1
|
Maddox SA, Ponomareva OY, Zaleski CE, Chen MX, Vella KR, Hollenberg AN, Klengel C, Ressler KJ. Evidence for thyroid hormone regulation of amygdala-dependent fear-relevant memory and plasticity. Mol Psychiatry 2024:10.1038/s41380-024-02679-2. [PMID: 39039155 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-024-02679-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2022] [Revised: 07/08/2024] [Accepted: 07/16/2024] [Indexed: 07/24/2024]
Abstract
The amygdala is an established site for fear memory formation, and clinical studies suggest involvement of hormone signaling cascades in development of trauma-related disorders. While an association of thyroid hormone (TH) status and mood disorders is established, the related brain-based mechanisms and the role of TH in anxiety disorders are unknown. Here we examine the role that TH receptor (TR, a nuclear transcriptional repressor when unbound and a transcriptional activator when bound to TH) may have in mediating the initial formation of fear memories in the amygdala. We identified mRNA levels of TR and other TH pathway regulatory genes, including thyrotropin-releasing hormone (Trh), transthyretin (Ttr), thyrotropin-releasing hormone receptor (Trhr), type 2 iodothyronine deiodinase (Dio2), mediator complex subunit 12 (Med12/Trap230) and retinoid X receptor gamma (Rxrg) to be altered in the amygdala following Pavlovian fear conditioning. Using TH agonist and antagonist infusion into the amygdala, we demonstrated that this pathway is both necessary and sufficient for fear memory consolidation. Inhibition of TH signaling with the TR antagonist 1-850 decreased fear memory consolidation; while activation of TR with T3 (triiodothyronine) resulted in increased memory formation. Using a systemic hypothyroid mouse model, we found that intra-amygdala infusions of T3 were sufficient to rescue deficits in fear memory. Finally, we demonstrated that T3 was sufficient to activate TR-specific gene pathways in the amygdala. These findings on the role of activity-dependent TR modulation support a model in which local TH is a critical regulator of fear memory-related plasticity in the amygdala.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie A Maddox
- Neurobiology of Fear Laboratory, Basic Neuroscience Division, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Olga Y Ponomareva
- Neurobiology of Fear Laboratory, Basic Neuroscience Division, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Cole E Zaleski
- Neurobiology of Fear Laboratory, Basic Neuroscience Division, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA
- Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Michelle X Chen
- Neurobiology of Fear Laboratory, Basic Neuroscience Division, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA
- University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Kristen R Vella
- Joan and Sanford I. Weill Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Weill Center for Metabolic Health, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Anthony N Hollenberg
- Joan and Sanford I. Weill Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Weill Center for Metabolic Health, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Claudia Klengel
- Neurobiology of Fear Laboratory, Basic Neuroscience Division, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA
| | - Kerry J Ressler
- Neurobiology of Fear Laboratory, Basic Neuroscience Division, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Davis LL, Hamner MB. Post-traumatic stress disorder: the role of the amygdala and potential therapeutic interventions - a review. Front Psychiatry 2024; 15:1356563. [PMID: 38903645 PMCID: PMC11187309 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1356563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2024] [Indexed: 06/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric disorder triggered by exposure to a life-threatening or sexually violent traumatic event, and is characterized by symptoms involving intrusive re-experiencing, persistent avoidance of associated stimuli, emotional and cognitive disturbances, and hyperarousal for long periods after the trauma has occurred. These debilitating symptoms induce occupational and social impairments that contribute to a significant clinical burden for PTSD patients, and substantial socioeconomic costs, reaching approximately $20,000 dollars per individual with PTSD each year in the US. Despite increased translational research focus in the field of PTSD, the development of novel, effective pharmacotherapies for its treatment remains an important unmet clinical need. Observations In this review, we summarize the evidence implicating dysfunctional activity of the amygdala in the pathophysiology of PTSD. We identify the transient receptor potential canonical (TRPC) ion channels as promising drug targets given their distribution in the amygdala, and evidence from animal studies demonstrating their role in fear response modulation. We discuss the evidence-based pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy treatment approaches for PTSD. Discussion In view of the prevalence and economic burden associated with PTSD, further investigation is warranted into novel treatment approaches based on our knowledge of the involvement of brain circuitry and the role of the amygdala in PTSD, as well as the potential added value of combined pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy to better manage PTSD symptoms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lori L. Davis
- Mental Health Service, Birmingham VA Health Care System, Birmingham, AL, United States
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Alabama at Birmingham Heersink School of Medicine, Birmingham, AL, United States
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Alabama College of Community Health Science, Tuscaloosa, AL, United States
| | - Mark B. Hamner
- Department of Veterans Affairs, Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center, Charleston, SC, United States
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, United States
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Qu M, Gao B, Jiang Y, Li Y, Pei C, Xie L, Zhang Y, Song Q, Miao Y. Atrophy patterns in hippocampus and amygdala subregions of depressed patients with Parkinson's disease. Brain Imaging Behav 2024; 18:475-484. [PMID: 38170304 PMCID: PMC11222218 DOI: 10.1007/s11682-023-00844-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
We aimed to explore the subregional atrophy patterns of the amygdala and hippocampus in Parkinson's disease (PD) with depression and their correlation with the severity of the depressive symptom. MRI scans were obtained for 34 depressed PD patients (DPD), 22 nondepressed PD patients (NDPD), and 28 healthy controls (HC). Amygdala and hippocampal subregions were automatically segmented, and the intergroup volume difference was compared. The relationships between the volumes of the subregions and depression severity were investigated. Logistic analysis and Receiver operator characteristic curve were used to find independent predictors of DPD. Compared with the HC group, atrophy of the bilateral lateral nucleus, left accessory basal nucleus, right cortical nucleus, right central nucleus, and right medial nucleus subregions of the amygdala were visible in the DPD group, while the right lateral nucleus subregion of the amygdala was smaller in the DPD group than in the NDPD group. The DPD group showed significant atrophy in the left molecular layer, left GC-DG, left CA3, and left CA4 subregions compared with the HC group for hippocampal subregion volumes. Also, the right lateral nuclei volume and disease duration were independent predictors of DPD. To sum up, DPD patients showed atrophy in multiple amygdala subregions and left asymmetric hippocampal subregions. The decreased amygdala and hippocampal subregion volumes were correlated with the severity of depressive symptoms. The volume of right lateral nuclei and disease duration could be used as a biomarker to detect DPD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mingrui Qu
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, No. 222 Zhongshan Road, Xigang District, Dalian, 116011, China
| | - Bingbing Gao
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, No. 222 Zhongshan Road, Xigang District, Dalian, 116011, China
| | - Yuhan Jiang
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, No. 222 Zhongshan Road, Xigang District, Dalian, 116011, China
| | - Yuan Li
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, No. 222 Zhongshan Road, Xigang District, Dalian, 116011, China
| | - Chenhui Pei
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
| | | | - Yukun Zhang
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, No. 222 Zhongshan Road, Xigang District, Dalian, 116011, China
| | - Qingwei Song
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, No. 222 Zhongshan Road, Xigang District, Dalian, 116011, China
| | - Yanwei Miao
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, No. 222 Zhongshan Road, Xigang District, Dalian, 116011, China.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Luo RH, Su F, Zhao XY, Cao TH, Liao J, Xue YX, Huang GD, Yang JL. Impairment in acquisition of conditioned fear in people with depressive symptoms. Front Psychol 2024; 15:1384053. [PMID: 38863669 PMCID: PMC11166000 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1384053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2024] [Accepted: 05/08/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Depression is one of the primary global public health issues, and there has been a dramatic increase in depression levels among young people over the past decade. The neuroplasticity theory of depression postulates that a malfunction in neural plasticity, which is responsible for learning, memory, and adaptive behavior, is the primary source of the disorder's clinical manifestations. Nevertheless, the impact of depression symptoms on associative learning remains underexplored. Methods We used the differential fear conditioning paradigm to investigate the effects of depressive symptoms on fear acquisition and extinction learning. Skin conductance response (SCR) is an objective evaluation indicator, and ratings of nervousness, likeability, and unconditioned stimuli (US) expectancy are subjective evaluation indicators. In addition, we used associability generated by a computational reinforcement learning model to characterize the skin conductance response. Results The findings indicate that individuals with depressive symptoms exhibited significant impairment in fear acquisition learning compared to those without depressive symptoms based on the results of the skin conductance response. Moreover, in the discrimination fear learning task, the skin conductance response was positively correlated with associability, as estimated by the hybrid model in the group without depressive symptoms. Additionally, the likeability rating scores improved post-extinction learning in the group without depressive symptoms, and no such increase was observed in the group with depressive symptoms. Conclusion The study highlights that individuals with pronounced depressive symptoms exhibit impaired fear acquisition and extinction learning, suggesting a possible deficit in associative learning. Employing the hybrid model to analyze the learning process offers a deeper insight into the associative learning processes of humans, thus allowing for improved comprehension and treatment of these mental health problems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rui-Han Luo
- Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Feng Su
- Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Xin-Yue Zhao
- Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Tian-Hui Cao
- Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Jing Liao
- Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Yan-Xue Xue
- National Institute on Drug Dependence and Beijing Key Laboratory of Drug Dependence, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Geng-Di Huang
- Department of Addiction Medicine, Shenzhen Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Shenzhen Kangning Hospital, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Jian-Li Yang
- Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Masella G, Silva F, Corti E, Azkona G, Madeira MF, Tomé ÂR, Ferreira SG, Cunha RA, Duarte CB, Santos M. The amygdala NT3-TrkC pathway underlies inter-individual differences in fear extinction and related synaptic plasticity. Mol Psychiatry 2024; 29:1322-1337. [PMID: 38233468 PMCID: PMC11189811 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-024-02412-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] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2023] [Revised: 12/29/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
Fear-related pathologies are among the most prevalent psychiatric conditions, having inappropriate learned fear and resistance to extinction as cardinal features. Exposure therapy represents a promising therapeutic approach, the efficiency of which depends on inter-individual variation in fear extinction learning, which neurobiological basis is unknown. We characterized a model of extinction learning, whereby fear-conditioned mice were categorized as extinction (EXT)-success or EXT-failure, according to their inherent ability to extinguish fear. In the lateral amygdala, GluN2A-containing NMDAR are required for LTP and stabilization of fear memories, while GluN2B-containing NMDAR are required for LTD and fear extinction. EXT-success mice showed attenuated LTP, strong LTD and higher levels of synaptic GluN2B, while EXT-failure mice showed strong LTP, no LTD and higher levels of synaptic GluN2A. Neurotrophin 3 (NT3) infusion in the lateral amygdala was sufficient to rescue extinction deficits in EXT-failure mice. Mechanistically, activation of tropomyosin receptor kinase C (TrkC) with NT3 in EXT-failure slices attenuated lateral amygdala LTP, in a GluN2B-dependent manner. Conversely, blocking endogenous NT3-TrkC signaling with TrkC-Fc chimera in EXT-success slices strengthened lateral amygdala LTP. Our data support a key role for the NT3-TrkC system in inter-individual differences in fear extinction in rodents, through modulation of amygdalar NMDAR composition and synaptic plasticity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gianluca Masella
- CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Research, University of Coimbra (iiiUC), Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Francisca Silva
- CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Research, University of Coimbra (iiiUC), Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Elisa Corti
- CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Research, University of Coimbra (iiiUC), Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Garikoitz Azkona
- Department of Basic Psychological Processes and Their Development, School of Psychology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), San Sebastian, Spain
| | - Maria Francisca Madeira
- CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Research, University of Coimbra (iiiUC), Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Ângelo R Tomé
- CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Samira G Ferreira
- CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Research, University of Coimbra (iiiUC), Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Rodrigo A Cunha
- CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Carlos B Duarte
- CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Mónica Santos
- CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Research, University of Coimbra (iiiUC), Coimbra, Portugal.
