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Mukadam AA, Chester JA. Line- and sex-dependent effects of juvenile stress on contextual fear- and anxiety-related behavior in high- and low-alcohol-preferring mouse lines. Behav Brain Res 2024; 463:114899. [PMID: 38342379 PMCID: PMC10954351 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2024.114899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2023] [Revised: 01/16/2024] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/13/2024]
Abstract
Juvenile stress (JS) is a known risk factor for the development of alcohol use disorder (AUD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), both of which are frequently co-morbid. Data suggest there may be common, genetically-influenced biological responses to stress that contribute to the development of both AUD and PTSD. The present study investigated the impact of JS on contextual fear learning and extinction, as well as corticosterone (CORT) responses before and after JS, before and after contextual fear conditioning (CFC), and after fear extinction in male and female high-alcohol-preferring (HAP2) and low-alcohol-preferring (LAP2) mouse lines. We also measured unconditioned anxiety-related behavior in the light-dark-transition test before CFC. HAP2 and LAP2 mice did not differ in fear acquisition, but HAP2 mice showed faster fear extinction compared to LAP2 mice. No effects of JS were seen in HAP2 mice, whereas in LAP2 mice, JS reduced fear acquisition in males and facilitated fear extinction in females. Females showed greater fear-related behavior relative to males, regardless of subgroup. HAP2 males demonstrated more anxiolytic-like responses than LAP2 males and LAP2 females demonstrated more anxiolytic-like responses than LAP2 males in the light-dark transition test. HAP2 and LAP2 mice did not differ in CORT during the juvenile stage; however, adult LAP2 mice showed greater CORT levels than HAP2 mice at baseline and after CFC and extinction testing. These findings build upon prior work in these unique mouse lines that differ in genetic propensity toward alcohol preference and provide new information regarding contextual fear learning and extinction mechanisms theorized to contribute to co-morbid AUD and PTSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arbaaz A Mukadam
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA.
| | - Julia A Chester
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA; Purdue Institute for Integrative Neuroscience, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA.
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2
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Sibbach BM, Karim HT, Lo D, Kasibhatla N, Santini T, Weber JC, Ibrahim TS, Banihashemi L. Manual segmentation of the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus and the dorsal and ventral bed nucleus of stria terminalis using multimodal 7 Tesla structural MRI: probabilistic atlases for a stress-control triad. Brain Struct Funct 2024; 229:273-283. [PMID: 37812278 PMCID: PMC10917873 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-023-02713-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023]
Abstract
The paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN) is uniquely capable of proximal control over autonomic and neuroendocrine stress responses, and the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) directly modulates PVN function, as well as playing an important role in stress control itself. The dorsal BNST (dBNST) is predominantly preautonomic, while the ventral BNST (vBNST) is predominantly viscerosensory, receiving dense noradrenergic signaling. Distinguishing the dBNST and vBNST, along with the PVN, may facilitate our understanding of dynamic interactions among these regions. T1-weighted MPRAGE and high resolution gradient echo (GRE) modalities were acquired at 7T. GRE was coregistered to MPRAGE and segmentations were performed in MRIcroGL based on their Atlas of the Human Brain depictions. The dBNST, vBNST and PVN were manually segmented in 25 participants; 10 images were rated by 2 raters. These segmentations were normalized and probabilistic atlases for each region were generated in MNI space, now available as resources for future research. We found moderate-high inter-rater reliability [n = 10; Mean Dice (SD); PVN = 0.69 (0.04); dBNST = 0.77 (0.04); vBNST = 0.62 (0.04)]. Probabilistic atlases were reverse normalized into native space for six additional participants that were segmented but not included in the original 25. We also found moderate to moderate-high reliability between the probabilistic atlases and manual segmentations [n = 6; Mean Dice (SD); PVN = 0.55 (0.12); dBNST = 0.60 (0.10); vBNST = 0.47 (0.12 SD)]. By isolating these hypothalamic and BNST subregions using ultra-high field MRI modalities, more specific delineations of these regions can facilitate greater understanding of mechanisms underlying stress-related function and psychopathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brandon M Sibbach
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
| | - Helmet T Karim
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
| | - Daniel Lo
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
| | - Nithya Kasibhatla
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
| | - Tales Santini
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
| | - Jessica C Weber
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
| | - Tamer S Ibrahim
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
| | - Layla Banihashemi
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA.
