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Tullo S, Miranda AS, Del Cid-Pellitero E, Lim MP, Gallino D, Attaran A, Patel R, Novikov V, Park M, Beraldo FH, Luo W, Shlaifer I, Durcan TM, Bussey TJ, Saksida LM, Fon EA, Prado VF, Prado MAM, Chakravarty MM. Neuroanatomical and cognitive biomarkers of alpha-synuclein propagation in a mouse model of synucleinopathy prior to onset of motor symptoms. J Neurochem 2024; 168:1546-1564. [PMID: 37804203 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.15967] [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: 01/23/2023] [Revised: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/09/2023]
Abstract
Significant evidence suggests that misfolded alpha-synuclein (aSyn), a major component of Lewy bodies, propagates in a prion-like manner contributing to disease progression in Parkinson's disease (PD) and other synucleinopathies. In fact, timed inoculation of M83 hemizygous mice with recombinant human aSyn preformed fibrils (PFF) has shown symptomatic deficits after substantial spreading of pathogenic alpha-synuclein, as detected by markers for the phosphorylation of S129 of aSyn. However, whether accumulated toxicity impact human-relevant cognitive and structural neuroanatomical measures is not fully understood. Here we performed a single unilateral striatal PFF injection in M83 hemizygous mice, and using two assays with translational potential, ex vivo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and touchscreen testing, we examined the combined neuroanatomical and behavioral impact of aSyn propagation. In PFF-injected mice, we observed widespread atrophy in bilateral regions that project to or receive input from the injection site using MRI. We also identified early deficits in reversal learning prior to the emergence of motor symptoms. Our findings highlight a network of regions with related cellular correlates of pathology that follow the progression of aSyn spreading, and that affect brain areas relevant for reversal learning. Our experiments suggest that M83 hemizygous mice injected with human PFF provides a model to understand how misfolded aSyn affects human-relevant pre-clinical measures and suggest that these pre-clinical biomarkers could be used to detect early toxicity of aSyn and provide better translational measures between mice and human disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Tullo
- Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Computational Brain Anatomy (CoBrA) Laboratory, Cerebral Imaging Center, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, McGill University, Verdun, Quebec, Canada
| | - Aline S Miranda
- Robarts Research Institute, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
- Departamento de Morfologia, Instituto de Ciencias Biologicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Esther Del Cid-Pellitero
- McGill Parkinson Program, Neurodegenerative Diseases Group, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Mei Peng Lim
- Robarts Research Institute, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Daniel Gallino
- Computational Brain Anatomy (CoBrA) Laboratory, Cerebral Imaging Center, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, McGill University, Verdun, Quebec, Canada
| | - Anoosha Attaran
- Robarts Research Institute, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Raihaan Patel
- Computational Brain Anatomy (CoBrA) Laboratory, Cerebral Imaging Center, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, McGill University, Verdun, Quebec, Canada
- Department of Biological & Biomedical Engineering, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Vladislav Novikov
- Robarts Research Institute, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Megan Park
- Computational Brain Anatomy (CoBrA) Laboratory, Cerebral Imaging Center, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, McGill University, Verdun, Quebec, Canada
| | - Flavio H Beraldo
- Robarts Research Institute, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Wen Luo
- Early Drug Discovery Unit, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Irina Shlaifer
- Early Drug Discovery Unit, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Thomas M Durcan
- Early Drug Discovery Unit, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Timothy J Bussey
- Robarts Research Institute, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Lisa M Saksida
- Robarts Research Institute, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Edward A Fon
- McGill Parkinson Program, Neurodegenerative Diseases Group, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Vania F Prado
- Robarts Research Institute, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Marco A M Prado
- Robarts Research Institute, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - M Mallar Chakravarty
- Computational Brain Anatomy (CoBrA) Laboratory, Cerebral Imaging Center, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, McGill University, Verdun, Quebec, Canada
