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Ricci A, Rubino E, Serra GP, Wallén-Mackenzie Å. Concerning neuromodulation as treatment of neurological and neuropsychiatric disorder: Insights gained from selective targeting of the subthalamic nucleus, para-subthalamic nucleus and zona incerta in rodents. Neuropharmacology 2024; 256:110003. [PMID: 38789078 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2024.110003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2024] [Revised: 04/26/2024] [Accepted: 05/14/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024]
Abstract
Neuromodulation such as deep brain stimulation (DBS) is advancing as a clinical intervention in several neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders, including Parkinson's disease, dystonia, tremor, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) for which DBS is already applied to alleviate severely afflicted individuals of symptoms. Tourette syndrome and drug addiction are two additional disorders for which DBS is in trial or proposed as treatment. However, some major remaining obstacles prevent this intervention from reaching its full therapeutic potential. Side-effects have been reported, and not all DBS-treated individuals are relieved of their symptoms. One major target area for DBS electrodes is the subthalamic nucleus (STN) which plays important roles in motor, affective and associative functions, with impact on for example movement, motivation, impulsivity, compulsivity, as well as both reward and aversion. The multifunctionality of the STN is complex. Decoding the anatomical-functional organization of the STN could enhance strategic targeting in human patients. The STN is located in close proximity to zona incerta (ZI) and the para-subthalamic nucleus (pSTN). Together, the STN, pSTN and ZI form a highly heterogeneous and clinically important brain area. Rodent-based experimental studies, including opto- and chemogenetics as well as viral-genetic tract tracings, provide unique insight into complex neuronal circuitries and their impact on behavior with high spatial and temporal precision. This research field has advanced tremendously over the past few years. Here, we provide an inclusive review of current literature in the pre-clinical research fields centered around STN, pSTN and ZI in laboratory mice and rats; the three highly heterogeneous and enigmatic structures brought together in the context of relevance for treatment strategies. Specific emphasis is placed on methods of manipulation and behavioral impact.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessia Ricci
- Uppsala University, Department of Organism Biology, 756 32 Uppsala, Sweden; Aligning Science Across Parkinson's (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA
| | - Eleonora Rubino
- Uppsala University, Department of Organism Biology, 756 32 Uppsala, Sweden; Aligning Science Across Parkinson's (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA
| | - Gian Pietro Serra
- Uppsala University, Department of Organism Biology, 756 32 Uppsala, Sweden; Aligning Science Across Parkinson's (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA
| | - Åsa Wallén-Mackenzie
- Uppsala University, Department of Organism Biology, 756 32 Uppsala, Sweden; Aligning Science Across Parkinson's (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA.
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de Freitas RL, Acunha RM, Bendaña-Córdoba FR, Medeiros P, Melo-Thomas L, Coimbra NC. Nitric oxide-signalling affects panic-like defensive behaviour and defensive antinociception neuromodulation in the prelimbic cerebral cortex. Brain Res 2024; 1844:149134. [PMID: 39097217 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2024.149134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2024] [Revised: 07/22/2024] [Accepted: 07/27/2024] [Indexed: 08/05/2024]
Abstract
RATIONALE The prelimbic division (PrL) of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) is a key structure in panic. OBJECTIVES To evaluate the role of nitric oxide (NO) in defensive behaviour and antinociception. METHODS Either Nω-propyl-L-arginine (NPLA) or Carboxy-PTIO was microinjected in the PrL cortex, followed by hypothalamic treatment with bicuculline. The exploratory behaviours, defensive reactions and defensive antinociception were recorded. Encephalic c-Fos protein was immunolabelled after escape behaviour. RESULTS NPLA (an inhibition of nNOs) decreased panic-like responses and innate fear-induced antinociception. The c-PTIO (a membrane-impermeable NO scavenger) decreased the escape behaviour. PrL cortex pre-treatment with c-PTIO at all doses decreased defensive antinociception. c-Fos protein was labelled in neocortical areas, limbic system, and mesencephalic structures. CONCLUSION The NPLA and c-PTIO in the PrL/mPFC decreased the escape behaviour and defensive antinociception organised by medial hypothalamic nuclei. The oriented escape behaviour recruits neocortical areas, limbic system, and mesencephalic structures. These findings suggest that the organisation of defensive antinociception recruits NO-signalling mechanisms within the PrL cortex. Furthermore, the present findings also support the role of NO as a retrograde messenger in the PrL cortex during panic-like emotional reactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renato Leonardo de Freitas
- Laboratory of Neuroanatomy and Neuropsychobiology, Department of Pharmacology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School of the University of São Paulo (FMRP-USP), Av. Bandeirantes, 3900, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo 14049-900, Brazil; Laboratory of Neurosciences of Pain & Emotions and Multi-User Centre of Neuroelectrophysiology, Department of Surgery and Anatomy, FMRP-USP, Av. Bandeirantes, 3900, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo 14049-900, Brazil; Institute of Neuroscience and Behaviour (INeC) Ophidiarium, Av. Bandeirantes, 3900, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo 14040-901, Brazil; Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Naples 80138, Italy; Institute of Natural Sciences, Federal University of Alfenas (UNIFAL-MG), Str. Gabriel Monteiro da Silva, 700, Alfenas, 37130-000 Minas Gerais (MG), Brazil.
| | - Renata Moreira Acunha
- Laboratory of Neuroanatomy and Neuropsychobiology, Department of Pharmacology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School of the University of São Paulo (FMRP-USP), Av. Bandeirantes, 3900, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo 14049-900, Brazil; Laboratory of Neurosciences of Pain & Emotions and Multi-User Centre of Neuroelectrophysiology, Department of Surgery and Anatomy, FMRP-USP, Av. Bandeirantes, 3900, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo 14049-900, Brazil
| | - Fernando René Bendaña-Córdoba
- Laboratory of Neuroanatomy and Neuropsychobiology, Department of Pharmacology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School of the University of São Paulo (FMRP-USP), Av. Bandeirantes, 3900, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo 14049-900, Brazil; Laboratory of Neurosciences of Pain & Emotions and Multi-User Centre of Neuroelectrophysiology, Department of Surgery and Anatomy, FMRP-USP, Av. Bandeirantes, 3900, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo 14049-900, Brazil
| | - Priscila Medeiros
- Laboratory of Neuroanatomy and Neuropsychobiology, Department of Pharmacology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School of the University of São Paulo (FMRP-USP), Av. Bandeirantes, 3900, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo 14049-900, Brazil; Laboratory of Neurosciences of Pain & Emotions and Multi-User Centre of Neuroelectrophysiology, Department of Surgery and Anatomy, FMRP-USP, Av. Bandeirantes, 3900, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo 14049-900, Brazil; Department of General and Specialized Nursing, University of São Paulo at Ribeirão Preto College of Nursing (EERP-USP), Av. Bandeirantes, 3900, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo 14049-900, Brazil
| | - Liana Melo-Thomas
- Marburg Centre for Mind, Brain, and Behaviour (MCMBB) of the Philipps-Universität Marburg, Hans-Meerwein-Straße 6, 35032 Marburg, Germany; Behavioural Neuroscience, Experimental and Biological Psychology, Philipps-University of Marburg, Gutenbergstr. 18, D-35032 Marburg, Germany
| | - Norberto Cysne Coimbra
- Laboratory of Neuroanatomy and Neuropsychobiology, Department of Pharmacology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School of the University of São Paulo (FMRP-USP), Av. Bandeirantes, 3900, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo 14049-900, Brazil; Institute of Neuroscience and Behaviour (INeC) Ophidiarium, Av. Bandeirantes, 3900, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo 14040-901, Brazil.
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Jiang Z, He M, Young C, Cai J, Xu Y, Jiang Y, Li H, Yang M, Tong Q. Dopaminergic Neurons in Zona Incerta Drives Appetitive Self-Grooming. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2024:e2308974. [PMID: 39099402 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202308974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2023] [Revised: 07/07/2024] [Indexed: 08/06/2024]
Abstract
Dopaminergic (DA) neurons are known to play a key role in controlling behaviors. While DA neurons in other brain regions are extensively characterized, those in zona incerta (ZITH or A13) receive much less attention and their function remains to be defined. Here it is shown that optogenetic stimulation of these neurons elicited intensive self-grooming behaviors and promoted place preference, which can be enhanced by training but cannot be converted into contextual memory. Interestingly, the same stimulation increased DA release to periaqueductal grey (PAG) neurons and local PAG antagonism of DA action reduced the elicited self-grooming. In addition, A13 neurons increased their activity in response to various external stimuli and during natural self-grooming episodes. Finally, monosynaptic retrograde tracing showed that the paraventricular hypothalamus represents one of the major upstream brain regions to A13 neurons. Taken together, these results reveal that A13 neurons are one of the brain sites that promote appetitive self-grooming involving DA release to the PAG.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiying Jiang
- The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine for the Prevention of Human Diseases, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Michelle He
- The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine for the Prevention of Human Diseases, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Summer Undergraduate Research Program, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Claire Young
- The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine for the Prevention of Human Diseases, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Jing Cai
- The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine for the Prevention of Human Diseases, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- MD Anderson Cancer Center & UTHealth Graduate School for Biomedical Sciences, University of Texas Health Science at Houston, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Yuanzhong Xu
- The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine for the Prevention of Human Diseases, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Yanyan Jiang
- The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine for the Prevention of Human Diseases, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Hongli Li
- The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine for the Prevention of Human Diseases, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Maojie Yang
- The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine for the Prevention of Human Diseases, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Qingchun Tong
- The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine for the Prevention of Human Diseases, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- MD Anderson Cancer Center & UTHealth Graduate School for Biomedical Sciences, University of Texas Health Science at Houston, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
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Melleu FF, Canteras NS. Defensive behavior: Sensing threats from terrestrial and aerial predators. Curr Biol 2024; 34:R625-R628. [PMID: 38981427 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.05.050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/11/2024]
Abstract
The dorsal periaqueductal gray (dPAG) contains a tonically GABAergic network controlling defensive responses. Determining how this intrinsic dPAG inhibitory circuit functions might provide critical insights into how anti-predatory responses are organized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando F Melleu
- Department of Anatomy, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo SP 05508-000, Brazil
| | - Newton S Canteras
- Department of Anatomy, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo SP 05508-000, Brazil.
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Sun J, Deng X, Zhu L, Lin J, Chen G, Tang Y, Lu S, Lu Z, Meng Z, Li Y, Zhu Y. Zona incerta mediates early life isoflurane-induced fear memory deficits. Sci Rep 2024; 14:15136. [PMID: 38956153 PMCID: PMC11220074 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-66106-w] [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: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 06/27/2024] [Indexed: 07/04/2024] Open
Abstract
The potential long-term effects of anesthesia on cognitive development, especially in neonates and infants, have raised concerns. However, our understanding of its underlying mechanisms and effective treatments is still limited. In this study, we found that early exposure to isoflurane (ISO) impaired fear memory retrieval, which was reversed by dexmedetomidine (DEX) pre-treatment. Measurement of c-fos expression revealed that ISO exposure significantly increased neuronal activation in the zona incerta (ZI). Fiber photometry recording showed that ZI neurons from ISO mice displayed enhanced calcium activity during retrieval of fear memory compared to the control group, while DEX treatment reduced this enhanced calcium activity. Chemogenetic inhibition of ZI neurons effectively rescued the impairments caused by ISO exposure. These findings suggest that the ZI may play a pivotal role in mediating the cognitive effects of anesthetics, offering a potential therapeutic target for preventing anesthesia-related cognitive impairments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Sun
- Department of Anesthesiology, Shenzhen Maternity and Child Healthcare Hospital, The First School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Shenzhen, 518028, China
| | - Xiaofei Deng
- The Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Lin Zhu
- Department of Neonatology, Shenzhen Maternity and Child Healthcare Hospital, The First School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Shenzhen, 518028, China
| | - Jianbang Lin
- The Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Gaowei Chen
- The Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Yong Tang
- The Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Shanshan Lu
- The Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Zhonghua Lu
- The Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Zhiqiang Meng
- The Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
| | - Yuantao Li
- Department of Anesthesiology, Shenzhen Maternity and Child Healthcare Hospital, The First School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Shenzhen, 518028, China.
- Biomedical Research Institute, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, 442000, China.
| | - Yingjie Zhu
- The Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
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Guan X, Cao P. Brain Mechanisms Underlying Panic Attack and Panic Disorder. Neurosci Bull 2024; 40:795-814. [PMID: 37477800 PMCID: PMC11178723 DOI: 10.1007/s12264-023-01088-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 04/23/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Panic disorder is a psychiatric disorder characterized by recurrent panic attacks, with a prevalence of ~ 4% in the general population, causing heavy personal and socioeconomic burdens. The similarities of animal defense responses to clinical panic attack symptoms in humans make it possible to translate neuroanatomical pathways identified in animal studies to panic disorder in humans. Therefore, in this review we first present a basic overview of panic disorder in humans including the main subtypes, models commonly used to trigger panic attacks, related hypotheses, the neurotransmitter systems that may be involved, and the current clinical treatments to give the reader a comprehensive understanding of panic disorder. The animal section introduces the models that trigger panic-like behavior in animals and the brain regions that may be involved, providing insights for future elucidation of the neural circuit mechanisms behind panic attacks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuyan Guan
- Tsinghua Institute of Multidisciplinary Biomedical Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 102206, China.
