1
|
Edwards CM, Guerrero IE, Thompson D, Dolezel T, Rinaman L. Ascending Vagal Sensory and Central Noradrenergic Pathways Modulate Retrieval of Passive Avoidance Memory in Male Rats. J Neurosci Res 2024; 102:e25390. [PMID: 39373381 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.25390] [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: 04/26/2024] [Revised: 08/13/2024] [Accepted: 09/18/2024] [Indexed: 10/08/2024]
Abstract
Visceral feedback from the body is often subconscious, but plays an important role in guiding motivated behaviors. Vagal sensory neurons relay "gut feelings" to noradrenergic (NA) neurons in the caudal nucleus of the solitary tract (cNTS), which in turn project to the anterior ventrolateral bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (vlBNST) and other hypothalamic-limbic forebrain regions. Prior work supports a role for these circuits in modulating memory consolidation and extinction, but a potential role in retrieval of conditioned avoidance remains untested. To examine this, adult male rats underwent passive avoidance conditioning. We then lesioned gut-sensing vagal afferents by injecting cholecystokinin-conjugated saporin toxin (CSAP) into the vagal nodose ganglia (Experiment 1), or lesioned NA inputs to the vlBNST by injecting saporin toxin conjugated to an antibody against dopamine-beta hydroxylase (DSAP) into the vlBNST (Experiment 2). When avoidance behavior was later assessed, rats with vagal CSAP lesions or NA DSAP lesions displayed significantly increased conditioned passive avoidance. These new findings support the view that gut vagal afferents and the cNTSNA-to-vlBNST circuit play a role in modulating the expression/retrieval of learned passive avoidance. Overall, our data suggest a dynamic modulatory role of vagal sensory feedback to the limbic forebrain in integrating interoceptive signals with contextual cues that elicit conditioned avoidance behavior.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Caitlyn M Edwards
- Department of Psychology, Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, USA
| | - Inge Estefania Guerrero
- Department of Psychology, Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, USA
| | - Danielle Thompson
- Department of Psychology, Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, USA
| | - Tyla Dolezel
- Department of Psychology, Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, USA
| | - Linda Rinaman
- Department of Psychology, Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Guerriero G, Liljedahl SI, Carlsen HK, López Muñoz M, Daros AR, Ruocco AC, Steingrimsson S. Transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation to acutely reduce emotional vulnerability and improve emotional regulation in borderline personality disorder (tVNS-BPD): study protocol for a randomized, single-blind, sham-controlled trial. Trials 2024; 25:397. [PMID: 38898522 PMCID: PMC11186228 DOI: 10.1186/s13063-024-08230-6] [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: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 06/04/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is considered a disorder of emotion regulation resulting from the expression of a biologically determined emotional vulnerability (that is, heightened sensitivity to emotion, increased emotional intensity/reactivity, and a slow return to emotional baseline) combined with exposure to invalidating environments. Vagal tone has been associated with activity in cortical regions involved in emotion regulation and a lower resting state of vagal tone has been observed in BPD patients relative to healthy controls. Non-invasive transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) has been shown to reduce temper outbursts in adults with Prader-Willi Syndrome, to enhance recognition of emotions in healthy students, and to improve depressive and anxiety symptoms. Furthermore, a single session of taVNS has been shown to acutely alter the recognition of facial expressions of negative valence in adolescents with MDD and increase emotion recognition in controls. However, the effect of taVNS on emotional vulnerability and regulation in individuals diagnosed with BPD has not been investigated. Our aims are to determine if taVNS is effective in acutely reducing emotional vulnerability and improve emotional regulation in BPD patients. METHODS Forty-two patients will be randomized to a single session of taVNS or sham-taVNS while going through an affect induction procedure. It will consist of the presentation of one neutral and three negative affect-evoking 4-min-long videos in sequence, each of which is followed by a 4-min post-induction period during which participants will rate the quality and intensity of their current self-reported emotions (post-induction ratings) and the perceived effectiveness in managing their emotions during the video presentation. The rating of the current self-reported emotions will be repeated after every post-induction period (recovery ratings). Mixed models with individuals as random effect will be used to investigate the ratings at each stage of the study, taking into account the repeated measures of the same individuals at baseline, pre-induction, post-induction, and recovery. DISCUSSION The study has potential to yield new insights into the role of vagal tone in emotion dysregulation in BPD and offer preliminary data on the effectiveness of taVNS as a possible non-invasive brain stimulation to treat a core symptom of BPD. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05892900. Retrospectively registered on Jun 07, 2023.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppe Guerriero
- Section of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, Gothenburg University, Gothenburg, Sweden.
| | - Sophie I Liljedahl
- Section of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, Gothenburg University, Gothenburg, Sweden
- National Specialized Medical Care Unit for Severe Self-Harm Behavior, Department of Psychiatry for Affective Disorders, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Region Västra Götaland, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Hanne K Carlsen
- Section of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, Gothenburg University, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Centre of Registers, Region Västra Götaland, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Marta López Muñoz
- Department of Psychiatry for Affective Disorders, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Region Västra Götaland, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | | | - Anthony C Ruocco
- Department of Psychological Clinical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Steinn Steingrimsson
- Section of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, Gothenburg University, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Psychiatry for Affective Disorders, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Region Västra Götaland, Gothenburg, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Yuksel C, Watford L, Muranaka M, McCoy E, Lax H, Mendelsohn AK, Oliver KI, Daffre C, Acosta A, Vidrin A, Martinez U, Lasko N, Orr S, Pace-Schott EF. REM disruption and REM Vagal Activity Predict Extinction Recall in Trauma-Exposed Individuals. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.09.28.560007. [PMID: 37808660 PMCID: PMC10557699 DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.28.560007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/10/2023]
Abstract
Accumulating evidence suggests that rapid eye movement sleep (REM) supports the consolidation of extinction memory. REM is disrupted in PTSD, and REM abnormalities after traumatic events increase the risk of developing PTSD. Therefore, it was hypothesized that abnormal REM in trauma-exposed individuals may pave the way for PTSD by interfering with the processing of extinction memory. In addition, PTSD patients display reduced vagal activity. Vagal activity contributes to the strengthening of memories, including fear extinction memory, and recent studies show that the role of vagus in memory processing extends to memory consolidation during sleep. Therefore, it is plausible that reduced vagal activity during sleep in trauma-exposed individuals may be an additional mechanism that impairs extinction memory consolidation. However, to date, the contribution of sleep vagal activity to the consolidation of extinction memory or any emotional memory has not been investigated. To test these hypotheses, we examined the association of extinction memory with REM characteristics and REM vagal activity (indexed as heart rate variability) in a large sample of trauma-exposed individuals (n=113). Consistent with our hypotheses, REM disruption was associated with poorer physiological and explicit extinction memory. Furthermore, higher vagal activity during REM was associated with better explicit extinction memory, and physiological extinction memory in males. These findings support the notion that abnormal REM may contribute to PTSD by impairing the consolidation of extinction memory and indicate the potential utility of interventions that target REM sleep characteristics and REM vagal activity in fear-related disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cagri Yuksel
- McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | | | | | | | - Hannah Lax
- McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA
| | - Augustus Kram Mendelsohn
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Charlestown, MA
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA
| | - Katelyn I. Oliver
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Charlestown, MA
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA
| | - Carolina Daffre
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Charlestown, MA
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA
| | - Alexis Acosta
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Charlestown, MA
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA
| | - Abegail Vidrin
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Charlestown, MA
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA
| | - Uriel Martinez
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Charlestown, MA
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA
| | - Natasha Lasko
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA
| | - Scott Orr
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA
| | - Edward F. Pace-Schott
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Charlestown, MA
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Edwards CM, Guerrero IE, Thompson D, Dolezel T, Rinaman L. An ascending vagal sensory-central noradrenergic pathway modulates retrieval of passive avoidance memory. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.09.588717. [PMID: 38645069 PMCID: PMC11030408 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.09.588717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/23/2024]
Abstract
Background Visceral feedback from the body is often subconscious, but plays an important role in guiding motivated behaviors. Vagal sensory neurons relay "gut feelings" to noradrenergic (NA) neurons in the caudal nucleus of the solitary tract (cNTS), which in turn project to the anterior ventrolateral bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (vlBNST) and other hypothalamic-limbic forebrain regions. Prior work supports a role for these circuits in modulating memory consolidation and extinction, but a potential role in retrieval of conditioned avoidance remains untested. Results To examine this, adult male rats underwent passive avoidance conditioning. We then lesioned gut-sensing vagal afferents by injecting cholecystokinin-conjugated saporin toxin (CSAP) into the vagal nodose ganglia (Experiment 1), or lesioned NA inputs to the vlBNST by injecting saporin toxin conjugated to an antibody against dopamine-beta hydroxylase (DSAP) into the vlBNST (Experiment 2). When avoidance behavior was later assessed, rats with vagal CSAP lesions or NA DSAP lesions displayed significantly increased conditioned passive avoidance. Conclusions These new findings support the view that a gut vagal afferent-to-cNTSNA-to-vlBNST circuit plays a role in modulating the expression/retrieval of learned passive avoidance. Overall, our data suggest a dynamic modulatory role of vagal sensory feedback to the limbic forebrain in integrating interoceptive signals with contextual cues that elicit conditioned avoidance behavior.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Caitlyn M Edwards
- Department of Psychology, Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University
| | | | - Danielle Thompson
- Department of Psychology, Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University
| | - Tyla Dolezel
- Department of Psychology, Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University
| | - Linda Rinaman
- Department of Psychology, Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Décarie-Spain L, Hayes AMR, Lauer LT, Kanoski SE. The gut-brain axis and cognitive control: A role for the vagus nerve. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2024; 156:201-209. [PMID: 36803834 PMCID: PMC10427741 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2023.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2023]
Abstract
Survival requires the integration of external information and interoceptive cues to effectively guide advantageous behaviors, particularly foraging and other behaviors that promote energy acquisition and consumption. The vagus nerve acts as a critical relay between the abdominal viscera and the brain to convey metabolic signals. This review synthesizes recent findings from rodent models and humans revealing the impact of vagus nerve signaling from the gut on the control of higher-order neurocognitive domains, including anxiety, depression, reward motivation, and learning and memory. We propose a framework where meal consumption engages gastrointestinal tract-originating vagal afferent signaling that functions to alleviate anxiety and depressive-like states, while also promoting motivational and memory functions. These concurrent processes serve to favor the encoding of meal-relevant information into memory storage, thus facilitating future foraging behaviors. Modulation of these neurocognitive domains by vagal tone is also discussed in the context of pathological conditions, including the use of transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation for the treatment of anxiety disorders, major depressive disorder, and dementia-associated memory impairments. Collectively, these findings highlight the contributions of gastrointestinal vagus nerve signaling to the regulation of neurocognitive processes that shape various adaptive behavioral responses.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Léa Décarie-Spain
- Human and Evolutionary Biology Section, Department of Biological Sciences, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, University of Southern California, 3616 Trousdale Pkwy, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Anna M R Hayes
- Human and Evolutionary Biology Section, Department of Biological Sciences, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, University of Southern California, 3616 Trousdale Pkwy, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Logan Tierno Lauer
- Human and Evolutionary Biology Section, Department of Biological Sciences, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, University of Southern California, 3616 Trousdale Pkwy, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Scott E Kanoski
- Human and Evolutionary Biology Section, Department of Biological Sciences, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, University of Southern California, 3616 Trousdale Pkwy, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA; Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Southern California, 3641Watt Way, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Okonogi T, Kuga N, Yamakawa M, Kayama T, Ikegaya Y, Sasaki T. Stress-induced vagal activity influences anxiety-relevant prefrontal and amygdala neuronal oscillations in male mice. Nat Commun 2024; 15:183. [PMID: 38195621 PMCID: PMC10776769 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-44205-y] [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: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024] Open
Abstract
The vagus nerve crucially affects emotions and psychiatric disorders. However, the detailed neurophysiological dynamics of the vagus nerve in response to emotions and its associated pathological changes remain unclear. In this study, we demonstrated that the spike rates of the cervical vagus nerve change depending on anxiety behavior in an elevated plus maze test, and these changes were eradicated in stress-susceptible male mice. Furthermore, instantaneous spike rates of the vagus nerve were negatively and positively correlated with the power of 2-4 Hz and 20-30 Hz oscillations, respectively, in the prefrontal cortex and amygdala. The oscillations also underwent dynamic changes depending on the behavioral state in the elevated plus maze, and these changes were no longer observed in stress-susceptible and vagotomized mice. Chronic vagus nerve stimulation restored behavior-relevant neuronal oscillations with the recovery of altered behavioral states in stress-susceptible mice. These results suggested that physiological vagal-brain communication underlies anxiety and mood disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Toya Okonogi
- Laboratory of Chemical Pharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
| | - Nahoko Kuga
- Department of Pharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tohoku University, 6-3 Aramaki-Aoba, Aoba-Ku, Sendai, 980-8578, Japan
| | - Musashi Yamakawa
- Department of Pharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tohoku University, 6-3 Aramaki-Aoba, Aoba-Ku, Sendai, 980-8578, Japan
| | - Tasuku Kayama
- Department of Pharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tohoku University, 6-3 Aramaki-Aoba, Aoba-Ku, Sendai, 980-8578, Japan
| | - Yuji Ikegaya
- Laboratory of Chemical Pharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
- Institute for AI and Beyond, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
- Center for Information and Neural Networks, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, Suita City, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Takuya Sasaki
- Laboratory of Chemical Pharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan.