- Department of Biological & Biomedical Engineering, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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Licheri V, Chandrasekaran J, Kenton JA, Bird CW, Valenzuela CF, Brigman JL. Optogenetic stimulation of corticostriatal circuits improves behavioral flexibility in mice with prenatal alcohol exposure. Neuropharmacology 2024; 247:109860. [PMID: 38336243 PMCID: PMC10901293 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2024.109860] [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: 10/31/2023] [Revised: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 01/28/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) is the most common preventable form of developmental and neurobehavioral disability. Animal models have demonstrated that even low to moderate prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) is sufficient to impair behavioral flexibility in multiple domains. Previously, utilizing a moderate limited access drinking in the dark paradigm, we have shown that PAE 1) impairs touchscreen pairwise visual reversal in male adult offspring 2) leads to small but significant decreases in orbitofrontal (OFC) firing rates 3) significantly increases dorsal striatum (dS) activity and 4) aberrantly sustains OFC-dS synchrony across early reversal. In the current study, we examined whether optogenetic stimulation of OFC-dS projection neurons would be sufficient to rescue the behavioral inflexibility induced by PAE in male C57BL/6J mice. Following discrimination learning, we targeted OFC-dS projections using a retrograde adeno-associated virus (AAV) delivered to the dS which expressed channel rhodopsin (ChR2). During the first four sessions of reversal learning, we delivered high frequency optogenetic stimulation to the OFC via optic fibers immediately following correct choice responses. Our results show that optogenetic stimulation significantly reduced the number of sessions, incorrect responses, and correction errors required to move past the early perseverative phase for both PAE and control mice. In addition, OFC-dS stimulation during early reversal learning reduced the increased sessions, correct and incorrect responding seen in PAE mice during the later learning phase of reversal but did not significantly alter later performance in control ChR2 mice. Taken together these results suggest that stimulation of OFC-dS projections can improve early reversal learning in PAE and control mice, and these improvements can persist even into later stages of the task days later. These studies provide an important foundation for future clinical approaches to improve executive control in those with FASD. This article is part of the Special Issue on "PFC circuit function in psychiatric disease and relevant models".
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Licheri
- Department of Neurosciences, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM, USA; New Mexico Alcohol Research Center, UNM Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM, USA.
| | | | - Johnny A Kenton
- Department of Neurosciences, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Clark W Bird
- Department of Neurosciences, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - C Fernando Valenzuela
- Department of Neurosciences, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM, USA; New Mexico Alcohol Research Center, UNM Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Jonathan L Brigman
- Department of Neurosciences, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM, USA; New Mexico Alcohol Research Center, UNM Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM, USA
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KLOCKE B, MOORE C, OTT H, PITYCHOUTIS PM. Chronic pharmacological activation of SERCA with CDN1163 affects spatial cognitive flexibility but not attention and impulsivity in mice. Behav Pharmacol 2023; 34:477-487. [PMID: 37917567 PMCID: PMC10624114 DOI: 10.1097/fbp.0000000000000756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2023]
Abstract
Intracellular calcium (Ca2+) homeostasis is critical for many neural processes, including learning, memory and synaptic plasticity. The sarco-endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ ATPase (SERCA) is among the key regulators that preserve Ca2+ homeostasis in neurons. SERCAs comprise a set of ubiquitously expressed Ca2+ pumps that primarily function to sequester cytosolic Ca2+ into endoplasmic reticular stores. As SERCA has been implicated in the neurobiology of several neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative diseases, pharmacological harnessing of its function is critical in understanding SERCA's role in brain physiology and pathophysiology. In the current study, we employed the Morris water maze and 5-choice serial reaction time task (5-CSRTT) to investigate the effects of chronic pharmacological activation of SERCA, using the small allosteric SERCA activator CDN1163, on spatial learning and memory, and executive functioning in naive C57BL/6J mice. Our data show that chronic pharmacological SERCA activation with CDN1163 (20 mg/kg) selectively impairs spatial cognitive flexibility and reversal learning in the Morris water maze while leaving executive functions such as attention and impulsivity intact. Present findings contribute to the growing field of the role of SERCA function in the brain and behavior and expand current knowledge on the use of the small allosteric activator CDN1163 as an investigational tool to study the role of SERCA in regulating neurobehavioral processes and as a potential therapeutic candidate for debilitating brain disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin KLOCKE
- Department of Biology, University of Dayton, Dayton, Ohio 45469, USA
| | - Carter MOORE
- Department of Biology, University of Dayton, Dayton, Ohio 45469, USA
| | - Hayden OTT
- Department of Biology, University of Dayton, Dayton, Ohio 45469, USA