- Centre for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Cattani A, Arnold DB, McCarthy M, Kopell N. Basolateral amygdala oscillations enable fear learning in a biophysical model. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.04.28.538604. [PMID: 37163011 PMCID: PMC10168360 DOI: 10.1101/2023.04.28.538604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
The basolateral amygdala (BLA) is a key site where fear learning takes place through synaptic plasticity. Rodent research shows prominent low theta (~3-6 Hz), high theta (~6-12 Hz), and gamma (>30 Hz) rhythms in the BLA local field potential recordings. However, it is not understood what role these rhythms play in supporting the plasticity. Here, we create a biophysically detailed model of the BLA circuit to show that several classes of interneurons (PV, SOM, and VIP) in the BLA can be critically involved in producing the rhythms; these rhythms promote the formation of a dedicated fear circuit shaped through rhythmic gating of spike-timing-dependent plasticity. Each class of interneurons is necessary for the plasticity. We find that the low theta rhythm is a biomarker of successful fear conditioning. Finally, we discuss how the peptide released by the VIP cell may alter the dynamics of plasticity to support the necessary fine timing.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anna Cattani
- Department of Mathematics & Statistics, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
| | - Don B Arnold
- Department of Biology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, United States
| | - Michelle McCarthy
- Department of Mathematics & Statistics, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
| | - Nancy Kopell
- Department of Mathematics & Statistics, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Bendis PC, Zimmerman S, Onisiforou A, Zanos P, Georgiou P. The impact of estradiol on serotonin, glutamate, and dopamine systems. Front Neurosci 2024; 18:1348551. [PMID: 38586193 PMCID: PMC10998471 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2024.1348551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Estradiol, the most potent and prevalent member of the estrogen class of steroid hormones and is expressed in both sexes. Functioning as a neuroactive steroid, it plays a crucial role in modulating neurotransmitter systems affecting neuronal circuits and brain functions including learning and memory, reward and sexual behaviors. These neurotransmitter systems encompass the serotonergic, dopaminergic, and glutamatergic signaling pathways. Consequently, this review examines the pivotal role of estradiol and its receptors in the regulation of these neurotransmitter systems in the brain. Through a comprehensive analysis of current literature, we investigate the multifaceted effects of estradiol on key neurotransmitter signaling systems, namely serotonin, dopamine, and glutamate. Findings from rodent models illuminate the impact of hormone manipulations, such as gonadectomy, on the regulation of neuronal brain circuits, providing valuable insights into the connection between hormonal fluctuations and neurotransmitter regulation. Estradiol exerts its effects by binding to three estrogen receptors: estrogen receptor alpha (ERα), estrogen receptor beta (ERβ), and G protein-coupled receptor (GPER). Thus, this review explores the promising outcomes observed with estradiol and estrogen receptor agonists administration in both gonadectomized and/or genetically knockout rodents, suggesting potential therapeutic avenues. Despite limited human studies on this topic, the findings underscore the significance of translational research in bridging the gap between preclinical findings and clinical applications. This approach offers valuable insights into the complex relationship between estradiol and neurotransmitter systems. The integration of evidence from neurotransmitter systems and receptor-specific effects not only enhances our understanding of the neurobiological basis of physiological brain functioning but also provides a comprehensive framework for the understanding of possible pathophysiological mechanisms resulting to disease states. By unraveling the complexities of estradiol's impact on neurotransmitter regulation, this review contributes to advancing the field and lays the groundwork for future research aimed at refining understanding of the relationship between estradiol and neuronal circuits as well as their involvement in brain disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Peyton Christine Bendis
- Psychoneuroendocrinology Laboratory, Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI, United States
| | - Sydney Zimmerman
- Psychoneuroendocrinology Laboratory, Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI, United States
| | - Anna Onisiforou
- Translational Neuropharmacology Laboratory, Department of Psychology, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Panos Zanos
- Translational Neuropharmacology Laboratory, Department of Psychology, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Polymnia Georgiou
- Psychoneuroendocrinology Laboratory, Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI, United States
- Laboratory of Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Krasne FB, Fanselow MS. Remote memory in a Bayesian model of context fear conditioning (BaconREM). Front Behav Neurosci 2024; 17:1295969. [PMID: 38515786 PMCID: PMC10955142 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2023.1295969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Here, we propose a model of remote memory (BaconREM), which is an extension of a previously published Bayesian model of context fear learning (BACON) that accounts for many aspects of recently learned context fear. BaconREM simulates most known phenomenology of remote context fear as studied in rodents and makes new predictions. In particular, it predicts the well-known observation that fear that was conditioned to a recently encoded context becomes hippocampus-independent and shows much-enhanced generalization ("hyper-generalization") when systems consolidation occurs (i.e., when memory becomes remote). However, the model also predicts that there should be circumstances under which the generalizability of remote fear may not increase or even decrease. It also predicts the established finding that a "reminder" exposure to a feared context can abolish hyper-generalization while at the same time making remote fear again hippocampus-dependent. This observation has in the past been taken to suggest that reminders facilitate access to detail memory that remains permanently in the hippocampus even after systems consolidation is complete. However, the present model simulates this result even though it totally moves all the contextual memory that it retains to the neo-cortex when context fear becomes remote.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Franklin B. Krasne
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Michael S. Fanselow
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Lonnberg A, Logrip ML, Kuznetsov A. Mechanisms of alcohol influence on fear conditioning: a computational model. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.12.30.573310. [PMID: 38260700 PMCID: PMC10802259 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.30.573310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
A connection between stress-related illnesses and alcohol use disorders is extensively documented. Fear conditioning is a standard procedure used to study stress learning and links it to the activation of amygdala circuitry. However, the connection between the changes in amygdala circuit and function induced by alcohol and fear conditioning is not well established. We introduce a computational model to test the mechanistic relationship between amygdala functional and circuit adaptations during fear conditioning and the impact of acute vs. repeated alcohol exposure. In accordance with experiments, both acute and prior repeated alcohol decreases speed and robustness of fear extinction in our simulations. The model predicts that, first, the delay in fear extinction in alcohol is mostly induced by greater activation of the basolateral amygdala (BLA) after fear acquisition due to alcohol-induced modulation of synaptic weights. Second, both acute and prior repeated alcohol shifts the amygdala network away from the robust extinction regime by inhibiting the activity in the central amygdala (CeA). Third, our model predicts that fear memories formed in acute or after chronic alcohol are more connected to the context. Thus, the model suggests how circuit changes induced by alcohol may affect fear behaviors and provides a framework for investigating the involvement of multiple neuromodulators in this neuroadaptive process.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Adam Lonnberg
- University of Evansville, Department of Mathematics, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
| | - Marian L. Logrip
- Indiana University-Purdue University, Department of Psychology, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
| | - Alexey Kuznetsov
- Indiana University-Purdue University, Department of Mathematical Sciences, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Pati E, Franceschi Biagioni A, Casani R, Lozano N, Kostarelos K, Cellot G, Ballerini L. Delivery of graphene oxide nanosheets modulates glutamate release and normalizes amygdala synaptic plasticity to improve anxiety-related behavior. NANOSCALE 2023; 15:18581-18591. [PMID: 37955642 DOI: 10.1039/d3nr04490d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2023]
Abstract
Graphene oxide nanosheets (GO) were reported to alter neurobiological processes involving cell membrane dynamics. GO ability to reversibly downregulate specifically glutamatergic synapses underpins their potential in future neurotherapeutic developments. Aberrant glutamate plasticity contributes to stress-related psychopathology and drugs which target dysregulated glutamate represent promising treatments. We find that in a rat model of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a single injection of GO to the lateral amygdala following the stressful event induced PTSD-related behavior remission and reduced dendritic spine densities. We explored from a mechanistic perspective how GO could impair glutamate synaptic plasticity. By simultaneous patch clamp pair recordings of unitary synaptic currents, live-imaging of presynaptic vesicle release and confocal microscopy, we report that GO nanosheets altered the probability of release enhancing the extinction of synaptic plasticity in the amygdala. These findings show that the modulation of presynaptic glutamate release might represent an unexplored target for (nano)pharmacological interventions of stress-related disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Pati
- Neuroscience Area, International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA/ISAS), 34136 Trieste, Italy.
| | | | - Raffaele Casani
- Neuroscience Area, International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA/ISAS), 34136 Trieste, Italy.
| | - Neus Lozano
- Nanomedicine Lab Catalan Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (ICN2), CSIC and BIST, Campus UAB, Bellaterra, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Kostas Kostarelos
- Nanomedicine Lab Catalan Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (ICN2), CSIC and BIST, Campus UAB, Bellaterra, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
- Nanomedicine Lab, and Faculty of Biology, Medicine & Health, The National Graphene Institute, University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK
| | - Giada Cellot
- Neuroscience Area, International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA/ISAS), 34136 Trieste, Italy.
| | - Laura Ballerini
- Neuroscience Area, International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA/ISAS), 34136 Trieste, Italy.
