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Seo D, Martins JS, Sinha R. Brain correlates and functional connectivity linking stress, autonomic dysregulation, and alcohol motivation. Neurobiol Stress 2024; 31:100645. [PMID: 38933283 PMCID: PMC11201348 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2024.100645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2023] [Revised: 04/22/2024] [Accepted: 05/19/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
High stress is a key risk factor for alcohol use disorder (AUD) and often accompanied by physiological dysregulation including autonomic nervous system (ANS) disruptions. However, neural mechanisms underlying drinking behaviors associated with stress and ANS disruptions remain unclear. The current study aims to understand neural correlates of stress, ANS disruptions, and subsequent alcohol intake in social drinkers with risky drinking. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), we investigated brain and heart rate (HR) autonomic responses during brief exposure to stress, alcohol, and neutral cues utilizing a well-validated, individualized imagery paradigm in 48 social drinkers of which 26 reported high-risk drinking (HD) while 22 reported low-risk drinking (LD) patterns. Results indicated that HD individuals showed stress and ANS disruptions with increased basal HR, stress-induced craving, and decreased brain response to stress exposure in frontal-striatal regions including the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (VmPFC), anterior cingulate cortex, striatum, insula, and temporal gyrus. Furthermore, whole-brain correlation analysis indicated that greater basal HR was associated with hypoactive VmPFC, but hyperactive medulla oblongata (MOb) responses during stress, with an inverse association between activity in the VmPFC and Mob (whole-brain corrected (WBC), p < 0.05). Functional connectivity with the MOb as a seed to the whole brain indicated that HD versus LD had decreased functional connectivity between the VmPFC and MOb during stress (WBC, p < 0.05). In addition, those with more compromised functional connectivity between the VmPFC and MOb during stress consumed greater amount of alcohol beverage during an experimental alcohol taste test conducted on a separate day, as well as in their self-reported weekly alcohol intake. Together, these results indicate that stress-related, dysfunctional VmPFC control over brain regions of autonomic arousal contributes to greater alcohol motivation and may be a significant risk factor for hazardous alcohol use in non-dependent social drinkers. Findings also suggest that restoring VmPFC integrity in modulating autonomic arousal during stress may be critical for preventing the development of AUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongju Seo
- Yale Stress Center, Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, 2 Church Street South, New Haven, CT, 06519, USA
| | - Jorge S. Martins
- William James Center for Research, ISPA-Instituto Universitário, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Rajita Sinha
- Yale Stress Center, Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, 2 Church Street South, New Haven, CT, 06519, USA
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Hedayati-Moghadam M, Razazpour F, Pourfridoni M, Mirzaee F, Baghcheghi Y. Ethanol's impact on the brain: a neurobiological perspective on the mechanisms of memory impairment. Mol Biol Rep 2024; 51:782. [PMID: 38918289 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-024-09748-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2024] [Accepted: 06/21/2024] [Indexed: 06/27/2024]
Abstract
Alcohol consumption is known to have detrimental effects on memory function, with various studies implicating ethanol in the impairment of cognitive processes related to memory retention and retrieval. This review aims to elucidate the complex neurobiological mechanisms underlying ethanol-induced memory impairment. Through a thorough search of existing literature using electronic databases, relevant articles focusing on the neurobiological mechanisms of ethanol on memory were identified and critically evaluated. This review focuses on the molecular and neural pathways through which ethanol exerts its effects on memory formation, consolidation, and recall processes. Key findings from the included studies shed light on the impact of ethanol on neurotransmitter systems, synaptic plasticity, and neuroinflammation in relation to memory impairment. This review contributes to a better understanding of the intricate mechanisms by which alcohol impairs memory function, offering insights for future research directions and the development of targeted interventions to alleviate these cognitive impairments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahdiyeh Hedayati-Moghadam
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Jiroft University of Medical Sciences, Jiroft, Iran
- Student Research Committee, Jiroft University of Medical Sciences, Jiroft, 7861755765, Iran
| | - Fateme Razazpour
- Student Research Committee, Jiroft University of Medical Sciences, Jiroft, 7861755765, Iran
| | - Mohammad Pourfridoni
- Student Research Committee, Jiroft University of Medical Sciences, Jiroft, 7861755765, Iran
| | - Faezeh Mirzaee
- Student Research Committee, Jiroft University of Medical Sciences, Jiroft, 7861755765, Iran
| | - Yousef Baghcheghi
- Student Research Committee, Jiroft University of Medical Sciences, Jiroft, 7861755765, Iran.
- Bio Environmental Health Hazards Research Center, Jiroft University of Medical Sciences, Jiroft, Iran.
