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Colucci Cante R, Nigro F, Passannanti F, Lentini G, Gallo M, Nigro R, Budelli AL. Gut health benefits and associated systemic effects provided by functional components from the fermentation of natural matrices. Compr Rev Food Sci Food Saf 2024; 23:e13356. [PMID: 38767859 DOI: 10.1111/1541-4337.13356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2023] [Revised: 02/26/2024] [Accepted: 04/06/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
Recently, the role of the gut microbiota in metabolic health, immunity, behavioral balance, longevity, and intestine comfort has been the object of several studies from scientific communities. They were encouraged by a growing interest from food industries and consumers toward novel fermented ingredients and formulations with powerful biological effects, such as pre, pro, and postbiotic products. Depending on the selected strains, the operating conditions, the addition of suitable reagents or enzymes, the equipment, and the reactor configurations, functional compounds with high bioactivity, such as short-chain fatty acids, gamma-aminobutyric acid, bioactive peptides, and serotonin, can be enhanced and/or produced through fermentation of several vegetable matrices. Otherwise, their formation can also be promoted directly in the gut after the dietary intake of fermented foods: In this case, fermentation will aim to increase the content of precursor substances, such as indigestible fibers, polyphenols, some amino acids, and resistant starch, which can be potentially metabolized by endogenous gut microorganisms and converted in healthy molecules. This review provides an overview of the main functional components currently investigated in literature and the associated gut health benefits. The current state of the art about fermentation technology as a promising functionalization tool to promote the direct or indirect formation of gut-health-enhancing components was deepened, highlighting the importance of optimizing microorganism selection, system setups, and process conditions according to the target compound of interest. The collected data suggested the possibility of gaining novel functional food ingredients or products rich in functional molecules through fermentation without performing additional extraction and purification stages, which are needed when conventional culture broths are used.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosa Colucci Cante
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Materials, and Industrial Production, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
- Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Niccolò Cusano, Rome, Italy
| | - Federica Nigro
- I. T. P. Innovation and Technology Provider S.r.l., Naples, Italy
| | - Francesca Passannanti
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Materials, and Industrial Production, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
- I. T. P. Innovation and Technology Provider S.r.l., Naples, Italy
| | - Giulia Lentini
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Materials, and Industrial Production, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Marianna Gallo
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Materials, and Industrial Production, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
- Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Niccolò Cusano, Rome, Italy
- I. T. P. Innovation and Technology Provider S.r.l., Naples, Italy
| | - Roberto Nigro
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Materials, and Industrial Production, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
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2
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Fritz M, Soravia SM, Dudeck M, Malli L, Fakhoury M. Neurobiology of Aggression-Review of Recent Findings and Relationship with Alcohol and Trauma. BIOLOGY 2023; 12:biology12030469. [PMID: 36979161 PMCID: PMC10044835 DOI: 10.3390/biology12030469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2023] [Revised: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 03/17/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023]
Abstract
Aggression can be conceptualized as any behavior, physical or verbal, that involves attacking another person or animal with the intent of causing harm, pain or injury. Because of its high prevalence worldwide, aggression has remained a central clinical and public safety issue. Aggression can be caused by several risk factors, including biological and psychological, such as genetics and mental health disorders, and socioeconomic such as education, employment, financial status, and neighborhood. Research over the past few decades has also proposed a link between alcohol consumption and aggressive behaviors. Alcohol consumption can escalate aggressive behavior in humans, often leading to domestic violence or serious crimes. Converging lines of evidence have also shown that trauma and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) could have a tremendous impact on behavior associated with both alcohol use problems and violence. However, although the link between trauma, alcohol, and aggression is well documented, the underlying neurobiological mechanisms and their impact on behavior have not been properly discussed. This article provides an overview of recent advances in understanding the translational neurobiological basis of aggression and its intricate links to alcoholism and trauma, focusing on behavior. It does so by shedding light from several perspectives, including in vivo imaging, genes, receptors, and neurotransmitters and their influence on human and animal behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Fritz