- National Institute of Biological Sciences (NIBS), Beijing, 102206, China.
| | - Peng Cao
- Tsinghua Institute of Multidisciplinary Biomedical Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 102206, China
- National Institute of Biological Sciences (NIBS), Beijing, 102206, China
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7
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Bhuvanasundaram R, Washburn S, Krzyspiak J, Khodakhah K. Zona incerta modulation of the inferior olive and the pontine nuclei. Netw Neurosci 2024; 8:260-274. [PMID: 38562296 PMCID: PMC10927296 DOI: 10.1162/netn_a_00350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
The zona incerta (ZI) is a subthalamic structure that has been implicated in locomotion, fear, and anxiety. Recently interest has grown in its therapeutic efficacy in deep brain stimulation in movement disorders. This efficacy might be due to the ZI's functional projections to the other brain regions. Notwithstanding some evidence of anatomical connections between the ZI and the inferior olive (IO) and the pontine nuclei (PN), how the ZI modulates the neuronal activity in these regions remains to be determined. We first tested this by monitoring responses of single neurons in the PN and IO to optogenetic activation of channelrhodopsin-expressing ZI axons in wild-type mice, using an in vivo awake preparation. Stimulation of short, single pulses and trains of stimuli at 20 Hz elicited rapid responses in the majority of recorded cells in the PN and IO. Furthermore, the excitatory response of PN neurons scaled with the strength of ZI activation. Next, we used in vitro electrophysiology to study synaptic transmission at ZI-IO synapses. Optogenetic activation of ZI axons evoked a strong excitatory postsynaptic response in IO neurons, which remained robust with repeated stimulation at 20 Hz. Overall, our results demonstrate a functional connection within ZI-PN and ZI-IO pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Samantha Washburn
- Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Joanna Krzyspiak
- Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Kamran Khodakhah
- Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
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Wang XY, Zhang HQ, Tong K, Han J, Zhao XY, Song YT, Hao JR, Sun N, Gao C. Glutamatergic Projection from the Ventral Tegmental Area to the Zona Incerta Regulates Fear Response. Neuroscience 2024; 541:14-22. [PMID: 38280511 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2024.01.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2023] [Revised: 01/08/2024] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 01/29/2024]
Abstract
Innate defensive behavior is important for animal survival. The Vglut2+ neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) have been demonstrated to play important roles in innate defensive behaviors, but the neural circuit mechanism is still unclear. Here, we find that VTA - zona incerta (ZI) glutamatergic projection is involved in regulating innate fear responses. Combining calcium signal recording and chemogentics, we find that VTA-Vglut2+ neurons respond to foot shock stimulus. Inhibition of VTA-Vglut2+ neurons reduces foot shock-evoked freezing, while chemogentic activation of these neurons results in an enhanced fear response. Using viral tracing and immunofluorescence, we show that VTA - Vglut2+ neurons send direct excitatory outputs to the ZI. Moreover, we find that the activity of VTAVglut2 - ZI projection is pivotal in modulating fear response. Together, our study reveals a new VTA - ZI glutamatergic circuit in mediating innate fear response and provides a potential target for treating post-traumatic stress disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin-Yi Wang
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application, Xuzhou Medical University, 209 Tongshan Road, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China
| | - Hong-Quan Zhang
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application, Xuzhou Medical University, 209 Tongshan Road, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China
| | - Kun Tong
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application, Xuzhou Medical University, 209 Tongshan Road, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China
| | - Jie Han
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application, Xuzhou Medical University, 209 Tongshan Road, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China
| | - Xin-Yu Zhao
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application, Xuzhou Medical University, 209 Tongshan Road, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China
| | - Yu-Tong Song
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application, Xuzhou Medical University, 209 Tongshan Road, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China
| | - Jing-Ru Hao
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application, Xuzhou Medical University, 209 Tongshan Road, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China
| | - Nan Sun
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application, Xuzhou Medical University, 209 Tongshan Road, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China
| | - Can Gao
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application, Xuzhou Medical University, 209 Tongshan Road, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China; School of Life Sciences, Xuzhou Medical University, 209 Tongshan Road, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China.
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9
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Dinh TNA, Moon HS, Kim SG. Separation of bimodal fMRI responses in mouse somatosensory areas into V1 and non-V1 contributions. Sci Rep 2024; 14:6302. [PMID: 38491035 PMCID: PMC10943206 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-56305-w] [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: 12/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/05/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Multisensory integration is necessary for the animal to survive in the real world. While conventional methods have been extensively used to investigate the multisensory integration process in various brain areas, its long-range interactions remain less explored. In this study, our goal was to investigate interactions between visual and somatosensory networks on a whole-brain scale using 15.2-T BOLD fMRI. We compared unimodal to bimodal BOLD fMRI responses and dissected potential cross-modal pathways with silencing of primary visual cortex (V1) by optogenetic stimulation of local GABAergic neurons. Our data showed that the influence of visual stimulus on whisker activity is higher than the influence of whisker stimulus on visual activity. Optogenetic silencing of V1 revealed that visual information is conveyed to whisker processing via both V1 and non-V1 pathways. The first-order ventral posteromedial thalamic nucleus (VPM) was functionally affected by non-V1 sources, while the higher-order posterior medial thalamic nucleus (POm) was predominantly modulated by V1 but not non-V1 inputs. The primary somatosensory barrel field (S1BF) was influenced by both V1 and non-V1 inputs. These observations provide valuable insights for into the integration of whisker and visual sensory information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thi Ngoc Anh Dinh
- Center for Neuroscience Imaging Research (CNIR), Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Suwon, 16419, South Korea
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, 16419, South Korea
| | - Hyun Seok Moon
- Center for Neuroscience Imaging Research (CNIR), Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Suwon, 16419, South Korea
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, 16419, South Korea
| | - Seong-Gi Kim
- Center for Neuroscience Imaging Research (CNIR), Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Suwon, 16419, South Korea.
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, 16419, South Korea.
- Department of Intelligent Precision Healthcare Convergence, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, 16419, South Korea.
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Reis FMCV, Maesta-Pereira S, Ollivier M, Schuette PJ, Sethi E, Miranda BA, Iniguez E, Chakerian M, Vaughn E, Sehgal M, Nguyen DCT, Yuan FTH, Torossian A, Ikebara JM, Kihara AH, Silva AJ, Kao JC, Khakh BS, Adhikari A. Control of feeding by a bottom-up midbrain-subthalamic pathway. Nat Commun 2024; 15:2111. [PMID: 38454000 PMCID: PMC10920831 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46430-5] [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: 06/06/2022] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Investigative exploration and foraging leading to food consumption have vital importance, but are not well-understood. Since GABAergic inputs to the lateral and ventrolateral periaqueductal gray (l/vlPAG) control such behaviors, we dissected the role of vgat-expressing GABAergic l/vlPAG cells in exploration, foraging and hunting. Here, we show that in mice vgat l/vlPAG cells encode approach to food and consumption of both live prey and non-prey foods. The activity of these cells is necessary and sufficient for inducing food-seeking leading to subsequent consumption. Activation of vgat l/vlPAG cells produces exploratory foraging and compulsive eating without altering defensive behaviors. Moreover, l/vlPAG vgat cells are bidirectionally interconnected to several feeding, exploration and investigation nodes, including the zona incerta. Remarkably, the vgat l/vlPAG projection to the zona incerta bidirectionally controls approach towards food leading to consumption. These data indicate the PAG is not only a final downstream target of top-down exploration and foraging-related inputs, but that it also influences these behaviors through a bottom-up pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando M C V Reis
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.
| | - Sandra Maesta-Pereira
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Matthias Ollivier
- Department of Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Peter J Schuette
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Ekayana Sethi
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Blake A Miranda
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Emily Iniguez
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Meghmik Chakerian
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Eric Vaughn
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
| | - Megha Sehgal
- Department of Neurobiology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, USA
| | - Darren C T Nguyen
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Faith T H Yuan
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Anita Torossian
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Juliane M Ikebara
- Centro de Matemática, Computação e Cognição, Universidade Federal do ABC, São Bernardo do Campo, SP, 09606-070, Brazil
| | - Alexandre H Kihara
- Centro de Matemática, Computação e Cognição, Universidade Federal do ABC, São Bernardo do Campo, SP, 09606-070, Brazil
| | - Alcino J Silva
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, USA
- Department of Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, USA
| | - Jonathan C Kao
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Baljit S Khakh
- Department of Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Avishek Adhikari
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.
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11
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Zhang M, Yang L, Li Z, Fei F, Zhou Y, Jiang D, Zheng Y, Cheng H, Wang Y, Xu C, Fang J, Wang S, Chen Z, Wang Y. Low-frequency stimulation in the zona incerta attenuates seizure via driving GABAergic neuronal activity. Neurobiol Dis 2024; 192:106424. [PMID: 38290566 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2024.106424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2023] [Revised: 01/15/2024] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 02/01/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Managing refractory epilepsy presents a significant a substantial clinical challenge. Deep brain stimulation (DBS) has emerged as a promising avenue for addressing refractory epilepsy. However, the optimal stimulation targets and effective parameters of DBS to reduce seizures remian unidentified. OBJECTIVES This study endeavors to scrutinize the therapeutic potential of DBS within the zona incerta (ZI) across diverse seizure models and elucidate the associated underlying mechanisms. METHODS We evaluated the therapeutic potential of DBS with different frequencies in the ZI on kainic acid (KA)-induced TLE model or M1-cortical seizures model, pilocarpine-induced M1-cortical seizure models, and KA-induced epilepsy model. Further, employing calcium fiber photometry combined with cell-specific ablation, we sought to clarified the causal role of ZI GABAergic neurons in mediating the therapeutic effects of DBS. RESULTS Our findings reveal that DBS in the ZI alleviated the severity of seizure activities in the KA-induced TLE model. Meanwhile, DBS attenuated seizure activities in KA- or pilocarpine-induced M1-cortical seizure model. In addition, DBS exerts a mitigating influence on KA induced epilepsy model. DBS in the ZI showed anti-seizure effects at low frequency spectrum, with 5 Hz exhibiting optimal efficacy. The low-frequency DBS significantly increased the calcium activities of ZI GABAergic neurons. Furthermore, selective ablation of ZI GABAergic neurons with taCasp3 blocked the anti-seizure effect of low-frequency DBS, indicating the anti-seizure effect of DBS is mediated by the activation of ZI GABAergic neurons. CONCLUSION Our results demonstrate that low-frequency DBS in the ZI attenuates seizure via driving GABAergic neuronal activity. This suggests that the ZI represents a potential DBS target for treating both hippocampal and cortical seizure through the activation of GABAergic neurons, thereby holding therapeutic significance for seizure treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengdi Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Neuropharmacology and Translational Medicine of Zhejiang Province, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou 310053, PR China; Zhejiang Rehabilitation Medical Center, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, PR China
| | - Lin Yang
- Key Laboratory of Neuropharmacology and Translational Medicine of Zhejiang Province, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou 310053, PR China; First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, PR China
| | - Zhongxia Li
- Key Laboratory of Neuropharmacology and Translational Medicine of Zhejiang Province, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou 310053, PR China
| | - Fan Fei
- Key Laboratory of Neuropharmacology and Translational Medicine of Zhejiang Province, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou 310053, PR China
| | - Yuan Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Neuropharmacology and Translational Medicine of Zhejiang Province, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou 310053, PR China
| | - Dongxiao Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Neuropharmacology and Translational Medicine of Zhejiang Province, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou 310053, PR China
| | - Yuyi Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Neuropharmacology and Translational Medicine of Zhejiang Province, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou 310053, PR China
| | - Hui Cheng
- Key Laboratory of Neuropharmacology and Translational Medicine of Zhejiang Province, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou 310053, PR China
| | - Yu Wang
- Key Laboratory of Neuropharmacology and Translational Medicine of Zhejiang Province, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou 310053, PR China
| | - Cenglin Xu
- Key Laboratory of Neuropharmacology and Translational Medicine of Zhejiang Province, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou 310053, PR China
| | - Jiajia Fang
- Epilepsy Center, Department of Neurology, Second Affiliated Hospital & Forth Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Shuang Wang
- Epilepsy Center, Department of Neurology, Second Affiliated Hospital & Forth Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Zhong Chen
- Key Laboratory of Neuropharmacology and Translational Medicine of Zhejiang Province, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou 310053, PR China; Epilepsy Center, Department of Neurology, Second Affiliated Hospital & Forth Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China.
| | - Yi Wang
- Key Laboratory of Neuropharmacology and Translational Medicine of Zhejiang Province, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou 310053, PR China; Zhejiang Rehabilitation Medical Center, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, PR China; Epilepsy Center, Department of Neurology, Second Affiliated Hospital & Forth Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China.