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3
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Przybysz KR, Shillinglaw JE, Wheeler SR, Glover EJ. Chronic ethanol exposure produces long-lasting, subregion-specific physiological adaptations in RMTg-projecting mPFC neurons. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.06.592759. [PMID: 38766178 PMCID: PMC11100703 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.06.592759] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
Chronic ethanol exposure produces neuroadaptations in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) which facilitate the maladaptive behaviors interfering with recovery from alcohol use disorder. Despite evidence that different cortico-subcortical projections play distinct roles in behavior, few studies have examined the physiological effects of chronic ethanol at the circuit level. The rostromedial tegmental nucleus (RMTg) is a GABAergic midbrain region involved in aversive signaling and is functionally altered by chronic ethanol exposure. Our recent work identified a dense input from the mPFC to the RMTg, yet the effects of chronic ethanol exposure on this circuitry is unknown. In the current study, we examined physiological changes after chronic ethanol exposure in prelimbic (PL) and infralimbic (IL) mPFC neurons projecting to the RMTg. Adult male Long-Evans rats were injected with fluorescent retrobeads into the RMTg and rendered dependent using a 14-day chronic intermittent ethanol (CIE) vapor exposure paradigm. Whole-cell patch-clamp electrophysiological recordings were performed in fluorescently-labeled (RMTg-projecting) and -unlabeled (projection-undefined) layer 5 pyramidal neurons 7-10 days following ethanol exposure. CIE significantly increased intrinsic excitability as well as excitatory and inhibitory synaptic drive in RMTg-projecting IL neurons. In contrast, no lasting changes in excitability were observed in RMTg-projecting PL neurons, although a CIE-induced reduction in excitability was observed in projection-undefined PL neurons. CIE also increased excitatory synaptic drive in RMTg-projecting PL neurons. These data uncover novel subregion- and circuit-specific neuroadaptations in the mPFC following chronic ethanol exposure and reveal that the IL mPFC-RMTg projection is uniquely vulnerable to long-lasting effects of chronic ethanol.
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Clay JM, Baker KA, Mezabrovschi RD, Berti G, Shields GS, Slavich GM, Stafford LD, Parker MO. Mediated and moderated associations between cumulative lifetime stressor exposure, emotional dysregulation, impulsivity, and lifetime alcohol use: A cross-sectional scoping study of UK drinkers. J Psychiatr Res 2023; 164:140-149. [PMID: 37352810 PMCID: PMC10754206 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2023.06.020] [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: 05/04/2023] [Revised: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 06/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/25/2023]
Abstract
Stress, trait impulsivity, and emotional dysregulation are independent predictors of alcohol use and misuse, but little is known about the potential mechanisms that link these risk factors together. To address this issue, we carried out an exploratory cross-sectional study, on UK-based participants. Our preregistered, hypothesised theoretical framework was that emotional dysregulation mediates the association between cumulative lifetime stressor exposure and lifetime alcohol use. We also hypothesised that heightened impulsivity would strengthen these relations. As hypothesised, emotional dysregulation fully mediated the relation between cumulative lifetime stressor exposure and lifetime alcohol use. Several facets of impulsivity moderated these associations. For example, as levels of negative urgency increased, the associations between cumulative lifetime stressor exposure and emotional dysregulation, emotional dysregulation and lifetime alcohol use, and lifetime stress exposure and lifetime alcohol use, via emotional dysregulation, strengthened. These preliminary findings propose a theoretically framed model which integrates several prominent risk-factors for alcohol misuse, extending prior research and generating interesting and novel lines of enquiry for longitudinal and cross-cultural analyses. The findings also highlight the potential clinical utility of screening for lifetime stress exposure while tailoring personalised treatment interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- James M Clay
- Department of Psychology, University of Portsmouth, UK; Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research, University of Victoria, Victoria, Canada.
| | - Kiera A Baker
- School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Science, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, UK
| | | | - Giacomo Berti
- School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Science, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, UK
| | - Grant S Shields
- Department of Psychological Science, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, USA
| | - George M Slavich
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, USA
| | | | - Matthew O Parker
- School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Science, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, UK; Surrey Sleep Research Centre, School of Biosciences and Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford, UK.