- School of Health and Social Sciences, AKAD University of Applied Sciences, 70191 Stuttgart, Germany
- Department of Forensic Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ulm University, BKH Günzburg, Lindenallee 2, 89312 Günzburg, Germany
| | - Sarah-Maria Soravia
- Department of Forensic Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ulm University, BKH Günzburg, Lindenallee 2, 89312 Günzburg, Germany
| | - Manuela Dudeck
- Department of Forensic Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ulm University, BKH Günzburg, Lindenallee 2, 89312 Günzburg, Germany
| | - Layal Malli
- Department of Natural Sciences, School of Arts and Sciences, Lebanese American University, Beirut P.O. Box 13-5053, Lebanon
| | - Marc Fakhoury
- Department of Natural Sciences, School of Arts and Sciences, Lebanese American University, Beirut P.O. Box 13-5053, Lebanon
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3
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Escitalopram modulates learning content-specific neuroplasticity of functional brain networks. Neuroimage 2021; 247:118829. [PMID: 34923134 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2021] [Revised: 12/09/2021] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Learning-induced neuroplastic changes, further modulated by content and setting, are mirrored in brain functional connectivity (FC). In animal models, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) have been shown to facilitate neuroplasticity. This is especially prominent during emotional relearning, such as fear extinction, which may translate to clinical improvements in patients. To investigate a comparable modulation of neuroplasticity in humans, 99 healthy subjects underwent three weeks of emotional (matching faces) or non-emotional learning (matching Chinese characters to unrelated German nouns). Shuffled pairings of the original content were subsequently relearned for the same time. During relearning, subjects received either a daily dose of the SSRI escitalopram or placebo. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging was performed before and after the (re-)learning phases. FC changes in a network comprising Broca's area, the medial prefrontal cortex, the right inferior temporal and left lingual gyrus were modulated by escitalopram intake. More specifically, it increased the bidirectional connectivity between medial prefrontal cortex and lingual gyrus for non-emotional and the connectivity from medial prefrontal cortex to Broca's area for emotional relearning. The context dependence of these effects together with behavioral correlations supports the assumption that SSRIs in clinical practice improve neuroplasticity rather than psychiatric symptoms per se. Beyond expanding the complexities of learning, these findings emphasize the influence of external factors on human neuroplasticity.
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4
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Zamoscik V, Schmidt SNL, Bravo R, Ugartemendia L, Plieger T, Rodríguez AB, Reuter M, Kirsch P. Tryptophan-enriched diet or 5-hydroxytryptophan supplementation given in a randomized controlled trial impacts social cognition on a neural and behavioral level. Sci Rep 2021; 11:21637. [PMID: 34737364 PMCID: PMC8568973 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-01164-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2021] [Accepted: 10/22/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding of emotions and intentions are key processes in social cognition at which serotonin is an important neuromodulator. Its precursor is the essential amino acid tryptophan (TRP). Reduced TRP availability leads to weaker impulse control ability and higher aggression, while TRP supplementation promotes confidence. In a double-blind placebo-controlled fMRI study with 77 healthy adults, we investigated the influence of a 4 week TRP enriched diet and an acute 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) intake on two social-cognitive tasks, a moral evaluation and an emotion recognition task. With 5-HTP, immoral behavior without negative consequences was rated as more reprehensible. Additionally, during story reading, activation in insula and supramarginal gyrus was increased after TRP intake. No significant effects of TRP on emotion recognition were identified for the whole sample. Importantly, emotion recognition ability decreased with age which was for positive emotions compensated by TRP. Since the supramarginal gyrus is associated with empathy, pain and related information integration results could be interpreted as reflecting stricter evaluation of negative behavior due to better integration of information. Improved recognition of positive emotions with TRP in older participants supports the use of a TRP-rich diet to compensate for age related decline in social-cognitive processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- V Zamoscik
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, J 5, 68159, Mannheim, Germany. .,Department of Psychology, Laboratory of Neurogenetics, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
| | - S N L Schmidt
- Research Group of Clinical Psychology, Department of Psychology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - R Bravo
- Chrononutrition Laboratory, Neuroimmunephysiology and Chrononutrition Research Group, Faculty of Science, University of Extremadura, Badajoz, Spain
| | - L Ugartemendia
- Chrononutrition Laboratory, Neuroimmunephysiology and Chrononutrition Research Group, Faculty of Science, University of Extremadura, Badajoz, Spain
| | - T Plieger
- Department of Psychology, Laboratory of Neurogenetics, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - A B Rodríguez