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA.
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Jaramillo AA, Brown JA, Winder DG. Danger and distress: Parabrachial-extended amygdala circuits. Neuropharmacology 2021; 198:108757. [PMID: 34461068 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2021.108757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2021] [Revised: 08/04/2021] [Accepted: 08/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Our understanding of the role of the parabrachial nucleus (PBN) has evolved as technology has advanced, in part due to cell-specific studies and complex behavioral assays. This is reflected in the heterogeneous neuronal populations within the PBN to the extended amygdala (EA) circuits which encompass the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) and central amygdala (CeA) circuitry, as they differentially modulate aspects of behavior in response to diverse threat-like contexts necessary for survival. Here we review how the PBN→CeA and PBN→BNST pathways differentially modulate fear-like behavior, innate and conditioned, through unique changes in neurotransmission in response to stress-inducing contexts. Furthermore, we hypothesize how in specific instances the PBN→CeA and PBN→BNST circuits are redundant and in part intertwined with their respective reciprocal projections. By deconstructing the interoceptive and exteroceptive components of affect- and stress related behavioral paradigms, evidence suggests that the PBN→CeA circuit modulates innate response to physical stimuli and fear conditioning. Conversely, the PBN→BNST circuit modulates distress-like stress in unpredictable contexts. Thereby, the PBN provides a pathway for alarming interoceptive and exteroceptive stimuli to be processed and relayed to the EA to induce stress-relevant affect. Additionally, we provide a framework for future studies to detail the cell-type specific intricacies of PBN→EA circuits in mediating behavioral responses to threats, and the relevance of the PBN in drug-use as it relates to threat and negative reinforcement. This article is part of the special Issue on 'Neurocircuitry Modulating Drug and Alcohol Abuse'.
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Affiliation(s)
- A A Jaramillo
- Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA; Dept. Mol. Phys. & Biophysics, USA; Vanderbilt Brain Institute, USA; Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, USA
| | - J A Brown
- Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA; Dept. Mol. Phys. & Biophysics, USA; Vanderbilt Brain Institute, USA; Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, USA; Department of Pharmacology, USA
| | - D G Winder
- Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA; Dept. Mol. Phys. & Biophysics, USA; Vanderbilt Brain Institute, USA; Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, USA; Department of Pharmacology, USA; Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, USA; Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, USA.
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Sugimoto M, Takahashi Y, Sugimura YK, Tokunaga R, Yajima M, Kato F. Active role of the central amygdala in widespread mechanical sensitization in rats with facial inflammatory pain. Pain 2021; 162:2273-2286. [PMID: 33900711 PMCID: PMC8280967 DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000002224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2020] [Revised: 01/01/2021] [Accepted: 01/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
ABSTRACT Widespread or ectopic sensitization is a hallmark symptom of chronic pain, characterized by aberrantly enhanced pain sensitivity in multiple body regions remote from the site of original injury or inflammation. The central mechanism underlying widespread sensitization remains unidentified. The central nucleus of the amygdala (also called the central amygdala, CeA) is well situated for this role because it receives nociceptive information from diverse body sites and modulates pain sensitivity in various body regions. In this study, we examined the role of the CeA in a novel model of ectopic sensitization of rats. Injection of formalin into the left upper lip resulted in latent bilateral sensitization in the hind paw lasting >13 days in male Wistar rats. Chemogenetic inhibition of gamma-aminobutyric acid-ergic neurons or blockade of calcitonin gene-related peptide receptors in the right CeA, but not in the left, significantly attenuated this sensitization. Furthermore, chemogenetic excitation of gamma-aminobutyric acid-ergic