1
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Motger-Albertí A, de la Calle E, Giménez M, Blasco G, Biarnés C, Arnoriaga-Rodríguez M, Puig J, Coll-Martínez C, Contreras-Rodríguez O, Fernández-Real JM. Increased brain fractional perfusion in obesity using intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) MRI metrics. Obesity (Silver Spring) 2024; 32:756-767. [PMID: 38383843 DOI: 10.1002/oby.24001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2023] [Revised: 11/24/2023] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 02/23/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This research seeks to shed light on the associations between brain perfusion, cognitive function, and mental health in individuals with and without obesity. METHODS In this study, we employed the noninvasive intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique to examine brain fractional perfusion (FP) in two groups: individuals with obesity (N = 72) and healthy controls (N = 66). Additionally, we investigated potential associations between FP, cognitive function, and depressive symptoms in the participants with and without obesity. Finally, artificial intelligence algorithms (Boruta analysis) were also used. RESULTS Participants with obesity exhibited increased FP within dopaminergic brain circuits, particularly involving prefrontal cortex areas, anterior and posterior sections of the cingulate cortex, the right striatum, and the midbrain. Additionally, these individuals demonstrated lower working memory and higher depressive symptoms compared to the control group. Notably, higher FP in the inferior temporal and occipital cortices correlated with greater depressive symptoms, whereas increased FP in the right ventral caudate and the midbrain was associated with better working memory performance. A link between inflammatory and metabolic variables, with a particular emphasis on monocytes, and FP in obesity was also evidenced by Boruta analysis. CONCLUSIONS Increased brain perfusion in individuals with obesity is associated with cognitive function and mental health through interaction with metabolic and inflammatory factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Motger-Albertí
- Department of Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Nutrition (UDEN), Girona Biomedical Research Institute, Josep Trueta University Hospital, Girona, Spain
- CIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBEROBN), Girona, Spain
- Department of Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Girona, Girona, Spain
| | - Elena de la Calle
- Department of Radiology-Medical Imaging, Girona Biomedical Research Institute, Josep Trueta University Hospital, Girona, Spain
| | - Mònica Giménez
- Department of Radiology-Medical Imaging, Girona Biomedical Research Institute, Josep Trueta University Hospital, Girona, Spain
| | - Gerard Blasco
- Department of Radiology-Medical Imaging, Girona Biomedical Research Institute, Josep Trueta University Hospital, Girona, Spain
| | - Carles Biarnés
- Department of Radiology-Medical Imaging, Girona Biomedical Research Institute, Josep Trueta University Hospital, Girona, Spain
| | - María Arnoriaga-Rodríguez
- Department of Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Nutrition (UDEN), Girona Biomedical Research Institute, Josep Trueta University Hospital, Girona, Spain
- CIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBEROBN), Girona, Spain
| | - Josep Puig
- Department of Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Girona, Girona, Spain
- Department of Radiology-Medical Imaging, Girona Biomedical Research Institute, Josep Trueta University Hospital, Girona, Spain
| | - Clàudia Coll-Martínez
- Neuroimmunology and Multiple Sclerosis Unit, Department of Neurology, Josep Trueta University Hospital, Girona, Spain
- Neurodegeneration and Neuroinflammation Research Group, Girona Biomedical Research Institute, Department of Medical Sciences, University of Girona, Girona, Spain
| | - Oren Contreras-Rodríguez
- Department of Psychiatry and Legal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
- CIBER de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain
| | - José Manuel Fernández-Real
- Department of Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Nutrition (UDEN), Girona Biomedical Research Institute, Josep Trueta University Hospital, Girona, Spain
- CIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBEROBN), Girona, Spain
- Department of Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Girona, Girona, Spain
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2
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Nieder A. Convergent Circuit Computation for Categorization in the Brains of Primates and Songbirds. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol 2023; 15:a041526. [PMID: 38040453 PMCID: PMC10691494 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a041526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2023]
Abstract
Categorization is crucial for behavioral flexibility because it enables animals to group stimuli into meaningful classes that can easily be generalized to new circumstances. A most abstract quantitative category is set size, the number of elements in a set. This review explores how categorical number representations are realized by the operations of excitatory and inhibitory neurons in associative telencephalic microcircuits in primates and songbirds. Despite the independent evolution of the primate prefrontal cortex and the avian nidopallium caudolaterale, the neuronal computations of these associative pallial circuits show surprising correspondence. Comparing cellular functions in distantly related taxa can inform about the evolutionary principles of circuit computations for cognition in distinctly but convergently realized brain structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Nieder
- Animal Physiology Unit, Institute of Neurobiology, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
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3