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12
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Wang H, Wang Q, Cui L, Feng X, Dong P, Tan L, Lin L, Lian H, Cao S, Huang H, Cao P, Li XM. A molecularly defined amygdala-independent tetra-synaptic forebrain-to-hindbrain pathway for odor-driven innate fear and anxiety. Nat Neurosci 2024; 27:514-526. [PMID: 38347199 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-023-01562-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2024]
Abstract
Fear-related disorders (for example, phobias and anxiety) cause a substantial public health problem. To date, studies of the neural basis of fear have mostly focused on the amygdala. Here we identify a molecularly defined amygdala-independent tetra-synaptic pathway for olfaction-evoked innate fear and anxiety in male mice. This pathway starts with inputs from the olfactory bulb mitral and tufted cells to pyramidal neurons in the dorsal peduncular cortex that in turn connect to cholecystokinin-expressing (Cck+) neurons in the superior part of lateral parabrachial nucleus, which project to tachykinin 1-expressing (Tac1+) neurons in the parasubthalamic nucleus. Notably, the identified pathway is specifically involved in odor-driven innate fear. Selective activation of this pathway induces innate fear, while its inhibition suppresses odor-driven innate fear. In addition, the pathway is both necessary and sufficient for stress-induced anxiety-like behaviors. These findings reveal a forebrain-to-hindbrain neural substrate for sensory-triggered fear and anxiety that bypasses the amygdala.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Wang
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Neurology of Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
- Affiliated Mental Health Center and Hangzhou Seventh People's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine / Nanhu Brain-computer Interface Institute, Hangzhou, China
| | - Qin Wang
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Neurology of Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Liuzhe Cui
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Neurology of Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xiaoyang Feng
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Neurology of Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Ping Dong
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Neurology of Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Liheng Tan
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Neurology of Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Lin Lin
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Neurology of Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Hong Lian
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Neurology of Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Shuxia Cao
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Neurology of Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Huiqian Huang
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Neurology of Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Peng Cao
- National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing, China
- Tsinghua Institute of Multidisciplinary Biomedical Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Xiao-Ming Li
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Neurology of Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.
- National Health Commission and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Ministry of Education Frontier Center of Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
- Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Research Units for Emotion and Emotion Disorders, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences / Nanhu Brain-Computer Interface Institute, Hangzhou, China.
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13
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Saluja S, Qiu L, Wang AR, Campos G, Seilheimer R, McNab JA, Haber SN, Barbosa DAN, Halpern CH. Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging Tractography Guides Investigation of the Zona Incerta: A Novel Target for Deep Brain Stimulation. Biol Psychiatry 2024:S0006-3223(24)01105-3. [PMID: 38401802 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2024.02.1004] [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: 08/05/2023] [Revised: 02/02/2024] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 02/26/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The zona incerta (ZI) is a subcortical structure primarily investigated in rodents that is implicated in various behaviors, ranging from motor control to survival-associated activities, partly due to its integration in multiple neural circuits. In the current study, we used diffusion magnetic resonance imaging tractography to segment the ZI and gain insight into its connectivity in various circuits in humans. METHODS We performed probabilistic tractography in 7T diffusion MRI on 178 participants from the Human Connectome Project to validate the ZI's anatomical subdivisions and their respective tracts. K-means clustering segmented the ZI based on each voxel's connectivity profile. We further characterized the connections of each ZI subregion using probabilistic tractography with each subregion as a seed. RESULTS We identified 2 dominant clusters that delineated the whole ZI into rostral and caudal subregions. The caudal ZI primarily connected with motor regions, while the rostral ZI received a topographic distribution of projections from prefrontal areas, notably the anterior cingulate and medial prefrontal cortices. We generated a probabilistic ZI atlas that was registered to a patient-participant's magnetic resonance imaging scan for placement of stereoencephalographic leads for electrophysiology-guided deep brain stimulation to treat their obsessive-compulsive disorder. Rostral ZI stimulation improved the patient's core symptoms (mean improvement 21%). CONCLUSIONS We present a tractography-based atlas of the rostral and caudal ZI subregions constructed using high-resolution diffusion magnetic resonance imaging from 178 healthy participants. Our work provides an anatomical foundation to explore the rostral ZI as a novel target for deep brain stimulation to treat refractory obsessive-compulsive disorder and other disorders associated with dysfunctional reward circuitry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabir Saluja
- Department of Neurosurgery, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Liming Qiu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Allan R Wang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Gustavo Campos
- Department of Neurosurgery, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Robert Seilheimer
- Department of Neurosurgery, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Jennifer A McNab
- Department of Radiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California
| | - Suzanne N Haber
- Department of Pharmacology & Physiology, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York; Department of Psychiatry, McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Belmont, Massachusetts
| | - Daniel A N Barbosa
- Department of Neurosurgery, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
| | - Casey H Halpern
- Department of Neurosurgery, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Department of Surgery, Corporal Michael J. Crescenz Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
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14
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Sharma S, Badenhorst CA, Ashby DM, Di Vito SA, Tran MA, Ghavasieh Z, Grewal GK, Belway CR, McGirr A, Whelan PJ. Inhibitory medial zona incerta pathway drives exploratory behavior by inhibiting glutamatergic cuneiform neurons. Nat Commun 2024; 15:1160. [PMID: 38326327 PMCID: PMC10850156 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45288-x] [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: 04/25/2022] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 02/09/2024] Open
Abstract
The cuneiform nucleus (CnF) regulates locomotor activity, which is canonically viewed as being primarily involved in initiating locomotion and regulating speed. Recent research shows greater context dependency in the locomotor functions of this nucleus. Glutamatergic neurons, which contain vesicular glutamate transporter 2 (vGLUT2), regulate context-dependent locomotor speed in the CnF and play a role in defensive behavior. Here, we identify projections from the medial zona incerta (mZI) to CnF vGLUT2 neurons that promote exploratory behavior. Using fiber photometry recordings in male mice, we find that mZI gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) neurons increase activity during periods of exploration. Activation of mZI GABAergic neurons is associated with reduced spiking of CnF neurons. Additionally, activating both retrogradely labeled mZI-CnF GABAergic projection neurons and their terminals in the CnF increase exploratory behavior. Inhibiting CnF vGLUT2 neuronal activity also increases exploratory behavior. These findings provide evidence for the context-dependent dynamic regulation of CnF vGLUT2 neurons, with the mZI-CnF circuit shaping exploratory behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandeep Sharma
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 4N1, Canada
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Cecilia A Badenhorst
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 4N1, Canada
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Donovan M Ashby
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 4N1, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Stephanie A Di Vito
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Michelle A Tran
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 4N1, Canada
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Zahra Ghavasieh
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Gurleen K Grewal
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Cole R Belway
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Alexander McGirr
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 4N1, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Patrick J Whelan
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 4N1, Canada.
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 4N1, Canada.
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15
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Liu Y, Lin W, Liu J, Zhu H. Structural and temporal dynamics analysis of neural circuit from 2002 to 2022: A bibliometric analysis. Heliyon 2024; 10:e24649. [PMID: 38298625 PMCID: PMC10828061 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e24649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2023] [Revised: 01/05/2024] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 02/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Background In the pursuit of causal insights into neural circuit functionality, various interventions, including electrical, genetic, and pharmacological approaches, have been applied over recent decades. This study employs a comprehensive bibliometric perspective to explore the field of neural circuits. Methods Reviews and articles on neural circuits were obtained from the Web of Science Core Collection (WOSCC) database on Apr. 12, 2023. In this article, co-authorship analysis, co-occurrence analysis, citation analysis, bibliographic analysis, and co-citation analysis were used to clarify the authors, journals, institutions, countries, topics, and internal associations between them. Results More than 2000 organizations from 52 different countries published 3975 articles in the field of "neural circuit" were used to analysis. Luo liqun emerged as the most prolific author, and Deisseroth Karl garners the highest co-citations (3643). The Journal of Neuroscience leaded in publications, while Nature toped in citations. Chinese Academy of Science recorded the highest article count institutionally, with Stanford University ranking first with 14,350 citations. Since 2020, neurodynamic, anxiety-related mechanisms, and GABAergic neurons have gained prominence, shaping the trajectory of neural circuitry research. Conclusions Our investigation has discerned a paradigmatic reorientation towards neurodynamic processes, anxiety-related mechanisms, and GABAergic neurons within the domain of neural circuit research. This identification intimates a prospective trajectory for the field. In the future, it is imperative for research endeavors to accord priority to the translational application of these discernments, with the aim of materializing tangible clinical solutions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Liu
- Cancer Research Center Nantong, Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Wei Lin
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases and Institute of Neuroscience, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
- Department of Pediatrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fujian, China
| | - Jie Liu
- Department of Orthopedics, The Affiliated Taizhou People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Taizhou School of Clinical Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Taizhou, China
| | - Haixia Zhu
- Cancer Research Center Nantong, Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, China
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16
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Londei F, Arena G, Ferrucci L, Russo E, Ceccarelli F, Genovesio A. Connecting the dots in the zona incerta: A study of neural assemblies and motifs of inter-area coordination in mice. iScience 2024; 27:108761. [PMID: 38274403 PMCID: PMC10808920 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.108761] [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: 07/19/2023] [Revised: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 11/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2024] Open
Abstract
The zona incerta (ZI), a subthalamic area connected to numerous brain regions, has raised clinical interest because its stimulation alleviates the motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease. To explore its coordinative nature, we studied the assembly formation in a dataset of neural recordings in mice and quantified the degree of functional coordination of ZI with other 24 brain areas. We found that the ZI is a highly integrative area. The analysis in terms of "loop-like" motifs, directional assemblies composed of three neurons spanning two areas, has revealed reciprocal functional interactions with reentrant signals that, in most cases, start and end with the activation of ZI units. In support of its proposed integrative role, we found that almost one-third of the ZI's neurons formed assemblies with more than half of the other recorded areas and that loop-like assemblies may stand out as hyper-integrative motifs compared to other types of activation patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabrizio Londei
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
- PhD Program in Behavioral Neuroscience, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Giulia Arena
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
- PhD Program in Behavioral Neuroscience, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Ferrucci
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Eleonora Russo
- The BioRobotics Institute, Department of Excellence in Robotics and AI, Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, 56127 Pisa, Italy
| | - Francesco Ceccarelli
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Aldo Genovesio
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
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17
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Arena G, Londei F, Ceccarelli F, Ferrucci L, Borra E, Genovesio A. Disentangling the identity of the zona incerta: a review of the known connections and latest implications. Ageing Res Rev 2024; 93:102140. [PMID: 38008404 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2023.102140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2023] [Revised: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 11/28/2023]
Abstract
The zona incerta (ZI) is a subthalamic region composed by loosely packed neurochemically mixed neurons, juxtaposed to the main ascending and descending bundles. The extreme neurochemical diversity that characterizes this area, together with the diffuseness of its connections with the entire neuraxis and its hard-to-reach positioning in the brain caused the ZI to keep its halo of mystery for over a century. However, in the last decades, a rich albeit fragmentary body of knowledge regarding both the incertal anatomical connections and functional implications has been built mostly based on rodent studies and its lack of cohesion makes difficult to depict an integrated, exhaustive picture regarding the ZI and its roles. This review aims to provide a unified resource that summarizes the current knowledge regarding the anatomical profile of interactions of the ZI in rodents and non-human primates and the functional significance of its connections, highlighting the aspects still unbeknown to research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Arena
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy; PhD program in Behavioral Neuroscience, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Fabrizio Londei
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy; PhD program in Behavioral Neuroscience, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Ceccarelli
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Ferrucci
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Elena Borra
- University of Parma, Department of Medicine and Surgery, Neuroscience Unit, Italy
| | - Aldo Genovesio
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy.