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
McDonald AJ. Functional neuroanatomy of monoaminergic systems in the basolateral nuclear complex of the amygdala: Neuronal targets, receptors, and circuits. J Neurosci Res 2023; 101:1409-1432. [PMID: 37166098 PMCID: PMC10524224 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.25201] [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: 01/03/2023] [Revised: 03/03/2023] [Accepted: 04/21/2023] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
This review discusses neuroanatomical aspects of the three main monoaminergic systems innervating the basolateral nuclear complex (BNC) of the amygdala (serotonergic, noradrenergic, and dopaminergic systems). It mainly focuses on immunohistochemical (IHC) and in situ hybridization (ISH) studies that have analyzed the relationship of specific monoaminergic inputs and their receptors to specific neuronal subtypes in the BNC in order to better understand the anatomical substrates of the monoaminergic modulation of BNC circuitry. First, light and electron microscopic IHC investigations identifying the main BNC neuronal subpopulations and characterizing their local circuitry, including connections with discrete PN compartments and other INs, are reviewed. Then, the relationships of each of the three monoaminergic systems to distinct PN and IN cell types, are examined in detail. For each system, the neuronal targets and their receptor expression are discussed. In addition, pertinent electrophysiological investigations are discussed. The last section of the review compares and contrasts various aspects of each of the three monoaminergic systems. It is concluded that the large number of different receptors, each with a distinct mode of action, expressed by distinct cell types with different connections and functions, should offer innumerable ways to subtlety regulate the activity of the BNC by therapeutic drugs in psychiatric diseases in which there are alterations of BNC monoaminergic modulatory systems, such as in anxiety disorders, depression, and drug addiction. It is suggested that an important area for future studies is to investigate how the three systems interact in concert at the neuronal and neuronal network levels.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Joseph McDonald
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Neuroscience, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, South Carolina, USA
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Penzo MA, Moscarello JM. From aversive associations to defensive programs: experience-dependent synaptic modifications in the central amygdala. Trends Neurosci 2023; 46:701-711. [PMID: 37495461 PMCID: PMC10529247 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2023.06.006] [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: 03/15/2023] [Revised: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 06/29/2023] [Indexed: 07/28/2023]
Abstract
Plasticity elicited by fear conditioning (FC) is thought to support the storage of aversive associative memories. Although work over the past decade has revealed FC-induced plasticity beyond canonical sites in the basolateral complex of the amygdala (BLA), it is not known whether modifications across distributed circuits make equivalent or distinct contributions to aversive memory. Here, we review evidence demonstrating that experience-dependent synaptic plasticity in the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) has a circumscribed role in memory expression per se, guiding the selection of defensive programs in response to acquired threats. We argue that the CeA may be a key example of a broader phenomenon by which synaptic plasticity at specific nodes of a distributed network makes a complementary contribution to distinct memory processes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mario A Penzo
- Unit on the Neurobiology of Affective Memory, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Justin M Moscarello
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Khalil V, Faress I, Mermet-Joret N, Kerwin P, Yonehara K, Nabavi S. Subcortico-amygdala pathway processes innate and learned threats. eLife 2023; 12:e85459. [PMID: 37526552 PMCID: PMC10449383 DOI: 10.7554/elife.85459] [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: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 08/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Behavioral flexibility and timely reactions to salient stimuli are essential for survival. The subcortical thalamic-basolateral amygdala (BLA) pathway serves as a shortcut for salient stimuli ensuring rapid processing. Here, we show that BLA neuronal and thalamic axonal activity in mice mirror the defensive behavior evoked by an innate visual threat as well as an auditory learned threat. Importantly, perturbing this pathway compromises defensive responses to both forms of threats, in that animals fail to switch from exploratory to defensive behavior. Despite the shared pathway between the two forms of threat processing, we observed noticeable differences. Blocking β-adrenergic receptors impairs the defensive response to the innate but not the learned threats. This reduced defensive response, surprisingly, is reflected in the suppression of the activity exclusively in the BLA as the thalamic input response remains intact. Our side-by-side examination highlights the similarities and differences between innate and learned threat-processing, thus providing new fundamental insights.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Khalil
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus UniversityAarhusDenmark
- DANDRITE, The Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience, Aarhus UniversityAarhusDenmark
- Center for Proteins in Memory – PROMEMO, Danish National Research Foundation, Aarhus UniversityAarhusDenmark
| | - Islam Faress
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus UniversityAarhusDenmark
- DANDRITE, The Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience, Aarhus UniversityAarhusDenmark
- Center for Proteins in Memory – PROMEMO, Danish National Research Foundation, Aarhus UniversityAarhusDenmark
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus UniversityAarhusDenmark
| | - Noëmie Mermet-Joret
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus UniversityAarhusDenmark
- DANDRITE, The Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience, Aarhus UniversityAarhusDenmark
- Center for Proteins in Memory – PROMEMO, Danish National Research Foundation, Aarhus UniversityAarhusDenmark
| | - Peter Kerwin
- DANDRITE, The Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience, Aarhus UniversityAarhusDenmark
| | - Keisuke Yonehara
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus UniversityAarhusDenmark
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus UniversityAarhusDenmark
- Multiscale Sensory Structure Laboratory, National Institute of GeneticsMishimaJapan
- Department of Genetics, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI)MishimaJapan
| | - Sadegh Nabavi
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus UniversityAarhusDenmark
- DANDRITE, The Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience, Aarhus UniversityAarhusDenmark
- Center for Proteins in Memory – PROMEMO, Danish National Research Foundation, Aarhus UniversityAarhusDenmark
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Langgartner D, Amoroso M, Kempter E, Kustermann M, Scheurer J, Lowry CA, Strauß G, Reber SO. Mycobacterium vaccae protects against glucocorticoid resistance resulting from combined physical and psychosocial trauma in mice. Brain Behav Immun 2023; 109:221-234. [PMID: 36736929 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2023.01.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2022] [Revised: 01/09/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Stress-related somatic and psychiatric disorders are often associated with a decline in regulatory T cell (Treg) counts and chronic low-grade inflammation. Recent preclinical evidence suggests that the latter is at least partly mediated by stress-induced upregulation of toll-like receptor (TLR)2 in newly generated neutrophils and polymorphonuclear myeloid-derived suppressor cells (PMN-MDSCs), as well as glucocorticoid (GC) resistance in predominantly PMN-MDSCs following stress-induced upregulation of TLR4 expression. Here we show in mice exposed to the chronic subordinate colony housing (CSC) paradigm that repeated intragastric (i.g.) administrations of a heat-killed preparation of Mycobacterium vaccae NCTC 11659, a saprophytic microorganism with immunoregulatory properties, protected against the stress-induced reduction in systemic Tregs, increase in basal and LPS-induced in vitro splenocyte viability, as well as splenic in vitro GC resistance. Our findings further support the hypothesis that i.g. M. vaccae protects against CSC-associated splenic GC resistance via directly affecting the myeloid compartment, thereby preventing the CSC-induced upregulation of TLR4 in newly generated PMN-MDSCs. In contrast, the protective effects of i.g. M. vaccae on the CSC-induced upregulation of TLR2 in neutrophils and the subsequent increase in basal and LPS-induced in vitro splenocyte viability seems to be indirectly mediated via the Treg compartment. These data highlight the potential for use of oral administration of M. vaccae NCTC 11659 to prevent stress-induced exaggeration of inflammation, a risk factor for development of stress-related psychiatric disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dominik Langgartner
- Laboratory for Molecular Psychosomatics, Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
| | - Mattia Amoroso
- Laboratory for Molecular Psychosomatics, Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
| | - Elena Kempter
- Laboratory for Molecular Psychosomatics, Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
| | - Monika Kustermann
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, University Medical Center Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Jasmin Scheurer
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, University Medical Center Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Christopher A Lowry
- Department of Integrative Physiology, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Center for Neuroscience and Center for Microbial Exploration, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA; Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and Center for Neuroscience, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA; Veterans Health Administration, Rocky Mountain Mental Illness Research Education and Clinical Center (MIRECC), The Rocky Mountain Regional Veterans Affairs Medical Center (RMRVAMC), Aurora, CO 80045, USA; Military and Veteran Microbiome: Consortium for Research and Education (MVM-CoRE), Aurora, CO 80045, USA; VIVO Planetary Health, of the Worldwide Universities Network (WUN), West NY, NJ 07093, USA
| | - Gudrun Strauß
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, University Medical Center Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Stefan O Reber
- Laboratory for Molecular Psychosomatics, Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Bowen AJ, Huang YW, Chen JY, Pauli JL, Campos CA, Palmiter RD. Topographic representation of current and future threats in the mouse nociceptive amygdala. Nat Commun 2023; 14:196. [PMID: 36639374 PMCID: PMC9839702 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-35826-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Adaptive behaviors arise from an integration of current sensory context and internal representations of past experiences. The central amygdala (CeA) is positioned as a key integrator of cognitive and affective signals, yet it remains unknown whether individual populations simultaneously carry current- and future-state representations. We find that a primary nociceptive population within the CeA of mice, defined by CGRP-receptor (Calcrl) expression, receives topographic sensory information, with spatially defined representations of internal and external stimuli. While Calcrl+ neurons in both the rostral and caudal CeA respond to noxious stimuli, rostral neurons promote locomotor responses to externally sourced threats, while caudal CeA Calcrl+ neurons are activated by internal threats and promote passive coping behaviors and associative valence coding. During associative fear learning, rostral CeA Calcrl+ neurons stably encode noxious stimulus occurrence, while caudal CeA Calcrl+ neurons acquire predictive responses. This arrangement supports valence-aligned representations of current and future threats for the generation of adaptive behaviors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anna J Bowen
- Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA.
| | - Y Waterlily Huang
- UW Medicine Diabetes Institute, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
| | - Jane Y Chen
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Jordan L Pauli
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Carlos A Campos
- UW Medicine Diabetes Institute, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
| | - Richard D Palmiter
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA.
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Wang Z, Wang X, Zeng Z. Memristive Circuit Design of Brain-Like Emotional Learning and Generation. IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON CYBERNETICS 2023; 53:222-235. [PMID: 34260370 DOI: 10.1109/tcyb.2021.3090811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
In this work, a bionic memristive circuit with the functions of emotional learning and generation is proposed, which can perform brain-like emotional learning and generation based on various types of input information. The proposed circuit is designed based on the brain emotional learning theory in the limbic system, which mainly includes three layers of design: 1) the bottom layer is the design of the basic unit modules, such as neuron and synapse; 2) the middle layer is the design of the functional modules related to emotional learning in the limbic system, such as the amygdala, thalamus, and so on; and 3) the top layer is the design of the overall circuit, which is used to realize the function of the emotional generation. A 2-D emotional space composed of valence and arousal signals is adopted. According to the above bottom-up circuit design method, the valence and arousal signals can be generated, respectively, by designing corresponding emotional learning circuits, so as to form continuous emotions. The volatile and nonvolatile memristors are mainly used to mimic the functions of the neuron and synapse at the bottom layer of the circuit to achieve the core emotional learning function of the middle layer, thereby constructing a brain-like information processing architecture to realize the function of the emotional generation in the top layer. The simulation results in PSPICE show that the proposed circuit can learn and generate emotions like humans. If the proposed circuit is applied to a humanoid robot platform through further research, the robot may have the ability of personalized emotional interaction with humans, so that it can be effectively used in emotional companionship and other aspects.
Collapse
|
17
|
LeDoux JE. The day I told Karim Nader, "Don't do the study". Brain Res Bull 2022; 189:1-3. [PMID: 35981628 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2022.08.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2022] [Accepted: 08/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Karim Nader changed the course of memory research by reviving interest in the mostly forgotten topic of post-retrieval manipulations of memory. In this paper I summarize the events leading up to his ground-breaking study in my lab on so-called memory reconsolidation, and the effects of that study on the field.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joseph E LeDoux
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY, USA; Department of Psychology, New York University, New York, NY, USA; Max-Planck-NYU Center for Language, Music, and Emotion (CLaME), New York University, New York, NY, USA; Department of Psychiatry, New York University Langone Medical School, New York, NY, USA; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York University Langone Medical School, New York, NY, USA
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Rosen JB, Schulkin J. Hyperexcitability: From Normal Fear to Pathological Anxiety and Trauma. Front Syst Neurosci 2022; 16:727054. [PMID: 35993088 PMCID: PMC9387392 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2022.727054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2021] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Hyperexcitability in fear circuits is suggested to be important for development of pathological anxiety and trauma from adaptive mechanisms of fear. Hyperexcitability is proposed to be due to acquired sensitization in fear circuits that progressively becomes more severe over time causing changing symptoms in early and late pathology. We use the metaphor and mechanisms of kindling to examine gains and losses in function of one excitatory and one inhibitory neuropeptide, corticotrophin releasing factor and somatostatin, respectively, to explore this sensitization hypothesis. We suggest amygdala kindling induced hyperexcitability, hyper-inhibition and loss of inhibition provide clues to mechanisms for hyperexcitability and progressive changes in function initiated by stress and trauma.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey B. Rosen
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, United States
- *Correspondence: Jeffrey B. Rosen,
| | - Jay Schulkin
- School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Raju S, Notaras M, Grech AM, Schroeder A, van den Buuse M, Hill RA. BDNF Val66Met genotype and adolescent glucocorticoid treatment induce sex-specific disruptions to fear extinction and amygdala GABAergic interneuron expression in mice. Horm Behav 2022; 144:105231. [PMID: 35779519 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2022.105231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2022] [Revised: 06/21/2022] [Accepted: 06/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The BDNF Val66Met single nucleotide polymorphism has been implicated in stress sensitivity and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) risk. We previously reported that chronic young-adult stress hormone treatment enhanced fear memory in adult BDNFVal66Met mice with the Met/Met genotype. This study aimed to extend this work to fear extinction learning, spontaneous recovery of fear, and neurobiological correlates in the amygdala. METHODS Male and female Val/Val and Met/Met mice received corticosterone in their drinking water during late adolescence to model chronic stress. Following a 2-week recovery period, the mice underwent fear conditioning and extinction training. Immunofluorescent labelling was used to assess density of three interneuron subtypes; somatostatin, parvalbumin and calretinin, within distinct amygdala nuclei. RESULTS No significant effects of genotype, treatment or sex were found for fear learning. However, adolescent CORT treatment selectively abolished fear extinction of female Met/Met mice. No effect of genotype, sex, or treatment was observed for spontaneous recovery of fear. Significant main effects of genotype and CORT emerged for somatostatin and calretinin cell density, again in females only, further supporting sex-specific effects of the Met/Met genotype and chronic CORT exposure. CONCLUSION BDNF Val66Met genotype interacts with chronic adolescent stress hormone exposure to abolish fear extinction in female Met/Met mice in adulthood. This effect was associated with female-specific interneuron dysfunction induced by either genotype or stress hormone exposure, depending on the interneuron subtype. These data provide biological insight into the role of BDNF in sex differences in sensitivity to stress and vulnerability to stress-related disorders in adulthood.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sharvada Raju
- Behavioural Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Michael Notaras
- Behavioural Neuroscience Laboratory, Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Centre for Neurogenetics, Feil Family Brain & Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medical College, Cornell University, NY, New York, USA
| | - Adrienne M Grech
- Behavioural Neuroscience Laboratory, Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Anna Schroeder
- Behavioural Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Behavioural Neuroscience Laboratory, Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Maarten van den Buuse
- School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Department of Pharmacology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Rachel A Hill
- Behavioural Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Behavioural Neuroscience Laboratory, Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Moscarello JM, Penzo MA. The central nucleus of the amygdala and the construction of defensive modes across the threat-imminence continuum. Nat Neurosci 2022; 25:999-1008. [PMID: 35915178 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-022-01130-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2021] [Accepted: 06/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
In nature, animals display defensive behaviors that reflect the spatiotemporal distance of threats. Laboratory-based paradigms that elicit specific defensive responses in rodents have provided valuable insight into the brain mechanisms that mediate the construction of defensive modes with varying degrees of threat imminence. In this Review, we discuss accumulating evidence that the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) plays a key role in this process. Specifically, we propose that the mutually inhibitory circuits of the CeA use a winner-takes-all strategy that supports transitioning across defensive modes and the execution of specific defensive behaviors to previously formed threat associations. Our proposal provides a conceptual framework in which seemingly divergent observations regarding CeA function can be interpreted and identifies various areas of priority for future research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Justin M Moscarello
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA.