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Wong RK, Selvanayagam J, Johnston KD, Everling S. Delay-related activity in marmoset prefrontal cortex. Cereb Cortex 2023; 33:3523-3537. [PMID: 35945687 PMCID: PMC10068290 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhac289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2022] [Revised: 06/28/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Persistent delay-period activity in prefrontal cortex (PFC) has long been regarded as a neural signature of working memory (WM). Electrophysiological investigations in macaque PFC have provided much insight into WM mechanisms; however, a barrier to understanding is the fact that a portion of PFC lies buried within the principal sulcus in this species and is inaccessible for laminar electrophysiology or optical imaging. The relatively lissencephalic cortex of the New World common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus) circumvents such limitations. It remains unknown, however, whether marmoset PFC neurons exhibit persistent activity. Here, we addressed this gap by conducting wireless electrophysiological recordings in PFC of marmosets performing a delayed-match-to-location task on a home cage-based touchscreen system. As in macaques, marmoset PFC neurons exhibited sample-, delay-, and response-related activity that was directionally tuned and linked to correct task performance. Models constructed from population activity consistently and accurately predicted stimulus location throughout the delay period, supporting a framework of delay activity in which mnemonic representations are relatively stable in time. Taken together, our findings support the existence of common neural mechanisms underlying WM performance in PFC of macaques and marmosets and thus validate the marmoset as a suitable model animal for investigating the microcircuitry underlying WM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raymond K Wong
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Western University, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada
- Centre for Functional and Metabolic Mapping, Robarts Research Institute, University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 5B7, Canada
| | - Janahan Selvanayagam
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Western University, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada
- Centre for Functional and Metabolic Mapping, Robarts Research Institute, University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 5B7, Canada
| | - Kevin D Johnston
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Western University, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada
- Centre for Functional and Metabolic Mapping, Robarts Research Institute, University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 5B7, Canada
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada
| | - Stefan Everling
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Western University, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada
- Centre for Functional and Metabolic Mapping, Robarts Research Institute, University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 5B7, Canada
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada
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4
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Dabbah-Assadi F, Rashid S, Golani I, Rubinstein A, Doron R, Alon D, Palzur E, Beloosesky R, Shamir A. Long-term effects of prophylactic MgSO 4 in maternal immune activation rodent model at adolescence and adulthood. J Neurosci Res 2023; 101:316-326. [PMID: 36434794 PMCID: PMC10100175 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.25148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2022] [Revised: 11/06/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
The effects of MgSO4 as an anti-inflammatory agent in pregnant women have been investigated in the last few years. Infections can cause an inflammatory reaction involving the placenta membranes and amniotic cavity. They may have short-term effects on the mother and her fetuses, like preterm birth, cerebral palsy, and developmental delay. Despite the alleged advantages of MgSO4 as a neuroprotective agent in the preterm brain, the long-term molecular and behavioral function of MgSO4 has not been fully elucidated. Here, we investigated the long-term effect of antenatal MgSO4 , during late gestation, on offspring's behavior focusing on cognitive function, motor activity, and social cognition in adolescence and adulthood, and explored its influence on brain gene expression (e.g., ErbB signaling, pro-inflammatory, and dopaminergic markers) in adulthood. A significant abnormal exploratory behavior of offspring of MgSO4 -treated dams was found compared to the control group in both adolescence and adulthood. Furthermore, we found that adult females exposed to MgSO4 under inflammation displayed working and recognition memory impairment. A reduction in IL-6 expression was detected in the prefrontal cortex, and hippocampus specimens derived from LPS-Mg-treated group. In contrast, an imbalanced expression of dopamine 1 and 2 receptors was detected only in prefrontal cortex specimens. Besides, we found that MgSO4 ameliorated the overexpression of the Nrg1 and Erbb4 receptors induced by LPS in the hippocampus. Thus, MgSO4 treatment for preventing brain injuries can adversely affect offspring cognition behavior later in life, depending on the sex and age of the offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fadwa Dabbah-Assadi
- Psychobiology Research Laboratory, Mazor Mental Health Center, Akko, Israel.,The Ruth and Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Sally Rashid
- Department of Biotechnology Engineering, ORT Braude College, Karmiel, Israel
| | - Idit Golani
- Department of Biotechnology Engineering, ORT Braude College, Karmiel, Israel
| | - Alon Rubinstein
- Faculty of Medicine in the Galilee, Bar-Ilan University, Zefat, Israel
| | - Ravid Doron
- Department of Education and Psychology, the Open University, Raanana, Israel
| | - David Alon
- Psychobiology Research Laboratory, Mazor Mental Health Center, Akko, Israel
| | - Eilam Palzur
- The Neuroscience Laboratory, Galilee Medical Center Research Institute, Nahariya, Israel
| | - Ron Beloosesky
- The Ruth and Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Rambam Medical Center, Haifa, Israel
| | - Alon Shamir
- Psychobiology Research Laboratory, Mazor Mental Health Center, Akko, Israel.,The Ruth and Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
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5