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Hernandez A, Delgado-González E, Varman Durairaj R, Reyes-Haro D, Martínez-Torres A, Espinosa F. Striatal Synaptic Changes and Behavior in Adult mouse Upon Prenatal Exposure to Valproic Acid. Brain Res 2023:148461. [PMID: 37308047 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2023.148461] [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: 03/14/2023] [Revised: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are a group of neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by persistent deficits in social communication and social interaction. Altered synaptogenesis and aberrant connectivity responsible for social behavior and communication have been reported in autism pathogenesis. Autism has a strong genetic and heritable component; however, environmental factors including toxins, pesticides, infection and in utero exposure to drugs such as VPA have also been implicated in ASD. Administration of VPA during pregnancy has been used as a rodent model to study pathophysiological mechanisms involved in ASD, and in this study, we used the mouse model of prenatal exposure to VPA to assess the effects on striatal and dorsal hippocampus function in adult mice. Alterations in repetitive behaviors and shift habits were observed in mice prenatally exposed to VPA. In particular, such mice presented a better performance in learned motor skills and cognitive deficits in Y-maze learning frequently associated with striatal and hippocampal function. These behavioral changes were associated with a decreased level of proteins involved in the formation and maintenance of excitatory synapses, such as Nlgn-1 and PSD-95. In conclusion, motor skill abilities, repetitive behaviors, and impaired flexibility to shift habits are associated with reduced striatal excitatory synaptic function in the adult mouse prenatally exposed to VPA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adan Hernandez
- Departamento de Neurobiología Celular y Molecular, Laboratorio de Neurobiología Molecular y Celular, Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Juriquilla, 76230 Santiago de Querétaro, Querétaro, México.
| | - Evangelina Delgado-González
- Departamento de Neurobiología Celular y Molecular, Laboratorio de Neurobiología Molecular y Celular, Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Juriquilla, 76230 Santiago de Querétaro, Querétaro, México
| | - Ragu Varman Durairaj
- Departamento de Neurobiología Celular y Molecular, Laboratorio de Neurobiología Molecular y Celular, Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Juriquilla, 76230 Santiago de Querétaro, Querétaro, México; Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298, USA
| | - Daniel Reyes-Haro
- Departamento de Neurobiología Celular y Molecular, Laboratorio de Neurobiología Molecular y Celular, Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Juriquilla, 76230 Santiago de Querétaro, Querétaro, México
| | - Ataúlfo Martínez-Torres
- Departamento de Neurobiología Celular y Molecular, Laboratorio de Neurobiología Molecular y Celular, Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Juriquilla, 76230 Santiago de Querétaro, Querétaro, México
| | - Felipe Espinosa
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390
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Zareian B, Lam A, Zagha E. Dorsolateral Striatum is a Bottleneck for Responding to Task-Relevant Stimuli in a Learned Whisker Detection Task in Mice. J Neurosci 2023; 43:2126-2139. [PMID: 36810226 PMCID: PMC10039746 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1506-22.2023] [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: 08/05/2022] [Revised: 02/01/2023] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/23/2023] Open
Abstract
A learned sensory-motor behavior engages multiple brain regions, including the neocortex and the basal ganglia. How a target stimulus is detected by these regions and converted to a motor response remains poorly understood. Here, we performed electrophysiological recordings and pharmacological inactivations of whisker motor cortex and dorsolateral striatum to determine the representations within, and functions of, each region during performance in a selective whisker detection task in male and female mice. From the recording experiments, we observed robust, lateralized sensory responses in both structures. We also observed bilateral choice probability and preresponse activity in both structures, with these features emerging earlier in whisker motor cortex than dorsolateral striatum. These findings establish both whisker motor cortex and dorsolateral striatum as potential contributors to the sensory-to-motor (sensorimotor) transformation. We performed pharmacological inactivation studies to determine the necessity of these brain regions for this task. We found that suppressing the dorsolateral striatum severely disrupts responding to task-relevant stimuli, without disrupting the ability to respond, whereas suppressing whisker motor cortex resulted in more subtle changes in sensory detection and response criterion. Together these data support the dorsolateral striatum as an essential node in the sensorimotor transformation of this whisker detection task.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Selecting an item in a grocery store, hailing a cab - these daily practices require us to transform sensory stimuli into motor responses. Many decades of previous research have studied goal-directed sensory-to-motor transformations within various brain structures, including the neocortex and the basal ganglia. Yet, our understanding of how these regions coordinate to perform sensory-to-motor transformations is limited because these brain structures are often studied by different researchers and through different behavioral tasks. Here, we record and perturb specific regions of the neocortex and the basal ganglia and compare their contributions during performance of a goal-directed somatosensory detection task. We find notable differences in the activities and functions of these regions, which suggests specific contributions to the sensory-to-motor transformation process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Behzad Zareian