neurons in the right CeA induced de novo bilateral hind paw sensitization in the rats without inflammation. These results indicate that the CeA neuronal activity determines hind paw tactile sensitivity in rats with remote inflammatory pain. They also suggest that the hind paw sensitization used in a large number of preclinical studies might not be simply a sign of the pain at the site of injury but rather a representation of the augmented CeA activity resulting from inflammation/pain in any part of the body or from activities of other brain regions, which has an active role of promoting defensive/protective behaviors to avoid further bodily damage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariko Sugimoto
- Center for Neuroscience of Pain and Department of Neuroscience, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Anesthesiology, Teikyo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yukari Takahashi
- Center for Neuroscience of Pain and Department of Neuroscience, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yae K. Sugimura
- Center for Neuroscience of Pain and Department of Neuroscience, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Ryota Tokunaga
- Center for Neuroscience of Pain and Department of Neuroscience, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Manami Yajima
- Center for Neuroscience of Pain and Department of Neuroscience, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Dental Anesthesiology, School of Dental Medicine, Tsurumi University, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Fusao Kato
- Center for Neuroscience of Pain and Department of Neuroscience, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
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Hammack SE, Braas KM, May V. Chemoarchitecture of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis: Neurophenotypic diversity and function. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2021; 179:385-402. [PMID: 34225977 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-819975-6.00025-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) is a compact but neurophenotypically complex structure in the ventral forebrain that is structurally and functionally linked to other limbic structures, including the amygdala nuclear complex, hypothalamic nuclei, hippocampus, and related midbrain structures, to participate in a wide range of functions, especially emotion, emotional learning, stress-related responses, and sexual behaviors. From a variety of sensory inputs, the BNST acts as a node for signal integration and coordination for information relay to downstream central neuroendocrine and autonomic centers for appropriate homeostatic physiological and behavioral responses. In contrast to the role of the amygdala in fear, the BNST has gained wide interest from work suggesting that it has main roles in mediating sustained responses to diffuse, unpredictable and/or long-duration threats that are typically associated with anxiety-related responses. Further, some BNST subregions are highly sexually dimorphic which appear contributory to the differential stress and social interactive behaviors, including reproductive responses, between males and females. Notably, maladaptive BNST neuroplasticity and function have been implicated in chronic pain, depression, anxiety-related abnormalities, and other psychopathologies including posttraumatic stress disorders. The BNST circuits are predominantly GABAergic-the glutaminergic neurons represent a minor population-but the complexity of the system results from an overlay of diverse neuropeptide coexpression in these neurons. More than a dozen neuropeptides may be differentially coexpressed in BNST neurons, and from variable G protein-coupled receptor signaling, may inhibit or activate downstream circuit activities. The mechanisms and roles of these peptides in modulating intrinsic BNST neurocircuit signaling and BNST long-distance target cell projections are still not well understood. Nevertheless, an understanding of some of the principal players may allow assembly of the circuit interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sayamwong E Hammack
- Department of Psychological Science, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, United States
| | - Karen M Braas
- Department of Neurological Sciences, University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine, Burlington, VT, United States
| | - Victor May
- Department of Neurological Sciences, University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine, Burlington, VT, United States.