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5
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Cucinello-Ragland JA, Alrashed NH, Lee S, Davis EC, Edwards KN, Edwards S. Sex-specific biobehavioral regulation of persistent inflammatory pain by alcohol. ALCOHOL, CLINICAL & EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 47:1283-1296. [PMID: 37208939 PMCID: PMC10422981 DOI: 10.1111/acer.15104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2023] [Revised: 04/19/2023] [Accepted: 05/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although a large percentage of chronic pain patients consume alcohol to manage their pain, there is a significant gap in knowledge regarding the mechanisms underlying the antinociceptive effects of alcohol. METHODS To determine the longitudinal analgesic effects of alcohol, we utilized the complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) model of inflammatory pain in adult female and male Wistar rats. Both somatic and negative motivational aspects of pain were measured using the electronic von Frey (mechanical nociception) system, thermal probe test (thermal nociception), and mechanical conflict avoidance task (pain avoidance-like behavior). Tests were conducted at baseline and 1 and 3 weeks following intraplantar CFA or saline administration. At both time points post-CFA, animals were treated with each of three doses of alcohol (intraperitoneal; 0, 0.5, and 1.0 g/kg) over separate days in a Latin square design. RESULTS Alcohol produced dose-dependent mechanical analgesia and antihyperalgesia in females but only antihyperalgesia in males. Although alcohol continued to attenuate CFA-induced decreases in both thermal and mechanical nociceptive thresholds between 1 and 3 weeks post-CFA, it appeared less effective at increasing thresholds 3 weeks after CFA induction. CONCLUSIONS These data suggest that individuals may develop tolerance to alcohol's ability to alleviate both somatic and negative motivational symptoms of chronic pain over time. We also discovered sex-specific neuroadaptations in protein kinase A-dependent phosphorylation of GluR1 subunits and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK 1/2) phosphorylation in nociceptive brain centers of animals receiving an alcohol challenge 1 week post-CFA. Together, these findings illustrate a sex-specific regulation of behavioral and neurobiological indices of persistent pain by alcohol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica A. Cucinello-Ragland
- Department of Physiology, LSU Health-New Orleans
- Alcohol & Drug Abuse Center of Excellence, LSU Health-New Orleans
| | | | - Sumin Lee
- Department of Physiology, LSU Health-New Orleans
| | | | | | - Scott Edwards
- Department of Physiology, LSU Health-New Orleans
- Alcohol & Drug Abuse Center of Excellence, LSU Health-New Orleans
- Neuroscience Center of Excellence, LSU Health-New Orleans
- Comprehensive Alcohol-HIV/AIDS Research Center, LSU Health-New Orleans
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6
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Alonso L, Peeva P, Stasko S, Bader M, Alenina N, Winter Y, Rivalan M. Constitutive depletion of brain serotonin differentially affects rats' social and cognitive abilities. iScience 2023; 26:105998. [PMID: 36798444 PMCID: PMC9926123 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.105998] [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: 12/06/2021] [Revised: 09/30/2022] [Accepted: 01/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Central serotonin appears a promising transdiagnostic marker of psychiatric disorders and a modulator of some of their key behavioral symptoms. In adult male Tph2 -/- rats, constitutively lacking central serotonin, we tested individual's cognitive, social and non-social abilities and characterized group's social organization under classical and ethological testing conditions. Using unsupervised machine learning, we identified the functions most dependent on serotonin. Although serotonin depletion did not affect cognitive performances in classical testing, in the home-cage it induced compulsive aggression and sexual behavior, hyperactive and hypervigilant stereotyped behavior, reduced self-care and exacerbated corticosterone levels. This profile recalled symptoms of impulse control and anxiety disorders. Serotonin appeared essential for behavioral adaptation to dynamic social environments. Our animal model challenges the essential role of serotonin in decision-making, flexibility, impulsivity, and risk-taking. These findings highlight the importance of studying everyday life functions within the dynamic social living environment to model complexity in animal models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucille Alonso
- Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany,Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Polina Peeva
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Michael Bader
- Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany,Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany
| | - Natalia Alenina
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany,Corresponding author
| | - York Winter
- Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany,Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Marion Rivalan
- Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany,Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany,Corresponding author
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7
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Stellern J, Xiao KB, Grennell E, Sanches M, Gowin JL, Sloan ME. Emotion regulation in substance use disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Addiction 2023; 118:30-47. [PMID: 35851975 PMCID: PMC10087816 DOI: 10.1111/add.16001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2021] [Accepted: 06/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS The ability to regulate emotions effectively has been associated with resilience to psychopathology. Individuals with substance use disorders (SUDs) have been shown to have higher levels of negative emotionality, with some evidence suggesting impairment in emotion regulation compared with individuals without SUDs. However, no previous attempt has been made to systematically review the literature to assess the magnitude of this difference. We aimed to assess the association between SUD diagnosis and emotion regulation as measured by the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS) and Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ) through a systematic review and meta-analysis of existing findings. METHODS The systematic review was conducted using PubMed, PsycINFO and Embase. We examined cross-sectional studies that compared a SUD group with a control group and measured emotion regulation using the DERS or the ERQ. The primary analysis focused on papers using the DERS, as this was the predominant instrument in the literature. RESULTS Twenty-two studies met our primary analysis criteria, representing 1936 individuals with a SUD and 1567 controls. Individuals with SUDs relative to controls had significantly greater DERS scores, with a mean difference of 21.44 [95% confidence interval (CI) = 16.49-26.40, P < 0.001] and Hedges' g = 1.05 (95% CI = 0.86-1.24, P < 0.001). The difference was robust, remaining significant after removing outliers and studies with high risk of bias. Individuals with SUDs demonstrated poorer emotion regulation on each subscale of the DERS, with the largest deficits in the Strategies and Impulse subscales. The ERQ analysis revealed greater use of expressive suppression in those with SUDs relative to controls (Hedges' g = 0.76, 95% CI = 0.25-1.28, P = 0.004). CONCLUSIONS People with substance use disorders appear to have greater difficulties in emotion regulation than people without substance use disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordan Stellern