- Chrononutrition Laboratory, Neuroimmunephysiology and Chrononutrition Research Group, Faculty of Science, University of Extremadura, Badajoz, Spain
| | - M Reuter
- Department of Psychology, Laboratory of Neurogenetics, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - P Kirsch
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, J 5, 68159, Mannheim, Germany
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5
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Tanaka M, Sato A, Kasai S, Hagino Y, Kotajima-Murakami H, Kashii H, Takamatsu Y, Nishito Y, Inagaki M, Mizuguchi M, Hall FS, Uhl GR, Murphy D, Sora I, Ikeda K. Brain hyperserotonemia causes autism-relevant social deficits in mice. Mol Autism 2018; 9:60. [PMID: 30498565 PMCID: PMC6258166 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-018-0243-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2018] [Accepted: 11/08/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Hyperserotonemia in the brain is suspected to be an endophenotype of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Reducing serotonin levels in the brain through modulation of serotonin transporter function may improve ASD symptoms. Methods We analyzed behavior and gene expression to unveil the causal mechanism of ASD-relevant social deficits using serotonin transporter (Sert) knockout mice. Results Social deficits were observed in both heterozygous knockout mice (HZ) and homozygous knockout mice (KO), but increases in general anxiety were only observed in KO mice. Two weeks of dietary restriction of the serotonin precursor tryptophan ameliorated both brain hyperserotonemia and ASD-relevant social deficits in Sert HZ and KO mice. The expression of rather distinct sets of genes was altered in Sert HZ and KO mice, and a substantial portion of these genes was also affected by tryptophan depletion. Tryptophan depletion in Sert HZ and KO mice was associated with alterations in the expression of genes involved in signal transduction pathways initiated by changes in extracellular serotonin or melatonin, a derivative of serotonin. Only expression of the AU015836 gene was altered in both Sert HZ and KO mice. AU015836 expression and ASD-relevant social deficits normalized after dietary tryptophan restriction. Conclusions These findings reveal a Sert gene dose-dependent effect on brain hyperserotonemia and related behavioral sequelae in ASD and a possible therapeutic target to normalize brain hyperserotonemia and ASD-relevant social deficits. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13229-018-0243-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miho Tanaka
- 1Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Addictive Substance Project, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, 2-1-6 Kamikitazawa, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo, 156-8506 Japan.,2Molecular and Cellular Medicine, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan.,3Department of Developmental Disorders, National Institute of Mental Health, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Atsushi Sato
- 1Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Addictive Substance Project, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, 2-1-6 Kamikitazawa, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo, 156-8506 Japan.,4Department of Pediatrics, The University of Tokyo Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shinya Kasai
- 1Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Addictive Substance Project, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, 2-1-6 Kamikitazawa, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo, 156-8506 Japan
| | - Yoko Hagino
- 1Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Addictive Substance Project, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, 2-1-6 Kamikitazawa, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo, 156-8506 Japan
| | - Hiroko Kotajima-Murakami
- 1Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Addictive Substance Project, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, 2-1-6 Kamikitazawa, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo, 156-8506 Japan
| | - Hirofumi Kashii
- 1Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Addictive Substance Project, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, 2-1-6 Kamikitazawa, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo, 156-8506 Japan
| | - Yukio Takamatsu
- 1Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Addictive Substance Project, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, 2-1-6 Kamikitazawa, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo, 156-8506 Japan
| | - Yasumasa Nishito
- 5Center for Basic Technology Research, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Masumi Inagaki
- 3Department of Developmental Disorders, National Institute of Mental Health, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Masashi Mizuguchi
- 6Department of Developmental Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - F Scott Hall
- 7Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Toledo, Toledo, OH USA
| | - George R Uhl
- 8Branch of Molecular Neurobiology, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Baltimore, MD USA.,9Research Service, New Mexico VA Health Care System, Albuquerque, NM USA
| | - Dennis Murphy
- 10Laboratory of Clinical Science, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD USA
| | - Ichiro Sora
- 11Department of Psychiatry, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, Japan
| | - Kazutaka Ikeda
- 1Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Addictive Substance Project, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, 2-1-6 Kamikitazawa, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo, 156-8506 Japan.,2Molecular and Cellular Medicine, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan
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6
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Weinberg-Wolf H, Fagan NA, Anderson GM, Tringides M, Dal Monte O, Chang SWC. The effects of 5-hydroxytryptophan on attention and central serotonin neurochemistry in the rhesus macaque. Neuropsychopharmacology 2018; 43:1589-1598. [PMID: 29463909 PMCID: PMC5983545 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-017-0003-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2017] [Revised: 12/11/2017] [Accepted: 12/17/2017] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Psychiatric disorders, particularly depression and anxiety, are often associated with impaired serotonergic function. However, serotonergic interventions yield inconsistent effects on behavioral impairments. To better understand serotonin's role in these pathologies, we investigated the role of serotonin in a behavior frequently impaired in depression and anxiety, attention. In this study, we used a quantitative, repeated, within-subject, design to test how L-5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP), the immediate serotonin precursor, modulates central serotoninergic function and attention in macaques. We observed that intramuscular 5-HTP administration increased cisternal cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) 5-HTP and serotonin. In addition, individuals' baseline looking duration, during saline sessions, predicted the direction and magnitude in which 5-HTP modulated attention. We found that 5-HTP decreased looking duration in animals with high baseline attention, but increased looking duration in low baseline attention animals. Furthermore, individual differences in 5-HTP's effects were also reflected in how engaged individuals were in the task and how they allocated attention to salient facial features-the eyes and mouth-of stimulus animals. However, 5-HTP constricted pupil size in all animals, suggesting that the bi-directional effects of 5-HTP cannot be explained by serotonin-mediated changes in autonomic arousal. Critically, high and low baseline attention animals exhibited different baseline CSF concentrations of 5-HTP and serotonin, an index of extracellular functionally active serotonin. Thus, our results suggest that baseline central serotonergic functioning may underlie and predict variation in serotonin's effects on cognitive operation. Our findings may help inform serotonin's role in psychopathology and help clinicians predict how serotonergic interventions will influence pathologies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Nicholas A. Fagan
- 0000000419368710grid.47100.32Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520 USA
| | - George M. Anderson
- 0000000419368710grid.47100.32Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510 USA
| | - Marios Tringides
- 0000000419368710grid.47100.32Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520 USA
| | - Olga Dal Monte
- 0000000419368710grid.47100.32Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520 USA
| | - Steve W. C. Chang
- 0000000419368710grid.47100.32Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520 USA ,0000000419368710grid.47100.32Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510 USA ,0000000419368710grid.47100.32Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510 USA ,0000000419368710grid.47100.32Kavli Institute for Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510 USA
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7
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Perceiving emotional expressions in others: Activation likelihood estimation meta-analyses of explicit evaluation, passive perception and incidental perception of emotions. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2016; 71:810-828. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016.10.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2016] [Revised: 09/17/2016] [Accepted: 10/24/2016] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
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8
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Raab K, Kirsch P, Mier D. Understanding the impact of 5-HTTLPR, antidepressants, and acute tryptophan depletion on brain activation during facial emotion processing: A review of the imaging literature. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2016; 71:176-197. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016.08.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2016] [Revised: 07/28/2016] [Accepted: 08/26/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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9
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Zanchi D, Meyer-Gerspach AC, Suenderhauf C, Janach K, le Roux CW, Haller S, Drewe J, Beglinger C, Wölnerhanssen BK, Borgwardt S. Differential effects of L-tryptophan and L-leucine administration on brain resting state functional networks and plasma hormone levels. Sci Rep 2016; 6:35727. [PMID: 27760995 PMCID: PMC5071755 DOI: 10.1038/srep35727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2016] [Accepted: 10/04/2016] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Depending on their protein content, single meals can rapidly influence the uptake of amino acids into the brain and thereby modify brain functions. The current study investigates the effects of two different amino acids on the human gut-brain system, using a multimodal approach, integrating physiological and neuroimaging data. In a randomized, placebo-controlled trial, L-tryptophan, L-leucine, glucose and water were administered directly into the gut of 20 healthy subjects. Functional