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Rossetti I, Zambusi L, Maccioni P, Sau R, Provini L, Castelli MP, Gonciarz K, Colombo G, Morara S. Predisposition to Alcohol Drinking and Alcohol Consumption Alter Expression of Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide, Neuropeptide Y, and Microglia in Bed Nucleus of Stria Terminalis in a Subnucleus-Specific Manner. Front Cell Neurosci 2019; 13:158. [PMID: 31114482 PMCID: PMC6502997 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2019.00158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2018] [Accepted: 04/08/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Excessive alcohol consumption is often linked to anxiety states and has a major relay center in the anterior part of bed nucleus of stria terminalis (BNST). We analyzed the impact of (i) genetic predisposition to high alcohol preference and consumption, and (ii) alcohol intake on anterior BNST, namely anterolateral (AL), anteromedial (AM), and anteroventral (lateral + medial subdivisions: AVl, AVm) subnuclei. We used two rat lines selectively bred for low- and high-alcohol preference and consumption, named Sardinian alcohol-non preferring (sNP) and -preferring (sP), respectively, the latter showing also inherent anxiety-related behaviors. We analyzed the modulation of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP; exerting anxiogenic effects in BNST), neuropeptide Y (NPY; exerting mainly anxiolytic effects), and microglia activation (neuroinflammation marker, thought to increase anxiety). Calcitonin gene-related peptide-immunofluorescent fibers/terminals did not differ between alcohol-naive sP and sNP rats. Fiber/terminal NPY-immunofluorescent intensity was lower in BNST-AM and BNST-AVm of alcohol-naive sP rats. Activation of microglia (revealed by morphological analysis) was decreased in BNST-AM and increased in BNST-AVm of alcohol-naive sP rats. Prolonged (30 consecutive days), voluntary alcohol intake under the homecage 2-bottle “alcohol vs. water” regimen strongly increased CGRP intensity in BNST of sP rats in a subnucleus-specific manner: in BNST-AL, BNST-AVm, and BNST-AM. CGRP area sum, however, decreased in BNST-AM, without changes in other subnuclei. Alcohol consumption increased NPY expression, in a subnucleus-specific manner, in BNST-AL, BNST-AVl, and BNST-AVm. Alcohol consumption increased many size/shapes parameters in microglial cells, indicative of microglia de-activation. Finally, microglia density was increased in ventral anterior BNST (BNST-AVl, BNST-AVm) by alcohol consumption. In conclusion, genetic predisposition of sP rats to high alcohol intake could be in part mediated by anterior BNST subnuclei showing lower NPY expression and differential microglia activation. Alcohol intake in sP rats produced complex subnucleus-specific changes in BNST, affecting CGRP/NPY expression and microglia and leading to hypothesize that these changes might contribute to the anxiolytic effects of voluntarily consumed alcohol repeatedly observed in sP rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilaria Rossetti
- Institute of Neuroscience, National Research Council of Italy, Milan, Italy
| | - Laura Zambusi
- Institute of Neuroscience, National Research Council of Italy, Milan, Italy
| | - Paola Maccioni
- Institute of Neuroscience, National Research Council of Italy, Milan, Italy
| | - Roberta Sau
- Institute of Neuroscience, National Research Council of Italy, Milan, Italy
| | - Luciano Provini
- Department of Biotechnology and Translational Medicine, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - M Paola Castelli
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Division of Neuroscience and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Krzysztof Gonciarz
- Center for Systems Biology Dresden, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany
| | - Giancarlo Colombo
- Institute of Neuroscience, National Research Council of Italy, Milan, Italy
| | - Stefano Morara
- Institute of Neuroscience, National Research Council of Italy, Milan, Italy.,Department of Biotechnology and Translational Medicine, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
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Michopoulos V, Maples-Keller J, Roger EI, Beaudoin FL, Sumner JA, Rothbaum BO, Hudak L, Gillespie CF, Kronish IM, McLean SA, Ressler KJ. Nausea in the peri-traumatic period is associated with prospective risk for PTSD symptom development. Neuropsychopharmacology 2019; 44:668-673. [PMID: 30464257 PMCID: PMC6372625 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-018-0276-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2018] [Accepted: 11/10/2018] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
While nausea often develops following exposure to trauma, little is known regarding the relationship between peri-traumatic nausea and prospective risk for developing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). We examined the association between peri-traumatic nausea and PTSD symptom development in three independent cohorts. Participants were recruited from (1) the Emergency Departments (ED) at Grady Memorial Hospital (GMH) in Atlanta, GA, (2) from multiple other ED sites in the TRYUMPH Research Network, and (3) from the ED during evaluation for suspected acute coronary syndrome in the REACH cohort. Administration of IV ondansetron, the most predominant antiemetic used at GMH, was used as a surrogate marker for nausea in the initial GMH cohort; nausea was then directly assessed in the internal validation at GMH, and within the replication TRYUMPH Research Network and REACH cohorts. In the GMH cohort (N = 363), ondansetron administration was associated with increased 1- and 3-month posttrauma PTSD symptoms in adjusted models (all p's < 0.05). In the GMH internal validation, nausea significantly predicted 1 month (p = 0.009; n = 68) and 3 month (p = 0.029; n = 54) PTSD symptoms. In the TRYUMPH cohort (N = 1846), patient reported nausea in the ED was significantly associated with increased PTSD symptoms (p = 0.009) in adjusted models. In the REACH cohort (N = 758), peri-traumatic nausea was associated with PTSD symptom severity at the 1-month follow-up in adjusted models (p's ≤ 0.008). The current prospective data from three independent cohorts suggest that peri-traumatic nausea is a prospective predictor of PTSD symptom development. Further studies are needed to determine the mechanistic role of nausea as an intermediate phenotype of PTSD risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vasiliki Michopoulos
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA. .,Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, GA, USA.