- Department of Radiology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Ke Bin Xiao
- Addictions Division, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Erin Grennell
- Addictions Division, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Marcos Sanches
- Biostatistics Core, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Joshua L Gowin
- Department of Radiology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Matthew E Sloan
- Addictions Division, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Division of Neurosciences and Clinical Translation, Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Psychological Clinical Science, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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8
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Duan R, Li Y, Jing L, Zhang T, Yao Y, Gong Z, Shao Y, Song Y, Wang W, Zhang Y, Cheng J, Zhu X, Peng Y, Jia Y. The altered functional connectivity density related to cognitive impairment in alcoholics. Front Psychol 2022; 13:973654. [PMID: 36092050 PMCID: PMC9453650 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.973654] [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: 06/20/2022] [Accepted: 07/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is one of the most common substance use disorders contributing to both behavioral and cognitive impairments in patients with AUD. Recent neuroimaging studies point out that AUD is a typical disorder featured by altered functional connectivity. However, the details about how voxel-wise functional coordination remain unknown. Here, we adopted a newly proposed method named functional connectivity density (FCD) to depict altered voxel-wise functional coordination in AUD. The novel functional imaging technique, FCD, provides a comprehensive analytical method for brain's “scale-free” networks. We applied resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) toward subjects to obtain their FCD, including global FCD (gFCD), local FCD (lFCD), and long-range FCD (lrFCD). Sixty-one patients with AUD and 29 healthy controls (HC) were recruited, and patients with AUD were further divided into alcohol-related cognitive impairment group (ARCI, n = 11) and non-cognitive impairment group (AUD-NCI, n = 50). All subjects were asked to stay stationary during the scan in order to calculate the resting-state gFCD, lFCD, and lrFCD values, and further investigate the abnormal connectivity alterations among AUD-NCI, ARCI, and HC. Compared to HC, both AUD groups exhibited significantly altered gFCD in the left inferior occipital lobe, left calcarine, altered lFCD in right lingual, and altered lrFCD in ventromedial frontal gyrus (VMPFC). It is notable that gFCD of the ARCI group was found to be significantly deviated from AUD-NCI and HC in left medial frontal gyrus, which changes probably contributed by the impairment in cognition. In addition, no significant differences in gFCD were found between ARCI and HC in left parahippocampal, while ARCI and HC were profoundly deviated from AUD-NCI, possibly reflecting a compensation of cognition impairment. Further analysis showed that within patients with AUD, gFCD values in left medial frontal gyrus are negatively correlated with MMSE scores, while lFCD values in left inferior occipital lobe are positively related to ADS scores. In conclusion, patients with AUD exhibited significantly altered functional connectivity patterns mainly in several left hemisphere brain regions, while patients with AUD with or without cognitive impairment also demonstrated intergroup FCD differences which correlated with symptom severity, and patients with AUD cognitive impairment would suffer less severe alcohol dependence. This difference in symptom severity probably served as a compensation for cognitive impairment, suggesting a difference in pathological pathways. These findings assisted future AUD studies by providing insight into possible pathological mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ranran Duan
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Yanfei Li
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Lijun Jing
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Tian Zhang
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Yaobing Yao
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Zhe Gong
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Yingzhe Shao
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Yajun Song
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Weijian Wang
- Department of Magnetic Resonance Imaging, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- Engineering Technology Research Center for Detection and Application of Brain Function of Henan Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Brain Function of Henan Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Cognitive Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Zhengzhou, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Yong Zhang
- Department of Magnetic Resonance Imaging, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- Engineering Technology Research Center for Detection and Application of Brain Function of Henan Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Brain Function of Henan Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Cognitive Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Zhengzhou, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Jingliang Cheng
- Department of Magnetic Resonance Imaging, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- Engineering Technology Research Center for Detection and Application of Brain Function of Henan Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Brain Function of Henan Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Cognitive Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Zhengzhou, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Xiaofeng Zhu
- Mudanjiang Medical University, Mudanjiang, China
| | - Ying Peng
- Department of Neurology, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yanjie Jia
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Yanjie Jia
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9
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Alderson Myers AB, Arienzo D, Molnar SM, Marinkovic K. Local and network-level dysregulation of error processing is associated with binge drinking. NEUROIMAGE-CLINICAL 2021; 32:102879. [PMID: 34768146 PMCID: PMC8591397 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2021.102879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2021] [Revised: 11/04/2021] [Accepted: 11/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Go/NoGo performance does not differ between binge (BDs) and light drinkers. BDs show greater BOLD activity to inhibition errors primarily in prefrontal areas. Greater functional connectivity in the frontal cortex correlates with drinking. Observed increase in error-related activity may serve a compensatory role. This is consistent with allostatic hyperexcitability reflecting neuroadaptation.