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Ferrera D, Gómez-Esquer F, Peláez I, Barjola P, Fernandes-Magalhaes R, Carpio A, De Lahoz ME, Martín-Buro MC, Mercado F. Working memory dysfunction in fibromyalgia is associated with genotypes of the catechol- O-methyltransferase gene: an event-related potential study. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2023; 273:25-40. [PMID: 36100778 PMCID: PMC9958168 DOI: 10.1007/s00406-022-01488-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2022] [Accepted: 08/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Recent findings have associated different COMT genotypes with working memory capacity in patients with fibromyalgia. Although it is thought that the COMT gene may influence neural correlates (P2 and P3 ERP components) underlying working memory impairment in this chronic-pain syndrome, it has not yet been explored. Therefore, the aim of the present research was to investigate the potential effect of the COMT gene in fibromyalgia patients on ERP working memory indices (P2 and P3 components). For this purpose, 102 participants (51 patients and 51 healthy control participants) took part in the experiment. Event-related potentials and behavioral responses were recorded while participants performed a spatial n-back task. Participants had to decide if the stimulus coincided or not in the same location as the one presented one (1-back condition) or two (2-back condition) trials before. Genotypes of the COMT gene were determined through a saliva sample from all participants. Present results significantly showed lower working memory performance (p < 0.05) in patients with fibromyalgia as compared to control participants (higher rate of errors and slower reaction times). At neural level, we found that patients exhibited enhanced frontocentral and parieto-occipital P2 amplitudes compared to control participants (p < 0.05). Interestingly, we also observed that only fibromyalgia patients carrying the Val/Val genotype of the COMT gene showed higher frontocentral P2 amplitudes than control participants (p < 0.05). Current results (behavioral outcomes and P2 amplitudes) confirmed the presence of an alteration in working memory functioning in fibromyalgia. The enhancement of frontocentral P2 could be reflecting that these patients would manifest an inefficient way of activating executive attention processes, in carriers of the Val/Val genotype of COMT. To our knowledge, the present findings are the first linking neural indices of working memory dysfunctions and COMT genotypes in fibromyalgia. Applying a subgroup of patient's strategy based on this genetic marker could be useful to establish more tailored therapeutical approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Ferrera
- grid.28479.300000 0001 2206 5938Department of Psychology, School of Health Sciences, Rey Juan Carlos University, Av. Atenas s/n. 28922, Alcorcón, Madrid, Spain
| | - Francisco Gómez-Esquer
- grid.28479.300000 0001 2206 5938Emerging Research Group of Anatomical, Molecular and Human Development Bases, Department of Basic Health Sciences, School of Health Sciences, Rey Juan Carlos University, Madrid, Spain
| | - Irene Peláez
- grid.28479.300000 0001 2206 5938Department of Psychology, School of Health Sciences, Rey Juan Carlos University, Av. Atenas s/n. 28922, Alcorcón, Madrid, Spain
| | - Paloma Barjola
- grid.28479.300000 0001 2206 5938Department of Psychology, School of Health Sciences, Rey Juan Carlos University, Av. Atenas s/n. 28922, Alcorcón, Madrid, Spain
| | - Roberto Fernandes-Magalhaes
- grid.28479.300000 0001 2206 5938Department of Psychology, School of Health Sciences, Rey Juan Carlos University, Av. Atenas s/n. 28922, Alcorcón, Madrid, Spain
| | - Alberto Carpio
- grid.28479.300000 0001 2206 5938Department of Psychology, School of Health Sciences, Rey Juan Carlos University, Av. Atenas s/n. 28922, Alcorcón, Madrid, Spain
| | - María Eugenia De Lahoz
- grid.28479.300000 0001 2206 5938Department of Psychology, School of Health Sciences, Rey Juan Carlos University, Av. Atenas s/n. 28922, Alcorcón, Madrid, Spain
| | - María Carmen Martín-Buro
- grid.28479.300000 0001 2206 5938Department of Psychology, School of Health Sciences, Rey Juan Carlos University, Av. Atenas s/n. 28922, Alcorcón, Madrid, Spain
| | - Francisco Mercado
- Department of Psychology, School of Health Sciences, Rey Juan Carlos University, Av. Atenas s/n. 28922, Alcorcón, Madrid, Spain.
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6
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Sawagashira R, Tanaka M. Nicotine promotes the utility of short-term memory during visual search in macaque monkeys. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2022; 239:3019-3029. [PMID: 35802143 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-022-06186-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE The central cholinergic system is a major therapeutic target for restoring cognitive functions. Although manipulation of cholinergic signaling is known to alter working memory (WM), the underlying mechanism remains unclear. It is widely accepted that WM consists of multiple functional modules, one storing short-term memory and the other manipulating and utilizing it. A recently developed visual search task and a relevant model can be used to assess multiple components of WM during administration of acetylcholine receptor (AChR)-related substances. OBJECTIVES The effects of systemic administration of AChR-related agents on WM and eye movements were examined during the oculomotor foraging task. METHODS Three monkeys performing the task received an intramuscular injection of saline or the following AChR-related agents: nicotine (24 or 56 μg/kg), mecamylamine (nicotinic AChR antagonist, 1.0 mg/kg), oxotremorine (muscarinic AChR agonist, 3.0 µg/kg), and scopolamine (muscarinic AChR antagonist, 20 μg/kg). The task was to find a target among 15 identical objects by making eye movements within 6 s. The data were analyzed according to the foraging model that incorporated three parameters. RESULTS Nicotine and mecamylamine significantly increased the utility but not the capacity of short-term memory, while muscarinic AChR-related agents did not alter any WM parameters. Further regression analyses with a mixed-effect model showed that the beneficial effect of nicotine on memory utility remained after considering eye movement variability, but the beneficial effect of mecamylamine disappeared. CONCLUSIONS Nicotine improves visual search, mainly by increasing the utility of short-term memory, with minimal changes in oculomotor parameters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryo Sawagashira
- Department of Physiology, Hokkaido University School of Medicine, Sapporo, 060-8638, Japan. .,Department of Psychiatry, Hokkaido University School of Medicine, Sapporo, 060-8638, Japan.
| | - Masaki Tanaka
- Department of Physiology, Hokkaido University School of Medicine, Sapporo, 060-8638, Japan.
