data Science, Fujita Health University School of Medicine, Toyoake, Aichi, Japan
| | - Kozo Kaibuchi
- Division of Cell Biology, International Center for Brain Science, Fujita Health University, Toyoake, Aichi, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Münster A, Huster J, Sommer S, Traxler C, Votteler A, Hauber W. Enhanced Risky Choice in Male Rats Elicited by the Acute Pharmacological Stressor Yohimbine Involves Prefrontal Dopamine D1 Receptor Activation. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol 2024; 27:pyae006. [PMID: 38214654 PMCID: PMC10852621 DOI: 10.1093/ijnp/pyae006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 01/13/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Acute stress alters risk-based decision-making; however, the underlying neural and neurochemical substrates are underexplored. Given their well-documented stress-inducing effects in humans and laboratory animals, glucocorticoids such as cortisol and corticosterone and the α2-adrenoceptor antagonist yohimbine represent potent pharmacological tools to mimic some characteristics of acute stress. METHODS Here, we analyzed the effects of the pharmacological stressors corticosterone and yohimbine given systemically on risk-based decision-making in male rats. Moreover, we investigated whether pharmacological stressor effects on risk-based decision-making involve dopamine D1 receptor stimulation in the dorsal prelimbic cortex (PL). We used a risk discounting task that requires choosing between a certain/small reward lever that always delivered 1 pellet and a risky/large reward lever that delivered 4 pellets with a decreasing probability across subsequent trials. RESULTS Systemic administration of yohimbine increased the preference for the risky/large reward lever. By contrast, systemic single administration of corticosterone did not significantly promote risky choice. Moreover, co-administration of corticosterone did not enhance the effects of yohimbine on risky choice. The data further show that the increased preference for the risky/large reward lever under systemic yohimbine was lowered by a concurrent pharmacological blockade of dopamine D1 receptors in the PL. CONCLUSIONS Our rodent data provide causal evidence that stimulation of PL D1 receptors may represent a neurochemical mechanism by which the acute pharmacological stressor yohimbine, and possibly nonpharmacological stressors as well, promote risky choice.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Susanne Sommer
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany
| | | | - Angeline Votteler
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany
| | | |
Collapse
|
6
|
Young MK, Conn KA, Das J, Zou S, Alexander S, Burne TH, Kesby JP. Activity in the Dorsomedial Striatum Underlies Serial Reversal Learning Performance Under Probabilistic Uncertainty. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY GLOBAL OPEN SCIENCE 2023; 3:1030-1041. [PMID: 37881585 PMCID: PMC10593872 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsgos.2022.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Revised: 08/16/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Corticostriatal circuits, particularly the dorsomedial striatum (DMS) and lateral orbitofrontal cortex, are critical for navigating reversal learning under probabilistic uncertainty. These same areas are implicated in the reversal learning impairments observed in individuals with psychosis as well as their psychotic symptoms, suggesting that they may share a common neurobiological substrate. To address this question, we used psychostimulant exposure and specific activation of the DMS during reversal learning in mice to assess corticostriatal activity. Methods We used amphetamine treatment to induce psychosis-relevant neurobiology in male mice during reversal learning and to examine pathway-specific corticostriatal activation. To determine the causal role of DMS activity, we used chemogenetics to drive midbrain inputs during a range of probabilistic contingencies. Results Mice treated with amphetamine showed altered punishment learning, which was associated with decreased shifting after losses and increased perseverative errors after reversals. Reversal learning performance and strategies were dependent on increased activity in lateral orbitofrontal cortex to DMS circuits as well as in the DMS itself. Specific activation of midbrain to DMS circuits also decreased shifting after losses and reversal learning performance. However, these alterations were dependent on the probabilistic contingency. Conclusions Our work suggests that the DMS plays a multifaceted role in reversal learning. Increasing DMS activity impairs multiple reversal learning processes dependent on the level of uncertainty, confirming its role in the maintenance and selection of incoming cortical inputs. Together, these outcomes suggest that elevated dopamine levels in the DMS could contribute to decision-making impairments in individuals with psychosis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Madison K. Young
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Kyna-Anne Conn
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Joyosmita Das
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Simin Zou
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Suzy Alexander
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Thomas H.J. Burne
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - James P. Kesby
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Montalban E, Walle R, Castel J, Ansoult A, Hassouna R, Foppen E, Fang X, Hutelin Z, Mickus S, Perszyk E, Petitbon A, Berthelet J, Rodrigues-Lima F, Cebrian-Serrano A, Gangarossa G, Martin C, Trifilieff P, Bosch-Bouju C, Small DM, Luquet S. The Addiction-Susceptibility TaqIA/Ankk1 Controls Reward and Metabolism Through D 2 Receptor-Expressing Neurons. Biol Psychiatry 2023; 94:424-436. [PMID: 36805080 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2023.02.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2022] [Revised: 01/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND A large body of evidence highlights the importance of genetic variants in the development of psychiatric and metabolic conditions. Among these, the TaqIA polymorphism is one of the most commonly studied in psychiatry. TaqIA is located in the gene that codes for the ankyrin repeat and kinase domain containing 1 kinase (Ankk1) near the dopamine D2 receptor (D2R) gene. Homozygous expression of the A1 allele correlates with a 30% to 40% reduction of striatal D2R, a typical feature of addiction, overeating, and other psychiatric pathologies. The mechanisms by which the variant influences dopamine signaling and behavior are unknown. METHODS Here, we used transgenic and viral-mediated strategies to reveal the role of Ankk1 in the regulation of activity and functions of the striatum. RESULTS We found that Ankk1 is preferentially enriched in striatal D2R-expressing neurons and that Ankk1 loss of function in the dorsal and ventral striatum leads to alteration in learning, impulsivity, and flexibility resembling endophenotypes described in A1 carriers. We also observed an unsuspected role of Ankk1 in striatal D2R-expressing neurons of the ventral striatum in the regulation of energy homeostasis and documented differential nutrient partitioning in humans with or without the A1 allele. CONCLUSIONS Overall, our data demonstrate that the Ankk1 gene is necessary for the integrity of striatal functions and reveal a new role for Ankk1 in the regulation of body metabolism.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Enrica Montalban
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Unité de Biologie Fonctionnelle et Adaptative, Paris, France.
| | - Roman Walle
- Université Bordeaux, INRAE, Bordeaux INP, NutriNeuro, UMR 1286, Bordeaux, France
| | - Julien Castel
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Unité de Biologie Fonctionnelle et Adaptative, Paris, France
| | - Anthony Ansoult
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Unité de Biologie Fonctionnelle et Adaptative, Paris, France
| | - Rim Hassouna
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Unité de Biologie Fonctionnelle et Adaptative, Paris, France
| | - Ewout Foppen
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Unité de Biologie Fonctionnelle et Adaptative, Paris, France
| | - Xi Fang
- Modern Diet and Physiology Research Center, New Haven, Connecticut; Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Zach Hutelin
- Modern Diet and Physiology Research Center, New Haven, Connecticut; Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Sophie Mickus
- Modern Diet and Physiology Research Center, New Haven, Connecticut; Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Emily Perszyk
- Modern Diet and Physiology Research Center, New Haven, Connecticut; Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Anna Petitbon
- Université Bordeaux, INRAE, Bordeaux INP, NutriNeuro, UMR 1286, Bordeaux, France
| | - Jérémy Berthelet
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Unité Epigenetique et Destin Cellulaire, Paris, France
| | | | - Alberto Cebrian-Serrano
- Institute for Diabetes and Obesity, Helmholtz Diabetes Center (HDC), Helmholtz Zentrum München, Neuherberg, Germany; German Center for Diabetes Research, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Giuseppe Gangarossa
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Unité de Biologie Fonctionnelle et Adaptative, Paris, France
| | - Claire Martin
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Unité de Biologie Fonctionnelle et Adaptative, Paris, France
| | - Pierre Trifilieff
- Université Bordeaux, INRAE, Bordeaux INP, NutriNeuro, UMR 1286, Bordeaux, France
| | | | - Dana M Small
- Modern Diet and Physiology Research Center, New Haven, Connecticut; Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Serge Luquet
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Unité de Biologie Fonctionnelle et Adaptative, Paris, France; Modern Diet and Physiology Research Center, New Haven, Connecticut.