| | - Mario A Penzo
- Unit on the Neurobiology of Affective Memory, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Gene Dysregulation in the Adult Rat Paraventricular Nucleus and Amygdala by Prenatal Exposure to Dexamethasone. LIFE (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 12:life12071077. [PMID: 35888164 PMCID: PMC9316520 DOI: 10.3390/life12071077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2022] [Revised: 06/24/2022] [Accepted: 07/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
Fetal programming is the concept that maternal stressors during critical periods of fetal development can alter offspring phenotypes postnatally. Excess glucocorticoids can interact with the fetus to effect genetic and epigenetic changes implicated in adverse developmental outcomes. The present study investigates how chronic exposure to the synthetic glucocorticoid dexamethasone during late gestation alters the expression of genes related to behavior in brain areas relevant to the regulation and function of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis. Pregnant Wistar Kyoto rats received subcutaneous injections of dexamethasone (100 μg/kg) daily from gestational day 15–21 or vehicle only as sham controls. The amygdala and paraventricular nucleus (PVN) were micro-punched to extract mRNA for reverse transcription and quantitative polymerase chain reaction for the analysis of the expression of specific genes. In the PVN, the expression of the glucocorticoid receptor NR3C1 was downregulated in female rats in response to programming. The expression of CACNA1C encoding the Cav1.2 pore subunit of L-type voltage-gated calcium channels was downregulated in male and female rats prenatally exposed to dexamethasone. Collectively, the results suggest that prenatal exposure to elevated levels of glucocorticoids plays a role in the dysregulation of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis and potentially learning and memory by altering the expression of specific genes within the amygdala and PVN.
Collapse
|
22
|
Alexandrov YI, Pletnikov MV. Neuronal metabolism in learning and memory: The anticipatory activity perspective. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 137:104664. [PMID: 35439520 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104664] [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: 11/16/2021] [Revised: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 04/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Current research on the molecular mechanisms of learning and memory is based on the "stimulus-response" paradigm, in which the neural circuits connecting environmental events with behavioral responses are strengthened. By contrast, cognitive and systems neuroscience emphasize the intrinsic activity of the brain that integrates information, establishes anticipatory actions, executes adaptive actions, and assesses the outcome via regulatory feedback mechanisms. We believe that the difference in the perspectives of systems and molecular studies is a major roadblock to further progress toward understanding the mechanisms of learning and memory. Here, we briefly overview the current studies in molecular mechanisms of learning and memory and propose that studying the predictive properties of neuronal metabolism will significantly advance our knowledge of how intrinsic, predictive activity of neurons shapes a new learning event. We further suggest that predictive metabolic changes in the brain may also take place in non-neuronal cells, including those of peripheral tissues. Finally, we present a path forward toward more in-depth studies of the role of cell metabolism in learning and memory.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yuri I Alexandrov
- V. B. Shvyrkov Laboratory for the Neural Bases of the Mind, Institute of Psychology, the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia; Department of Psychology, Institute for Cognitive Neuroscience, HSE University, Moscow, Russia.
| | - Mikhail V Pletnikov
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14203, USA; Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Raut SB, Marathe PA, van Eijk L, Eri R, Ravindran M, Benedek DM, Ursano RJ, Canales JJ, Johnson LR. Diverse therapeutic developments for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) indicate common mechanisms of memory modulation. Pharmacol Ther 2022; 239:108195. [PMID: 35489438 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2022.108195] [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: 01/04/2022] [Revised: 04/19/2022] [Accepted: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), characterized by abnormally persistent and distressing memories, is a chronic debilitating condition in need of new treatment options. Current treatment guidelines recommend psychotherapy as first line management with only two drugs, sertraline and paroxetine, approved by U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for treatment of PTSD. These drugs have limited efficacy as they only reduce symptoms related to depression and anxiety without producing permanent remission. PTSD remains a significant public health problem with high morbidity and mortality requiring major advances in therapeutics. Early evidence has emerged for the beneficial effects of psychedelics particularly in combination with psychotherapy for management of PTSD, including psilocybin, MDMA, LSD, cannabinoids, ayahuasca and ketamine. MDMA and psilocybin reduce barrier to therapy by increasing trust between therapist and patient, thus allowing for modification of trauma related memories. Furthermore, research into the memory reconsolidation mechanisms has allowed for identification of various pharmacological targets to disrupt abnormally persistent memories. A number of pre-clinical and clinical studies have investigated novel and re-purposed pharmacological agents to disrupt fear memory in PTSD. Novel therapeutic approaches like neuropeptide Y, oxytocin, cannabinoids and neuroactive steroids have also shown potential for PTSD treatment. Here, we focus on the role of fear memory in the pathophysiology of PTSD and propose that many of these new therapeutic strategies produce benefits through the effect on fear memory. Evaluation of recent research findings suggests that while a number of drugs have shown promising results in preclinical studies and pilot clinical trials, the evidence from large scale clinical trials would be needed for these drugs to be incorporated in clinical practice.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sanket B Raut
- Schools of Psychological Sciences, College of Health and Medicine, University of Tasmania, TAS 7250, Australia
| | - Padmaja A Marathe
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Seth GS Medical College & KEM Hospital, Parel, Mumbai 400 012, India
| | - Liza van Eijk
- Department of Psychology, College of Healthcare Sciences, James Cook University, QLD 4811, Australia
| | - Rajaraman Eri
- Health Sciences, College of Health and Medicine, University of Tasmania, TAS 7250, Australia
| | - Manoj Ravindran
- Medicine, College of Health and Medicine, University of Tasmania, TAS 7250, Australia; Department of Psychiatry, North-West Private Hospital, Burnie TAS 7320, Australia
| | - David M Benedek
- Centre for the Study of Traumatic Stress, Department of Psychiatry, Uniformed Services University School of Medicine, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
| | - Robert J Ursano
- Centre for the Study of Traumatic Stress, Department of Psychiatry, Uniformed Services University School of Medicine, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
| | - Juan J Canales
- Schools of Psychological Sciences, College of Health and Medicine, University of Tasmania, TAS 7250, Australia
| | - Luke R Johnson
- Schools of Psychological Sciences, College of Health and Medicine, University of Tasmania, TAS 7250, Australia; Centre for the Study of Traumatic Stress, Department of Psychiatry, Uniformed Services University School of Medicine, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
d'Aquin S, Szonyi A, Mahn M, Krabbe S, Gründemann J, Lüthi A. Compartmentalized dendritic plasticity during associative learning. Science 2022; 376:eabf7052. [PMID: 35420958 DOI: 10.1126/science.abf7052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Experience-dependent changes in behavior are mediated by long-term functional modifications in brain circuits. Activity-dependent plasticity of synaptic input is a major underlying cellular process. Although we have a detailed understanding of synaptic and dendritic plasticity in vitro, little is known about the functional and plastic properties of active dendrites in behaving animals. Using deep brain two-photon Ca2+ imaging, we investigated how sensory responses in amygdala principal neurons develop upon classical fear conditioning, a form of associative learning. Fear conditioning induced differential plasticity in dendrites and somas regulated by compartment-specific inhibition. Our results indicate that learning-induced plasticity can be uncoupled between soma and dendrites, reflecting distinct synaptic and microcircuit-level mechanisms that increase the computational capacity of amygdala circuits.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Simon d'Aquin
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland.,University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Andras Szonyi
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland.,Laboratory of Cellular Neurophysiology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Mathias Mahn
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Sabine Krabbe
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Jan Gründemann
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland.,Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Andreas Lüthi
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland.,University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Shultz B, Farkash A, Collins B, Mohammadmirzaei N, Knox D. Fear learning-induced changes in AMPAR and NMDAR expression in the fear circuit. Learn Mem 2022; 29:83-92. [PMID: 35169047 PMCID: PMC8852224 DOI: 10.1101/lm.053525.121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2021] [Accepted: 01/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
NMDA receptors (NMDARs) and AMPA receptors (AMPARs) in amygdala nuclei and the dorsal hippocampus (dHipp) are critical for fear conditioning. Enhancements in synaptic AMPAR expression in amygdala nuclei and the dHipp are critical for fear conditioning, with some studies observing changes in AMPAR expression across many neurons in these brain regions. Whether similar changes occur in other nodes of the fear circuit (e.g., ventral hippocampus [vHipp]) or changes in NMDAR expression in the fear circuit occur with fear conditioning have not been sufficiently examined. To address this we used near-infrared immunohistochemistry (IHC) to measure AMPAR and NMDAR subunit expression in several nodes of the fear circuit. Long-term changes in GluR1 and GluR2 expression in the ventral hippocampus (vHipp) and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), enhanced NR2A expression in amygdala nuclei, and changes in the ratio of GluR1/NR2A and GluR2/NR2A in the dHipp was observed with fear conditioning. Most of these changes were dependent on protein synthesis during fear conditioning and were not observed immediately after fear conditioning. The results of the study suggest that global changes in AMPARs and NMDARs occur in multiple nodes within the fear circuit and raise the possibility that these changes contribute to fear memory. Further research examining how global changes in AMPAR, NMDAR, and AMPAR/NMDAR ratios within nodes of the fear circuit contribute to fear memory is needed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Negin Mohammadmirzaei
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark DE 19716
| | - Dayan Knox
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark DE 19716
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
LeDoux JE. As soon as there was life, there was danger: the deep history of survival behaviours and the shallower history of consciousness. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20210292. [PMID: 34957848 PMCID: PMC8710881 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
It is often said that fear is a universal innate emotion that we humans have inherited from our mammalian ancestors by virtue of having inherited conserved features of their nervous systems. Contrary to this common sense-based scientific point of view, I have argued that what we have inherited from our mammalian ancestors, and they from their distal vertebrate ancestors, and they from their chordate ancestors, and so forth, is not a fear circuit. It is, instead, a defensive survival circuit that detects threats, and in response, initiates defensive survival behaviours and supporting physiological adjustments. Seen in this light, the defensive survival circuits of humans and other mammals can be conceptualized as manifestations of an ancient survival function-the ability to detect danger and respond to it-that may in fact predate animals and their nervous systems, and perhaps may go back to the beginning of life. Fear, on the other hand, from my perspective, is a product of cortical cognitive circuits. This conception is not just of academic interest. It also has practical implications, offering clues as to why efforts to treat problems related to fear and anxiety are not more effective, and what might make them better. This article is part of the theme issue 'Systems neuroscience through the lens of evolutionary theory'.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joseph E. LeDoux
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Grossman YS, Fillinger C, Manganaro A, Voren G, Waldman R, Zou T, Janssen WG, Kenny PJ, Dumitriu D. Structure and function differences in the prelimbic cortex to basolateral amygdala circuit mediate trait vulnerability in a novel model of acute social defeat stress in male mice. Neuropsychopharmacology 2022; 47:788-799. [PMID: 34799681 PMCID: PMC8782864 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-021-01229-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2021] [Revised: 10/22/2021] [Accepted: 10/30/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Stressful life events are ubiquitous and well-known to negatively impact mental health. However, in both humans and animal models, there is large individual variability in how individuals respond to stress, with some but not all experiencing long-term adverse consequences. While there is growing understanding of the neurobiological underpinnings of the stress response, much less is known about how neurocircuits shaped by lifetime experiences are activated during an initial stressor and contribute to this selective vulnerability versus resilience. We developed a model of acute social defeat stress (ASDS) that allows classification of male mice into "susceptible" (socially avoidant) versus "resilient" (expressing control-level social approach) one hour after exposure to six minutes of social stress. Using circuit tracing and high-resolution confocal imaging, we explored differences in activation and dendritic spine density and morphology in the prelimbic cortex to basolateral amygdala (PL→BLA) circuit in resilient versus susceptible mice. Susceptible mice had greater PL→BLA recruitment during ASDS and activated PL→BLA neurons from susceptible mice had more and larger mushroom spines compared to resilient mice. We hypothesized identified structure/function differences indicate an overactive PL→BLA response in susceptible mice and used an intersectional chemogenetic approach to inhibit the PL→BLA circuit during or prior to ASDS. We found in both cases that this blocked ASDS-induced social avoidance. Overall, we show PL→BLA structure/function differences mediate divergent behavioral responses to ASDS in male mice. These results support PL→BLA circuit overactivity during stress as a biomarker of trait vulnerability and potential target for prevention of stress-induced psychopathology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yael S Grossman
- Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Clementine Fillinger
- Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Alessia Manganaro
- Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - George Voren
- Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Rachel Waldman
- Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Tiffany Zou
- Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - William G Janssen
- Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Paul J Kenny
- Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Dani Dumitriu
- Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
- Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
- Department of Pediatrics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
- Department of Environmental Medicine & Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
- Mindich Child Health and Development Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
- New York State Psychiatric Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
- Sackler Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
- Columbia Population Research Center, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
- Zuckerman Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Volumetric alterations in subregions of the amygdala in adults with major depressive disorder. J Affect Disord 2021; 295:108-115. [PMID: 34419778 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2021.08.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2021] [Revised: 08/03/2021] [Accepted: 08/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although major depressive disorder (MDD) has been associated with volumetric abnormalities in the amygdala, studies investigating the association between structural alterations of the amygdala and depression have yielded varying results. Since the amygdala comprises several subregions, it is difficult to detect subtle regional changes by measuring the total amygdala volume. This study aimed to examine the volume in each amygdala subregion in adults with and without a diagnosis of MDD. METHODS A total of 147 participants with a current history of major depression and 144 healthy participants ranging in age from 19 to 64 years underwent 3T magnetic resonance imaging scanning. Automatic segmentation of the nine nuclei of the amygdala was performed using FreeSurfer. One-way analysis of covariance, with individual volumes as dependent variables, and age, sex, and total intracranial volume as covariates, was performed to analyze volume differences. RESULTS Patients with MDD had significantly lower volumes of the entire amygdala and subregions, including the lateral nucleus and anterior amygdaloid area, than healthy volunteers (HCs). There were no significant associations between subregion volumes and antidepressant use, illness duration, or depression severity. LIMITATIONS Our cross-sectional design cannot provide a causal relationship between the volume change in the amygdala subregion and the risk of MDD. CONCLUSION Our findings suggest that specific amygdala subregions are more susceptible to volumetric alterations in patients with MDD than in HCs. These findings may advance our understanding of the neuroanatomic basis on MDD.
Collapse
|
29
|
Wang Z, Wang X, Zeng Z. Memristive Circuit Design of Brain-Inspired Emotional Evolution Based on Theories of Internal Regulation and External Stimulation. IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON BIOMEDICAL CIRCUITS AND SYSTEMS 2021; 15:1380-1392. [PMID: 34767510 DOI: 10.1109/tbcas.2021.3127573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
In this work, a bionic memristive circuit with functions of emotional evolution is proposed by mimicking the emotional circuit in limbic system, which can perform unconscious and conscious emotional evolutions by using theories of internal regulation and external stimulation respectively. Two kinds of memristive models, volatile and non-volatile, play key roles in the process of emotional evolution. That is, the internal regulation is mainly responsible for simulating the unconscious evolution process over time by using the forgetting effect of the volatile memristor. The external stimulation is mainly responsible for using the memristance plasticity of the non-volatile memristor to simulate the evolutionary learning behavior under the action of multi-modal inputs (such as visual, speech and text signals), so as to realize the conscious emotional evolution. A two-dimensional (2D) emotional state space consisted of valence and arousal signals is adopted, the evolution behaviors are performed on the basis of valence and arousal signals in the space, in order to achieve continuous emotional evolution and express the evolved emotions intuitively. Due to the use of memristors, the proposed circuit can realize in-memory computing, which fundamentally avoids the problem of storage wall and constructs a brain-inspired information processing architecture. The simulation results in PSPICE show that a nonlinear mapping relationship between inputs and outputs is constructed through the proposed circuit, which can carry out diversified emotional evolution based on the designed internal regulation and external stimulation evolution circuits.
Collapse
|
30
|
Feng H, Su J, Fang W, Chen X, He J. The entorhinal cortex modulates trace fear memory formation and neuroplasticity in the mouse lateral amygdala via cholecystokinin. eLife 2021; 10:69333. [PMID: 34779397 PMCID: PMC8629425 DOI: 10.7554/elife.69333] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2021] [Accepted: 11/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Although fear memory formation is essential for survival and fear-related mental disorders, the neural circuitry and mechanism are incompletely understood. Here, we utilized trace fear conditioning to study the formation of trace fear memory in mice. We identified the entorhinal cortex (EC) as a critical component of sensory signaling to the amygdala. We adopted both loss-of-function and gain-of-function experiments to demonstrate that release of the cholecystokinin (CCK) from the EC is required for trace fear memory formation. We discovered that CCK-positive neurons project from the EC to the lateral nuclei of the amygdala (LA), and inhibition of CCK-dependent signaling in the EC prevented long-term potentiation of the auditory response in the LA and formation of trace fear memory. In summary, high-frequency activation of EC neurons triggers the release of CCK in their projection terminals in the LA, potentiating auditory response in LA neurons. The neural plasticity in the LA leads to trace fear memory formation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hemin Feng
- Departments of Neuroscience and Biomedical Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.,Centre for Regenerative Medicine and Health, Hong Kong Institute of Science & Innovation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Junfeng Su
- Departments of Neuroscience and Biomedical Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.,City University of Hong Kong Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wei Fang
- Departments of Neuroscience and Biomedical Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Xi Chen
- Departments of Neuroscience and Biomedical Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.,City University of Hong Kong Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jufang He
- Departments of Neuroscience and Biomedical Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.,City University of Hong Kong Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, China
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Fernandes G, Mishra PK, Nawaz MS, Donlin-Asp PG, Rahman MM, Hazra A, Kedia S, Kayenaat A, Songara D, Wyllie DJA, Schuman EM, Kind PC, Chattarji S. Correction of amygdalar dysfunction in a rat model of fragile X syndrome. Cell Rep 2021; 37:109805. [PMID: 34644573 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2021] [Revised: 07/19/2021] [Accepted: 09/16/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Fragile X syndrome (FXS), a commonly inherited form of autism and intellectual disability, is associated with emotional symptoms that implicate dysfunction of the amygdala. However, current understanding of the pathogenesis of the disease is based primarily on studies in the hippocampus and neocortex, where FXS defects have been corrected by inhibiting group I metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs). Here, we observe that activation, rather than inhibition, of mGluRs in the basolateral amygdala reverses impairments in a rat model of FXS. FXS rats exhibit deficient recall of auditory conditioned fear, which is accompanied by a range of in vitro and in vivo deficits in synaptic transmission and plasticity. We find presynaptic mGluR5 in the amygdala, activation of which reverses deficient synaptic transmission and plasticity, thereby restoring normal fear learning in FXS rats. This highlights the importance of modifying the prevailing mGluR-based framework for therapeutic strategies to include circuit-specific differences in FXS pathophysiology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Giselle Fernandes
- National Centre for Biological Sciences, TIFR, Bangalore 560065, India
| | - Pradeep K Mishra
- National Centre for Biological Sciences, TIFR, Bangalore 560065, India; Centre for Brain Development and Repair, Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Bangalore 560065, India
| | - Mohammad Sarfaraz Nawaz
- National Centre for Biological Sciences, TIFR, Bangalore 560065, India; Centre for Brain Development and Repair, Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Bangalore 560065, India
| | | | - Mohammed Mostafizur Rahman
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Anupam Hazra
- National Centre for Biological Sciences, TIFR, Bangalore 560065, India; Centre for Brain Development and Repair, Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Bangalore 560065, India
| | - Sonal Kedia
- Department of Biology, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA, USA
| | - Aiman Kayenaat
- National Centre for Biological Sciences, TIFR, Bangalore 560065, India; Centre for Brain Development and Repair, Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Bangalore 560065, India; University of Transdisciplinary Health Sciences and Technology, Bangalore 560064, India
| | - Dheeraj Songara
- National Centre for Biological Sciences, TIFR, Bangalore 560065, India
| | - David J A Wyllie
- Centre for Brain Development and Repair, Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Bangalore 560065, India; Simons Initiative for the Developing Brain and Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9XD, UK
| | - Erin M Schuman
- Max Planck Institute for Brain Research, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Peter C Kind
- Centre for Brain Development and Repair, Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Bangalore 560065, India; Simons Initiative for the Developing Brain and Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9XD, UK
| | - Sumantra Chattarji
- National Centre for Biological Sciences, TIFR, Bangalore 560065, India; Centre for Brain Development and Repair, Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Bangalore 560065, India; Simons Initiative for the Developing Brain and Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9XD, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Choi DI, Kim J, Lee H, Kim JI, Sung Y, Choi JE, Venkat SJ, Park P, Jung H, Kaang BK. Synaptic correlates of associative fear memory in the lateral amygdala. Neuron 2021; 109:2717-2726.e3. [PMID: 34363751 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2021.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2020] [Revised: 04/16/2021] [Accepted: 07/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Successful adaptation to the environment requires an accurate response to external threats by recalling specific memories. Memory formation and recall require engram cell activity and synaptic strengthening among activated neuronal ensembles. However, elucidation of the underlying neural substrates of associative fear memory has remained limited without a direct interrogation of extinction-induced changes of specific synapses that encode a specific auditory fear memory. Using dual-eGRASP (enhanced green fluorescent protein reconstitution across synaptic partners), we found that synapses among activated neuronal ensembles or activated synaptic ensembles showed a significantly larger spine morphology at auditory cortex (AC)-to-lateral amygdala (LA) projections after auditory fear conditioning in mice. Fear extinction reversed these enhanced synaptic ensemble spines, whereas re-conditioning with the same tone and shock restored the spine size of the synaptic ensemble. We suggest that synaptic ensembles encode and represent different fear memory states.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dong Il Choi
- School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanangno, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 08826, South Korea
| | - Jooyoung Kim
- School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanangno, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 08826, South Korea
| | - Hoonwon Lee
- School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanangno, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 08826, South Korea
| | - Ji-Il Kim
- School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanangno, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 08826, South Korea
| | - Yongmin Sung
- School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanangno, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 08826, South Korea
| | - Ja Eun Choi
- School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanangno, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 08826, South Korea
| | - S Jayakumar Venkat
- School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanangno, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 08826, South Korea
| | - Pojeong Park
- School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanangno, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 08826, South Korea
| | - Hyunsu Jung
- School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanangno, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 08826, South Korea
| | - Bong-Kiun Kaang
- School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanangno, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 08826, South Korea.