- Department of Psychology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, California 92521
| | - Angelina Lam
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California Riverside, Riverside, California 92521
| | - Edward Zagha
- Department of Psychology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, California 92521
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California Riverside, Riverside, California 92521
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California Riverside, Riverside, California 92521
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Bagley JR, Bailey LS, Gagnon LH, He H, Philip VM, Reinholdt LG, Tarantino LM, Chesler EJ, Jentsch JD. Behavioral phenotypes revealed during reversal learning are linked with novel genetic loci in diversity outbred mice. ADDICTION NEUROSCIENCE 2022; 4:100045. [PMID: 36714272 PMCID: PMC9879139 DOI: 10.1016/j.addicn.2022.100045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Impulsive behavior and impulsivity are heritable phenotypes that are strongly associated with risk for substance use disorders. Identifying the neurogenetic mechanisms that influence impulsivity may also reveal novel biological insights into addiction vulnerability. Our past studies using the BXD and Collaborative Cross (CC) recombinant inbred mouse panels have revealed that behavioral indicators of impulsivity measured in a reversal-learning task are heritable and are genetically correlated with aspects of intravenous cocaine self-administration. Genome-wide linkage studies in the BXD panel revealed a quantitative trait locus (QTL) on chromosome 10, but we expect to identify additional QTL by testing in a population with more genetic diversity. To this end, we turned to Diversity Outbred (DO) mice; 392 DO mice (156 males, 236 females) were phenotyped using the same reversal learning test utilized previously. Our primary indicator of impulsive responding, a measure that isolates the relative difficulty mice have with reaching performance criteria under reversal conditions, revealed a genome-wide significant QTL on chromosome 7 (max LOD score = 8.73, genome-wide corrected p<0.05). A measure of premature responding akin to that implemented in the 5-choice serial reaction time task yielded a suggestive QTL on chromosome 17 (max LOD score = 9.14, genome-wide corrected <0.1). Candidate genes were prioritized (2900076A07Rik, Wdr73 and Zscan2) based upon expression QTL data we collected in DO and CC mice and analyses using publicly available gene expression and phenotype databases. These findings may advance understanding of the genetics that drive impulsive behavior and enhance risk for substance use disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jared R. Bagley
- Department of Psychology, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY, USA
- Center for Systems Neurogenetics of Addiction at The Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, ME, USA
| | - Lauren S. Bailey
- Department of Psychology, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY, USA
- Center for Systems Neurogenetics of Addiction at The Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, ME, USA
| | - Leona H. Gagnon
- Center for Systems Neurogenetics of Addiction at The Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, ME, USA
- The Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, ME, USA
| | - Hao He
- Center for Systems Neurogenetics of Addiction at The Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, ME, USA
- The Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, ME, USA
| | - Vivek M. Philip
- Center for Systems Neurogenetics of Addiction at The Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, ME, USA
- The Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, ME, USA
| | - Laura G. Reinholdt
- Center for Systems Neurogenetics of Addiction at The Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, ME, USA
- The Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, ME, USA
| | - Lisa M. Tarantino
- Center for Systems Neurogenetics of Addiction at The Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, ME, USA
- Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Division of Pharmacotherapy and Experimental Therapeutics, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Elissa J. Chesler
- Center for Systems Neurogenetics of Addiction at The Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, ME, USA
- The Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, ME, USA
| | - James D. Jentsch
- Department of Psychology, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY, USA
- Center for Systems Neurogenetics of Addiction at The Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, ME, USA