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Truckenbrod LM, Betzhold SM, Wheeler AR, Shallcross J, Singhal S, Harden S, Schwendt M, Frazier CJ, Bizon JL, Setlow B, Orsini CA. Circuit and Cell-Specific Contributions to Decision Making Involving Risk of Explicit Punishment in Male and Female Rats. J Neurosci 2023; 43:4837-4855. [PMID: 37286352 PMCID: PMC10312052 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0276-23.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2023] [Revised: 05/29/2023] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 06/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Decision making is a complex cognitive process that recruits a distributed network of brain regions, including the basolateral amygdala (BLA) and nucleus accumbens shell (NAcSh). Recent work suggests that communication between these structures, as well as activity of cells expressing dopamine (DA) D2 receptors (D2R) in the NAcSh, are necessary for some forms of decision making; however, the contributions of this circuit and cell population during decision making under risk of punishment are unknown. The current experiments addressed this question using circuit-specific and cell type-specific optogenetic approaches in rats during a decision making task involving risk of punishment. In experiment 1, Long-Evans rats received intra-BLA injections of halorhodopsin or mCherry (control) and in experiment 2, D2-Cre transgenic rats received intra-NAcSh injections of Cre-dependent halorhodopsin or mCherry. Optic fibers were implanted in the NAcSh in both experiments. Following training in the decision making task, BLA→NAcSh or D2R-expressing neurons were optogenetically inhibited during different phases of the decision process. Inhibition of the BLA→NAcSh during deliberation (the time between trial initiation and choice) increased preference for the large, risky reward (increased risk taking). Similarly, inhibition during delivery of the large, punished reward increased risk taking, but only in males. Inhibition of D2R-expressing neurons in the NAcSh during deliberation increased risk taking. In contrast, inhibition of these neurons during delivery of the small, safe reward decreased risk taking. These findings extend our knowledge of the neural dynamics of risk taking, revealing sex-dependent circuit recruitment and dissociable activity of selective cell populations during decision making.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Until recently, the ability to dissect the neural substrates of decision making involving risk of punishment (risk taking) in a circuit-specific and cell-specific manner has been limited by the tools available for use in rats. Here, we leveraged the temporal precision of optogenetics, together with transgenic rats, to probe contributions of a specific circuit and cell population to different phases of risk-based decision making. Our findings reveal basolateral amygdala (BLA)→nucleus accumbens shell (NAcSh) is involved in evaluation of punished rewards in a sex-dependent manner. Further, NAcSh D2 receptor (D2R)-expressing neurons make unique contributions to risk taking that vary across the decision making process. These findings advance our understanding of the neural principles of decision making and provide insight into how risk taking may become compromised in neuropsychiatric diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Leah M Truckenbrod
- Institute for Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, 78712
| | | | - Alexa-Rae Wheeler
- Institute for Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, 78712
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Jennifer L Bizon
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, 32610
| | | | - Caitlin A Orsini
- Department of Psychology
- Department of Neurology
- Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, 78712
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Flores-Dourojeanni JP, van den Munkhof MH, Luijendijk MCM, Vanderschuren LJMJ, Adan RAH. Inhibition of ventral tegmental area projections to the nucleus accumbens shell increases premature responding in the five-choice serial reaction time task in rats. Brain Struct Funct 2023; 228:787-798. [PMID: 36843155 PMCID: PMC10147763 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-023-02618-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 02/28/2023]
Abstract
Exaggerated impulsivity and attentional impairments are hallmarks of certain disorders of behavioural control such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), schizophrenia and addiction. Pharmacological studies have implicated elevated dopamine (DA) levels in the nucleus accumbens shell (NAcbS) in impulsive actions. The NAcbS receives its DA input from the ventral tegmental area (VTA), and we have previously shown that optogenetic activation of VTA-NAcbS projections impaired impulse control and attention in the five-choice serial reaction time task (5-CSRTT) in rats. To better understand the role of VTA-NAcbS projections in impulsivity and attention, the present study sought to inhibit this projection using optogenetics. We demonstrate that inhibiting VTA-NAcbS efferents during the last seconds of the inter-trial interval (i.e. immediately before presentation of the instructive cue) induces exaggerated impulsive action, in the absence of changes in attentional or motivational parameters in the 5-CSRTT. Together with our earlier observations, this suggests that impulse control in the 5-CSRTT is tightly controlled by VTA-NAcbS activity, with deviations in both directions resulting in increased impulsivity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jacques P Flores-Dourojeanni
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, 3508, GA, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Animals in Science and Society, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, 3584, CM, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Marleen H van den Munkhof
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, 3508, GA, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Mieneke C M Luijendijk
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, 3508, GA, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Louk J M J Vanderschuren
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Animals in Science and Society, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, 3584, CM, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Roger A H Adan
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, 3508, GA, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
- Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, 405 30, Gothenburg, Sweden.
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Altered neural correlates of optimal decision-making in individuals with depressive status. Biol Psychol 2023; 176:108462. [PMID: 36410588 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2022.108462] [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: 06/23/2022] [Revised: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 11/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Making optimal decisions by computing risk and benefit is necessary for humans. However, whether individuals with depressive status could utilize the optimal strategy to guide decision and its neural correlates remain unclear. The current study explored these issues by combining a decision task and high temporal-resolution electroencephalogram (EEG). The decision task involved an eight-box trial in which participants successively decided whether to open a box containing a potential reward or punishment, deciding to stop guaranteed they would retain the rewards already accumulated. Theoretically, the optimal strategy in the task was to stop at the fourth box, which had the largest expected value. We found that individuals with depressive status stopped fewer trials at the fourth box, relative to healthy controls, indicating their impaired optimal strategy during decision-making. Moreover, compared to healthy controls, individuals with depressive status showed weaker P2 amplitude and weaker beta-band oscillation at the frontocentral scalp when deciding whether to open the fourth box. Additionally, for healthy controls but not for individuals with depressive status, the P2 amplitude fully mediated the relationship between participants' degree of expected benefit (as reflected by the recreational risk-taking scale) and the frequency of trials stopped at the fourth box. Overall, this study revealed that the P2 amplitude and beta-band oscillation might explain the altered optimal decision-making in individuals with depressive status.
Collapse
|
11
|
Bala A, Dziedzic T, Olejnik A, Marchel A. Attention and working memory in patients with prolactinomas: a case-control study. Sci Rep 2022; 12:22565. [PMID: 36581642 PMCID: PMC9800401 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-26331-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Prolactinomas (prolactin-secreting adenomas) are the most common type of hormone-secreting pituitary tumor. Mounting evidence indicates that excess prolactin impairs cognitive function, but specific assessments of attention in patients with prolactinomas are lacking. Case-control study gathered 54 participants-27 patients with prolactinoma and 27 healthy controls. Neuropsychological assessment included a comprehensive set of diagnostic methods for the evaluation of attention and working memory. Patients showed slower information processing, expressed as a longer working time on the d2 Test of Attention and Color Trails Test (CTT-2), and lower attention-switching shown in the CTT-2 and in two subtests of the Tests of Everyday Attention (Visual Elevator), and Telephone Search While Counting. Working memory disturbances were observed in Digit Span and Symbol Span tests. A level of prolactin correlated negatively with scores in some of the neuropsychological tests measuring attentional switching (Visual Elevator), spatial screening and working memory (CTT-2), spatial working memory (Symbol Span) and auditory-verbal working memory (Digit Span backwards). There were no significant correlations between cognitive performance and tumor size. In conclusion, patients with prolactinoma suffer from impaired cognitive functions, including attention and working memory. Comprehensive neuropsychological assessment should be a permanent element of the diagnostics of this group of patients.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Aleksandra Bala
- grid.12847.380000 0004 1937 1290Faculty of Psychology, University of Warsaw, Stawki 5/7, 00-183 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Tomasz Dziedzic
- grid.13339.3b0000000113287408Department of Neurosurgery, Medical University of Warsaw, Żwirki i Wigury 61, 02-091 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Agnieszka Olejnik
- grid.12847.380000 0004 1937 1290Faculty of Psychology, University of Warsaw, Stawki 5/7, 00-183 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Andrzej Marchel
- grid.13339.3b0000000113287408Department of Neurosurgery, Medical University of Warsaw, Żwirki i Wigury 61, 02-091 Warsaw, Poland
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Bijlsma A, Omrani A, Spoelder M, Verharen JPH, Bauer L, Cornelis C, de Zwart B, van Dorland R, Vanderschuren LJMJ, Wierenga CJ. Social Play Behavior Is Critical for the Development of Prefrontal Inhibitory Synapses and Cognitive Flexibility in Rats. J Neurosci 2022; 42:8716-8728. [PMID: 36253083 PMCID: PMC9671579 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0524-22.2022] [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: 03/11/2022] [Revised: 08/12/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Sensory driven activity during early life is critical for setting up the proper connectivity of the sensory cortices. We ask here whether social play behavior, a particular form of social interaction that is highly abundant during postweaning development, is equally important for setting up connections in the developing prefrontal cortex (PFC). Young male rats were deprived from social play with peers during the period in life when social play behavior normally peaks [postnatal day 21-42] (SPD rats), followed by resocialization until adulthood. We recorded synaptic currents in layer 5 cells in slices from medial PFC of adult SPD and control rats and observed that inhibitory synaptic currents were reduced in SPD slices, while excitatory synaptic currents were unaffected. This was associated with a decrease in perisomatic inhibitory synapses from parvalbumin-positive GABAergic cells. In parallel experiments, adult SPD rats achieved more reversals in a probabilistic reversal learning (PRL) task, which depends on the integrity of the PFC, by using a more simplified cognitive strategy than controls. Interestingly, we observed that one daily hour of play during SPD partially rescued the behavioral performance in the PRL, but did not prevent the decrease in PFC inhibitory synaptic inputs. Our data demonstrate the importance of unrestricted social play for the development of inhibitory synapses in the PFC and cognitive skills in adulthood and show that specific synaptic alterations in the PFC can result in a complex behavioral outcome.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT This study addressed the question whether social play behavior in juvenile rats contributes to functional development of the prefrontal cortex (PFC). We found that rats that had been deprived from juvenile social play (social play deprivation - SPD) showed a reduction in inhibitory synapses in the PFC and a simplified strategy to solve a complex behavioral task in adulthood. Providing one daily hour of play during SPD partially rescued the cognitive skills in these rats, but did not prevent the reduction in PFC inhibitory synapses. Our results demonstrate a key role for unrestricted juvenile social play in PFC development and emphasize the complex relation between PFC circuit connectivity and cognitive function.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ate Bijlsma
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, 3584 CH, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Section Animals in Science and Society, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, 3584 CM, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Azar Omrani
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, 3584 CH, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, University Medical Center Utrecht, 3584 CG, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Marcia Spoelder
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Section Animals in Science and Society, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, 3584 CM, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Jeroen P H Verharen