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Hormigo S, Zhou J, Chabbert D, Sajid S, Busel N, Castro-Alamancos M. Zona incerta distributes a broad movement signal that modulates behavior. eLife 2023; 12:RP89366. [PMID: 38048270 PMCID: PMC10695563 DOI: 10.7554/elife.89366] [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] [Indexed: 12/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The zona incerta is a subthalamic nucleus made up mostly of GABAergic neurons. It has wide-ranging inputs and outputs and is believed to have many integrative functions that link sensory stimuli with motor responses to guide behavior. However, its role is not well established perhaps because few studies have measured the activity of zona incerta neurons in behaving animals under different conditions. To record the activity of zona incerta neurons during exploratory and cue-driven goal-directed behaviors, we used electrophysiology in head-fixed mice moving on a spherical treadmill and fiber photometry in freely moving mice. We found two groups of neurons based on their sensitivity to movement, with a minority of neurons responding to whisker stimuli. Furthermore, zona incerta GABAergic neurons robustly code the occurrence of exploratory and goal-directed movements, but not their direction. To understand the function of these activations, we performed genetically targeted lesions and optogenetic manipulations of zona incerta GABAergic neurons during exploratory and goal-directed behaviors. The results showed that the zona incerta has a role in modulating the movement associated with these behaviors, but this has little impact on overall performance. Zona incerta neurons distribute a broad corollary signal of movement occurrence to their diverse projection sites, which regulates behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Hormigo
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Connecticut School of MedicineFarmingtonUnited States
| | - Ji Zhou
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Connecticut School of MedicineFarmingtonUnited States
| | - Dorian Chabbert
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Connecticut School of MedicineFarmingtonUnited States
| | - Sarmad Sajid
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Connecticut School of MedicineFarmingtonUnited States
| | - Natan Busel
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Connecticut School of MedicineFarmingtonUnited States
| | - Manuel Castro-Alamancos
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Connecticut School of MedicineFarmingtonUnited States
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Ho PC, Hsiao FY, Chiu SH, Lee SR, Yau HJ. A nigroincertal projection mediates aversion and enhances coping responses to potential threat. FASEB J 2023; 37:e23322. [PMID: 37983662 DOI: 10.1096/fj.202201989rr] [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: 11/27/2022] [Revised: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 11/22/2023]
Abstract
Recent studies have shown that the non-DA neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and substantia nigra (SN) not only modulate motivational behaviors but also regulate defensive behaviors. While zona incerta (ZI) is a threat-responsive substrate and receives innervations from the ventral midbrain, the function of the ventral midbrain-to-ZI connection remains poorly defined. Here, we demonstrate that the ZI receives heterogenous innervations from the ventral midbrain. By utilizing a retrograde AAV preferentially labeling non-DA neurons in the ventral midbrain, we found that ZI-projecting non-DA cells in the ventral midbrain are activated by restraint stress. We focused on the SN and found that SN-to-ZI GABAergic input is engaged by a predatory odor. Sustained pan-neuronal SN-to-ZI activation results in aversion and enhances defensive behaviors, likely through a disinhibition mechanism to recruit downstream brain regions that regulate defensive behaviors. Collectively, our results reveal a novel role of nigroincertal projection in mediating negative valence and regulating defensive behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ping-Chen Ho
- The Laboratory for Neural Circuits and Behaviors, Graduate Institute of Brain and Mind Sciences, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Fu-Yun Hsiao
- The Laboratory for Neural Circuits and Behaviors, Graduate Institute of Brain and Mind Sciences, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Shi-Hong Chiu
- School of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Syun-Ruei Lee
- The Laboratory for Neural Circuits and Behaviors, Graduate Institute of Brain and Mind Sciences, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Hau-Jie Yau
- The Laboratory for Neural Circuits and Behaviors, Graduate Institute of Brain and Mind Sciences, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Neurobiology and Cognitive Science Center, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Taiwan International Graduate Program in Interdisciplinary Neuroscience, National Taiwan University and Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
- Ph.D. Program in Translational Medicine, National Taiwan University and Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
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20
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Wang J, Wang X, Li H, Shi L, Song N, Xie J. Updates on brain regions and neuronal circuits of movement disorders in Parkinson's disease. Ageing Res Rev 2023; 92:102097. [PMID: 38511877 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2023.102097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2023] [Revised: 10/17/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/22/2024]
Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease with a global burden that affects more often in the elderly. The basal ganglia (BG) is believed to account for movement disorders in PD. More recently, new findings in the original regions in BG involved in motor control, as well as the new circuits or new nucleuses previously not specifically considered were explored. In the present review, we provide up-to-date information related to movement disorders and modulations in PD, especially from the perspectives of brain regions and neuronal circuits. Meanwhile, there are updates in deep brain stimulation (DBS) and other factors for the motor improvement in PD. Comprehensive understandings of brain regions and neuronal circuits involved in motor control could benefit the development of novel therapeutical strategies in PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Wang
- Institute of Brain Science and Disease, School of Basic Medicine, Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong, China; Shandong Provincial Collaborative Innovation Center for Neurodegenerative Disorders, Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong, China; Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathogenesis and Prevention of Neurological Disorders, Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Xiaoting Wang
- Institute of Brain Science and Disease, School of Basic Medicine, Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong, China; Shandong Provincial Collaborative Innovation Center for Neurodegenerative Disorders, Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong, China; Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathogenesis and Prevention of Neurological Disorders, Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Hui Li
- Institute of Brain Science and Disease, School of Basic Medicine, Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong, China; Shandong Provincial Collaborative Innovation Center for Neurodegenerative Disorders, Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong, China; Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathogenesis and Prevention of Neurological Disorders, Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Limin Shi
- Institute of Brain Science and Disease, School of Basic Medicine, Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong, China; Shandong Provincial Collaborative Innovation Center for Neurodegenerative Disorders, Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong, China; Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathogenesis and Prevention of Neurological Disorders, Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Ning Song
- Institute of Brain Science and Disease, School of Basic Medicine, Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong, China; Shandong Provincial Collaborative Innovation Center for Neurodegenerative Disorders, Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong, China; Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathogenesis and Prevention of Neurological Disorders, Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong, China.
| | - Junxia Xie
- Institute of Brain Science and Disease, School of Basic Medicine, Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong, China; Shandong Provincial Collaborative Innovation Center for Neurodegenerative Disorders, Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong, China; Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathogenesis and Prevention of Neurological Disorders, Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong, China.
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21
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Ye Q, Nunez J, Zhang X. Zona incerta dopamine neurons encode motivational vigor in food seeking. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadi5326. [PMID: 37976360 PMCID: PMC10656063 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adi5326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
Energy deprivation triggers food seeking to ensure homeostatic consumption, but the neural coding of motivational vigor in food seeking during physical hunger remains unknown. Here, we report that ablation of dopamine (DA) neurons in zona incerta (ZI) but not ventral tegmental area potently impaired food seeking after fasting. ZI DA neurons and their projections to paraventricular thalamus (PVT) were quickly activated for food approach but inhibited during food consumption. Chemogenetic manipulation of ZI DA neurons bidirectionally regulated feeding motivation to control meal frequency but not meal size for food intake. Activation of ZI DA neurons promoted, but silencing of these neurons blocked, contextual memory associate with food reward. In addition, selective activation of ZI DA projections to PVT promoted food seeking for food consumption and transited positive-valence signals. Together, these findings reveal that ZI DA neurons encode motivational vigor in food seeking for food consumption through their projections to PVT.
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22
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Wu K, Wang D, Wang Y, Tang P, Li X, Pan Y, Tao HW, Zhang LI, Liang F. Distinct circuits in anterior cingulate cortex encode safety assessment and mediate flexibility of fear reactions. Neuron 2023; 111:3650-3667.e6. [PMID: 37652003 PMCID: PMC10990237 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.08.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2023] [Revised: 07/15/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
Abstract
Safety assessment and threat evaluation are crucial for animals to live and survive in the wilderness. However, neural circuits underlying safety assessment and their transformation to mediate flexibility of fear-induced defensive behaviors remain largely unknown. Here, we report that distinct neuronal populations in mouse anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) encode safety status by selectively responding under different contexts of auditory threats, with one preferably activated when an animal staysing in a self-deemed safe zone and another specifically activated in more dangerous environmental settings that led to escape behavior. The safety-responding neurons preferentially target the zona incerta (ZI), which suppresses the superior colliculus (SC) via its GABAergic projection, while the danger-responding neurons preferentially target and excite SC. These distinct corticofugal pathways antagonistically modulate SC responses to threat, resulting in context-dependent expression of fear reactions. Thus, ACC serves as a critical node to encode safety/danger assessment and mediate behavioral flexibility through differential top-down circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaibin Wu
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China; Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China; Key Laboratory of Mental Health of the Ministry of Education, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China; Department of Anaesthesiology, Zhujiang Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510220, China; Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Psychiatric Disorders, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Dijia Wang
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China; Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China; Key Laboratory of Mental Health of the Ministry of Education, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China; Department of Anaesthesiology, Zhujiang Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510220, China; Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Psychiatric Disorders, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Yuwei Wang
- Department of Psychology, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Peiwen Tang
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China; Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China; Key Laboratory of Mental Health of the Ministry of Education, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China; Department of Anaesthesiology, Zhujiang Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510220, China; Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Psychiatric Disorders, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Xuan Li
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Yidi Pan
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Huizhong W Tao
- Center for Neural Circuits & Sensory Processing Disorders, Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA; Department of Physiology & Neuroscience, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Li I Zhang
- Center for Neural Circuits & Sensory Processing Disorders, Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA; Department of Physiology & Neuroscience, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Feixue Liang
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China; Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China; Key Laboratory of Mental Health of the Ministry of Education, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China; Department of Anaesthesiology, Zhujiang Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510220, China; Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Psychiatric Disorders, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China; Department of Psychology, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China.
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23
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Tsou JH, Lee SR, Chiang CY, Yang YJ, Guo FY, Ni SY, Yau HJ. Negative Emotions Recruit the Parabrachial Nucleus Efferent to the VTA to Disengage Instrumental Food Seeking. J Neurosci 2023; 43:7276-7293. [PMID: 37684032 PMCID: PMC10621778 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2114-22.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2022] [Revised: 08/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The parabrachial nucleus (PBN) interfaces between taste and feeding systems and is also an important hub for relaying distress information and threats. Despite that the PBN sends projections to the ventral tegmental area (VTA), a heterogeneous brain region that regulates motivational behaviors, the function of the PBN-to-VTA connection remains elusive. Here, by using male mice in several behavioral paradigms, we discover that VTA-projecting PBN neurons are significantly engaged in contextual fear, restraint or mild stress but not palatable feeding, visceral malaise, or thermal pain. These results suggest that the PBN-to-VTA input may relay negative emotions under threat. Consistent with this notion, optogenetic activation of PBN-to-VTA glutamatergic input results in aversion, which is sufficient to override palatable feeding. Moreover, in a palatable food-reinforced operant task, we demonstrate that transient optogenetic activation of PBN-to-VTA input during food reward retrieval disengages instrumental food-seeking behaviors but spares learned action-outcome association. By using an activity-dependent targeting approach, we show that VTA DA neurons are disengaged by the PBN afferent activation, implicating that VTA non-DA neurons may mediate PBN afferent regulation. We further show that optogenetic activation of VTA neurons functionally recruited by the PBN input results in aversion, dampens palatable feeding, and disengages palatable food self-administration behavior. Finally, we demonstrate that transient activation of VTA glutamatergic, but not GABAergic, neurons recapitulates the negative regulation of the PBN input on food self-administration behavior. Together, we reveal that the PBN-to-VTA input conveys negative affect, likely through VTA glutamatergic neurons, to disengage instrumental food-seeking behaviors.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The PBN receives multiple inputs and thus is well positioned to route information of various modalities to engage different downstream circuits to attend or respond accordingly. We demonstrate that the PBN-to-VTA input conveys negative affect and then triggers adaptive prioritized responses to address pertinent needs by withholding ongoing behaviors, such as palatable food seeking or intake shown in the present study. It has evolutionary significance because preparing to cope with stressful situations or threats takes priority over food seeking to promote survival. Knowing how appropriate adaptive responses are generated will provide new insights into circuitry mechanisms of various coping behaviors to changing environmental stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jen-Hui Tsou
- Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11031, Taiwan
- Synaptic Plasticity Section, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21224
| | - Syun-Ruei Lee
- Laboratory for Neural Circuits and Behaviors, Graduate Institute of Brain and Mind Sciences, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10051, Taiwan
| | - Chia-Ying Chiang
- Laboratory for Neural Circuits and Behaviors, Graduate Institute of Brain and Mind Sciences, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10051, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Jie Yang
- Laboratory for Neural Circuits and Behaviors, Graduate Institute of Brain and Mind Sciences, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10051, Taiwan
| | - Fong-Yi Guo
- Laboratory for Neural Circuits and Behaviors, Graduate Institute of Brain and Mind Sciences, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10051, Taiwan
| | - Shih-Ying Ni
- School of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei 100, Taiwan
| | - Hau-Jie Yau
- Laboratory for Neural Circuits and Behaviors, Graduate Institute of Brain and Mind Sciences, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10051, Taiwan
- Neurobiology and Cognitive Science Center, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
- Taiwan International Graduate Program in Interdisciplinary Neuroscience, National Taiwan University and Academia Sinica, Taipei 115, Taiwan
- PhD Program in Translational Medicine, National Taiwan University and Academia Sinica, Taipei 115, Taiwan
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24
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Li J, Peng S, Zhang Y, Ge J, Gao S, Zhu Y, Bai Y, Wu S, Huang J. Glutamatergic Neurons in the Zona Incerta Modulate Pain and Itch Behaviors in Mice. Mol Neurobiol 2023; 60:5866-5877. [PMID: 37354250 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-023-03431-7] [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: 02/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/26/2023]
Abstract
Emerging evidence suggest that parvalbumin neurons in zona incerta (ZI) modulate pain and itch behavior in opposite manners. However, the role of ZI glutamatergic neurons, a unique incertal neuronal subpopulation residing in the caudal division, in pain and itch modulation remains unknown. In the present study, by combining chemogenetic manipulation, fiber photometry, and behavioral tests, we proved that incertal glutamatergic neurons served as an endogenous negative diencephalic modulator for both pain and itch processing. We demonstrated that ZI vesicular glutamate transporter 2 (VGluT2) neurons exhibited increased calcium signal upon hindpaw withdrawal in response to experimental mechanical and thermal stimuli. Behavioral tests further showed that pharmacogenetic activation of this specific type of neurons reduced nocifensive withdrawal responses in both naïve and inflammatory pain mice. Similar neural activity and modulatory role of ZI VGluT2 neurons were also observed upon histaminergic and non-histaminergic acute itch stimuli. Together, our study would expedite our understandings of brain mechanisms underlying somatosensory processing and modulation, and supply a novel therapeutic target for the management of chronic pain and itch disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaqi Li
- Department of Neurobiology, Basic Medical Science Academy, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China
| | - Shihao Peng
- Department of Neurobiology, Basic Medical Science Academy, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China
| | - Yiwen Zhang
- Department of Neurobiology, Basic Medical Science Academy, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China
| | - Junye Ge
- Department of Neurobiology, Basic Medical Science Academy, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China
| | - Shasha Gao
- Department of Neurobiology, Basic Medical Science Academy, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China
| | - Yuanyuan Zhu
- Department of Neurobiology, Basic Medical Science Academy, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China
| | - Yang Bai
- Department of Neurosurgery, General Hospital of Northern Theater Command, Shenyang, 110015, China.
| | - Shengxi Wu
- Department of Neurobiology, Basic Medical Science Academy, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China.
| | - Jing Huang
- Department of Neurobiology, Basic Medical Science Academy, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China.