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7
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Lee GS, Graham DL, Noble BL, Trammell TS, McCarthy DM, Anderson LR, Rubinstein M, Bhide PG, Stanwood GD. Behavioral and Neuroanatomical Consequences of Cell-Type Specific Loss of Dopamine D2 Receptors in the Mouse Cerebral Cortex. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 15:815713. [PMID: 35095443 PMCID: PMC8793809 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.815713] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2021] [Accepted: 12/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Developmental dysregulation of dopamine D2 receptors (D2Rs) alters neuronal migration, differentiation, and behavior and contributes to the psychopathology of neurological and psychiatric disorders. The current study is aimed at identifying how cell-specific loss of D2Rs in the cerebral cortex may impact neurobehavioral and cellular development, in order to better understand the roles of this receptor in cortical circuit formation and brain disorders. We deleted D2R from developing cortical GABAergic interneurons (Nkx2.1-Cre) or from developing telencephalic glutamatergic neurons (Emx1-Cre). Conditional knockouts (cKO) from both lines, Drd2fl/fl, Nkx2.1-Cre+ (referred to as GABA-D2R-cKO mice) or Drd2fl/fl, Emx1-Cre+ (referred to as Glu-D2R-cKO mice), exhibited no differences in simple tests of anxiety-related or depression-related behaviors, or spatial or nonspatial working memory. Both GABA-D2R-cKO and Glu-D2R-cKO mice also had normal basal locomotor activity, but GABA-D2R-cKO mice expressed blunted locomotor responses to the psychotomimetic drug MK-801. GABA-D2R-cKO mice exhibited improved motor coordination on a rotarod whereas Glu-D2R-cKO mice were normal. GABA-D2R-cKO mice also exhibited spatial learning deficits without changes in reversal learning on a Barnes maze. At the cellular level, we observed an increase in PV+ cells in the frontal cortex of GABA-D2R-cKO mice and no noticeable changes in Glu-D2R-cKO mice. These data point toward unique and distinct roles for D2Rs within excitatory and inhibitory neurons in the regulation of behavior and interneuron development, and suggest that location-biased D2R pharmacology may be clinically advantageous to achieve higher efficacy and help avoid unwanted effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gloria S. Lee
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee, FL, United States
| | - Devon L. Graham
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee, FL, United States
- Center for Brain Repair, Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee, FL, United States
| | - Brenda L. Noble
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee, FL, United States
| | - Taylor S. Trammell
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee, FL, United States
| | - Deirdre M. McCarthy
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee, FL, United States
- Center for Brain Repair, Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee, FL, United States
| | - Lisa R. Anderson
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee, FL, United States
| | - Marcelo Rubinstein
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas and Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Pradeep G. Bhide
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee, FL, United States
- Center for Brain Repair, Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee, FL, United States
| | - Gregg D. Stanwood
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee, FL, United States
- Center for Brain Repair, Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee, FL, United States
- *Correspondence: Gregg D. Stanwood
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8
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Cools R, Arnsten AFT. Neuromodulation of prefrontal cortex cognitive function in primates: the powerful roles of monoamines and acetylcholine. Neuropsychopharmacology 2022; 47:309-328. [PMID: 34312496 PMCID: PMC8617291 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-021-01100-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2021] [Revised: 07/06/2021] [Accepted: 07/06/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The primate prefrontal cortex (PFC) subserves our highest order cognitive operations, and yet is tremendously dependent on a precise neurochemical environment for proper functioning. Depletion of noradrenaline and dopamine, or of acetylcholine from the dorsolateral PFC (dlPFC), is as devastating as removing the cortex itself, and serotonergic influences are also critical to proper functioning of the orbital and medial PFC. Most neuromodulators have a narrow inverted U dose response, which coordinates arousal state with cognitive state, and contributes to cognitive deficits with fatigue or uncontrollable stress. Studies in monkeys have revealed the molecular signaling mechanisms that govern the generation and modulation of mental representations by the dlPFC, allowing dynamic regulation of network strength, a process that requires tight regulation to prevent toxic actions, e.g., as occurs with advanced age. Brain imaging studies in humans have observed drug and genotype influences on a range of cognitive tasks and on PFC circuit functional connectivity, e.g., showing that catecholamines stabilize representations in a baseline-dependent manner. Research in monkeys has already led to new treatments for cognitive disorders in humans, encouraging future research in this important field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roshan Cools
- Department of Psychiatry, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Amy F T Arnsten
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.