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Section Animals in Science and Society, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, 3584 CM, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, University Medical Center Utrecht, 3584 CG, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Lisa Bauer
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, 3584 CH, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Cosette Cornelis
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Section Animals in Science and Society, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, 3584 CM, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Beleke de Zwart
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Section Animals in Science and Society, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, 3584 CM, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - René van Dorland
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, 3584 CH, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Louk J M J Vanderschuren
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Section Animals in Science and Society, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, 3584 CM, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Corette J Wierenga
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, 3584 CH, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Lindenbach D, Vacca G, Ahn S, Seamans JK, Phillips AG. Optogenetic modulation of glutamatergic afferents from the ventral subiculum to the nucleus accumbens: Effects on dopamine function, response vigor and locomotor activity. Behav Brain Res 2022; 434:114028. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2022.114028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2022] [Revised: 07/13/2022] [Accepted: 07/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
|
14
|
How Can Animal Models Inform the Understanding of Cognitive Inflexibility in Patients with Anorexia Nervosa? J Clin Med 2022; 11:jcm11092594. [PMID: 35566718 PMCID: PMC9105411 DOI: 10.3390/jcm11092594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2022] [Revised: 04/27/2022] [Accepted: 04/30/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Deficits in cognitive flexibility are consistently seen in patients with anorexia nervosa (AN). This type of cognitive impairment is thought to be associated with the persistence of AN because it leads to deeply ingrained patterns of thought and behaviour that are highly resistant to change. Neurobiological drivers of cognitive inflexibility have some commonalities with the abnormal brain functional outcomes described in patients with AN, including disrupted prefrontal cortical function, and dysregulated dopamine and serotonin neurotransmitter systems. The activity-based anorexia (ABA) model recapitulates the key features of AN in human patients, including rapid weight loss caused by self-starvation and hyperactivity, supporting its application in investigating the cognitive and neurobiological causes of pathological weight loss. The aim of this review is to describe the relationship between AN, neural function and cognitive flexibility in human patients, and to highlight how new techniques in behavioural neuroscience can improve the utility of animal models of AN to inform the development of novel therapeutics.
Collapse
|
15
|
Cools R, Tichelaar JG, Helmich RCG, Bloem BR, Esselink RAJ, Smulders K, Timmer MHM. Role of dopamine and clinical heterogeneity in cognitive dysfunction in Parkinson's disease. PROGRESS IN BRAIN RESEARCH 2022; 269:309-343. [PMID: 35248200 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pbr.2022.01.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD) is commonly treated with dopaminergic medication, which enhances some, while impairing other cognitive functions. It can even contribute to impulse control disorder and addiction. We describe the history of research supporting the dopamine overdose hypothesis, which accounts for the large within-patient variability in dopaminergic medication effects across different tasks by referring to the spatially non-uniform pattern of dopamine depletion in dorsal versus ventral striatum. However, there is tremendous variability in dopaminergic medication effects not just within patients across distinct tasks, but also across different patients. In the second part of this chapter we review recent studies addressing the large individual variability in the negative side effects of dopaminergic medication on functions that implicate dopamine, such as value-based learning and choice. These studies begin to unravel the mechanisms of dopamine overdosing, thus revising the strict version of the overdose hypothesis. For example, the work shows that the canonical boosting of reward-versus punishment-based choice by medication is greater in patients with depression and a non-tremor phenotype, which both implicate, among other pathology, more rather than less severe dysregulation of the mesolimbic dopamine system. Future longitudinal cohort studies are needed to identify how to optimally combine different clinical, personality, cognitive, neural, genetic and molecular predictors of detrimental medication effects in order to account for as much of the relevant variability as possible. This will provide a useful tool for precision neurology, allowing individual and contextual tailoring of (the dose of) dopaminergic medication in order to maximize its cognitive benefits, yet minimize its side effects.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Roshan Cools
- Radboud university medical center, Department of Psychiatry, Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
| | - Jorryt G Tichelaar
- Radboud university medical center, Department of Neurology, Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Rick C G Helmich
- Radboud university medical center, Department of Neurology, Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Bastiaan R Bloem
- Radboud university medical center, Department of Neurology, Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Rianne A J Esselink
- Radboud university medical center, Department of Neurology, Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Katrijn Smulders
- Radboud university medical center, Department of Neurology, Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Monique H M Timmer
- Radboud university medical center, Department of Neurology, Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Achterberg EJM, van Oldeniel RJ, van Tilborg E, Verharen JPH, Nijboer CH, Vanderschuren LJMJ. Cognitive performance during adulthood in a rat model of neonatal diffuse white matter injury. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2022; 239:745-764. [PMID: 35064798 PMCID: PMC8891199 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-021-06053-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2021] [Accepted: 12/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Infants born prematurely risk developing diffuse white matter injury (WMI), which is associated with impaired cognitive functioning and an increased risk of autism spectrum disorder. Recently, our rat model of preterm diffuse WMI induced by combined fetal inflammation and postnatal hypoxia showed impaired motor performance, anxiety-like behaviour and autism-like behaviour in juvenile rats, especially males. Immunohistochemistry showed delayed myelination in the sensory cortex and impaired oligodendrocyte differentiation. OBJECTIVE To assess long-term cognitive deficits in this double-hit rat model of diffuse WMI, animals were screened on impulsivity, attention and cognitive flexibility in adulthood using the 5-choice serial reaction time task (5CSRTT) and a probabilistic reversal learning task, tests that require a proper functioning prefrontal cortex. Thereafter, myelination deficits were evaluated by immunofluorescent staining in adulthood. RESULTS Overall, little effect of WMI or sex was found in the cognitive tasks. WMI animals showed subtle differences in performance in the 5CSRTT. Manipulating 5CSRTT parameters resulted in performance patterns previously seen in the literature. Sex differences were found in perseverative responses and omitted trials: female WMI rats seem to be less flexible in the 5CSRTT but not in the reversal learning task. Males collected rewards faster in the probabilistic reversal learning task. These findings are explained by temporally rather than permanently affected myelination and by the absence of extensive injury to prefrontal cortical subregions, confirmed by immunofluorescent staining in both adolescence and adulthood. CONCLUSION This rat model of preterm WMI does not lead to long-term cognitive deficits as observed in prematurely born human infants.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- E J Marijke Achterberg
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Unit Animals in Science and Society, Division of Behavioural Neuroscience, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 2, 3584CM, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
| | - Ralf J van Oldeniel
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Unit Animals in Science and Society, Division of Behavioural Neuroscience, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 2, 3584CM, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Department for Developmental Origins of Disease, University Medical Center, Utrecht Brain Center, Wilhelmina Children's Hospital, Utrecht University, Lundlaan 6, 3584EA, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Erik van Tilborg
- Department for Developmental Origins of Disease, University Medical Center, Utrecht Brain Center, Wilhelmina Children's Hospital, Utrecht University, Lundlaan 6, 3584EA, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Jeroen P H Verharen
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Cora H Nijboer
- Department for Developmental Origins of Disease, University Medical Center, Utrecht Brain Center, Wilhelmina Children's Hospital, Utrecht University, Lundlaan 6, 3584EA, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Louk J M J Vanderschuren
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Unit Animals in Science and Society, Division of Behavioural Neuroscience, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 2, 3584CM, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Groman SM, Thompson SL, Lee D, Taylor JR. Reinforcement learning detuned in addiction: integrative and translational approaches. Trends Neurosci 2022; 45:96-105. [PMID: 34920884 PMCID: PMC8770604 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2021.11.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2021] [Revised: 11/04/2021] [Accepted: 11/19/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Suboptimal decision-making strategies have been proposed to contribute to the pathophysiology of addiction. Decision-making, however, arises from a collection of computational components that can independently influence behavior. Disruptions in these different components can lead to decision-making deficits that appear similar behaviorally, but differ at the computational, and likely the neurobiological, level. Here, we discuss recent studies that have used computational approaches to investigate the decision-making processes underlying addiction. Studies in animal models have found that value updating following positive, but not negative, outcomes is predictive of drug use, whereas value updating following negative, but not positive, outcomes is disrupted following drug self-administration. We contextualize these findings with studies on the circuit and biological mechanisms of decision-making to develop a framework for revealing the biobehavioral mechanisms of addiction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie M. Groman
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota,Department of Psychiatry, Yale University,Correspondence to be directed to: Stephanie Groman, 321 Church Street SE, 4-125 Jackson Hall Minneapolis MN 55455,
| | | | - Daeyeol Lee
- The Zanvyl Krieger Mind/Brain Institute, The Solomon H Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute, Johns Hopkins University
| | - Jane R. Taylor
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University,Department of Neuroscience, Yale University,Department of Psychology, Yale University
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Increased elasticity of sucrose demand during hyperdopaminergic states in rats. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2022; 239:773-794. [PMID: 35102422 PMCID: PMC8891210 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-022-06068-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2020] [Accepted: 01/17/2022] [Indexed: 10/29/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Deficits in cost-benefit decision-making are a core feature of several psychiatric disorders, including substance addiction, eating disorders and bipolar disorder. Mesocorticolimbic dopamine signalling has been implicated in various processes related to cognition and reward, but its precise role in reward valuation and cost-benefit trade-off decisions remains incompletely understood. OBJECTIVES We assessed the role of mesocorticolimbic dopamine signalling in the relationship between price and consumption of sucrose, to better understand its role in cost-benefit decisions. METHODS Dopamine neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) were chemogenetically activated in rats, and a behavioural economics approach was used to quantify the relationship between price and consumption of sucrose. Motivation for sucrose was also assessed under a progressive ratio (PR) schedule of reinforcement. To further gauge the role of dopamine in cost-benefit trade-offs for sucrose, the effects of treatment with D-amphetamine and the dopamine receptor antagonist alpha-flupentixol were assessed. RESULTS Chemogenetic activation of VTA dopamine neurons increased demand elasticity, while responding for sucrose under a PR schedule of reinforcement was augmented upon stimulation of VTA dopamine neurons. Treatment with amphetamine partially replicated the effects of chemogenetic dopamine neuron activation, whereas treatment with alpha-flupentixol reduced free consumption of sucrose and had mixed effects on demand elasticity. CONCLUSIONS Stimulation of mesocorticolimbic dopaminergic neurotransmission altered cost-benefit trade-offs in a complex manner. It reduced the essential value of palatable food, increased incentive motivation and left free consumption unaltered. Together, these findings imply that mesocorticolimbic dopamine signalling differentially influences distinct components of cost expenditure processes aimed at obtaining rewards.