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Gostolupce D, Iordanova MD, Lay BPP. Mechanisms of higher-order learning in the amygdala. Behav Brain Res 2021; 414:113435. [PMID: 34197867 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2021.113435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2021] [Revised: 06/17/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Adaptive behaviour is under the potent control of environmental cues. Such cues can acquire value by virtue of their associations with outcomes of motivational significance, be they appetitive or aversive. There are at least two ways through which an environmental cue can acquire value, through first-order and higher-order conditioning. In first-order conditioning, a neutral cue is directly paired with an outcome of motivational significance. In higher-order conditioning, a cue is indirectly associated with motivational events via a directly conditioned first-order stimulus. The present article reviews some of the associations that support learning in first- and higher-order conditioning, as well as the role of the BLA and the molecular mechanisms involved in these two types of learning.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dilara Gostolupce
- Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Mihaela D Iordanova
- Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
| | - Belinda P P Lay
- Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Jeong Y, Cho HY, Kim M, Oh JP, Kang MS, Yoo M, Lee HS, Han JH. Synaptic plasticity-dependent competition rule influences memory formation. Nat Commun 2021; 12:3915. [PMID: 34168140 PMCID: PMC8225794 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-24269-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2021] [Accepted: 06/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Memory is supported by a specific collection of neurons distributed in broad brain areas, an engram. Despite recent advances in identifying an engram, how the engram is created during memory formation remains elusive. To explore the relation between a specific pattern of input activity and memory allocation, here we target a sparse subset of neurons in the auditory cortex and thalamus. The synaptic inputs from these neurons to the lateral amygdala (LA) are not potentiated by fear conditioning. Using an optogenetic priming stimulus, we manipulate these synapses to be potentiated by the learning. In this condition, fear memory is preferentially encoded in the manipulated cell ensembles. This change, however, is abolished with optical long-term depression (LTD) delivered shortly after training. Conversely, delivering optical long-term potentiation (LTP) alone shortly after fear conditioning is sufficient to induce the preferential memory encoding. These results suggest a synaptic plasticity-dependent competition rule underlying memory formation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yire Jeong
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, Korea
- KAIST Institute for the BioCentury (KIB), Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, Korea
| | - Hye-Yeon Cho
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, Korea
- KAIST Institute for the BioCentury (KIB), Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, Korea
| | - Mujun Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, Korea
- KAIST Institute for the BioCentury (KIB), Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, Korea
| | - Jung-Pyo Oh
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, Korea
- KAIST Institute for the BioCentury (KIB), Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, Korea
| | - Min Soo Kang
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, Korea
- KAIST Institute for the BioCentury (KIB), Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, Korea
| | - Miran Yoo
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, Korea
- KAIST Institute for the BioCentury (KIB), Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, Korea
| | - Han-Sol Lee
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, Korea
- KAIST Institute for the BioCentury (KIB), Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, Korea
| | - Jin-Hee Han
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, Korea.
- KAIST Institute for the BioCentury (KIB), Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, Korea.
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Wang J, Han J, Wang S, Duan Y, Bao C, Luo Y, Xue Q, Cao X. Forebrain GluN2A overexpression impairs fear extinction and NMDAR-dependent long-term depression in the lateral amygdala. Brain Res Bull 2021; 174:1-10. [PMID: 34058285 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2021.05.023] [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: 03/30/2021] [Revised: 05/24/2021] [Accepted: 05/25/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
N-methyl-d-aspartic acid receptor (NMDAR)-dependent synaptic plasticity at the thalamus-lateral amygdala (T-LA) synapses is related to acquisition and extinction of auditory fear memory. However, the roles of the NMDAR GluN2A subunit in acquisition and extinction of auditory fear memory as well as synaptic plasticity at T-LA synapses remain unclear. Here, using electrophysiologic, molecular biological techniques and behavioral methods, we found that the forebrain specific GluN2A overexpression transgenic (TG) mice exhibited normal acquisition but impaired extinction of auditory fear memory. In addition, in vitro electrophysiological data showed normal basal synaptic transmission and NMDAR-dependent long-term potentiation (LTP) at T-LA synapses, but deficit in NMDAR-dependent long-term depression (LTD) at T-LA synapses in GluN2A TG mice. Consistent with the reduced NMDAR-dependent LTD, α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptor (AMPAR) internalization was also weakened during NMDAR-dependent LTD in GluN2A TG mice. Taken together, our findings for the first time indicate that GluN2A overexpression impairs extinction of auditory fear memory and NMDAR-dependent LTD at T-LA synapses, which further confirms the close relationship between NMDAR-dependent LTD and fear extinction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jiayue Wang
- Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics, Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, 3663 North Zhongshan Road, Shanghai, 200062, China
| | - Jiao Han
- Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics, Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, 3663 North Zhongshan Road, Shanghai, 200062, China
| | - Shugen Wang
- Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics, Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, 3663 North Zhongshan Road, Shanghai, 200062, China
| | - Yanhong Duan
- Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics, Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, 3663 North Zhongshan Road, Shanghai, 200062, China
| | - Chengrong Bao
- Department of Anesthesiology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yan Luo
- Department of Anesthesiology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
| | - Qingsheng Xue
- Department of Anesthesiology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
| | - Xiaohua Cao
- Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics, Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, 3663 North Zhongshan Road, Shanghai, 200062, China.
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Rajbhandari AK, Octeau CJ, Gonzalez S, Pennington ZT, Mohamed F, Trott J, Chavez J, Ngyuen E, Keces N, Hong WZ, Neve RL, Waschek J, Khakh BS, Fanselow MS. A Basomedial Amygdala to Intercalated Cells Microcircuit Expressing PACAP and Its Receptor PAC1 Regulates Contextual Fear. J Neurosci 2021; 41:3446-3461. [PMID: 33637560 PMCID: PMC8051692 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2564-20.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2020] [Revised: 02/12/2021] [Accepted: 02/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Trauma can cause dysfunctional fear regulation leading some people to develop disorders, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The amygdala regulates fear, whereas PACAP (pituitary adenylate activating peptide) and PAC1 receptors are linked to PTSD symptom severity at genetic/epigenetic levels, with a strong link in females with PTSD. We discovered a PACAPergic projection from the basomedial amygdala (BMA) to the medial intercalated cells (mICCs) in adult mice. In vivo optogenetic stimulation of this pathway increased CFOS expression in mICCs, decreased fear recall, and increased fear extinction. Selective deletion of PAC1 receptors from the mICCs in females reduced fear acquisition, but enhanced fear generalization and reduced fear extinction in males. Optogenetic stimulation of the BMA-mICC PACAPergic pathway produced EPSCs in mICC neurons, which were enhanced by the PAC1 receptor antagonist, PACAP 6-38. Our findings show that mICCs modulate contextual fear in a dynamic and sex-dependent manner via a microcircuit containing the BMA and mICCs, and in a manner that was dependent on behavioral state.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Traumatic stress can affect different aspects of fear behaviors, including fear learning, generalization of learned fear to novel contexts, how the fear of the original context is recalled, and how fear is reduced over time. While the amygdala has been studied for its role in regulation of different aspects of fear, the molecular circuitry of this structure is quite complex. In addition, aspects of fear can be modulated differently in males and females. Our findings show that a specific circuitry containing the neuropeptide PACAP and its receptor, PAC1, regulates various aspects of fear, including acquisition, generalization, recall, and extinction in a sexually dimorphic manner, characterizing a novel pathway that modulates traumatic fear.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Abha K Rajbhandari
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095
- Staglin Center for Brain and Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095
| | - Christopher J Octeau
- Department of Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095
| | - Sarah Gonzalez
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095
- Staglin Center for Brain and Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095
| | - Zachary T Pennington
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095
| | - Farzanna Mohamed
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029
| | - Jeremy Trott
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095
- Staglin Center for Brain and Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095
| | - Jasmine Chavez
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095
| | - Erin Ngyuen
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095
| | - Natasha Keces
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095
| | - Weizhe Z Hong
- Department of Neurobiology, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095
| | - Rachael L Neve
- Gene Delivery Technology Core, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, California 02114
| | - James Waschek
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095
| | - Baljit S Khakh
- Department of Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095
- Department of Neurobiology, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095
| | - Michael S Fanselow
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095
- Staglin Center for Brain and Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Bouton ME, Maren S, McNally GP. BEHAVIORAL AND NEUROBIOLOGICAL MECHANISMS OF PAVLOVIAN AND INSTRUMENTAL EXTINCTION LEARNING. Physiol Rev 2021; 101:611-681. [PMID: 32970967 PMCID: PMC8428921 DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00016.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 152] [Impact Index Per Article: 50.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
This article reviews the behavioral neuroscience of extinction, the phenomenon in which a behavior that has been acquired through Pavlovian or instrumental (operant) learning decreases in strength when the outcome that reinforced it is removed. Behavioral research indicates that neither Pavlovian nor operant extinction depends substantially on erasure of the original learning but instead depends on new inhibitory learning that is primarily expressed in the context in which it is learned, as exemplified by the renewal effect. Although the nature of the inhibition may differ in Pavlovian and operant extinction, in either case the decline in responding may depend on both generalization decrement and the correction of prediction error. At the neural level, Pavlovian extinction requires a tripartite neural circuit involving the amygdala, prefrontal cortex, and hippocampus. Synaptic plasticity in the amygdala is essential for extinction learning, and prefrontal cortical inhibition of amygdala neurons encoding fear memories is involved in extinction retrieval. Hippocampal-prefrontal circuits mediate fear relapse phenomena, including renewal. Instrumental extinction involves distinct ensembles in corticostriatal, striatopallidal, and striatohypothalamic circuits as well as their thalamic returns for inhibitory (extinction) and excitatory (renewal and other relapse phenomena) control over operant responding. The field has made significant progress in recent decades, although a fully integrated biobehavioral understanding still awaits.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mark E Bouton
- Department of Psychological Science, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont
| | - Stephen Maren
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences and Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas
| | - Gavan P McNally
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Franceschi Biagioni A, Cellot G, Pati E, Lozano N, Ballesteros B, Casani R, Coimbra NC, Kostarelos K, Ballerini L. Graphene oxide prevents lateral amygdala dysfunctional synaptic plasticity and reverts long lasting anxiety behavior in rats. Biomaterials 2021; 271:120749. [PMID: 33714913 DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2021.120749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Revised: 02/23/2021] [Accepted: 02/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Engineered small graphene oxide (s-GO) sheets were previously shown to reversibly down-regulate glutamatergic synapses in the hippocampus of juvenile rats, disclosing an unexpected translational potential of these nanomaterials to target selective synapses in vivo. Synapses are anatomical specializations acting in the Central Nervous System (CNS) as functional interfaces among neurons. Dynamic changes in synaptic function, named synaptic plasticity, are crucial to learning and memory. More recently, pathological mechanisms involving dysfunctional synaptic plasticity were implicated in several brain diseases, from dementia to anxiety disorders. Hyper-excitability of glutamatergic neurons in the lateral nucleus of the amygdala complex (LA) is substantially involved in the storage of aversive memory induced by stressful events enabling post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Here we translated in PTSD animal model the ability of s-GO, when stereotaxically administered to hamper LA glutamatergic transmission and to prevent the behavioral response featured in long-term aversive memory. We propose that s-GO, by interference with glutamatergic plasticity, impair LA-dependent memory retrieval related to PTSD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Audrey Franceschi Biagioni
- Neuron Physiology and Technology Lab, International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA), Neuroscience, Via Bonomea 265, 34136, Trieste, Italy
| | - Giada Cellot
- Neuron Physiology and Technology Lab, International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA), Neuroscience, Via Bonomea 265, 34136, Trieste, Italy
| | - Elisa Pati
- Neuron Physiology and Technology Lab, International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA), Neuroscience, Via Bonomea 265, 34136, Trieste, Italy
| | - Neus Lozano
- Catalan Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (ICN2), CSIC and BIST, Campus UAB, Bellaterra, 08193, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Belén Ballesteros
- Catalan Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (ICN2), CSIC and BIST, Campus UAB, Bellaterra, 08193, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Raffaele Casani
- Neuron Physiology and Technology Lab, International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA), Neuroscience, Via Bonomea 265, 34136, Trieste, Italy
| | - Norberto Cysne Coimbra
- Laboratory of Neuroanatomy & Neuropsychobiology, Department of Pharmacology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School of the University of São Paulo (FMRP-USP), Av. Bandeirantes 3900, 14049-900, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Kostas Kostarelos
- Catalan Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (ICN2), CSIC and BIST, Campus UAB, Bellaterra, 08193, Barcelona, Spain; Nanomedicine Lab, National Graphene Institute and Faculty of Biology, Medicine & Health, The University of Manchester, AV Hill Building, Oxford Rd, Manchester, M13 9PL, United Kingdom
| | - Laura Ballerini
- Neuron Physiology and Technology Lab, International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA), Neuroscience, Via Bonomea 265, 34136, Trieste, Italy.
