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Piccin A, Plat H, Wolff M, Coutureau E. Adaptive Responding to Stimulus-Outcome Associations Requires Noradrenergic Transmission in the Medial Prefrontal Cortex. J Neurosci 2024; 44:e0078242024. [PMID: 38684363 PMCID: PMC11140671 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0078-24.2024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2024] [Revised: 03/11/2024] [Accepted: 04/21/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024] Open
Abstract
A dynamic environment, such as the one we inhabit, requires organisms to continuously update their knowledge of the setting. While the prefrontal cortex is recognized for its pivotal role in regulating such adaptive behavior, the specific contribution of each prefrontal area remains elusive. In the current work, we investigated the direct involvement of two major prefrontal subregions, the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC, A32D + A32V) and the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC, VO + LO), in updating pavlovian stimulus-outcome (S-O) associations following contingency degradation in male rats. Specifically, animals had to learn that a particular cue, previously fully predicting the delivery of a specific reward, was no longer a reliable predictor. First, we found that chemogenetic inhibition of mPFC, but not of OFC, neurons altered the rats' ability to adaptively respond to degraded and non-degraded cues. Next, given the growing evidence pointing at noradrenaline (NA) as a main neuromodulator of adaptive behavior, we decided to investigate the possible involvement of NA projections to the two subregions in this higher-order cognitive process. Employing a pair of novel retrograde vectors, we traced NA projections from the locus ceruleus (LC) to both structures and observed an equivalent yet relatively segregated amount of inputs. Then, we showed that chemogenetic inhibition of NA projections to the mPFC, but not to the OFC, also impaired the rats' ability to adaptively respond to the degradation procedure. Altogether, our findings provide important evidence of functional parcellation within the prefrontal cortex and point at mPFC NA as key for updating pavlovian S-O associations.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Hadrien Plat
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, INCIA, UMR 5287, Bordeaux F-33000, France
| | - Mathieu Wolff
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, INCIA, UMR 5287, Bordeaux F-33000, France
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Guo R, Wu J, Zheng Y, Lin X, Zhuang Z, Yin J, Lin Z, Xie L, Ma S. Graph Theory Further Revealed Visual Spatial Working Memory Impairment in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease. J Inflamm Res 2024; 17:2811-2823. [PMID: 38737113 PMCID: PMC11088826 DOI: 10.2147/jir.s462268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2024] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) patients may experience cognitive impairments in Visuospatial Working Memory (VSWM), significantly impacting their quality of life. However, the mechanisms underlying these impairments remain poorly understood. Methods We studied functional MRI and graph theory analysis to investigate changes in functional connectivity networks during the Mental Rotation Task (MRT) in IBD patients. Twenty IBD patients (13 males, 7 females; mean age = 34.95 ± 13.80 years; mean disease duration = 2.43 ± 2.37 years) participated in the study. Exclusion criteria encompassed recent use of analgesics, 5-Aminosalicylate, corticosteroids, or immunosuppressants within the past three months. Additionally, we recruited 20 age-, gender-, and education-matched healthy controls for comparison. Results Compared to a control group, IBD patients exhibited significantly longer reaction times and reduced accuracy during the MRT. Our analysis revealed abnormalities in multiple nodal attributes within the functional connectivity network, particularly in regions such as the bilateral orbitofrontal cortex, right supplementary motor area, bilateral parahippocampal gyrus, and bilateral anterior temporal lobe. We observed that the nodal efficiency in the left temporal pole is negatively correlated with Red Blood Cell Distribution Width (RDW) and positively correlated with response time of MRT. Conclusion Our findings revealed notable abnormalities in multiple node attributes among IBD patients during MRT, providing evidence of cognitive impairments in VSWM in IBD patients. This study found RDW maybe can serve as a clinical indicator for predicting early VSWM impairment in patients with IBD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruiwei Guo
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, 515041, People’s Republic of China
- Laboratory of Medical Molecular Imaging, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, 515041, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jin Wu
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, 515041, People’s Republic of China
- Laboratory of Medical Molecular Imaging, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, 515041, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yanmin Zheng
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, 515041, People’s Republic of China
- Laboratory of Medical Molecular Imaging, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, 515041, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiaona Lin
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, 515041, People’s Republic of China