Collapse
|
19
|
Poisson CL, Engel L, Saunders BT. Dopamine Circuit Mechanisms of Addiction-Like Behaviors. Front Neural Circuits 2021; 15:752420. [PMID: 34858143 PMCID: PMC8631198 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2021.752420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2021] [Accepted: 10/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Addiction is a complex disease that impacts millions of people around the world. Clinically, addiction is formalized as substance use disorder (SUD), with three primary symptom categories: exaggerated substance use, social or lifestyle impairment, and risky substance use. Considerable efforts have been made to model features of these criteria in non-human animal research subjects, for insight into the underlying neurobiological mechanisms. Here we review evidence from rodent models of SUD-inspired criteria, focusing on the role of the striatal dopamine system. We identify distinct mesostriatal and nigrostriatal dopamine circuit functions in behavioral outcomes that are relevant to addictions and SUDs. This work suggests that striatal dopamine is essential for not only positive symptom features of SUDs, such as elevated intake and craving, but also for impairments in decision making that underlie compulsive behavior, reduced sociality, and risk taking. Understanding the functional heterogeneity of the dopamine system and related networks can offer insight into this complex symptomatology and may lead to more targeted treatments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Carli L. Poisson
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States
- Medical Discovery Team on Addiction, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States
| | - Liv Engel
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States
- Medical Discovery Team on Addiction, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States
| | - Benjamin T. Saunders
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States
- Medical Discovery Team on Addiction, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Acute intranasal dopamine application counteracts the reversal learning deficit of spontaneously hypertensive rats in an attentional set-shifting task. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2021; 238:2419-2428. [PMID: 33982142 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-021-05863-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2020] [Accepted: 04/30/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Studies on the attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have concluded that the disorder might be caused by a deficit in the inhibitory control of executive functions because of dopamine hypofunction. Recently, the intranasal route has emerged as an effective alternative means for sending dopamine directly to the brain. However, whether the treatment can ameliorate the deficits of inhibitory control in ADHD remains unknown. OBJECTIVES Investigating the effects of acute intranasal dopamine (IN-DA) on the inhibitory control of executive functions of an ADHD rodent model. METHODS We trained an animal model of ADHD, the spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR), and Wistar rats as controls, in an attentional set-shifting task (ASST) in which dopamine (0.15 mg/kg, 0.3 mg/kg, or vehicle) was intranasally administered before the final test. RESULTS IN-DA application dose-dependently improved the performance and reduced errors of SHR in the initial reversal learning. The effect size was comparable to that of a peripheral injection of 0.6 mg/kg methylphenidate. In control Wistar rats, the highest dose of intranasal dopamine (0.3 mg/kg) induced deficits in the reversal learning of extradimensional discriminations. CONCLUSIONS The findings suggest that the IN-DA treatment has potential for use in the treatment of ADHD; however, caution must be exercised when determining the dosage to be administered, because too much dopamine may have negative effects.
Collapse
|
21
|
Hernández VS, Zetter MA, Guerra EC, Hernández-Araiza I, Karuzin N, Hernández-Pérez OR, Eiden LE, Zhang L. ACE2 expression in rat brain: Implications for COVID-19 associated neurological manifestations. Exp Neurol 2021; 345:113837. [PMID: 34400158 PMCID: PMC8361001 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2021.113837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2021] [Revised: 07/12/2021] [Accepted: 08/06/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
We examined cell type-specific expression and distribution of rat brain angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), the receptor for SARS-CoV-2, in the rodent brain. ACE2 is ubiquitously present in brain vasculature, with the highest density of ACE2 expressing capillaries found in the olfactory bulb, the hypothalamic paraventricular, supraoptic, and mammillary nuclei, the midbrain substantia nigra and ventral tegmental area, and the hindbrain pontine nucleus, the pre-Bötzinger complex, and nucleus of tractus solitarius. ACE2 was expressed in astrocytes and astrocytic foot processes, pericytes and endothelial cells, key components of the blood-brain barrier. We found discrete neuronal groups immunopositive for ACE2 in brainstem respiratory rhythm generating centers, including the pontine nucleus, the parafascicular/retrotrapezoid nucleus, the parabrachial nucleus, the Bötzinger, and pre-Bötzinger complexes and the nucleus of tractus solitarius; in the arousal-related pontine reticular nucleus and gigantocellular reticular nuclei; in brainstem aminergic nuclei, including substantia nigra, ventral tegmental area, dorsal raphe, and locus coeruleus; in the epithalamic habenula, hypothalamic paraventricular and supramammillary nuclei; and in the hippocampus. Identification of ACE2-expressing neurons in rat brain within well-established functional circuits facilitates prediction of possible neurological manifestations of brain ACE2 dysregulation during and after COVID-19 infection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Vito S Hernández
- Dept. Physiology, Laboratory of Systems Neuroscience, School of Medicine, National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM, Mexico City, Mexico)
| | - Mario A Zetter
- Dept. Physiology, Laboratory of Systems Neuroscience, School of Medicine, National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM, Mexico City, Mexico)
| | - Enrique C Guerra
- Dept. Physiology, Laboratory of Systems Neuroscience, School of Medicine, National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM, Mexico City, Mexico)
| | - Ileana Hernández-Araiza
- Dept. Physiology, Laboratory of Systems Neuroscience, School of Medicine, National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM, Mexico City, Mexico); School of Medicine University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Nikita Karuzin
- Dept. Physiology, Laboratory of Systems Neuroscience, School of Medicine, National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM, Mexico City, Mexico); School of Medicine, Pan-American University, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Oscar R Hernández-Pérez
- Dept. Physiology, Laboratory of Systems Neuroscience, School of Medicine, National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM, Mexico City, Mexico)
| | - Lee E Eiden
- Section on Molecular Neuroscience, NIMH-IRP, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Limei Zhang
- Dept. Physiology, Laboratory of Systems Neuroscience, School of Medicine, National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM, Mexico City, Mexico).
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Temporally Specific Roles of Ventral Tegmental Area Projections to the Nucleus Accumbens and Prefrontal Cortex in Attention and Impulse Control. J Neurosci 2021; 41:4293-4304. [PMID: 33837050 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0477-20.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2020] [Revised: 11/30/2020] [Accepted: 12/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Deficits in impulse control and attention are prominent in the symptomatology of mental disorders such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), substance addiction, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder, yet the underlying mechanisms are incompletely understood. Frontostriatal structures, such as the nucleus accumbens (NAcb), the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), and their dopaminergic innervation from the ventral tegmental area (VTA) have been implicated in impulse control and attention. What remains unclear is how the temporal pattern of activity of these VTA projections contributes to these processes. Here, we optogenetically stimulated VTA dopamine (DA) cells, as well as VTA projections to the NAcb core (NAcbC), NAcb shell (NAcbS), and the mPFC in male rats performing the 5-choice serial reaction time task (5-CSRTT). Our data show that stimulation of VTA DA neurons, and VTA projections to the NAcbC and the mPFC immediately before presentation of the stimulus cue, impaired attention but spared impulse control. Importantly, in addition to reducing attention, activation of VTA-NAcbS also increased impulsivity when tested under a longer intertrial interval (ITI), to provoke impulsive behavior. Optogenetic stimulation at the beginning of the ITI only partially replicated these effects. In sum, our data show how attention and impulsivity are modulated by neuronal activity in distinct ascending output pathways from the VTA in a temporally specific manner. These findings increase our understanding of the intricate mechanisms by which mesocorticolimbic circuits contribute to cognition.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Deficits in impulse control and attention are prominent in the symptomatology of several mental disorders, yet the brain mechanisms involved are incompletely understood. Since frontostriatal circuits have been implicated in impulse control and attention, we here examined the role of ascending projections from the midbrain ventral tegmental area (VTA) to the nucleus accumbens (NAcb) and prefrontal cortex (PFC). Using optogenetics to individually stimulate these projections with time-locked precision, we distinguished the role that each of these projections plays, in both impulse control and attention. As such, our study enhances our understanding of the neuronal circuitry that drives impulsive and attentive behavior.