Binge drinking refers to the pattern of alcohol consumption that brings blood alcohol levels to or above legal intoxication levels. Commonly practiced by young adults, it is associated with neurofunctional alterations, raising health-related concerns. Executive deficits may contribute to the inability to refrain from excessive alcohol intake. As a facet of cognitive control, error processing allows for flexible modification of behavior to optimize future outcomes. It is highly relevant to addiction research, as a failure to inhibit excessive drinking results in relapses, which is a hallmark of alcohol use disorder. However, research on local and system-level neural underpinnings of inhibition failures as a function of binge drinking is limited. To address these gaps, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to examine local changes and interregional functional connectivity during response inhibition errors on a Go/NoGo task. Young adult binge drinkers (BDs) performed equally well as light drinkers (LDs), a group of demographically matched individuals who drink regularly but in low-risk patterns. In contrast, BDs exhibited greater fMRI activity to inhibition errors contrasted with correct NoGo trials in the rostral anterior (rACC) and posterior cingulate cortices (PCC), as well as right middle frontal gyrus (R-MFG). Furthermore, BDs showed increased connectivity between the rACC and right lateral prefrontal cortex, in addition to greater connectivity between the R-MFG and the left ventrolateral and superior frontal cortices. Imaging indices were positively correlated only with alcohol-related measures, but not with those related to moods, disposition, or cognitive capacity. Taken together, greater error-related activity and expanded functional connectivity among prefrontal regions may serve a compensatory role to maintain efficiency of inhibitory control. Aligned with prominent models of addiction, these findings accentuate the importance of top-down control in maintaining low-risk drinking levels. They provide insight into potentially early signs of deteriorating cognitive control functions in BDs and may help guide intervention strategies aimed at preventing excessive drinking habits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Austin B Alderson Myers
- Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Dr., San Diego, CA 92182, USA.
| | - Donatello Arienzo
- Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Dr., San Diego, CA 92182, USA.
| | - Sean M Molnar
- Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Dr., San Diego, CA 92182, USA.
| | - Ksenija Marinkovic
- Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Dr., San Diego, CA 92182, USA; Department of Radiology, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr., La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
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10
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Berhe O, Gerhardt S, Schmahl C. Clinical Outcomes of Severe Forms of Early Social Stress. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2021; 54:417-438. [PMID: 34628586 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2021_261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Early social stress, particularly severe but nevertheless frequent forms such as abuse and neglect, are among the major risk factors for the development of mental disorders. However, we only have very limited knowledge of the psychobiological disease mechanisms underlying the influence of early life stress and stress-related disorders during this vulnerable phase of life. Early stress can have long-lasting adverse effects on the brain and other somatic systems, e.g. through influences on brain development. In adulthood, the prior experience of abuse or neglect can result in complex clinical profiles. Besides conditions such as mood and anxiety disorders as well as posttraumatic stress disorder, substance use disorders (SUD) are among the most prevalent sequelae of early social stress. Current social stress further influences the development and maintenance of these disorders, e.g., by increasing the risk of relapses. In this chapter, we will first give an overview of currently used methods to assess the phenomenology and pathophysiology of stress-related disorders and then focus on the phenomenological and neurobiological background of the interaction between early social stress and SUD. We will give an overview of important insights from neuroimaging studies and will also highlight recent findings from studies using digital tools such as ecological momentary assessment or virtual reality to capture the influence of early social stress as well as current social stress in everyday life of persons with SUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oksana Berhe
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Central Institute of Mental Health, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Sarah Gerhardt
- Department of Addictive Behaviour and Addiction Medicine, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Central Institute of Mental Health, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Christian Schmahl
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Central Institute of Mental Health, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany.
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11
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Hien DA, López-Castro T, Fitzpatrick S, Ruglass LM, Fertuck EA, Melara R. A unifying translational framework to advance treatment research for comorbid PTSD and substance use disorders. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 127:779-794. [PMID: 34062208 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.05.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2020] [Revised: 05/13/2021] [Accepted: 05/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
We provide a unifying translational framework that can be used to synthesize extant lines of human laboratory research in four neurofunctional domains that underlie the co-occurrence of posttraumatic stress and substance use disorders (PTSD+SUD). We draw upon the Alcohol and Addiction Research Domain Criteria (AARDOC) to include executive functioning, negative emotionality, reward, and added social cognition from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Research Domain Criteria into our framework. We review research findings across each of the four domains, emphasizing human experimental studies in PTSD, SUD, and PTSD+SUD for each domain. We also discuss the implications of research findings for treatment development by considering new ways of conceptualizing risk factors and outcomes at the level of the individual patient, which will enhance treatment matching and advance innovations in intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denise A Hien
- Center of Alcohol & Substance Use Studies, Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology, Rutgers University-New Brunswick, Piscataway, New Jersey, United States.
