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Surti TS, Ranganathan M, Johannesen JK, Gueorguieva R, Deaso E, Kenney JG, Krystal JH, D'Souza DC. Randomized controlled trial of the glycine transporter 1 inhibitor PF-03463275 to enhance cognitive training and neuroplasticity in schizophrenia. Schizophr Res 2023; 256:36-43. [PMID: 37141764 PMCID: PMC10257994 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2023.04.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2022] [Revised: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
N-methyl-d-aspartate glutamate receptor (NMDAR) hypofunction is implicated in the impaired neuroplasticity and cognitive impairments associated with schizophrenia (CIAS). We hypothesized that enhancing NMDAR function by inhibiting the glycine transporter-1 (GLYT1) would improve neuroplasticity and thereby augment benefits of non-pharmacological cognitive training (CT) strategies. This study examined whether co-administration of a GLYT1 inhibitor and computerized CT would have synergistic effects on CIAS. Stable outpatients with schizophrenia participated in this double-blind, placebo-controlled, within-subject, crossover augmentation study. Participants received placebo or GLYT1 inhibitor (PF-03463275) for two 5-week periods separated by 2 weeks of washout. PF-03463275 doses (40 or 60 mg twice daily) were selected to produce high GLYT1 occupancy. To limit pharmacodynamic variability, only cytochrome P450 2D6 extensive metabolizers were included. Medication adherence was confirmed daily. Participants received 4 weeks of CT in each treatment period. Cognitive performance (MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery) and psychotic symptoms (Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale) were assessed in each period. 71 participants were randomized. PF-03463275 in combination with CT was feasible, safe, and well-tolerated at the doses prescribed but did not produce greater improvement in CIAS compared to CT alone. PF-03463275 was not associated with improved CT learning parameters. Participation in CT was associated with improvement in MCCB scores.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toral S Surti
- Schizophrenia and Neuropharmacology Research Group, VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT, United States of America; Abraham Ribicoff Research Facilities, Connecticut Mental Health Center, New Haven, CT, United States of America; Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States of America.
| | - Mohini Ranganathan
- Schizophrenia and Neuropharmacology Research Group, VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT, United States of America; Abraham Ribicoff Research Facilities, Connecticut Mental Health Center, New Haven, CT, United States of America; Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States of America
| | - Jason K Johannesen
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States of America
| | - Ralitza Gueorguieva
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States of America
| | - Emma Deaso
- Schizophrenia and Neuropharmacology Research Group, VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT, United States of America; Abraham Ribicoff Research Facilities, Connecticut Mental Health Center, New Haven, CT, United States of America; Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States of America
| | - Joshua G Kenney
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States of America
| | - John H Krystal
- Schizophrenia and Neuropharmacology Research Group, VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT, United States of America; Abraham Ribicoff Research Facilities, Connecticut Mental Health Center, New Haven, CT, United States of America; Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States of America; Mental Health Service Line, Veterans Affairs Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT, United States of America
| | - Deepak Cyril D'Souza
- Schizophrenia and Neuropharmacology Research Group, VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT, United States of America; Abraham Ribicoff Research Facilities, Connecticut Mental Health Center, New Haven, CT, United States of America; Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States of America
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2
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Cadwallader CJ, Steiniger J, Cooper PS, Zhou SH, Hendrikse J, Sumner RL, Kirk IJ, Chong TTJ, Coxon JP. Acute exercise as a modifier of neocortical plasticity and aperiodic activity in the visual cortex. Sci Rep 2023; 13:7491. [PMID: 37161049 PMCID: PMC10169840 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-34749-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2023] [Accepted: 05/06/2023] [Indexed: 05/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Long-term potentiation (LTP) is a form of neuroplasticity commonly implicated in mechanistic models of learning and memory. Acute exercise can boost LTP in the motor cortex, and is associated with a shift in excitation/inhibition (E:I) balance, but whether this extends to other regions such as the visual cortex is unknown. We investigated the effect of a preceding bout of exercise on LTP induction and the E:I balance in the visual cortex using electroencephalography (EEG). Young adults (N = 20, mean age = 24.20) engaged in 20 min of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) exercise and rest across two counterbalanced sessions. LTP was induced using a high frequency presentation of a visual stimulus; a "visual tetanus". Established EEG markers of visual LTP, the N1b and P2 component of the visual evoked potential, and an EEG-derived measure of the E:I balance, the aperiodic exponent, were measured before and after the visual tetanus. As expected, there was a potentiation of the N1b following the visual tetanus, with specificity to the tetanised stimulus, and a non-specific potentiation of the P2. These effects were not sensitive to a preceding bout of exercise. However, the E:I balance showed a late shift towards inhibition following the visual tetanus. A preceding bout of exercise resulted in specificity of this E:I balance shift to the tetanised stimulus, that was not seen following rest. This novel finding suggests a possible exercise-induced tuning of the visual cortex to stimulus details following LTP induction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire J Cadwallader
- School of Psychological Sciences, The Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash University, Victoria, 3800, Australia.
| | - Jennifer Steiniger
- School of Psychological Sciences, The Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash University, Victoria, 3800, Australia
| | - Patrick S Cooper
- School of Psychological Sciences, The Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash University, Victoria, 3800, Australia
| | - Shou-Han Zhou
- School of Psychology, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, 4810, Australia
| | - Joshua Hendrikse
- School of Psychological Sciences, The Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash University, Victoria, 3800, Australia
| | - Rachael L Sumner
- School of Pharmacy, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Ian J Kirk
- School of Psychology, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Trevor T-J Chong
- School of Psychological Sciences, The Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash University, Victoria, 3800, Australia
- Department of Neurology, Alfred Health, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, St Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne, VIC, 3065, Australia
| | - James P Coxon
- School of Psychological Sciences, The Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash University, Victoria, 3800, Australia.