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9
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Upright NA, Baxter MG. Prefrontal cortex and cognitive aging in macaque monkeys. Am J Primatol 2021; 83:e23250. [PMID: 33687098 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2020] [Revised: 02/17/2021] [Accepted: 02/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Cognitive impairments that accompany aging, even in the absence of neurodegenerative diseases, include deficits in executive function and memory mediated by the prefrontal cortex. Because of the unique differentiation and expansion of the prefrontal cortex in primates, investigations of the neurobiological basis of cognitive aging in nonhuman primates have been particularly informative about the potential basis for age-related cognitive decline in humans. We review the cognitive functions mediated by specific subregions of prefrontal cortex, and their corresponding connections, as well as the evidence for age-related alterations in specific regions of prefrontal cortex. We also discuss evidence for similarities and differences in the effects of aging on prefrontal cortex across species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas A Upright
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Mark G Baxter
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
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10
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Song CG, Kang X, Yang F, Du WQ, Zhang JJ, Liu L, Kang JJ, Jia N, Yue H, Fan LY, Wu SX, Jiang W, Gao F. Endocannabinoid system in the neurodevelopment of GABAergic interneurons: implications for neurological and psychiatric disorders. Rev Neurosci 2021; 32:803-831. [PMID: 33781002 DOI: 10.1515/revneuro-2020-0134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2020] [Accepted: 02/20/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
In mature mammalian brains, the endocannabinoid system (ECS) plays an important role in the regulation of synaptic plasticity and the functioning of neural networks. Besides, the ECS also contributes to the neurodevelopment of the central nervous system. Due to the increase in the medical and recreational use of cannabis, it is inevitable and essential to elaborate the roles of the ECS on neurodevelopment. GABAergic interneurons represent a group of inhibitory neurons that are vital in controlling neural network activity. However, the role of the ECS in the neurodevelopment of GABAergic interneurons remains to be fully elucidated. In this review, we provide a brief introduction of the ECS and interneuron diversity. We focus on the process of interneuron development and the role of ECS in the modulation of interneuron development, from the expansion of the neural stem/progenitor cells to the migration, specification and maturation of interneurons. We further discuss the potential implications of the ECS and interneurons in the pathogenesis of neurological and psychiatric disorders, including epilepsy, schizophrenia, major depressive disorder and autism spectrum disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chang-Geng Song
- Department of Neurobiology and Institute of Neurosciences, Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, School of Basic Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, 169 Chang Le Xi Road, Xi'an710032, Shaanxi, China.,Department of Neurology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, 127 Chang Le Xi Road, Xi'an710032, Shaanxi, China
| | - Xin Kang
- Department of Neurobiology and Institute of Neurosciences, Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, School of Basic Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, 169 Chang Le Xi Road, Xi'an710032, Shaanxi, China
| | - Fang Yang
- Department of Neurology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, 127 Chang Le Xi Road, Xi'an710032, Shaanxi, China
| | - Wan-Qing Du
- Department of Neurobiology and Institute of Neurosciences, Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, School of Basic Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, 169 Chang Le Xi Road, Xi'an710032, Shaanxi, China
| | - Jia-Jia Zhang
- National Translational Science Center for Molecular Medicine & Department of Cell Biology, Fourth Military Medical University, 169 Chang Le Xi Road, Xi'an710032, Shaanxi, China
| | - Long Liu
- Department of Neurobiology and Institute of Neurosciences, Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, School of Basic Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, 169 Chang Le Xi Road, Xi'an710032, Shaanxi, China
| | - Jun-Jun Kang
- Department of Neurobiology and Institute of Neurosciences, Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, School of Basic Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, 169 Chang Le Xi Road, Xi'an710032, Shaanxi, China
| | - Ning Jia
- Department of Neurobiology and Institute of Neurosciences, Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, School of Basic Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, 169 Chang Le Xi Road, Xi'an710032, Shaanxi, China
| | - Hui Yue
- Department of Neurobiology and Institute of Neurosciences, Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, School of Basic Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, 169 Chang Le Xi Road, Xi'an710032, Shaanxi, China
| | - Lu-Yu Fan
- Department of Neurobiology and Institute of Neurosciences, Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, School of Basic Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, 169 Chang Le Xi Road, Xi'an710032, Shaanxi, China
| | - Sheng-Xi Wu
- Department of Neurobiology and Institute of Neurosciences, Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, School of Basic Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, 169 Chang Le Xi Road, Xi'an710032, Shaanxi, China
| | - Wen Jiang
- Department of Neurology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, 127 Chang Le Xi Road, Xi'an710032, Shaanxi, China
| | - Fang Gao
- Department of Neurobiology and Institute of Neurosciences, Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, School of Basic Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, 169 Chang Le Xi Road, Xi'an710032, Shaanxi, China
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11
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Upright NA, Baxter MG. Effect of chemogenetic actuator drugs on prefrontal cortex-dependent working memory in nonhuman primates. Neuropsychopharmacology 2020; 45:1793-1798. [PMID: 32193513 PMCID: PMC7608232 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-020-0660-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2020] [Revised: 03/06/2020] [Accepted: 03/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The most common chemogenetic neuromodulatory system, designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs (DREADDs), uses a non-endogenous actuator ligand to activate a modified muscarinic acetylcholine receptor that is insensitive to acetylcholine. It is crucial in studies using these systems to test the potential effects of DREADD actuators prior to any DREADD transduction, so that effects of DREADDs can be attributed to the chemogenetic system rather than the actuator drug, particularly in experiments using nonhuman primates. We investigated working memory performance after injections of three DREADD actuators, clozapine, olanzapine, and deschloroclozapine, in four male rhesus monkeys tested in a spatial delayed response task before any DREADD transduction took place. Performance at 0.1 mg/kg clozapine and 0.1 mg/kg deschloroclozapine did not differ from vehicle in any of the four subjects. 0.2 mg/kg clozapine impaired working memory function in three of the four monkeys. Two monkeys were impaired after 0.1 mg/kg olanzapine and two were impaired after 0.3 mg/kg deschloroclozapine. We speculate that the unique neuropharmacology of prefrontal cortex function makes the primate prefrontal cortex especially vulnerable to off-target effects of DREADD actuator drugs with affinity for endogenous monoaminergic receptor systems. These findings underscore the importance of within-subject controls for DREADD actuator drugs in the specific tasks under study to confirm that effects following DREADD receptor transduction are not owing to the actuator drug itself. They also suggest that off-target effects of DREADD actuators may limit translational applications of chemogenetic neuromodulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas A Upright