| | - Teresa López-Castro
- Psychology Department, The City College of New York, New York, NY, United States
| | | | - Lesia M Ruglass
- Center of Alcohol & Substance Use Studies, Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology, Rutgers University-New Brunswick, Piscataway, New Jersey, United States; Psychology Department, The City College of New York, New York, NY, United States
| | - Eric A Fertuck
- Psychology Department, The City College of New York, New York, NY, United States
| | - Robert Melara
- Psychology Department, The City College of New York, New York, NY, United States
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12
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Al-Khalil K, Vakamudi K, Witkiewitz K, Claus ED. Neural correlates of alcohol use disorder severity among nontreatment-seeking heavy drinkers: An examination of the incentive salience and negative emotionality domains of the alcohol and addiction research domain criteria. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2021; 45:1200-1214. [PMID: 33864389 DOI: 10.1111/acer.14614] [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: 09/08/2020] [Revised: 04/02/2021] [Accepted: 04/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The Alcohol and Addiction Research Domain Criteria (AARDoC) propose that alcohol use disorder is associated with neural dysfunction in three primary domains: incentive salience, negative emotionality, and executive function. Prior studies in heavy drinking samples have examined brain activation changes associated with alcohol and negative affect cues, representing the incentive salience and negative emotionality domains, respectively. Yet studies examining such cue-induced changes in functional connectivity (FC) are relatively sparse. METHODS Nontreatment-seeking heavy drinking adults (N = 149, 56.0% male, 48.6% non-white, mean age 34.8 years (SD = 10.0)) underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging during presentation of alcohol, negative, and neutral pictures. We focused on FC changes involving the nucleus accumbens and amygdala in addition to activation and FC correlations with self-reported AUD severity. RESULTS For alcohol cues versus neutral cues, we observed accumbens FC changes in the cerebellum and prefrontal cortex (PFC), and amygdala FC changes with occipital, parietal, and hippocampal regions. AUD severity correlated positively with activation in the cerebellum (p < 0.05), accumbens FC in the cingulate gyri, somatosensory gyri, and cerebellum (p < 0.05), and with amygdala FC in the PFC and inferior parietal lobule (p < 0.05) for alcohol cues versus neutral cues. For negative cues versus neutral cues, we observed accumbens FC changes in the lateral temporal, occipital, and parietal regions, and amygdala FC changes in the fusiform and lingual gyri (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS The present findings provide empirical support for the AARDoC domains of incentive salience and negative emotionality and indicate that AUD severity is associated with salience and response control for reward cues. When covarying for differences in nonalcohol substance use and mood disorder diagnoses, AUD severity was also associated with emotional reactivity for negative cues.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Katie Witkiewitz
- Center on Alcohol, Substance Use, and Addictions, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
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13
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Gao K, Zhang R, Xu T, Zhou F, Feng T. The effect of conscientiousness on procrastination: The interaction between the self-control and motivation neural pathways. Hum Brain Mapp 2021; 42:1829-1844. [PMID: 33421255 PMCID: PMC7978125 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25333] [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: 08/24/2020] [Revised: 12/12/2020] [Accepted: 12/21/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Procrastination is a prevalent and universal problematic behavior, largely impairing individual's health, wealth and well-being. Substantial studies have confirmed that conscientiousness, one of the big five personality, showed markedly inverse relation with procrastination. However, it is hitherto unknown about the neural basis underlying the impact of conscientiousness on procrastination. To address this issue, we employed the voxel-based morphometry (VBM) and resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) methods to explore the neural substrates of conscientiousness responsible for procrastination (N = 330). In line with previous findings, the behavioral results showed a strong negative correlation between conscientiousness and procrastination (r = -.75). The VBM analysis found that conscientiousness was positively correlated with gray matter (GM) volumes in the left dorsal-lateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC), right orbital frontal cortex (OFC) and right putamen, but negatively correlated with that in the left insula. Moreover, the RSFC results revealed that both dlPFC-IPL (inferior parietal lobule) and dlPFC-PCC (posterior cingulate gyrus) functional connectivity were positively associated with conscientiousness, while the functional connectivity of parahippocampal gyrus (PHC)-putamen and insula-IPL were negatively associated with conscientiousness. More importantly, the structural equation modeling (SEM) integrating RSFC results were well fitted for the influence process of conscientiousness on procrastination by both self-control (i.e., dlPFC-IPL, dlPFC-PCC) and motivation pathways (i.e., PHC-putamen, insula-IPL). The current findings suggest that self-control and motivation could be the two neural pathways underlying the impact of conscientiousness on procrastination, which provides a new perspective to understand the relationship between conscientiousness and procrastination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kanxin Gao
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Rong Zhang
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Ting Xu
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Fan Zhou
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Tingyong Feng
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China.,Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Ministry of Education, China
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14