MRI (fMRI) in a resting state paradigm (RS), combined with the assessment of insulin and glucose blood concentration, was performed before and after treatment. Independent component analysis with dual regression technique was applied to RS-fMRI data. Results were corrected for multiple comparisons. In comparison to glucose and water, L-tryptophan consistently modifies the connectivity of the cingulate cortex in the default mode network, of the insula in the saliency network and of the sensory cortex in the somatosensory network. L-leucine has lesser effects on these functional networks. L-tryptophan and L-leucine also modified plasma insulin concentration. Finally, significant correlations were found between brain modifications after L-tryptophan administration and insulin plasma levels. This study shows that acute L-tryptophan and L-leucine intake directly influence the brain networks underpinning the food-reward system and appetite regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davide Zanchi
- Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital of Basel, CH-4012 Basel, Switzerland
| | | | - Claudia Suenderhauf
- Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital of Basel, CH-4012 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Katharina Janach
- Department of Biomedicine, University Hospital, CH-4031 Basel Switzerland
| | - Carel W le Roux
- Diabetes Complications Research Centre, Conway Institute University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Sven Haller
- Faculty of Medicine of the University of Geneva, Switzerland.,Affidea CDRC - Centre Diagnostique Radiologique de Carouge, Switzerland.,Department of Surgical Sciences, Radiology Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.,Department of Neuroradiology, University Hospital Freiburg, Germany.,Faculty of Medicine of the University of Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Jürgen Drewe
- Department of Research, St. Claraspital, Switzerland
| | | | - Bettina K Wölnerhanssen
- Department of Biomedicine, University Hospital, CH-4031 Basel Switzerland.,Department of Research, St. Claraspital, Switzerland
| | - Stefan Borgwardt
- Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital of Basel, CH-4012 Basel, Switzerland
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10
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Trotter PD, McGlone F, McKie S, McFarquhar M, Elliott R, Walker SC, Deakin JFW. Effects of acute tryptophan depletion on central processing of CT-targeted and discriminatory touch in humans. Eur J Neurosci 2016; 44:2072-83. [DOI: 10.1111/ejn.13298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2016] [Revised: 05/18/2016] [Accepted: 06/13/2016] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Paula Diane Trotter
- Research Centre in Brain and Behaviour; School of Natural Sciences & Psychology; Liverpool John Moores University; Byrom Street Liverpool L3 3AF UK
| | - Francis McGlone
- Research Centre in Brain and Behaviour; School of Natural Sciences & Psychology; Liverpool John Moores University; Byrom Street Liverpool L3 3AF UK
- Institute of Psychology, Health and Society; University of Liverpool; Liverpool UK
| | - Shane McKie
- Neuroscience and Psychiatry Unit; The University of Manchester; Manchester UK
| | - Martyn McFarquhar
- Neuroscience and Psychiatry Unit; The University of Manchester; Manchester UK
| | - Rebecca Elliott
- Neuroscience and Psychiatry Unit; The University of Manchester; Manchester UK
| | - Susannah Claire Walker
- Research Centre in Brain and Behaviour; School of Natural Sciences & Psychology; Liverpool John Moores University; Byrom Street Liverpool L3 3AF UK
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11
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Empathic accuracy and oxytocin after tryptophan depletion in adults at risk for depression. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2016; 233:111-20. [PMID: 26462806 PMCID: PMC4700075 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-015-4093-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2015] [Accepted: 09/21/2015] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Major depressive disorder (MDD) has been associated with disturbances in social functioning and in the brain serotonin system. Reduced levels of serotonin may negatively influence social functioning, for example by impairing the recognition of facial emotion expressions. OBJECTIVES The present study investigated the effect of acute tryptophan depletion (ATD), which reduces brain serotonin, on a related component of social functioning, empathic accuracy (EA), and oxytocin levels. METHODS Individuals with (FH+) and without (FH−) a family history of MDD participated in a randomized, double-blind, crossover study. On two separate test days, participants ingested tryptophan-deficient and nutritionally balanced amino acid mixtures. Six hours later, they performed an EA task, which involved watching videos of people recounting autobiographical emotional events. While watching, participants continuously rated how these people felt during the recounting. Mood state was repeatedly assessed using the Positive Affect and Negative Affect Schedule and a series of visual analogue scales. Blood samples obtained at baseline and 5 h after mixture ingestion were assessed for tryptophan and oxytocin levels. RESULTS ATD decreased circulating levels of tryptophan and oxytocin. Nevertheless, there were no significant effects of ATD on EA or mood in either FH group. CONCLUSIONS While previous studies have shown that acute reductions in brain serotonin alter the recognition of facial emotion expressions in never-depressed individuals, the present study suggests that empathic abilities may remain unaffected.