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25
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Tao C, Zhang GW, Huang JJ, Li Z, Tao HW, Zhang LI. The medial preoptic area mediates depressive-like behaviors induced by ovarian hormone withdrawal through distinct GABAergic projections. Nat Neurosci 2023; 26:1529-1540. [PMID: 37524978 PMCID: PMC11037266 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-023-01397-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2022] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/02/2023]
Abstract
Fluctuations in reproductive hormone levels are associated with mood disruptions in women, such as in postpartum and perimenopausal depression. However, the neural circuit mechanisms remain unclear. Here we report that medial preoptic area (MPOA) GABAergic neurons mediate multifaceted depressive-like behaviors in female mice after ovarian hormone withdrawal (HW), which can be attributed to downregulation of activity in Esr1 (estrogen receptor-1)-expressing GABAergic neurons. Enhancing activity of these neurons ameliorates depressive-like behaviors in HW-treated mice, whereas reducing their activity results in expression of these behaviors. Two separate subpopulations mediate different symptoms: a subpopulation projecting to the ventral tegmental area (VTA) mediates anhedonia and another projecting to the periaqueductal gray mediates immobility. These projections enhance activity of dopaminergic neurons in the VTA and serotonergic neurons in the dorsal raphe, respectively, with increased release of dopamine and serotonin, possibly through disinhibition mechanisms. Thus, the MPOA is a hub that mediates depressive-like behaviors resulting from transitions in reproductive hormone levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Can Tao
- Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Guang-Wei Zhang
- Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Junxiang J Huang
- Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Graduate Programs in Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Zhong Li
- Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Huizhong W Tao
- Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
- Center for Neural Circuits and Sensory Processing Disorders, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
- Department of Physiology and Neuroscience, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| | - Li I Zhang
- Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
- Center for Neural Circuits and Sensory Processing Disorders, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
- Department of Physiology and Neuroscience, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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26
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Li C, Kühn NK, Alkislar I, Sans-Dublanc A, Zemmouri F, Paesmans S, Calzoni A, Ooms F, Reinhard K, Farrow K. Pathway-specific inputs to the superior colliculus support flexible responses to visual threat. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eade3874. [PMID: 37647395 PMCID: PMC10468139 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.ade3874] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2022] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/01/2023]
Abstract
Behavioral flexibility requires directing feedforward sensory information to appropriate targets. In the superior colliculus, divergent outputs orchestrate different responses to visual threats, but the circuit organization enabling the flexible routing of sensory information remains unknown. To determine this structure, we focused on inhibitory projection (Gad2) neurons. Trans-synaptic tracing and neuronal recordings revealed that Gad2 neurons projecting to the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) and the parabigeminal nucleus (PBG) form two separate populations, each receiving a different set of non-retinal inputs. Inhibiting the LGN- or PBG-projecting Gad2 neurons resulted in opposing effects on behavior; increasing freezing or escape probability to visual looming, respectively. Optogenetic activation of selected inputs to the LGN- and PBG-projecting Gad2 cells predictably regulated responses to visual threat. These data suggest that projection-specific sampling of brain-wide inputs provides a circuit design principle that enables visual inputs to be selectively routed to produce context-specific behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Li
- Neuro-Electronics Research Flanders, VIB, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Biology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Norma K. Kühn
- Neuro-Electronics Research Flanders, VIB, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Biology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Ilayda Alkislar
- Neuro-Electronics Research Flanders, VIB, Leuven, Belgium
- Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Arnau Sans-Dublanc
- Neuro-Electronics Research Flanders, VIB, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Biology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Firdaouss Zemmouri
- Neuro-Electronics Research Flanders, VIB, Leuven, Belgium
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical, Biomedical, and Veterinary Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Soraya Paesmans
- Neuro-Electronics Research Flanders, VIB, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Biology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Alex Calzoni
- Neuro-Electronics Research Flanders, VIB, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Biology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Frédérique Ooms
- Neuro-Electronics Research Flanders, VIB, Leuven, Belgium
- Imec, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Katja Reinhard
- Neuro-Electronics Research Flanders, VIB, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Biology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Karl Farrow
- Neuro-Electronics Research Flanders, VIB, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Biology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Imec, Leuven, Belgium
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27
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Priest MF, Freda SN, Rieth IJ, Badong D, Dumrongprechachan V, Kozorovitskiy Y. Peptidergic and functional delineation of the Edinger-Westphal nucleus. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112992. [PMID: 37594894 PMCID: PMC10512657 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2021] [Revised: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 08/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Many neuronal populations that release fast-acting excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters in the brain also contain slower-acting neuropeptides. These facultative peptidergic cell types are common, but it remains uncertain whether neurons that solely release peptides exist. Our fluorescence in situ hybridization, genetically targeted electron microscopy, and electrophysiological characterization suggest that most neurons of the non-cholinergic, centrally projecting Edinger-Westphal nucleus in mice are obligately peptidergic. We further show, using anterograde projection mapping, monosynaptic retrograde tracing, angled-tip fiber photometry, and chemogenetic modulation and genetically targeted ablation in conjunction with canonical assays for anxiety, that this peptidergic population activates in response to loss of motor control and promotes anxiety responses. Together, these findings elucidate an integrative, ethologically relevant role for the Edinger-Westphal nucleus and functionally align the nucleus with the periaqueductal gray, where it resides. This work advances our understanding of peptidergic modulation of anxiety and provides a framework for future investigations of peptidergic systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael F Priest
- Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Sara N Freda
- Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Isabelle J Rieth
- Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Deanna Badong
- Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Vasin Dumrongprechachan
- Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA; Chemistry of Life Processes Institute, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Yevgenia Kozorovitskiy
- Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA; Chemistry of Life Processes Institute, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA.
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28
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Zhao J, Song Q, Wu Y, Yang L. Advances in neural circuits of innate fear defense behavior. Zhejiang Da Xue Xue Bao Yi Xue Ban 2023; 52:653-661. [PMID: 37899403 PMCID: PMC10630063 DOI: 10.3724/zdxbyxb-2023-0131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/24/2023]
Abstract
Fear, a negative emotion triggered by dangerous stimuli, can lead to psychiatric disorders such as phobias, anxiety disorders, and depression. Investigating the neural circuitry underlying congenital fear can offer insights into the pathophysiological mechanisms of related psychiatric conditions. Research on innate fear primarily centers on the response mechanisms to various sensory signals, including olfactory, visual and auditory stimuli. Different types of fear signal inputs are regulated by distinct neural circuits. The neural circuits of the main and accessory olfactory systems receive and process olfactory stimuli, mediating defensive responses like freezing. Escape behaviors elicited by visual stimuli are primarily regulated through the superior colliculus and hypothalamic projection circuits. Auditory stimuli-induced responses, including escape, are mainly mediated through auditory cortex projection circuits. In this article, we review the research progress on neural circuits of innate fear defensive behaviors in animals. We further discuss the different sensory systems, especially the projection circuits of olfactory, visual and auditory systems, to provide references for the mechanistic study of related mental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiajia Zhao
- Henan University of Chinese Medicine School of Medicine, Zhengzhou 450046, China.
| | - Qi Song
- Henan University of Chinese Medicine School of Medicine, Zhengzhou 450046, China
| | - Yongye Wu
- Henan University of Chinese Medicine School of Medicine, Zhengzhou 450046, China
| | - Liping Yang
- Henan University of Chinese Medicine School of Medicine, Zhengzhou 450046, China.
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29
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Nguyen E, Grajales-Reyes JG, Gereau RW, Ross SE. Cell type-specific dissection of sensory pathways involved in descending modulation. Trends Neurosci 2023; 46:539-550. [PMID: 37164868 PMCID: PMC10836406 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2023.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2022] [Revised: 03/22/2023] [Accepted: 04/07/2023] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Decades of research have suggested that stimulation of supraspinal structures, such as the periaqueductal gray (PAG) and rostral ventromedial medulla (RVM), inhibits nocifensive responses to noxious stimulation through a process known as descending modulation. Electrical stimulation and pharmacologic manipulations of the PAG and RVM identified transmitters and neuronal firing patterns that represented distinct cell types. Advances in mouse genetics, in vivo imaging, and circuit tracing methods, in addition to chemogenetic and optogenetic approaches, allowed the characterization of the cells and circuits involved in descending modulation in further detail. Recent work has revealed the importance of PAG and RVM neuronal cell types in the descending modulation of pruriceptive as well as nociceptive behaviors, underscoring their roles in coordinating complex behavioral responses to sensory input. This review summarizes how new technical advances that enable cell type-specific manipulation and recording of neuronal activity have supported, as well as expanded, long-standing views on descending modulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eileen Nguyen
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Jose G Grajales-Reyes
- Washington University Pain Center and Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis, St Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Robert W Gereau
- Washington University Pain Center and Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis, St Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Sarah E Ross
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA.
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She HQ, Sun YF, Chen L, Xiao QX, Luo BY, Zhou HS, Zhou D, Chang QY, Xiong LL. Current analysis of hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy research issues and future treatment modalities. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1136500. [PMID: 37360183 PMCID: PMC10288156 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1136500] [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: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) is the leading cause of long-term neurological disability in neonates and adults. Through bibliometric analysis, we analyzed the current research on HIE in various countries, institutions, and authors. At the same time, we extensively summarized the animal HIE models and modeling methods. There are various opinions on the neuroprotective treatment of HIE, and the main therapy in clinical is therapeutic hypothermia, although its efficacy remains to be investigated. Therefore, in this study, we discussed the progress of neural circuits, injured brain tissue, and neural circuits-related technologies, providing new ideas for the treatment and prognosis management of HIE with the combination of neuroendocrine and neuroprotection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong-Qing She
- Department of Anesthesiology, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China
- Translational Neurology Laboratory, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China
- WANG TINGHUA Translation Institute, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China
| | - Yi-Fei Sun
- Institute of Neurological Disease, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Li Chen
- Institute of Neurological Disease, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Qiu-Xia Xiao
- Institute of Neurological Disease, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Bo-Yan Luo
- WANG TINGHUA Translation Institute, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China
| | - Hong-Su Zhou
- Department of Anesthesiology, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China
- Translational Neurology Laboratory, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China
- WANG TINGHUA Translation Institute, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China
| | - Di Zhou
- Department of Anesthesiology, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China
| | - Quan-Yuan Chang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Liu-Lin Xiong
- Department of Anesthesiology, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China
- Translational Neurology Laboratory, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China
- WANG TINGHUA Translation Institute, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China
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31
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Lu B, Fan P, Li M, Wang Y, Liang W, Yang G, Mo F, Xu Z, Shan J, Song Y, Liu J, Wu Y, Cai X. Detection of neuronal defensive discharge information transmission and characteristics in periaqueductal gray double-subregions using PtNP/PEDOT:PSS modified microelectrode arrays. MICROSYSTEMS & NANOENGINEERING 2023; 9:70. [PMID: 37275263 PMCID: PMC10232427 DOI: 10.1038/s41378-023-00546-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2023] [Revised: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 03/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Threatened animals respond with appropriate defensive behaviors to survive. It has been accepted that midbrain periaqueductal gray (PAG) plays an essential role in the circuitry system and organizes defensive behavioral responses. However, the role and correlation of different PAG subregions in the expression of different defensive behaviors remain largely unexplored. Here, we designed and manufactured a microelectrode array (MEA) to simultaneously detect the activities of dPAG and vPAG neurons in freely behaving rats. To improve the detection performance of the MEAs, PtNP/PEDOT:PSS nanocomposites were modified onto the MEAs. Subsequently, the predator odor was used to induce the rat's innate fear, and the changes and information transmission in neuronal activities were detected in the dPAG and vPAG. Our results showed that the dPAG and vPAG participated in innate fear, but the activation degree was distinct in different defense behaviors. During flight, neuronal responses were stronger and earlier in the dPAG than the vPAG, while vPAG neurons responded more strongly during freezing. By applying high-performance MEA, it was revealed that neural information spread from the activated dPAG to the weakly activated vPAG. Our research also revealed that dPAG and vPAG neurons exhibited different defensive discharge characteristics, and dPAG neurons participated in the regulation of defense responses with burst-firing patterns. The slow activation and continuous firing of vPAG neurons cooresponded with the regulation of long-term freezing responses. The results demonstrated the important role of PAG neuronal activities in controlling different aspects of defensive behaviors and provided novel insights for investigating defense from the electrophysiological perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Botao Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology, Aerospace Information Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190 China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049 China
| | - Penghui Fan
- State Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology, Aerospace Information Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190 China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049 China
| | - Ming Li
- State Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology, Aerospace Information Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190 China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049 China
| | - Yiding Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology, Aerospace Information Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190 China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049 China
| | - Wei Liang
- State Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology, Aerospace Information Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190 China
| | - Gucheng Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology, Aerospace Information Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190 China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049 China
| | - Fan Mo
- State Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology, Aerospace Information Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190 China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049 China
| | - Zhaojie Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology, Aerospace Information Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190 China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049 China
| | - Jin Shan
- State Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology, Aerospace Information Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190 China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049 China
| | - Yilin Song
- State Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology, Aerospace Information Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190 China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049 China