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Herman AM, Pilcher N, Duka T. Deter the emotions: Alexithymia, impulsivity and their relationship to binge drinking. Addict Behav Rep 2020; 12:100308. [PMID: 33364316 PMCID: PMC7752728 DOI: 10.1016/j.abrep.2020.100308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2020] [Revised: 10/14/2020] [Accepted: 10/19/2020] [Indexed: 10/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction The relevance of both emotion processing and impulsivity to alcohol use and misuse is increasingly recognised, yet there is a scarcity of studies addressing their reciprocal interaction. The present study aimed to examine the role that difficulties in emotion processing and trait impulsivity play in explaining binge drinking pattern of alcohol use in student population. We looked at binge drinking, as it is a risk factor to later alcohol abuse and is a common alcohol drinking habit among students. Alexithymia (from Greek as "deter/repel emotions"), a difficulty in identifying and describing feelings in self and others is increasingly recognised as a feature of alcohol misuse. Methods One-hundred and seventy-four student alcohol drinkers were assessed for their drinking habits (Alcohol Use Questionnaire), as well as for alexithymia (Toronto Alexithymia Scale) and impulsivity trait (Barratt Impulsiveness Scale); facial emotional expression judgements were also tested. Results A direct relationships between, both, alexithymia and impulsivity, and binge drinking was found. When combined, trait impulsivity partially mediated the relationship between alexithymia and binge drinking. Facial emotional expression judgements also showed a relationship with binge drinking. Conclusions These findings highlight the importance of both emotion processing and impulsivity in understanding binge drinking and indicate potential routes for prevention and intervention techniques, especially towards those who may be at risk of later alcohol abuse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksandra M Herman
- Department of Psychology, Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham, UK.,School of Psychology, University of Sussex, Falmer, UK
| | | | - Theodora Duka
- School of Psychology, University of Sussex, Falmer, UK.,Sussex Addiction Research and Intervention Centre, University of Sussex, Falmer, UK
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15
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Carlson HN, Weiner JL. The neural, behavioral, and epidemiological underpinnings of comorbid alcohol use disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF NEUROBIOLOGY 2020; 157:69-142. [PMID: 33648676 DOI: 10.1016/bs.irn.2020.09.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) and (PTSD) frequently co-occur and individuals suffering from this dual diagnosis often exhibit increased symptom severity and poorer treatment outcomes than those with only one of these diseases. Although there have been significant advances in our understanding of the neurobiological mechanisms underlying each of these disorders, the neural underpinnings of the comorbid condition remain poorly understood. This chapter summarizes recent epidemiological findings on comorbid AUD and PTSD, with a focus on vulnerable populations, the temporal relationship between these disorders, and the clinical consequences associated with the dual diagnosis. We then review animal models of the comorbid condition and emerging human and non-human animal research that is beginning to identify maladaptive neural changes common to both disorders, primarily involving functional changes in brain reward and stress networks. We end by proposing a neural framework, based on the emerging field of affective valence encoding, that may better explain the epidemiological and neural findings on AUD and PTSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah N Carlson
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, United States
| | - Jeff L Weiner
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, United States.
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16
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Miller L, Balodis IM, McClintock CH, Xu J, Lacadie CM, Sinha R, Potenza MN. Neural Correlates of Personalized Spiritual Experiences. Cereb Cortex 2020; 29:2331-2338. [PMID: 29846531 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhy102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2017] [Revised: 03/10/2018] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Across cultures and throughout history, human beings have reported a variety of spiritual experiences and the concomitant perceived sense of union that transcends one's ordinary sense of self. Nevertheless, little is known about the underlying neural mechanisms of spiritual experiences, particularly when examined across different traditions and practices. By adapting an individualized guided-imagery task, we investigated neural correlates of personally meaningful spiritual experiences as compared with stressful and neutral-relaxing experiences. We observed in the spiritual condition, as compared with the neutral-relaxing condition, reduced activity in the left inferior parietal lobule (IPL), a result that suggests the IPL may contribute importantly to perceptual processing and self-other representations during spiritual experiences. Compared with stress cues, responses to spiritual cues showed reduced activity in the medial thalamus and caudate, regions associated with sensory and emotional processing. Overall, the study introduces a novel method for investigating brain correlates of personally meaningful spiritual experiences and suggests neural mechanisms associated with broadly defined and personally experienced spirituality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Miller
- Spirituality Mind Body Institute, Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Iris M Balodis
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.,Peter Boris Centre for Addictions Research, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, DeGroote School of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Clayton H McClintock
- Spirituality Mind Body Institute, Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jiansong Xu
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Cheryl M Lacadie
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Rajita Sinha
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.,Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.,Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Marc N Potenza
- Spirituality Mind Body Institute, Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.,Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.,Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.,Connecticut Mental Health Center, New Haven, CT, USA
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17