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12
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Gaber TJ, Dingerkus VLS, Crockett MJ, Bubenzer-Busch S, Helmbold K, Sánchez CL, Dahmen B, Herpertz-Dahlmann B, Zepf FD. Studying the effects of dietary body weight-adjusted acute tryptophan depletion on punishment-related behavioral inhibition. Food Nutr Res 2015; 59:28443. [PMID: 26268708 PMCID: PMC4534625 DOI: 10.3402/fnr.v59.28443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2015] [Revised: 06/22/2015] [Accepted: 06/23/2015] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Alterations in serotonergic (5-HT) neurotransmission are thought to play a decisive role in affective disorders and impulse control. Objective This study aims to reproduce and extend previous findings on the effects of acute tryptophan depletion (ATD) and subsequently diminished central 5-HT synthesis in a reinforced categorization task using a refined body weight–adjusted depletion protocol. Design Twenty-four young healthy adults (12 females, mean age [SD]=25.3 [2.1] years) were subjected to a double-blind within-subject crossover design. Each subject was administered both an ATD challenge and a balanced amino acid load (BAL) in two separate sessions in randomized order. Punishment-related behavioral inhibition was assessed using a forced choice go/no-go task that incorporated a variable payoff schedule. Results Administration of ATD resulted in significant reductions in TRP measured in peripheral blood samples, indicating reductions of TRP influx across the blood–brain barrier and related brain 5-HT synthesis. Overall accuracy and response time performance were improved after ATD administration. The ability to adjust behavioral responses to aversive outcome magnitudes and behavioral adjustments following error contingent punishment remained intact after decreased brain 5-HT synthesis. A previously observed dissociation effect of ATD on punishment-induced inhibition was not observed. Conclusions Our results suggest that neurodietary challenges with ATD Moja–De have no detrimental effects on task performance and punishment-related inhibition in healthy adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tilman J Gaber
- Clinic for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany.,JARA Translational Brain Medicine, Aachen & Jülich, Germany
| | - Vita L S Dingerkus
- Clinic for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Molly J Crockett
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Sarah Bubenzer-Busch
- Clinic for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany.,JARA Translational Brain Medicine, Aachen & Jülich, Germany
| | - Katrin Helmbold
- Clinic for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany.,JARA Translational Brain Medicine, Aachen & Jülich, Germany
| | - Cristina L Sánchez
- Clinic for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany.,JARA Translational Brain Medicine, Aachen & Jülich, Germany
| | - Brigitte Dahmen
- Clinic for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany.,JARA Translational Brain Medicine, Aachen & Jülich, Germany
| | - Beate Herpertz-Dahlmann
- Clinic for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany.,JARA Translational Brain Medicine, Aachen & Jülich, Germany
| | - Florian D Zepf
- Clinic for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany.,JARA Translational Brain Medicine, Aachen & Jülich, Germany.,Institute for Neuroscience and Medicine, Jülich Research Centre, Jülich, Germany.,Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, School of Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences & School of Paediatrics and Child Health, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia.,Specialised Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), Department of Health in Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia;
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Biskup CS, Gaber T, Helmbold K, Bubenzer-Busch S, Zepf FD. Amino acid challenge and depletion techniques in human functional neuroimaging studies: an overview. Amino Acids 2015; 47:651-83. [DOI: 10.1007/s00726-015-1919-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2014] [Accepted: 01/09/2015] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
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14
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Hogenelst K, Schoevers RA, aan het Rot M. Studying the neurobiology of human social interaction: Making the case for ecological validity. Soc Neurosci 2015; 10:219-29. [PMID: 25566795 DOI: 10.1080/17470919.2014.994786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
With this commentary we make the case for an increased focus on the ecological validity of the measures used to assess aspects of human social functioning. Impairments in social functioning are seen in many types of psychopathology, negatively affecting the lives of psychiatric patients and those around them. Yet the neurobiology underlying abnormal social interaction remains unclear. As an example of human social neuroscience research with relevance to biological psychiatry and clinical psychopharmacology, this commentary discusses published experimental studies involving manipulation of the human brain serotonin system that included assessments of social behavior. To date, these studies have mostly been laboratory-based and included computer tasks, observations by others, or single-administration self-report measures. Most laboratory measures used so far inform about the role of serotonin in aspects of social interaction, but the relevance for real-life interaction is often unclear. Few studies have used naturalistic assessments in real life. We suggest several laboratory methods with high ecological validity as well as ecological momentary assessment, which involves intensive repeated measures in naturalistic settings. In sum, this commentary intends to stimulate experimental research on the neurobiology of human social interaction as it occurs in real life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Koen Hogenelst
- a School of Behavioral and Cognitive Neurosciences , University of Groningen , Groningen , The Netherlands
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15