Collapse
|
23
|
Pham U, Skogseid IM, Pripp AH, Bøen E, Toft M. Impulsivity in Parkinson's disease patients treated with subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation-An exploratory study. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0248568. [PMID: 33711081 PMCID: PMC7954288 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0248568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2020] [Accepted: 02/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Deep brain stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus (STN-DBS) is a recognized treatment in Parkinson's disease (PD). Knowledge is still limited regarding the possible impact of STN-DBS on personality traits and the personality characteristics of PD patients who undergo surgery. METHODS To assess personality traits in relation to STN-DBS we did an ancillary protocol as part of a prospective randomized study that compared two surgical strategies. Patients were assessed with the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI), the Urgency, Premeditation, Perseverance and Sensation Seeking impulse behavior scale, the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ) and the Toronto Alexithymia Scale preoperatively and after one year of STN-DBS. EPQ and TCI baseline scores were compared with mean scores of healthy reference populations. RESULTS After 12-months of STN-DBS, there was a significant decline in Persistence compared to baseline. Preoperatively, the STN-DBS patients had significantly lower Persistence and Self-Transcendence scores, and significantly higher scores on Novelty-Seeking, Self-Directedness, Cooperativeness and on Social Conformity than referenced populations. No difference was found in Neuroticism or Harm-Avoidance scores. The baseline prevalence of alexithymia was low and at 1-year follow-up there was no significant change in alexithymia scores. CONCLUSIONS We found a higher baseline level of impulsivity in PD patients who underwent STN-DBS. After one year of STN-DBS, our results indicated that the treatment may affect the patients' personality by increasing certain aspects of impulsivity. There was no effect on alexithymia. The preoperative personality profile of PD patients might influence the outcome of STN-DBS.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- U. Pham
- Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Psychosomatic and CL Psychiatry, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - I. M. Skogseid
- Department of Neurology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - A. H. Pripp
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Oslo Metropolitan University, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Health Economics, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - E. Bøen
- Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Psychosomatic and CL Psychiatry, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - M. Toft
- Department of Neurology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Distinct roles for dopamine clearance mechanisms in regulating behavioral flexibility. Mol Psychiatry 2021; 26:7188-7199. [PMID: 34193974 PMCID: PMC8872990 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-021-01194-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2021] [Revised: 05/21/2021] [Accepted: 06/08/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Dopamine plays a crucial role in adaptive behavior, and dysfunctional dopamine is implicated in multiple psychiatric conditions characterized by inflexible or inconsistent choices. However, the precise relationship between dopamine and flexible decision making remains unclear. One reason is that, while many studies have focused on the activity of dopamine neurons, efficient dopamine signaling also relies on clearance mechanisms, notably the dopamine transporter (DAT), which predominates in striatum, and catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT), which predominates in cortex. The exact locus, extent, and timescale of the effects of DAT and COMT are uncertain. Moreover, there is limited data on how acute disruption of either mechanism affects flexible decision making strategies mediated by cortico-striatal networks. To address these issues, we combined pharmacological modulation of DAT and COMT with electrochemistry and behavior in mice. DAT blockade, but not COMT inhibition, regulated sub-second dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens core, but surprisingly neither clearance mechanism affected evoked release in prelimbic cortex. This was not due to a lack of sensitivity, as both amphetamine and atomoxetine changed the kinetics of sub-second release. In a multi-step decision making task where mice had to respond to reversals in either reward probabilities or the choice sequence to reach the goal, DAT blockade selectively impaired, and COMT inhibition improved, performance after reward reversals, but neither manipulation affected the adaptation of choices after action-state transition reversals. Together, our data suggest that DAT and COMT shape specific aspects of behavioral flexibility by regulating different aspects of the kinetics of striatal and cortical dopamine, respectively.
Collapse
|
25
|
Sala-Bayo J, Fiddian L, Nilsson SRO, Hervig ME, McKenzie C, Mareschi A, Boulos M, Zhukovsky P, Nicholson J, Dalley JW, Alsiö J, Robbins TW. Dorsal and ventral striatal dopamine D1 and D2 receptors differentially modulate distinct phases of serial visual reversal learning. Neuropsychopharmacology 2020; 45:736-744. [PMID: 31940660 PMCID: PMC7075980 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-020-0612-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2019] [Revised: 11/22/2019] [Accepted: 12/16/2019] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Impaired cognitive flexibility in visual reversal-learning tasks has been observed in a wide range of neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders. Although both human and animal studies have implicated striatal D2-like and D1-like receptors (D2R; D1R) in this form of flexibility, less is known about the contribution they make within distinct sub-regions of the striatum and the different phases of visual reversal learning. The present study investigated the involvement of D2R and D1R during the early (perseverative) phase of reversal learning as well as in the intermediate and late stages (new learning) after microinfusions of D2R and D1R antagonists into the nucleus accumbens core and shell (NAcC; NAcS), the anterior and posterior dorsomedial striatum (DMS) and the dorsolateral striatum (DLS) on a touchscreen visual serial reversal-learning task. Reversal learning was improved after dopamine receptor blockade in the nucleus accumbens; the D1R antagonist, SCH23390, in the NAcS and the D2R antagonist, raclopride, in the NAcC selectively reduced early, perseverative errors. In contrast, reversal learning was impaired by D2R antagonism, but not D1R antagonism, in the dorsal striatum: raclopride increased errors in the intermediate phase after DMS infusions, and increased errors across phases after DLS infusions. These findings indicate that D1R and D2R modulate different stages of reversal learning through effects localised to different sub-regions of the striatum. Thus, deficits in behavioral flexibility observed in disorders linked to dopamine perturbations may be attributable to specific D1R and D2R dysfunction in distinct striatal sub-regions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Júlia Sala-Bayo
- Department of Psychology and Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 2EB, UK
| | - Leanne Fiddian
- Department of Psychology and Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 2EB, UK
| | - Simon R O Nilsson
- Department of Psychology and Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 2EB, UK
| | - Mona E Hervig
- Department of Psychology and Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 2EB, UK
| | - Colin McKenzie
- Department of Psychology and Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 2EB, UK
| | - Alexis Mareschi
- Department of Psychology and Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 2EB, UK
| | - Maria Boulos
- Department of Psychology and Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 2EB, UK
| | - Peter Zhukovsky
- Department of Psychology and Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 2EB, UK
| | - Janet Nicholson
- Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Div. Research Germany, Biberach an der Riß, Germany
| | - Jeffrey W Dalley
- Department of Psychology and Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 2EB, UK
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 2QQ, UK
| | - Johan Alsiö
- Department of Psychology and Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 2EB, UK
| | - Trevor W Robbins
- Department of Psychology and Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 2EB, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Scheggi S, Braccagni G, De Montis MG, Gambarana C. Heightened reward response is associated with HCN2 overexpression in the ventral tegmental area in morphine-sensitized rats. Behav Pharmacol 2020; 31:283-292. [DOI: 10.1097/fbp.0000000000000545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
|
27
|
Takeuchi Y, Berényi A. Oscillotherapeutics - Time-targeted interventions in epilepsy and beyond. Neurosci Res 2020; 152:87-107. [PMID: 31954733 DOI: 10.1016/j.neures.2020.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2019] [Revised: 12/18/2019] [Accepted: 12/19/2019] [Indexed: 02/09/2023]
Abstract
Oscillatory brain activities support many physiological functions from motor control to cognition. Disruptions of the normal oscillatory brain activities are commonly observed in neurological and psychiatric disorders including epilepsy, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, schizophrenia, anxiety/trauma-related disorders, major depressive disorders, and drug addiction. Therefore, these disorders can be considered as common oscillation defects despite having distinct behavioral manifestations and genetic causes. Recent technical advances of neuronal activity recording and analysis have allowed us to study the pathological oscillations of each disorder as a possible biomarker of symptoms. Furthermore, recent advances in brain stimulation technologies enable time- and space-targeted interventions of the pathological oscillations of both neurological disorders and psychiatric disorders as possible targets for regulating their symptoms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yuichi Takeuchi
- MTA-SZTE 'Momentum' Oscillatory Neuronal Networks Research Group, Department of Physiology, University of Szeged, Szeged, 6720, Hungary; Department of Neuropharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nagoya City University, Nagoya, 467-8603, Japan.