| | - Juntao Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology, Aerospace Information Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190 China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049 China
| | - Yirong Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology, Aerospace Information Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190 China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049 China
| | - Xinxia Cai
- State Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology, Aerospace Information Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190 China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049 China
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32
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Martín-Cortecero J, Isaías-Camacho EU, Boztepe B, Ziegler K, Mease RA, Groh A. Monosynaptic trans-collicular pathways link mouse whisker circuits to integrate somatosensory and motor cortical signals. PLoS Biol 2023; 21:e3002126. [PMID: 37205722 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2023] [Accepted: 04/14/2023] [Indexed: 05/21/2023] Open
Abstract
The superior colliculus (SC), a conserved midbrain node with extensive long-range connectivity throughout the brain, is a key structure for innate behaviors. Descending cortical pathways are increasingly recognized as central control points for SC-mediated behaviors, but how cortico-collicular pathways coordinate SC activity at the cellular level is poorly understood. Moreover, despite the known role of the SC as a multisensory integrator, the involvement of the SC in the somatosensory system is largely unexplored in comparison to its involvement in the visual and auditory systems. Here, we mapped the connectivity of the whisker-sensitive region of the SC in mice with trans-synaptic and intersectional tracing tools and in vivo electrophysiology. The results reveal a novel trans-collicular connectivity motif in which neurons in motor- and somatosensory cortices impinge onto the brainstem-SC-brainstem sensory-motor arc and onto SC-midbrain output pathways via only one synapse in the SC. Intersectional approaches and optogenetically assisted connectivity quantifications in vivo reveal convergence of motor and somatosensory cortical input on individual SC neurons, providing a new framework for sensory-motor integration in the SC. More than a third of the cortical recipient neurons in the whisker SC are GABAergic neurons, which include a hitherto unknown population of GABAergic projection neurons targeting thalamic nuclei and the zona incerta. These results pinpoint a whisker region in the SC of mice as a node for the integration of somatosensory and motor cortical signals via parallel excitatory and inhibitory trans-collicular pathways, which link cortical and subcortical whisker circuits for somato-motor integration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesús Martín-Cortecero
- Medical Biophysics, Institute for Physiology and Pathophysiology, Heidelberg University, Germany
| | | | - Berin Boztepe
- Medical Biophysics, Institute for Physiology and Pathophysiology, Heidelberg University, Germany
| | - Katharina Ziegler
- Medical Biophysics, Institute for Physiology and Pathophysiology, Heidelberg University, Germany
| | - Rebecca Audrey Mease
- Medical Biophysics, Institute for Physiology and Pathophysiology, Heidelberg University, Germany
| | - Alexander Groh
- Medical Biophysics, Institute for Physiology and Pathophysiology, Heidelberg University, Germany
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Xiao C, Wei J, Zhang GW, Tao C, Huang JJ, Shen L, Wickersham IR, Tao HW, Zhang LI. Glutamatergic and GABAergic neurons in pontine central gray mediate opposing valence-specific behaviors through a global network. Neuron 2023; 111:1486-1503.e7. [PMID: 36893756 PMCID: PMC10164086 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.02.012] [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: 10/19/2022] [Revised: 01/23/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 03/11/2023]
Abstract
Extracting the valence of environmental cues is critical for animals' survival. How valence in sensory signals is encoded and transformed to produce distinct behavioral responses remains not well understood. Here, we report that the mouse pontine central gray (PCG) contributes to encoding both negative and positive valences. PCG glutamatergic neurons were activated selectively by aversive, but not reward, stimuli, whereas its GABAergic neurons were preferentially activated by reward signals. The optogenetic activation of these two populations resulted in avoidance and preference behavior, respectively, and was sufficient to induce conditioned place aversion/preference. Suppression of them reduced sensory-induced aversive and appetitive behaviors, respectively. These two functionally opponent populations, receiving a broad range of inputs from overlapping yet distinct sources, broadcast valence-specific information to a distributed brain network with distinguishable downstream effectors. Thus, PCG serves as a critical hub to process positive and negative valences of incoming sensory signals and drive valence-specific behaviors with distinct circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cuiyu Xiao
- Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Department of Physiology and Neuroscience, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Jinxing Wei
- Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Department of Physiology and Neuroscience, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Guang-Wei Zhang
- Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Department of Physiology and Neuroscience, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Can Tao
- Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Department of Physiology and Neuroscience, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Junxiang J Huang
- Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Department of Physiology and Neuroscience, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA; Graduate Program in Biological and Biomedical Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Li Shen
- Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Department of Physiology and Neuroscience, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Ian R Wickersham
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Huizhong W Tao
- Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Department of Physiology and Neuroscience, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA; Center for Neural Circuits and Sensory Processing Disorders, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA.
| | - Li I Zhang
- Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Department of Physiology and Neuroscience, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA; Center for Neural Circuits and Sensory Processing Disorders, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA.
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Reis FMCV, Mobbs D, Canteras NS, Adhikari A. Orchestration of innate and conditioned defensive actions by the periaqueductal gray. Neuropharmacology 2023; 228:109458. [PMID: 36773777 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2023.109458] [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: 09/09/2022] [Revised: 02/01/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023]
Abstract
The midbrain periaqueductal gray (PAG) has been recognized for decades as having a central role in the control of a wide variety of defensive responses. Initial discoveries relied primarily on lesions, electrical stimulation and pharmacology. Recent developments in neural activity imaging and in methods to control activity with anatomical and genetic specificity have revealed additional streams of data informing our understanding of PAG function. Here, we discuss both classic and modern studies reporting on how PAG-centered circuits influence innate as well as learned defensive actions in rodents and humans. Though early discoveries emphasized the PAG's role in rapid induction of innate defensive actions, emerging new data indicate a prominent role for the PAG in more complex processes, including representing behavioral states and influencing fear learning and memory. This article is part of the Special Issue on "Fear, Anxiety and PTSD".
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando M C V Reis
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, United States.
| | - Dean Mobbs
- Division of the Humanities and Social Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, United States; Computation and Neural Systems Program, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, United States
| | - Newton S Canteras
- Department of Anatomy, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Avishek Adhikari
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, United States.
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Venkataraman A, Dias BG. Expanding the canon: An inclusive neurobiology of thalamic and subthalamic fear circuits. Neuropharmacology 2023; 226:109380. [PMID: 36572176 PMCID: PMC9984284 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2022.109380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2022] [Revised: 12/09/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Appropriate expression of fear in the face of threats in the environment is essential for survival. The sustained expression of fear in the absence of threat signals is a central pathological feature of trauma- and anxiety-related disorders. Our understanding of the neural circuitry that controls fear inhibition coalesces around the amygdala, hippocampus, and prefrontal cortex. By discussing thalamic and sub-thalamic influences on fear-related learning and expression in this review, we suggest a more inclusive neurobiological framework that expands our canonical view of fear. First, we visit how fear-related learning and expression is influenced by the aforementioned canonical brain regions. Next, we review emerging data that shed light on new roles for thalamic and subthalamic nuclei in fear-related learning and expression. Then, we highlight how these neuroanatomical hubs can modulate fear via integration of sensory and salient stimuli, gating information flow and calibrating behavioral responses, as well as maintaining and updating memory representations. Finally, we propose that the presence of this thalamic and sub-thalamic neuroanatomy in parallel with the tripartite prefrontal cortex-amygdala-hippocampus circuit allows for dynamic modulation of information based on interoceptive and exteroceptive signals. This article is part of the Special Issue on "Fear, Anxiety and PTSD".
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Affiliation(s)
- Archana Venkataraman
- Department of Cellular & Molecular Pharmacology, University of San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Brian George Dias
- Department of Pediatrics, Keck School of Medicine of USC, Los Angeles, CA, United States; Division of Endocrinology, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States; Developmental Neuroscience and Neurogenetics Program, The Saban Research Institute, Los Angeles, CA, United States.
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36
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Yin J, Qin J, Lin Z, Li A, Liu D, Jiang Y, Zhao Q, Chen L, Liu C. Glutamatergic neurons in the paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus regulate isoflurane anesthesia in mice. FASEB J 2023; 37:e22762. [PMID: 36719765 DOI: 10.1096/fj.202200974rr] [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: 07/01/2022] [Revised: 12/11/2022] [Accepted: 12/27/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
The glutamatergic-mediated excitatory system in the brain is vital for the regulation of sleep-wake and general anesthesia. Specifically, the paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus (PVH), which contains mainly glutamatergic neurons, has been shown to play a critical role in sleep-wake. Here, we sought to explore whether the PVH glutamatergic neurons have an important effect on the process of general anesthesia. We used c-fos staining and in vivo calcium signal recording to observe the activity changes of the PVH glutamatergic neurons during isoflurane anesthesia and found that both c-fos expression in the PVH and the calcium activity of PVH glutamatergic neurons decreased in isoflurane anesthesia and significantly increased during the recovery process. Chemogenetic activation of PVH glutamatergic neurons prolonged induction time and shortened emergence time from anesthesia by decreasing the depth of anesthesia. Using chemogenetic inhibition of PVH glutamatergic neurons under isoflurane anesthesia, we found that inhibition of PVH glutamatergic neurons facilitated the induction process and delayed the emergence accompanied by deepening the depth of anesthesia. Together, these results identify a crucial role for PVH glutamatergic neurons in modulating isoflurane anesthesia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianyin Yin
- Department of Anesthesiology, Hunan Provincial Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital (Hunan Institute of Reproductive Medicine), Changsha, China
| | - Jie Qin
- Department of Anesthesiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of University of South China, Hengyang, China.,Department of Anesthesiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of University of South China, Hengyang, China
| | - Zhaojing Lin
- Department of Anesthesiology, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Aiyuan Li
- Department of Anesthesiology, Hunan Provincial Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital (Hunan Institute of Reproductive Medicine), Changsha, China
| | - Damin Liu
- Department of Anesthesiology, Hunan Provincial Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital (Hunan Institute of Reproductive Medicine), Changsha, China
| | - Yurong Jiang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Hunan Provincial Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital (Hunan Institute of Reproductive Medicine), Changsha, China
| | - Qiuni Zhao
- Department of Anesthesiology, Hunan Provincial Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital (Hunan Institute of Reproductive Medicine), Changsha, China
| | - Liang Chen
- Department of Anesthesiology, Hunan Provincial Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital (Hunan Institute of Reproductive Medicine), Changsha, China
| | - Chengxi Liu
- Department of Anesthesiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of University of South China, Hengyang, China.,Department of Anesthesiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of University of South China, Hengyang, China
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Wu FL, Chen SH, Li JN, Zhao LJ, Wu XM, Hong J, Zhu KH, Sun HX, Shi SJ, Mao E, Zang WD, Cao J, Kou ZZ, Li YQ. Projections from the Rostral Zona Incerta to the Thalamic Paraventricular Nucleus Mediate Nociceptive Neurotransmission in Mice. Metabolites 2023; 13:metabo13020226. [PMID: 36837844 PMCID: PMC9966812 DOI: 10.3390/metabo13020226] [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: 01/12/2023] [Revised: 01/26/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Zona incerta (ZI) is an integrative subthalamic region in nociceptive neurotransmission. Previous studies demonstrated that the rostral ZI (ZIR) is an important gamma-aminobutyric acid-ergic (GABAergic) source to the thalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVT), but whether the ZIR-PVT pathway participates in nociceptive modulation is still unclear. Therefore, our investigation utilized anatomical tracing, fiber photometry, chemogenetic, optogenetic and local pharmacological approaches to investigate the roles of the ZIRGABA+-PVT pathway in nociceptive neurotransmission in mice. We found that projections from the GABAergic neurons in ZIR to PVT were involved in nociceptive neurotransmission. Furthermore, chemogenetic and optogenetic activation of the ZIRGABA+-PVT pathway alleviates pain, whereas inhibiting the activities of the ZIRGABA+-PVT circuit induces mechanical hypersensitivity and partial heat hyperalgesia. Importantly, in vivo pharmacology combined with optogenetics revealed that the GABA-A receptor (GABAAR) is crucial for GABAergic inhibition from ZIR to PVT. Our data suggest that the ZIRGABA+-PVT pathway acts through GABAAR-expressing glutamatergic neurons in PVT mediates nociceptive neurotransmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng-Ling Wu
- Department of Human Anatomy, College of Preclinical Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology and K. K. Leung Brain Research Centre, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an 710032, China
| | - Si-Hai Chen
- Department of Human Anatomy, College of Preclinical Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology and K. K. Leung Brain Research Centre, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an 710032, China
| | - Jia-Ni Li
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology and K. K. Leung Brain Research Centre, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an 710032, China
| | - Liu-Jie Zhao
- Department of Human Anatomy, College of Preclinical Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology and K. K. Leung Brain Research Centre, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an 710032, China
| | - Xue-Mei Wu
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology and K. K. Leung Brain Research Centre, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an 710032, China
- Department of Human Anatomy, The School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, China
| | - Jie Hong
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology and K. K. Leung Brain Research Centre, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an 710032, China
- Department of Human Anatomy, Baotou Medical College Inner Mongolia University of Science and Technology, Baotou 014040, China
| | - Ke-Hua Zhu
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology and K. K. Leung Brain Research Centre, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an 710032, China
- Institute of Medical Research, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an 710072, China
| | - Han-Xue Sun
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology and K. K. Leung Brain Research Centre, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an 710032, China
- Department of Human Anatomy, The School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, China
| | - Su-Juan Shi
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology and K. K. Leung Brain Research Centre, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an 710032, China
| | - E Mao
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology and K. K. Leung Brain Research Centre, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an 710032, China
| | - Wei-Dong Zang
- Department of Human Anatomy, College of Preclinical Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China
| | - Jing Cao
- Department of Human Anatomy, College of Preclinical Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China
| | - Zhen-Zhen Kou
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology and K. K. Leung Brain Research Centre, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an 710032, China
- Correspondence: (Z.-Z.K.); (Y.-Q.L.); Tel.: +86-29-8477-2706; Fax: +86-29-8328-3229 (Y.-Q.L.)
| | - Yun-Qing Li
- Department of Human Anatomy, College of Preclinical Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology and K. K. Leung Brain Research Centre, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an 710032, China
- Department of Geriatrics, Tangdu Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an 710038, China
- Key Laboratory of Brain Science Research and Transformation in Tropical Environment of Hainan Province, Hainan Medical University, Haikou 571199, China
- Department of Anatomy, College of Basic Medicine, Dali University, Dali 671000, China
- Correspondence: (Z.-Z.K.); (Y.-Q.L.); Tel.: +86-29-8477-2706; Fax: +86-29-8328-3229 (Y.-Q.L.)