| | - Jessica Maples-Keller
- 0000 0001 0941 6502grid.189967.8Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA USA
| | - Elizabeth I. Roger
- 0000 0001 0941 6502grid.189967.8Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA USA ,0000 0001 0639 7318grid.415879.6Naval Medical Center San Diego, San Diego, CA USA
| | - Francesca L. Beaudoin
- 0000 0004 1936 9094grid.40263.33Department of Emergency Medicine, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI USA
| | - Jennifer A. Sumner
- 0000 0001 2285 2675grid.239585.0Center for Behavioral Cardiovascular Health, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY USA
| | - Barbara O. Rothbaum
- 0000 0001 0941 6502grid.189967.8Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA USA
| | - Lauren Hudak
- 0000 0001 0941 6502grid.189967.8Department of Emergency Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA USA
| | - Charles F. Gillespie
- 0000 0001 0941 6502grid.189967.8Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA USA
| | - Ian M. Kronish
- 0000 0001 2285 2675grid.239585.0Center for Behavioral Cardiovascular Health, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY USA
| | - Samuel A. McLean
- 0000 0001 1034 1720grid.410711.2Departments of Anesthesiology and Emergency Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC USA
| | - Kerry J. Ressler
- 0000 0001 0941 6502grid.189967.8Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA USA ,000000041936754Xgrid.38142.3cMclean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Belmont, MA USA
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8
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Goode TD, Maren S. Role of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis in aversive learning and memory. Learn Mem 2017; 24:480-491. [PMID: 28814474 PMCID: PMC5580527 DOI: 10.1101/lm.044206.116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2017] [Accepted: 06/30/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Surviving threats in the environment requires brain circuits for detecting (or anticipating) danger and for coordinating appropriate defensive responses (e.g., increased cardiac output, stress hormone release, and freezing behavior). The bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) is a critical interface between the "affective forebrain"-including the amygdala, ventral hippocampus, and medial prefrontal cortex-and the hypothalamic and brainstem areas that have been implicated in neuroendocrine, autonomic, and behavioral responses to actual or anticipated threats. However, the precise contribution of the BNST to defensive behavior is unclear, both in terms of the antecedent stimuli that mobilize BNST activity and the consequent defensive reactions. For example, it is well known that the BNST is essential for contextual fear conditioning, but dispensable for fear conditioning to discrete conditioned stimuli (CSs), at least as indexed by freezing behavior. However, recent evidence suggests that there are circumstances in which contextual freezing may persist independent of the BNST. Furthermore, the BNST is involved in the reinstatement (or relapse) of conditioned freezing to extinguished discrete CSs. As such, there are critical gaps in understanding how the BNST contributes to fundamental processes involved in Pavlovian fear conditioning. Here, we attempt to provide an integrative account of BNST function in fear conditioning. We discuss distinctions between unconditioned stress and conditioned fear and the role of BNST circuits in organizing behaviors associated with these states. We propose that the BNST mediates conditioned defensive responses-not based on the modality or duration of the antecedent threat or the duration of the behavioral response to the threat-but rather as consequence the ability of an antecedent stimulus to predict when an aversive outcome will occur (i.e., its temporal predictability). We argue that the BNST is not uniquely mobilized by sustained threats or uniquely involved in organizing sustained fear responses. In contrast, we argue that the BNST is involved in organizing fear responses to stimuli that poorly predict when danger will occur, no matter the duration, modality, or complexity of those stimuli. The concepts discussed in this review are critical to understanding the contribution of the human BNST to fear and anxiety disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Travis D Goode
- Institute for Neuroscience and the Department of Psychology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843-3474, USA
| | - Stephen Maren
- Institute for Neuroscience and the Department of Psychology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843-3474, USA
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9