| | - Antal Berényi
- MTA-SZTE 'Momentum' Oscillatory Neuronal Networks Research Group, Department of Physiology, University of Szeged, Szeged, 6720, Hungary; HCEMM-SZTE Magnetotherapeutics Research Group, University of Szeged, Szeged, 6720, Hungary; Neuroscience Institute, New York University, New York, NY 10016, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Modulation of value-based decision making behavior by subregions of the rat prefrontal cortex. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2020; 237:1267-1280. [PMID: 32025777 PMCID: PMC7196947 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-020-05454-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2019] [Accepted: 01/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE During value-based decision-making, organisms make choices on the basis of reward expectations, which have been formed during prior action-outcome learning. Although it is known that neuronal manipulations of different subregions of the rat prefrontal cortex (PFC) have qualitatively different effects on behavioral tasks involving value-based decision-making, it is unclear how these regions contribute to the underlying component processes. OBJECTIVES Assessing how different regions of the rodent PFC contribute to component processes of value-based decision-making behavior, including reward (or positive feedback) learning, punishment (or negative feedback) learning, response persistence, and exploration versus exploitation. METHODS We performed behavioral modeling of data of rats in a probabilistic reversal learning task after pharmacological inactivation of five PFC subregions, to assess how inactivation of these different regions affected the structure of responding of animals in the task. RESULTS Our results show reductions in reward and punishment learning after PFC subregion inactivation. The prelimbic, infralimbic, lateral orbital, and medial orbital PFC particularly contributed to punishment learning, and the prelimbic and lateral orbital PFC to reward learning. In addition, response persistence depended on the infralimbic and medial orbital PFC. As a result, pharmacological inactivation of the infralimbic and lateral orbitofrontal cortex reduced the number of reversals achieved, whereas inactivation of the prelimbic and medial orbitofrontal cortex decreased the number of rewards obtained. Finally, using simulated data, we explain discrepancies with a previous study and demonstrate complex, interacting relationships between conventional measures of probabilistic reversal learning performance, such as win-stay/lose-switch behavior, and component processes of value-based decision-making. CONCLUSIONS Together, our data suggest that distinct components of value-based learning and decision-making are generated in medial and orbital PFC regions, displaying functional specialization and overlap, with a prominent role of large parts of the PFC in negative feedback processing.
Collapse
|
29
|
Verharen JPH, Luijendijk MCM, Vanderschuren LJMJ, Adan RAH. Dopaminergic contributions to behavioral control under threat of punishment in rats. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2020; 237:1769-1782. [PMID: 32221695 PMCID: PMC7239833 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-020-05497-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2019] [Accepted: 02/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Excessive intake of rewards, such as food and drugs, often has explicit negative consequences, including the development of obesity and addiction, respectively. Thus, choosing not to pursue reward is the result of a cost/benefit decision, proper execution of which requires inhibition of behavior. An extensive body of preclinical and clinical evidence implicates dopamine in certain forms of inhibition of behavior, but it is not fully known how it contributes to behavioral inhibition under threat of explicit punishment. OBJECTIVES To assess the involvement of midbrain dopamine neurons and their corticostriatal output regions, the ventral striatum and prefrontal cortex, in control over behavior under threat of explicit (foot shock) punishment in rats. METHODS We used a recently developed behavioral inhibition task, which assesses the ability of rats to exert behavioral restraint at the mere sight of food reward, under threat of foot shock punishment. Using in vivo fiber photometry, chemogenetics, c-Fos immunohistochemistry, and behavioral pharmacology, we investigated how dopamine neurons in the ventral tegmental area, as well as its output areas, the ventral striatum and prefrontal cortex, contribute to behavior in this task. RESULTS Using this multidisciplinary approach, we found little evidence for a direct involvement of ascending midbrain dopamine neurons in inhibitory control over behavior under threat of punishment. For example, photometry recordings suggested that VTA DA neurons do not directly govern control over behavior in the task, as no differences were observed in neuronal population activity during successful versus unsuccessful behavioral control. In addition, chemogenetic and pharmacological manipulations of the mesocorticolimbic DA system had little or no effect on the animals' ability to exert inhibitory control over behavior. Rather, the dopamine system appeared to have a role in the motivational components of reward pursuit. CONCLUSIONS Together, our data provide insight into the mesocorticolimbic mechanisms behind motivated behaviors by showing a modulatory role of dopamine in the expression of cost/benefit decisions. In contrast to our expectations, dopamine did not appear to directly mediate the type of behavioral control that is tested in our task.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jeroen P. H. Verharen
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands ,Department of Animals in Science and Society, Division of Behavioural Neuroscience, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands ,Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720 USA
| | - Mieneke C. M. Luijendijk
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Louk J. M. J. Vanderschuren
- Department of Animals in Science and Society, Division of Behavioural Neuroscience, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Roger A. H. Adan
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands ,Institute of Physiology and Neuroscience, Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Verharen JPH, Adan RAH, Vanderschuren LJMJ. Differential contributions of striatal dopamine D1 and D2 receptors to component processes of value-based decision making. Neuropsychopharmacology 2019; 44:2195-2204. [PMID: 31254972 PMCID: PMC6897916 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-019-0454-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2019] [Revised: 06/17/2019] [Accepted: 06/21/2019] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Dopamine has been implicated in value-based learning and decision making by signaling reward prediction errors and facilitating cognitive flexibility, incentive motivation, and voluntary movement. Dopamine receptors can roughly be divided into the D1 and D2 subtypes, and it has been hypothesized that these two types of receptors have an opposite function in facilitating reward-related and aversion-related behaviors, respectively. Here, we tested the contribution of striatal dopamine D1 and D2 receptors to processes underlying value-based learning and decision making in rats, employing a probabilistic reversal learning paradigm. Using computational trial-by-trial analysis of task behavior after systemic or intracranial treatment with dopamine D1 and D2 receptor agonists and antagonists, we show that negative feedback learning can be modulated through D2 receptor signaling and positive feedback learning through D1 receptor signaling in the ventral striatum. Furthermore, stimulation of D2 receptors in the ventral or dorsolateral (but not dorsomedial) striatum promoted explorative choice behavior, suggesting an additional function of dopamine in these areas in value-based decision making. Finally, treatment with most dopaminergic drugs affected response latencies and number of trials completed, which was also seen after infusion of D2, but not D1 receptor-acting drugs into the striatum. Together, our data support the idea that dopamine D1 and D2 receptors have complementary functions in learning on the basis of emotionally valenced feedback, and provide evidence that dopamine facilitates value-based and motivated behaviors through distinct striatal regions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jeroen P. H. Verharen
- 0000000090126352grid.7692.aDepartment of Translational Neuroscience, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Universiteitsweg 100, 3584 CG Utrecht, the Netherlands ,0000000120346234grid.5477.1Department of Animals in Science and Society, Division of Behavioural Neuroscience, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 2, 3584 CM Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Roger A. H. Adan
- 0000000090126352grid.7692.aDepartment of Translational Neuroscience, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Universiteitsweg 100, 3584 CG Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Louk J. M. J. Vanderschuren
- 0000000120346234grid.5477.1Department of Animals in Science and Society, Division of Behavioural Neuroscience, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 2, 3584 CM Utrecht, the Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Polli FS, Kohlmeier KA. Alterations in NMDAR-mediated signaling within the laterodorsal tegmental nucleus are associated with prenatal nicotine exposure. Neuropharmacology 2019; 158:107744. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2019.107744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2019] [Revised: 07/23/2019] [Accepted: 08/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
|
32
|
McCoy B, Jahfari S, Engels G, Knapen T, Theeuwes J. Dopaminergic medication reduces striatal sensitivity to negative outcomes in Parkinson's disease. Brain 2019; 142:3605-3620. [PMID: 31603493 PMCID: PMC6821230 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awz276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2018] [Revised: 07/13/2019] [Accepted: 07/17/2019] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Reduced levels of dopamine in Parkinson's disease contribute to changes in learning, resulting from the loss of midbrain neurons that transmit a dopaminergic teaching signal to the striatum. Dopamine medication used by patients with Parkinson's disease has previously been linked to behavioural changes during learning as well as to adjustments in value-based decision-making after learning. To date, however, little is known about the specific relationship between dopaminergic medication-driven differences during learning and subsequent changes in approach/avoidance tendencies in individual patients. Twenty-four Parkinson's disease patients ON and OFF dopaminergic medication and 24 healthy controls subjects underwent functional MRI while performing a probabilistic reinforcement learning experiment. During learning, dopaminergic medication reduced an overemphasis on negative outcomes. Medication reduced negative (but not positive) outcome learning rates, while concurrent striatal blood oxygen level-dependent responses showed reduced prediction error sensitivity. Medication-induced shifts in negative learning rates were predictive of changes in approach/avoidance choice patterns after learning, and these changes were accompanied by systematic striatal blood oxygen level-dependent response alterations. These findings elucidate the role of dopamine-driven learning differences in Parkinson's disease, and show how these changes during learning impact subsequent value-based decision-making.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Brónagh McCoy
- Department of Experimental and Applied Psychology, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Sara Jahfari
- Spinoza Centre for Neuroimaging, Royal Academy of Sciences, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Gwenda Engels
- Department of Clinical, Neuro and Developmental Psychology, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Tomas Knapen
- Department of Experimental and Applied Psychology, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Spinoza Centre for Neuroimaging, Royal Academy of Sciences, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jan Theeuwes
- Department of Experimental and Applied Psychology, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Optogenetic and chemogenetic approaches to manipulate attention, impulsivity and behavioural flexibility in rodents. Behav Pharmacol 2019; 29:560-568. [PMID: 30169376 DOI: 10.1097/fbp.0000000000000425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Studies manipulating neural activity acutely with optogenetic or chemogenetic intervention in behaving rodents have increased considerably in recent years. More often, these circuit-level neural manipulations are tested within an existing framework of behavioural testing that strives to model complex executive functions or symptomologies relevant to multidimensional psychiatric disorders in humans, such as attentional control deficits, impulsivity or behavioural (in)flexibility. This methods perspective argues in favour of carefully implementing these acute circuit-based approaches to better understand and model cognitive symptomologies or their similar isomorphic animal behaviours, which often arise and persist in overlapping brain circuitries. First, we offer some practical considerations for combining long-term, behavioural paradigms with optogenetic or chemogenetic interventions. Next, we examine how cell-type or projection-specific manipulations to the ascending neuromodulatory systems, local brain region or descending cortical glutamatergic projections influence aspects of cognitive control. For this, we primarily focus on the influence exerted on attentional and motor impulsivity performance in the (3-choice or) 5-choice serial reaction time task, and impulsive, risky or inflexible choice biases during alternative preference, reward discounting or reversal learning tasks.