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Robinson S, Winer JL, Kitase Y, Brigman JL, Jantzie LL. Neonatal administration of erythropoietin attenuates cognitive deficits in adult rats following placental insufficiency. J Neurosci Res 2022; 100:2112-2126. [PMID: 33611820 PMCID: PMC10097461 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.24815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2021] [Revised: 01/29/2021] [Accepted: 02/04/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Preterm birth is a principal cause of neurological disability later in life, including cognitive and behavioral deficits. Notably, cognitive impairment has greater impact on quality of life than physical disability. Survivors of preterm birth commonly have deficits of executive function. Difficulties with tasks and planning complexity correlate positively with increasing disability. To overcome these barriers for children born preterm, preclinical and clinical studies have emphasized the importance of neurorestoration. Erythropoietin (EPO) is a endogenous cytokine with multiple beneficial mechanisms of action following perinatal brain injury. While most preclinical investigations have focused on pathology and molecular mechanisms, translational studies of repair using clinically viable biobehavioral biomarkers are still lacking. Here, using an established model of encephalopathy of prematurity secondary to placental insufficiency, we tested the hypothesis that administration of EPO in the neonatal period would attenuate deficits in recognition memory and cognitive flexibility in adult rats of both sexes. We assessed cognition and executive function in two ways. First, using the classic test of novel object recognition and second, using a touchscreen platform. Touchscreen testing allows for rigorous testing of cognition and executive function in preclinical and clinical scenarios. Data show that adult rats exhibit deficits in recognition memory and cognitive flexibility following in utero placental insufficiency. Notably, neonatal treatment of EPO attenuates these deficits in adulthood and facilitates functional repair. Together, these data validate EPO neurorestoration using a clinically relevant outcome measure and support the concept that postnatal treatment following in utero injury can improve cognition and executive function through adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shenandoah Robinson
- Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Jesse L Winer
- Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Yuma Kitase
- Division of Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Jonathan L Brigman
- Department of Neuroscience, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Lauren L Jantzie
- Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.,Division of Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.,Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.,Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA
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Strobel BK, Schmidt MA, Harvey DO, Davis CJ. Image discrimination reversal learning is impaired by sleep deprivation in rats: Cognitive rigidity or fatigue? Front Syst Neurosci 2022; 16:1052441. [PMID: 36467979 PMCID: PMC9713940 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2022.1052441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Insufficient sleep is pervasive worldwide, and its toll on health and safety is recapitulated in many settings. It is thus important to understand how poor sleep affects the brain and decision making. A robust literature documents the adverse effects of sleep deprivation on cognitive processes including cognitive flexibility, which is the capacity to appraise new feedback and make behavioral adjustments to respond appropriately. Animal models are often used to unravel the molecules, genes and neural circuits that are altered by sleep loss. Herein we take a translational approach to model the effects of sleep deprivation on cognitive rigidity, i.e., impaired cognitive flexibility in rats. Methods There are several approaches to assess cognitive rigidity; in the present study, we employ a pairwise discrimination reversal task. To our knowledge this is the first time this paradigm has been used to investigate sleep deprivation. In this touchscreen operant platform, we trained rats to select one of two images to claim a sucrose pellet reward. If the non-rewarded image was selected the rats proceeded to a correction trial where both images were presented in the same position as before. This image presentation continued until the rat selected the correct image. Once rats reached performance criteria, the reward contingencies were reversed. In one group of rats the initial reversal session was preceded by 10 h of sleep deprivation. We compared those rats to controls with undisturbed sleep on the number of sessions to reach performance criteria, number of trials per session, response latencies, correct responses, errors, perseverative errors and perseveration bouts in the initial training and reversal phases. Results We report that on reversal session one, sleep deprived rats completed a fraction of the trials completed by controls. On subsequent reversal sessions, the sleep deprived rats struggled to adapt to the reversed contingencies despite completing a similar number of trials, suggesting an effect of cognitive rigidity separate from fatigue. Discussion We discuss the delayed performance dynamics incurred by sleep loss in the context of fatigue and the implications of using pairwise discrimination reversal as a model to further examine the effects of sleep loss on adaptive decision making.
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