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Dias JW, McClaskey CM, Rumschlag JA, Harris KC. Sensory tetanisation to induce long-term-potentiation-like plasticity: A review and reassessment of the approach. Eur J Neurosci 2022; 56:6115-6140. [PMID: 36227258 PMCID: PMC9772088 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2022] [Revised: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 10/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
There is great interest in developing non-invasive approaches for studying cortical plasticity in humans. High-frequency presentation of auditory and visual stimuli, or sensory tetanisation, can induce long-term-potentiation-like (LTP-like) changes in cortical activity. However, contrasting effects across studies suggest that sensory tetanisation may be unreliable. We review these contrasting effects, conduct our own study of auditory and visual tetanisation, and perform meta-analyses to determine the average effect of sensory tetanisation across studies. We measured auditory-evoked amplitude changes in a group of younger (18-29 years of age) and older (55-83 years of age) adults following tetanisation to 1 and 4 kHz tone bursts and following a slow-presentation control. We also measured visual-evoked amplitude changes following tetanisation to horizontal and vertical sign gradients. Auditory and visual response amplitudes decreased following tetanisation, consistent with some studies but contrasting with others finding amplitude increases (i.e. LTP-like changes). Older adults exhibited more modest auditory-evoked amplitude decreases, but visual-evoked amplitude decreases like those of younger adults. Changes in response amplitude were not specific to tetanised stimuli. Importantly, slow presentation of auditory tone bursts produced response amplitude changes approximating those observed following tetanisation in younger adults. Meta-analyses of visual and auditory tetanisation studies found that the overall effect of sensory tetanisation was not significant across studies or study sites. The results suggest that sensory tetanisation may not produce reliable changes in cortical responses and more work is needed to determine the validity of sensory tetanisation as a method for inducing human cortical plasticity in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- James W Dias
- Department of Otolaryngology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
| | - Carolyn M McClaskey
- Department of Otolaryngology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
| | - Jeffrey A Rumschlag
- Department of Otolaryngology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
| | - Kelly C Harris
- Department of Otolaryngology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
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Siddik MAB, Fendt M. D-cycloserine rescues scopolamine-induced deficits in cognitive flexibility in rats measured by the attentional set-shifting task. Behav Brain Res 2022; 431:113961. [PMID: 35691513 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2022.113961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2022] [Revised: 05/23/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Cognitive flexibility facilitates adaptions to a changing environment in humans and animals and can be assessed with the attentional set shifting task (ASST). In various learning paradigms for laboratory rodents, the partial NMDA receptor agonist D-cycloserine has been found to have pro-cognitive effects. However, D-cycloserine has not yet been investigated for its effects on cognitive flexibility. The aim of the present study was to determine whether D-cycloserine is able to improve cognitive flexibility measured by the ASST in rats. Rats were first pre-treated with the muscarinic antagonist scopolamine (0.5 mg/kg) before the D-cycloserine administrations (20 mg/kg) to induce deficits in ASST performance. Our findings showed impaired ASST performance after scopolamine administration with significant effects on reversal phases and extra-dimensional shift. D-cycloserine treatment selectively improved the performance in the extra-dimensional shift and the last reversal phase, where scopolamine effects were most pronounced. These findings suggest that D-cycloserine can rescue deficits in cognitive flexibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md Abu Bokor Siddik
- Department of Psychology, Govt. Azizul Haque College, Bogura, Bangladesh; Institute for Pharmacology and Toxicology, Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Markus Fendt
- Institute for Pharmacology and Toxicology, Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany; Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany.
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Nestor PG, Levitt JJ, Ohtani T, Newell DT, Shenton ME, Niznikiewicz M. Loosening of Associations in Chronic Schizophrenia: Intersectionality of Verbal Learning, Negative Symptoms, and Brain Structure. SCHIZOPHRENIA BULLETIN OPEN 2022; 3:sgac004. [PMID: 35295655 PMCID: PMC8918213 DOI: 10.1093/schizbullopen/sgac004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Abstract
In 1908, Bleuler proposed a unitary theory of schizophrenia, hypothesizing a “loosening of associations” as the central mechanism underlying disturbances in thinking, motivation, and affective expression. Here, we test Bleuler’s model in an archival sample of 79 healthy controls and 76 patients with chronic schizophrenia who had completed neuropsychological tests, including a measure of learning of novel word pairs, which was specifically selected to probe the structure and formation of new verbal associations. The patients also had positive and negative symptoms ratings, including measures of flat affect, anhedonia, and thought disorder. A subset of patients and controls (n = 39) had available prior archival 3-T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measures of prefrontal cortex (PFC) gray matter volumes. In relation to controls, patients showed evidence of a selective impairment in associative learning, independent of their overall reduced neuropsychological functioning. This neuropsychological impairment, in turn, correlated significantly with overall levels of negative but not positive symptoms, with the data showing an especially strong contribution of flattened emotional expression to verbal associate learning deficits in this patient sample. Moreover, the archival MRI data were consistent with prior research pointing to an important role of the PFC in supporting verbal associate learning and memory in patients and controls. Taken together, the current results provided evidence of a selective impairment in schizophrenia on a PFC-supported verbal associate learning and memory task, which was accompanied by negative symptoms in general, and flattened emotional expression, in particular.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul G Nestor
- Department of Psychology, University of Massachusetts, Boston, MA, USA
- Clinical Neuroscience Division, Laboratory of Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, Veterans Affairs (VA) Boston Healthcare System, Harvard Medical School, Brockton, MA, USA
| | - James J Levitt
- Clinical Neuroscience Division, Laboratory of Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, Veterans Affairs (VA) Boston Healthcare System, Harvard Medical School, Brockton, MA, USA
- Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Toshiyuki Ohtani
- Clinical Neuroscience Division, Laboratory of Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, Veterans Affairs (VA) Boston Healthcare System, Harvard Medical School, Brockton, MA, USA
- Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Dominick T Newell
- Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Martha E Shenton
- Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Margaret Niznikiewicz
- Clinical Neuroscience Division, Laboratory of Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, Veterans Affairs (VA) Boston Healthcare System, Harvard Medical School, Brockton, MA, USA
- Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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6
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Wu Q, Huang J, Wu R. Drugs Based on NMDAR Hypofunction Hypothesis in Schizophrenia. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:641047. [PMID: 33912003 PMCID: PMC8072017 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.641047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2020] [Accepted: 03/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Treatments for negative symptoms and cognitive dysfunction in schizophrenia remain issues that psychiatrists around the world are trying to solve. Their mechanisms may be associated with N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDARs). The NMDAR hypofunction hypothesis for schizophrenia was brought to the fore mainly based on the clinical effects of NMDAR antagonists and anti-NMDAR encephalitis pathology. Drugs targeted at augmenting NMDAR function in the brain seem to be promising in improving negative symptoms and cognitive dysfunction in patients with schizophrenia. In this review, we list NMDAR-targeted drugs and report on related clinical studies. We then summarize their effects on negative symptoms and cognitive dysfunction and analyze the unsatisfactory outcomes of these clinical studies according to the improved glutamate hypothesis that has been revealed in animal models. We aimed to provide perspectives for scientists who sought therapeutic strategies for negative symptoms and cognitive dysfunction in schizophrenia based on the NMDAR hypofunction hypothesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiongqiong Wu
- Department of Psychiatry, National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Jing Huang
- Department of Psychiatry, National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Renrong Wu
- Department of Psychiatry, National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China
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7
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Jacob MS, Roach BJ, Hamilton HK, Carrión RE, Belger A, Duncan E, Johannesen J, Keshavan M, Loo S, Niznikiewicz M, Addington J, Bearden CE, Cadenhead KS, Cannon TD, Cornblatt BA, McGlashan TH, Perkins DO, Stone W, Tsuang M, Walker EF, Woods SW, Mathalon DH. Visual cortical plasticity and the risk for psychosis: An interim analysis of the North American Prodrome Longitudinal Study. Schizophr Res 2021; 230:26-37. [PMID: 33667856 PMCID: PMC8328744 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2021.01.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2020] [Revised: 11/08/2020] [Accepted: 01/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Adolescence/early adulthood coincides with accelerated pruning of cortical synapses and the onset of schizophrenia. Cortical gray matter reduction and dysconnectivity in schizophrenia are hypothesized to result from impaired synaptic plasticity mechanisms, including long-term potentiation (LTP), since deficient LTP may result in too many weak synapses that are then subject to over-pruning. Deficient plasticity has already been observed in schizophrenia. Here, we assessed whether such deficits are present in the psychosis risk syndrome (PRS), particularly those who subsequently convert to full psychosis. METHODS An interim analysis was performed on a sub-sample from the NAPLS-3 study, including 46 healthy controls (HC) and 246 PRS participants. All participants performed an LTP-like visual cortical plasticity paradigm involving assessment of visual evoked potentials (VEPs) elicited by vertical and horizontal line gratings before and after high frequency ("tetanizing") visual stimulation with one of the gratings to induce "input-specific" neuroplasticity (i.e., VEP changes specific to the tetanized stimulus). Non-parametric, cluster-based permutation testing was used to identify electrodes and timepoints that demonstrated input-specific plasticity effects. RESULTS Input-specific pre-post VEP changes (i.e., increased negative voltage) were found in a single spatio-temporal cluster covering multiple occipital electrodes in a 126-223 ms time window. This plasticity effect was deficient in PRS individuals who subsequently converted to psychosis, relative to PRS non-converters and HC. CONCLUSIONS Input-specific LTP-like visual plasticity can be measured from VEPs in adolescents and young adults. Interim analyses suggest that deficient visual cortical plasticity is evident in those PRS individuals at greatest risk for transition to psychosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael S. Jacob
- VA San Francisco Healthcare System, San Francisco, CA, USA,Department of Psychiatry and Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Brian J. Roach
- VA San Francisco Healthcare System, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Holly K. Hamilton
- VA San Francisco Healthcare System, San Francisco, CA, USA,Department of Psychiatry and Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Ricardo E. Carrión
- Division of Psychiatry Research, The Zucker Hillside Hospital, North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System, Glen Oaks, NY, USA,Center for Psychiatric Neuroscience, Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System, Manhasset, NY, USA,Department of Psychiatry, Hofstra North Shore-LIJ School of Medicine, Hempstead, New York, USA
| | - Aysenil Belger
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Erica Duncan
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA,Atlanta Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Decatur, GA, USA
| | - Jason Johannesen
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University, School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Matcheri Keshavan
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sandra Loo
- Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Margaret Niznikiewicz
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jean Addington
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Carrie E. Bearden
- Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Kristin S. Cadenhead
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Tyrone D. Cannon
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University, School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA,Department of Psychology, Yale University, School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Barbara A. Cornblatt
- Division of Psychiatry Research, The Zucker Hillside Hospital, North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System, Glen Oaks, NY, USA,Center for Psychiatric Neuroscience, Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System, Manhasset, NY, USA,Department of Psychiatry, Hofstra North Shore-LIJ School of Medicine, Hempstead, New York, USA,Department of Molecular Medicine, Hofstra North Shore-LIJ School of Medicine, Hempstead, NY, USA