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Daldrup T, Lesting J, Meuth P, Seidenbecher T, Pape HC. Neuronal correlates of sustained fear in the anterolateral part of the bed nucleus of stria terminalis. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2016; 131:137-46. [DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2016.03.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2015] [Revised: 03/24/2016] [Accepted: 03/28/2016] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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10
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Daniel SE, Rainnie DG. Stress Modulation of Opposing Circuits in the Bed Nucleus of the Stria Terminalis. Neuropsychopharmacology 2016; 41:103-25. [PMID: 26096838 PMCID: PMC4677121 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2015.178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 138] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2015] [Revised: 05/22/2015] [Accepted: 06/17/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The anterior bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) has been recognized as a critical structure in regulating trait anxiety, contextual fear memory, and appetitive behavior, and is known to be sensitive to stress manipulations. As one of the most complex structures in the central nervous system, the intrinsic circuitry of the BNST is largely unknown; however, recent technological developments have allowed researchers to begin to untangle the internal connections of the nucleus. This research has revealed the possibility of two opposing circuits, one anxiolytic and one anxiogenic, within the BNST, the relative strength of which determines the behavioral outcome. The balance of these pathways is critical in maintaining a normal physiological and behavioral state; however, stress and drugs of abuse can differentially affect the opposing circuitry within the nucleus to shift the balance to a pathological state. In this review, we will examine how stress interacts with the neuromodulators, corticotropin-releasing factor, norepinephrine, dopamine, and serotonin to affect the circuitry of the BNST as well as how synaptic plasticity in the BNST is modulated by stress, resulting in long-lasting changes in the circuit and behavioral state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah E Daniel
- Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Donald G Rainnie
- Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
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11
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Herrmann MJ, Boehme S, Becker MPI, Tupak SV, Guhn A, Schmidt B, Brinkmann L, Straube T. Phasic and sustained brain responses in the amygdala and the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis during threat anticipation. Hum Brain Mapp 2015; 37:1091-102. [PMID: 26678871 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.23088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2015] [Revised: 11/12/2015] [Accepted: 12/03/2015] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Several lines of evidence suggest that the amygdala and the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) are differentially involved in phasic and sustained fear. Even though, results from neuroimaging studies support this distinction, a specific effect of a temporal dissociation with phasic responses to onset versus sustained responses during prolonged states of threat anticipation has not been shown yet. To explore this issue, we investigated brain activation during anticipation of threat in 38 healthy participants by means of functional magnetic resonance imaging. Participants were presented different visual cues indicated the temporally unpredictable occurrence of a subsequent aversive or neutral stimulus. During the onset of aversive versus neutral anticipatory cues, results showed a differential phasic activation of amygdala, anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), and ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (PFC). In contrast, activation in the BNST and other brain regions, including insula, dorsolateral PFC, ACC, cuneus, posterior cingulate cortex, and periaqueductal grey was characterized by a sustained response during the threat versus neutral anticipation period. Analyses of functional connectivity showed phasic amygdala response as positively associated with activation, mainly in sensory cortex areas whereas sustained BNST activation was negatively associated with activation in visual cortex and positively correlated with activation in the insula and thalamus. These findings suggest that the amygdala is responsive to the onset of cues signaling the unpredictable occurrence of a potential threat while the BNST in concert with other areas is involved in sustained anxiety. Furthermore, the amygdala and BNST are characterized by distinctive connectivity patterns during threat anticipation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin J Herrmann
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Würzburg, Fuechsleinstraße 15, Würzburg, D-97080, Germany
| | - Stephanie Boehme
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Würzburg, Fuechsleinstraße 15, Würzburg, D-97080, Germany