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38
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Haber SN, Lehman J, Maffei C, Yendiki A. The rostral zona incerta: a subcortical integrative hub and potential DBS target for OCD. Biol Psychiatry 2023; 93:1010-1022. [PMID: 37055285 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2023.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2022] [Revised: 12/13/2022] [Accepted: 01/08/2023] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The zona incerta (ZI) is involved in mediating survival behaviors and is connected to a wide range of cortical and subcortical structures, including key basal ganglia nuclei. Based on these connections and their links to behavioral modulation, we propose that the ZI is a connectional hub for mediating between top-down and bottom-up control and a possible target for deep brain stimulation for obsessive-compulsive disorder. METHODS We analyzed the trajectory of cortical fibers to the ZI in nonhuman and human primates based on tracer injections in monkeys and high-resolution diffusion magnetic resonance imaging in humans. The organization of cortical and subcortical connections within the ZI were identified in the nonhuman primate studies. RESULTS Monkey anatomical data and human diffusion magnetic resonance imaging data showed a similar trajectory of fibers/streamlines to the ZI. Prefrontal cortex/anterior cingulate cortex terminals all converged within the rostral ZI, with dorsal and lateral areas being most prominent. Motor areas terminated caudally. Dense subcortical reciprocal connections included the thalamus, medial hypothalamus, substantia nigra/ventral tegmental area, reticular formation, and pedunculopontine nucleus and a dense nonreciprocal projection to the lateral habenula. Additional connections included the amygdala, dorsal raphe nucleus, and periaqueductal gray. CONCLUSIONS Dense connections with dorsal and lateral prefrontal cortex/anterior cingulate cortex cognitive control areas and the lateral habenula and the substantia nigra/ventral tegmental area, coupled with inputs from the amygdala, hypothalamus, and brainstem, suggest that the rostral ZI is a subcortical hub positioned to modulate between top-down and bottom-up control. A deep brain stimulation electrode placed in the rostral ZI would not only involve connections common to other deep brain stimulation sites but also capture several critically distinctive connections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suzanne N Haber
- Department of Pharmacology & Physiology, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York; Department of Psychiatry, McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Belmont, Massachusetts.
| | - Julia Lehman
- Department of Pharmacology & Physiology, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York
| | - Chiara Maffei
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Anastasia Yendiki
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
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Monosov IE, Ogasawara T, Haber SN, Heimel JA, Ahmadlou M. The zona incerta in control of novelty seeking and investigation across species. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2022; 77:102650. [PMID: 36399897 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2022.102650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2022] [Revised: 10/02/2022] [Accepted: 10/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Many organisms rely on a capacity to rapidly replicate, disperse, and evolve when faced with uncertainty and novelty. But mammals do not evolve and replicate quickly. They rely on a sophisticated nervous system to generate predictions and select responses when confronted with these challenges. An important component of their behavioral repertoire is the adaptive context-dependent seeking or avoiding of perceptually novel objects, even when their values have not yet been learned. Here, we outline recent cross-species breakthroughs that shed light on how the zona incerta (ZI), a relatively evolutionarily conserved brain area, supports novelty-seeking and novelty-related investigations. We then conjecture how the architecture of the ZI's anatomical connectivity - the wide-ranging top-down cortical inputs to the ZI, and its specifically strong outputs to both the brainstem action controllers and to brain areas involved in action value learning - place the ZI in a unique role at the intersection of cognitive control and learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilya E Monosov
- Department of Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA.
| | - Takaya Ogasawara
- Department of Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Suzanne N Haber
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA; Department of Psychiatry, McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Belmont, MA, 02478, USA
| | - J Alexander Heimel
- Circuits Structure and Function Group, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Meibergdreef 47, 1105 BA, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Mehran Ahmadlou
- Circuits Structure and Function Group, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Meibergdreef 47, 1105 BA, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, University College London, 25 Howland St., W1T4JG London, UK
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Yang L, Lu J, Guo J, Chen J, Xiong F, Wang X, Chen L, Yu C. Ventrolateral Periaqueductal Gray Astrocytes Regulate Nociceptive Sensation and Emotional Motivation in Diabetic Neuropathic Pain. J Neurosci 2022; 42:8184-8199. [PMID: 36109166 PMCID: PMC9636999 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0920-22.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2022] [Revised: 09/06/2022] [Accepted: 09/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Diabetic neuropathic pain (DNP) is a diabetes complication experienced by many patients. Ventrolateral periaqueductal gray (vlPAG) neurons are essential mediators of the descending pain modulation system, yet the role of vlPAG astrocytes in DNP remains unclear. The present study applied a multidimensional approach to elucidate the role of these astrocytes in DNP. We verified the activation of astrocytes in different regions of the PAG in male DNP-model rats. We found that only astrocytes in the vlPAG exhibited increased growth. Furthermore, we described differences in vlPAG astrocyte activity at different time points during DNP progression. After the 14th day of modeling, vlPAG astrocytes exhibited obvious activation and morphologic changes. Furthermore, activation of Gq-designer receptors exclusively activated by a designer drug (Gq-DREADDs) in vlPAG astrocytes in naive male rats induced neuropathic pain-like symptoms and pain-related aversion, whereas activation of Gi-DREADDs in vlPAG astrocytes in male DNP-model rats alleviated sensations of pain and promoted pain-related preference behavior. Thus, bidirectional manipulation of vlPAG astrocytes revealed their potential to regulate pain. Surprisingly, activation of Gi-DREADDs in vlPAG astrocytes also mitigated anxiety-like behavior induced by DNP. Thus, our results provide direct support for the hypothesis that vlPAG astrocytes regulate diabetes-associated neuropathic pain and concomitant anxiety-like behavior.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Many studies examined the association between the ventrolateral periaqueductal gray (vlPAG) and neuropathic pain. However, few studies have focused on the role of vlPAG astrocytes in diabetic neuropathic pain (DNP) and DNP-related emotional changes. This work confirmed the role of vlPAG astrocytes in DNP by applying a more direct and robust approach. We used chemogenetics to bidirectionally manipulate the activity of vlPAG astrocytes and revealed that vlPAG astrocytes regulate DNP and pain-related behavior. In addition, we discovered that activation of Gi-designer receptors exclusively activated by a designer drug in vlPAG astrocytes alleviated anxiety-like behavior induced by DNP. Together, these findings provide new insights into DNP and concomitant anxiety-like behavior and supply new therapeutic targets for treating DNP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lan Yang
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, 350122, Fujian China
| | - Jingshan Lu
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, 350122, Fujian China
- Fujian Center for Safety Evaluation of New Drug, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, 350122, Fujian China
| | - Jianpeng Guo
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, 350122, Fujian China
| | - Jian Chen
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, 350122, Fujian China
| | - Fangfang Xiong
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, 350122, Fujian China
| | - Xinyao Wang
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, 350122, Fujian China
| | - Li Chen
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, 350122, Fujian China
- Fujian Key Laboratory of Drug Target Discovery and Structural and Functional Research, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, 350122, Fujian China
| | - Changxi Yu
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, 350122, Fujian China
- Fujian Key Laboratory of Drug Target Discovery and Structural and Functional Research, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, 350122, Fujian China
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Somatostatin-Positive Neurons in the Rostral Zona Incerta Modulate Innate Fear-Induced Defensive Response in Mice. Neurosci Bull 2022; 39:245-260. [PMID: 36260252 PMCID: PMC9905479 DOI: 10.1007/s12264-022-00958-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2022] [Accepted: 07/16/2022] [Indexed: 10/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Defensive behaviors induced by innate fear or Pavlovian fear conditioning are crucial for animals to avoid threats and ensure survival. The zona incerta (ZI) has been demonstrated to play important roles in fear learning and fear memory, as well as modulating auditory-induced innate defensive behavior. However, whether the neuronal subtypes in the ZI and specific circuits can mediate the innate fear response is largely unknown. Here, we found that somatostatin (SST)-positive neurons in the rostral ZI of mice were activated by a visual innate fear stimulus. Optogenetic inhibition of SST-positive neurons in the rostral ZI resulted in reduced flight responses to an overhead looming stimulus. Optogenetic activation of SST-positive neurons in the rostral ZI induced fear-like defensive behavior including increased immobility and bradycardia. In addition, we demonstrated that manipulation of the GABAergic projections from SST-positive neurons in the rostral ZI to the downstream nucleus reuniens (Re) mediated fear-like defensive behavior. Retrograde trans-synaptic tracing also revealed looming stimulus-activated neurons in the superior colliculus (SC) that projected to the Re-projecting SST-positive neurons in the rostral ZI (SC-ZIrSST-Re pathway). Together, our study elucidates the function of SST-positive neurons in the rostral ZI and the SC-ZIrSST-Re tri-synaptic circuit in mediating the innate fear response.
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The caudal prethalamus: Inhibitory switchboard for behavioral control? Neuron 2022; 110:2728-2742. [PMID: 36076337 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2022.07.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2021] [Revised: 03/16/2022] [Accepted: 07/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Prethalamic nuclei in the mammalian brain include the zona incerta, the ventral lateral geniculate nucleus, and the intergeniculate leaflet, which provide long-range inhibition to many targets in the midbrain, hindbrain, and thalamus. These nuclei in the caudal prethalamus can integrate sensory and non-sensory information, and together they exert powerful inhibitory control over a wide range of brain functions and behaviors that encompass most aspects of the behavioral repertoire of mammals, including sleep, circadian rhythms, feeding, drinking, predator avoidance, and exploration. In this perspective, we highlight the evidence for this wide-ranging control and lay out the hypothesis that one role of caudal prethalamic nuclei may be that of a behavioral switchboard that-depending on the sensory input, the behavioral context, and the state of the animal-can promote a behavioral strategy and suppress alternative, competing behaviors by modulating inhibitory drive onto diverse target areas.
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Zhang L, Zhang P, Qi G, Cai H, Li T, Li M, Cui C, Lei J, Ren K, Yang J, Ming J, Tian B. A zona incerta-basomedial amygdala circuit modulates aversive expectation in emotional stress-induced aversive learning deficits. Front Cell Neurosci 2022; 16:910699. [PMID: 36090791 PMCID: PMC9459227 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2022.910699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2022] [Accepted: 08/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
A previously published study showed that stress may interfere with associative aversive learning and facilitate mood-related disorders. However, whether emotional stress alone affects aversive learning is unknown. Using three chamber-vicarious social defeat stress (3C-VSDS) model mice, we investigated the effect of emotional stress on aversive learning. An important origin of dopamine (DA) neurons, the zona incerta (ZI), is expected to be a novel target for the modulation of aversive learning. However, less is known about the circuit mechanism of ZIDA neurons in aversive learning. Here, we subjected mice to a fear-conditioning system (FCS) and observed an increased calcium activity of ZI TH+ neurons in aversive expectation during the conditioning phase, especially during the late stage of the conditional stimulus (CS) when CS and unconditional stimulus (US) pairings were used. Optogenetic inhibition of ZI TH+ neurons at the late stage of CS disrupted conditioned fear learning in mice. We further identified a TH+ projection from the ZI to the basomedial amygdala (BMA) and found that optogenetic inhibition of the ZI-BMA circuit could also block aversive learning. Finally, we used 3C-VSDS mice as a model of emotional stress. We found that the 3C-VSDS model mice demonstrated reduced aversive expectation associated with ZI TH+ neurons in the late stage of CS and impaired aversive learning in FCS. Optogenetic activation of ZI-BMA TH+ projections in the late stage of CS significantly reversed the aversive FCS learning disability of 3C-VSDS model mice. These data suggest that a TH+ circuit from the ZI to the BMA is required for aversive expectation, both at baseline and in 3C-VSDS-induced aversive learning deficits and that this circuit is a potential target for the modulation of aversive learning. Low activity of ZI-BMA TH+ projections is one reason for 3C-VSDS-induced aversive learning deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lijun Zhang
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Pei Zhang
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Institute for Brain Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Key Laboratory of Neurological Diseases, Ministry of Education, Wuhan, China
| | - Guangjian Qi
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Institute for Brain Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Key Laboratory of Neurological Diseases, Ministry of Education, Wuhan, China
| | - Hongwei Cai
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Tongxia Li
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Ming Li
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Chi Cui
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Jie Lei
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Kun Ren
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Jian Yang
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Jie Ming
- Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery, Union Hospital, Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Bo Tian
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Institute for Brain Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Key Laboratory of Neurological Diseases, Ministry of Education, Wuhan, China
- *Correspondence: Bo Tian,
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Yang Y, Jiang T, Jia X, Yuan J, Li X, Gong H. Whole-Brain Connectome of GABAergic Neurons in the Mouse Zona Incerta. Neurosci Bull 2022; 38:1315-1329. [PMID: 35984621 DOI: 10.1007/s12264-022-00930-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 04/29/2022] [Indexed: 10/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The zona incerta (ZI) is involved in various functions and may serve as an integrative node of the circuits for global behavioral modulation. However, the long-range connectivity of different sectors in the mouse ZI has not been comprehensively mapped. Here, we obtained whole-brain images of the input and output connections via fluorescence micro-optical sectioning tomography and viral tracing. The principal regions in the input-output circuits of ZI GABAergic neurons were topologically organized. The 3D distribution of cortical inputs showed rostro-caudal correspondence with different ZI sectors, while the projection fibers from ZI sectors were longitudinally organized in the superior colliculus. Clustering results show that the medial and lateral ZI are two different major functional compartments, and they can be further divided into more subdomains based on projection and input connectivity. This study provides a comprehensive anatomical foundation for understanding how the ZI is involved in integrating different information, conveying motivational states, and modulating global behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Yang
- Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, MoE Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430074, China
| | - Tao Jiang
- Research Unit of Multimodal Cross Scale Neural Signal Detection and Imaging, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, HUST-Suzhou Institute for Brainsmatics, JITRI, Suzhou, 215123, China
| | - Xueyan Jia
- Research Unit of Multimodal Cross Scale Neural Signal Detection and Imaging, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, HUST-Suzhou Institute for Brainsmatics, JITRI, Suzhou, 215123, China
| | - Jing Yuan
- Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, MoE Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430074, China.,Research Unit of Multimodal Cross Scale Neural Signal Detection and Imaging, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, HUST-Suzhou Institute for Brainsmatics, JITRI, Suzhou, 215123, China
| | - Xiangning Li
- Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, MoE Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430074, China. .,Research Unit of Multimodal Cross Scale Neural Signal Detection and Imaging, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, HUST-Suzhou Institute for Brainsmatics, JITRI, Suzhou, 215123, China.