| | - Thomas H. McGlashan
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University, School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Diana O. Perkins
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - William Stone
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ming Tsuang
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | | | - Scott W. Woods
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University, School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Daniel H. Mathalon
- VA San Francisco Healthcare System, San Francisco, CA, USA,Department of Psychiatry and Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
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Huang J, Tong J, Zhang P, Zhou Y, Cui Y, Tan S, Wang Z, Yang F, Kochunov P, Chiappelli J, Tian B, Tian L, Tan Y, Hong LE. Effects of neuroactive metabolites of the tryptophan pathway on working memory and cortical thickness in schizophrenia. Transl Psychiatry 2021; 11:198. [PMID: 33795641 PMCID: PMC8016899 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-021-01311-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2020] [Revised: 02/19/2021] [Accepted: 03/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
A number of tryptophan metabolites known to be neuroactive have been examined for their potential associations with cognitive deficits in schizophrenia. Among these metabolites, kynurenic acid (KYNA), 5-hydroxyindole (5-HI), and quinolinic acid (QUIN) are documented in their diverse effects on α-7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7nAChR) and/or N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR), two of the receptor types thought to contribute to cognitive impairment in schizophrenia. In this study, serum levels of KYNA, 5-HI, and QUIN were measured in 195 patients with schizophrenia and in 70 healthy controls using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry; cognitive performance in MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery and cortical thickness measured by magnetic resonance imaging were obtained. Patients with schizophrenia had significantly lower serum KYNA (p < 0.001) and QUIN (p = 0.02) levels, and increased 5-HI/KYNA (p < 0.001) and QUIN/KYNA ratios (p < 0.001) compared with healthy controls. Multiple linear regression showed that working memory was positively correlated with serum 5-HI levels (t = 2.10, p = 0.04), but inversely correlated with KYNA concentrations (t = -2.01, p = 0.05) in patients. Patients with high 5-HI and low KYNA had better working memory than other subgroups (p = 0.01). Higher 5-HI levels were associated with thicker left lateral orbitofrontal cortex (t = 3.71, p = 2.94 × 10-4) in patients. The different effects of 5-HI and KYNA on working memory may appear consistent with their opposite receptor level mechanisms. Our findings appear to provide a new insight into the dynamic roles of tryptophan pathway metabolites on cognition, which may benefit novel therapeutic development that targets cognitive impairment in schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junchao Huang
- grid.414351.60000 0004 0530 7044Peking University HuiLongGuan Clinical Medical School, Beijing Huilongguan Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Jinghui Tong
- grid.414351.60000 0004 0530 7044Peking University HuiLongGuan Clinical Medical School, Beijing Huilongguan Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Ping Zhang
- grid.414351.60000 0004 0530 7044Peking University HuiLongGuan Clinical Medical School, Beijing Huilongguan Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Yanfang Zhou
- grid.414351.60000 0004 0530 7044Peking University HuiLongGuan Clinical Medical School, Beijing Huilongguan Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Yimin Cui
- grid.411472.50000 0004 1764 1621Department of Pharmacy, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Shuping Tan
- grid.414351.60000 0004 0530 7044Peking University HuiLongGuan Clinical Medical School, Beijing Huilongguan Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Zhiren Wang
- grid.414351.60000 0004 0530 7044Peking University HuiLongGuan Clinical Medical School, Beijing Huilongguan Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Fude Yang
- grid.414351.60000 0004 0530 7044Peking University HuiLongGuan Clinical Medical School, Beijing Huilongguan Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Peter Kochunov
- grid.411024.20000 0001 2175 4264Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD USA
| | - Joshua Chiappelli
- grid.411024.20000 0001 2175 4264Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD USA
| | - Baopeng Tian
- grid.414351.60000 0004 0530 7044Peking University HuiLongGuan Clinical Medical School, Beijing Huilongguan Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Li Tian
- grid.10939.320000 0001 0943 7661Faculty of Medicine, Department of Physiology, Institute of Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Yunlong Tan
- Peking University HuiLongGuan Clinical Medical School, Beijing Huilongguan Hospital, Beijing, China.
| | - L. Elliot Hong
- grid.411024.20000 0001 2175 4264Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD USA
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9
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Reduced visual cortical plasticity in autism spectrum disorder. Brain Res Bull 2021; 170:11-21. [PMID: 33545310 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2021.01.019] [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: 08/19/2020] [Revised: 01/27/2021] [Accepted: 01/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
There is increasing evidence implicating altered NMDA-receptor function in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). To investigate potential alterations in NMDA-dependent cortical plasticity in ASD, we examined the effect of visual high-frequency stimulation (HFS) on changes in plasticity in the visual cortex, measured by persistent changes in visual evoked potentials (VEPs), in individuals with ASD (n = 16) and neurotypical controls (NT; n = 15). VEPs were elicited by a checkerboard circle (0.83 Hz, 2-min blocks) at baseline and at 2, 4, and 20 min following exposure to HFS (8.87 Hz, 2 min), previously shown to induce LTP-like changes in the visual cortex. Difference waves were created by subtracting VEPs measured at baseline from each Post-HFS measure, and group differences assessed. We found that HFS resulted in reduced short-term potentiation of VEPs in ASD compared to NT participants. Thus, whilst ASD participants showed significant potentiation of the VEP immediately after HFS, this enhancement was not maintained, and only persisted into the second post-HFS assessment block in NT participants. Notably, ASD individuals who self-reported being more sensitive to visual stimuli showed greater shorter-term potentiation following visual HFS. Critically, there were no group differences in degree of neural entrainment to the visual HFS, or in attentional vigilance and task performance. These findings suggests that visual cortical plasticity is atypical in ASD, results consistent with reported altered NMDA receptor function in ASD.