- Laboratory of Medical Molecular Imaging, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, 515041, People’s Republic of China
| | - Zelin Zhuang
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, 515041, People’s Republic of China
- Laboratory of Medical Molecular Imaging, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, 515041, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jingjing Yin
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, 515041, People’s Republic of China
- Laboratory of Medical Molecular Imaging, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, 515041, People’s Republic of China
| | - Zhirong Lin
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, 515041, People’s Republic of China
| | - Lei Xie
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, 515041, People’s Republic of China
- Laboratory of Medical Molecular Imaging, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, 515041, People’s Republic of China
| | - Shuhua Ma
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, 515041, People’s Republic of China
- Laboratory of Medical Molecular Imaging, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, 515041, People’s Republic of China
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3
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Alonso L, Peeva P, Fernández-del Valle Alquicira T, Erdelyi N, Gil Nolskog Á, Bader M, Winter Y, Alenina N, Rivalan M. Poor Decision Making and Sociability Impairment Following Central Serotonin Reduction in Inducible TPH2-Knockdown Rats. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:5003. [PMID: 38732220 PMCID: PMC11084943 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25095003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2024] [Revised: 04/26/2024] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Serotonin is an essential neuromodulator for mental health and animals' socio-cognitive abilities. However, we previously found that a constitutive depletion of central serotonin did not impair rat cognitive abilities in stand-alone tests. Here, we investigated how a mild and acute decrease in brain serotonin would affect rats' cognitive abilities. Using a novel rat model of inducible serotonin depletion via the genetic knockdown of tryptophan hydroxylase 2 (TPH2), we achieved a 20% decrease in serotonin levels in the hypothalamus after three weeks of non-invasive oral doxycycline administration. Decision making, cognitive flexibility, and social recognition memory were tested in low-serotonin (Tph2-kd) and control rats. Our results showed that the Tph2-kd rats were more prone to choose disadvantageously in the long term (poor decision making) in the Rat Gambling Task and that only the low-serotonin poor decision makers were more sensitive to probabilistic discounting and had poorer social recognition memory than other low-serotonin and control individuals. Flexibility was unaffected by the acute brain serotonin reduction. Poor social recognition memory was the most central characteristic of the behavioral network of low-serotonin poor decision makers, suggesting a key role of social recognition in the expression of their profile. The acute decrease in brain serotonin appeared to specifically amplify the cognitive impairments of the subgroup of individuals also identified as poor decision makers in the population. This study highlights the great opportunity the Tph2-kd rat model offers to study inter-individual susceptibilities to develop cognitive impairment following mild variations of brain serotonin in otherwise healthy individuals. These transgenic and differential approaches together could be critical for the identification of translational markers and vulnerabilities in the development of mental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucille Alonso
- Institut für Biologie, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10099 Berlin, Germany; (L.A.); (T.F.-d.V.A.); (Y.W.)
- Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany (M.B.)
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, IINS, UMR 5297, F-33000 Bordeaux, France
| | - Polina Peeva
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Tania Fernández-del Valle Alquicira
- Institut für Biologie, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10099 Berlin, Germany; (L.A.); (T.F.-d.V.A.); (Y.W.)
- Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany (M.B.)
| | - Narda Erdelyi
- Institut für Biologie, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10099 Berlin, Germany; (L.A.); (T.F.-d.V.A.); (Y.W.)
| | - Ángel Gil Nolskog
- Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany (M.B.)
| | - Michael Bader
- Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany (M.B.)
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), 13125 Berlin, Germany
- DZHK (German Center for Cardiovascular Research), Partner Site Berlin, 10785 Berlin, Germany
- Institute for Biology, University of Lübeck, 23562 Lübeck, Germany
| | - York Winter
- Institut für Biologie, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10099 Berlin, Germany; (L.A.); (T.F.-d.V.A.); (Y.W.)
- Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany (M.B.)
| | - Natalia Alenina
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), 13125 Berlin, Germany
- DZHK (German Center for Cardiovascular Research), Partner Site Berlin, 10785 Berlin, Germany
| | - Marion Rivalan
- Institut für Biologie, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10099 Berlin, Germany; (L.A.); (T.F.-d.V.A.); (Y.W.)
- Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany (M.B.)
- NeuroPSI—Paris-Saclay Institute of Neuroscience, CNRS—Université Paris-Saclay, F-91400 Saclay, France
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4
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Hervig MES, Zühlsdorff K, Olesen SF, Phillips B, Božič T, Dalley JW, Cardinal RN, Alsiö J, Robbins TW. 5-HT 2A and 5-HT 2C receptor antagonism differentially modulate reinforcement learning and cognitive flexibility: behavioural and computational evidence. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2024:10.1007/s00213-024-06586-w. [PMID: 38594515 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-024-06586-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2023] [Accepted: 03/29/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
RATIONALE Cognitive flexibility, the ability to adapt behaviour in response to a changing environment, is disrupted in several neuropsychiatric disorders, including obsessive-compulsive disorder and major depressive disorder. Evidence suggests that flexibility, which can be operationalised using reversal learning tasks, is modulated by serotonergic transmission. However, how exactly flexible behaviour and associated reinforcement learning (RL) processes are modulated by 5-HT action on specific receptors is unknown. OBJECTIVES We investigated the effects of 5-HT2A receptor (5-HT2AR) and 5-HT2C receptor (5-HT2CR) antagonism on flexibility and underlying RL mechanisms. METHODS Thirty-six male Lister hooded rats were trained on a touchscreen visual discrimination and reversal task. We evaluated the effects of systemic treatments with the 5-HT2AR and 5-HT2CR antagonists M100907 and SB-242084, respectively, on reversal learning and performance on probe trials where correct and incorrect stimuli were presented with a third, probabilistically rewarded, stimulus. Computational models were fitted to task choice data to extract RL parameters, including a novel model designed specifically for this task. RESULTS 5-HT2AR antagonism impaired reversal learning only after an initial perseverative phase, during a period of random choice and then new learning. 5-HT2CR antagonism, on the other hand, impaired learning from positive feedback. RL models further differentiated these effects. 5-HT2AR antagonism decreased punishment learning rate (i.e. negative feedback) at high and low doses. The low dose also decreased reinforcement sensitivity (beta) and increased stimulus and side stickiness (i.e., the tendency to repeat a choice regardless of outcome). 5-HT2CR antagonism also decreased beta, but reduced side stickiness. CONCLUSIONS These data indicate that 5-HT2A and 5-HT2CRs both modulate different aspects of flexibility, with 5-HT2ARs modulating learning from negative feedback as measured using RL parameters and 5-HT2CRs for learning from positive feedback assessed through conventional measures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mona El-Sayed Hervig
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, DK-2200, Denmark
| | - Katharina Zühlsdorff
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK.
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK.
- The Alan Turing Institute, British Library, London, NW1 2DVB, UK.
| | - Sarah F Olesen
- UCL Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, London, W1T 4JG, UK
| | - Benjamin Phillips
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK
| | - Tadej Božič
- UCL Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, London, W1T 4JG, UK
| | - Jeffrey W Dalley
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK
- Department of Psychiatry, Herchel Smith Building, Cambridge, CB2 0SZ, UK
| | - Rudolf N Cardinal
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK
- Department of Psychiatry, Herchel Smith Building, Cambridge, CB2 0SZ, UK
- Liaison Psychiatry Service, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Box 190, Cambridge, CB2 0QQ, UK
| | - Johan Alsiö
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology & Neuroscience, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TD, UK
| | - Trevor W Robbins
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK
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5
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Luo Q, Kanen JW, Bari A, Skandali N, Langley C, Knudsen GM, Alsiö J, Phillips BU, Sahakian BJ, Cardinal RN, Robbins TW. Comparable roles for serotonin in rats and humans for computations underlying flexible decision-making. Neuropsychopharmacology 2024; 49:600-608. [PMID: 37914893 PMCID: PMC10789782 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-023-01762-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Revised: 09/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 11/03/2023]
Abstract
Serotonin is critical for adapting behavior flexibly to meet changing environmental demands. Cognitive flexibility is important for successful attainment of goals, as well as for social interactions, and is frequently impaired in neuropsychiatric disorders, including obsessive-compulsive disorder. However, a unifying mechanistic framework accounting for the role of serotonin in behavioral flexibility has remained elusive. Here, we demonstrate common effects of manipulating serotonin function across two species (rats and humans) on latent processes supporting choice behavior during probabilistic reversal learning, using computational modelling. The findings support a role of serotonin in behavioral flexibility and plasticity, indicated, respectively, by increases or decreases in choice repetition ('stickiness') or reinforcement learning rates following manipulations intended to increase or decrease serotonin function. More specifically, the rate at which expected value increased following reward and decreased following punishment (reward and punishment 'learning rates') was greatest after sub-chronic administration of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) citalopram (5 mg/kg for 7 days followed by 10 mg/kg twice a day for 5 days) in rats. Conversely, humans given a single dose of an SSRI (20 mg escitalopram), which can decrease post-synaptic serotonin signalling, and rats that received the neurotoxin 5,7-dihydroxytryptamine (5,7-DHT), which destroys forebrain serotonergic neurons, exhibited decreased reward learning rates. A basic perseverative tendency ('stickiness'), or choice repetition irrespective of the outcome produced, was likewise increased in rats after the 12-day SSRI regimen and decreased after single dose SSRI in humans and 5,7-DHT in rats. These common effects of serotonergic manipulations on rats and humans-identified via computational modelling-suggest an evolutionarily conserved role for serotonin in plasticity and behavioral flexibility and have clinical relevance transdiagnostically for neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiang Luo
- National Clinical Research Center for Aging and Medicine at Huashan Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and Ministry of Education Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science and Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, P. R. China.
- Center for Computational Psychiatry, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Computational Neuroscience and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Human Phenome Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, China.
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK.
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK.
| | - Jonathan W Kanen
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK
| | | | - Nikolina Skandali
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0SZ, UK
- Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, CB21 5EF, UK
- NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0QQ, UK
| | - Christelle Langley
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0SZ, UK
| | - Gitte Moos Knudsen
- Neurobiology Research Unit, the Neuroscience Centre, Copenhagen University Hospital Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Johan Alsiö
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK
| | - Benjamin U Phillips
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK
| | - Barbara J Sahakian
- National Clinical Research Center for Aging and Medicine at Huashan Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and Ministry of Education Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science and Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, P. R. China
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0SZ, UK
| | - Rudolf N Cardinal
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0SZ, UK
- Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, CB21 5EF, UK
| | - Trevor W Robbins
- National Clinical Research Center for Aging and Medicine at Huashan Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and Ministry of Education Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science and Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, P. R. China.
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK.
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK.
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Aguirre CG, Woo JH, Romero-Sosa JL, Rivera ZM, Tejada AN, Munier JJ, Perez J, Goldfarb M, Das K, Gomez M, Ye T, Pannu J, Evans K, O'Neill PR, Spigelman I, Soltani A, Izquierdo A. Dissociable Contributions of Basolateral Amygdala and Ventrolateral Orbitofrontal Cortex to Flexible Learning Under Uncertainty. J Neurosci 2024; 44:e0622232023. [PMID: 37968116 PMCID: PMC10860573 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0622-23.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2023] [Revised: 10/16/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 11/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Reversal learning measures the ability to form flexible associations between choice outcomes with stimuli and actions that precede them. This type of learning is thought to rely on several cortical and subcortical areas, including the highly interconnected orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and basolateral amygdala (BLA), and is often impaired in various neuropsychiatric and substance use disorders. However, the unique contributions of these regions to stimulus- and action-based reversal learning have not been systematically compared using a chemogenetic approach particularly before and after the first reversal that introduces new uncertainty. Here, we examined the roles of ventrolateral OFC (vlOFC) and BLA during reversal learning. Male and female rats were prepared with inhibitory designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs targeting projection neurons in these regions and tested on a series of deterministic and probabilistic reversals during which they learned about stimulus identity or side (left or right) associated with different reward probabilities. Using a counterbalanced within-subject design, we inhibited these regions prior to reversal sessions. We assessed initial and pre-/post-reversal changes in performance to measure learning and adjustments to reversals, respectively. We found that inhibition of the ventrolateral orbitofrontal cortex (vlOFC), but not BLA, eliminated adjustments to stimulus-based reversals. Inhibition of BLA, but not vlOFC, selectively impaired action-based probabilistic reversal learning, leaving deterministic reversal learning intact. vlOFC exhibited a sex-dependent role in early adjustment to action-based reversals, but not in overall learning. These results reveal dissociable roles for BLA and vlOFC in flexible learning and highlight a more crucial role for BLA in learning meaningful changes in the reward environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- C G Aguirre
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095
| | - J H Woo
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire 03755
| | - J L Romero-Sosa
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095
| | - Z M Rivera
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095
| | - A N Tejada
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095
| | - J J Munier
- Section of Biosystems and Function, School of Dentistry, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095
| | - J Perez
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095
| | - M Goldfarb
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095
| | - K Das
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095
| | - M Gomez
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095
| | - T Ye
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095
| | - J Pannu
- Section of Biosystems and Function, School of Dentistry, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095
| | - K Evans
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095
| | - P R O'Neill
- Shirley and Stefan Hatos Center for Neuropharmacology, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095
| | - I Spigelman
- Section of Biosystems and Function, School of Dentistry, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095
| | - A Soltani
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire 03755
| | - A Izquierdo
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095
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7
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Apergis-Schoute AM, van der Flier FE, Ip SH, Kanen JW, Vaghi MM, Fineberg NA, Sahakian BJ, Cardinal RN, Robbins TW. Perseveration and Shifting in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder as a Function of Uncertainty, Punishment, and Serotonergic Medication. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY GLOBAL OPEN SCIENCE 2024; 4:326-335. [PMID: 38298803 PMCID: PMC10829647 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsgos.2023.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2022] [Revised: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 02/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Background The nature of cognitive flexibility deficits in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), which historically have been tested with probabilistic reversal learning tasks, remains elusive. Here, a novel deterministic reversal task and inclusion of unmedicated patients in the study sample illuminated the role of fixed versus uncertain rules/contingencies and of serotonergic medication. Additionally, our understanding of probabilistic reversal was enhanced through theoretical computational modeling of cognitive flexibility in OCD. Methods We recruited 49 patients with OCD, 21 of whom were unmedicated, and 43 healthy control participants matched for age, IQ, and gender. Participants were tested on 2 tasks: a novel visuomotor deterministic reversal learning task with 3 reversals (feedback rewarding/punishing/neutral) measuring accuracy/perseveration and a 2-choice visual probabilistic reversal learning task with uncertain feedback and a single reversal measuring win-stay and lose-shift. Bayesian computational modeling provided measures of learning rate, reinforcement sensitivity, and stimulus stickiness. Results Unmedicated patients with OCD were impaired on the deterministic reversal task under punishment only at the first and third reversals compared with both control participants and medicated patients with OCD, who had no deficit. Perseverative errors were correlated with OCD severity. On the probabilistic reversal task, unmedicated patients were only impaired at reversal, whereas medicated patients were impaired at both the learning and reversal stages. Computational modeling showed that the overall change was reduced feedback sensitivity in both OCD groups. Conclusions Both perseveration and increased shifting can be observed in OCD, depending on test conditions including the predictability of reinforcement. Perseveration was related to clinical severity and remediated by serotonergic medication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annemieke M. Apergis-Schoute
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Febe E. van der Flier
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Samantha H.Y. Ip
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Centre for Cancer Genetic Epidemiology, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- British Heart Foundation Cardiovascular Epidemiology Unit, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Victor Phillip Dahdaleh Heart and Lung Research Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Jonathan W. Kanen
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Matilde M. Vaghi
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- School of Psychology, University of East Anglia, Norwich, United Kingdom
| | - Naomi A. Fineberg
- Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust, National Health Service, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, United Kingdom
| | - Barbara J. Sahakian
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Rudolf N. Cardinal
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Trevor W. Robbins
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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Aguirre CG, Woo JH, Romero-Sosa JL, Rivera ZM, Tejada AN, Munier JJ, Perez J, Goldfarb M, Das K, Gomez M, Ye T, Pannu J, Evans K, O'Neill PR, Spigelman I, Soltani A, Izquierdo A. Dissociable contributions of basolateral amygdala and ventrolateral orbitofrontal cortex to flexible learning under uncertainty. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.04.03.535471. [PMID: 37066321 PMCID: PMC10104064 DOI: 10.1101/2023.04.03.535471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Reversal learning measures the ability to form flexible associations between choice outcomes with stimuli and actions that precede them. This type of learning is thought to rely on several cortical and subcortical areas, including highly interconnected orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and basolateral amygdala (BLA), and is often impaired in various neuropsychiatric and substance use disorders. However, unique contributions of these regions to stimulus- and action-based reversal learning have not been systematically compared using a chemogenetic approach and particularly before and after the first reversal that introduces new uncertainty. Here, we examined the roles of ventrolateral OFC (vlOFC) and BLA during reversal learning. Male and female rats were prepared with inhibitory DREADDs targeting projection neurons in these regions and tested on a series of deterministic and probabilistic reversals during which they learned about stimulus identity or side (left or right) associated with different reward probabilities. Using a counterbalanced within-subject design, we inhibited these regions prior to reversal sessions. We assessed initial and pre-post reversal changes in performance to measure learning and adjustments to reversals, respectively. We found that inhibition of vlOFC, but not BLA, eliminated adjustments to stimulus-based reversals. Inhibition of BLA, but not vlOFC, selectively impaired action-based probabilistic reversal learning, leaving deterministic reversal learning intact. vlOFC exhibited a sex-dependent role in early adjustment to action-based reversals, but not in overall learning. These results reveal dissociable roles for BLA and vlOFC in flexible learning and highlight a more crucial role for BLA in learning meaningful changes in the reward environment.
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9
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Qin Y, Chen J, Li J, Wu N. Relationship between hippocampal gene expression and cognitive performance differences in visual discrimination learning task of male rats. Behav Brain Res 2023; 454:114659. [PMID: 37690703 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2023.114659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2023] [Revised: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023]
Abstract
Learning to discriminate between environmental visual stimuli is essential to make right decisions and guide appropriate behaviors. Moreover, impairments in visual discrimination learning are observed in several neuropsychiatric disorders. Visual discrimination learning requires perception and memory processing, in which the hippocampus critically involved. To understand the molecular mechanisms underpinning hippocampus function in visual discrimination learning, we examined the hippocampal gene expression profiles of Sprague-Dawley rats with different cognitive performance (high cognition group vs. low cognition group) in the modified visual discrimination learning task, using high-throughput RNA sequencing technology. Compared with the low cognition group, bioinformatics analysis indicated that 319 genes were differentially expressed in the high cognition group with statistical significance, of which 253 genes were down-regulated and 66 genes were up-regulated. The functional enrichment analysis showed that protein translation and energy metabolism were up-regulated pathways, while transforming growth factor beta receptor signaling pathway, bone morphogenetic protein signaling pathway, apoptosis, inflammation response, transport, and glycosaminoglycan metabolism were down-regulated pathways, which were related to good cognitive performance in the visual discrimination learning task. Taken together, our finding reveals the differential gene expression and enrichment biological pathways related to cognitive performance differences in visual discrimination learning of rats, which provides us direct insight into the molecular mechanisms of hippocampus function in visual discrimination learning and may contribute to developing potential treatment strategies for neuropsychiatric disorders accompanied with cognitive impairments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yihan Qin
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Neuropsychopharmacology, State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, 27th Taiping Road, Beijing 100850, China
| | - Jianmin Chen
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Neuropsychopharmacology, State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, 27th Taiping Road, Beijing 100850, China
| | - Jin Li
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Neuropsychopharmacology, State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, 27th Taiping Road, Beijing 100850, China.
| | - Ning Wu
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Neuropsychopharmacology, State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, 27th Taiping Road, Beijing 100850, China.
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10
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Memar S, Jiang E, Prado VF, Saksida LM, Bussey TJ, Prado MAM. Open science and data sharing in cognitive neuroscience with MouseBytes and MouseBytes. Sci Data 2023; 10:210. [PMID: 37059739 PMCID: PMC10104860 DOI: 10.1038/s41597-023-02106-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 03/27/2023] [Indexed: 04/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Open access to rodent cognitive data has lagged behind the rapid generation of large open-access datasets in other areas of neuroscience, such as neuroimaging and genomics. One contributing factor has been the absence of uniform standardization in experiments and data output, an issue that has particularly plagued studies in animal models. Touchscreen-automated cognitive testing of animal models allows standardized outputs that are compatible with open-access sharing. Touchscreen datasets can be combined with different neuro-technologies such as fiber photometry, miniscopes, optogenetics, and MRI to evaluate the relationship between neural activity and behavior. Here we describe a platform that allows deposition of these data into an open-access repository. This platform, called MouseBytes, is a web-based repository that enables researchers to store, share, visualize, and analyze cognitive data. Here we present the architecture, structure, and the essential infrastructure behind MouseBytes. In addition, we describe MouseBytes+, a database that allows data from complementary neuro-technologies such as imaging and photometry to be easily integrated with behavioral data in MouseBytes to support multi-modal behavioral analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Memar
- BrainsCAN, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, N6A 3K7, Canada.
- Robarts Research Institute, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, N6A 3K7, Canada.
| | - Eric Jiang
- BrainsCAN, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, N6A 3K7, Canada
- Robarts Research Institute, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, N6A 3K7, Canada
| | - Vania F Prado
- BrainsCAN, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, N6A 3K7, Canada
- Robarts Research Institute, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, N6A 3K7, Canada
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, N6A 3K7, Canada
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, N6A 3K7, Canada
| | - Lisa M Saksida
- BrainsCAN, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, N6A 3K7, Canada
- Robarts Research Institute, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, N6A 3K7, Canada
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, N6A 3K7, Canada
| | - Timothy J Bussey
- BrainsCAN, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, N6A 3K7, Canada.
- Robarts Research Institute, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, N6A 3K7, Canada.
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, N6A 3K7, Canada.
| | - Marco A M Prado
- BrainsCAN, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, N6A 3K7, Canada.
- Robarts Research Institute, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, N6A 3K7, Canada.
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, N6A 3K7, Canada.
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, N6A 3K7, Canada.
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11
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Robinson S, Winer JL, Kitase Y, Brigman JL, Jantzie LL. Neonatal administration of erythropoietin attenuates cognitive deficits in adult rats following placental insufficiency. J Neurosci Res 2022; 100:2112-2126. [PMID: 33611820 PMCID: PMC10097461 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.24815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2021] [Revised: 01/29/2021] [Accepted: 02/04/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Preterm birth is a principal cause of neurological disability later in life, including cognitive and behavioral deficits. Notably, cognitive impairment has greater impact on quality of life than physical disability. Survivors of preterm birth commonly have deficits of executive function. Difficulties with tasks and planning complexity correlate positively with increasing disability. To overcome these barriers for children born preterm, preclinical and clinical studies have emphasized the importance of neurorestoration. Erythropoietin (EPO) is a endogenous cytokine with multiple beneficial mechanisms of action following perinatal brain injury. While most preclinical investigations have focused on pathology and molecular mechanisms, translational studies of repair using clinically viable biobehavioral biomarkers are still lacking. Here, using an established model of encephalopathy of prematurity secondary to placental insufficiency, we tested the hypothesis that administration of EPO in the neonatal period would attenuate deficits in recognition memory and cognitive flexibility in adult rats of both sexes. We assessed cognition and executive function in two ways. First, using the classic test of novel object recognition and second, using a touchscreen platform. Touchscreen testing allows for rigorous testing of cognition and executive function in preclinical and clinical scenarios. Data show that adult rats exhibit deficits in recognition memory and cognitive flexibility following in utero placental insufficiency. Notably, neonatal treatment of EPO attenuates these deficits in adulthood and facilitates functional repair. Together, these data validate EPO neurorestoration using a clinically relevant outcome measure and support the concept that postnatal treatment following in utero injury can improve cognition and executive function through adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shenandoah Robinson
- Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Jesse L Winer
- Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Yuma Kitase
- Division of Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Jonathan L Brigman
- Department of Neuroscience, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Lauren L Jantzie
- Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.,Division of Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.,Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.,Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA
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12
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How Can Animal Models Inform the Understanding of Cognitive Inflexibility in Patients with Anorexia Nervosa? J Clin Med 2022; 11:jcm11092594. [PMID: 35566718 PMCID: PMC9105411 DOI: 10.3390/jcm11092594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2022] [Revised: 04/27/2022] [Accepted: 04/30/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Deficits in cognitive flexibility are consistently seen in patients with anorexia nervosa (AN). This type of cognitive impairment is thought to be associated with the persistence of AN because it leads to deeply ingrained patterns of thought and behaviour that are highly resistant to change. Neurobiological drivers of cognitive inflexibility have some commonalities with the abnormal brain functional outcomes described in patients with AN, including disrupted prefrontal cortical function, and dysregulated dopamine and serotonin neurotransmitter systems. The activity-based anorexia (ABA) model recapitulates the key features of AN in human patients, including rapid weight loss caused by self-starvation and hyperactivity, supporting its application in investigating the cognitive and neurobiological causes of pathological weight loss. The aim of this review is to describe the relationship between AN, neural function and cognitive flexibility in human patients, and to highlight how new techniques in behavioural neuroscience can improve the utility of animal models of AN to inform the development of novel therapeutics.
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13
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Hughes RB, Whittingham-Dowd J, Clapcote SJ, Broughton SJ, Dawson N. Altered medial prefrontal cortex and dorsal raphé activity predict genotype and correlate with abnormal learning behavior in a mouse model of autism-associated 2p16.3 deletion. Autism Res 2022; 15:614-627. [PMID: 35142069 PMCID: PMC9303357 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2021] [Revised: 01/14/2022] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
2p16.3 deletion, involving NEUREXIN1 (NRXN1) heterozygous deletion, substantially increases the risk of developing autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders. We have a poor understanding of how NRXN1 heterozygosity impacts on brain function and cognition to increase the risk of developing the disorder. Here we characterize the impact of Nrxn1α heterozygosity on cerebral metabolism, in mice, using 14C‐2‐deoxyglucose imaging. We also assess performance in an olfactory‐based discrimination and reversal learning (OB‐DaRL) task and locomotor activity. We use decision tree classifiers to test the predictive relationship between cerebral metabolism and Nrxn1α genotype. Our data show that Nrxn1α heterozygosity induces prefrontal cortex (medial prelimbic cortex, mPrL) hypometabolism and a contrasting dorsal raphé nucleus (DRN) hypermetabolism. Metabolism in these regions allows for the predictive classification of Nrxn1α genotype. Consistent with reduced mPrL glucose utilization, prefrontal cortex insulin receptor signaling is decreased in Nrxn1α+/− mice. Behaviorally, Nrxn1α+/− mice show enhanced learning of a novel discrimination, impaired reversal learning and an increased latency to make correct choices. In addition, male Nrxn1α+/− mice show hyperlocomotor activity. Correlative analysis suggests that mPrL hypometabolism contributes to the enhanced novel odor discrimination seen in Nrxn1α+/− mice, while DRN hypermetabolism contributes to their increased latency in making correct choices. The data show that Nrxn1α heterozygosity impacts on prefrontal cortex and serotonin system function, which contribute to the cognitive alterations seen in these animals. The data suggest that Nrxn1α+/− mice provide a translational model for the cognitive and behavioral alterations seen in autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders associated with 2p16.3 deletion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca B Hughes
- Division of Biomedical and Life Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medicine, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK
| | - Jayde Whittingham-Dowd
- Division of Biomedical and Life Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medicine, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK
| | | | - Susan J Broughton
- Division of Biomedical and Life Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medicine, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK
| | - Neil Dawson
- Division of Biomedical and Life Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medicine, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK
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14
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Manning EE, Geramita MA, Piantadosi SC, Pierson JL, Ahmari SE. Distinct Patterns of Abnormal Lateral Orbitofrontal Cortex Activity During Compulsive Grooming and Reversal Learning Normalize After Fluoxetine. Biol Psychiatry 2021; 93:989-999. [PMID: 35094880 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2021.11.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2021] [Revised: 11/09/2021] [Accepted: 11/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) display disrupted performance and abnormal lateral orbitofrontal cortex (LOFC) activity during reversal learning tasks. However, it is unknown whether compulsions and reversal learning deficits share a common neural substrate. To answer this question, we measured neural activity with in vivo calcium imaging in LOFC during compulsive grooming and reversal learning before and after fluoxetine treatment. METHODS Sapap3 knockout (KO) mice were used as a model for OCD-relevant behaviors. Sapap3 KOs and control littermates were injected with a virus encoding GCaMP6f and implanted with gradient-index lenses to visualize LOFC activity using miniature microscopes. Grooming, reversal learning, and neural activity were measured pre- and post-fluoxetine treatment (18 mg/kg, 4 weeks). RESULTS Baseline compulsive grooming and reversal learning impairments in KOs improved after fluoxetine treatment. In addition, KOs displayed distinct patterns of abnormal LOFC activity during grooming and reversal learning, both of which normalized after fluoxetine. Finally, reversal learning-associated neurons were distributed randomly among grooming-associated neurons (i.e., overlap is what would be expected by chance). CONCLUSIONS In OCD, LOFC is disrupted during both compulsive behaviors and reversal learning, but whether these behaviors share common neural underpinnings is unknown. We found that LOFC plays distinct roles in compulsive grooming and impaired reversal learning and their improvement with fluoxetine. These findings suggest that LOFC plays separate roles in pathophysiology and treatment of different perseverative behaviors in OCD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth E Manning
- School of the Biological Sciences and Pharmacy, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Matthew A Geramita
- Translational Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Sean C Piantadosi
- Center for Neurobiology of Addiction, Pain, and Emotion, University of Washington, Washington, Seattle
| | - Jamie L Pierson
- Translational Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Susanne E Ahmari
- Translational Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
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15
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Serotonin 2C Antagonism in the Lateral Orbitofrontal Cortex Ameliorates Cue-Enhanced Risk Preference and Restores Sensitivity to Reinforcer Devaluation in Male Rats. eNeuro 2021; 8:ENEURO.0341-21.2021. [PMID: 34815296 PMCID: PMC8670605 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0341-21.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2021] [Revised: 10/27/2021] [Accepted: 11/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous research has indicated that reward-paired cues can enhance disadvantageous risky choice in both humans and rodents. Systemic administration of a serotonin 2C receptor antagonist can attenuate this cue-induced risk preference in rats. However, the neurocognitive mechanisms mediating this effect are currently unknown. We therefore assessed whether the serotonin 2C receptor antagonist RS 102221 is able to attenuate cue-enhanced risk preference via its actions in the lateral orbitofrontal cortex (lOFC) or prelimbic (PrL) area of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). A total of 32 male Long–Evans rats were trained on the cued version of the rat gambling task (rGT), a rodent analog of the human Iowa gambling task, and bilateral guide cannulae were implanted into the lOFC or PrL. Intra-lOFC infusions of the 5-HT2C antagonist RS 102221 reduced risky choice in animals that showed a preference for the risky options of the rGT at baseline. This effect was not observed in optimal decision-makers, nor those that received infusions targeting the PrL. Given prior data showing that 5-HT2C antagonists also improve reversal learning through the same neural locus, we hypothesized that reward-concurrent cues may amplify risky decision-making through cognitive inflexibility. We therefore devalued the sugar pellet rewards used in the cued rGT (crGT) through satiation and observed that decision-making patterns did not shift unless animals also received intra-lOFC RS 102221. Collectively, these data suggest that the lOFC is one critical site through which reward-concurrent cues promote risky choice patterns that are insensitive to reinforcer devaluation, and that 5-HT2C antagonism may optimize choice by facilitating exploration.
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16
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Miyazaki K, Miyazaki KW. Increased serotonin prevents compulsion in addiction. Science 2021; 373:1197-1198. [PMID: 34516803 DOI: 10.1126/science.abl6285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
[Figure: see text].
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Affiliation(s)
- Katsuhiko Miyazaki
- Neural Computation Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Kayoko W Miyazaki
- Neural Computation Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Okinawa, Japan
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