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Attwood AS, Munafò MR. Effects of acute alcohol consumption and processing of emotion in faces: Implications for understanding alcohol-related aggression. J Psychopharmacol 2014; 28:719-32. [PMID: 24920135 PMCID: PMC4962899 DOI: 10.1177/0269881114536476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
The negative consequences of chronic alcohol abuse are well known, but heavy episodic consumption ("binge drinking") is also associated with significant personal and societal harms. Aggressive tendencies are increased after alcohol but the mechanisms underlying these changes are not fully understood. While effects on behavioural control are likely to be important, other effects may be involved given the widespread action of alcohol. Altered processing of social signals is associated with changes in social behaviours, including aggression, but until recently there has been little research investigating the effects of acute alcohol consumption on these outcomes. Recent work investigating the effects of acute alcohol on emotional face processing has suggested reduced sensitivity to submissive signals (sad faces) and increased perceptual bias towards provocative signals (angry faces) after alcohol consumption, which may play a role in alcohol-related aggression. Here we discuss a putative mechanism that may explain how alcohol consumption influences emotional processing and subsequent aggressive responding, via disruption of orbitofrontal cortex (OFC)-amygdala connectivity. While the importance of emotional processing on social behaviours is well established, research into acute alcohol consumption and emotional processing is still in its infancy. Further research is needed and we outline a research agenda to address gaps in the literature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela S Attwood
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK UK Centre for Tobacco and Alcohol Studies, Bristol, UK School of Experimental Psychology, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Marcus R Munafò
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK UK Centre for Tobacco and Alcohol Studies, Bristol, UK School of Experimental Psychology, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
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16
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Empathy in adults with clinical or subclinical depressive symptoms. J Affect Disord 2013; 150:1-16. [PMID: 23668900 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2013.03.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 167] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2012] [Revised: 03/14/2013] [Accepted: 03/16/2013] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Depression is associated with problems in social functioning. Impaired empathic abilities might underlie this association. Empathy is a multidimensional construct and involves both affective and cognitive processes. We reviewed the literature to find out to what extent depression may be associated with abnormal levels of affective and cognitive empathy. We also explored potential gender differences in these associations. METHODS We used PsycInfo and Medline to conduct a systematic review of all studies on empathy and depression conducted in individuals with a primary diagnosis of major depressive disorder (MDD; patient samples) or in individuals with primarily subclinical depressive symptoms (analog samples). RESULTS Thirty-seven studies met the inclusion criteria. The results indicated that depression was related to one type of affective empathy. Specifically, depression was related to high levels of empathic stress but not to abnormal empathic concern. Further, depression was related to limited cognitive empathy, as indicated by poor perspective taking, theory of mind, and empathic accuracy. LIMITATIONS Few studies have considered the variable gender in their design and analyses. Between and within study variation in demographic and clinical variables limits the interpretation of results. Self-report measures of empathy are subjective and vulnerable to bias. Poor performance on the more objective laboratory tasks might partially be explained by the broader cognitive deficits commonly observed in depression. Lastly, because all studies used a cross-sectional design, causality is difficult to establish. CONCLUSIONS Empathic abilities may be impaired in depression. The relation between empathy, depression, and gender is unclear. Future studies could use implicit and more ecologically valid measures of empathy. Insight into impaired empathy in depression may not only help explain poor social functioning in MDD but also benefit clinician-patient interactions.
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Abstract
Humans are willing to incur personal costs to punish others who violate social norms. Such "costly punishment" is an important force for sustaining human cooperation, but the causal neurobiological determinants of punishment decisions remain unclear. Using a combination of behavioral, pharmacological, and neuroimaging techniques, we show that manipulating the serotonin system in humans alters costly punishment decisions by modulating responses to fairness and retaliation in the striatum. Following dietary depletion of the serotonin precursor tryptophan, participants were more likely to punish those who treated them unfairly, and were slower to accept fair exchanges. Neuroimaging data revealed activations in the ventral and dorsal striatum that were associated with fairness and punishment, respectively. Depletion simultaneously reduced ventral striatal responses to fairness and increased dorsal striatal responses during punishment, an effect that predicted its influence on punishment behavior. Finally, we provide behavioral evidence that serotonin modulates specific retaliation, rather than general norm enforcement: depleted participants were more likely to punish unfair behavior directed toward themselves, but not unfair behavior directed toward others. Our findings demonstrate that serotonin modulates social value processing in the striatum, producing context-dependent effects on social behavior.