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10
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Efficacy of adjunctive D-Cycloserine for the treatment of schizophrenia: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. J Neural Transm (Vienna) 2021; 128:253-262. [PMID: 33439362 DOI: 10.1007/s00702-020-02292-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2020] [Accepted: 12/16/2020] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
D-Cycloserine is a partial agonist at the glycine site of the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor. Results have been inconsistent in trials on the efficacy of D-Cycloserine in patients with schizophrenia. We examined the efficacy of D-Cycloserine against negative and cognitive symptoms (primary and co-primary outcomes). Secondary outcomes were efficacy of D-Cycloserine against positive symptoms and the examination of early treatment outcomes. A systematic literature search was carried out using following selection criteria: Population = Patients with Schizophrenia; Intervention = Trials using D-Cycloserine either as monotherapy or adjuvant therapy; Comparison = Placebo or active comparator; Outcome = Change in negative symptoms, cognitive symptoms and positive symptoms; Study design = Randomized controlled trials with parallel design. We used the Cochrane Collaboration tool for risk of bias for study quality appraisal. Effect sizes for trials were calculated separately for negative, positive and cognitive symptom dimensions using the DerSimonian-Laird random effects model. Seven studies (pooled N = 413) provided data for meta-analysis. The pooled Standardized Mean Difference (SMD) for negative, cognitive, and positive symptom change scores were - 0.32 (95% CI, - 0.75 to 0.11), - 0.05 (95% CI, - 0.91 to 0.81), and - 0.08 (95% CI, - 0.37 to 0.20), respectively. No significant improvement was noted with regard to early outcome. I2 values for heterogeneity were 61%, 67%, and 0% for studies assessing negative, cognitive, and positive symptom ratings, respectively. D-Cycloserine did not exhibit significant efficacy in treating negative, cognitive, or positive symptoms of schizophrenia at either study-defined endpoint (4-36 weeks) or at four weeks (early outcome).
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11
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Wijtenburg SA, West J, Korenic SA, Kuhney F, Gaston FE, Chen H, Rowland LM. Multimodal Neuroimaging Study of Visual Plasticity in Schizophrenia. Front Psychiatry 2021; 12:644271. [PMID: 33868055 PMCID: PMC8046908 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.644271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2020] [Accepted: 03/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a severe mental illness with visual learning and memory deficits, and reduced long term potentiation (LTP) may underlie these impairments. Recent human fMRI and EEG studies have assessed visual plasticity that was induced with high frequency visual stimulation, which is thought to mimic an LTP-like phenomenon. This study investigated the differences in visual plasticity in participants with schizophrenia and healthy controls. An fMRI visual plasticity paradigm was implemented, and proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy data were acquired to determine whether baseline resting levels of glutamatergic and GABA metabolites were related to visual plasticity response. Adults with schizophrenia did not demonstrate visual plasticity after family-wise error correction; whereas, the healthy control group did. There was a significant regional difference in visual plasticity in the left visual cortical area V2 when assessing group differences, and baseline GABA levels were associated with this specific ROI in the SZ group only. Overall, this study suggests that visual plasticity is altered in schizophrenia and related to basal GABA levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Andrea Wijtenburg
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Jeffrey West
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Stephanie A Korenic
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Franchesca Kuhney
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Frank E Gaston
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Hongji Chen
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Laura M Rowland
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
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12
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Pei JC, Luo DZ, Gau SS, Chang CY, Lai WS. Directly and Indirectly Targeting the Glycine Modulatory Site to Modulate NMDA Receptor Function to Address Unmet Medical Needs of Patients With Schizophrenia. Front Psychiatry 2021; 12:742058. [PMID: 34658976 PMCID: PMC8517243 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.742058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2021] [Accepted: 09/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a severe mental illness that affects ~1% of the world's population. It is clinically characterized by positive, negative, and cognitive symptoms. Currently available antipsychotic medications are relatively ineffective in improving negative and cognitive deficits, which are related to a patient's functional outcomes and quality of life. Negative symptoms and cognitive deficits are unmet by the antipsychotic medications developed to date. In recent decades, compelling animal and clinical studies have supported the NMDA receptor (NMDAR) hypofunction hypothesis of schizophrenia and have suggested some promising therapeutic agents. Notably, several NMDAR-enhancing agents, especially those that function through the glycine modulatory site (GMS) of NMDAR, cause significant reduction in psychotic and cognitive symptoms in patients with schizophrenia. Given that the NMDAR-mediated signaling pathway has been implicated in cognitive/social functions and that GMS is a potential therapeutic target for enhancing the activation of NMDARs, there is great interest in investigating the effects of direct and indirect GMS modulators and their therapeutic potential. In this review, we focus on describing preclinical and clinical studies of direct and indirect GMS modulators in the treatment of schizophrenia, including glycine, D-cycloserine, D-serine, glycine transporter 1 (GlyT1) inhibitors, and D-amino acid oxidase (DAO or DAAO) inhibitors. We highlight some of the most promising recently developed pharmacological compounds designed to either directly or indirectly target GMS and thus augment NMDAR function to treat the cognitive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia. Overall, the current findings suggest that indirectly targeting of GMS appears to be more beneficial and leads to less adverse effects than direct targeting of GMS to modulate NMDAR functions. Indirect GMS modulators, especially GlyT1 inhibitors and DAO inhibitors, open new avenues for the treatment of unmet medical needs for patients with schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ju-Chun Pei
- Department of Psychology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Da-Zhong Luo
- Department of Psychology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Shiang-Shin Gau
- Department of Psychology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chia-Yuan Chang
- Department of Psychology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Neurobiology and Cognitive Science Center, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Wen-Sung Lai