| | - Michael P I Becker
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Systems Neuroscience, University of Muenster, Von-Esmarch-Str. 52, Muenster, D-48149, Germany
| | - Sara V Tupak
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Systems Neuroscience, University of Muenster, Von-Esmarch-Str. 52, Muenster, D-48149, Germany
| | - Anne Guhn
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Würzburg, Fuechsleinstraße 15, Würzburg, D-97080, Germany
| | - Brigitte Schmidt
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Würzburg, Fuechsleinstraße 15, Würzburg, D-97080, Germany
| | - Leonie Brinkmann
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Systems Neuroscience, University of Muenster, Von-Esmarch-Str. 52, Muenster, D-48149, Germany
| | - Thomas Straube
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Systems Neuroscience, University of Muenster, Von-Esmarch-Str. 52, Muenster, D-48149, Germany
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12
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Hammack SE, Todd TP, Kocho-Schellenberg M, Bouton ME. Role of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis in the acquisition of contextual fear at long or short context-shock intervals. Behav Neurosci 2015; 129:673-8. [PMID: 26348716 PMCID: PMC4586907 DOI: 10.1037/bne0000088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Rats received N-methyl-D-aspartate lesions of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) and then 10 aversive conditioning trials in which exposure to a context was paired with footshock. For half the animals, shock was presented 1 min after the onset of each context exposure; for the other half, shock was presented after 10 min. With the 1-min context duration, aversive conditioning (measured by freezing) was unaffected by BNST lesion. In contrast, at the 10-min duration, lesioned animals froze substantially less than sham controls. When 1-min-conditioned animals were left in the context for 10 min, freezing that was evident (though declining) throughout the test was not affected by the BNST lesion. When freezing over 10 min was similarly examined in the 10-min-conditioned animals, BNST lesions caused a deficit that was consistently evident over time. The results indicate that the BNST is involved in aversive conditioning to long-duration, but not merely contextual, conditional stimuli. Results may be less consistent with the view that BNST becomes activated after prolonged fear than the view that it is involved when a cue's onset has a remote temporal relation to shock.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Travis P Todd
- Department of Psychological Science, University of Vermont
| | | | - Mark E Bouton
- Department of Psychological Science, University of Vermont
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13
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Reversible Inactivation of the Bed Nucleus of the Stria Terminalis Prevents Reinstatement But Not Renewal of Extinguished Fear. eNeuro 2015; 2:eN-NWR-0037-15. [PMID: 26464990 PMCID: PMC4586936 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0037-15.2015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2015] [Revised: 06/02/2015] [Accepted: 06/16/2015] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The extinction of conditioned fear is labile. For example, fear to an extinguished conditioned stimulus (CS) returns after presentation of an aversive stimulus ("reinstatement") or a change in context ("renewal"). Substantial research implicates the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) in the stress-induced relapse of extinguished behaviors, such as in instrumental drug seeking, but its role in the relapse of extinguished fear responses is not clear. Here, we explored the role of the BNST in both the reinstatement and renewal of fear, two forms of relapse that are differentially triggered by stress. In Experiment 1, rats received pairings of an auditory CS and footshock unconditioned stimulus (US) followed by an extinction procedure. After extinction, rats received an unsignaled US to reinstate fear to the extinguished CS. Twenty-four hours later, they were infused with either muscimol or vehicle into the BNST immediately prior to a CS retrieval test. In Experiment 2, rats were conditioned and extinguished in two distinct contexts. Twenty-four hours after extinction, the rats were infused with muscimol, NBQX, or vehicle immediately prior to a CS retrieval test in either the extinction context or a different (but familiar) context. In both experiments, freezing behavior served as the index of conditioned fear. The results revealed that BNST inactivation prevented reinstatement (Experiment 1), but not renewal (Experiment 2), of conditioned freezing to the extinguished CS. Hence, the BNST is critical for the reinstatement of extinguished fear in an aversive context, but not for the contextual retrieval processes that mediate fear renewal.