Collapse
|
34
|
Verharen JPH, Danner UN, Schröder S, Aarts E, van Elburg AA, Adan RAH. Insensitivity to Losses: A Core Feature in Patients With Anorexia Nervosa? BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY: COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2019; 4:995-1003. [PMID: 31262707 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2019.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2019] [Revised: 05/02/2019] [Accepted: 05/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Patients with anorexia nervosa (AN) demonstrate aberrations in choice behavior, including impairments in laboratory measures of decision making. Although a wealth of studies suggest that these aberrations arise from alterations in value processing, it remains unclear by which core component of value processing this is mediated. METHODS We fit trial-by-trial data of patients with AN (n = 60 first cohort, n = 216 second cohort) and healthy control participants (n = 55) performing the Iowa Gambling Task to a computational model based on prospect utility theory. We determined, per participant, the best-fit model parameters and compared these between the groups. RESULTS Analyses revealed a decreased estimate of model parameter λ in patients with AN, indicative of an attenuation of loss-aversive behavior in the Iowa Gambling Task. In comparison, measures of reward sensitivity, value-based learning, and exploration versus exploitation were unaltered in patients with AN. A measurement in a second independent cohort replicated the finding that loss aversion, typically observed in healthy individuals, is reduced in patients with AN. CONCLUSIONS We show that patients with AN, in contrast to healthy control participants, demonstrate reduced loss-aversive behavior. This finding provides important fundamental insights into the decision-making capacity of patients with AN, suggesting alterations in the mechanisms involved in value processing related to negative feedback.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jeroen P H Verharen
- Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Department of Translational Neuroscience, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Unna N Danner
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands; Altrecht Eating Disorders Rintveld, Zeist, The Netherlands
| | | | - Emmeke Aarts
- Department of Methodology and Statistics, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Annemarie A van Elburg
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands; Altrecht Eating Disorders Rintveld, Zeist, The Netherlands
| | - Roger A H Adan
- Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Department of Translational Neuroscience, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands; Altrecht Eating Disorders Rintveld, Zeist, The Netherlands; Institute of Physiology and Neuroscience, Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Corticolimbic Mechanisms of Behavioral Inhibition under Threat of Punishment. J Neurosci 2019; 39:4353-4364. [PMID: 30902868 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2814-18.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2018] [Revised: 12/21/2018] [Accepted: 01/28/2019] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Being able to limit the pursuit of reward to prevent negative consequences is an important expression of behavioral inhibition. Everyday examples of an inability to exert such control over behavior are the overconsumption of food and drugs of abuse, which are important factors in the development of obesity and addiction, respectively. Here, we use a behavioral task that assesses the ability of male rats to exert behavioral restraint at the mere sight of palatable food during the presentation of an audiovisual threat cue to investigate the corticolimbic underpinnings of behavioral inhibition. We demonstrate a prominent role for the medial prefrontal cortex in the exertion of control over behavior under threat of punishment. Moreover, task engagement relies on function of the ventral striatum, whereas the basolateral amygdala mediates processing of the threat cue. Together, these data show that inhibition of reward pursuit requires the coordinated action of a network of corticolimbic structures.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT There is a need for translational models that allow to dissect mechanisms underlying the processes involved in controlling behavior. In this study, we present a novel behavioral task that assesses the ability of rats to exert behavioral restraint over the consumption of a visually present sucrose pellet during the presentation of an audiovisual threat cue. This task requires relatively little behavioral training and it discerns distinct behavioral impairments, including a failure to retrieve stimulus value, a reduced task engagement, and compromised inhibition of behavior. Using pharmacological inactivations of different regions of the corticolimbic system of the rat, we demonstrate dissociable roles for the prefrontal cortex, amygdala, and striatum in inhibition of reward pursuit under threat of punishment.
Collapse
|
36
|
Kakava-Georgiadou N, Zwartkruis MM, Bullich-Vilarrubias C, Luijendijk MCM, Garner KM, van der Plasse G, Adan RAH. An Intersectional Approach to Target Neural Circuits With Cell- and Projection-Type Specificity: Validation in the Mesolimbic Dopamine System. Front Mol Neurosci 2019; 12:49. [PMID: 30873002 PMCID: PMC6403677 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2019.00049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2018] [Accepted: 02/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Development of tools to manipulate activity of specific neurons is important for dissecting the function of neural circuits. Viral vectors and conditional transgenic animal lines that target recombinases to specific cells facilitate the successful manipulation and recording of specific subsets of neurons. So far, it has been possible to target neuronal subtypes within a certain brain region based on transcriptional control regions from a gene selectively expressed in those cells or based upon its projections. Nevertheless, there are only a few tools available that combine this and target a neuronal subtype within a projection. We tested a viral vector system, consisting of a canine adenovirus type 2 expressing a Cre-dependent Flp recombinase (CavFlexFlp) and an adeno-associated viral (AAV) vector expressing a Flp-dependent cDNA, which targets neurons in a subtype- and projection-specific manner. As proof of principle we targeted expression of a Designer Receptor Exclusively Activated by Designer Drugs (DREADD) to the dopamine neurons of the mesolimbic projection, which allows the transient activation of neurons by the ligand Clozapine-N-Oxide (CNO). We validated that the system specifically targets dopamine neurons and that chemogenetic activation of these neurons induces an increase in locomotor activity. We thus validated a valuable tool that allows in vivo neuronal activation in a projection- and subtype-specific manner.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nefeli Kakava-Georgiadou
- Division of Neuroscience, Department of Translational Neuroscience, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Maria M Zwartkruis
- Division of Neuroscience, Department of Translational Neuroscience, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands.,Master's Program Neuroscience and Cognition, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Clara Bullich-Vilarrubias
- Division of Neuroscience, Department of Translational Neuroscience, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands.,Master's Program Neuroscience and Cognition, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Mieneke C M Luijendijk
- Division of Neuroscience, Department of Translational Neuroscience, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Keith M Garner
- Division of Neuroscience, Department of Translational Neuroscience, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Geoffrey van der Plasse
- Division of Neuroscience, Department of Translational Neuroscience, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Roger A H Adan
- Division of Neuroscience, Department of Translational Neuroscience, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands.,Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Verharen JPH, Adan RAH, Vanderschuren LJMJ. How Reward and Aversion Shape Motivation and Decision Making: A Computational Account. Neuroscientist 2019; 26:87-99. [PMID: 30866712 DOI: 10.1177/1073858419834517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Processing rewarding and aversive signals lies at the core of many adaptive behaviors, including value-based decision making. The brain circuits processing these signals are widespread and include the prefrontal cortex, amygdala and striatum, and their dopaminergic innervation. In this review, we integrate historic findings on the behavioral and neural mechanisms of value-based decision making with recent, groundbreaking work in this area. On the basis of this integrated view, we discuss a neuroeconomic framework of value-based decision making, use this to explain the motivation to pursue rewards and how motivation relates to the costs and benefits associated with different courses of action. As such, we consider substance addiction and overeating as states of altered value-based decision making, in which the expectation of reward chronically outweighs the costs associated with substance use and food consumption, respectively. Together, this review aims to provide a concise and accessible overview of important literature on the neural mechanisms of behavioral adaptation to reward and aversion and how these mediate motivated behaviors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jeroen P H Verharen
- Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Department of Translational Neuroscience, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands.,Department of Animals in Science and Society, Division of Behavioural Neuroscience, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Roger A H Adan
- Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Department of Translational Neuroscience, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands.,Institute of Physiology and Neuroscience, Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Louk J M J Vanderschuren
- Department of Animals in Science and Society, Division of Behavioural Neuroscience, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Reinforcement learning across the rat estrous cycle. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2019; 100:27-31. [PMID: 30273796 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2018.09.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2018] [Revised: 07/24/2018] [Accepted: 09/12/2018] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Reinforcement learning, the process by which an organism flexibly adapts behavior in response to reward and punishment, is vital for the proper execution of everyday behaviors, and its dysfunction has been implicated in a wide variety of mental disorders. Here, we use computational trial-by-trial analysis of data of female rats performing a probabilistic reward learning task and demonstrate that core computational processes underlying value-based decision making fluctuate across the estrous cycle, providing a neuroendocrine substrate by which gonadal hormones may influence adaptive behavior.