- Department of Psychology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Neurobiology and Cognitive Science Center, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Graduate Institute of Brain and Mind Sciences, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
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13
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Experience-dependent modulation of the visual evoked potential: Testing effect sizes, retention over time, and associations with age in 415 healthy individuals. Neuroimage 2020; 223:117302. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.117302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2020] [Revised: 08/12/2020] [Accepted: 08/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
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14
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Diminich ED, Dickerson F, Bello I, Cather C, Kingdon D, Rakhshan Rouhakhtar PJ, Hart KL, Li C, Troxel AB, Goff DC. D-cycloserine augmentation of cognitive behavioral therapy for delusions: A randomized clinical trial. Schizophr Res 2020; 222:145-152. [PMID: 32591238 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2020.06.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2020] [Revised: 06/09/2020] [Accepted: 06/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE D-cycloserine (DCS) promotes consolidation of extinction learning. This study extends earlier work by examining whether DCS can enhance cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for delusions. METHODS Adults reporting moderate or greater delusions were randomly assigned to receive 50 mg of DCS or placebo prior to 10 weekly CBT sessions. The primary outcome was change in severity of delusions measured with the Psychotic Symptom Rating Scale delusion subscale (PSYRATS-D). Secondary outcomes included persistence of response at 3 and 6 month follow-up and the effects of DCS on memory consolidation and cognitive flexibility. Fifty-eight participants were randomized and 44 completed the trial. RESULTS The DCS and placebo groups did not differ in change from baseline to end of CBT on PSYRATS-D, nor did DCS improve memory consolidation or cognitive flexibility compared to placebo. However, at the 3 month follow-up visit (week 24), 47% of participants who completed treatment with DCS reported a 20% or greater decrease on PSYRATS-D compared to 15% in the placebo group (p = .04). Change in distress across CBT sessions interacted with treatment group to predict change from baseline to week 24 in PSYRATS-D total score (p = .03) such that response at week 24 was greatest in DCS-treated participants who experienced a decrease in distress during CBT sessions. CONCLUSIONS DCS augmentation of CBT did not improve delusions compared to placebo during treatment; however, DCS was associated with a higher response rate at 3-month follow-up. DCS may produce a delayed therapeutic effect, associated with successful CBT sessions, but this finding requires replication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erica D Diminich
- Program in Public Health and the Department of Family, Population and Preventive Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, United States of America
| | - Faith Dickerson
- Sheppard Pratt Health System, Baltimore, MD, United States of America
| | - Iruma Bello
- New York State Psychiatric Institute, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Corinne Cather
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - David Kingdon
- Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Pamela J Rakhshan Rouhakhtar
- Human Services Psychology Department, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD, United States of America
| | - Kamber L Hart
- Department of Psychiatry, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Chenxiang Li
- Department of Population Health, Division of Biostatistics, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Andrea B Troxel
- Department of Population Health, Division of Biostatistics, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Donald C Goff
- Department of Psychiatry, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY, United States of America; Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, United States of America.
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15
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Kirk IJ, Spriggs MJ, Sumner RL. Human EEG and the mechanisms of memory: investigating long-term potentiation (LTP) in sensory-evoked potentials. J R Soc N Z 2020. [DOI: 10.1080/03036758.2020.1780274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ian J. Kirk
- Cognitive Neuroscience Research Group, School of Psychology, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- Centre for Brain Research, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- Brain Research New Zealand, New Zealand
| | - Meg J. Spriggs
- Centre for Psychedelic Research, Division of Brain Sciences, Centre for Psychiatry, Imperial College London, London, UK
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16
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Sumner RL, Spriggs MJ, Muthukumaraswamy SD, Kirk IJ. The role of Hebbian learning in human perception: a methodological and theoretical review of the human Visual Long-Term Potentiation paradigm. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 115:220-237. [PMID: 32562886 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.03.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2019] [Revised: 03/02/2020] [Accepted: 03/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Long-term potentiation (LTP) is one of the most widely studied forms of neural plasticity, and is thought to be the principle mechanism underlying long-term memory and learning in the brain. Sensory paradigms utilising electroencephalography (EEG) and sensory stimulation to induce LTP have allowed translation from rodent and primate invasive research to non-invasive human investigations. This review focusses on visual sensory LTP induced using repetitive visual stimulation, resulting in changes in the visually evoked response recorded at the scalp with EEG. Across 15 years of use and replication in humans several major paradigm variants for eliciting visual LTP have emerged. The application of different paradigms, and the broad implementation of visual LTP across different populations combines to provide a rich and sensitive account of Hebbian LTP, and potentially non-Hebbian plasticity mechanisms. This review will conclude with a discussion of how these findings have advanced existing theories of perceptual learning by positioning Hebbian learning both alongside and within other major theories such as Predictive Coding and The Free Energy Principle.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Meg J Spriggs
- Centre for Psychedelic Research, Division of Brain Sciences, Centre for Psychiatry, Imperial College London, UK
| | | | - Ian J Kirk
- Brain Research, New Zealand; School of Psychology, University of Auckland, New Zealand
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17