| | - Hui Gong
- Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, MoE Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430074, China. .,Research Unit of Multimodal Cross Scale Neural Signal Detection and Imaging, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, HUST-Suzhou Institute for Brainsmatics, JITRI, Suzhou, 215123, China.
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45
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Bortoloci JGT, Motta SC. Failure of AAV retrograde tracer transduction in hypothalamic projections to the periaqueductal gray matter. Heliyon 2022; 8:e10243. [PMID: 36061004 PMCID: PMC9433681 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e10243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2022] [Revised: 05/25/2022] [Accepted: 08/05/2022] [Indexed: 10/25/2022] Open
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Leow YN, Zhou B, Sullivan HA, Barlowe AR, Wickersham IR, Sur M. Brain-wide mapping of inputs to the mouse lateral posterior (LP/Pulvinar) thalamus-anterior cingulate cortex network. J Comp Neurol 2022; 530:1992-2013. [PMID: 35383929 PMCID: PMC9167239 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2021] [Revised: 02/24/2022] [Accepted: 03/01/2022] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
The rodent homolog of the primate pulvinar, the lateral posterior (LP) thalamus, is extensively interconnected with multiple cortical areas. While these cortical interactions can span the entire LP, subdivisions of the LP are characterized by differential connections with specific cortical regions. In particular, the medial LP has reciprocal connections with frontoparietal cortical areas, including the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). The ACC plays an integral role in top‐down sensory processing and attentional regulation, likely exerting some of these functions via the LP. However, little is known about how ACC and LP interact, and about the information potentially integrated in this reciprocal network. Here, we address this gap by employing a projection‐specific monosynaptic rabies tracing strategy to delineate brain‐wide inputs to bottom‐up LP→ACC and top‐down ACC→LP neurons. We find that LP→ACC neurons receive inputs from widespread cortical regions, including primary and higher order sensory and motor cortical areas. LP→ACC neurons also receive extensive subcortical inputs, particularly from the intermediate and deep layers of the superior colliculus (SC). Sensory inputs to ACC→LP neurons largely arise from visual cortical areas. In addition, ACC→LP neurons integrate cross‐hemispheric prefrontal cortex inputs as well as inputs from higher order medial cortex. Our brain‐wide anatomical mapping of inputs to the reciprocal LP‐ACC pathways provides a roadmap for understanding how LP and ACC communicate different sources of information to mediate attentional control and visuomotor functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Ning Leow
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Blake Zhou
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Heather A Sullivan
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Alexandria R Barlowe
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Ian R Wickersham
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Mriganka Sur
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
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Lu B, Fan P, Wang Y, Dai Y, Xie J, Yang G, Mo F, Xu Z, Song Y, Liu J, Cai X. Neuronal Electrophysiological Activities Detection of Defense Behaviors Using an Implantable Microelectrode Array in the Dorsal Periaqueductal Gray. BIOSENSORS 2022; 12:bios12040193. [PMID: 35448253 PMCID: PMC9032743 DOI: 10.3390/bios12040193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2022] [Revised: 03/17/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Defense is the basic survival mechanism of animals when facing dangers. Previous studies have shown that the midbrain periaqueduct gray (PAG) was essential for the production of defense responses. However, the correlation between the endogenous neuronal activities of the dorsal PAG (dPAG) and different defense behaviors was still unclear. In this article, we designed and manufactured microelectrode arrays (MEAs) whose detection sites were arranged to match the shape and position of dPAG in rats, and modified it with platinum-black nanoparticles to improve the detection performance. Subsequently, we successfully recorded the electrophysiological activities of dPAG neurons via designed MEAs in freely behaving rats before and after exposure to the potent analog of predator odor 2-methyl-2-thiazoline (2-MT). Results demonstrated that 2-MT could cause strong innate fear and a series of defensive behaviors, accompanied by the significantly increased average firing rate and local field potential (LFP) power of neurons in dPAG. We also observed that dPAG participated in different defense behaviors with different degrees of activation, which was significantly stronger in the flight stage. Further analysis showed that the neuronal activities of dPAG neurons were earlier than flight, and the intensity of activation was inversely proportional to the distance from predator odor. Overall, our results indicate that dPAG neuronal activities play a crucial role in controlling different types of predator odor-evoked innate fear/defensive behaviors, and provide some guidance for the prediction of defense behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Botao Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology, Aerospace Information Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China; (B.L.); (P.F.); (Y.W.); (Y.D.); (J.X.); (G.Y.); (F.M.); (Z.X.); (Y.S.)
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Penghui Fan
- State Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology, Aerospace Information Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China; (B.L.); (P.F.); (Y.W.); (Y.D.); (J.X.); (G.Y.); (F.M.); (Z.X.); (Y.S.)
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yiding Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology, Aerospace Information Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China; (B.L.); (P.F.); (Y.W.); (Y.D.); (J.X.); (G.Y.); (F.M.); (Z.X.); (Y.S.)
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yuchuan Dai
- State Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology, Aerospace Information Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China; (B.L.); (P.F.); (Y.W.); (Y.D.); (J.X.); (G.Y.); (F.M.); (Z.X.); (Y.S.)
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Jingyu Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology, Aerospace Information Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China; (B.L.); (P.F.); (Y.W.); (Y.D.); (J.X.); (G.Y.); (F.M.); (Z.X.); (Y.S.)
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Gucheng Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology, Aerospace Information Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China; (B.L.); (P.F.); (Y.W.); (Y.D.); (J.X.); (G.Y.); (F.M.); (Z.X.); (Y.S.)
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Fan Mo
- State Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology, Aerospace Information Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China; (B.L.); (P.F.); (Y.W.); (Y.D.); (J.X.); (G.Y.); (F.M.); (Z.X.); (Y.S.)
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Zhaojie Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology, Aerospace Information Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China; (B.L.); (P.F.); (Y.W.); (Y.D.); (J.X.); (G.Y.); (F.M.); (Z.X.); (Y.S.)
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yilin Song
- State Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology, Aerospace Information Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China; (B.L.); (P.F.); (Y.W.); (Y.D.); (J.X.); (G.Y.); (F.M.); (Z.X.); (Y.S.)
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Juntao Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology, Aerospace Information Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China; (B.L.); (P.F.); (Y.W.); (Y.D.); (J.X.); (G.Y.); (F.M.); (Z.X.); (Y.S.)
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xinxia Cai
- State Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology, Aerospace Information Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China; (B.L.); (P.F.); (Y.W.); (Y.D.); (J.X.); (G.Y.); (F.M.); (Z.X.); (Y.S.)
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
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Sun W, Tang P, Liang Y, Li J, Feng J, Zhang N, Lu D, He J, Chen X. The anterior cingulate cortex directly enhances auditory cortical responses in air-puffing-facilitated flight behavior. Cell Rep 2022; 38:110506. [PMID: 35263590 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.110506] [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: 05/06/2021] [Revised: 11/11/2021] [Accepted: 02/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
For survival, animals encode prominent events in complex environments, which modulates their defense behavior. Here, we design a paradigm that assesses how a mild aversive cue (i.e., mild air puff) interacts with sound-evoked flight behavior in mice. We find that air puffing facilitates sound-evoked flight behavior by enhancing the auditory responses of auditory cortical neurons. We then find that the anterior part of the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) encodes the valence of air puffing and modulates the auditory cortex through anatomical examination, physiological recordings, and optogenetic/chemogenetic manipulations. Activating ACC projections to the auditory cortex simulates the facilitating effect of air puffing, whereas inhibiting the ACC or its projections to the auditory cortex neutralizes this facilitating effect. These findings show that the ACC regulates sound-evoked flight behavior by potentiating neuronal responses in the auditory cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenjian Sun
- Department of Neuroscience, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong, 0000 Hong Kong SAR, P.R. China; Centre for Regenerative Medicine and Health, Hong Kong Institute of Science & Innovation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 0000 Hong Kong SAR, P.R. China
| | - Peng Tang
- Department of Neuroscience, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong, 0000 Hong Kong SAR, P.R. China; Centre for Regenerative Medicine and Health, Hong Kong Institute of Science & Innovation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 0000 Hong Kong SAR, P.R. China
| | - Ye Liang
- Department of Neuroscience, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong, 0000 Hong Kong SAR, P.R. China
| | - Jing Li
- Department of Neuroscience, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong, 0000 Hong Kong SAR, P.R. China; Centre for Regenerative Medicine and Health, Hong Kong Institute of Science & Innovation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 0000 Hong Kong SAR, P.R. China
| | - Jingyu Feng
- Department of Neuroscience, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong, 0000 Hong Kong SAR, P.R. China
| | - Nan Zhang
- Department of Neuroscience, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong, 0000 Hong Kong SAR, P.R. China; Centre for Regenerative Medicine and Health, Hong Kong Institute of Science & Innovation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 0000 Hong Kong SAR, P.R. China
| | - Danyi Lu
- Department of Neuroscience, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong, 0000 Hong Kong SAR, P.R. China
| | - Jufang He
- Department of Neuroscience, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong, 0000 Hong Kong SAR, P.R. China; City University of Hong Kong Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen 518507, P.R. China.
| | - Xi Chen
- Department of Neuroscience, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong, 0000 Hong Kong SAR, P.R. China; City University of Hong Kong Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen 518507, P.R. China.
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Neural circuit control of innate behaviors. SCIENCE CHINA. LIFE SCIENCES 2022; 65:466-499. [PMID: 34985643 DOI: 10.1007/s11427-021-2043-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2021] [Accepted: 12/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
All animals possess a plethora of innate behaviors that do not require extensive learning and are fundamental for their survival and propagation. With the advent of newly-developed techniques such as viral tracing and optogenetic and chemogenetic tools, recent studies are gradually unraveling neural circuits underlying different innate behaviors. Here, we summarize current development in our understanding of the neural circuits controlling predation, feeding, male-typical mating, and urination, highlighting the role of genetically defined neurons and their connections in sensory triggering, sensory to motor/motivation transformation, motor/motivation encoding during these different behaviors. Along the way, we discuss possible mechanisms underlying binge-eating disorder and the pro-social effects of the neuropeptide oxytocin, elucidating the clinical relevance of studying neural circuits underlying essential innate functions. Finally, we discuss some exciting brain structures recurrently appearing in the regulation of different behaviors, which suggests both divergence and convergence in the neural encoding of specific innate behaviors. Going forward, we emphasize the importance of multi-angle and cross-species dissections in delineating neural circuits that control innate behaviors.
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Brain-Wide Synaptic Inputs to Aromatase-Expressing Neurons in the Medial Amygdala Suggest Complex Circuitry for Modulating Social Behavior. eNeuro 2022; 9:ENEURO.0329-21.2021. [PMID: 35074828 PMCID: PMC8925724 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0329-21.2021] [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: 08/07/2021] [Revised: 12/18/2021] [Accepted: 12/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Here, we reveal an unbiased view of the brain regions that provide specific inputs to aromatase-expressing cells in the medial amygdala, neurons that play an outsized role in the production of sex-specific social behaviors, using rabies tracing and light sheet microscopy. While the downstream projections from these cells are known, the specific inputs to the aromatase-expressing cells in the medial amygdala remained unknown. We observed established connections to the medial amygdala (e.g., bed nucleus of the stria terminalis and accessory olfactory bulb) indicating that aromatase neurons are a major target cell type for efferent input including from regions associated with parenting and aggression. We also identified novel and unexpected inputs from areas involved in metabolism, fear and anxiety, and memory and cognition. These results confirm the central role of the medial amygdala in sex-specific social recognition and social behavior, and point to an expanded role for its aromatase-expressing neurons in the integration of multiple sensory and homeostatic factors, which are likely used to modulate many other social behaviors.
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