Collapse
|
39
|
Abstract
The homeostatic need for sodium is one of the strongest motivational drives known in animals. Although the brain regions involved in the sensory detection of sodium levels have been mapped relatively well, data about the neural basis of the motivational properties of salt appetite, including a role for midbrain dopamine cells, have been inconclusive. Here, we employed a combination of fiber photometry, behavioral pharmacology and c-Fos immunohistochemistry to study the involvement of the mesocorticolimbic dopamine system in salt appetite in rats. We observed that sodium deficiency affected the responses of dopaminergic midbrain neurons to salt tasting, suggesting that these neurons encode appetitive properties of sodium. We further observed a significant reduction in the consumption of salt after pharmacological inactivation of the nucleus accumbens (but not the medial prefrontal cortex), and microstructure analysis of licking behavior suggested that this was due to decreased motivation for, but not appreciation of salt. However, this was not dependent on dopaminergic neurotransmission in that area, as infusion of a dopamine receptor antagonist into the nucleus accumbens did not alter salt appetite. We conclude that the nucleus accumbens, but not medial prefrontal cortex, is important for the behavioral expression of salt appetite by mediating its motivational component, but that the switch in salt appreciation after sodium depletion, although detected by midbrain dopamine neurons, must arise from other areas.
Collapse
|
40
|
Translational tests involving non-reward: methodological considerations. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2019; 236:449-461. [PMID: 30306228 PMCID: PMC6373191 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-018-5062-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2018] [Accepted: 10/02/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
This review is concerned with methods for assessing the processing of unrewarded responses in experimental animals and the mechanisms underlying performance of these tasks. A number of clinical populations, including Parkinson's disease, depression, compulsive disorders, and schizophrenia demonstrate either abnormal processing or learning from non-rewarded responses in laboratory-based reinforcement learning tasks. These effects are hypothesized to result from disturbances in modulatory neurotransmitter systems, including dopamine and serotonin. Parallel work in experimental animals has revealed consistent behavioral patterns associated with non-reward and, consistent with the human literature, modulatory roles for specific neurotransmitters. Classical tests involving an important reward omission component include appetitive extinction, ratio schedules of responding, reversal learning, and delay and probability discounting procedures. In addition, innovative behavioral tests have recently been developed leverage probabilistic feedback to specifically assay accommodation of, and learning from, non-rewarded responses. These procedures will be described and reviewed with discussion of the behavioral and neural determinants of performance. A final section focusses specifically on the benefits of trial-by-trial analysis of responding during such tasks, and the implications of such analyses for the translation of findings to clinical studies.
Collapse
|
41
|
Alsiö J, Phillips BU, Sala-Bayo J, Nilsson SRO, Calafat-Pla TC, Rizwand A, Plumbridge JM, López-Cruz L, Dalley JW, Cardinal RN, Mar AC, Robbins TW. Dopamine D2-like receptor stimulation blocks negative feedback in visual and spatial reversal learning in the rat: behavioural and computational evidence. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2019; 236:2307-2323. [PMID: 31218428 PMCID: PMC6695374 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-019-05296-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2019] [Accepted: 06/02/2019] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Dopamine D2-like receptors (D2R) are important drug targets in schizophrenia and Parkinson's disease, but D2R ligands also cause cognitive inflexibility such as poor reversal learning. The specific role of D2R in reversal learning remains unclear. OBJECTIVES We tested the hypotheses that D2R agonism impairs reversal learning by blocking negative feedback and that antagonism of D1-like receptors (D1R) impairs learning from positive feedback. METHODS Male Lister Hooded rats were trained on a novel visual reversal learning task. Performance on "probe trials", during which the correct or incorrect stimulus was presented with a third, probabilistically rewarded (50% of trials) and therefore intermediate stimulus, revealed individual learning curves for the processes of positive and negative feedback. The effects of D2R and D1R agonists and antagonists were evaluated. A separate cohort was tested on a spatial probabilistic reversal learning (PRL) task after D2R agonism. Computational reinforcement learning modelling was applied to choice data from the PRL task to evaluate the contribution of latent factors. RESULTS D2R agonism with quinpirole dose-dependently impaired both visual reversal and PRL. Analysis of the probe trials on the visual task revealed a complete blockade of learning from negative feedback at the 0.25 mg/kg dose, while learning from positive feedback was intact. Estimated parameters from the model that best described the PRL choice data revealed a steep and selective decrease in learning rate from losses. D1R antagonism had a transient effect on the positive probe trials. CONCLUSIONS D2R stimulation impairs reversal learning by blocking the impact of negative feedback.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Johan Alsiö
- Department of Psychology and Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
| | - Benjamin U Phillips
- Department of Psychology and Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Júlia Sala-Bayo
- Department of Psychology and Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Simon R O Nilsson
- Department of Psychology and Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Neuroscience Institute, New York University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, School of Medicine, New York University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Teresa C Calafat-Pla
- Department of Psychology and Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Arazo Rizwand
- Department of Psychology and Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Jessica M Plumbridge
- Department of Psychology and Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Laura López-Cruz
- Department of Psychology and Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Jeffrey W Dalley
- Department of Psychology and Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Rudolf N Cardinal
- Department of Psychology and Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Cambridgeshire & Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, Box 190 (Liaison Psychiatry), Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, UK
| | - Adam C Mar
- Department of Psychology and Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Neuroscience Institute, New York University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, School of Medicine, New York University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Trevor W Robbins
- Department of Psychology and Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Gershman SJ, Tzovaras BG. Dopaminergic genes are associated with both directed and random exploration. Neuropsychologia 2018; 120:97-104. [PMID: 30347192 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2018.10.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2018] [Revised: 09/16/2018] [Accepted: 10/11/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
In order to maximize long-term rewards, agents must balance exploitation (choosing the option with the highest payoff) and exploration (gathering information about options that might have higher payoffs). Although the optimal solution to this trade-off is intractable, humans make use of two effective strategies: selectively exploring options with high uncertainty (directed exploration), and increasing the randomness of their choices when they are more uncertain (random exploration). Using a task that independently manipulates these two forms of exploration, we show that single nucleotide polymorphisms related to dopamine are associated with individual differences in exploration strategies. Variation in a gene linked to prefrontal dopamine (COMT) predicted the degree of directed exploration, as well as the overall randomness of responding. Variation in a gene linked to striatal dopamine (DARPP-32) predicted the degree of both directed and random exploration. These findings suggest that dopamine makes multiple contributions to exploration, depending on its afferent target.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Samuel J Gershman
- Department of Psychology and Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, 52 Oxford St., room 295.05, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
| | | |
Collapse
|
43
|
de Haan R, Lim J, van der Burg SA, Pieneman AW, Nigade V, Mansvelder HD, de Kock CPJ. Neural Representation of Motor Output, Context and Behavioral Adaptation in Rat Medial Prefrontal Cortex During Learned Behavior. Front Neural Circuits 2018; 12:75. [PMID: 30327591 PMCID: PMC6174330 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2018.00075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2018] [Accepted: 09/04/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Selecting behavioral outputs in a dynamic environment is the outcome of integrating multiple information streams and weighing possible action outcomes with their value. Integration depends on the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), but how mPFC neurons encode information necessary for appropriate behavioral adaptation is poorly understood. To identify spiking patterns of mPFC during learned behavior, we extracellularly recorded neuronal action potential firing in the mPFC of rats performing a whisker-based "Go"/"No-go" object localization task. First, we identify three functional groups of neurons, which show different degrees of spiking modulation during task performance. One group increased spiking activity during correct "Go" behavior (positively modulated), the second group decreased spiking (negatively modulated) and one group did not change spiking. Second, the relative change in spiking was context-dependent and largest when motor output had contextual value. Third, the negatively modulated population spiked more when rats updated behavior following an error compared to trials without integration of error information. Finally, insufficient spiking in the positively modulated population predicted erroneous behavior under dynamic "No-go" conditions. Thus, mPFC neuronal populations with opposite spike modulation characteristics differentially encode context and behavioral updating and enable flexible integration of error corrections in future actions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Roel de Haan
- Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Department of Integrative Neurophysiology, VU Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Judith Lim
- Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Department of Integrative Neurophysiology, VU Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Sven A van der Burg
- Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Department of Integrative Neurophysiology, VU Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Anton W Pieneman
- Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Department of Integrative Neurophysiology, VU Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Vinod Nigade
- Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Department of Integrative Neurophysiology, VU Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Huibert D Mansvelder
- Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Department of Integrative Neurophysiology, VU Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Christiaan P J de Kock
- Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Department of Integrative Neurophysiology, VU Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|