- Department of Pharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tohoku University, 6-3 Aramaki-Aoba, Aoba-Ku, Sendai, 980-8578, Japan.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Choudhary T, Elliott M, Euliano NR, Gurel NZ, Rivas AG, Wittbrodt MT, Vaccarino V, Shah AJ, Inan OT, Bremner JD. Effect of transcutaneous cervical vagus nerve stimulation on declarative and working memory in patients with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): A pilot study. J Affect Disord 2023; 339:418-425. [PMID: 37442455 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2023.07.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2023] [Revised: 06/10/2023] [Accepted: 07/08/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with changes in multiple neurophysiological systems, including verbal declarative memory deficits. Vagus Nerve Stimulation (VNS) has been shown in preliminary studies to enhance function when paired with cognitive and motor tasks. The purpose of this study was to analyze the effect of transcutaneous cervical VNS (tcVNS) on attention, declarative and working memory in PTSD patients. METHODS Fifteen PTSD patients were randomly assigned to active tcVNS (N = 8) or sham (N = 7) stimulation in a double-blinded fashion. Memory assessment tests including paragraph recall and N-back tests were performed to assess declarative and working memory function when paired with active/sham tcVNS once per month in a longitudinal study during which patients self-administered tcVNS/sham twice daily. RESULTS Active tcVNS stimulation resulted in a significant improvement in paragraph recall performance following pairing with paragraph encoding for PTSD patients at two months (p < 0.05). It resulted in a 91 % increase in paragraph recall performance within group (p = 0.03), while sham tcVNS exhibited no such trend in performance improvement. In the N-back study, positive deviations in accuracy, precision and recall measures on different day visits (7,34,64,94) of patients with respect to day 1 revealed a pattern of better performance of the active tcVNS population compared to sham VNS which did not reach statistical significance. LIMITATIONS Our sample size was small. CONCLUSIONS These preliminary results suggest that tcVNS improves attention, declarative and working memory, which may improve quality of life and productivity for patients with PTSD. Future studies are required to confirm these results.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tilendra Choudhary
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA; Department of Biomedical Informatics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta VA Medical Center, Decatur, GA, USA.
| | | | | | - Nil Z Gurel
- Reality Labs, Meta Platforms Inc., Menlo Park, CA, USA
| | - Amanda G Rivas
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Matthew T Wittbrodt
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Viola Vaccarino
- Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA; Department of Medicine, Cardiology Division, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Amit J Shah
- Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA; Department of Medicine, Cardiology Division, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta VA Medical Center, Decatur, GA, USA
| | - Omer T Inan
- School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA; Coulter Department of Bioengineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - J Douglas Bremner
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta VA Medical Center, Decatur, GA, USA; Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Bremner JD, Gazi AH, Lambert TP, Nawar A, Harrison AB, Welsh JW, Vaccarino V, Walton KM, Jaquemet N, Mermin-Bunnell K, Mesfin H, Gray TA, Ross K, Saks G, Tomic N, Affadzi D, Bikson M, Shah AJ, Dunn KE, Giordano NA, Inan OT. Noninvasive Vagal Nerve Stimulation for Opioid Use Disorder. ANNALS OF DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY 2023; 10:1117. [PMID: 38074313 PMCID: PMC10699253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2024]
Abstract
Background Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) is an escalating public health problem with over 100,000 drug overdose-related deaths last year most of them related to opioid overdose, yet treatment options remain limited. Non-invasive Vagal Nerve Stimulation (nVNS) can be delivered via the ear or the neck and is a non-medication alternative to treatment of opioid withdrawal and OUD with potentially widespread applications. Methods This paper reviews the neurobiology of opioid withdrawal and OUD and the emerging literature of nVNS for the application of OUD. Literature databases for Pubmed, Psychinfo, and Medline were queried for these topics for 1982-present. Results Opioid withdrawal in the context of OUD is associated with activation of peripheral sympathetic and inflammatory systems as well as alterations in central brain regions including anterior cingulate, basal ganglia, and amygdala. NVNS has the potential to reduce sympathetic and inflammatory activation and counter the effects of opioid withdrawal in initial pilot studies. Preliminary studies show that it is potentially effective at acting through sympathetic pathways to reduce the effects of opioid withdrawal, in addition to reducing pain and distress. Conclusions NVNS shows promise as a non-medication approach to OUD, both in terms of its known effect on neurobiology as well as pilot data showing a reduction in withdrawal symptoms as well as physiological manifestations of opioid withdrawal.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- J Douglas Bremner
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta GA
- Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta GA
- Atlanta Veterans Affairs Healthcare System, Decatur GA
| | - Asim H Gazi
- School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA
| | - Tamara P Lambert
- Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA
| | - Afra Nawar
- School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA
| | - Anna B Harrison
- School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA
| | - Justine W Welsh
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta GA
| | - Viola Vaccarino
- Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA
- Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta GA
| | - Kevin M Walton
- Clinical Research Grants Branch, Division of Therapeutics and Medical Consequences, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Bethesda, MD
| | - Nora Jaquemet
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta GA
| | - Kellen Mermin-Bunnell
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta GA
| | - Hewitt Mesfin
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta GA
| | - Trinity A Gray
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta GA
| | - Keyatta Ross
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta GA
| | - Georgia Saks
- Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA
| | - Nikolina Tomic
- School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA
| | - Danner Affadzi
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta GA
| | - Marom Bikson
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The City College of New York, New York, NY
| | - Amit J Shah
- Atlanta Veterans Affairs Healthcare System, Decatur GA
- Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA
- Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta GA
| | - Kelly E Dunn
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore MD
| | | | - Omer T Inan
- School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA
- Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
McKeown A. Cerebral Organoid Research Ethics and Pinning the Tail on the Donkey. Camb Q Healthc Ethics 2023:1-13. [PMID: 37161597 DOI: 10.1017/s0963180123000221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
The risk of creating cerebral organoids/assembloids conscious enough to suffer is a recurrent concern in organoid research ethics. On one hand, we should, apparently, avoid discovering how to distinguish between organoids that it would be permissible (non-conscious) and impermissible (conscious) to use in research, since if successful we would create organoids that suffer. On the other, if we do not, the risk persists that research might inadvertently continue to cause organoids to suffer. Moreover, since modeling some brain disorders may require inducing stress in organoids, it is unclear how to eliminate the risk, if we want to develop effective therapies. We are committed to harm avoidance but hamstrung by a presumption that we should avoid research that might tell us clearly when suffering occurs. How can we negotiate this challenge and maximize the therapeutic benefits of cerebral organoid research? The author interrogates the challenge, suggesting a tentative way forward.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alex McKeown
- Department of Psychiatry, Wellcome Centre for Ethics and Humanities, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, UK
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Bocian R, Broncel A, Konopacki J. Noradrenergic α1, α2, and β1receptors mediate VNS-induced theta oscillations. Brain Res 2023; 1804:148266. [PMID: 36717012 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2023.148266] [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: 11/27/2022] [Revised: 01/24/2023] [Accepted: 01/25/2023] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Although vagal nerve stimulation (VNS) has been employed with success for almost four decades in many central nervous system disturbances, the physiological and pharmacological processes underlying this therapy are still unclear. Searching for central mechanisms of VNS is clinically limited. Hence, in many experiments, VNS technique is tested on the model of laboratory animals. In the present study we proceed with the experiments to verify some central effects of VNS. Specifically, we focussed on the hippocampal formation (HPC) noradrenergic profile which underlines the VNS-induced theta oscillations in anesthetized rats (Broncel et al., 2017; 2021). The effects of noradrenaline (NE) and selective noradrenergic α and β agonists and antagonists were tested in experiments organized in three stages. Initially, a nonspecific noradrenergic agonist, noradrenaline, was administrated. In the second stage, noradrenergic α and β agonists were applied. In the last stage, the administration of selected agonists was pretreated by specific antagonists. The results of the present study provide evidence that the selective activation of HPC α1, α2, and β1 noradrenergic receptors produce the inhibition of VNS-induced theta oscillations. Hippocampal β2 and β3 receptors were found not to be involved in the modulation of oscillations produced by the vagal nerve stimulation. The obtained outcomes are discussed in light of the effects of increased exogenous NE and induced release of endogenous NE.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- R Bocian
- Department of Neurobiology, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, The University of Lodz, Pomorska St. No 141/143, 90-236 Lodz, Poland.
| | - A Broncel
- Neuromedical Ltd., Research Department, Natolin 15, 92-701 Lodz, Poland.
| | - J Konopacki
- Department of Neurobiology, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, The University of Lodz, Pomorska St. No 141/143, 90-236 Lodz, Poland.
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Correia P, Demeter K, Varga J, Urbán E, Török B, Balázsfi D, Bakos N, Haller J, Zelena D. The effectiveness of extinction training in male rats: Temporal considerations and brain mechanisms. Behav Brain Res 2023; 441:114285. [PMID: 36610549 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2023.114285] [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: 09/21/2022] [Revised: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
The extinction of conditioned fear is frequently used in laboratories as a model for human exposure therapy and is crucial for studies of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, the efficacy of specific protocols can vary greatly, and the underlying brain mechanisms are not sufficiently clarified. To address this issue, variable starting time (one or twenty-eight days after fear conditioning) and extinction protocols were used, and the efficacy and durability of fear extinction were also studied. Changes in the behavior, stress hormone levels and neuronal activation patterns of stressed rats were analyzed. Conditioned fear was rapidly and efficiently extinguished by all the protocols investigated. However, when these extinction protocols were initiated one day after fear training, conditioned fear relapsed spontaneously four weeks later. In contrast, when extinction trials were started 28 days after conditioning, no relapse occurred. Hormone measurements taken by the end of extinction trials indicated that adrenocorticotropin, but not corticosterone responses reflected behavioral extinction without any sign of relapse. The last extinction training increased the activation of the medial prefrontal cortex and decreased the activation of the central and medial amygdala when extinction began one day after fear conditioning. By contrast, the activation of the basolateral amygdala and the entire hippocampus decreased by the last training session when extinction started 28 days after fear conditioning. Our findings show that extinction training can extinguish remote fear memories more effectively than recent ones, and that the brain mechanisms underlying remote and recent fear memory extinction differ. Laboratory models should also focus on a later time point to increase their translational value.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pedro Correia
- Department of Behavioral Neurobiology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Budapest, Hungary; Janos Szentagothai School of Neurosciences, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary; Institute of Physiology, Medical School, University of Pécs, Centre for Neuroscience, Szentágothai Research Centre, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Kornél Demeter
- Department of Behavioral Neurobiology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Budapest, Hungary; Behavioral Studies Unit, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
| | - János Varga
- Department of Behavioral Neurobiology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Eszter Urbán
- Department of Behavioral Neurobiology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Bibiána Török
- Department of Behavioral Neurobiology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Budapest, Hungary; Janos Szentagothai School of Neurosciences, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary; Institute of Physiology, Medical School, University of Pécs, Centre for Neuroscience, Szentágothai Research Centre, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Diána Balázsfi
- Department of Behavioral Neurobiology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Nikoletta Bakos
- Department of Behavioral Neurobiology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
| | - József Haller
- Department of Behavioral Neurobiology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Dóra Zelena
- Department of Behavioral Neurobiology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Budapest, Hungary; Institute of Physiology, Medical School, University of Pécs, Centre for Neuroscience, Szentágothai Research Centre, Pécs, Hungary.
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Becker CR, Milad MR. Contemporary Approaches Toward Neuromodulation of Fear Extinction and Its Underlying Neural Circuits. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2023; 64:353-387. [PMID: 37658219 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2023_442] [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: 09/03/2023]
Abstract
Neuroscience and neuroimaging research have now identified brain nodes that are involved in the acquisition, storage, and expression of conditioned fear and its extinction. These brain regions include the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC), dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC), amygdala, insular cortex, and hippocampus. Psychiatric neuroimaging research shows that functional dysregulation of these brain regions might contribute to the etiology and symptomatology of various psychopathologies, including anxiety disorders and post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (Barad et al. Biol Psychiatry 60:322-328, 2006; Greco and Liberzon Neuropsychopharmacology 41:320-334, 2015; Milad et al. Biol Psychiatry 62:1191-1194, 2007a, Biol Psychiatry 62:446-454, b; Maren and Quirk Nat Rev Neurosci 5:844-852, 2004; Milad and Quirk Annu Rev Psychol 63:129, 2012; Phelps et al. Neuron 43:897-905, 2004; Shin and Liberzon Neuropsychopharmacology 35:169-191, 2009). Combined, these findings indicate that targeting the activation of these nodes and modulating their functional interactions might offer an opportunity to further our understanding of how fear and threat responses are formed and regulated in the human brain, which could lead to enhancing the efficacy of current treatments or creating novel treatments for PTSD and other psychiatric disorders (Marin et al. Depress Anxiety 31:269-278, 2014; Milad et al. Behav Res Ther 62:17-23, 2014). Device-based neuromodulation techniques provide a promising means for directly changing or regulating activity in the fear extinction network by targeting functionally connected brain regions via stimulation patterns (Raij et al. Biol Psychiatry 84:129-137, 2018; Marković et al. Front Hum Neurosci 15:138, 2021). In the past ten years, notable advancements in the precision, safety, comfort, accessibility, and control of administration have been made to the established device-based neuromodulation techniques to improve their efficacy. In this chapter we discuss ten years of progress surrounding device-based neuromodulation techniques-Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT), Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS), Magnetic Seizure Therapy (MST), Transcranial Focused Ultrasound (TUS), Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS), Vagus Nerve Stimulation (VNS), and Transcranial Electrical Stimulation (tES)-as research and clinical tools for enhancing fear extinction and treating PTSD symptoms. Additionally, we consider the emerging research, current limitations, and possible future directions for these techniques.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Claudia R Becker
- Department of Psychiatry, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Mohammed R Milad
- Department of Psychiatry, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Souza RR, Powers MB, Rennaker RL, McIntyre CK, Hays SA, Kilgard MP. Timing of vagus nerve stimulation during fear extinction determines efficacy in a rat model of PTSD. Sci Rep 2022; 12:16526. [PMID: 36192564 PMCID: PMC9530175 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-20301-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Studies have indicated that vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) enhances extinction learning in rodent models. Here, we investigated if pairing VNS with the conditioned stimulus is required for the enhancing effects of VNS. Adult Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to intense stress followed by fear conditioning training to produce resistant fear. Rats were then implanted with a cuff electrode around the left vagus. After recovery, rats underwent extinction training paired with VNS (0.5 s, 0.8 mA, 100 µs, and 30 Hz) or with Sham VNS (0 mA). VNS rats were randomized into the following subgroups: During VNS (delivered during presentations of the conditioned stimulus, CS), Between VNS (delivered between CS presentations), Continuous VNS (delivered during the entire extinction session), and Dispersed VNS (delivered at longer inter-stimulation intervals across the extinction session). Sham VNS rats failed to extinguish the conditioned fear response over 5 days of repeated exposure to the CS. Rats that received Between or Dispersed VNS showed modest improvement in conditioned fear at the retention test. During and Continuous VNS groups displayed the greatest reduction in conditioned fear. These findings indicate that delivering VNS paired precisely with CS presentations or continuously throughout extinction promotes the maximum enhancement in extinction learning.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rimenez R Souza
- Texas Biomedical Device Center, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, 75080, USA.
- School of Behavioral Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, Bioengineering and Sciences Building, 14.506, 800 West Campbell Road, Richardson, TX, 75080, USA.
| | - Mark B Powers
- Baylor University Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 75246, USA
| | - Robert L Rennaker
- Texas Biomedical Device Center, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, 75080, USA
- School of Behavioral Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, Bioengineering and Sciences Building, 14.506, 800 West Campbell Road, Richardson, TX, 75080, USA
- Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, 75080, USA
| | - Christa K McIntyre
- Texas Biomedical Device Center, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, 75080, USA
- School of Behavioral Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, Bioengineering and Sciences Building, 14.506, 800 West Campbell Road, Richardson, TX, 75080, USA
| | - Seth A Hays
- Texas Biomedical Device Center, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, 75080, USA
- Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, 75080, USA
| | - Michael P Kilgard
- Texas Biomedical Device Center, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, 75080, USA
- School of Behavioral Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, Bioengineering and Sciences Building, 14.506, 800 West Campbell Road, Richardson, TX, 75080, USA
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Seligowski AV, Webber TK, Marvar PJ, Ressler KJ, Philip NS. Involvement of the brain-heart axis in the link between PTSD and cardiovascular disease. Depress Anxiety 2022; 39:663-674. [PMID: 35708302 PMCID: PMC9588548 DOI: 10.1002/da.23271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2021] [Revised: 04/22/2022] [Accepted: 05/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has long been associated with a heightened risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). A number of mechanisms have been implicated to underlie this brain-heart axis relationship, such as altered functioning of the autonomic nervous system and increased systemic inflammation. While neural alterations have repeatedly been observed in PTSD, they are rarely considered in the PTSD-CVD link. The brain-heart axis is a pathway connecting frontal and limbic brain regions to the brainstem and periphery via the autonomic nervous system and it may be a promising model for understanding CVD risk in PTSD given its overlap with PTSD neural deficits. We first provide a summary of the primary mechanisms implicated in the association between PTSD and CVD. We then review the brain-heart axis and its relevance to PTSD, as well as findings from PTSD trials demonstrating that a number of PTSD treatments have effects on areas of the brain-heart axis. Finally, we discuss sex considerations in the PTSD-CVD link. A critical next step in this study is to determine if PTSD treatments that affect the brain-heart axis (e.g., brain stimulation that improves autonomic function) also reduce the risk of CVD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Antonia V. Seligowski
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA
| | | | | | - Kerry J. Ressler
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA
| | - Noah S. Philip
- VA RR&D Center for Neurorestoration and Neurotechnology, Providence VA Medical Center, Providence, RI, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Alpert Medical School, of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Role of noradrenergic arousal for fear extinction processes in rodents and humans. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2022; 194:107660. [PMID: 35870717 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2022.107660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2022] [Revised: 06/29/2022] [Accepted: 07/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Fear extinction is a learning mechanism that is pivotal for the inhibition of fear responses towards cues or contexts that no longer predict the occurrence of a threat. Failure of fear extinction leads to fear expression under safe conditions and is regarded to be a cardinal characteristic of many anxiety-related disorders and posttraumatic stress disorder. Importantly, the neurotransmitter noradrenaline was shown to be a potent modulator of fear extinction. Rodent studies demonstrated that excessive noradrenaline transmission after acute stress opens a time window of vulnerability, in which fear extinction learning results in attenuated long-term extinction success. In contrast, when excessive noradrenergic transmission subsides, well-coordinated noradrenaline transmission is necessary for the formation of a long-lasting extinction memory. In addition, emerging evidence suggests that the neuropeptide corticotropin releasing hormone (CRF), which strongly regulates noradrenaline transmission under conditions of acute stress, also impedes long-term extinction success. Recent rodent work - using sophisticated methods - provides evidence for a hypothetical mechanistic framework of how noradrenaline and CRF dynamically orchestrate the neural fear and extinction circuitry to attenuate or to improve fear extinction and extinction recall. Accordingly, we review the evidence from rodent studies linking noradrenaline and CRF to fear extinction learning and recall and derive the hypothetical mechanistic framework of how different levels of noradrenaline and CRF may create a time window of vulnerability which impedes successful long-term fear extinction. We also address evidence from human studies linking noradrenaline and fear extinction success. Moreover, we accumulate emerging approaches to non-invasively measure and manipulate the noradrenergic system in healthy humans. Finally, we emphasize the importance of future studies to account for sex (hormone) differences when examining the interaction between fear extinction, noradrenaline, and CRF. To conclude, NA's effects on fear extinction recall strongly depend on the arousal levels at the onset of fear extinction learning. Our review aimed at compiling the available (mainly rodent) data in a neurobiological framework, suited to derive testable hypotheses for future work in humans.
Collapse
|
16
|
Khan NH, Hassan S, Bahader S, Fatima S, Zaidi SMIH, Virk R, Jiang K, Jiang E. How Daily Obstacles Affect Frontline Healthcare Professionals' Mental Health during Omicron: A Daily Diary Study of Handwashing Behavior. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:8748. [PMID: 35886597 PMCID: PMC9320559 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19148748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2022] [Revised: 07/06/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Based on coping theory, the current research examines how and why COVID-19 phobia affects frontline healthcare professionals' mental health, as well as their burnout and work-related stress. We focused on the mediating role of burnout and work-related stress in this study. In the current study, we also examined the moderating influence of healthcare professionals' handwashing behavior using the Hayes Process model. We employed a daily diary approach to collect data from respondents in Pakistan's frontline healthcare professionals (n = 79, 79 × 10 = 790) who were directly treating COVID-19 patients during the omicron wave. According to the findings of the study, COVID-19 phobia significantly disturbs healthcare professionals' mental health, as well as significantly strengthens burnout and work-related stress. The findings also demonstrated that burnout significantly negatively influences mental health. The mediation influence of burnout and work-related stress in the association between COVID-19 phobia and mental health has shown to be significant. The moderation analysis revealed that high handwashing behavior significantly buffers the negative impact of COVID-19 phobia, as well as the adverse effect of burnout on healthcare professionals' mental health. Moreover, our findings have theoretical and managerial implications, as well as new research directions for scholars to understand the adverse impact of daily obstacles on professionals' (nurses and doctors, etc.) mental health and work performance, as well as issues based on resource conversation philosophy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Sajid Hassan
- Department of Psychology, International Islamic University, Islamabad 44000, Pakistan; (S.H.); (S.B.)
| | - Sher Bahader
- Department of Psychology, International Islamic University, Islamabad 44000, Pakistan; (S.H.); (S.B.)
| | - Sidra Fatima
- University Gillani Law College, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan 60000, Pakistan;
| | | | - Razia Virk
- Department of Bio-Sciences, University Wah, Rawalpindi 47040, Pakistan;
| | - Kexin Jiang
- Institute of Nursing and Health, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, China;
| | - Enshe Jiang
- Institute of Nursing and Health, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, China;
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia Change during Trauma-Focused Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy: Results from a Randomized Controlled Feasibility Trial. Res Child Adolesc Psychopathol 2022; 50:1487-1499. [PMID: 35689729 PMCID: PMC9187846 DOI: 10.1007/s10802-022-00946-w] [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] [Accepted: 06/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Trauma-Focused Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) is a well-established treatment for pediatric posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Animal-assisted therapy (AAT) has been proposed as an adjunct to TF-CBT that may improve treatment effects through enhanced targeting of affect regulation, as indexed by specific changes in the respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA). The current study reports results from a randomized controlled feasibility trial (N = 33; Mage = 11.79 [SD = 3.08]; 64% White; 67% female) that measured RSA during Sessions 1, 4, 8, and 12 of a twelve-session TF-CBT protocol and tested whether: 1) TF-CBT + AAT achieved higher average RSA amplitudes relative to TF-CBT alone, and 2) RSA regulation, defined as less variability around person-specific RSA slopes during treatment, explained variation in post-treatment PTSD symptoms. Multilevel modeling failed to support an effect for TF-CBT + AAT on RSA amplitudes (δ001 = 0.08, p = 0.844). However, regardless of treatment condition, greater RSA withdrawal was observed within Sessions 4 (γ11 = -.01, p < .001) and 12 (γ13 = -.01, p = .015) relative to the Session 1 baseline. The average level of RSA amplitude in Session 8 was also significantly lower compared to Session 1 (γ02 = -0.70, p = .046). Intraindividual regression models demonstrated that greater RSA regulation predicted improved PTSD symptoms at post-treatment after adjusting for pre-treatment levels (b3 = 20.00, p = .012). These preliminary results offer support for future confirmatory trials testing whether affect regulation, as indexed by changes in RSA, is a mechanism of action for TF-CBT in the treatment of pediatric PTSD.
Collapse
|
18
|
Neuroinflammation in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Biomedicines 2022; 10:biomedicines10050953. [PMID: 35625690 PMCID: PMC9138406 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10050953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Revised: 04/15/2022] [Accepted: 04/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a well-known mental illness, which is caused by various stressors, including memories of past physical assaults and psychological pressure. It is diagnosed as a mental and behavioral disorder, but increasing evidence is linking it to the immune system and inflammatory response. Studies on the relationship between inflammation and PTSD revealed that patients with PTSD had increased levels of inflammatory cytokine biomarkers, such as interleukin-1, interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor-α, nuclear factor-κB, and C-reactive protein, compared with healthy controls. In addition, animal model experiments imitating PTSD patients suggested the role of inflammation in the pathogenesis and pathophysiology of PTSD. In this review, we summarize the definition of PTSD and its association with increased inflammation, its mechanisms, and future predictable diseases and treatment possibilities. We also discuss anti-inflammatory treatments to address inflammation in PTSD.
Collapse
|
19
|
Schwartz RM, Shaam P, Williams MS, McCann-Pineo M, Ryniker L, Debnath S, Zanos TP. Understanding Mental Health Needs and Gathering Feedback on Transcutaneous Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation as a Potential PTSD Treatment among 9/11 Responders Living with PTSD Symptoms 20 Years Later: A Qualitative Approach. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:4847. [PMID: 35457714 PMCID: PMC9029393 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19084847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2022] [Revised: 04/05/2022] [Accepted: 04/14/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) remains one of the most prevalent diagnoses of World Trade Center (WTC) 9/11 responders. Transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) is a potential treatment for PTSD, as it can downregulate activity in the brain, which is known to be related to stress responses and hyperarousal. To understand barriers and facilitators to engagement in mental health care and the feasibility and acceptability of using the taVNS device as a treatment for PTSD symptoms, a focus group was conducted among patients from the Queens WTC Health Program who had elevated symptoms of PTSD. The focus group discussion was recorded, transcribed, and analyzed. Three themes and subthemes emerged: (1) the continued prevalence of mental health difficulties and systematic challenges to accessing care; (2) positive reception toward the taVNS device as a potential treatment option, including a discussion of how to increase usability; and (3) feedback on increasing the feasibility and acceptance of the research methodology associated with testing the device in a pilot clinical trial. The findings highlight the need for additional treatment options to reduce PTSD symptoms in this population and provide key formative phase input for the pilot clinical trial of taVNS.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca M. Schwartz
- Department of Occupational Medicine, Epidemiology and Prevention, Northwell Health, 175 Community Drive, Great Neck, NY 11021, USA; (R.M.S.); (M.M.-P.); (L.R.)
- Institute of Health System Science, Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Northwell Health, 350 Community Drive, Manhasset, NY 11030, USA; (M.S.W.); (T.P.Z.)
- Center for Traumatic Stress, Resilience and Recovery, Northwell Health, 175 Community Drive, Great Neck, NY 11021, USA
- Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, Northwell Health, 500 Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY 11549, USA
| | - Pooja Shaam
- Department of Occupational Medicine, Epidemiology and Prevention, Northwell Health, 175 Community Drive, Great Neck, NY 11021, USA; (R.M.S.); (M.M.-P.); (L.R.)
- Institute of Health System Science, Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Northwell Health, 350 Community Drive, Manhasset, NY 11030, USA; (M.S.W.); (T.P.Z.)
- Center for Traumatic Stress, Resilience and Recovery, Northwell Health, 175 Community Drive, Great Neck, NY 11021, USA
| | - Myia S. Williams
- Institute of Health System Science, Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Northwell Health, 350 Community Drive, Manhasset, NY 11030, USA; (M.S.W.); (T.P.Z.)
- Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, Northwell Health, 500 Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY 11549, USA
- Department of Medicine, Northwell Health, 600 Community Drive, Manhasset, NY 11030, USA
| | - Molly McCann-Pineo
- Department of Occupational Medicine, Epidemiology and Prevention, Northwell Health, 175 Community Drive, Great Neck, NY 11021, USA; (R.M.S.); (M.M.-P.); (L.R.)
- Institute of Health System Science, Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Northwell Health, 350 Community Drive, Manhasset, NY 11030, USA; (M.S.W.); (T.P.Z.)
- Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, Northwell Health, 500 Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY 11549, USA
| | - Laura Ryniker
- Department of Occupational Medicine, Epidemiology and Prevention, Northwell Health, 175 Community Drive, Great Neck, NY 11021, USA; (R.M.S.); (M.M.-P.); (L.R.)
- Institute of Health System Science, Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Northwell Health, 350 Community Drive, Manhasset, NY 11030, USA; (M.S.W.); (T.P.Z.)
- Center for Traumatic Stress, Resilience and Recovery, Northwell Health, 175 Community Drive, Great Neck, NY 11021, USA
| | - Shubham Debnath
- Institute of Bioelectronic Medicine, Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Northwell Health, 350 Community Drive, Manhasset, NY 11030, USA;
| | - Theodoros P. Zanos
- Institute of Health System Science, Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Northwell Health, 350 Community Drive, Manhasset, NY 11030, USA; (M.S.W.); (T.P.Z.)
- Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, Northwell Health, 500 Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY 11549, USA
- Institute of Bioelectronic Medicine, Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Northwell Health, 350 Community Drive, Manhasset, NY 11030, USA;
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Morrison RA, Abe ST, Danaphongse T, Ezhil V, Somaney A, Adcock KS, Rennaker RL, Kilgard MP, Hays SA. Common Cholinergic, Noradrenergic, and Serotonergic Drugs Do Not Block VNS-Mediated Plasticity. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:849291. [PMID: 35281514 PMCID: PMC8904722 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.849291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2022] [Accepted: 02/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) delivered during motor rehabilitation enhances recovery from a wide array of neurological injuries and was recently approved by the U.S. FDA for chronic stroke. The benefits of VNS result from precisely timed engagement of neuromodulatory networks during rehabilitative training, which promotes synaptic plasticity in networks activated by rehabilitation. Previous studies demonstrate that lesions that deplete these neuromodulatory networks block VNS-mediated plasticity and accompanying enhancement of recovery. There is a great deal of interest in determining whether commonly prescribed pharmacological interventions that influence these neuromodulatory networks would similarly impair VNS effects. Here, we sought to directly test the effects of three common pharmaceuticals at clinically relevant doses that target neuromodulatory pathways on VNS-mediated plasticity in rats. To do so, rats were trained on a behavioral task in which jaw movement during chewing was paired with VNS and received daily injections of either oxybutynin, a cholinergic antagonist, prazosin, an adrenergic antagonist, duloxetine, a serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor, or saline. After the final behavioral session, intracortical microstimulation (ICMS) was used to evaluate reorganization of motor cortex representations, with area of cortex eliciting jaw movement as the primary outcome. In animals that received control saline injections, VNS paired with training significantly increased the movement representation of the jaw compared to naïve animals, consistent with previous studies. Similarly, none of the drugs tested blocked this VNS-dependent reorganization of motor cortex. The present results provide direct evidence that these common pharmaceuticals, when used at clinically relevant doses, are unlikely to adversely impact the efficacy of VNS therapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Robert A. Morrison
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States
- Texas Biomedical Device Center, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States
- *Correspondence: Robert A. Morrison,
| | - Stephanie T. Abe
- Texas Biomedical Device Center, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States
| | - Tanya Danaphongse
- Texas Biomedical Device Center, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States
| | - Vikram Ezhil
- Texas Biomedical Device Center, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States
| | - Armaan Somaney
- Texas Biomedical Device Center, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States
| | - Katherine S. Adcock
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States
- Texas Biomedical Device Center, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States
| | - Robert L. Rennaker
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States
- Texas Biomedical Device Center, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States
| | - Michael P. Kilgard
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States
- Texas Biomedical Device Center, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States
| | - Seth A. Hays
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States
- Texas Biomedical Device Center, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States
- Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Canto-de-Souza L, Demetrovich PG, Plas S, Souza RR, Epperson J, Wahlstrom KL, Nunes-de-Souza RL, LaLumiere RT, Planeta CS, McIntyre CK. Daily Optogenetic Stimulation of the Left Infralimbic Cortex Reverses Extinction Impairments in Male Rats Exposed to Single Prolonged Stress. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 15:780326. [PMID: 34987362 PMCID: PMC8721142 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.780326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2021] [Accepted: 12/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with decreased activity in the prefrontal cortex. PTSD-like pathophysiology and behaviors have been observed in rodents exposed to a single prolonged stress (SPS) procedure. When animals are left alone for 7 days after SPS treatment, they show increased anxiety-like behavior and impaired extinction of conditioned fear, and reduced activity in the prefrontal cortex. Here, we tested the hypothesis that daily optogenetic stimulation of the infralimbic region (IL) of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) during the 7 days after SPS would reverse SPS effects on anxiety and fear extinction. Male Sprague-Dawley rats underwent SPS and then received daily optogenetic stimulation (20 Hz, 2 s trains, every 10 s for 15 min/day) of glutamatergic neurons of the left or right IL for seven days. After this incubation period, rats were tested in the elevated plus-maze (EPM). Twenty-four hours after the EPM test, rats underwent auditory fear conditioning (AFC), extinction training and a retention test. SPS increased anxiety-like behavior in the EPM task and produced a profound impairment in extinction of AFC. Optogenetic stimulation of the left IL, but not right, during the 7-day incubation period reversed the extinction impairment. Optogenetic stimulation did not reverse the increased anxiety-like behavior, suggesting that the extinction effects are not due to a treatment-induced reduction in anxiety. Results indicate that increased activity of the left IL after traumatic experiences can prevent development of extinction impairments. These findings suggest that non-invasive brain stimulation may be a useful tool for preventing maladaptive responses to trauma.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lucas Canto-de-Souza
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, São Paulo State University - UNESP, Araraquara, Brazil.,Institute of Neuroscience and Behavior, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil.,School of Behavior and Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States
| | - Peyton G Demetrovich
- School of Behavior and Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States
| | - Samantha Plas
- School of Behavior and Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States
| | - Rimenez R Souza
- School of Behavior and Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States.,Texas Biomedical Device Center, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States
| | - Joseph Epperson
- Texas Biomedical Device Center, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States
| | - Krista L Wahlstrom
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United States
| | - Ricardo Luiz Nunes-de-Souza
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, São Paulo State University - UNESP, Araraquara, Brazil.,Institute of Neuroscience and Behavior, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil.,Joint Graduate Program in Physiological Sciences, Universidade Federal de São Carlos - UFSCar/UNESP, São Carlos, Brazil
| | - Ryan T LaLumiere
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United States.,Iowa Neuroscience Institute, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United States
| | - Cleopatra Silva Planeta
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, São Paulo State University - UNESP, Araraquara, Brazil.,Joint Graduate Program in Physiological Sciences, Universidade Federal de São Carlos - UFSCar/UNESP, São Carlos, Brazil
| | - Christa K McIntyre
- School of Behavior and Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States.,Texas Biomedical Device Center, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Brougher J, Aziz U, Adari N, Chaturvedi M, Jules A, Shah I, Syed S, Thorn CA. Self-Administration of Right Vagus Nerve Stimulation Activates Midbrain Dopaminergic Nuclei. Front Neurosci 2022; 15:782786. [PMID: 34975384 PMCID: PMC8716493 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.782786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Left cervical vagus nerve stimulation (l-VNS) is an FDA-approved treatment for neurological disorders including epilepsy, major depressive disorder, and stroke, and l-VNS is increasingly under investigation for a range of other neurological indications. Traditional l-VNS is thought to induce therapeutic neuroplasticity in part through the coordinated activation of multiple broadly projecting neuromodulatory systems in the brain. Recently, it has been reported that striking lateralization exists in the anatomical and functional connectivity between the vagus nerves and the dopaminergic midbrain. These emerging findings suggest that VNS-driven activation of this important plasticity-promoting neuromodulatory system may be preferentially driven by targeting the right, rather than the left, cervical nerve. Objective: To compare the effects of right cervical VNS (r-VNS) vs. traditional l-VNS on self-administration behavior and midbrain dopaminergic activation in rats. Methods: Rats were implanted with a stimulating cuff electrode targeting either the right or left cervical vagus nerve. After surgical recovery, rats underwent a VNS self-administration assay in which lever pressing was paired with r-VNS or l-VNS delivery. Self-administration was followed by extinction, cue-only reinstatement, and stimulation reinstatement sessions. Rats were sacrificed 90 min after completion of behavioral training, and brains were removed for immunohistochemical analysis of c-Fos expression in the dopaminergic ventral tegmental area (VTA) and substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc), as well as in the noradrenergic locus coeruleus (LC). Results: Rats in the r-VNS cohort performed significantly more lever presses throughout self-administration and reinstatement sessions than did rats in the l-VNS cohort. Moreover, this appetitive behavioral responding was associated with significantly greater c-Fos expression among neuronal populations within the VTA, SNc, and LC. Differential c-Fos expression following r-VNS vs. l-VNS was particularly prominent within dopaminergic midbrain neurons. Conclusion: Our results support the existence of strong lateralization within vagal-mesencephalic signaling pathways, and suggest that VNS targeted to the right, rather than left, cervical nerve preferentially activates the midbrain dopaminergic system. These findings raise the possibility that r-VNS could provide a promising strategy for enhancing dopamine-dependent neuroplasticity, opening broad avenues for future research into the efficacy and safety of r-VNS in the treatment of neurological disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jackson Brougher
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States
| | - Umaymah Aziz
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States
| | - Nikitha Adari
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States
| | - Muskaan Chaturvedi
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States
| | - Aryela Jules
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States
| | - Iqra Shah
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States
| | - Saba Syed
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States
| | - Catherine A Thorn
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Vagus Nerve Stimulation as a Treatment for Fear and Anxiety in Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder. JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRY AND BRAIN SCIENCE 2022; 7. [PMID: 36303861 PMCID: PMC9600938 DOI: 10.20900/jpbs.20220007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Anxiety disorders affect a large percentage of individuals who have an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In children with ASD, excessive anxiety is also linked to gastrointestinal problems, self-injurious behaviors, and depressive symptoms. Exposure-based cognitive behavioral therapies are effective treatments for anxiety disorders in children with ASD, but high relapse rates indicate the need for additional treatment strategies. This perspective discusses evidence from preclinical research, which indicates that vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) paired with exposure to fear-provoking stimuli and situations could offer benefits as an adjuvant treatment for anxiety disorders that coexist with ASD. Vagus nerve stimulation is approved for use in the treatment of epilepsy, depression, and more recently as an adjuvant in rehabilitative training following stroke. In preclinical models, VNS shows promise in simultaneously enhancing consolidation of extinction memories and reducing anxiety. In this review, we will present potential mechanisms by which VNS could treat fear and anxiety in ASD. We also discuss potential uses of VNS to treat depression and epilepsy in the context of ASD, and noninvasive methods to stimulate the vagus nerve.
Collapse
|
24
|
Broncel A, Bocian R, Konopacki J. Vagal Nerve Stimulation: The Effect on the Brain Oscillatory Field Potential. Neuroscience 2021; 483:127-138. [PMID: 34952159 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2021.12.023] [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: 09/03/2021] [Revised: 12/03/2021] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
More than thirty years of medical treatment with the use of vagal nerve stimulation (VNS) has shown that this therapeutic procedure works in a number of homeostatic disturbances. Although the clinical usage of VNS has a long history, our knowledge about the central mechanisms underlying this treatment is still limited. In the present paper we review the effects of VNS on brain oscillations as a possible electrophysiological bio-marker of VNS efficacy. The review was prepared mainly on the basis of data delivered from clinical observations and the outcomes of electrophysiological experiments conducted on laboratory animals that are available in PubMed. We consciously did not focus on epileptiform activity understood as a pathologic oscillatory activity, which was widely discussed in the numerous previously published reviews. The main conclusion of the present paper is that further, well-designed experiments on laboratory animals are absolutely necessary to address the electrophysiological issues. These will fill a number of gaps in our present knowledge of the central mechanisms underlying VNS therapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Adam Broncel
- Medical Technology Centre, Natolin 15, 92-701 Lodz, Poland.
| | - Renata Bocian
- Department of Neurobiology, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, The University of Lodz, Pomorska St. No. 141/143, 90-236 Lodz, Poland.
| | - Jan Konopacki
- Department of Neurobiology, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, The University of Lodz, Pomorska St. No. 141/143, 90-236 Lodz, Poland.
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
The Role of Context Conditioning in the Reinstatement of Responding to an Alcohol-Predictive Conditioned Stimulus. Behav Brain Res 2021; 423:113686. [PMID: 34852244 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2021.113686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2021] [Revised: 11/03/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Re-exposure to an unconditioned stimulus (US) can reinstate extinguished conditioned responding elicited by a conditioned stimulus (CS). We tested the hypothesis that the reinstatement of responding to an appetitive CS is driven by an excitatory association formed between the US and the context that the US was ingested in during US re-exposure. Male, Long-Evans rats were acclimated to drinking alcohol (15%, v/v) in the home-cage, then trained to associate an auditory CS with an alcohol-US that was delivered into a fluid port for oral intake. During subsequent extinction sessions, the CS was presented as before, but without alcohol. After extinction, rats were re-exposed to alcohol as in training, but without the CS (alcohol re-exposure). 24h later at test, the CS was presented as in training, but without alcohol. First, we tested the effect of extinguishing the context-alcohol association, formed during alcohol re-exposure, on reinstatement. Conducting four context extinction sessions across four days (spaced extinction) after the alcohol re-exposure session did not impact reinstatement. However, four context extinction sessions conducted across two days (massed extinction) prevented reinstatement. Next, we conducted alcohol re-exposure in a context that either differed from, or was the same as, the test context. One alcohol re-exposure session in a different context did not affect reinstatement, however, three alcohol re-exposure sessions in a different context significantly reduced reinstatement during the first CS trial. These results partially support the view that a context-US association formed during US re-exposure drives the reinstatement of responding to an appetitive, alcohol-predictive CS.
Collapse
|
26
|
Rembado I, Song W, Su DK, Levari A, Shupe LE, Perlmutter S, Fetz E, Zanos S. Cortical Responses to Vagus Nerve Stimulation Are Modulated by Brain State in Nonhuman Primates. Cereb Cortex 2021; 31:5289-5307. [PMID: 34151377 PMCID: PMC8567998 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhab158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2020] [Revised: 05/16/2021] [Accepted: 05/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) has been tested as therapy for several brain disorders and as a means to modulate cortical excitability and brain plasticity. Cortical effects of VNS, manifesting as vagal-evoked potentials (VEPs), are thought to arise from activation of ascending cholinergic and noradrenergic systems. However, it is unknown whether those effects are modulated by brain state at the time of stimulation. In 2 freely behaving macaque monkeys, we delivered short trains of 5 pulses to the left cervical vagus nerve at different frequencies (5-300 Hz) while recording local field potentials (LFPs) from sites in contralateral prefrontal, sensorimotor and parietal cortical areas. Brain states were inferred from spectral components of LFPs and the presence of overt movement: active awake, resting awake, REM sleep and NREM sleep. VNS elicited VEPs in all sampled cortical areas. VEPs comprised early (<70 ms), intermediate (70-250 ms) and late (>250 ms) components. The magnitude of the intermediate and late components was largest during NREM sleep and smallest during wakefulness, whereas that of the early component was not modulated by brain state. VEPs during NREM were larger for stimuli delivered at the depolarized phase of ongoing delta oscillations. Higher pulsing frequencies generated larger VEPs. These short VNS trains did not affect brain state transitions during wakefulness or sleep. Our findings suggest that ongoing brain state modulates the evoked effects of VNS on cortical activity. This has implications for the role of ongoing cortical activity and brain state in shaping cortical responses to peripheral stimuli, for the modulation of vagal interoceptive signaling by cortical activity, and for the dose calibration of VNS therapies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Irene Rembado
- MindScope Program, Allen Institute, 615 Westlake Ave N., Seattle, WA 98103, USA
| | - Weiguo Song
- Institute of Bioelectronic Medicine, Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Manhasset NY 11030, USA
| | - David K Su
- Providence Regional Medical Center Cranial Joint and Spine Clinic, Everett, WA 98201, USA
| | - Ariel Levari
- Department of Physiology & Biophysics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Larry E Shupe
- Department of Physiology & Biophysics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Steve Perlmutter
- Department of Physiology & Biophysics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Eberhard Fetz
- Department of Physiology & Biophysics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Stavros Zanos
- Institute of Bioelectronic Medicine, Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Manhasset NY 11030, USA
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Morrison RA, Hays SA, Kilgard MP. Vagus Nerve Stimulation as a Potential Adjuvant to Rehabilitation for Post-stroke Motor Speech Disorders. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:715928. [PMID: 34489632 PMCID: PMC8417469 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.715928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2021] [Accepted: 07/28/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Stroke often leaves lasting impairments affecting orofacial function. While speech therapy is able to enhance function after stroke, many patients see only modest improvements after treatment. This partial restoration of function after rehabilitation suggests that there is a need for further intervention. Rehabilitative strategies that augment the effects of traditional speech therapy hold promise to yield greater efficacy and reduce disability associated with motor speech disorders. Recent studies demonstrate that brief bursts of vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) can facilitate the benefits of rehabilitative interventions. VNS paired with upper limb rehabilitation enhances recovery of upper limb function in patients with chronic stroke. Animal studies reveal that these improvements are driven by VNS-dependent synaptic plasticity in motor networks. Moreover, preclinical evidence demonstrates that a similar strategy of pairing VNS can promote synaptic reorganization in orofacial networks. Building on these findings, we postulate that VNS-directed orofacial plasticity could target post-stroke motor speech disorders. Here, we outline the rationale for pairing VNS with traditional speech therapy to enhance recovery in the context of stroke of speech motor function. We also explore similar treatments that aim to enhance synaptic plasticity during speech therapy, and how VNS differs from these existing therapeutic strategies. Based on this evidence, we posit that VNS-paired speech therapy shows promise as a means of enhancing recovery after post-stroke motor speech disorders. Continued development is necessary to comprehensively establish and optimize this approach, which has the potential to increase quality of life for the many individuals suffering with these common impairments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Robert A Morrison
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States.,Texas Biomedical Device Center, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States
| | - Seth A Hays
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States.,Texas Biomedical Device Center, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States.,Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States
| | - Michael P Kilgard
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States.,Texas Biomedical Device Center, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Altidor LKP, Bruner MM, Deslauriers JF, Garman TS, Ramirez S, Dirr EW, Olczak KP, Maurer AP, Lamb DG, Otto KJ, Burke SN, Bumanglag AV, Setlow B, Bizon JL. Acute vagus nerve stimulation enhances reversal learning in rats. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2021; 184:107498. [PMID: 34332068 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2021.107498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Revised: 07/01/2021] [Accepted: 07/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Cognitive flexibility is a prefrontal cortex-dependent neurocognitive process that enables behavioral adaptation in response to changes in environmental contingencies. Electrical vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) enhances several forms of learning and neuroplasticity, but its effects on cognitive flexibility have not been evaluated. In the current study, a within-subjects design was used to assess the effects of VNS on performance in a novel visual discrimination reversal learning task conducted in touchscreen operant chambers. The task design enabled simultaneous assessment of acute VNS both on reversal learning and on recall of a well-learned discrimination problem. Acute VNS delivered in conjunction with stimuli presentation during reversal learning reliably enhanced learning of new reward contingencies. Enhancement was not observed, however, if VNS was delivered during the session but was not coincident with presentation of to-be-learned stimuli. In addition, whereas VNS delivered at 30 HZ enhanced performance, the same enhancement was not observed using 10 or 50 Hz. Together, these data show that acute VNS facilitates reversal learning and indicate that the timing and frequency of the VNS are critical for these enhancing effects. In separate rats, administration of the norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor atomoxetine also enhanced reversal learning in the same task, consistent with a noradrenergic mechanism through which VNS enhances cognitive flexibility.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Matthew M Bruner
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | | | - Tyler S Garman
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Saúl Ramirez
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Elliott W Dirr
- J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Kaitlynn P Olczak
- J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Andrew P Maurer
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA; J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA; Evelyn F. & William L. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, USA; Engineering School of Sustainable Infrastructure and Environment, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Damon G Lamb
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA; J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA; Evelyn F. & William L. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, USA; Brain Rehabilitation Research Center, Malcom Randall VAMC, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Kevin J Otto
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA; J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA; Evelyn F. & William L. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, USA
| | - Sara N Burke
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA; Evelyn F. & William L. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, USA
| | - Argyle V Bumanglag
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA; Evelyn F. & William L. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, USA
| | - Barry Setlow
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA; Evelyn F. & William L. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, USA
| | - Jennifer L Bizon
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA; Evelyn F. & William L. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
D'Agostini M, Burger AM, Franssen M, Claes N, Weymar M, von Leupoldt A, Van Diest I. Effects of transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation on reversal learning, tonic pupil size, salivary alpha-amylase, and cortisol. Psychophysiology 2021; 58:e13885. [PMID: 34245461 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.13885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2020] [Revised: 04/26/2021] [Accepted: 05/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
This study investigated whether transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) enhances reversal learning and augments noradrenergic biomarkers (i.e., pupil size, cortisol, and salivary alpha-amylase [sAA]). We also explored the effect of taVNS on respiratory rate and cardiac vagal activity (CVA). Seventy-one participants received stimulation of either the cymba concha (taVNS) or the earlobe (sham) of the left ear. After learning a series of cue-outcome associations, the stimulation was applied before and throughout a reversal phase in which cue-outcome associations were changed for some (reversal), but not for other (distractor) cues. Tonic pupil size, salivary cortisol, sAA, respiratory rate, and CVA were assessed at different time points. Contrary to our hypothesis, taVNS was not associated with an overall improvement in performance on the reversal task. Compared to sham, the taVNS group performed worse for distractor than reversal cues. taVNS did not increase tonic pupil size and sAA. Only post hoc analyses indicated that the cortisol decline was steeper in the sham compared to the taVNS group. Exploratory analyses showed that taVNS decreased respiratory rate but did not affect CVA. The weak and unexpected effects found in this study might relate to the lack of parameters optimization for taVNS and invite to further investigate the effect of taVNS on cortisol and respiratory rate.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Andreas M Burger
- Research Group Health Psychology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Laboratory for Biological Psychology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | | | - Nathalie Claes
- Research Group Health Psychology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Mathias Weymar
- Department of Biological Psychology and Affective Science, Faculty of Human Sciences, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany.,Faculty of Health Sciences Brandenburg, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
| | | | - Ilse Van Diest
- Research Group Health Psychology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Souza RR, Robertson NM, McIntyre CK, Rennaker RL, Hays SA, Kilgard MP. Vagus nerve stimulation enhances fear extinction as an inverted-U function of stimulation intensity. Exp Neurol 2021; 341:113718. [PMID: 33844986 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2021.113718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2021] [Revised: 03/22/2021] [Accepted: 04/05/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Studies in rodents indicate that pairing vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) with extinction training enhances fear extinction. However, the role of stimulation parameters on the effects of VNS remains largely unknown. Identifying the optimal stimulation intensity is a critical step in clinical translation of neuromodulation-based therapies. Here, we sought to investigate the role of stimulation intensity in rats receiving VNS paired with extinction training in a rat model for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Male Sprague-Dawley rats underwent single prolonged stress followed by a severe fear conditioning training and were implanted with a VNS device. After recovery, independent groups of rats were exposed to extinction training paired with sham (0 mA) or VNS at different intensities (0.4, 0.8, or 1.6 mA). VNS intensities of 0.4 mA or 0.8 mA decreased conditioned fear during extinction training compared to sham stimulation. Pairing extinction training with moderate VNS intensity of 0.8 mA produced significant reduction in conditioned fear during extinction retention when rats were tested a week after VNS-paired extinction. High intensity VNS at 1.6 mA failed to enhance extinction. These findings indicate that a narrow range of VNS intensities enhances extinction learning, and suggest that the 0.8 mA VNS intensity used in earlier rodent and human stroke studies may also be the optimal in using VNS as an adjuvant in exposure therapies for PTSD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rimenez R Souza
- Texas Biomedical Device Center, The University of Texas at Dallas, 800 West Campbell Road, Richardson, TX 75080, United States; School of Behavioral Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, 800 West Campbell Road, Richardson, TX 75080, United States.
| | - Nicole M Robertson
- Texas Biomedical Device Center, The University of Texas at Dallas, 800 West Campbell Road, Richardson, TX 75080, United States
| | - Christa K McIntyre
- Texas Biomedical Device Center, The University of Texas at Dallas, 800 West Campbell Road, Richardson, TX 75080, United States; School of Behavioral Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, 800 West Campbell Road, Richardson, TX 75080, United States
| | - Robert L Rennaker
- Texas Biomedical Device Center, The University of Texas at Dallas, 800 West Campbell Road, Richardson, TX 75080, United States; School of Behavioral Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, 800 West Campbell Road, Richardson, TX 75080, United States; Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science, The University of Texas at Dallas, 800 West Campbell Road, Richardson, TX 75080, United States
| | - Seth A Hays
- Texas Biomedical Device Center, The University of Texas at Dallas, 800 West Campbell Road, Richardson, TX 75080, United States; Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science, The University of Texas at Dallas, 800 West Campbell Road, Richardson, TX 75080, United States
| | - Michael P Kilgard
- Texas Biomedical Device Center, The University of Texas at Dallas, 800 West Campbell Road, Richardson, TX 75080, United States; School of Behavioral Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, 800 West Campbell Road, Richardson, TX 75080, United States
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Pavlova IV, Broshevitskaya ND. The Influence of Social Isolation and Enriched Environment on Fear Conditioning in Rats after Early Proinflammatory Stress. J EVOL BIOCHEM PHYS+ 2021. [DOI: 10.1134/s0022093021040062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
|
32
|
Urbin MA, Lafe CW, Simpson TW, Wittenberg GF, Chandrasekaran B, Weber DJ. Electrical stimulation of the external ear acutely activates noradrenergic mechanisms in humans. Brain Stimul 2021; 14:990-1001. [PMID: 34154980 DOI: 10.1016/j.brs.2021.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2021] [Revised: 06/01/2021] [Accepted: 06/07/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Transcutaneous stimulation of the external ear is thought to recruit afferents of the auricular vagus nerve, providing a means to activate noradrenergic pathways in the central nervous system. Findings from human studies examining the effects of auricular stimulation on noradrenergic biomarkers have been mixed, possibly relating to the limited and variable parameter space explored to date. OBJECTIVE We tested the extent to which brief pulse trains applied to locations of auricular innervation (canal and concha) elicit acute pupillary responses (PRs) compared to a sham location (lobe). Pulse amplitude and frequency were varied systematically to examine effects on PR features. METHODS Participants (n = 19) underwent testing in three separate experiments, each with stimulation applied to a different external ear location. Perceptual threshold (PT) was measured at the beginning of each experiment. Pulse trains (∼600 ms) consisting of different amplitude (0.0xPT, 0.8xPT, 1.0xPT, 1.5xPT, 2.0xPT) and frequency (25 Hz, 300 Hz) combinations were administered during eye tracking procedures. RESULTS Stimulation to all locations elicited PRs which began approximately halfway through the pulse train and peaked shortly after the final pulse (≤1 s). PR size and incidence increased with pulse amplitude and tended to be greatest with canal stimulation. Higher pulse frequency shortened the latency of PR onset and peak dilation. Changes in pupil diameter elicited by pulse trains were weakly associated with baseline pupil diameter. CONCLUSION (s): Auricular stimulation elicits acute PRs, providing a basis to synchronize neuromodulator release with task-related neural spiking which preclinical studies show is a critical determinant of therapeutic effects. Further work is needed to dissociate contributions from vagal and non-vagal afferents mediating activation of the biomarker.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michael A Urbin
- Human Engineering Research Laboratories, VA RR&D Center of Excellence, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Rehabilitation Neural Engineering Laboratories, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
| | - Charles W Lafe
- Human Engineering Research Laboratories, VA RR&D Center of Excellence, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Rehabilitation Neural Engineering Laboratories, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Tyler W Simpson
- Rehabilitation Neural Engineering Laboratories, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - George F Wittenberg
- Human Engineering Research Laboratories, VA RR&D Center of Excellence, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Rehabilitation Neural Engineering Laboratories, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Department of Neurology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Bharath Chandrasekaran
- Department of Communication Science and Disorders, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Douglas J Weber
- Rehabilitation Neural Engineering Laboratories, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Department of Mechanical Engineering and the Neuroscience Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Ferland-Beckham C, Chaby LE, Daskalakis NP, Knox D, Liberzon I, Lim MM, McIntyre C, Perrine SA, Risbrough VB, Sabban EL, Jeromin A, Haas M. Systematic Review and Methodological Considerations for the Use of Single Prolonged Stress and Fear Extinction Retention in Rodents. Front Behav Neurosci 2021; 15:652636. [PMID: 34054443 PMCID: PMC8162789 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.652636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition triggered by experiencing or witnessing a terrifying event that can lead to lifelong burden that increases mortality and adverse health outcomes. Yet, no new treatments have reached the market in two decades. Thus, screening potential interventions for PTSD is of high priority. Animal models often serve as a critical translational tool to bring new therapeutics from bench to bedside. However, the lack of concordance of some human clinical trial outcomes with preclinical animal efficacy findings has led to a questioning of the methods of how animal studies are conducted and translational validity established. Thus, we conducted a systematic review to determine methodological variability in studies that applied a prominent animal model of trauma-like stress, single prolonged stress (SPS). The SPS model has been utilized to evaluate a myriad of PTSD-relevant outcomes including extinction retention. Rodents exposed to SPS express an extinction retention deficit, a phenotype identified in humans with PTSD, in which fear memory is aberrantly retained after fear memory extinction. The current systematic review examines methodological variation across all phases of the SPS paradigm, as well as strategies for behavioral coding, data processing, statistical approach, and the depiction of data. Solutions for key challenges and sources of variation within these domains are discussed. In response to methodological variation in SPS studies, an expert panel was convened to generate methodological considerations to guide researchers in the application of SPS and the evaluation of extinction retention as a test for a PTSD-like phenotype. Many of these guidelines are applicable to all rodent paradigms developed to model trauma effects or learned fear processes relevant to PTSD, and not limited to SPS. Efforts toward optimizing preclinical model application are essential for enhancing the reproducibility and translational validity of preclinical findings, and should be conducted for all preclinical psychiatric research models.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Lauren E Chaby
- Cohen Veterans Bioscience, New York City, NY, United States
| | - Nikolaos P Daskalakis
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States.,McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, United States
| | - Dayan Knox
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, United States
| | - Israel Liberzon
- Department of Psychiatry, Texas A&M University, Bryan, TX, United States
| | - Miranda M Lim
- Departments of Neurology, Behavioral Neuroscience, Medicine, Oregon Institute of Occupational Health Sciences, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, United States.,Sleep Disorders Clinic, VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Christa McIntyre
- Department of Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States
| | - Shane A Perrine
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, United States.,Research Service, John. D. Dingell VA Medical Center, Detroit, MI, United States
| | - Victoria B Risbrough
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States.,Center for Excellence in Stress and Mental Health, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Esther L Sabban
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY, United States
| | | | - Magali Haas
- Cohen Veterans Bioscience, New York City, NY, United States
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Wang Y, Zhan G, Cai Z, Jiao B, Zhao Y, Li S, Luo A. Vagus nerve stimulation in brain diseases: Therapeutic applications and biological mechanisms. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 127:37-53. [PMID: 33894241 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.04.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2020] [Revised: 04/12/2021] [Accepted: 04/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Brain diseases, including neurodegenerative, cerebrovascular and neuropsychiatric diseases, have posed a deleterious threat to human health and brought a great burden to society and the healthcare system. With the development of medical technology, vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as an alternative treatment for refractory epilepsy, refractory depression, cluster headaches, and migraines. Furthermore, current evidence showed promising results towards the treatment of more brain diseases, such as Parkinson's disease (PD), autistic spectrum disorder (ASD), traumatic brain injury (TBI), and stroke. Nonetheless, the biological mechanisms underlying the beneficial effects of VNS in brain diseases remain only partially elucidated. This review aims to delve into the relevant preclinical and clinical studies and update the progress of VNS applications and its potential mechanisms underlying the biological effects in brain diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yue Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
| | - Gaofeng Zhan
- Department of Anesthesiology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
| | - Ziwen Cai
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
| | - Bo Jiao
- Department of Anesthesiology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
| | - Yilin Zhao
- Department of Anesthesiology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
| | - Shiyong Li
- Department of Anesthesiology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
| | - Ailin Luo
- Department of Anesthesiology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Souza RR, Oleksiak CR, Tabet MN, Rennaker RL, Hays SA, Kilgard MP, McIntyre CK. Vagus nerve stimulation promotes extinction generalization across sensory modalities. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2021; 181:107425. [PMID: 33771710 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2021.107425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2021] [Revised: 03/12/2021] [Accepted: 03/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Traumatic experiences involve complex sensory information, and individuals with trauma-related psychological disorders, such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), can exhibit abnormal fear to numerous different stimuli that remind them of the trauma. Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) enhances extinction of auditory fear conditioning in rat models for PTSD. We recently found that VNS-paired extinction can also promote extinction generalization across different auditory cues. Here we tested whether VNS can enhance extinction of olfactory fear and promote extinction generalization across auditory and olfactory sensory modalities. Male Sprague Dawley rats were implanted with a stimulating cuff on the cervical vagus nerve. Rats then received two days of fear conditioning where olfactory (amyl acetate odor) and auditory (9 kHz tones) stimuli were concomitantly paired with footshock. Twenty-four hours later, rats were given three days of sham or VNS-paired extinction (5 stimulations, 30-sec trains at 0.4 mA) overlapping with presentation of either the olfactory or the auditory stimulus. Two days later, rats were given an extinction retention test where avoidance of the olfactory stimulus or freezing to the auditory stimulus were measured. VNS-paired with exposure to the olfactory stimulus during extinction reduced avoidance of the odor in the retention test. VNS-paired with exposure to the auditory stimulus during extinction also decreased avoidance of the olfactory cue, and VNS paired with exposure to the olfactory stimulus during extinction reduced freezing when the auditory stimulus was presented in the retention test. These results indicate that VNS enhances extinction of olfactory fear and promotes extinction generalization across different sensory modalities. Extinction generalization induced by VNS may therefore improve outcomes of exposure-based therapies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rimenez R Souza
- Texas Biomedical Device Center, The University of Texas at Dallas, 800 West Campbell Road, Richardson, TX 75080, United States; School of Behavioral Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, 800 West Campbell Road, Richardson, TX 75080, United States
| | - Cecily R Oleksiak
- Texas Biomedical Device Center, The University of Texas at Dallas, 800 West Campbell Road, Richardson, TX 75080, United States; School of Behavioral Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, 800 West Campbell Road, Richardson, TX 75080, United States
| | - Michel N Tabet
- Texas Biomedical Device Center, The University of Texas at Dallas, 800 West Campbell Road, Richardson, TX 75080, United States; School of Behavioral Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, 800 West Campbell Road, Richardson, TX 75080, United States
| | - Robert L Rennaker
- Texas Biomedical Device Center, The University of Texas at Dallas, 800 West Campbell Road, Richardson, TX 75080, United States; School of Behavioral Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, 800 West Campbell Road, Richardson, TX 75080, United States; Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science, The University of Texas at Dallas, 800 West Campbell Road, Richardson, TX 75080, United States
| | - Seth A Hays
- Texas Biomedical Device Center, The University of Texas at Dallas, 800 West Campbell Road, Richardson, TX 75080, United States; Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science, The University of Texas at Dallas, 800 West Campbell Road, Richardson, TX 75080, United States
| | - Michael P Kilgard
- Texas Biomedical Device Center, The University of Texas at Dallas, 800 West Campbell Road, Richardson, TX 75080, United States; School of Behavioral Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, 800 West Campbell Road, Richardson, TX 75080, United States
| | - Christa K McIntyre
- Texas Biomedical Device Center, The University of Texas at Dallas, 800 West Campbell Road, Richardson, TX 75080, United States; School of Behavioral Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, 800 West Campbell Road, Richardson, TX 75080, United States
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Butler AG, O'Callaghan EL, Allen AM, McDougall SJ. Use of a physiological reflex to standardize vagal nerve stimulation intensity improves data reproducibility in a memory extinction assay. Brain Stimul 2021; 14:450-459. [PMID: 33647477 DOI: 10.1016/j.brs.2021.02.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2020] [Revised: 02/15/2021] [Accepted: 02/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Modulating brainstem activity, via electrical vagus nerve stimulation (VNS), influences cognitive functions, including memory. However, controlling for changes in stimulus efficacy during chronic studies, and response variability between subjects, is problematic. OBJECTIVE/HYPOTHESIS We hypothesized that recruitment of an autonomic reflex, the Hering-Breuer reflex, would provide robust confirmation of VNS efficacy. We compared this to measurement of electrode resistance over time. We also examined whether VNS modulates contextual memory extinction. METHODS Electrodes for VNS and diaphragm electromyography recording were implanted into anesthetized Sprague Dawley rats. When conscious, we measured the electrode resistance as well as the minimum VNS current required to evoke the Hering-Breuer reflex, before, and after, an inhibitory avoidance assay - a two chamber, dark/light model, where the dark compartment was paired with an aversive foot shock. The extinction of this contextual memory was assessed in sham and VNS treated rats, with VNS administered for 30 s at 1.5 times the Hering-Breuer reflex threshold during extinction memory formation. RESULTS Assessment of VNS-evoked Hering-Breuer reflex successfully identified defective electrodes. VNS accelerated extinction memory and decreased multiple physiological metrics of fear expression. We observed an inverse relationship between memory extinction and respiratory rate during the behavioural assay. Additionally, no current - response relationship between VNS and extinction memory formation was established. CONCLUSION These data demonstrate that reliable, experimental VNS studies can be produced by verifying reflex initiation as a consequence of stimulation. Further, studies could be standardised by indexing stimulator efficacy to initiation of autonomic reflexes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andrew G Butler
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia; Department of Physiology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Erin L O'Callaghan
- Department of Physiology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Allen M Allen
- Department of Physiology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
| | - Stuart J McDougall
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
The vagus nerve mediates the suppressing effects of peripherally administered oxytocin on methamphetamine self-administration and seeking in rats. Neuropsychopharmacology 2021; 46:297-304. [PMID: 32450570 PMCID: PMC7852687 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-020-0719-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2020] [Revised: 05/11/2020] [Accepted: 05/14/2020] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
The neuropeptide oxytocin has emerged as a promising pharmacotherapy for methamphetamine (METH) addiction, and clinical trials of intranasal oxytocin are underway. However, there is debate as to how peripherally administered oxytocin alters brain signalling to modulate addiction processes. Interestingly, there is evidence for functional interactions between peripheral oxytocin administration and the vagus nerve. Therefore, this study investigated whether the effects of peripherally administered oxytocin require vagal signalling to reduce METH self-administration and reinstatement of METH-seeking behaviours. Male and female Sprague-Dawley rats underwent surgery for jugular catheterisation and either subdiaphragmatic vagotomy (SDV) or a sham operation. Rats were trained to self-administer METH, and the effect of peripherally administered oxytocin on METH intake was assessed. Rats then underwent extinction, and effects of oxytocin were assessed on cue- and METH-induced reinstatement of METH-seeking. Oxytocin treatment robustly attenuated METH intake in both sexes, and SDV entirely prevented the suppressant effect of oxytocin (0.3 mg/kg) on METH intake, and partially prevented the effects of 1 mg/kg oxytocin in both sexes. After extinction, SDV decreased the suppressing effects of oxytocin on cue- and METH-primed reinstatement in males, but not females. SDV was functionally confirmed by measuring food intake following administration of the vagal dependent peptide, cholecyostokin-8. Our data suggest that vagus nerve signalling is required for the inhibitory effects of peripherally administered oxytocin on METH self-administration and reinstatement, and that this vagal dependency is partially mediated by sex and drug withdrawal. This study has implications for the use of oxytocin as a therapy for METH use disorder for both sexes.
Collapse
|
38
|
Mancini GF, Marchetta E, Riccardi E, Trezza V, Morena M, Campolongo P. Sex-divergent long-term effects of single prolonged stress in adult rats. Behav Brain Res 2020; 401:113096. [PMID: 33359571 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2020.113096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2020] [Revised: 12/18/2020] [Accepted: 12/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Single prolonged stress (SPS) is an experimental model that recapitulates in rodents some of the core symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Although women have a two-fold greater risk to develop PTSD, most preclinical studies have been carried out in males. Furthermore, the long-term effects of behavioral alterations induced by SPS have been rarely investigated. Here, we evaluated the long-term effects of SPS on PTSD-relevant behavioral domains in rats and whether these effects were sex-dependent. To this aim, separate cohorts of male and female adult rats were subjected to SPS and, 30 days later, long-term effects were assessed. We found that SPS exposure reduced locomotor activity in both sexes in an open field task. Males only showed increased anxiety-like behavior in the elevated plus maze and marble burying tests, enhanced acoustic startle response and impaired spatial memory retention while females were unaffected. SPS exposure did not alter auditory fear memory dynamics in males, but it did alter extinction retrieval in females. We provide the first evidence that SPS reproduces long-term emotional alterations in male, but not in female, rats which were observed 30 days following trauma exposure, thus resembling some of the hallmark symptoms of PTSD. Furthermore, our results show for the first time a long-term SPS-induced alteration of cued fear extinction in females. Our findings are relevant to future research on trauma-related disorders and may help develop sex-specific interventions to treat PTSD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Federica Mancini
- Dept. of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; Neurobiology of Behavior Laboratory, Santa Lucia Foundation, 00143 Rome, Italy
| | - Enrico Marchetta
- Dept. of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; Neurobiology of Behavior Laboratory, Santa Lucia Foundation, 00143 Rome, Italy
| | - Eleonora Riccardi
- Dept. of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Viviana Trezza
- Dept. of Science, Section of Biomedical Sciences and Technologies, University Roma Tre, 00146 Rome, Italy
| | - Maria Morena
- Dept. of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Patrizia Campolongo
- Dept. of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; Neurobiology of Behavior Laboratory, Santa Lucia Foundation, 00143 Rome, Italy.
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Bremner JD, Gurel NZ, Jiao Y, Wittbrodt MT, Levantsevych OM, Huang M, Jung H, Shandhi MH, Beckwith J, Herring I, Rapaport MH, Murrah N, Driggers E, Ko YA, Alkhalaf ML, Soudan M, Song J, Ku BS, Shallenberger L, Hankus AN, Nye JA, Park J, Vaccarino V, Shah AJ, Inan OT, Pearce BD. Transcutaneous vagal nerve stimulation blocks stress-induced activation of Interleukin-6 and interferon-γ in posttraumatic stress disorder: A double-blind, randomized, sham-controlled trial. Brain Behav Immun Health 2020; 9:100138. [PMID: 34589887 PMCID: PMC8474180 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbih.2020.100138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2020] [Revised: 08/24/2020] [Accepted: 08/26/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a highly disabling condition associated with alterations in multiple neurobiological systems, including increases in inflammatory function. Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) decreases inflammation, however few studies have examined the effects of non-invasive VNS on physiology in human subjects, and no studies in patients with PTSD. The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of transcutaneous cervical VNS (tcVNS) on inflammatory responses to stress. Thirty subjects with a history of exposure to traumatic stress with (N = 10) and without (N = 20) PTSD underwent exposure to stressful tasks immediately followed by active or sham tcVNS and measurement of multiple biomarkers of inflammation (interleukin-(IL)-6, IL-2, IL-1β, Tumor Necrosis Factor alpha (TNFα) and Interferon gamma (IFNγ) over multiple time points. Stressful tasks included exposure to personalized scripts of traumatic events on day 1, and public speech and mental arithmetic (Mental Stress) tasks on days 2 and 3. Traumatic scripts were associated with a pattern of subjective anger measured with Visual Analogue Scales and increased IL-6 and IFNγ in PTSD patients that was blocked by tcVNS (p < .05). Traumatic stress had minimal effects on these biomarkers in non-PTSD subjects and there was no difference between tcVNS or sham. No significant differences were seen between groups in IL-2, IL-1β, or TNFα. These results demonstrate that tcVNS blocks behavioral and inflammatory responses to stress reminders in PTSD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- J. Douglas Bremner
- Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Departments of Radiology, and Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Atlanta VA Medical Center, Decatur, GA, USA
| | - Nil Z. Gurel
- School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Yunshen Jiao
- Departments of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Matthew T. Wittbrodt
- Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | | | - Minxuan Huang
- Departments of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Hewon Jung
- School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - MdMobashir H. Shandhi
- School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Joy Beckwith
- Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Isaias Herring
- Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Mark H. Rapaport
- Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Nancy Murrah
- Departments of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Emily Driggers
- Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Departments of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Yi-An Ko
- Departments of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | | | - Majd Soudan
- Departments of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Jiawei Song
- Departments of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Benson S. Ku
- Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Lucy Shallenberger
- Departments of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Allison N. Hankus
- Departments of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Jonathon A. Nye
- Departments of Radiology, and Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Jeanie Park
- Departments of Renal Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Atlanta VA Medical Center, Decatur, GA, USA
| | - Viola Vaccarino
- Departments of Cardiology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Departments of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Amit J. Shah
- Departments of Cardiology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Atlanta VA Medical Center, Decatur, GA, USA
- Departments of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Omer T. Inan
- School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Coulter Department of Bioengineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Bradley D. Pearce
- Departments of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta, GA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Gurel NZ, Jiao Y, Wittbrodt MT, Ko YA, Hankus A, Driggers EG, Ladd SL, Shallenberger L, Murrah N, Huang M, Haffar A, Alkhalaf M, Levantsevych O, Nye JA, Vaccarino V, Shah AJ, Inan OT, Bremner JD, Pearce BD. Effect of transcutaneous cervical vagus nerve stimulation on the pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) response to stress: A randomized, sham controlled, double blind pilot study. COMPREHENSIVE PSYCHONEUROENDOCRINOLOGY 2020; 4:100012. [PMID: 35755625 PMCID: PMC9216713 DOI: 10.1016/j.cpnec.2020.100012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2020] [Revised: 09/17/2020] [Accepted: 10/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating peptide (PACAP) is a neuropeptide that plays a key role in the neurobiology of the stress response, and prior studies suggest that its function is dysregulated in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Transcutaneous cervical vagus nerve stimulation (tcVNS) acts through PACAP and other neurobiological systems to modulate stress responses and/or symptoms of PTSD. In this pilot study, we examined the effects of tcVNS on PACAP in a three day chronic stress laboratory paradigm involving serial traumatic and mental stress exposures in healthy individuals with a history of exposure to psychological trauma (n = 18) and patients with PTSD (n = 12). Methods A total of 30 subjects with a history of exposure to psychological trauma experience were recruited (12 with PTSD diagnosis) for a three-day randomized double-blinded study of tcVNS or sham stimulation. Subjects underwent a protocol that included both personalized trauma recall and non-personalized mental stressors (public speaking, mental arithmetic) paired to tcVNS or sham stimulation over three days. Blood was collected at baseline and multiple time points after exposure to stressors. Linear mixed-effects models were used to assess changes in PACAP over time (in response to stressors) and its relation to active tcVNS or sham stimulation. Results PACAP blood levels increased over the course of three days for both active tcVNS and sham groups. This increase was statistically-significant in the sham group at the end of the second (Cohen's drm = 0.35, p = 0.04), and third days (drm = 0.41, p = 0.04), but not in the active tcVNS group (drm = 0.21, drm = 0.18, and p > 0.20). Conclusion These pilot findings suggest tcVNS may attenuate this neurobiological stress-response. Larger studies are needed to investigate gender and interaction effects.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nil Z. Gurel
- School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Yunshen Jiao
- Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Matthew T. Wittbrodt
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Yi-An Ko
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Allison Hankus
- Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Emily G. Driggers
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Stacy L. Ladd
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Department of Radiology, Emory School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Lucy Shallenberger
- Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Nancy Murrah
- Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Minxuan Huang
- Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Ammer Haffar
- Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Mhmtjamil Alkhalaf
- Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Oleksiy Levantsevych
- Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Jonathon A. Nye
- Department of Radiology, Emory School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Viola Vaccarino
- Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Emory School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Amit J. Shah
- Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Emory School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Atlanta VA Medical Center, Decatur, GA, USA
| | - Omer T. Inan
- School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Coulter Department of Bioengineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - J. Douglas Bremner
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Department of Radiology, Emory School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Atlanta VA Medical Center, Decatur, GA, USA
| | - Bradley D. Pearce
- Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Gurel NZ, Wittbrodt MT, Jung H, Shandhi MMH, Driggers EG, Ladd SL, Huang M, Ko YA, Shallenberger L, Beckwith J, Nye JA, Pearce BD, Vaccarino V, Shah AJ, Inan OT, Bremner JD. Transcutaneous cervical vagal nerve stimulation reduces sympathetic responses to stress in posttraumatic stress disorder: A double-blind, randomized, sham controlled trial. Neurobiol Stress 2020; 13:100264. [PMID: 33344717 PMCID: PMC7739181 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2020.100264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2020] [Revised: 09/08/2020] [Accepted: 10/15/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Exacerbated autonomic responses to acute stress are prevalent in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of transcutaneous cervical VNS (tcVNS) on autonomic responses to acute stress in patients with PTSD. The authors hypothesized tcVNS would reduce the sympathetic response to stress compared to a sham device. METHODS Using a randomized double-blind approach, we studied the effects of tcVNS on physiological responses to stress in patients with PTSD (n = 25) using noninvasive sensing modalities. Participants received either sham (n = 12) or active tcVNS (n = 13) after exposure to acute personalized traumatic script stress and mental stress (public speech, mental arithmetic) over a three-day protocol. Physiological parameters related to sympathetic responses to stress were investigated. RESULTS Relative to sham, tcVNS paired to traumatic script stress decreased sympathetic function as measured by: decreased heart rate (adjusted β = -5.7%; 95% CI: ±3.6%, effect size d = 0.43, p < 0.01), increased photoplethysmogram amplitude (peripheral vasodilation) (30.8%; ±28%, 0.29, p < 0.05), and increased pulse arrival time (vascular function) (6.3%; ±1.9%, 0.57, p < 0.0001). Similar (p < 0.05) autonomic, cardiovascular, and vascular effects were observed when tcVNS was applied after mental stress or without acute stress. CONCLUSION tcVNS attenuates sympathetic arousal associated with stress related to traumatic memories as well as mental stress in patients with PTSD, with effects persisting throughout multiple traumatic stress and stimulation testing days. These findings show that tcVNS has beneficial effects on the underlying neurophysiology of PTSD. Such autonomic metrics may also be evaluated in daily life settings in tandem with tcVNS therapy to provide closed-loop delivery and measure efficacy.ClinicalTrials.gov Registration # NCT02992899.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nil Z. Gurel
- School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Matthew T. Wittbrodt
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Hewon Jung
- School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Md. Mobashir H. Shandhi
- School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Emily G. Driggers
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Stacy L. Ladd
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Department of Radiology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Minxuan Huang
- Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Pu;blic Health, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Yi-An Ko
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Lucy Shallenberger
- Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Pu;blic Health, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Joy Beckwith
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Jonathon A. Nye
- Department of Radiology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Bradley D. Pearce
- Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Pu;blic Health, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Viola Vaccarino
- Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Pu;blic Health, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Department of Internal Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Amit J. Shah
- Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Pu;blic Health, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Department of Internal Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Atlanta VA Medical Center, Decatur, GA, USA
| | - Omer T. Inan
- School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Coulter Department of Bioengineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - J. Douglas Bremner
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Department of Radiology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Atlanta VA Medical Center, Decatur, GA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Bremner JD, Gurel NZ, Wittbrodt MT, Shandhi MH, Rapaport MH, Nye JA, Pearce BD, Vaccarino V, Shah AJ, Park J, Bikson M, Inan OT. Application of Noninvasive Vagal Nerve Stimulation to Stress-Related Psychiatric Disorders. J Pers Med 2020; 10:E119. [PMID: 32916852 PMCID: PMC7563188 DOI: 10.3390/jpm10030119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2020] [Revised: 09/02/2020] [Accepted: 09/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Vagal Nerve Stimulation (VNS) has been shown to be efficacious for the treatment of depression, but to date, VNS devices have required surgical implantation, which has limited widespread implementation. METHODS New noninvasive VNS (nVNS) devices have been developed which allow external stimulation of the vagus nerve, and their effects on physiology in patients with stress-related psychiatric disorders can be measured with brain imaging, blood biomarkers, and wearable sensing devices. Advantages in terms of cost and convenience may lead to more widespread implementation in psychiatry, as well as facilitate research of the physiology of the vagus nerve in humans. nVNS has effects on autonomic tone, cardiovascular function, inflammatory responses, and central brain areas involved in modulation of emotion, all of which make it particularly applicable to patients with stress-related psychiatric disorders, including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression, since dysregulation of these circuits and systems underlies the symptomatology of these disorders. RESULTS This paper reviewed the physiology of the vagus nerve and its relevance to modulating the stress response in the context of application of nVNS to stress-related psychiatric disorders. CONCLUSIONS nVNS has a favorable effect on stress physiology that is measurable using brain imaging, blood biomarkers of inflammation, and wearable sensing devices, and shows promise in the prevention and treatment of stress-related psychiatric disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- James Douglas Bremner
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; (M.T.W.); (M.H.R.)
- Department of Radiology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA;
- Atlanta VA Medical Center, Decatur, GA 30033, USA; (A.J.S.); (J.P.)
| | - Nil Z. Gurel
- School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA; (N.Z.G.); (M.H.S.); (O.T.I.)
| | - Matthew T. Wittbrodt
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; (M.T.W.); (M.H.R.)
| | - Mobashir H. Shandhi
- School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA; (N.Z.G.); (M.H.S.); (O.T.I.)
| | - Mark H. Rapaport
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; (M.T.W.); (M.H.R.)
| | - Jonathon A. Nye
- Department of Radiology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA;
| | - Bradley D. Pearce
- Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; (B.D.P.); (V.V.)
| | - Viola Vaccarino
- Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; (B.D.P.); (V.V.)
- Department of Medicine, Cardiology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Amit J. Shah
- Atlanta VA Medical Center, Decatur, GA 30033, USA; (A.J.S.); (J.P.)
- Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; (B.D.P.); (V.V.)
- Department of Medicine, Cardiology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Jeanie Park
- Atlanta VA Medical Center, Decatur, GA 30033, USA; (A.J.S.); (J.P.)
- Department of Medicine, Renal Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Marom Bikson
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, City University of New York, New York, NY 10010, USA;
| | - Omer T. Inan
- School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA; (N.Z.G.); (M.H.S.); (O.T.I.)
- Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Hou X, Rong C, Wang F, Liu X, Sun Y, Zhang HT. GABAergic System in Stress: Implications of GABAergic Neuron Subpopulations and the Gut-Vagus-Brain Pathway. Neural Plast 2020; 2020:8858415. [PMID: 32802040 PMCID: PMC7416252 DOI: 10.1155/2020/8858415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2020] [Revised: 07/03/2020] [Accepted: 07/06/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Stress can cause a variety of central nervous system disorders, which are critically mediated by the γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) system in various brain structures. GABAergic neurons have different subsets, some of which coexpress certain neuropeptides that can be found in the digestive system. Accumulating evidence demonstrates that the gut-brain axis, which is primarily regulated by the vagus nerve, is involved in stress, suggesting a communication between the "gut-vagus-brain" pathway and the GABAergic neuronal system. Here, we first summarize the evidence that the GABAergic system plays an essential role in stress responses. In addition, we review the effects of stress on different brain regions and GABAergic neuron subpopulations, including somatostatin, parvalbumin, ionotropic serotonin receptor 5-HT3a, cholecystokinin, neuropeptide Y, and vasoactive intestinal peptide, with regard to signaling events, behavioral changes, and pathobiology of neuropsychiatric diseases. Finally, we discuss the gut-brain bidirectional communications and the connection of the GABAergic system and the gut-vagus-brain pathway.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xueqin Hou
- Institute of Pharmacology, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Tai'an, Shandong 271016, China
| | - Cuiping Rong
- The Second Clinical Medical College, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510006, China
| | - Fugang Wang
- Institute of Pharmacology, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Tai'an, Shandong 271016, China
| | - Xiaoqian Liu
- Institute of Pharmacology, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Tai'an, Shandong 271016, China
| | - Yi Sun
- Institute of Pharmacology, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Tai'an, Shandong 271016, China
| | - Han-Ting Zhang
- Departments of Neuroscience and Behavioral Medicine & Psychiatry, The Rockefeller Neurosciences Institute, West Virginia University Health Sciences Center, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Paciorek A, Skora L. Vagus Nerve Stimulation as a Gateway to Interoception. Front Psychol 2020; 11:1659. [PMID: 32849014 PMCID: PMC7403209 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2020] [Accepted: 06/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The last two decades have seen a growing interest in the study of interoception. Interoception can be understood as a hierarchical phenomenon, referring to the body-to-brain communication of internal signals, their sensing, encoding, and representation in the brain, influence on other cognitive and affective processes, and their conscious perception. Interoceptive signals have been notoriously challenging to manipulate in experimental settings. Here, we propose that this can be achieved through electrical stimulation of the vagus nerve (either in an invasive or non-invasive fashion). The vagus nerve is the main pathway for conveying information about the internal condition of the body to the brain. Despite its intrinsic involvement in interoception, surprisingly little research in the field has used Vagus Nerve Stimulation to explicitly modulate bodily signals. Here, we review a range of cognitive, affective and clinical research using Vagus Nerve Stimulation, showing that it can be applied to the study of interoception at each level of its hierarchy. This could have considerable implications for our understanding of the interoceptive dimension of cognition and affect in both health and disease, and lead to development of new therapeutic tools.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Lina Skora
- Sackler Centre for Consciousness Science, University of Sussex, Brighton, United Kingdom.,School of Psychology, University of Sussex, Brighton, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Wittbrodt MT, Gurel NZ, Nye JA, Ladd S, Shandhi MMH, Huang M, Shah AJ, Pearce BD, Alam ZS, Rapaport MH, Murrah N, Ko YA, Haffer AA, Shallenberger LH, Vaccarino V, Inan OT, Bremner JD. Non-invasive vagal nerve stimulation decreases brain activity during trauma scripts. Brain Stimul 2020; 13:1333-1348. [PMID: 32659483 PMCID: PMC8214872 DOI: 10.1016/j.brs.2020.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2019] [Revised: 06/08/2020] [Accepted: 07/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Traumatic stress can have lasting effects on neurobiology and result in psychiatric conditions such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). We hypothesize that non-invasive cervical vagal nerve stimulation (nVNS) may alleviate trauma symptoms by reducing stress sympathetic reactivity. This study examined how nVNS alters neural responses to personalized traumatic scripts. Methods: Nineteen participants who had experienced trauma but did not have the diagnosis of PTSD completed this double-blind sham-controlled study. In three sequential time blocks, personalized traumatic scripts were presented to participants immediately followed by either sham stimulation (n = 8; 0–14 V, 0.2 Hz, pulse width = 5s) or active nVNS (n = 11; 0–30 V, 25 Hz, pulse width = 40 ms). Brain activity during traumatic scripts was assessed using High Resolution Positron Emission Tomography (HR-PET) with radiolabeled water to measure brain blood flow. Results: Traumatic scripts resulted in significant activations within the bilateral medial and orbital prefrontal cortex, premotor cortex, anterior cingulate, thalamus, insula, hippocampus, right amygdala, and right putamen. Greater activation was observed during sham stimulation compared to nVNS within the bilateral prefrontal and orbitofrontal cortex, premotor cortex, temporal lobe, parahippocampal gyrus, insula, and left anterior cingulate. During the first exposure to the trauma scripts, greater activations were found in the motor cortices and ventral visual stream whereas prefrontal cortex and anterior cingulate activations were more predominant with later script presentations for those subjects receiving sham stimulation. Conclusion: nVNS decreases neural reactivity to an emotional stressor in limbic and other brain areas involved in stress, with changes over repeated exposures suggesting a shift from scene appraisal to cognitively processing the emotional event.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Matthew T Wittbrodt
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.
| | - Nil Z Gurel
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Jonathon A Nye
- Department of Radiology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Stacy Ladd
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Md Mobashir H Shandhi
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Minxuan Huang
- Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Amit J Shah
- Department of Medicine (Cardiology), Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta VA Medical Center, Decatur, GA, USA
| | - Bradley D Pearce
- Department of Radiology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Zuhayr S Alam
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Mark H Rapaport
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Nancy Murrah
- Department of Radiology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Yi-An Ko
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Ammer A Haffer
- Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | | | - Viola Vaccarino
- Department of Radiology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA; Department of Medicine (Cardiology), Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Omer T Inan
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA; Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - J Douglas Bremner
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA; Department of Radiology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta VA Medical Center, Decatur, GA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Verbitsky A, Dopfel D, Zhang N. Rodent models of post-traumatic stress disorder: behavioral assessment. Transl Psychiatry 2020; 10:132. [PMID: 32376819 PMCID: PMC7203017 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-020-0806-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2019] [Revised: 03/17/2020] [Accepted: 04/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Although the etiology and expression of psychiatric disorders are complex, mammals show biologically preserved behavioral and neurobiological responses to valent stimuli which underlie the use of rodent models of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). PTSD is a complex phenotype that is difficult to model in rodents because it is diagnosed by patient interview and influenced by both environmental and genetic factors. However, given that PTSD results from traumatic experiences, rodent models can simulate stress induction and disorder development. By manipulating stress type, intensity, duration, and frequency, preclinical models reflect core PTSD phenotypes, measured through various behavioral assays. Paradigms precipitate the disorder by applying physical, social, and psychological stressors individually or in combination. This review discusses the methods used to trigger and evaluate PTSD-like phenotypes. It highlights studies employing each stress model and evaluates their translational efficacies against DSM-5, validity criteria, and criteria proposed by Yehuda and Antelman's commentary in 1993. This is intended to aid in paradigm selection by informing readers about rodent models, their benefits to the clinical community, challenges associated with the translational models, and opportunities for future work. To inform PTSD model validity and relevance to human psychopathology, we propose that models incorporate behavioral test batteries, individual differences, sex differences, strain and stock differences, early life stress effects, biomarkers, stringent success criteria for drug development, Research Domain Criteria, technological advances, and cross-species comparisons. We conclude that, despite the challenges, animal studies will be pivotal to advances in understanding PTSD and the neurobiology of stress.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Verbitsky
- Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - David Dopfel
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Nanyin Zhang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA.