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Wynn JK, Roach BJ, McCleery A, Marder SR, Mathalon DH, Green MF. Evaluating visual neuroplasticity with EEG in schizophrenia outpatients. Schizophr Res 2019; 212:40-46. [PMID: 31434625 PMCID: PMC6791734 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2019.08.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2018] [Revised: 05/21/2019] [Accepted: 08/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Deficient neuroplasticity has been implicated in schizophrenia and can be examined with non-invasive methods in humans. High frequency visual stimulation (HFS) induces neuroplastic changes in visual evoked potential (VEP) components, similar to the tetanizing electrical stimulation that induces synaptic long-term potentiation (LTP). While visual HFS paradigms have been used in schizophrenia, the use of a single visual stimulus has precluded demonstration of whether the plasticity effects are specific to the stimulus presented during HFS (i.e., input specific). Additionally, test-retest reliability of VEP plasticity effects, an important consideration for applications of HFS paradigms in schizophrenia clinical trials, remains unknown. Accordingly, we administered a visual HFS paradigm to 38 schizophrenia patients and 27 healthy controls at baseline and two-weeks later. VEPs were elicited by horizontal and vertical line gratings before and after HFS; only one orientation was tetanized with HFS. Using a mass univariate permutation approach, we identified an input-specific cluster across groups that was broadly distributed over parietal-occipital areas between 108 and 183 ms. However, the groups did not differ in terms of the strength of plasticity effect. The test-retest reliability of the input-specific plasticity effect was modest over two weeks, suggesting that this HFS paradigm requires further development before it could be used to track plasticity change in clinical trials. Moreover, while the current HFS paradigm induced significant input-specific neuroplasticity, it did not replicate prior studies showing deficient neuroplasticity in schizophrenia. Accordingly, demonstration of deficient visual LTP-like neuroplasticity in schizophrenia may depend on paradigm parameters that remain to be fully elucidated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan K. Wynn
- Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center (MIRECC), Veterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, CA,Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA,Corresponding Author: Jonathan K. Wynn, Ph.D., VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System/UCLA, MIRECC, Bldg. 210, Rm. 115, 11301 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90073, Phone: (310) 478-3711 x44957, Fax: (310) 268-4056,
| | - Brian J. Roach
- Veterans Affairs San Francisco Healthcare System, San Francisco, CA,Department of Psychiatry and Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA
| | - Amanda McCleery
- Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Stephen R. Marder
- Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center (MIRECC), Veterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, CA,Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Daniel H. Mathalon
- Veterans Affairs San Francisco Healthcare System, San Francisco, CA,Department of Psychiatry and Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA
| | - Michael F. Green
- Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center (MIRECC), Veterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, CA,Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA
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18
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Zhand N, Attwood DG, Harvey PD. Glutamate modulators for treatment of schizophrenia. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pmip.2019.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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19
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The glycine site of NMDA receptors: A target for cognitive enhancement in psychiatric disorders. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2019; 92:387-404. [PMID: 30738126 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2019.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2018] [Revised: 01/29/2019] [Accepted: 02/01/2019] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Cognitive dysfunction is a principal determinant of functional impairment in major depressive disorder (MDD) and often persists during periods of euthymia. Abnormalities in the glutamate system, particularly in N-methyl-d-aspartate receptors (NMDARs) activity, have been shown to contribute to both mood and cognitive symptoms in MDD. The current narrative review aims to evaluate the potential pro-cognitive effects of targeting the glycine site of NMDARs in the treatment of psychiatric disorders, with a special focus on how these results may apply to MDD. Literature databases were searched from inception to May 2018 for relevant pre-clinical and clinical studies evaluating antidepressant and pro-cognitive effects of NMDAR glycine site modulators in both MDD and non-MDD samples. Six glycine site modulators with pro-cognitive and antidepressant properties were identified: d-serine (co-agonist), d-cycloserine (partial agonist), d-alanine (co-agonist), glycine (agonist), sarcosine (co-agonist) and rapastinel (partial agonist). Preclinical animal studies demonstrated improved neuroplasticity and pro-cognitive effects with these agents. Numerous proof-of-concept clinical trials demonstrated pro-cognitive and antidepressant effects trans-diagnostically (e.g., in healthy participants, MDD, schizophrenia, anxiety disorders, major neurocognitive disorders). The generalizability of these clinical studies was limited by the small sample sizes and the paucity of studies directly evaluating cognitive effects in MDD samples, as most clinical trials were in non-MDD samples. Taken together, preliminary results suggest that the glycine site of NMDARs is a promising target to ameliorate symptoms of depression and cognitive dysfunction. Additional rigorously designed clinical studies are required to determine the cognitive effects of these agents in MDD.
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20
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Kantrowitz JT. N-methyl-d-aspartate-type glutamate receptor modulators and related medications for the enhancement of auditory system plasticity in schizophrenia. Schizophr Res 2019; 207:70-79. [PMID: 29459050 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2018.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2017] [Revised: 01/30/2018] [Accepted: 02/02/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Deficits in N-methyl-d-aspartate-type (NMDAR) function contribute to cognitive deficits in schizophrenia, particularly dysfunction in neuroplasticity, defined as reduced learning during training on exercises that place implicit, increasing demands on early sensory (auditory and visual) information processing. Auditory mismatch negativity (MMN) can be both a target engagement biomarker for the NMDAR and a proxy measure of neurophysiological plasticity. This review covers the evidence for using NMDAR modulator and related compounds for enhancement of cognition, with a particular focus on early auditory processing/plasticity. Compounds covered include glycine site agonists, glycine and system A-type transporter inhibitors, d-amino acid oxidase inhibitors, memantine and nicotinic alpha-7 acetylcholine receptor agonists. As opposed to daily treatment studies focusing on schizophrenia in general, intermittent, non-daily treatment combining NMDAR modulators with neuroplasticity-based paradigms, using MMN as target-engagement biomarkers show promise as treatments to both remediate plasticity deficits and overall functional deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua T Kantrowitz
- Schizophrenia Research Center, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY 10962, USA; Division of Experimental Therapeutics, Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA.