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14
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Fox AS, Oler JA, Tromp DPM, Fudge JL, Kalin NH. Extending the amygdala in theories of threat processing. Trends Neurosci 2015; 38:319-29. [PMID: 25851307 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2015.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 180] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2014] [Revised: 03/04/2015] [Accepted: 03/12/2015] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
The central extended amygdala is an evolutionarily conserved set of interconnected brain regions that play an important role in threat processing to promote survival. Two core components of the central extended amygdala, the central nucleus of the amygdala (Ce) and the lateral bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BST) are highly similar regions that serve complimentary roles by integrating fear- and anxiety-relevant information. Survival depends on the ability of the central extended amygdala to rapidly integrate and respond to threats that vary in their immediacy, proximity, and characteristics. Future studies will benefit from understanding alterations in central extended amygdala function in relation to stress-related psychopathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew S Fox
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA; HealthEmotions Research Institute, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA; Lane Neuroimaging Laboratory, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA; Waisman Laboratory for Brain Imaging and Behavior, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA; Center for Investigating Healthy Minds at the Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA.
| | - Jonathan A Oler
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA; HealthEmotions Research Institute, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA; Lane Neuroimaging Laboratory, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Do P M Tromp
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA; HealthEmotions Research Institute, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA; Lane Neuroimaging Laboratory, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Julie L Fudge
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Ned H Kalin
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA; HealthEmotions Research Institute, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA; Lane Neuroimaging Laboratory, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA; Waisman Laboratory for Brain Imaging and Behavior, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA; Center for Investigating Healthy Minds at the Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA; Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
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15
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Luyck K, Luyten L. Can electrical stimulation of the human bed nucleus of the stria terminalis reduce contextual anxiety? An unanswered question. Front Behav Neurosci 2015; 9:69. [PMID: 25852509 PMCID: PMC4362315 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2015.00069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2014] [Accepted: 03/01/2015] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Kelly Luyck
- Experimental Neurosurgery and Neuroanatomy, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven Leuven, Belgium
| | - Laura Luyten
- Experimental Neurosurgery and Neuroanatomy, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven Leuven, Belgium ; Psychology of Learning and Experimental Psychopathology, Psychology and Educational Sciences, KU Leuven Leuven, Belgium
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16
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α(2A)-adrenergic receptors filter parabrachial inputs to the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis. J Neurosci 2014; 34:9319-31. [PMID: 25009265 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0822-14.2014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
α2-adrenergic receptors (AR) within the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) reduce stress-reward interactions in rodent models. In addition to their roles as autoreceptors, BNST α(2A)-ARs suppress glutamatergic transmission. One prominent glutamatergic input to the BNST originates from the parabrachial nucleus (PBN) and consists of asymmetric axosomatic synapses containing calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) and vGluT2. Here we provide immunoelectron microscopic data showing that many asymmetric axosomatic synapses in the BNST contain α(2A)-ARs. Further, we examined optically evoked glutamate release ex vivo in BNST from mice with virally delivered channelrhodopsin2 (ChR2) expression in PBN. In BNST from these animals, ChR2 partially colocalized with CGRP, and activation generated EPSCs in dorsal anterolateral BNST neurons that elicited two cell-type-specific outcomes: (1) feedforward inhibition or (2) an EPSP that elicited firing. We found that the α(2A)-AR agonist guanfacine selectively inhibited this PBN input to the BNST, preferentially reducing the excitatory response in ex vivo mouse brain slices. To begin to assess the overall impact of α(2A)-AR control of this PBN input on BNST excitatory transmission, we used a Thy1-COP4 mouse line with little postsynaptic ChR2 expression nor colocalization of ChR2 with CGRP in the BNST. In slices from these mice, we found that guanfacine enhanced, rather than suppressed, optogenetically initiated excitatory drive in BNST. Thus, our study reveals distinct actions of PBN afferents within the BNST and suggests that α(2A)-AR agonists may filter excitatory transmission in the BNST by inhibiting a component of the PBN input while enhancing the actions of other inputs.
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