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Krasne FB, Zinn R, Vissel B, Fanselow MS. Extinction and discrimination in a Bayesian model of context fear conditioning (BaconX). Hippocampus 2021; 31:790-814. [PMID: 33452843 PMCID: PMC8359206 DOI: 10.1002/hipo.23298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2020] [Revised: 11/19/2020] [Accepted: 12/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
The extinction of contextual fear is commonly an essential requirement for successful exposure therapy for fear disorders. However, experimental work on extinction of contextual fear is limited, and there little or no directly relevant theoretical work. Here, we extend BACON, a neurocomputational model of context fear conditioning that provides plausible explanations for a number of aspects of context fear conditioning, to deal with extinction (calling the model BaconX). In this model, contextual representations are formed in the hippocampus and association of fear to them occurs in the amygdala. Representation creation, conditionability, and development of between‐session extinction are controlled by degree of confidence (assessed by the Bayesian weight of evidence) that an active contextual representation is in fact that of the current context (i.e., is “valid”). The model predicts that: (1) extinction which persists between sessions will occur only if at a sessions end there is high confidence that the active representation is valid. It follows that the shorter the context placement‐to‐US (shock) interval (“PSI”) and the less is therefore learned about context, the longer extinction sessions must be for enduring extinction to occur, while too short PSIs will preclude successful extinction. (2) Short‐PSI deficits can be rescued by contextual exposure even after conditioning has occurred. (3) Learning to discriminate well between a conditioned and similar safe context requires representations of each to form, which may not occur if PSI was too short. (4) Extinction‐causing inhibition must be applied downstream of the conditioning locus for reasonable generalization properties to be generated. (5) Context change tends to cause return of extinguished contextual fear. (6). Extinction carried out in the conditioning context generalizes better than extinction executed in contexts to which fear has generalized (as done in exposure therapy). (7) BaconX suggests novel approaches to exposure therapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Franklin B Krasne
- Department of Psychology and Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Raphael Zinn
- Centre for Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Bryce Vissel
- Centre for Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, New South Wales, Australia.,St Vincent's Centre for Applied Medical Research, St Vincent's Health Network Sydney, Darlinghurst, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Michael S Fanselow
- Department of Psychology and Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA.,Staglin Center for Brain and Behavioral Health, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA.,Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Li WG, Wu YJ, Gu X, Fan HR, Wang Q, Zhu JJ, Yi X, Wang Q, Jiang Q, Li Y, Yuan TF, Xu H, Lu J, Xu NJ, Zhu MX, Xu TL. Input associativity underlies fear memory renewal. Natl Sci Rev 2021; 8:nwab004. [PMID: 34691732 PMCID: PMC8433092 DOI: 10.1093/nsr/nwab004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2020] [Revised: 12/09/2020] [Accepted: 12/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Synaptic associativity, a feature of Hebbian plasticity wherein coactivation of two inputs onto the same neuron produces synergistic actions on postsynaptic activity, is a primary cellular correlate of associative learning. However, whether and how synaptic associativity are implemented into context-dependent relapse of extinguished memory (i.e. fear renewal) is unknown. Here, using an auditory fear conditioning paradigm in mice, we show that fear renewal is determined by the associativity between convergent inputs from the auditory cortex (ACx) and ventral hippocampus (vHPC) onto the lateral amygdala (LA) that reactivate ensembles engaged during learning. Fear renewal enhances synaptic strengths of both ACx to LA and the previously unknown vHPC to LA monosynaptic inputs. While inactivating either of the afferents abolishes fear renewal, optogenetic activation of their input associativity in the LA recapitulates fear renewal. Thus, input associativity underlies fear memory renewal.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wei-Guang Li
- Center for Brain Science of Shanghai Children's Medical Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200127, China
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 20025, China
| | - Yan-Jiao Wu
- Center for Brain Science of Shanghai Children's Medical Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200127, China
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 20025, China
| | - Xue Gu
- Center for Brain Science of Shanghai Children's Medical Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200127, China
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 20025, China
| | - Hui-Ran Fan
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 20025, China
| | - Qi Wang
- Center for Brain Science of Shanghai Children's Medical Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200127, China
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 20025, China
| | - Jia-Jie Zhu
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 20025, China
| | - Xin Yi
- Center for Brain Science of Shanghai Children's Medical Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200127, China
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 20025, China
| | - Qin Wang
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 20025, China
| | - Qin Jiang
- Center for Brain Science of Shanghai Children's Medical Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200127, China
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 20025, China
| | - Ying Li
- Center for Brain Science of Shanghai Children's Medical Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200127, China
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 20025, China
| | - Ti-Fei Yuan
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 201108, China
| | - Han Xu
- Center for Neuroscience and Department of Neurology of the Second Affiliated Hospital, NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Jiangteng Lu
- Center for Brain Science of Shanghai Children's Medical Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200127, China
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 20025, China
| | - Nan-Jie Xu
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 20025, China
| | - Michael Xi Zhu
- Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Tian-Le Xu
- Center for Brain Science of Shanghai Children's Medical Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200127, China
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 20025, China
- Shanghai Research Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Shanghai 201210, China
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Fonseca R, Madeira N, Simoes C. Resilience to fear: The role of individual factors in amygdala response to stressors. Mol Cell Neurosci 2020; 110:103582. [PMID: 33346000 DOI: 10.1016/j.mcn.2020.103582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2020] [Revised: 11/13/2020] [Accepted: 12/02/2020] [Indexed: 10/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Resilience to stress is an adaptive process that varies individually. Resilience refers to the adaptation, or the ability to maintain or regain mental health, despite being subject to adverse situation. Resilience is a dynamic concept that reflects a combination of internal individual factors, including age and gender interacting with external factors such as social, cultural and environmental factors. In the last decade, we have witnessed an increase in the prevalence of anxiety disorders, including post-traumatic stress disorder. Given that stress in unavoidable, it is of great interest to understand the neurophysiological mechanisms of resilience, the individual factors that may contribute to susceptibility and promote efficacious approaches to improve resilience. Here, we address this complex question, attempting at defining clear and operational definitions that may allow us to improve our analysis of behavior incorporating individuality. We examine how individual perception of the stressor can alter the outcome of an adverse situation using as an example, the fear-conditioning paradigm and discuss how individual differences in the reward system can contribute to resilience. Given the central role of the endocannabinoid system in regulating fear responses and anxiety, we discuss the evidence that polymorphisms in several molecules of this signaling system contribute to different anxiety phenotypes. The endocannabinoid system is highly interconnected with the serotoninergic and dopaminergic modulatory systems, contributing to individual differences in stress perception and coping mechanisms. We review how the individual variability in these modulatory systems can be used towards a multivariable assessment of stress risk. Incorporating individuality in our research will allow us to define biomarkers of anxiety disorders as well as assess prognosis, towards a personalized clinical approach to mental health.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rosalina Fonseca
- Cellular and Systems Neurobiology, Chronic Diseases Research Center (CEDOC), NOVA Medical School, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Campo dos Mártires da Pátria, 130 1169-056 Lisboa, Portugal.
| | - Natália Madeira
- Cellular and Systems Neurobiology, Chronic Diseases Research Center (CEDOC), NOVA Medical School, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Campo dos Mártires da Pátria, 130 1169-056 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Carla Simoes
- Cellular and Systems Neurobiology, Chronic Diseases Research Center (CEDOC), NOVA Medical School, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Campo dos Mártires da Pátria, 130 1169-056 Lisboa, Portugal
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Mattera A, Pagani M, Baldassarre G. A Computational Model Integrating Multiple Phenomena on Cued Fear Conditioning, Extinction, and Reinstatement. Front Syst Neurosci 2020; 14:569108. [PMID: 33132856 PMCID: PMC7550679 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2020.569108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2020] [Accepted: 08/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Conditioning, extinction, and reinstatement are fundamental learning processes of animal adaptation, also strongly involved in human pathologies such as post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depression, and dependencies. Cued fear conditioning, extinction, restatement, and systematic manipulations of the underlying brain amygdala and medial prefrontal cortex, represent key experimental paradigms to study such processes. Numerous empirical studies have revealed several aspects and the neural systems and plasticity underlying them, but at the moment we lack a comprehensive view. Here we propose a computational model based on firing rate leaky units that contributes to such integration by accounting for 25 different experiments on fear conditioning, extinction, and restatement, on the basis of a single neural architecture having a structure and plasticity grounded in known brain biology. This allows the model to furnish three novel contributions to understand these open issues: (a) the functioning of the central and lateral amygdala system supporting conditioning; (b) the role played by the endocannabinoids system in within- and between-session extinction; (c) the formation of three important types of neurons underlying fear processing, namely fear, extinction, and persistent neurons. The model integration of the results on fear conditioning goes substantially beyond what was done in previous models.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Mattera
- Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies, National Research Council, Rome, Italy
| | - Marco Pagani
- Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies, National Research Council, Rome, Italy
| | - Gianluca Baldassarre
- Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies, National Research Council, Rome, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Rainer C, Nasrouei S, Tschofen S, Bliem HR, Wilhelm FH, Marksteiner J. Fear acquisition and extinction in elderly patients with depression. J Affect Disord 2020; 276:197-204. [PMID: 32697699 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2020.06.044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2020] [Revised: 05/29/2020] [Accepted: 06/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Depression in elderly patients is common and characterized by anxiety symptoms and cognitive impairment. To our knowledge, no studies have yet investigated the process of fear extinction in these patients. We investigated fear extinction with a paradigm consisting of habituation, acquisition and extinction. METHODS We included three age matched (mean age: 75.7 years) groups: Late Life Depression (LLD, n = 33), Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI, n = 39), healthy controls (HC, n = 39). All participants were diagnosed with a standardized procedure including clinical examination, CERAD cognitive test battery, as well as magnetic resonance imaging. Participants underwent a fear conditioning paradigm consisting of habituation, acquisition, and extinction. During acquisition, a neutral face (conditioned stimulus, CS+) was paired with an electrical unconditioned stimulus, whereas another face (safety stimulus, CS-) was unpaired. Conditioned responses were measured by US-expectancy and valence ratings. RESULTS Compared to HC, both patient groups showed a significantly lower, differential (CS+ vs. CS-) fear acquisition across all measurements. Patients with cognitive impairment showed a significantly slower extinction, which is characterized by higher US-expectancy and reduced positive valence for CS+. Fear extinction was significantly less differential (CS+ vs. CS-) in patients with LLD. LIMITATIONS Due to the cross-sectional design we cannot distinguish whether the observed differences in fear extinction are state or trait markers in the LLD patients. CONCLUSIONS In this study, we demonstrate that fear extinction is impaired in elderly patients with depression. These results can have influence on treatment strategies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christina Rainer
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy A, State Hospital Hall, Hall, Austria; Department of Psychology, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria.