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Goldfarb EV, Rosenberg MD, Seo D, Constable RT, Sinha R. Hippocampal seed connectome-based modeling predicts the feeling of stress. Nat Commun 2020; 11:2650. [PMID: 32461583 PMCID: PMC7253445 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-16492-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2019] [Accepted: 05/07/2020] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Although the feeling of stress is ubiquitous, the neural mechanisms underlying this affective experience remain unclear. Here, we investigate functional hippocampal connectivity throughout the brain during an acute stressor and use machine learning to demonstrate that these networks can specifically predict the subjective feeling of stress. During a stressor, hippocampal connectivity with a network including the hypothalamus (known to regulate physiological stress) predicts feeling more stressed, whereas connectivity with regions such as dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (associated with emotion regulation) predicts less stress. These networks do not predict a subjective state unrelated to stress, and a nonhippocampal network does not predict subjective stress. Hippocampal networks are consistent, specific to the construct of subjective stress, and broadly informative across measures of subjective stress. This approach provides opportunities for relating hypothesis-driven functional connectivity networks to clinically meaningful subjective states. Together, these results identify hippocampal networks that modulate the feeling of stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth V. Goldfarb
- 0000000419368710grid.47100.32Yale Stress Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06519 USA ,0000000419368710grid.47100.32Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06511 USA ,0000000419368710grid.47100.32Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520 USA
| | - Monica D. Rosenberg
- 0000000419368710grid.47100.32Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520 USA ,0000 0004 1936 7822grid.170205.1Department of Psychology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637 USA
| | - Dongju Seo
- 0000000419368710grid.47100.32Yale Stress Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06519 USA ,0000000419368710grid.47100.32Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06511 USA
| | - R. Todd Constable
- 0000000419368710grid.47100.32Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520 USA ,0000000419368710grid.47100.32Department of Neurosurgery, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520 USA
| | - Rajita Sinha
- 0000000419368710grid.47100.32Yale Stress Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06519 USA ,0000000419368710grid.47100.32Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06511 USA ,0000000419368710grid.47100.32Department of Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520 USA
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18
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Wilcox CE, Adinoff B, Clifford J, Ling J, Witkiewitz K, Mayer AR, Boggs KM, Eck M, Bogenschutz M. Brain activation and subjective anxiety during an anticipatory anxiety task is related to clinical outcome during prazosin treatment for alcohol use disorder. NEUROIMAGE-CLINICAL 2020; 26:102162. [PMID: 32037283 PMCID: PMC7229347 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2020.102162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2019] [Revised: 12/15/2019] [Accepted: 01/02/2020] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Higher levels of anxiety, negative affect, and impaired emotion regulation are associated with alcohol use disorder (AUD) and contribute to relapse and worse treatment outcomes. Prazosin, while typically used to treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other anxiety disorders, has shown promise for treating AUD. In order to better understand these underlying neural processes in individuals with AUD, our aims in this study were to measure brain activation during an anticipatory anxiety task before treatment to determine whether observed patterns supported previous work. We then aimed to measure the effects of prazosin on patients with AUD and explore whether greater baseline anticipatory anxiety (as measured by subjective and neural measures) predicts better treatment outcomes. METHODS Thirty-four individuals seeking treatment for AUD participated in a six-week placebo-controlled study of prazosin and underwent an anticipatory anxiety task during fMRI scans at baseline and three weeks. Alcohol use over six weeks was measured. RESULTS Greater levels of subjective anxiety and deactivation in posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) and ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) were observed during high-threat stimuli compared to low-threat stimuli. Compared to placebo, prazosin reduced subjective anxiety to high-threat stimuli but there were no observed significant effects of prazosin on brain activation during the task. However, AUD patients with greater vmPFC deactivation during high threat relative to low threat and patients with low baseline anticipatory anxiety during the task had worse clinical outcomes on prazosin. CONCLUSIONS Deactivation in PCC and vmPFC to high-threat stimuli replicated previous work and shows promise for further study as a marker for AUD. Although prazosin did not affect brain activation in the regions of interest during the anticipatory anxiety task, subjective levels of anxiety and brain activation in vmPFC predicted treatment outcomes in individuals with AUD undergoing treatment with prazosin, highlighting individuals more likely to benefit from prazosin than others.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire E Wilcox
- Mind Research Network, 1101 Yale Blvd. NE, Albuquerque, NM 87106, USA.
| | - Bryon Adinoff
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Blvd., Dallas, TX 75390, USA; VA North Texas Health Care System, 4500 S Lancaster Rd, Dallas, TX 75216, USA; Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Colorado, 13001 E 17th Place, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Joshua Clifford
- Department of Psychiatry, University of New Mexico, 2400 Tucker NE, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
| | - Josef Ling
- Mind Research Network, 1101 Yale Blvd. NE, Albuquerque, NM 87106, USA
| | - Katie Witkiewitz
- Department of Psychology, Center on Alcoholism, Substance Abuse & Addictions, University of New Mexico, 2650 Yale Blvd. SE, Albuquerque, NM 87106, USA
| | - Andrew R Mayer
- Mind Research Network, 1101 Yale Blvd. NE, Albuquerque, NM 87106, USA
| | - Kylar M Boggs
- Mind Research Network, 1101 Yale Blvd. NE, Albuquerque, NM 87106, USA
| | - Matthew Eck
- Mind Research Network, 1101 Yale Blvd. NE, Albuquerque, NM 87106, USA; University of Southern California, USA
| | - