1
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Hu N, Long Q, Wang X, Li Q, Li Q, Chen A. Neural and Behavioral Measures of Stress-induced Impairment in Error Awareness and Post-error Adjustment. Neurosci Bull 2024; 40:937-951. [PMID: 38070027 PMCID: PMC11250752 DOI: 10.1007/s12264-023-01154-2] [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: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/17/2023] [Indexed: 07/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Exposure to stress negatively affects error processing, but the impact of stress on error awareness remains to be determined. In the present study, we examined the temporal dynamics of error awareness and post-error adjustment following acute stress. Forty-nine healthy men were randomly assigned to the control (n = 26) or stress group (n = 23). After stress induction, participants completed the error awareness task, and their brain activity was assessed by electroencephalography. Compared to the control group, the stress group demonstrated lower error awareness accuracy and smaller Pe (error positivity) and ΔPe amplitudes following aware error responses, which indicated impairment of error awareness following stress. Furthermore, the stress group had lower accuracy in post-aware error responses than in post-unaware error responses and the control group, which indicated poor post-error adjustment following stress. Our results showed a stress effect on sequential stages of error processing. Stress induces impaired error identification, which further generates maladaptive post-error performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Na Hu
- School of Preschool and Special Education, Kunming University, Kunming, 650214, China
| | - Quanshan Long
- Faculty of Education, Yunnan Normal University, Kunming, 650214, China
| | - Xiaoxi Wang
- School of Preschool and Special Education, Kunming University, Kunming, 650214, China
| | - Quan Li
- College of Teacher Education, Qujing Normal University, Qujing, 655099, China
| | - Qing Li
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality of Ministry of Education, Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Antao Chen
- School of Psychology, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, 200438, China.
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2
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Martinez JD, Wilson LG, Brancaleone WP, Peterson KG, Popke DS, Garzon VC, Perez Tremble RE, Donnelly MJ, Mendez Ortega SL, Torres D, Shaver JJ, Jiang S, Yang Z, Aton SJ. Hypnotic treatment improves sleep architecture and EEG disruptions and rescues memory deficits in a mouse model of fragile X syndrome. Cell Rep 2024; 43:114266. [PMID: 38787724 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.114266] [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: 07/07/2023] [Revised: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 05/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is associated with disrupted cognition and sleep abnormalities. Sleep loss negatively impacts cognitive function, and one untested possibility is that disrupted cognition in FXS is exacerbated by abnormal sleep. We tested whether ML297, a hypnotic acting on G-protein-activated inward-rectifying potassium (GIRK) channels, could reverse sleep phenotypes and disrupted memory in Fmr1-/y mice. Fmr1-/y mice exhibit reduced non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep and fragmented NREM architecture, altered sleep electroencephalogram (EEG) oscillations, and reduced EEG coherence between cortical areas; these are partially reversed following ML297 administration. Treatment following contextual fear or spatial learning restores disrupted memory consolidation in Fmr1-/y mice. During memory recall, Fmr1-/y mice show an altered balance of activity among hippocampal principal neurons vs. parvalbumin-expressing interneurons; this is partially reversed by ML297. Because sleep disruption could impact neurophysiological phenotypes in FXS, augmenting sleep may improve disrupted cognition in this disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessy D Martinez
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Lydia G Wilson
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - William P Brancaleone
- Undergraduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Kathryn G Peterson
- Undergraduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Donald S Popke
- Undergraduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Valentina Caicedo Garzon
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Roxanne E Perez Tremble
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Marcus J Donnelly
- Undergraduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | | | - Daniel Torres
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - James J Shaver
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Sha Jiang
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Zhongying Yang
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Sara J Aton
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
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3
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Schwabe L. Memory Under Stress: From Adaptation to Disorder. Biol Psychiatry 2024:S0006-3223(24)01385-4. [PMID: 38880463 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2024.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2024] [Revised: 05/02/2024] [Accepted: 06/10/2024] [Indexed: 06/18/2024]
Abstract
Stressful events are ubiquitous in everyday life. Exposure to these stressors initiates the temporally orchestrated release of a multitude of hormones, peptides, and neurotransmitters that target brain areas that have been critically implicated in learning and memory. This review summarizes recent insights on the profound impact of stress on 4 fundamental processes of memory: memory formation, memory contextualization, memory retrieval, and memory flexibility. Stress mediators instigate dynamic alterations in these processes, thereby facilitating efficient responding under stress and the creation of a decontextualized memory representation that can effectively aid coping with novel future threats. While they are generally adaptive, the same stress-related changes may contribute to the rigid behaviors, uncontrollable intrusions, and generalized fear responding seen in anxiety disorders and posttraumatic stress disorder. Drawing on recent discoveries in cognitive neuroscience and psychiatry, this review discusses how stress-induced alterations in memory processes can simultaneously foster adaptation to stressors and fuel psychopathology. The transition from adaptive to maladaptive changes in the impact of stress on memory hinges on the nuanced interplay of stressor characteristics and individual predispositions. Thus, taking individual differences in the cognitive response to stressors into account is essential for any successful treatment of stress-related mental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lars Schwabe
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, Institute of Psychology, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany.
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4
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Peshev B, Ivanova P, Krushovlieva D, Kortenska L, Atanasova D, Rashev P, Lazarov N, Tchekalarova J. Predatory Odor Exposure as a Potential Paradigm for Studying Emotional Modulation of Memory Consolidation-The Role of the Noradrenergic Transmission in the Basolateral Amygdala. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:6576. [PMID: 38928281 PMCID: PMC11204360 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25126576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2024] [Revised: 06/09/2024] [Accepted: 06/13/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
The pivotal role of the basolateral amygdala (BLA) in the emotional modulation of hippocampal plasticity and memory consolidation is well-established. Specifically, multiple studies have demonstrated that the activation of the noradrenergic (NA) system within the BLA governs these modulatory effects. However, most current evidence has been obtained by direct infusion of synthetic NA or beta-adrenergic agonists. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the effect of endogenous NA release in the BLA, induced by a natural aversive stimulus (coyote urine), on memory consolidation for a low-arousing, hippocampal-dependent task. Our experiments combined a weak object location task (OLT) version with subsequent mild predator odor exposure (POE). To investigate the role of endogenous NA in the BLA in memory modulation, a subset of the animals (Wistar rats) was treated with the non-selective beta-blocker propranolol at the end of the behavioral procedures. Hippocampal tissue was collected 90 min after drug infusion or after the OLT test, which was performed 24 h later. We used the obtained samples to estimate the levels of phosphorylated CREB (pCREB) and activity-regulated cytoskeleton-associated protein (Arc)-two molecular markers of experience-dependent changes in neuronal activity. The result suggests that POE has the potential to become a valuable behavioral paradigm for studying the interaction between BLA and the hippocampus in memory prioritization and selectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bogomil Peshev
- Institute of Neurobiology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria; (B.P.); (P.I.); (D.K.); (L.K.); (D.A.)
| | - Petya Ivanova
- Institute of Neurobiology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria; (B.P.); (P.I.); (D.K.); (L.K.); (D.A.)
| | - Desislava Krushovlieva
- Institute of Neurobiology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria; (B.P.); (P.I.); (D.K.); (L.K.); (D.A.)
| | - Lidia Kortenska
- Institute of Neurobiology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria; (B.P.); (P.I.); (D.K.); (L.K.); (D.A.)
| | - Dimitrinka Atanasova
- Institute of Neurobiology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria; (B.P.); (P.I.); (D.K.); (L.K.); (D.A.)
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Trakia University, 6003 Stara Zagora, Bulgaria
| | - Pavel Rashev
- Institute of Biology and Immunology of Reproduction, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria;
| | - Nikolai Lazarov
- Department of Anatomy and Histology, Medical University of Sofia, 1431 Sofia, Bulgaria;
| | - Jana Tchekalarova
- Institute of Neurobiology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria; (B.P.); (P.I.); (D.K.); (L.K.); (D.A.)
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de Vries OT, Duken SB, Kindt M, van Ast VA. No evidence that arousal affects reactivated memories. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2024; 212:107928. [PMID: 38616019 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2024.107928] [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: 10/10/2023] [Revised: 03/05/2024] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 04/16/2024]
Abstract
Memory for inherently neutral elements of emotional events is often enhanced on delayed tests - an effect that has been attributed to noradrenergic arousal. Reactivation of a memory is thought to return its corresponding neural ensemble to a state that is similar to when it was originally experienced. Therefore, we hypothesized that neutral elements of memories, too, can be enhanced through reactivation concurrent with heightened arousal. Participants (n = 94) visited the lab for three sessions. During the first session, they encoded 120 neutral memories consisting of an object presented in unique context images. In session two, the 80 objects were reactivated by presenting their corresponding context images, 40 of which were immediately followed by an arousal-inducing shock. Finally, recognition memory for all objects was tested. It was found that memory for reactivated objects was enhanced, but even though the shocks elicited elevations in arousal as indexed by skin conductance, there was no difference between memory of objects reactivated with and without heightened arousal. We thus conclude that arousal, when isolated from other cognitive and affective variables that might impact memory, has no enhancing effect on reactivated memories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivier T de Vries
- Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Amsterdam Brain and Cognition, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
| | - Sascha B Duken
- Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Amsterdam Brain and Cognition, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Merel Kindt
- Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Amsterdam Brain and Cognition, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Vanessa A van Ast
- Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Amsterdam Brain and Cognition, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
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6
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Ouaidat S, Amaral IM, Monteiro DG, Harati H, Hofer A, El Rawas R. Orexins/Hypocretins: Gatekeepers of Social Interaction and Motivation. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:2609. [PMID: 38473854 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25052609] [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] [Received: 01/16/2024] [Revised: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Ever since the discovery of the brain's orexin/hypocretin system, most research was directed toward unveiling its contribution to the normal functioning of individuals. The investigation of reward-seeking behaviors then gained a lot of attention once the distribution of orexinergic neurons was revealed. Here, we discuss findings on the involvement of orexins in social interaction, a natural reward type. While some studies have succeeded in defining the relationship between orexin and social interaction, the controversy regarding its nature (direct or inverse relation) raises questions about what aspects have been overlooked until now. Upon examining the literature, we identified a research gap concerning conditions influencing the impact of orexins on social behavior expression. In this review, we introduce a number of factors (e.g., stress, orexin's source) that must be considered while studying the role of orexins in social interaction. Furthermore, we refer to published research to investigate the stage at which orexins affect social interaction and we highlight the nucleus accumbens (NAc) shell's role in social interaction and other rewarding behaviors. Finally, the underlying orexin molecular pathway influencing social motivation in particular illnesses is proposed. We conclude that orexin's impact on social interaction is multifactorial and depends on specific conditions available at a time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Ouaidat
- Division of Psychiatry I, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, Psychosomatics and Medical Psychology, Medical University Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
- Neuroscience Research Center, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Lebanese University, Beirut P.O. Box 1533, Lebanon
| | - Inês M Amaral
- Division of Psychiatry I, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, Psychosomatics and Medical Psychology, Medical University Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Diogo G Monteiro
- Division of Psychiatry I, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, Psychosomatics and Medical Psychology, Medical University Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Hayat Harati
- Neuroscience Research Center, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Lebanese University, Beirut P.O. Box 1533, Lebanon
| | - Alex Hofer
- Division of Psychiatry I, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, Psychosomatics and Medical Psychology, Medical University Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Rana El Rawas
- Division of Psychiatry I, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, Psychosomatics and Medical Psychology, Medical University Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
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7
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Battaglia S, Di Fazio C, Mazzà M, Tamietto M, Avenanti A. Targeting Human Glucocorticoid Receptors in Fear Learning: A Multiscale Integrated Approach to Study Functional Connectivity. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:864. [PMID: 38255937 PMCID: PMC10815285 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25020864] [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: 10/28/2023] [Revised: 01/02/2024] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Fear extinction is a phenomenon that involves a gradual reduction in conditioned fear responses through repeated exposure to fear-inducing cues. Functional brain connectivity assessments, such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), provide valuable insights into how brain regions communicate during these processes. Stress, a ubiquitous aspect of life, influences fear learning and extinction by changing the activity of the amygdala, prefrontal cortex, and hippocampus, leading to enhanced fear responses and/or impaired extinction. Glucocorticoid receptors (GRs) are key to the stress response and show a dual function in fear regulation: while they enhance the consolidation of fear memories, they also facilitate extinction. Accordingly, GR dysregulation is associated with anxiety and mood disorders. Recent advancements in cognitive neuroscience underscore the need for a comprehensive understanding that integrates perspectives from the molecular, cellular, and systems levels. In particular, neuropharmacology provides valuable insights into neurotransmitter and receptor systems, aiding the investigation of mechanisms underlying fear regulation and potential therapeutic targets. A notable player in this context is cortisol, a key stress hormone, which significantly influences both fear memory reconsolidation and extinction processes. Gaining a thorough understanding of these intricate interactions has implications in terms of addressing psychiatric disorders related to stress. This review sheds light on the complex interactions between cognitive processes, emotions, and their neural bases. In this endeavor, our aim is to reshape the comprehension of fear, stress, and their implications for emotional well-being, ultimately aiding in the development of therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Battaglia
- Center for Studies and Research in Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Psychology “Renzo Canestrari”, Cesena Campus, Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna, 47521 Cesena, Italy
- Department of Psychology, University of Turin, 10124 Turin, Italy
| | - Chiara Di Fazio
- Center for Studies and Research in Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Psychology “Renzo Canestrari”, Cesena Campus, Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna, 47521 Cesena, Italy
- Department of Psychology, University of Turin, 10124 Turin, Italy
| | - Matteo Mazzà
- Center for Studies and Research in Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Psychology “Renzo Canestrari”, Cesena Campus, Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna, 47521 Cesena, Italy
| | - Marco Tamietto
- Department of Psychology, University of Turin, 10124 Turin, Italy
| | - Alessio Avenanti
- Center for Studies and Research in Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Psychology “Renzo Canestrari”, Cesena Campus, Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna, 47521 Cesena, Italy
- Neuropsicology and Cognitive Neuroscience Research Center (CINPSI Neurocog), Universidad Católica del Maule, Talca 3460000, Chile
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8
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Hashizume M, Ito R, Suge R, Hojo Y, Murakami G, Murakoshi T. Correlation Between Cued Fear Memory Retrieval and Oscillatory Network Inhibition in the Amygdala Is Disrupted by Acute REM Sleep Deprivation. Neuroscience 2024; 536:12-20. [PMID: 37944580 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2023.08.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2022] [Revised: 08/25/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
The basolateral amygdaloid complex (BLA) is critically involved in emotional behaviors, such as aversive memory formation. In particular, fear memory after cued fear conditioning is strongly associated with the BLA, whereas both the BLA and hippocampus are essential for contextual fear memory formation. In the present study, we examined the effects of acute (3 h) sleep deprivation (SD) on BLA-associated fear memory in juvenile (P24-32) rats and performed in vitro electrophysiology using whole-cell patch clamping from the basolateral nucleus (BA) of the BLA. BA projection neurons exhibit the network oscillation, i.e., spontaneous oscillatory bursts of inhibitory transmission at 0.1-3 Hz, as previously reported. In the present study, SD either before or after fear conditioning (FC) disturbed the acquisition of tone-associated fear memory without significant effects on contextual fear memory. FC reduced the power of the oscillatory activity, but SD did not further reduce the oscillation power. Oscillation power was correlated with tone-associated freezing rate (FR) in SD-free fear-conditioned rats, but this relation was disrupted in SD treated group. Rhythm index (RI), the rhythmicity of the oscillation, quantified by autocorrelation analysis, also correlated with tone-associated FR in the combined data, including FC alone and FC with SD. These results suggest that slow network oscillation in the amygdala contributes to the formation of amygdala-dependent fear memory in relation to sleep.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miki Hashizume
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Saitama Medical University, Japan
| | - Rina Ito
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Saitama Medical University, Japan
| | - Rie Suge
- Department of Liberal Arts, Faculty of Medicine, Saitama Medical University, Japan
| | - Yasushi Hojo
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Saitama Medical University, Japan
| | - Gen Murakami
- Department of Liberal Arts, Faculty of Medicine, Saitama Medical University, Japan
| | - Takayuki Murakoshi
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Saitama Medical University, Japan.
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9
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Brosens N, Lesuis SL, Rao-Ruiz P, van den Oever MC, Krugers HJ. Shaping Memories Via Stress: A Synaptic Engram Perspective. Biol Psychiatry 2023:S0006-3223(23)01720-1. [PMID: 37977215 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2023.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2023] [Revised: 10/09/2023] [Accepted: 11/05/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
Stress modulates the activity of various memory systems and can thereby guide behavioral interaction with the environment in an adaptive or maladaptive manner. At the cellular level, a large body of evidence indicates that (nor)adrenaline and glucocorticoid release induced by acute stress exposure affects synapse function and synaptic plasticity, which are critical substrates for learning and memory. Recent evidence suggests that memories are supported in the brain by sparsely distributed neurons within networks, termed engram cell ensembles. While the physiological and molecular effects of stress on the synapse are increasingly well characterized, how these synaptic modifications shape the multiscale dynamics of engram cell ensembles is still poorly understood. In this review, we discuss and integrate recent information on how acute stress affects synapse function and how this may alter engram cell ensembles and their synaptic connectivity to shape memory strength and memory precision. We provide a mechanistic framework of a synaptic engram under stress and put forward outstanding questions that address knowledge gaps in our understanding of the mechanisms that underlie stress-induced memory modulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niek Brosens
- Brain Plasticity Group, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences-Center for Neuroscience, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
| | - Sylvie L Lesuis
- Brain Plasticity Group, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences-Center for Neuroscience, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Cellular and Cognitive Neuroscience group, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences-Center for Neuroscience, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Priyanka Rao-Ruiz
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Michel C van den Oever
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Harm J Krugers
- Brain Plasticity Group, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences-Center for Neuroscience, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
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10
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Ali Vafaei A, Nazari M, Omoumi S, Rashidy-Pour A, Raise-Abdullahi P. Corticosterone injection into the basolateral amygdala before and after memory reactivation impairs the subsequent expression of fear memory in rats: An interaction of glucocorticoids and β-adrenoceptors. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2023; 205:107829. [PMID: 37734437 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2023.107829] [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: 12/12/2022] [Revised: 08/15/2023] [Accepted: 09/17/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023]
Abstract
Glucocorticoid administration, before or after fear memory reactivation, impairs subsequent fear memory expression, but the underlying mechanisms are not well understood. The present study examined the role of basolateral amygdala (BLA) β-adrenoceptors in the effects of intra-BLA corticosterone injection on fear memory in rats. Bilateral cannulae were implanted in the BLA of Wistar male rats. The rats were trained and tested using an inhibitory avoidance task (1 mA footshock for 3 s). Forty-eight hours after training, corticosterone (CORT, 5, 10, or 20 ng/0.5 µl/side) and the β2-adrenoceptor agonist clenbuterol (CLEN, 10 or 20 ng/0.5 µl/side) or the β-adrenoceptor antagonist propranolol (PROP, 250 or 500 ng/0.5 µl/side) were injected into the BLA before or right after memory reactivation (retrieval, Test 1). We performed subsequent tests 2 (Test 2), 5 (Test 3), 7 (Test 4), and 9 (Test 5) days after Test 1. The results demonstrated that CORT injection before Test 1 disrupted memory retrieval and reduced fear expression in Tests 2-5, possibly due to enhanced extinction or impaired reconsolidation. CORT injection after Test 1 also impaired reconsolidation and reduced fear expression in Tests 2-5. CLEN prevented, but PROP exacerbated, the effects of CORT on fear expression. The reminder shock did not recover fear memory in CORT-treated animals, suggesting that reconsolidation, not extinction, was affected. These results indicate that glucocorticoids and β-adrenoceptors in the BLA jointly modulate fear memory reconsolidation and expression. Comprehending the neurobiology of stress and the impact of glucocorticoids on fear memory may lead to new treatments for stress and trauma-induced disorders such as PTSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abbas Ali Vafaei
- Research Center of Physiology, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran; Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran
| | - Maryam Nazari
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Arak University of Medical Sciences, Arak, Iran
| | - Samira Omoumi
- Research Center of Physiology, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran
| | - Ali Rashidy-Pour
- Research Center of Physiology, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran; Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran.
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11
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Jeanneteau F. Fast signaling by glucocorticoids shapes neural representations of behaviors. Steroids 2023; 199:109294. [PMID: 37549777 DOI: 10.1016/j.steroids.2023.109294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Revised: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 08/04/2023] [Indexed: 08/09/2023]
Abstract
Glucocorticoids are stress hormones that play central roles in the immediate and slower adaptive responses of the brain and body to new behavioral experience. The exact mechanisms by which the rapid and slow processes underlying glucocorticoid mnemonic effects unfold are under intensive scrutiny. It is possible that glucocorticoids rapidly modify memory representations in the brain by interfering with synaptic functions between inhibitory and excitatory neurons in a timing and context dependent manner. In particular, activity-dependent trans-synaptic messengers appear to have all the necessary attributes to engage in the rapid signaling by glucocorticoids and regulate the brain and behaviors. Novel frameworks for the treatment of stress-related disorders could emerge from a better characterization of the dynamic interplay between the rapid and slow signaling components by glucocorticoids on large-scale brain networks. Here I present some of the exact factors that could help reach this objective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Freddy Jeanneteau
- Institut de génomique fonctionnelle , Université de Montpellier, INSERM, CNRS, 141 rue de la Cardonille, 34090, Montpellier, France.
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12
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Solano JL, Novoa C, Lamprea MR, Ortega LA. Stress effects on spatial memory retrieval and brain c-Fos expression pattern in adults are modulated by early nicotine exposure. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2023; 205:107831. [PMID: 37730099 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2023.107831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2023] [Revised: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 09/17/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023]
Abstract
The cognitive effects of nicotine are linked to persistent modifications in extended neural systems that regulate cognitive and emotional processes, and these changes occur during development. Additionally, acute stress has modulatory effects on cognition that involve broad neural systems and can be influenced by prior environmental challenges. The effects of nicotine and stress may be interconnected, leading to modifications in a network of shared brain substrates. Here, we explored the interaction between nicotine and stress by evaluating the effects of acute stress exposure in spatial memory retrieval for animals pretreated with nicotine during adolescence or adulthood. Adolescent (35 days old) and adult (70 days old) male Wistar rats were treated for 21 days with one daily subcutaneous injection of nicotine 0.14 mg/ml (free base). 30 days after the last injection, rats were trained in the Barnes maze and tested 24 h later, half the rats were tested under regular conditions, and half of them were exposed to 1 h of restraining stress before the retrieval test, and brain samples were collected and c-Fos immunopositive cells were stained. Prolonged nicotine withdrawal or acute stress improved spatial memory retrieval. Acute stress in nicotine pretreated adults impaired spatial memory retrieval. Nicotine exposure during early adulthood resulted in long-lasting brain adaptations that amplified emotional responses to acute stress after prolonged drug withdrawal.
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Affiliation(s)
- José L Solano
- Laboratorio de Neurociencias, Departamento de Psicología, Facultad de Ciencias Humanas, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Colombia
| | - Carlos Novoa
- Laboratorio de Neurociencias, Departamento de Psicología, Facultad de Ciencias Humanas, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Colombia
| | - Marisol R Lamprea
- Laboratorio de Neurociencias, Departamento de Psicología, Facultad de Ciencias Humanas, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Colombia
| | - Leonardo A Ortega
- Facultad de Psicología, Fundación Universitaria Konrad Lorenz, Colombia.
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13
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Sherman BE, Harris BB, Turk-Browne NB, Sinha R, Goldfarb EV. Hippocampal Mechanisms Support Cortisol-Induced Memory Enhancements. J Neurosci 2023; 43:7198-7212. [PMID: 37813570 PMCID: PMC10601369 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0916-23.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2023] [Revised: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 09/09/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Stress can powerfully influence episodic memory, often enhancing memory encoding for emotionally salient information. These stress-induced memory enhancements stand at odds with demonstrations that stress and the stress-related hormone cortisol can negatively affect the hippocampus, a brain region important for episodic memory encoding. To resolve this apparent conflict and determine whether and how the hippocampus supports memory encoding under cortisol, we combined behavioral assays of associative memory, high-resolution fMRI, and pharmacological manipulation of cortisol in a within-participant, double-blinded procedure (in both sexes). Behaviorally, hydrocortisone promoted the encoding of subjectively arousing, positive associative memories. Neurally, hydrocortisone led to enhanced functional connectivity between hippocampal subregions, which predicted subsequent memory enhancements for emotional associations. Cortisol also modified the relationship between hippocampal representations and associative memory: whereas hippocampal signatures of distinctiveness predicted memory under placebo, relative integration predicted memory under cortisol. Together, these data provide novel evidence that the human hippocampus contains the necessary machinery to support emotional associative memory enhancements under cortisol.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Our daily lives are filled with stressful events, which powerfully shape the way we form episodic memories. For example, stress and stress-related hormones can enhance our memory for emotional events. However, the mechanisms underlying these memory benefits are unclear. In the current study, we combined functional neuroimaging, behavioral tests of memory, and double-blind, placebo-controlled hydrocortisone administration to uncover the effects of the stress-related hormone cortisol on the function of the human hippocampus, a brain region important for episodic memory. We identified novel ways in which cortisol can enhance hippocampal function to promote emotional memories, highlighting the adaptive role of cortisol in shaping memory formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brynn E Sherman
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia 19104
| | - Bailey B Harris
- Department of Psychology, UCLA, Los Angeles, California 90095
| | - Nicholas B Turk-Browne
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520
- Wu Tsai Institute, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06510
| | - Rajita Sinha
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06511
| | - Elizabeth V Goldfarb
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520
- Wu Tsai Institute, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06510
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06511
- National Center for PTSD, VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, Connecticut 06477
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14
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Rouhani N, Niv Y, Frank MJ, Schwabe L. Multiple routes to enhanced memory for emotionally relevant events. Trends Cogn Sci 2023; 27:867-882. [PMID: 37479601 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2023.06.006] [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: 09/29/2022] [Revised: 06/13/2023] [Accepted: 06/15/2023] [Indexed: 07/23/2023]
Abstract
Events associated with aversive or rewarding outcomes are prioritized in memory. This memory boost is commonly attributed to the elicited affective response, closely linked to noradrenergic and dopaminergic modulation of hippocampal plasticity. Herein we review and compare this 'affect' mechanism to an additional, recently discovered, 'prediction' mechanism whereby memories are strengthened by the extent to which outcomes deviate from expectations, that is, by prediction errors (PEs). The mnemonic impact of PEs is separate from the affective outcome itself and has a distinct neural signature. While both routes enhance memory, these mechanisms are linked to different - and sometimes opposing - predictions for memory integration. We discuss new findings that highlight mechanisms by which emotional events strengthen, integrate, and segment memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina Rouhani
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering and Division of Humanities and Social Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Yael Niv
- Department of Psychology and Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Michael J Frank
- Department of Cognitive, Linguistic & Psychological Sciences and Carney Institute for Brain Science, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Lars Schwabe
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, Institute of Psychology, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany.
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15
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Fricke K, Alexander N, Jacobsen T, Krug H, Wehkamp K, Vogel S. The effects of hydrocortisone and yohimbine on human behavior in approach-avoidance conflicts. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2023; 240:1705-1717. [PMID: 37314480 PMCID: PMC10265560 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-023-06396-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2022] [Accepted: 05/31/2023] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Balancing approach of positive and avoidance of negative stimuli is essential when faced with approach-avoidance conflicts, e.g., situations with both positive and negative outcomes. This balance is disturbed in several mental disorders, e.g., excessive avoidance in anxiety disorders, and heightened approach in substance use disorders. Since stress is assumed to impact these disorders' etiology and maintenance, it seems crucial to understand how stress influences behavior in approach-avoidance conflicts. Indeed, some studies suggested altered approach-avoidance behavior under acute stress, but the mechanism underlying these effects is unknown. OBJECTIVES Investigate how the pharmacological manipulation of major stress mediators (cortisol and noradrenaline) influences task-based approach-avoidance conflict behavior in healthy individuals. METHODS Ninety-six participants (48 women, 48 men) received either 20mg hydrocortisone, 20mg yohimbine, both, or placebo before performing a task targeting foraging under predation in a fully crossed double-blind between-subject design. Moreover, we investigated effects of gender and endogenous testosterone and estradiol levels on approach-avoidance behavior. RESULTS While biological stress markers (cortisol concentration, alpha amylase activity) indicated successful pharmacological manipulation, behavior in approach-avoidance conflicts was not affected as expected. Although yohimbine administration affected risky foraging latency under predation, we found no main effect of hydrocortisone or their interaction on behavior. In contrast, we found gender differences for almost all behavioral outcome measures, which might be explained by differences in endogenous testosterone levels. CONCLUSIONS The investigated major stress mediators were not sufficient to imitate previously shown stress effects on approach-avoidance conflict behavior. We discuss potential reasons for our findings and implications for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kim Fricke
- Department of Psychology, Medical School Hamburg, Am Kaiserkai 1, 20457, Hamburg, Germany.
- ICAN Institute for Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, Medical School Hamburg, Am Kaiserkai 1, 20457, Hamburg, Germany.
| | - Nina Alexander
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Philipps University Marburg, Rudolf-Bultmann-Str. 8, 35039, Marburg, Germany
| | - Thomas Jacobsen
- Experimental Psychology Unit, Helmut-Schmidt-University/University of the Federal Armed Forces Hamburg, Holstenhofweg 85, 22043, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Henriette Krug
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Medical School Hamburg, Am Kaiserkai 1, 20457, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Kai Wehkamp
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Medical School Hamburg, Am Kaiserkai 1, 20457, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Susanne Vogel
- Department of Psychology, Medical School Hamburg, Am Kaiserkai 1, 20457, Hamburg, Germany
- ICAN Institute for Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, Medical School Hamburg, Am Kaiserkai 1, 20457, Hamburg, Germany
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16
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Martinez JD, Wilson LG, Brancaleone WP, Peterson KG, Popke DS, Garzon VC, Perez Tremble RE, Donnelly MJ, Mendez Ortega SL, Torres D, Shaver JJ, Clawson BC, Jiang S, Yang Z, Aton SJ. Hypnotic treatment reverses NREM sleep disruption and EEG desynchronization in a mouse model of Fragile X syndrome to rescue memory consolidation deficits. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.07.14.549070. [PMID: 37502832 PMCID: PMC10370139 DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.14.549070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is a highly-prevalent genetic cause of intellectual disability, associated with disrupted cognition and sleep abnormalities. Sleep loss itself negatively impacts cognitive function, yet the contribution of sleep loss to impaired cognition in FXS is vastly understudied. One untested possibility is that disrupted cognition in FXS is exacerbated by abnormal sleep. We hypothesized that restoration of sleep-dependent mechanisms could improve functions such as memory consolidation in FXS. We examined whether administration of ML297, a hypnotic drug acting on G-protein-activated inward-rectifying potassium channels, could restore sleep phenotypes and improve disrupted memory consolidation in Fmr1 -/y mice. Using 24-h polysomnographic recordings, we found that Fmr1 -/y mice exhibit reduced non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep and fragmented NREM sleep architecture, alterations in NREM EEG spectral power (including reductions in sleep spindles), and reduced EEG coherence between cortical areas. These alterations were reversed in the hours following ML297 administration. Hypnotic treatment following contextual fear or spatial learning also ameliorated disrupted memory consolidation in Fmr1 -/y mice. Hippocampal activation patterns during memory recall was altered in Fmr1 -/y mice, reflecting an altered balance of activity among principal neurons vs. parvalbumin-expressing (PV+) interneurons. This phenotype was partially reversed by post-learning ML297 administration. These studies suggest that sleep disruption could have a major impact on neurophysiological and behavioral phenotypes in FXS, and that hypnotic therapy may significantly improve disrupted cognition in this disorder.
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17
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Kouhnavardi S, Cabatic M, Mañas-Padilla MC, Malabanan MA, Smani T, Cicvaric A, Muñoz Aranzalez EA, Koenig X, Urban E, Lubec G, Castilla-Ortega E, Monje FJ. miRNA-132/212 Deficiency Disrupts Selective Corticosterone Modulation of Dorsal vs. Ventral Hippocampal Metaplasticity. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:9565. [PMID: 37298523 PMCID: PMC10253409 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24119565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Revised: 05/21/2023] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Cortisol is a potent human steroid hormone that plays key roles in the central nervous system, influencing processes such as brain neuronal synaptic plasticity and regulating the expression of emotional and behavioral responses. The relevance of cortisol stands out in the disease, as its dysregulation is associated with debilitating conditions such as Alzheimer's Disease, chronic stress, anxiety and depression. Among other brain regions, cortisol importantly influences the function of the hippocampus, a structure central for memory and emotional information processing. The mechanisms fine-tuning the different synaptic responses of the hippocampus to steroid hormone signaling remain, however, poorly understood. Using ex vivo electrophysiology and wild type (WT) and miR-132/miR-212 microRNAs knockout (miRNA-132/212-/-) mice, we examined the effects of corticosterone (the rodent's equivalent to cortisol in humans) on the synaptic properties of the dorsal and ventral hippocampus. In WT mice, corticosterone predominantly inhibited metaplasticity in the dorsal WT hippocampi, whereas it significantly dysregulated both synaptic transmission and metaplasticity at dorsal and ventral regions of miR-132/212-/- hippocampi. Western blotting further revealed significantly augmented levels of endogenous CREB and a significant CREB reduction in response to corticosterone only in miR-132/212-/- hippocampi. Sirt1 levels were also endogenously enhanced in the miR-132/212-/- hippocampi but unaltered by corticosterone, whereas the levels of phospo-MSK1 were only reduced by corticosterone in WT, not in miR-132/212-/- hippocampi. In behavioral studies using the elevated plus maze, miRNA-132/212-/- mice further showed reduced anxiety-like behavior. These observations propose miRNA-132/212 as potential region-selective regulators of the effects of steroid hormones on hippocampal functions, thus likely fine-tuning hippocampus-dependent memory and emotional processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shima Kouhnavardi
- Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Department of Neurophysiology and Neuropharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Maureen Cabatic
- Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Department of Neurophysiology and Neuropharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Marife-Astrid Malabanan
- Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Department of Neurophysiology and Neuropharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Tarik Smani
- Department of Medical Physiology and Biophysics, University of Seville, 41013 Seville, Spain
| | - Ana Cicvaric
- Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Department of Neurophysiology and Neuropharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
- Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY 10461, USA
| | - Edison Alejandro Muñoz Aranzalez
- Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Department of Neurophysiology and Neuropharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Xaver Koenig
- Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Department of Neurophysiology and Neuropharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Ernst Urban
- Department for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Josef-Holaubek-Platz 2, 2D 303, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Gert Lubec
- Programme for Proteomics, Paracelsus Medical University, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
| | | | - Francisco J. Monje
- Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Department of Neurophysiology and Neuropharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
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18
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Qasim SE, Mohan UR, Stein JM, Jacobs J. Neuronal activity in the human amygdala and hippocampus enhances emotional memory encoding. Nat Hum Behav 2023; 7:754-764. [PMID: 36646837 PMCID: PMC11243592 DOI: 10.1038/s41562-022-01502-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2022] [Accepted: 11/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Emotional events comprise our strongest and most valuable memories. Here we examined how the brain prioritizes emotional information for storage using direct brain recording and deep brain stimulation. First, 148 participants undergoing intracranial electroencephalographic (iEEG) recording performed an episodic memory task. Participants were most successful at remembering emotionally arousing stimuli. High-frequency activity (HFA), a correlate of neuronal spiking activity, increased in both the hippocampus and the amygdala when participants successfully encoded emotional stimuli. Next, in a subset of participants (N = 19), we show that applying high-frequency electrical stimulation to the hippocampus selectively diminished memory for emotional stimuli and specifically decreased HFA. Finally, we show that individuals with depression (N = 19) also exhibit diminished emotion-mediated memory and HFA. By demonstrating how direct stimulation and symptoms of depression unlink HFA, emotion and memory, we show the causal and translational potential of neural activity in the amygdalohippocampal circuit for prioritizing emotionally arousing memories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Salman E Qasim
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Uma R Mohan
- Surgical Neurology Branch, NINDS, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Joel M Stein
- Department of Radiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Joshua Jacobs
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
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19
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Leite JA, Orellana AM, Andreotti DZ, Matumoto AM, de Souza Ports NM, de Sá Lima L, Kawamoto EM, Munhoz CD, Scavone C. Ouabain Reverts CUS-Induced Disruption of the HPA Axis and Avoids Long-Term Spatial Memory Deficits. Biomedicines 2023; 11:biomedicines11041177. [PMID: 37189795 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11041177] [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] [Received: 02/13/2023] [Revised: 03/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Ouabain (OUA) is a cardiotonic steroid that modulates Na+, K+ -ATPase activity. OUA has been identified as an endogenous substance that is present in human plasma, and it has been shown to be associated with the response to acute stress in both animals and humans. Chronic stress is a major aggravating factor in psychiatric disorders, including depression and anxiety. The present work investigates the effects of the intermittent administration of OUA (1.8 μg/kg) during the chronic unpredictable stress (CUS) protocol in a rat's central nervous system (CNS). The results suggest that the intermittent OUA treatment reversed CUS-induced HPA axis hyperactivity through a reduction in (i) glucocorticoids levels, (ii) CRH-CRHR1 expression, and by decreasing neuroinflammation with a reduction in iNOS activity, without interfering with the expression of antioxidant enzymes. These changes in both the hypothalamus and hippocampus may reflect in the rapid extinction of aversive memory. The present data demonstrate the ability of OUA to modulate the HPA axis, as well as to revert CUS-induced long-term spatial memory deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacqueline Alves Leite
- Departament of Pharmacology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-000, Brazil
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia 74690-900, Brazil
| | - Ana Maria Orellana
- Departament of Pharmacology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-000, Brazil
| | - Diana Zukas Andreotti
- Departament of Pharmacology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-000, Brazil
| | - Amanda Midori Matumoto
- Departament of Pharmacology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-000, Brazil
| | | | - Larissa de Sá Lima
- Departament of Pharmacology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-000, Brazil
| | - Elisa Mitiko Kawamoto
- Departament of Pharmacology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-000, Brazil
| | - Carolina Demarchi Munhoz
- Departament of Pharmacology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-000, Brazil
| | - Cristoforo Scavone
- Departament of Pharmacology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-000, Brazil
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20
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Mancini GF, Meijer OC, Campolongo P. Stress in adolescence as a first hit in stress-related disease development: Timing and context are crucial. Front Neuroendocrinol 2023; 69:101065. [PMID: 37001566 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2023.101065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2022] [Revised: 03/22/2023] [Accepted: 03/25/2023] [Indexed: 04/06/2023]
Abstract
The two-hit stress model predicts that exposure to stress at two different time-points in life may increase or decrease the risk of developing stress-related disorders later in life. Most studies based on the two-hit stress model have investigated early postnatal stress as the first hit with adult stress as the second hit. Adolescence, however, represents another highly sensitive developmental window during which exposure to stressful events may affect programming outcomes following exposure to stress in adulthood. Here, we discuss the programming effects of different types of stressors (social and nonsocial) occurring during adolescence (first hit) and how such stressors affect the responsiveness toward an additional stressor occurring during adulthood (second hit) in rodents. We then provide a comprehensive overview of the potential mechanisms underlying interindividual and sex differences in the resilience/susceptibility to developing stress-related disorders later in life when stress is experienced in two different life stages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia F Mancini
- Dept. of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 ZA Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Onno C Meijer
- Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 ZA Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Patrizia Campolongo
- Dept. of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; Neuropsychopharmacology Unit, IRCSS Fondazione Santa Lucia, 00143 Rome, Italy.
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21
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Meamar M, Rashidy-Pour A, Vafaei AA, Raise-Abdullahi P. β-adrenoceptors of the infra-limbic cortex mediate corticosterone-induced enhancement of acquisition and consolidation of fear memory extinction in rats. Behav Brain Res 2023; 442:114310. [PMID: 36706807 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2023.114310] [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: 12/18/2022] [Revised: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
The extinction of auditory fear conditioning (AFC) refers to reducing the fear responses induced following repeated presentation of a conditioned stimulus (tone) in the absence of an unconditioned stimulus (electric foot shock). Glucocorticoid receptors (GRs) play an important role in extinction, but the underlying neurobiological mechanisms are unclear. This study aimed to investigate the interaction between glucocorticoids and β-adrenoceptors of the infra-limbic cortex (IL) in regulating the acquisition and consolidation of fear memory extinction in rats. Male rats were trained to AFC and received three trial tones (30 s, 4 kHz, 80 dB) co-terminated with a footshock (0.8 mA, 1 s; unconditioned stimulus). Extinction trials were conducted over 3 days after training (Ext 1-3). In experiment 1, rats received clenbuterol (0.25 mg/kg/2 ml, IP) as a β2-adrenoceptor agonist or propranolol (2.5 mg/kg/2 ml, IP) as a β-adrenoceptors antagonist before Ext 1 and immediately after Ext 1 and Ext 2 followed by systemic injection of corticosterone (3 mg/kg/2 ml, IP). In Experiment 2, separate groups of rats received a bilateral intra-IL injection of clenbuterol (50 ng/0.5 µl/side) or propranolol (500 ng/0.5 µl/side) followed by a systemic injection of corticosterone (3 mg/kg/2 ml) before Ext 1 and immediately after Ext 1 and Ext 2. Results indicated that systemic and intra-IL injections of clenbuterol and propranolol inhibited and increased the facilitative effects of corticosterone on fear memory extinction, respectively. These findings show that activating β-adrenergic receptors in the IL mediates glucocorticoid effects on the acquisition and consolidation of auditory-conditioned fear memory extinction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morvarid Meamar
- Research Center of Physiology, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran
| | - Ali Rashidy-Pour
- Research Center of Physiology, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran; Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran
| | - Abbas Ali Vafaei
- Research Center of Physiology, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran; Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran.
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22
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Martinez JD, Brancaleone WP, Peterson KG, Wilson LG, Aton SJ. Atypical hypnotic compound ML297 restores sleep architecture immediately following emotionally valenced learning, to promote memory consolidation and hippocampal network activation during recall. Sleep 2023; 46:zsac301. [PMID: 36510822 PMCID: PMC9995787 DOI: 10.1093/sleep/zsac301] [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: 07/15/2022] [Revised: 10/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Sleep plays a critical role in consolidating many forms of hippocampus-dependent memory. While various classes of hypnotic drugs have been developed in recent years, it remains unknown whether, or how, some of them affect sleep-dependent memory consolidation mechanisms. We find that ML297, a recently developed candidate hypnotic agent targeting a new mechanism (activating GIRK1/2-subunit containing G-protein coupled inwardly rectifying potassium [GIRK] channels), alters sleep architecture in mice over the first 6 hr following a single-trial learning event. Following contextual fear conditioning (CFC), ML297 reversed post-CFC reductions in NREM sleep spindle power and REM sleep amounts and architecture, renormalizing sleep features to what was observed at baseline, prior to CFC. Renormalization of post-CFC REM sleep latency, REM sleep amounts, and NREM spindle power were all associated with improved contextual fear memory (CFM) consolidation. We find that improvements in CFM consolidation due to ML297 are sleep-dependent, and are associated with increased numbers of highly activated dentate gyrus (DG), CA1, and CA3 neurons during CFM recall. Together our findings suggest that GIRK1/2 channel activation restores normal sleep architecture- including REM sleep, which is normally suppressed following CFC-and increases the number of hippocampal neurons incorporated into the CFM engram during memory consolidation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessy D Martinez
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - William P Brancaleone
- Undergraduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Kathryn G Peterson
- Undergraduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Lydia G Wilson
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Sara J Aton
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
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23
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Cohen H, Ephraim‐Oluwanuga OT, Akintunde OT, Gureje O, Matar MA, Todder D, Zohar J. The potential beneficial effect of sleep deprivation following traumatic events to preventing PTSD: Review of current insight regarding sleep, memory, and trauma resonating with ancient rituals-Àìsùn Oku (African) and Tsuya (Japanese). Neuropsychopharmacol Rep 2023; 43:2-11. [PMID: 36622038 PMCID: PMC10009425 DOI: 10.1002/npr2.12311] [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: 09/11/2022] [Revised: 11/17/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Sleep figures in numerous ancient texts, for example, Epic of Gilgamesh, and has been a focus for countless mystical and philosophical texts. Even in the present century, sleep remains one of the most complex behaviors whose function still remains to be further explored. Current hypotheses suggest that among other functions, sleep contributes to memory processes. Memory is a core topic of study in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other stress-related phenomena. It is widely accepted that sleep plays a major role in the consolidation of newly encoded hippocampus-dependent memories to pre-existing knowledge networks. Conversely, sleep deprivation disrupts consolidation and impairs memory retrieval. Along this line, sleep deprivation following a potentially traumatic event may interfere with the consolidation of event-related memories and, thereby, may reduce long-term post-traumatic stress-related symptoms. This review consolidates clinical and animal studies on the relationships between sleep, sleep deprivation, memory processes, and trauma exposure while introducing new contemporary insights into an ancient African tribal ritual (Àìsùn Oku) and Japanese ceremony ritual (Tsuya). We propose that these findings, focusing specifically on the effects of sleep deprivation in the immediate aftermath of traumatic events, may be explored as a possible therapeutic measure. Along with a summary of the field questions on whether sleep is performed "to remember" or "to forget" we lay the rationale for using sleep deprivation as a clinical tool. A tool that may partially prevent the long-term persistence of these traumatic events' memory and thereby, at least partly, attenuating the development of PTSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hagit Cohen
- Ministry of Health, Anxiety and Stress Research Unit, Faculty of Health Sciences, Beer‐Sheva Mental Health CenterBen‐Gurion University of the NegevBeer‐ShevaIsrael
| | | | - Orunmuyi T. Akintunde
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, College of MedicineUniversity of IbadanIbadanNigeria
| | - Oye Gureje
- Department of PsychiatryCollege of Health Sciences University of AbujaAbujaNigeria
| | - Michael A. Matar
- Ministry of Health, Anxiety and Stress Research Unit, Faculty of Health Sciences, Beer‐Sheva Mental Health CenterBen‐Gurion University of the NegevBeer‐ShevaIsrael
| | - Doron Todder
- Ministry of Health, Anxiety and Stress Research Unit, Faculty of Health Sciences, Beer‐Sheva Mental Health CenterBen‐Gurion University of the NegevBeer‐ShevaIsrael
| | - Joseph Zohar
- Post‐Trauma Center, Sheba Medical CenterTel Aviv UniversityTel AvivIsrael
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Sherman BE, Harris BB, Turk-Browne NB, Sinha R, Goldfarb EV. Hippocampal mechanisms support cortisol-induced memory enhancements. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.02.08.527745. [PMID: 36798309 PMCID: PMC9934703 DOI: 10.1101/2023.02.08.527745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/11/2023]
Abstract
Stress can powerfully influence episodic memory, often enhancing memory encoding for emotionally salient information. These stress-induced memory enhancements stand at odds with demonstrations that stress and the stress-related hormone cortisol can negatively affect the hippocampus, a brain region important for episodic memory encoding. To resolve this apparent conflict and determine whether and how the hippocampus supports memory encoding under cortisol, we combined behavioral assays of associative memory, high-resolution functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), and pharmacological manipulation of cortisol in a within-participant, double-blinded procedure. Hydrocortisone led to enhanced functional connectivity between hippocampal subregions, which predicted subsequent memory enhancements for emotional information. Cortisol also modified the relationship between hippocampal representations and memory: whereas hippocampal signatures of distinctiveness predicted memory under placebo, relative integration predicted memory under cortisol. Together, these data provide novel evidence that the human hippocampus contains the necessary machinery to support emotional memory enhancements under stress.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Elizabeth V Goldfarb
- Department of Psychology, Yale University
- Wu Tsai Institute, Yale University
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University
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25
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Ahmed Z, Tokhi A, Arif M, Rehman NU, Sheibani V, Rauf K, Sewell RDE. Fraxetin attenuates disrupted behavioral and central neurochemical activity in a model of chronic unpredictable stress. Front Pharmacol 2023; 14:1135497. [PMID: 37033640 PMCID: PMC10078985 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1135497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2022] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 04/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose: Chronic unpredictable stress (CUS) induces long-term neuronal and synaptic plasticity with a neurohormonal disbalance leading to the development of co-existing anxiety, depression, and cognitive decline. The side effects and delayed onset of current clinically used antidepressants has prompted a quest for antidepressants with minimum drawbacks. Fraxetin is a natural coumarin derivative with documented antioxidant and neuroprotective activity though its effects on stress are unknown. This study therefore aimed to investigate any possible acute effect of fraxetin in behavioral tests including a CUS paradigm in correlation with brain regional neurochemical changes. Methods: Mice were subjected to a series of mild stressors for 14 days to induce CUS. Furthermore, behavioral performance in the open field test, forced swim test (FST), Y-maze and elevated plus-maze were evaluated. Postmortem frontal cortical, hippocampal and striatal tissues were analyzed via high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) for neurochemical changes. Result: Acute administration of fraxetin (20-60 mg/kg, orally) decreased depression-like behavior in the FST and behavioral anxiety in both the open field test and elevated plus-maze. Memory deficits induced during the CUS paradigm were markedly improved as reflected by enhanced Y maze performance. Concurrent biochemical and neurochemical analyses revealed that only the two higher fraxetin doses decreased elevated serum corticosterone levels while diminished serotonin levels in the frontal cortex, striatum and hippocampus were reversed, though noradrenaline was only raised in the striatum. Concomitantly, dopamine levels were restored by fraxetin at the highest dose exclusively in the frontal cortex. Conclusion: Acute treatment with fraxetin attenuated CUS-induced behavioral deficits, ameliorated the increased corticosterone level and restored altered regional neurotransmitter levels and this may indicate a potential application of fraxetin in the management of anxiety and depression modeled by CUS. However, further studies are warranted regarding the chronic effects of fraxetin behaviorally and neurochemically.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zainab Ahmed
- Department of Pharmacy, COMSATS University Islamabad, Abbottabad campus, Abbottabad, Pakistan
| | - Ahmed Tokhi
- Department of Pharmacy, COMSATS University Islamabad, Abbottabad campus, Abbottabad, Pakistan
| | - Mehreen Arif
- Department of Pharmacy, COMSATS University Islamabad, Abbottabad campus, Abbottabad, Pakistan
| | - Naeem Ur Rehman
- Department of Pharmacy, COMSATS University Islamabad, Abbottabad campus, Abbottabad, Pakistan
| | - Vahid Sheibani
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of MedicalSciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Khalid Rauf
- Department of Pharmacy, COMSATS University Islamabad, Abbottabad campus, Abbottabad, Pakistan
- *Correspondence: Khalid Rauf,
| | - Robert D. E. Sewell
- Cardiff School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
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26
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Lin L, Zhang L, Schwabe L. Reappraisal enhances memory formation for a stressful episode. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2022; 146:105924. [PMID: 36150367 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2022.105924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2022] [Revised: 09/05/2022] [Accepted: 09/08/2022] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
Abstract
Emotion regulation strategies have been shown to modify the physiological response to stress, yet whether these strategies can modulate also cognitive responses to stress is largely unknown. A prominent cognitive response to stress is the enhanced memory formation for the stressful event, which is an adaptive mechanism to prepare for similar events in the future. Thus, the present study aimed to investigate whether emotion regulation strategies impact the memory formation for a stressful episode. In a two-day study, participants (n = 124) underwent an enriched stressful episode or a control episode. Critically, before the exposure to the stressor, they were instructed to use a suppression or reappraisal strategy during the stressful episode. One week later, participants completed a memory test for central and peripheral details of this episode. Our results show that reappraisal enhanced not only the cortisol response to the stressor but also the memory formation for central features of the stressful episode. This reappraisal-related boost of memory for the stressor was particularly pronounced in participants' with high working memory capacity. These findings show that reappraisal may not only impact the physiological response to a stressful event but also the cognitive representation of this event in memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Lin
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, Institute of Psychology, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany; Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Liang Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Lars Schwabe
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, Institute of Psychology, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany.
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27
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Hu N, Long Q, Zhang D, Wang X, Deng M, Li Q, Yan M, Chen A. Stress-induced impairment reveals the stage and features of post-error adaptive adjustment. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:1013170. [DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.1013170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2022] [Accepted: 09/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
An increased reaction time often occurs after error responses (post-error slowing, PES). However, the role of top-down regulation in post-error processing remains to be debated. Impairing cognitive control function through acute stress would help to investigate the role and stage of top-down adaptive regulation in post-error processing. Here, we recruited 50 healthy male participants who were randomly assigned to either a stress condition (Trier Social Stress Task, TSST) or a control condition (control version of the TSST). A color-word Stroop task with different response stimulus intervals (RSIs) was used to investigate the effects of acute stress on different stages of post-error processing. The results showed that cortisol, heart rate, perceived stress level, and negative affect were higher in the stress group (n = 24) than in the control group (n = 26), indicating successful stress induction. The accuracy of post-error response in the control group increased with the extension of RSI, and the reaction time decreased. However, the accuracy of 1,200 ms RSI was close to that of 700 ms RSI in the stress group but was significantly lower than that in the control group. The results suggested that acute stress caused the impairment of top-down adaptive regulation after error. Furthermore, our study manifested adaptive adjustment only in the late stages of post-error processing, indicating the phasic and adaptive features of post-error adjustment.
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Habit Formation and the Effect of Repeated Stress Exposures on Cognitive Flexibility Learning in Horses. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12202818. [DOI: 10.3390/ani12202818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2022] [Revised: 10/13/2022] [Accepted: 10/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Horse training exposes horses to an array of cognitive and ethological challenges. Horses are routinely required to perform behaviours that are not aligned to aspects of their ethology, which may delay learning. While horses readily form habits during training, not all of these responses are considered desirable, resulting in the horse being subject to retraining. This is a form of cognitive flexibility and is critical to the extinction of habits and the learning of new responses. It is underpinned by complex neural processes which can be impaired by chronic or repeated stress. Domestic horses may be repeatedly exposed to multiples stressors. The potential contribution of stress impairments of cognitive flexibility to apparent training failures is not well understood, however research from neuroscience can be used to understand horses’ responses to training. We trained horses to acquire habit-like responses in one of two industry-style aversive instrumental learning scenarios (moving away from the stimulus-instinctual or moving towards the stimulus-non-instinctual) and evaluated the effect of repeated stress exposures on their cognitive flexibility in a reversal task. We measured heart rate as a proxy for noradrenaline release, salivary cortisol and serum Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) to infer possible neural correlates of the learning outcomes. The instinctual task which aligned with innate equine escape responses to aversive stimuli was acquired significantly faster than the non-instinctual task during both learning phases, however contrary to expectations, the repeated stress exposure did not impair the reversal learning. We report a preliminary finding that serum BDNF and salivary cortisol concentrations in horses are positively correlated. The ethological salience of training tasks and cognitive flexibility learning can significantly affect learning in horses and trainers should adapt their practices where such tasks challenge innate equine behaviour.
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29
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Jentsch VL, Pötzl L, Wolf OT, Merz CJ. Hormonal contraceptive usage influences stress hormone effects on cognition and emotion. Front Neuroendocrinol 2022; 67:101012. [PMID: 35798220 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2022.101012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Revised: 06/14/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Men and women partially differ in how they respond to stress and how stress in return affects their cognition and emotion. The influence of hormonal contraceptives (HCs) on this interaction has received little attention, which is surprising given the prevalence of HC usage. This selective review illustrates how HC usage modulates the effects of stress hormones on cognition and emotion. As three examples, we discuss stress hormone effects on episodic memory, fear conditioning and cognitive emotion regulation. The identified studies revealed that stress effects on cognitive-emotional processes in women using HCs were at times reduced or even absent when compared to men or naturally cycling women. Especially striking were the few examples of reversed effects in HC women. As underlying neuroendocrine mechanisms, we discuss influences of HCs on the neuroendocrine stress response and effects of HCs on central glucocorticoid sensitivity. The summarized findings emphasize the need for additional translational research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valerie L Jentsch
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, 44780 Bochum, Germany.
| | - Lisa Pötzl
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, 44780 Bochum, Germany.
| | - Oliver T Wolf
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, 44780 Bochum, Germany.
| | - Christian J Merz
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, 44780 Bochum, Germany.
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30
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Chao OY, Nikolaus S, Yang YM, Huston JP. Neuronal circuitry for recognition memory of object and place in rodent models. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 141:104855. [PMID: 36089106 PMCID: PMC10542956 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2022] [Revised: 08/23/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
Abstract
Rats and mice are used for studying neuronal circuits underlying recognition memory due to their ability to spontaneously remember the occurrence of an object, its place and an association of the object and place in a particular environment. A joint employment of lesions, pharmacological interventions, optogenetics and chemogenetics is constantly expanding our knowledge of the neural basis for recognition memory of object, place, and their association. In this review, we summarize current studies on recognition memory in rodents with a focus on the novel object preference, novel location preference and object-in-place paradigms. The evidence suggests that the medial prefrontal cortex- and hippocampus-connected circuits contribute to recognition memory for object and place. Under certain conditions, the striatum, medial septum, amygdala, locus coeruleus and cerebellum are also involved. We propose that the neuronal circuitry for recognition memory of object and place is hierarchically connected and constructed by different cortical (perirhinal, entorhinal and retrosplenial cortices), thalamic (nucleus reuniens, mediodorsal and anterior thalamic nuclei) and primeval (hypothalamus and interpeduncular nucleus) modules interacting with the medial prefrontal cortex and hippocampus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Owen Y Chao
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Minnesota Medical School, Duluth, MN 55812, USA
| | - Susanne Nikolaus
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich-Heine University, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Yi-Mei Yang
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Minnesota Medical School, Duluth, MN 55812, USA; Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
| | - Joseph P Huston
- Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Institute of Experimental Psychology, Heinrich-Heine University, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany.
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31
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Randomized controlled experimental study of hydrocortisone and D-cycloserine effects on fear extinction in PTSD. Neuropsychopharmacology 2022; 47:1945-1952. [PMID: 34799682 PMCID: PMC9485259 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-021-01222-z] [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] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2021] [Revised: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 10/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Fear extinction underlies prolonged exposure, one of the most well-studied treatments for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). There has been increased interest in exploring pharmacological agents to enhance fear extinction learning in humans and their potential as adjuncts to PE. The objective of such adjuncts is to augment the clinical impact of PE on the durability and magnitude of symptom reduction. In this study, we examined whether hydrocortisone (HC), a corticosteroid, and D-Cycloserine (DCS), an N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor partial agonist, enhance fear extinction learning and consolidation in individuals with PTSD. In a double-blind placebo-controlled 3-group experimental design, 90 individuals with full or subsyndromal PTSD underwent fear conditioning with stimuli that were paired (CS+) or unpaired (CS-) with shock. Extinction learning occurred 72 h later and extinction retention was tested one week after extinction. HC 25 mg, DCS 50 mg or placebo was administered one hour prior to extinction learning. During extinction learning, the DCS and HC groups showed a reduced differential CS+/CS- skin conductance response (SCR) compared to placebo (b = -0.19, CI = -0.01 to -37, p = 0.042 and b = -0.25, CI = -08 to -0.43, p = 0.005, respectively). A nonsignificant trend for a lower differential CS+/CS- SCR in the DCS group, compared to placebo, (b = -0.25, CI = 0.04 to -0.55, p = 0.089) was observed at retention testing, one week later. A single dose of HC and DCS facilitated fear extinction learning in participants with PTSD symptoms. While clinical implications have yet to be determined, our findings suggest that glucocorticoids and NMDA agonists hold promise for facilitating extinction learning in PTSD.
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32
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Stress effects on the top-down control of visuospatial attention: Evidence from cue-dependent alpha oscillations. COGNITIVE, AFFECTIVE, & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2022; 22:722-735. [PMID: 35378719 PMCID: PMC9293795 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-022-00994-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Stress is assumed to inhibit the top-down control of attention and to facilitate bottom-up processing. Evidence from human experiments, however, remains scarce. Previous studies have addressed how stress affects the interplay of bottom-up and top-down mechanisms of attention. A key open question is in how far such effects can actually be attributed to a stress-induced modulation of top-down attention control. We sought to isolate top-down from bottom-up effects by assessing stress effects on anticipatory changes in alpha oscillations that precede stimulus processing. Participants performed in a cued target detection task in which a cue prompted them to covertly shift their attention to left or right screen positions, 20 min after being exposed to the bilateral feet cold pressor test or a warm water control procedure. The stressor led to a substantial increase in cortisol, peaking 20 min post stressor, along with rises in heart rate, blood pressure, and subjective ratings of stress and arousal. As expected, cued attention deployment led to higher alpha power over posterior electrodes contralateral versus ipsilateral to the attended hemifield during the cue-target interval. Importantly, this purely endogenous effect was potentiated by stress, however, significant differences were restricted to the middle of the cue-target interval and thus temporally separated from the appearance of the target. These results indicate that stress does not impair top-down attentional control per se but may introduce a qualitative change modulating the way attention is deployed to meet action goals.
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33
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Dandi E, Spandou E, Tata DA. Investigating the role of environmental enrichment initiated in adolescence against the detrimental effects of chronic unpredictable stress in adulthood: Sex-specific differences in behavioral and neuroendocrinological findings. Behav Processes 2022; 200:104707. [PMID: 35842198 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2022.104707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2022] [Revised: 06/10/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Environmental Enrichment (EE) improves cognitive function and enhances brain plasticity, while chronic stress increases emotionality, impairs learning and memory, and has adverse effects on brain anatomy and biochemistry. We explored the beneficial role of environmental enrichment initiated in adolescence against the negative outcomes of Chronic Unpredictable Stress (CUS) during adulthood on emotional behavior, cognitive function, as well as somatic and neuroendocrine markers in both sexes. Adolescent Wistar rats housed either in enriched or standard housing conditions for 10 weeks. On postnatal day 66, a subgroup from each housing condition was daily exposed to a 4-week stress protocol. Following stress, adult rats underwent behavioral testing to evaluate anxiety, exploration/locomotor activity, depressive-like behavior and spatial learning/memory. Upon completion of behavioral testing, animals were exposed to a 10-m stressful event to test the neuroendocrine response to acute stress. CUS decreased body weight gain and increased adrenal weight. Some stress-induced behavioral adverse effects were sex-specific since learning impairments were limited to males while depressive-like behavior to females. EE housing protected against CUS-related behavioral deficits and body weight loss. Exposure to CUS affected the neuroendocrine response of males to acute stress as revealed by the increased corticosterone levels. Our findings highlight the significant role of EE in adolescence as a protective factor against the negative effects of stress and underline the importance of inclusion of both sexes in animal studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evgenia Dandi
- Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience, School of Psychology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Evangelia Spandou
- Laboratory of Experimental Physiology, School of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Despina A Tata
- Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience, School of Psychology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece.
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Circadian regulation of memory under stress: Endocannabinoids matter. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 138:104712. [PMID: 35643119 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2022] [Revised: 04/27/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Organisms ranging from plants to higher mammals have developed 24-hour oscillation rhythms to optimize physiology to environmental changes and regulate a plethora of neuroendocrine and behavioral processes, including neurotransmitter and hormone regulation, stress response and learning and memory function. Compelling evidence indicates that a wide array of memory processes is strongly influenced by stress- and emotional arousal-activated neurobiological systems, including the endocannabinoid system which has been extensively shown to play an integral role in mediating stress effects on memory. Here, we review findings showing how circadian rhythms and time-of-day influence stress systems and memory performance. We report evidence of circadian regulation of memory under stress, focusing on the role of the endocannabinoid system and highlighting its circadian rhythmicity. Our discussion illustrates how the endocannabinoid system mediates stress effects on memory in a circadian-dependent fashion. We suggest that endocannabinoids might regulate molecular mechanisms that control memory function under circadian and stress influence, with potential important clinical implications for both neurodevelopmental disorders and psychiatric conditions involving memory impairments.
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35
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Enhanced Cognition and Neurogenesis in miR-146b Deficient Mice. Cells 2022; 11:cells11132002. [PMID: 35805086 PMCID: PMC9265316 DOI: 10.3390/cells11132002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Revised: 06/16/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The miR-146 family consists of two microRNAs (miRNAs), miR-146a and miR-146b, which are both known to suppress a variety of immune responses. Here in this study, we show that miR-146b is abundantly expressed in neuronal cells, while miR-146a is mainly expressed in microglia and astroglia of adult mice. Accordingly, miR-146b deficient (Mir146b-/-) mice exhibited anxiety-like behaviors and enhanced cognition. Characterization of cellular composition of Mir146b-/- mice using flow cytometry revealed an increased number of neurons and a decreased abundancy of astroglia in the hippocampus and frontal cortex, whereas microglia abundancy remained unchanged. Immunohistochemistry showed a higher density of neurons in the frontal cortex of Mir146b-/- mice, enhanced hippocampal neurogenesis as evidenced by an increased proliferation, and survival of newly generated cells with enhanced maturation into neuronal phenotype. No microglial activation or signs of neuroinflammation were observed in Mir146b-/- mice. Further analysis demonstrated that miR-146b deficiency is associated with elevated expression of glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (Gdnf) mRNA in the hippocampus, which might be at least in part responsible for the observed neuronal expansion and the behavioral phenotype. This hypothesis is partially supported by the positive correlation between performance of mice in the object recognition test and Gdnf mRNA expression in Mir146b-/- mice. Together, these results show the distinct function of miR-146b in controlling behaviors and provide new insights in understanding cell-specific function of miR-146b in the neuronal and astroglial organization of the mouse brain.
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Costa CS, Oliveira AWC, Easton A, Barros M. A single brief stressful event time-dependently affects object recognition memory and promotes familiarity preference in marmoset monkeys. Behav Processes 2022; 199:104645. [PMID: 35489542 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2022.104645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2021] [Revised: 04/14/2022] [Accepted: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
A stressful experience can enhance information storage and impair memory retrieval in the rodent novel object recognition (NOR) task. However, recent conflicting results underscore the need for further investigation. Nonhuman primates may provide a unique, underexplored and more translational means to investigate stress-mediated changes in memory. Therefore, we assessed whether a single brief extrinsic stress event affects information encoding, storage and/or retrieval in adult marmoset monkeys submitted to the NOR task. This consisted of an initial 10 min familiarization period with two identical neutral objects. After a 6 h delay, a 10 min test trial was held where a new and familiar object could be explored. Stress was induced by a 15 min restraint event held before or after the encoding phase, or prior to retrieval. Pre-encoding stress had no effect on task performance, as this group displayed above-chance novelty preference similar to non-stressed controls. Post-encoding stress induced memory deficits, with both objects being explored equally. Interestingly, pre-retrieval stress induced an above-chance familiarity preference. A single brief stressful event thus affects recognition memory in a time-dependent manner. Also, negative discrimination ratios can be used as a measure of memory in the NOR task and a change in strategy may not mean memory failure in spontaneous learning paradigms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clara S Costa
- Department of Pharmacy, School of Health Sciences, University of Brasilia, Brasilia, Brazil
| | - André W C Oliveira
- Department of Pharmacy, School of Health Sciences, University of Brasilia, Brasilia, Brazil
| | - Alexander Easton
- Department of Psychology, Durham University, Durham, United Kingdom; Centre for Learning and Memory Processes, Durham University, Durham, United Kingdom
| | - Marilia Barros
- Department of Pharmacy, School of Health Sciences, University of Brasilia, Brasilia, Brazil; Primate Center, Institute of Biology, University of Brasilia, Brasilia, Brazil.
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Lengel D, Romm ZL, Bostwick AL, Huh JW, Snyder NW, Smith G, Raghupathi R. Glucocorticoid Receptor Overexpression in the Dorsal Hippocampus Attenuates Spatial Learning and Synaptic Plasticity Deficits Following Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury. J Neurotrauma 2022; 39:979-998. [PMID: 35293260 DOI: 10.1089/neu.2022.0012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) in children younger than 4 years old leads to long-term deficits in cognitive and learning abilities that can persist or even worsen as children age into adolescence. In this study, the role of glucocorticoid receptor (GR) function in the dorsal hippocampus (DH) in hippocampal-dependent cognitive function and synaptic plasticity were assessed following injury to the 11-day-old rat. Brain injury produced significant impairments in spatial learning and memory in the Morris water maze in male and female rats at 1-month post-injury (adolescence) which was accompanied by impairments in induction and maintenance of long-term potentiation (LTP) in the CA1 region of the DH. Brain injury resulted in a significant decrease in the expression of the glucocorticoid-inducible gene, serum- and glucocorticoid-kinase 1 (sgk1), suggestive of an impairment in GR transcriptional activity within the hippocampus. Lentiviral transfection of the human GR (hGR) in the DH improved spatial learning and memory in the Morris water maze and attenuated LTP deficits following TBI. GR overexpression in the DH was also associated with a significant increase in the mRNA expression levels of sgk1, and the glutamate receptor subunits GluA1 and GluA2 within the hippocampus. Overall, these findings support an important role of dorsal hippocampal GR function in learning and memory deficits following pediatric TBI and suggest that these effects may be related to the regulation of glutamate receptor subunit expression in the DH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dana Lengel
- Drexel University College of Medicine, 12312, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States.,Mount Sinai School of Medicine, 5925, Neuroscience, New York, New York, United States;
| | - Zoe L Romm
- Drexel University College of Medicine, 12312, Neurobiology and Anatomy, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States;
| | - Anna L Bostwick
- Temple University, 6558, Microbiology and Immunology, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States;
| | - Jimmy W Huh
- Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia, Anesthesiology and Critical Care, Critical Care Office-7C26, 34th Street & Civic Center Blvd., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, 19104;
| | - Nathaniel W Snyder
- Temple University, 6558, Microbiology and Immunology, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States;
| | - George Smith
- Temple University, 6558, Pediatric Research Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States;
| | - Ramesh Raghupathi
- Drexel University, 6527, Neurobiology and Anatomy, 2900 Queen Lane, Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, 19104-2816;
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Schwabe L, Hermans EJ, Joëls M, Roozendaal B. Mechanisms of memory under stress. Neuron 2022; 110:1450-1467. [PMID: 35316661 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2022.02.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2022] [Revised: 02/22/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
It is well established that stress has a major impact on memory, driven by the concerted action of various stress mediators on the brain. Recent years, however, have seen considerable advances in our understanding of the cellular, neural network, and cognitive mechanisms through which stress alters memory. These novel insights highlight the intricate interplay of multiple stress mediators, including-beyond corticosteroids, catecholamines, and peptides-for instance, endocannabinoids, which results in time-dependent shifts in large-scale neural networks. Such stress-induced network shifts enable highly specific memories of the stressful experience in the long run at the cost of transient impairments in mnemonic flexibility during and shortly after a stressful event. Based on these recent discoveries, we provide a new integrative framework that links the cellular, systems, and cognitive mechanisms underlying acute stress effects on memory processes and points to potential targets for treating aberrant memory in stress-related mental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lars Schwabe
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany.
| | - Erno J Hermans
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Marian Joëls
- University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands; UMC Utrecht Brain Center, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Benno Roozendaal
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
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The effect of stress and exercise on the learning performance of horses. Sci Rep 2022; 12:1918. [PMID: 35121736 PMCID: PMC8816904 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-03582-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Domestic horses are widely used for physically demanding activities but the effect of exercise on their learning abilities has not been explored. Horses are also frequently exposed to stressors that may affect their learning. Stress and exercise result in the release of glucocorticoids, noradrenaline and other neurotransmitters that can influence learning. It is not currently possible to directly measure concentrations of neurotransmitters in the brains of behaving horses, however the inference of neurobiological processes from peripheral markers have been widely used in studies of human cognition. We assigned 41 horses to either ridden exercise, uncontrollable stress or inactivity and evaluated their acquisition of an industry-style aversive instrumental learning task. Exercised horses achieved the learning criterion in the fewest number of trials compared to the stressed and inactive horses whose performance did not differ. The exercised horses’ salivary cortisol concentrations decreased during learning whereas the concentrations of the other groups increased. Spearman’s correlations revealed that horses with the highest cortisol concentrations required the most trials to reach the criterion. We present novel data that exercise prior to learning may enhance the acquisition of learning in horses. Conversely, activities that expose horses to uncontrollable stressors causing strong cortisol release may impair learning. It is proposed that these effects may be due to the influence of neurotransmitters such as cortisol and noradrenaline on brain regions responsible for learning.
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The Entorhinal Cortex as a Gateway for Amygdala Influences on Memory Consolidation. Neuroscience 2022; 497:86-96. [PMID: 35122874 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2022.01.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2021] [Revised: 01/26/2022] [Accepted: 01/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The amygdala, specifically its basolateral nucleus (BLA), is a critical site integrating neuromodulatory influences on memory consolidation in other brain areas. Almost 20 years ago, we reported the first direct evidence that BLA activity is required for modulatory interventions in the entorhinal cortex (EC) to affect memory consolidation (Roesler, Roozendaal, and McGaugh, 2002). Since then, significant advances have been made in our understanding of how the EC participates in memory. For example, the characterization of grid cells specialized in processing spatial information in the medial EC (mEC) that act as major relayers of information to the hippocampus (HIP) has changed our view of memory processing by the EC; and the development of optogenetic technologies for manipulation of neuronal activity has recently enabled important new discoveries on the role of the BLA projections to the EC in memory. Here, we review the current evidence on interactions between the BLA and EC in synaptic plasticity and memory formation. The findings suggest that the EC may function as a gateway and mediator of modulatory influences from the BLA, which are then processed and relayed to the HIP. Through extensive reciprocal connections among the EC, HIP, and several cortical areas, information related to new memories is then consolidated by these multiple brain systems, through various molecular and cellular mechanisms acting in a distributed and highly concerted manner, during several hours after learning. A special note is made on the contribution by Ivan Izquierdo to our understanding of memory consolidation at the brain system level.
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Implicit and explicit emotional memory recall in anxiety and depression: Role of basolateral amygdala and cortisol-norepinephrine interaction. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2022; 136:105598. [PMID: 34894424 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2021.105598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2021] [Revised: 10/14/2021] [Accepted: 11/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Anxiety and depression are linked to both explicit and implicit memory biases, which are defined as the tendency to preferentially recall emotionally negative information at conscious and subconscious levels, respectively. Functional connectivity (FC) of the basolateral amygdala (BLA) and related stress hormones (i.e., cortisol and norepinephrine) are purportedly implicated in these biases. However, previous findings on memory biases in anxiety and depression have been inconsistent, likely due to their symptomatic complications. Therefore, the underlying neurobiological mechanism remains unclear. We thus investigated whether anxiety and depression as premorbid predispositions are related to the memory biases, and whether FC of BLA, cortisol, and 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol (MHPG: a major metabolite of norepinephrine) would affect the anxiety/depression-related biased memory recall in 100 participants without psychiatric symptomatology. Psycho-behavioral assessment, resting-state fMRI scans, and saliva collection at 10-points-in-time across two days were conducted. Correlations of memory biases with anxiety/depression and neurobiological markers were explored. As a result, neither anxiety nor depression were correlated with explicit memory bias to negative (vs. positive) information, although depression was associated with better recall of the negative stimuli only when they were perceived as self-relevant. In contrast, both anxiety and depression were correlated with implicit memory bias; however, the effects were solely explained by anxiety. Furthermore, FC of the BLA with subgenual anterior cingulate cortex (sgACC) and the synergetic effect of cortisol and MHPG uniquely affected the implicit memory bias. These findings suggest that anxiety facilitates an initial snapshot of negative information and can be accompanied by depression when the information creates negative semantic associations with the self. The BLA-sgACC neural connectivity and cortisol-norepinephrine interaction that are associated with the implicit memory bias might be one of the important neurobiological targets in the prevention and treatment for comorbid anxiety and depressive disorders.
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Does older adults' cognition particularly suffer from stress? A systematic review of acute stress effects on cognition in older age. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 132:583-602. [PMID: 34896431 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.12.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2021] [Revised: 11/12/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
This literature review provides the first comprehensive qualitative and quantitative systematic synthesis of acute laboratory stress effects on older adults' cognition by specifying the direction and magnitude of those effects both overall and for different cognitive processes separately. A systematic literature search was performed, and effect sizes estimated whenever possible. We found meta-analytical evidence that stress has negative effects on older adults' verbal fluency (gadj = -0.53, 95 % CI [-2.70, 1.63]), null-to-negative effects on episodic memory (gadj = -0.26, 95 % CI [-0.44, -0.08]), null effects on executive functions (gadj = 0.07, 95 % CI [-0.31, 0.46]), and enhancing effects on working memory (gadj = 0.16, 95 % CI [-0.01, 0.33]). Relating these findings to those in young adults, notable differences emerged for some cognitive functions, such as opposing effects on working memory between age groups. Our review further reveals that stress effects on older adults' memory retention, associative memory, prospective memory, interference control or cognitive flexibility are heavily understudied. We provide a conceptual and methodological framework for future studies in older adults.
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Wang H, van Leeuwen JMC, de Voogd LD, Verkes RJ, Roozendaal B, Fernández G, Hermans EJ. Mild early-life stress exaggerates the impact of acute stress on corticolimbic resting-state functional connectivity. Eur J Neurosci 2021; 55:2122-2141. [PMID: 34812558 PMCID: PMC9299814 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2020] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Abundant evidence shows that early‐life stress (ELS) predisposes for the development of stress‐related psychopathology when exposed to stressors later in life, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. To study predisposing effects of mild ELS on stress sensitivity, we examined in a healthy human population the impact of a history of ELS on acute stress‐related changes in corticolimbic circuits involved in emotional processing (i.e., amygdala, hippocampus and ventromedial prefrontal cortex [vmPFC]). Healthy young male participants (n = 120) underwent resting‐state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in two separate sessions (stress induction vs. control). The Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) was administered to index self‐reported ELS, and stress induction was verified using salivary cortisol, blood pressure, heart rate and subjective affect. Our findings show that self‐reported ELS was negatively associated with baseline cortisol, but not with the acute stress‐induced cortisol response. Critically, individuals with more self‐reported ELS exhibited an exaggerated reduction of functional connectivity in corticolimbic circuits under acute stress. A mediation analysis showed that the association between ELS and stress‐induced changes in amygdala–hippocampal connectivity became stronger when controlling for basal cortisol. Our findings show, in a healthy sample, that the effects of mild ELS on functioning of corticolimbic circuits only become apparent when exposed to an acute stressor and may be buffered by adaptations in hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis function. Overall, our findings might reveal a potential mechanism whereby even mild ELS might confer vulnerability to exposure to stressors later in adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huan Wang
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Judith M C van Leeuwen
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Lycia D de Voogd
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Robbert-Jan Verkes
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Benno Roozendaal
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Guillén Fernández
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Erno J Hermans
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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Smith VM, Watson P, Most SB. Enhanced recognition of emotional images is not affected by post-exposure exercise-induced arousal. Q J Exp Psychol (Hove) 2021; 75:1056-1066. [PMID: 34623205 DOI: 10.1177/17470218211054950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Research suggests that aerobic exercise (i.e., exercise aiming to improve cardiovascular fitness) promotes cognition, but the impact on memory specifically, is unclear. There is some evidence to suggest that as little as one session of post-learning exercise benefits memory consolidation. Furthermore, memory may be particularly facilitated by exercise when the individual is emotionally aroused while encoding stimuli. The current study tested whether exercise after exposure to neutral and emotional images improved memory consolidation of the items among university students. Ninety-nine students were randomly instructed to either exercise or not exercise after viewing a set of images that were positive, neutral, and negative in valence, and they were later tested on their memory. Although emotional images were remembered better than non-emotional images, the results suggested that exercise did not influence this effect or enhance consolidation of the items overall. Explanations and implications for these findings are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Poppy Watson
- School of Psychology, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Steven B Most
- School of Psychology, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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45
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Phelps CE, Navratilova E, Porreca F. Chronic Pain Produces Reversible Memory Deficits That Depend on Task Difficulty in Rats. THE JOURNAL OF PAIN 2021; 22:1467-1476. [PMID: 34023503 PMCID: PMC8578143 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpain.2021.04.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2021] [Revised: 04/05/2021] [Accepted: 04/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Cognitive impairment associated with chronic pain remains relatively poorly understood. Use of analgesic drugs and often present co-morbidities in patients can preclude conclusions of causative relationships between chronic pain and cognitive deficits. Here, the impact of pain resulting from spinal nerve ligation (SNL) injury in rats on short and long-term memory was assessed in the novel object recognition task. To understand if chronic pain seizes the limited cognitive resources that are available at any given time, task difficulty was varied by using either very different (ie, easy task) or similar (ie, difficult task) pairs of objects. Nerve-injured, male rats exhibited no short or long-term memory deficits under easy task conditions. However, unlike sham-operated controls, injured rats showed deficits in both short and long-term memory by failing to differentiate similar objects in the difficult task version. In SNL rats, duloxetine produced anti-allodynic effects and ameliorated long-term memory deficits in the difficult task suggesting benefits of pain relief possibly complemented by noradrenergic mediated cognitive enhancement. Together these data suggest chronic pain reversibly takes up a significant amount of limited cognitive resources, leaving sufficient available for easy, but not difficult, tasks. PERSPECTIVE: Memory deficits in a rat model of chronic pain were only seen when the cognitive load was high, ie, in a difficult task. Acute treatment with duloxetine was sufficient to relieve memory deficits, suggesting chronic pain induces memory deficits by seizing limited cognitive resources to the detriment of task-related stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline E Phelps
- Department of Pharmacology, Arizona Health Sciences Center, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona
| | - Edita Navratilova
- Department of Pharmacology, Arizona Health Sciences Center, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona
| | - Frank Porreca
- Department of Pharmacology, Arizona Health Sciences Center, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona.
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46
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Krenz V, Sommer T, Alink A, Roozendaal B, Schwabe L. Noradrenergic arousal after encoding reverses the course of systems consolidation in humans. Nat Commun 2021; 12:6054. [PMID: 34663784 PMCID: PMC8523710 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-26250-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2021] [Accepted: 09/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
It is commonly assumed that episodic memories undergo a time-dependent systems consolidation process, during which hippocampus-dependent memories eventually become reliant on neocortical areas. Here we show that systems consolidation dynamics can be experimentally manipulated and even reversed. We combined a single pharmacological elevation of post-encoding noradrenergic activity through the α2-adrenoceptor antagonist yohimbine with fMRI scanning both during encoding and recognition testing either 1 or 28 days later. We show that yohimbine administration, in contrast to placebo, leads to a time-dependent increase in hippocampal activity and multivariate encoding-retrieval pattern similarity, an indicator of episodic reinstatement, between 1 and 28 days. This is accompanied by a time-dependent decrease in neocortical activity. Behaviorally, these neural changes are linked to a reduced memory decline over time after yohimbine intake. These findings indicate that noradrenergic activity shortly after encoding may alter and even reverse systems consolidation in humans, thus maintaining vividness of memories over time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Krenz
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, Institute of Psychology, Universität Hamburg, Von-Melle-Park 5, 20146, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Tobias Sommer
- University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, Department of Systems Neuroscience, Martinistraße 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Arjen Alink
- University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, Department of Systems Neuroscience, Martinistraße 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Benno Roozendaal
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboud University Medical Center, 6500 HB, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Kapittelweg 29, 6525 EN, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Lars Schwabe
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, Institute of Psychology, Universität Hamburg, Von-Melle-Park 5, 20146, Hamburg, Germany.
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47
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McReynolds JR, Carreira MB, McIntyre CK. Post-training intra-basolateral complex of the amygdala infusions of clenbuterol enhance memory for conditioned place preference and increase ARC protein expression in dorsal hippocampal synaptic fractions. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2021; 185:107539. [PMID: 34648950 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2021.107539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2021] [Revised: 09/23/2021] [Accepted: 10/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The basolateral complex of the amygdala (BLA) is critically involved in modulation of memory by stress hormones. Noradrenergic activation of the BLA enhances memory consolidation and plays a necessary role in the enhancing or impairing effects of stress hormones on memory. The BLA is not only involved in the consolidation of aversive memories but can regulate appetitive memory formation as well. Extensive evidence suggests that the BLA is a modulatory structure that influences consolidation of arousing memories through modulation of plasticity and expression of plasticity-related genes, such as the activity regulated cytoskeletal-associated (Arc/Arg 3.1) protein, in efferent brain regions. ARC is an immediate early gene whose mRNA is localized to the dendrites and is necessary for hippocampus-dependent long-term potentiation and long-term memory formation. Post-training intra-BLA infusions of the β-adrenoceptor agonist, clenbuterol, enhances memory for an aversive task and increases dorsal hippocampus ARC protein expression following training on that task. To examine whether this function of BLA noradrenergic signaling extends to the consolidation of appetitive memories, the present studies test the effect of post-training intra-BLA infusions of clenbuterol on memory for the appetitive conditioned place preference (CPP) task and for effects on ARC protein expression in hippocampal synapses. Additionally, the necessity of increased hippocampal ARC protein expression was also examined for long-term memory formation of the CPP task. Immediate post-training intra-BLA infusions of clenbuterol (4 ng/0.2 µL) significantly enhanced memory for the CPP task. This same memory enhancing treatment significantly increased ARC protein expression in dorsal, but not ventral, hippocampal synaptic fractions. Furthermore, immediate post-training intra-dorsal hippocampal infusions of Arc antisense oligodeoxynucleotides (ODNs), which reduce ARC protein expression, prevented long-term memory formation for the CPP task. These results suggest that noradrenergic activity in the BLA influences long-term memory for aversive and appetitive events in a similar manner and the role of the BLA is conserved across classes of memory. It also suggests that the influence of the BLA on hippocampal ARC protein expression and the role of hippocampal ARC protein expression are conserved across classes of emotionally arousing memories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jayme R McReynolds
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX 75080, United States.
| | - Maria B Carreira
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX 75080, United States.
| | - Christa K McIntyre
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX 75080, United States.
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48
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Lissner LJ, Wartchow KM, Toniazzo AP, Gonçalves CA, Rodrigues L. Object recognition and Morris water maze to detect cognitive impairment from mild hippocampal damage in rats: A reflection based on the literature and experience. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2021; 210:173273. [PMID: 34536480 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2021.173273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2021] [Revised: 09/10/2021] [Accepted: 09/13/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Object recognition (OR) and the Morris water maze (MWM) are classical tasks widely used to assess memory parameters and deficits in rodents. Learning processes in both tasks involve integrity of the hippocampus and associated regions, and prefrontal cortex connections. Here, we highlight the idea that these classical tests can be used to indicate memory deficits caused by models of disease that affect hippocampal function in rats, and identify some practical issues of OR and MWM, based on the literature and our experience. Additionally, we have shown that the performance of both tasks does not alter blood levels of corticosterone, considering exposure to a single task. Hence, taking into consideration the difficulties and care required during task execution, the infrastructure needed and the training of the experimenter, we suggest that OR and its variations offer minimal manageable stressful conditions, representing an effective and practical tool for hippocampal-related memory assessment of rats. Thus, OR may provide similar information to that of the MWM, despite controversy regarding hippocampus participation in OR and given due differences in the types of memory evaluated and researchers' objectives. We recommend the observation of some important precautions and details, also based on the literature and our own experience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lílian Juliana Lissner
- Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Biochemistry Post-Graduate Program, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Krista Minéia Wartchow
- Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Biochemistry Post-Graduate Program, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Ana Paula Toniazzo
- Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Biochemistry Post-Graduate Program, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Carlos-Alberto Gonçalves
- Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Biochemistry Post-Graduate Program, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Leticia Rodrigues
- Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Biochemistry Post-Graduate Program, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
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49
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Heinbockel H, Quaedflieg CWEM, Schneider TR, Engel AK, Schwabe L. Stress enhances emotional memory-related theta oscillations in the medial temporal lobe. Neurobiol Stress 2021; 15:100383. [PMID: 34504907 PMCID: PMC8414174 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2021.100383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2021] [Revised: 07/27/2021] [Accepted: 08/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Stressful events impact memory formation, in particular for emotionally arousing stimuli. Although these stress effects on emotional memory formation have potentially far-reaching implications, the underlying neural mechanisms are not fully understood. Specifically, the temporal processing dimension of the mechanisms involved in emotional memory formation under stress remains elusive. Here, we used magnetoencephalography (MEG) to examine the neural processes underlying stress effects on emotional memory formation with high temporal and spatial resolution and a particular focus on theta oscillations previously implicated in mnemonic binding. Healthy participants (n = 53) underwent a stress or control procedure before encoding emotionally neutral and negative pictures, while MEG was recorded. Memory for the pictures was probed in a recognition test 24 h after encoding. In this recognition test, stress did not modulate the emotional memory enhancement but led to significantly higher confidence in memory for negative compared to neutral stimuli. Our neural data revealed that stress increased memory-related theta oscillations specifically in medial temporal and occipito-parietal regions. Further, this stress-related increase in theta power emerged during memory formation for emotionally negative but not for neutral stimuli. These findings indicate that acute stress can enhance, in the medial temporal lobe, oscillations at a frequency that is ideally suited to bind the elements of an ongoing emotional episode, which may represent a mechanism to facilitate the storage of emotionally salient events that occurred in the context of a stressful encounter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hendrik Heinbockel
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, Universität Hamburg, 20146, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Conny W E M Quaedflieg
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, Universität Hamburg, 20146, Hamburg, Germany.,Department of Neuropsychology and Psychopharmacology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, 6229 ER, the Netherlands
| | - Till R Schneider
- Department of Neurophysiology and Pathophysiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, 20246, Germany
| | - Andreas K Engel
- Department of Neurophysiology and Pathophysiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, 20246, Germany
| | - Lars Schwabe
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, Universität Hamburg, 20146, Hamburg, Germany
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Hu N, Long Q, Li Q, Hu X, Li Y, Zhang S, Chen A, Huo R, Liu J, Wang X. The modulation of salience and central executive networks by acute stress in healthy males: An EEG microstates study. Int J Psychophysiol 2021; 169:63-70. [PMID: 34499961 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2021.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2020] [Revised: 07/26/2021] [Accepted: 09/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
EEG microstate analysis involves the examination of topographies of the scalp potential fields to indicate the temporal dynamics of resting-state networks on a millisecond time scale, through which we can investigate the subsecond brain dynamics of stress in individuals. The present study implemented the EEG microstate method to explore the temporal dynamic changes of the large-scale brain networks induced by acute stress. The participants (n = 51) were randomly exposed to a stress condition (n = 25) (induced by Trier Social Stress Test, TSST) or a control condition (n = 26). Two 4-min blocks of resting EEG data were recorded before and after the stress/control test to reflect the stress effect on temporal dynamics of EEG microstates. The results showed that the stress group had larger occurrences and coverage of microstate class C during the post-test session than during the pre-test session. This pattern was reversed in the control group. Further, the microstate class C showed positive correlations with negative affect and perceived stress levels following acute stress. The transition probability between the microstates C and D was larger during the post-test session than during the pre-test session in the stress group, but not different in the control group. In addition, the microstate pairs C and D were positively correlated with negative affect and perceived stress levels. The proportion and sequence of EEG microstates class C and D reflected deviations of salience and executive functions following acute stress. We further proposed that the coordination between salience and executive functions was promoted by acute stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Na Hu
- School of Preschool & Special Education, Kunming University, Kunming, China
| | - Quanshan Long
- Faculty of Education, Yunnan Normal University, Kunming, China
| | - Qing Li
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality of Ministry of Education, Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Xueping Hu
- School of Linguistics and Arts, Collaborative Innovation Center for Language Competence, Jiang Su Normal University, Xuzhou, China
| | - Yilu Li
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality of Ministry of Education, Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Sheng Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality of Ministry of Education, Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China; Nanchong Senior High School
| | - Antao Chen
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality of Ministry of Education, Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China.
| | - Rong Huo
- Jeonju University, Child & Special Needs Education School, Jeonju, South Korea
| | - Jia Liu
- Jeonju University, Education School, Jeonju, South Korea
| | - Xiaoxi Wang
- School of Preschool & Special Education, Kunming University, Kunming, China
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