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Mark G Baxter
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
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12
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Blockage of NMDA- and GABA(A) Receptors Improves Working Memory Selectivity of Primate Prefrontal Neurons. J Neurosci 2020; 40:1527-1537. [PMID: 31911457 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2009-19.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2019] [Revised: 12/03/2019] [Accepted: 12/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The ongoing activity of prefrontal neurons after a stimulus has disappeared is considered a neuronal correlate of working memory. It depends on the delicate but poorly understood interplay between excitatory glutamatergic and inhibitory GABAergic receptor effects. We administered the NMDA receptor antagonist MK-801 and the GABA(A) receptor antagonist bicuculline methiodide while recording cellular activity in PFC of male rhesus monkeys performing a delayed decision task requiring working memory. The blockade of GABA(A) receptors strongly improved the selectivity of the neurons' delay activity, causing an increase in signal-to-noise ratio during working memory periods as well as an enhancement of the neurons' coding selectivity. The blockade of NMDA receptors resulted in a slight enhancement of selectivity and encoding capacity of the neurons. Our findings emphasize the delicate and more complex than expected interplay of excitatory and inhibitory transmitter systems in modulating working memory coding in prefrontal circuits.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Ongoing delay activity of prefrontal neurons constitutes a neuronal correlate of working memory. However, how this delay activity is generated by the delicate interplay of synaptic excitation and inhibition is unknown. We probed the effects of excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate and inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA in regulating delay activity in rhesus monkeys performing a delayed decision task requiring working memory. Surprisingly, the blockade of both glutamatergic NMDA and GABA(A) receptors improved neuronal selectivity of delay activity, causing an increase in neuronal signal-to-noise ratio. Moreover, individual neurons were similarly affected by blockade of both receptors. This emphasizes the delicate and more complex than expected interplay of excitatory and inhibitory transmitter systems in modulating working memory coding in prefrontal circuits.
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13
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Lövdén M, Karalija N, Andersson M, Wåhlin A, Axelsson J, Köhncke Y, Jonasson LS, Rieckman A, Papenberg G, Garrett DD, Guitart-Masip M, Salami A, Riklund K, Bäckman L, Nyberg L, Lindenberger U. Latent-Profile Analysis Reveals Behavioral and Brain Correlates of Dopamine-Cognition Associations. Cereb Cortex 2019; 28:3894-3907. [PMID: 29028935 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhx253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2017] [Accepted: 09/07/2017] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Evidence suggests that associations between the neurotransmitter dopamine and cognition are nonmonotonic and open to modulation by various other factors. The functional implications of a given level of dopamine may therefore differ from person to person. By applying latent-profile analysis to a large (n = 181) sample of adults aged 64-68 years, we probabilistically identified 3 subgroups that explain the multivariate associations between dopamine D2/3R availability (probed with 11C-raclopride-PET, in cortical, striatal, and hippocampal regions) and cognitive performance (episodic memory, working memory, and perceptual speed). Generally, greater receptor availability was associated with better cognitive performance. However, we discovered a subgroup of individuals for which high availability, particularly in striatum, was associated with poor performance, especially for working memory. Relative to the rest of the sample, this subgroup also had lower education, higher body-mass index, and lower resting-state connectivity between caudate nucleus and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. We conclude that a smaller subset of individuals induces a multivariate non-linear association between dopamine D2/3R availability and cognitive performance in this group of older adults, and discuss potential reasons for these differences that await further empirical scrutiny.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Lövdén
- Aging Research Center, Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Nina Karalija
- Department of Radiation Sciences, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.,Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging (UFBI), Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Micael Andersson
- Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging (UFBI), Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.,Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Anders Wåhlin
- Department of Radiation Sciences, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Jan Axelsson
- Department of Radiation Sciences, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.,Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging (UFBI), Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Ylva Köhncke
- Aging Research Center, Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Lars S Jonasson
- Department of Radiation Sciences, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.,Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging (UFBI), Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.,Center for Aging and Demographic Research, CEDAR, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Anna Rieckman
- Department of Radiation Sciences, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.,Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging (UFBI), Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Goran Papenberg
- Aging Research Center, Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Douglas D Garrett
- Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, Berlin, Germany.,Center for Lifespan Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany
| | - Marc Guitart-Masip
- Aging Research Center, Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Alireza Salami
- Aging Research Center, Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Katrine Riklund
- Department of Radiation Sciences, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.,Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging (UFBI), Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Lars Bäckman
- Aging Research Center, Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Lars Nyberg
- Department of Radiation Sciences, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.,Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging (UFBI), Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.,Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Ulman Lindenberger
- Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, Berlin, Germany.,Center for Lifespan Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany.,European University Institute, San Domenico di Fiesole (FI), Italy
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14
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Salami A, Rieckmann A, Karalija N, Avelar-Pereira B, Andersson M, Wåhlin A, Papenberg G, Garrett DD, Riklund K, Lövdén M, Lindenberger U, Bäckman L, Nyberg L. Neurocognitive Profiles of Older Adults with Working-Memory Dysfunction. Cereb Cortex 2019; 28:2525-2539. [PMID: 29901790 PMCID: PMC5998950 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhy062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2017] [Accepted: 02/23/2018] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Individuals differ in how they perceive, remember, and think. There is evidence for the existence of distinct subgroups that differ in cognitive performance within the older population. However, it is less clear how individual differences in cognition in old age are linked to differences in brain-based measures. We used latent-profile analysis on n-back working-memory (WM) performance to identify subgroups in a large sample of older adults (n = 181; age = 64–68 years). Our analysis identified one larger normal subgroup with higher performance (n = 113; 63%), and a second smaller subgroup (n = 55; 31%) with lower performance. The low-performing subgroup showed weaker load-dependent BOLD modulation and lower connectivity within the fronto-parietal network (FPN) as well as between FPN and striatum during n-back, along with lower FPN connectivity at rest. This group also exhibited lower FPN structural integrity, lower frontal dopamine D2 binding potential, inferior performance on offline WM tests, and a trend-level genetic predisposition for lower dopamine-system efficiency. By contrast, this group exhibited relatively intact episodic memory and associated brain measures (i.e., hippocampal volume, structural, and functional connectivity within the default-mode network). Collectively, these data provide converging evidence for the existence of a group of older adults with impaired WM functioning characterized by reduced cortico-striatal coupling and aberrant cortico-cortical integrity within FPN.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alireza Salami
- Aging Research Center, Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.,Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging (UFBI), Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Anna Rieckmann
- Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging (UFBI), Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.,Department of Radiation Sciences, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Nina Karalija
- Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging (UFBI), Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.,Department of Radiation Sciences, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Bárbara Avelar-Pereira
- Aging Research Center, Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.,Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging (UFBI), Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Micael Andersson
- Department of Radiation Sciences, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.,Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Anders Wåhlin
- Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging (UFBI), Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Goran Papenberg
- Aging Research Center, Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Douglas D Garrett
- Center for Lifespan Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany
| | - Katrine Riklund
- Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging (UFBI), Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.,Department of Radiation Sciences, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Martin Lövdén
- Aging Research Center, Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Ulman Lindenberger
- Center for Lifespan Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany
| | - Lars Bäckman
- Aging Research Center, Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Lars Nyberg
- Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging (UFBI), Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.,Department of Radiation Sciences, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.,Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
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15
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Long-term treatment with rotigotine in drug-naïve PSP patients. Acta Neurol Belg 2019; 119:113-116. [PMID: 30062400 DOI: 10.1007/s13760-018-0993-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2017] [Accepted: 07/25/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) is a severe neurodegenerative disease still lacking of alleviating treatments for either cognitive or motor disturbances. Aimed at widening the spectrum of therapeutic options, here, we describe efficacy and safety of a long-term treatment with Rotigotine, a non-ergolinic dopamine agonist, in PSP. Seven PSP drug-naïve patients, presenting with Richardson's syndrome, received up to 6 mg/24 h transdermal patch for 42 weeks as unique therapy. Adverse effects were recorded; efficacy was measured by comparing baseline and final treatment scores of Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), Unified Parkinson Disease Rating Scale part3, and PSP rating scale (PSP-RS). At the end of our observation, no significant adverse events occurred; the cognitive item of PSP-RS was improved and MoCA score was similar at baseline. Contrariwise, motor disturbances worsened according to disease progression. Our observation thus suggests that long-term treatment with low doses of rotigotine is well tolerated and may support cognitive functions of PSP patients.
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16
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Elston TW, Kalhan S, Bilkey DK. Conflict and adaptation signals in the anterior cingulate cortex and ventral tegmental area. Sci Rep 2018; 8:11732. [PMID: 30082775 PMCID: PMC6079061 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-30203-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2017] [Accepted: 07/25/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The integration and utilization of feedback in order to determine which decision strategy to use in different contexts is the core of executive function. The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) is central to these processes but how feedback is made available to the ACC is unclear. To address this question, we trained rats with implants in the ACC and the ventral tegmental area (VTA), a dopaminergic brain region implicated in feedback processing, in a spatial decision reversal task with rule switching occurring approximately every 12 trials. Following a rule switch, the rats had to shift and sustain responses to the alternative side in order to obtain reward. Partial directed coherence (PDC) models of signal directionality between the ACC and VTA indicated that VTA → ACC communication (near 4 Hz) increased immediately prior to incorrect choices and during post-error decisions. This increase did not occur during correct choices. These data indicate that the VTA provides a feedback-driven, bottom-up modulating signal to the ACC which may be involved in assessing, and correcting for, decision conflict.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas W Elston
- Department of Psychology, University of Otago, Dunedin, 9016, New Zealand. .,Brain Health Research Centre, University of Otago, Dunedin, 9016, New Zealand. .,Institute for Neurobiology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, 72076, Germany.
| | - Shivam Kalhan
- Department of Psychology, University of Otago, Dunedin, 9016, New Zealand.,Brain Health Research Centre, University of Otago, Dunedin, 9016, New Zealand
| | - David K Bilkey
- Department of Psychology, University of Otago, Dunedin, 9016, New Zealand.,Brain Health Research Centre, University of Otago, Dunedin, 9016, New Zealand
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17
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Ditz HM, Kupferman JK, Nieder A. Neurons in the Hippocampus of Crows Lack Responses to Non-spatial Abstract Categories. Front Syst Neurosci 2018; 12:33. [PMID: 30072877 PMCID: PMC6060446 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2018.00033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2018] [Accepted: 06/28/2018] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Lesion studies suggest a role of the avian hippocampus in spatial and episodic memory. However, whether the avian hippocampus is also involved in processing categorical information and non-spatial working memory contents remains unknown. To address this question, we trained two crows in a delayed-match-to-sample test to assess and briefly memorize the number of items in dot displays, i.e., their numerosity. We recorded neuronal activity in hippocampus while crows solved this task. Hardly any hippocampal neurons responded to the category 'numerosity,' during neither sample presentation, nor during the memory delay. This was in striking contrast to previous recordings in the telencephalic association area 'nidopallium caudolaterale' (NCL) of the same crows, in which we previously reported an abundance of numerosity-selective and working memory-selective neurons. Our data suggest that categorical information is not processed in the avian hippocampus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helen M Ditz
- Department of Animal Physiology, Institute for Neurobiology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Jennifer K Kupferman
- Department of Animal Physiology, Institute for Neurobiology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Andreas Nieder
- Department of Animal Physiology, Institute for Neurobiology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
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18
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Vijayraghavan S, Major AJ, Everling S. Neuromodulation of Prefrontal Cortex in Non-Human Primates by Dopaminergic Receptors during Rule-Guided Flexible Behavior and Cognitive Control. Front Neural Circuits 2017; 11:91. [PMID: 29259545 PMCID: PMC5723345 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2017.00091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2017] [Accepted: 11/08/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The prefrontal cortex (PFC) is indispensable for several higher-order cognitive and executive capacities of primates, including representation of salient stimuli in working memory (WM), maintenance of cognitive task set, inhibition of inappropriate responses and rule-guided flexible behavior. PFC networks are subject to robust neuromodulation from ascending catecholaminergic systems. Disruption of these systems in PFC has been implicated in cognitive deficits associated with several neuropsychiatric disorders. Over the past four decades, a considerable body of work has examined the influence of dopamine on macaque PFC activity representing spatial WM. There has also been burgeoning interest in neuromodulation of PFC circuits involved in other cognitive functions of PFC, including representation of rules to guide flexible behavior. Here, we review recent neuropharmacological investigations conducted in our laboratory and others of the role of PFC dopamine receptors in regulating rule-guided behavior in non-human primates. Employing iontophoresis, we examined the effects of local manipulation of dopaminergic subtypes on neuronal activity during performance of rule-guided pro- and antisaccades, an experimental paradigm sensitive to PFC integrity, wherein deficits in performance are reliably observed in many neuropsychiatric disorders. We found dissociable effects of dopamine receptors on neuronal activity for rule representation and oculomotor responses and discuss these findings in the context of prior studies that have examined the role of dopamine in spatial delayed response tasks, attention, target selection, abstract rules, visuomotor learning and reward. The findings we describe here highlight the common features, as well as heterogeneity and context dependence of dopaminergic neuromodulation in regulating the efficacy of cognitive functions of PFC in health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susheel Vijayraghavan
- Robarts Research Institute, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada.,Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Alex J Major
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Stefan Everling
- Robarts Research Institute, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada.,Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada.,Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
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19
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Sensory and Working Memory Representations of Small and Large Numerosities in the Crow Endbrain. J Neurosci 2017; 36:12044-12052. [PMID: 27881787 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1521-16.2016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2016] [Revised: 09/09/2016] [Accepted: 09/12/2016] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurons in the avian nidopallium caudolaterale (NCL), an endbrain structure that originated independently from the mammalian neocortex, process visual numerosities. To clarify the code for number in this anatomically distinct endbrain area in birds, neuronal responses to a broad range of numerosities were analyzed. We recorded single-neuron activity from the NCL of crows performing a delayed match-to-sample task with visual numerosities as discriminanda. The responses of >20% of randomly selected neurons were modulated significantly by numerosities ranging from one to 30 items. Numerosity-selective neurons showed bell-shaped tuning curves with one of the presented numerosities as preferred numerosity regardless of the physical appearance of the items. The resulting labeled-line code exhibited logarithmic compression obeying the Weber-Fechner law for magnitudes. Comparable proportions of selective neurons were found, not only during stimulus presentation, but also in the delay phase, indicating a dominant role of the NCL in numerical working memory. Both during sensory encoding and memorization of numerosities in working memory, NCL activity predicted the crows' number discrimination performance. These neuronal data reveal striking similarities across vertebrate taxa in their code for number despite convergently evolved and anatomically distinct endbrain structures. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Birds are known for their capabilities to process numerical quantity. However, birds lack a six-layered neocortex that enables primates with numerical competence. We aimed to decipher the neuronal code for numerical quantity in the independently and distinctly evolved endbrain of birds. We recorded the activity of neurons in an endbrain association area termed nidopallium caudolaterale (NCL) from crows that assessed and briefly memorized numerosities from one to 30 dots. We report a neuronal code for sensory representation and working memory of numerosities in the crow NCL exhibiting several characteristics that are surprisingly similar to the ones found in primates. Our data suggest a common code for number in two different vertebrate taxa that has evolved based on convergent evolution.
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