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21
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Chang CH, Lane HY, Tseng PT, Chen SJ, Liu CY, Lin CH. Effect of N-methyl-D-aspartate-receptor-enhancing agents on cognition in patients with schizophrenia: A systematic review and meta-analysis of double-blind randomised controlled trials. J Psychopharmacol 2019; 33:436-448. [PMID: 30730250 DOI: 10.1177/0269881118822157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Multiple N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA)-receptor-enhancing agents have demonstrated promising effects for cognition in schizophrenia. However, the results of studies have been conflicting. This updated meta-analysis explored the effect of NMDA-receptor-enhancing agents on cognitive function. METHODS We searched PubMed, the Cochrane Collaboration Central Register of Controlled Clinical Trials and Cochrane Systematic Reviews for studies on the effect of NMDA-receptor-enhancing agents on cognitive function in patients with schizophrenia up to September 2018. Double-blind randomised placebo trials with cognition rating scales were included. We pooled studies by using a random-effect model for comparisons with add-on NMDA-receptor-enhancing agents. Cognitive function scores were compared between baseline and subsequent levels, and NMDA-receptor-positive modulators were assessed using the standardised mean difference (SMD) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). We evaluated statistical heterogeneity through visual inspection of funnel plots and by using the I2 statistic. RESULTS We identified 25 trials with 1951 participants meeting the inclusion criteria. NMDA-receptor-enhancing agents had a small but nonsignificant effect compared with the placebo on overall cognitive function (SMD = 0.068, CI = -0.056 to 0.193, P = 0.283). We identified trials enrolling patients aged between 30 and 39 years old, which reported significant positive effects (SMD: 0.163, 95% CI: 0.016-0.310, P = 0.030). Men were associated with a smaller effect of NMDA-receptor-positive modulators on overall cognitive function. Moreover, subgroup meta-analysis of cognitive domains revealed that N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) had a significant effect on working memory ( P-value for interaction = 0.038; SMD = 0.679, CI = 0.397-0.961, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Our meta-analysis revealed no significant effect of NMDA-enhancing agents on overall cognition. However, subgroup analysis suggested that NMDAR-enhancing agents may benefit young patients with schizophrenia, and NAC may have an effect on working memory. Additional trials with larger samples are suggested to evaluate these cognitive domains and ascertain the possible mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun-Hung Chang
- 1 Institute of Clinical Medical Science, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.,2 Department of Psychiatry & Brain Disease Research Center, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Hsien-Yuan Lane
- 1 Institute of Clinical Medical Science, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.,2 Department of Psychiatry & Brain Disease Research Center, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan.,3 Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.,4 Department of Psychology, College of Medical and Health Sciences, Asia University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Ping-Tao Tseng
- 5 Department of Psychiatry, Tsyr-Huey Mental Hospital, Kaohsiung Jen-Ai's Home, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.,6 WinShine Clinics in Specialty of Psychiatry, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Shaw-Ji Chen
- 7 Department of Psychiatry, Mackay Memorial Hospital Taitung Branch, Taitung, Taiwan.,8 Department of Medicine, Mackay Medical College, New Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chieh-Yu Liu
- 9 Biostatistical Consulting Lab, Department of Speech Language Pathology and Audiology, National Taipei University of Nursing and Health Sciences, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chieh-Hsin Lin
- 1 Institute of Clinical Medical Science, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.,3 Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.,10 Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
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22
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Kantrowitz JT, Swerdlow NR, Dunn W, Vinogradov S. Auditory System Target Engagement During Plasticity-Based Interventions in Schizophrenia: A Focus on Modulation of N-Methyl-D-Aspartate-Type Glutamate Receptor Function. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY. COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2018; 3:581-590. [PMID: 29656951 PMCID: PMC6062454 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2018.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2017] [Revised: 01/24/2018] [Accepted: 02/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Cognitive deficits are predictive of long-term social and occupational functional deficits in schizophrenia but are currently without gold-standard treatments. In particular, augmentation of auditory cortical neuroplasticity may represent a rate-limiting first step before addressing higher-order cognitive deficits. We review the rationale for N-methyl-d-aspartate-type glutamate receptor (NMDAR) modulators as treatments for auditory plasticity deficits in schizophrenia, along with potential serum and electroencephalographic target engagement biomarkers for NMDAR function. Several recently published NMDAR-modulating treatment studies are covered, involving D-serine, memantine, and transcranial direct current stimulation. While all three interventions appear to modulate auditory plasticity, direct agonists (D-serine) appear to have the largest and most consistent effects on plasticity, at least acutely. We hypothesize that there may be synergistic effects of combining procognitive NMDAR-modulating approaches with auditory cortical neuroplasticity cognitive training interventions. Future studies should assess biomarkers for target engagement and patient stratification, along with head-to-head studies comparing putative interventions and potential long-term versus acute effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua T Kantrowitz
- Schizophrenia Research Center, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, New York; Division of Experimental Therapeutics, Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, New York.
| | - Neal R Swerdlow
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla
| | - Walter Dunn
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - Sophia Vinogradov
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota
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23
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Forsyth JK, Lewis DA. Mapping the Consequences of Impaired Synaptic Plasticity in Schizophrenia through Development: An Integrative Model for Diverse Clinical Features. Trends Cogn Sci 2017; 21:760-778. [PMID: 28754595 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2017.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2017] [Revised: 05/13/2017] [Accepted: 06/09/2017] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Schizophrenia is associated with alterations in sensory, motor, and cognitive functions that emerge before psychosis onset; identifying pathogenic processes that can account for this multi-faceted phenotype remains a challenge. Accumulating evidence suggests that synaptic plasticity is impaired in schizophrenia. Given the role of synaptic plasticity in learning, memory, and neural circuit maturation, impaired plasticity may underlie many features of the schizophrenia syndrome. Here, we summarize the neurobiology of synaptic plasticity, review evidence that plasticity is impaired in schizophrenia, and explore a framework in which impaired synaptic plasticity interacts with brain maturation to yield the emergence of sensory, motor, cognitive, and psychotic features at different times during development in schizophrenia. Key gaps in the literature and future directions for testing this framework are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer K Forsyth
- Department of Psychology, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| | - David A Lewis
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
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