- The Huck Institutes of Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
Bucksot JE, Morales Castelan K, Skipton SK, Hays SA. Parametric characterization of the rat Hering-Breuer reflex evoked with implanted and non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation. Exp Neurol 2020; 327:113220. [PMID: 32027928 PMCID: PMC7089831 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2020.113220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2020] [Accepted: 02/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) has rapidly gained interest as a treatment for a variety of disorders. A number of methods have been employed to stimulate the vagus nerve, but the most common relies on a cuff electrode implanted around the cervical branch of the nerve. Recently, two non-invasive methods have increased in popularity: transcutaneous cervical VNS (tcVNS) and transcutaneous auricular VNS (taVNS). Despite promising clinical results, there has been little direct comparison of these methods to stimulation delivered via an implanted device. In this study, we directly compared both non-invasive strategies to stimulation with an implanted cuff electrode on activation of the Hering-Breuer (HB) reflex, a non-invasive biomarker of A-fiber activation in the vagus. Stimulation was delivered across a wide range of parameters using tcVNS, taVNS, and an implanted cuff electrode in female rats. Activation of the HB reflex, changes in heart rate, and neck muscle twitch force were recorded. Consistent with low thresholds reported in previous studies, we found that the threshold to activate the HB reflex using an implanted cuff electrode was 0.406 ± 0.066 mA. tcVNS was capable of activating the HB reflex, but the threshold was 34.18 ± 1.86 mA, over 15 fold higher than the stimulation intensity that caused twitching of the neck muscles (2.09 ± 0.16 mA). No activation of the HB reflex was observed with taVNS at any parameters. These results describe activation of the HB reflex with each strategy and provide initial evidence regarding differences in the activation of the vagus nerve with invasive and non-invasive methods.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jesse E Bucksot
- The University of Texas at Dallas, Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science, Richardson, TX, United States of America.
| | - Karen Morales Castelan
- The University of Texas at Dallas, School of Behavioral Brain Sciences, Richardson, TX, United States of America
| | - Samantha K Skipton
- The University of Texas at Dallas, School of Behavioral Brain Sciences, Richardson, TX, United States of America
| | - Seth A Hays
- The University of Texas at Dallas, Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science, Richardson, TX, United States of America; The University of Texas at Dallas, School of Behavioral Brain Sciences, Richardson, TX, United States of America; Texas Biomedical Device Center, Richardson, TX, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
48
|
Souza RR, Robertson NM, Mathew E, Tabet MN, Bucksot JE, Pruitt DT, Rennaker RL, Hays SA, McIntyre CK, Kilgard MP. Efficient parameters of vagus nerve stimulation to enhance extinction learning in an extinction-resistant rat model of PTSD. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2020; 99:109848. [PMID: 31863872 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2019.109848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2019] [Revised: 12/11/2019] [Accepted: 12/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) has shown promise as an adjuvant treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), as it enhances fear extinction and reduces anxiety symptoms in multiple rat models of this condition. Yet, identification of the optimal stimulation paradigm is needed to facilitate clinical translation of this potential therapy. Using an extinction-resistant rat model of PTSD, we tested whether varying VNS intensity and duration could maximize extinction learning while minimizing the total amount of stimulation. We confirmed that sham rats failed to extinguish after a week of extinction training. Delivery of the standard LONG VNS trains (30 s) at 0.4 mA enhanced extinction and reduced anxiety but did not prevent fear return. Increasing the intensity of LONG VNS trains to 0.8 mA prevented fear return and attenuated anxiety symptoms. Interestingly, delivering 1, 4 or 16 SHORT VNS bursts (0.5 s) at 0.8 mA during each cue presentation in extinction training also enhanced extinction. LONG VNS trains or multiple SHORT VNS bursts at 0.8 mA attenuated fear renewal and reinstatement, promoted extinction generalization and reduced generalized anxiety. Delivering 16 SHORT VNS bursts also facilitated extinction in fewer trials. This study provides the first evidence that brief bursts of VNS can enhance extinction training, reduce relapse and support symptom remission using much less VNS than previous protocols. These findings suggest that VNS parameters can be adjusted in order to minimize total charge delivery and maximize therapeutic effectiveness.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rimenez R Souza
- Texas Biomedical Device Center, The University of Texas at Dallas, 800 West Campbell Road, Richardson, TX 75080, United States of America; School of Behavioral Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, 800 West Campbell Road, Richardson, TX 75080, United States of America.
| | - Nicole M Robertson
- Texas Biomedical Device Center, The University of Texas at Dallas, 800 West Campbell Road, Richardson, TX 75080, United States of America
| | - Ezek Mathew
- Texas Biomedical Device Center, The University of Texas at Dallas, 800 West Campbell Road, Richardson, TX 75080, United States of America; School of Behavioral Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, 800 West Campbell Road, Richardson, TX 75080, United States of America
| | - Michel N Tabet
- Texas Biomedical Device Center, The University of Texas at Dallas, 800 West Campbell Road, Richardson, TX 75080, United States of America; School of Behavioral Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, 800 West Campbell Road, Richardson, TX 75080, United States of America
| | - Jesse E Bucksot
- Texas Biomedical Device Center, The University of Texas at Dallas, 800 West Campbell Road, Richardson, TX 75080, United States of America; Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science, The University of Texas at Dallas, 800 West Campbell Road, Richardson, TX 75080, United States of America
| | - David T Pruitt
- Texas Biomedical Device Center, The University of Texas at Dallas, 800 West Campbell Road, Richardson, TX 75080, United States of America; School of Behavioral Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, 800 West Campbell Road, Richardson, TX 75080, United States of America; Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science, The University of Texas at Dallas, 800 West Campbell Road, Richardson, TX 75080, United States of America
| | - Robert L Rennaker
- Texas Biomedical Device Center, The University of Texas at Dallas, 800 West Campbell Road, Richardson, TX 75080, United States of America; School of Behavioral Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, 800 West Campbell Road, Richardson, TX 75080, United States of America; Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science, The University of Texas at Dallas, 800 West Campbell Road, Richardson, TX 75080, United States of America
| | - Seth A Hays
- Texas Biomedical Device Center, The University of Texas at Dallas, 800 West Campbell Road, Richardson, TX 75080, United States of America; Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science, The University of Texas at Dallas, 800 West Campbell Road, Richardson, TX 75080, United States of America
| | - Christa K McIntyre
- Texas Biomedical Device Center, The University of Texas at Dallas, 800 West Campbell Road, Richardson, TX 75080, United States of America; School of Behavioral Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, 800 West Campbell Road, Richardson, TX 75080, United States of America
| | - Michael P Kilgard
- Texas Biomedical Device Center, The University of Texas at Dallas, 800 West Campbell Road, Richardson, TX 75080, United States of America; School of Behavioral Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, 800 West Campbell Road, Richardson, TX 75080, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
49
|
Mathew E, Tabet MN, Robertson NM, Hays SA, Rennaker RL, Kilgard MP, McIntyre CK, Souza RR. Vagus nerve stimulation produces immediate dose-dependent anxiolytic effect in rats. J Affect Disord 2020; 265:552-557. [PMID: 31784117 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2019.11.090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2019] [Revised: 09/20/2019] [Accepted: 11/12/2019] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chronic vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) attenuates anxiety in rats and humans. However, it is unclear whether VNS can promote acute anxiolytic effects. Here we examined short-term anxiolytic effects of VNS using single or multiple trains in rats submitted to a battery of tests. METHODS Three groups of rats were implanted with VNS cuffs and tested for anxiety using the elevated plus maze (EPM), novelty suppressed feeding (NSF), and acoustic startle response (ASR), after receiving either one or five VNS trains (0.4 mA/30 Hz/30‑sec), or sham stimulation. RESULTS Both single and multiple VNS trains reduced state anxiety as measured using the EPM, but only multiple trains reduced anxiety in the EPM and NSF. VNS did not decrease arousal as measured using the ASR. LIMITATIONS The anxiolytic effects of VNS may be differently influenced by test order or prior-exposure to stress. VNS did not affect startle responses in naïve rats but the present findings do not determine whether VNS would affect startle responses that are potentiated by fear or anxiety. CONCLUSION A single VNS train can produce an anxiolytic-like effect in the EPM minutes later, an effect that is not observed in the NSF. Delivering 5 VNS trains restores the immediate effects across tests of anxiety, indicating that more trains produce a more robust anxiolytic effect. The lack of effects on ASR suggests that VNS affects state anxiety but not baseline arousal in naïve rats. We suggest that the anxiolytic effect of VNS can increase tolerability and reduce dropout in exposure-based therapies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ezek Mathew
- Texas Biomedical Device Center, The University of Texas at Dallas, 800 West Campbell Road, Richardson, TX 75080, United States; School of Behavioral Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, 800 West Campbell Road, Richardson, TX 75080, United States
| | - Michel N Tabet
- Texas Biomedical Device Center, The University of Texas at Dallas, 800 West Campbell Road, Richardson, TX 75080, United States; School of Behavioral Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, 800 West Campbell Road, Richardson, TX 75080, United States
| | - Nicole M Robertson
- Texas Biomedical Device Center, The University of Texas at Dallas, 800 West Campbell Road, Richardson, TX 75080, United States
| | - Seth A Hays
- Texas Biomedical Device Center, The University of Texas at Dallas, 800 West Campbell Road, Richardson, TX 75080, United States; Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science, The University of Texas at Dallas, 800 West Campbell Road, Richardson, TX 75080, United States
| | - Robert L Rennaker
- Texas Biomedical Device Center, The University of Texas at Dallas, 800 West Campbell Road, Richardson, TX 75080, United States; School of Behavioral Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, 800 West Campbell Road, Richardson, TX 75080, United States; Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science, The University of Texas at Dallas, 800 West Campbell Road, Richardson, TX 75080, United States
| | - Michael P Kilgard
- Texas Biomedical Device Center, The University of Texas at Dallas, 800 West Campbell Road, Richardson, TX 75080, United States; School of Behavioral Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, 800 West Campbell Road, Richardson, TX 75080, United States
| | - Christa K McIntyre
- Texas Biomedical Device Center, The University of Texas at Dallas, 800 West Campbell Road, Richardson, TX 75080, United States; School of Behavioral Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, 800 West Campbell Road, Richardson, TX 75080, United States
| | - Rimenez R Souza
- Texas Biomedical Device Center, The University of Texas at Dallas, 800 West Campbell Road, Richardson, TX 75080, United States; School of Behavioral Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, 800 West Campbell Road, Richardson, TX 75080, United States.
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
Gurel NZ, Huang M, Wittbrodt MT, Jung H, Ladd SL, Shandhi MMH, Ko YA, Shallenberger L, Nye JA, Pearce B, Vaccarino V, Shah AJ, Bremner JD, Inan OT. Quantifying acute physiological biomarkers of transcutaneous cervical vagal nerve stimulation in the context of psychological stress. Brain Stimul 2020; 13:47-59. [PMID: 31439323 PMCID: PMC8252146 DOI: 10.1016/j.brs.2019.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2019] [Revised: 07/24/2019] [Accepted: 08/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Stress is associated with activation of the sympathetic nervous system, and can lead to lasting alterations in autonomic function and in extreme cases symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Vagal nerve stimulation (VNS) is a potentially useful tool as a modulator of autonomic nervous system function, however currently available implantable devices are limited by cost and inconvenience. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of transcutaneous cervical VNS (tcVNS) on autonomic responses to stress. METHODS Using a double-blind approach, we investigated the effects of active or sham tcVNS on peripheral cardiovascular and autonomic responses to stress using wearable sensing devices in 24 healthy human participants with a history of exposure to psychological trauma. Participants were exposed to acute stressors over a three-day period, including personalized scripts of traumatic events, public speech, and mental arithmetic tasks. RESULTS tcVNS relative to sham applied immediately after traumatic stress resulted in a decrease in sympathetic function and modulated parasympathetic/sympathetic autonomic tone as measured by increased pre-ejection period (PEP) of the heart (a marker of cardiac sympathetic function) of 4.2 ms (95% CI 1.6-6.8 ms, p < 0.01), decreased peripheral sympathetic function as measured by increased photoplethysmogram (PPG) amplitude (decreased vasoconstriction) by 47.9% (1.4-94.5%, p < 0.05), a 9% decrease in respiratory rate (-14.3 to -3.7%, p < 0.01). Similar effects were seen when tcVNS was applied after other stressors and in the absence of a stressor. CONCLUSION Wearable sensing modalities are feasible to use in experiments in human participants, and tcVNS modulates cardiovascular and peripheral autonomic responses to stress.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nil Z Gurel
- School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA.
| | - Minxuan Huang
- Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Matthew T Wittbrodt
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Hewon Jung
- School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Stacy L Ladd
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA; Department of Radiology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Md Mobashir H Shandhi
- School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Yi-An Ko
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Lucy Shallenberger
- Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Jonathon A Nye
- Department of Radiology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Bradley Pearce
- Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Viola Vaccarino
- Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta, GA, USA; Department of Internal Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Amit J Shah
- Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta, GA, USA; Department of Internal Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta VA Medical Center, Decatur, GA, USA
| | - J Douglas Bremner
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA; Department of Radiology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta VA Medical Center, Decatur, GA, USA
| | - Omer T Inan
- School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA; Coulter Department of Bioengineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| |
Collapse
|