| | - Sarah Nasrouei
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy A, State Hospital Hall, Hall, Austria; Division of Clinical Psychology, Psychotherapy, and Health Psychology, Department of Psychology, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Simon Tschofen
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy A, State Hospital Hall, Hall, Austria
| | - Harald R Bliem
- Department of Psychology, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Frank H Wilhelm
- Division of Clinical Psychology, Psychotherapy, and Health Psychology, Department of Psychology, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Josef Marksteiner
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy A, State Hospital Hall, Hall, Austria
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Prefrontal Neural Ensembles Develop Selective Code for Stimulus Associations within Minutes of Novel Experiences. J Neurosci 2020; 40:8355-8366. [PMID: 32989098 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1503-20.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2020] [Revised: 08/25/2020] [Accepted: 09/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Prevailing theories posit that the hippocampus rapidly learns stimulus conjunctions during novel experiences, whereas the neocortex learns slowly through subsequent, off-line interaction with the hippocampus. Parallel evidence, however, shows that the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC; a critical node of the neocortical network supporting long-term memory storage) undergoes rapid modifications of gene expression, synaptic structure, and physiology at the time of encoding. These observations, along with impaired learning with disrupted mPFC, suggest that mPFC neurons may exhibit rapid neural plasticity during novel experiences; however, direct empirical evidence is lacking. We extracellularly recorded action potentials of cells in the prelimbic region of the mPFC, while male rats received a sequence of stimulus presentations for the first time in life. Moment-to-moment tracking of neural ensemble firing patterns revealed that the prelimbic network activity exhibited an abrupt transition within 1 min after the first encounter of an aversive but not neutral stimulus. This network-level change was driven by ∼15% of neurons that immediately elevated their spontaneous firing rates (FRs) and developed firing responses to a neutral stimulus preceding the aversive stimulus within a few instances of their pairings. When a new sensory stimulus was paired with the same aversive stimulus, about half of these neurons generalized firing responses to the new stimulus association. Thus, prelimbic neurons are capable of rapidly forming ensemble codes for novel stimulus associations within minutes. This circuit property may enable the mPFC to rapidly detect and selectively encode the central content of novel experiences.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT During a new experience, a region of the brain, called the hippocampus, rapidly forms its memory and later instructs another region, called the neocortex, that stores its content. Consistent with this dominant view, cells in the neocortex gradually strengthen the selectivity for the memory content over weeks after novel experiences. However, we still do not know precisely when these cells begin to develop the selectivity. We found that neocortical cells were capable of forming the selectivity for ongoing events within a few minutes of new experiences. This finding provides support for an alternative view that the neocortex works with, but not follows, the hippocampus to form new memories.
Collapse
|
45
|
George I, Alawa J, Akpulu P, Alawa C. Comparative neuroanatomical study of the amygdala and fear conditioning in Nigerian breeds of Artiodactyla: Sheep (Uda) and goats (Red Sokoto). Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2020; 304:692-703. [PMID: 33022136 DOI: 10.1002/ar.24522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2019] [Revised: 04/11/2020] [Accepted: 04/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to evaluate fear condition responses in sheep and goat and to relate this to the neuroarchitecture of their amygdala. Forty adult sheep (Uda breed) and 40 adult goats (Red Sokoto breed) were fear-conditioned by associating the sound of a car horn (neutral stimuli) with water spray (aversive stimuli) and the fear response was determined by direct observation of the behavior of the sheep and goats and measuring their flight distances and escape time. Eight groups were studied, each comprising of 10 animals (five sheep and five goats). Goats and sheep were tested alternately in the morning of every day of the week for three consecutive weeks, in which 4 days was used for habituation and 3 days for testing. Histologically, neurons in the central and basolateral complex of the amygdala were studied and analyzed using Nissl and golgi staines. Behaviorally, goats elicited an active avoidance response expressed as flight with concomitant intense flight distances (p < .001) compared to sheep. Although, sheep had larger brain parameters, it showed attenuated basolateral amygdala cytoarchitecture consistent with reduced fear perception and response. Goats had significantly more densely distributed pyramidal and spiny stellate neurons in the basolateral amygdala while sheep showed more non-pyramidal and aspiny neurons. These results provide interesting practical perspectives on how adaptions in the amygdala coincides with alterations in fear conditioning in domestic animals and may be the basis for the higher incidence of the sheep in automobile accidents than goats in developing countries especially Africa.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Itoro George
- Anatomy, Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu-Alike Ikwo, Nigeria.,Human Anatomy, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria
| | - Judith Alawa
- Human Anatomy, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria.,Veterinary Anatomy, Faculty of Veterinary Medicicne, University of Abuja, Abuja, Nigeria
| | - Peter Akpulu
- Human Anatomy, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria
| | - Clement Alawa
- Animal Production, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Abuja, Abuja, Nigeria
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
McCarberg B, Peppin J. Pain Pathways and Nervous System Plasticity: Learning and Memory in Pain. PAIN MEDICINE 2020; 20:2421-2437. [PMID: 30865778 DOI: 10.1093/pm/pnz017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Objective This article reviews the structural and functional changes in pain chronification and explores the association between memory and the development of chronic pain. Methods PubMed was searched using the terms "chronic pain," "central sensitization," "learning," "memory," "long-term potentiation," "long-term depression," and "pain memory." Relevant findings were synthesized into a narrative of the processes affecting pain chronification. Results Pain pathways represent a complex sensory system with cognitive, emotional, and behavioral influences. Anatomically, the hippocampus, amygdala, and anterior cortex-central to the encoding and consolidation of memory-are also implicated in experiential aspects of pain. Common neurotransmitters and similar mechanisms of neural plasticity (eg, central sensitization, long-term potentiation) suggest a mechanistic overlap between chronic pain and memory. These anatomic and mechanistic correlates indicate that chronic pain and memory intimately interact on several levels. Longitudinal imaging studies suggest that spatiotemporal reorganization of brain activity accompanies the transition to chronic pain, during which the representation of pain gradually shifts from sensory to emotional and limbic structures. Conclusions The chronification of pain can be conceptualized as activity-induced plasticity of the limbic-cortical circuitry resulting in reorganization of the neocortex. The state of the limbic-cortical network determines whether nociceptive signals are transient or chronic by extinguishing pathways or amplifying signals that intensify the emotional component of nociceptive inputs. Thus, chronic pain can be seen as the persistence of the memory of pain and/or the inability to extinguish painful memories. Ideally, pharmacologic, physical, and/or psychological approaches should reverse the reorganization accompanying chronic pain.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bill McCarberg
- Chronic Pain Management Program, Kaiser Permanente, San Diego, California; †University of California, San Diego, California; ‡Neighborhood Health, San Diego, California; §College of Osteopathic Medicine, Marian University, Indianapolis, Indiana; ¶John F. Peppin, DO, LLC, Hamden, Connecticut
| | - John Peppin
- Chronic Pain Management Program, Kaiser Permanente, San Diego, California; †University of California, San Diego, California; ‡Neighborhood Health, San Diego, California; §College of Osteopathic Medicine, Marian University, Indianapolis, Indiana; ¶John F. Peppin, DO, LLC, Hamden, Connecticut
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
Bowen AJ, Chen JY, Huang YW, Baertsch NA, Park S, Palmiter RD. Dissociable control of unconditioned responses and associative fear learning by parabrachial CGRP neurons. eLife 2020; 9:e59799. [PMID: 32856589 PMCID: PMC7556873 DOI: 10.7554/elife.59799] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2020] [Accepted: 08/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Parabrachial CGRP neurons receive diverse threat-related signals and contribute to multiple phases of adaptive threat responses in mice, with their inactivation attenuating both unconditioned behavioral responses to somatic pain and fear-memory formation. Because CGRPPBN neurons respond broadly to multi-modal threats, it remains unknown how these distinct adaptive processes are individually engaged. We show that while three partially separable subsets of CGRPPBN neurons broadly collateralize to their respective downstream partners, individual projections accomplish distinct functions: hypothalamic and extended amygdalar projections elicit assorted unconditioned threat responses including autonomic arousal, anxiety, and freezing behavior, while thalamic and basal forebrain projections generate freezing behavior and, unexpectedly, contribute to associative fear learning. Moreover, the unconditioned responses generated by individual projections are complementary, with simultaneous activation of multiple sites driving profound freezing behavior and bradycardia that are not elicited by any individual projection. This semi-parallel, scalable connectivity schema likely contributes to flexible control of threat responses in unpredictable environments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anna J Bowen
- Department of Biochemistry, University of WashingtonSeattleUnited States
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of WashingtonSeattleUnited States
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of WashingtonSeattleUnited States
| | - Jane Y Chen
- Department of Biochemistry, University of WashingtonSeattleUnited States
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of WashingtonSeattleUnited States
| | - Y Waterlily Huang
- Department of Biochemistry, University of WashingtonSeattleUnited States
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of WashingtonSeattleUnited States
| | - Nathan A Baertsch
- Center for Integrative Brain Research, Seattle Children’s Research InstituteSeattleUnited States
| | - Sekun Park
- Department of Biochemistry, University of WashingtonSeattleUnited States
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of WashingtonSeattleUnited States
| | - Richard D Palmiter
- Department of Biochemistry, University of WashingtonSeattleUnited States
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of WashingtonSeattleUnited States
| |
Collapse
|
48
|
Neurotrophin signalling in amygdala-dependent cued fear learning. Cell Tissue Res 2020; 382:161-172. [PMID: 32845430 PMCID: PMC7529623 DOI: 10.1007/s00441-020-03260-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2020] [Accepted: 07/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The amygdala is a central hub for fear learning assessed by Pavlovian fear conditioning. Indeed, the prevailing hypothesis that learning and memory are mediated by changes in synaptic strength was shown most convincingly at thalamic and cortical afferents to the lateral amygdala. The neurotrophin brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is known to regulate synaptic plasticity and memory formation in many areas of the mammalian brain including the amygdala, where BDNF signalling via tropomyosin-related kinase B (TrkB) receptors is prominently involved in fear learning. This review updates the current understanding of BDNF/TrkB signalling in the amygdala related to fear learning and extinction. In addition, actions of proBDNF/p75NTR and NGF/TrkA as well as NT-3/TrkC signalling in the amygdala are introduced.
Collapse
|
49
|
Lindquist DH. Emotion in motion: A three-stage model of aversive classical conditioning. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 115:363-377. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.04.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2020] [Revised: 04/19/2020] [Accepted: 04/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
|
50
|
Fear memory is impaired in hypobaric hypoxia: Role of synaptic plasticity and neuro-modulators in limbic region. Life Sci 2020; 254:117555. [DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2020.117555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2019] [Revised: 03/05/2020] [Accepted: 03/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
|