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18
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Epperson CN, Amin Z, Ruparel K, Gur R, Loughead J. Interactive effects of estrogen and serotonin on brain activation during working memory and affective processing in menopausal women. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2012; 37:372-82. [PMID: 21820247 PMCID: PMC3226892 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2011.07.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2011] [Revised: 06/15/2011] [Accepted: 07/05/2011] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
While cognitive changes and mood instability are frequent symptoms reported by menopausal women, the degree to which the decline in estrogen production is responsible is not yet clear. Several lines of evidence suggest that estrogen may produce its effects on cognition and mood through modulation of serotonergic function. To test this hypothesis, we used the tryptophan depletion (TD) paradigm to lower central serotonin levels and pharmacologically manipulated estrogen levels in healthy menopausal women. We examined the individual and combined effects of estradiol and serotonin on working memory, emotion processing and task-related brain activation. Eight healthy predominantly early postmenopausal women underwent TD or sham depletion followed by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) both before and after short-term transdermal estradiol 75-150 μg/d administration. There was an estradiol treatment by TD interaction for brain activation during performance on both the N-back Task (working memory) and Emotion Identification Task (affective processing). During the 2-back condition, TD attenuated activation prior to, but not after, estradiol treatment in the right and left dorsal lateral prefrontal and middle frontal/cingulate gyrus. During emotion identification, TD heightened activation in the orbital frontal cortex and bilateral amygdala, and this effect was attenuated by estradiol treatment. These results provide preliminary evidence that serotonergic effects directly mediate the impact of estrogen on brain activation during working memory and affective processing.
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Time series fMRI measures detect changes in pontine raphé following acute tryptophan depletion. Psychiatry Res 2011; 191:112-21. [PMID: 21236648 PMCID: PMC3042244 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2010.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2010] [Revised: 09/16/2010] [Accepted: 10/25/2010] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Serotonin is synthesized from its precursor, tryptophan, by brainstem raphé neurons and their synaptic terminals in limbic regions. The omission of tryptophan from an Acute Tryptophan Depletion (ATD) diet transiently diminishes serotonin synthesis, alters raphé activity, and mimics symptoms of depression. Raphé functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) poses challenges using signal-averaging analyses. Time-series properties of fMRI blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) signals may hold promise, so we analyzed raphé signals for changes with the ATD diet. Eleven remitted (previously depressed) patients were awake with eyes-closed during seven-minute resting scans with 0.5s(-1) sampling. BOLD signal time-series data were frequency-filtered using wavelet transforms, yielding three octave-width frequency bands from 0.25 to 0.03s(-1) and an unbounded band below 0.03s(-1). Spectral power, reflecting signal information, increased in pontine raphé at high frequencies (0.25 to 0.125s(-1)) during ATD (compared to control, balanced, diet, P<0.004) but was unchanged at other frequencies. Functional connectivity, the correlation between time-series data from pairs of regions, weakened between pontine raphé and anterior thalamus at low frequencies during ATD (P<0.05). This preliminarily supports using fMRI time-series features to assess pontine raphé function. Whether, and how, high frequency activity oscillations interfere with low frequency signaling requires further study.
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Jaworska N, Thompson A, Shah D, Fisher D, Ilivitsky V, Knott V. Electrocortical effects of acute tryptophan depletion on emotive facial processing in depression-prone individuals. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2010; 20:473-86. [PMID: 20395115 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2010.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2009] [Revised: 01/05/2010] [Accepted: 03/11/2010] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
This study assessed the effects of acute tryptophan depletion (ATD), which transiently lowers CNS 5-HT, on electrocortical responses to facial expression processing in individuals with a family history of depression (FH+). Electroencephalograph (EEG)-derived event-related potentials (ERPs) were acquired from 18 FH+ individuals during a facial expression recognition task (neutral and sad, joy and surprise at 50% and 100% intensities). Both early positive (P1 and P2) and the face-specific N170 ERP components were differentially altered by emotional intensity and valence. Increased depression, confusion and total mood disturbance scores, and decreased calmness, were observed with ATD (versus placebo). ATD was also associated with enhanced P1 and P2 amplitudes for sad versus joyful expressions. The N170 was not modulated by treatment, but was affected by emotive valence. Therefore, ATD enhanced ERP-indexed early processing of sad facial expressions, and altered the processing of positive ones, in FH+ individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Jaworska
- University of Ottawa Institute of Mental Health Research, Ottawa, ON, Canada; Department of Psychology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
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Hadjikhani N. Serotonin, pregnancy and increased autism prevalence: Is there a link? Med Hypotheses 2010; 74:880-3. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mehy.2009.11.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2009] [Accepted: 11/16/2009] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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Effects of acute tryptophan depletion on memory, attention and executive functions: A systematic review. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2009; 33:926-52. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2009.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 117] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2009] [Revised: 03/10/2009] [Accepted: 03/11/2009] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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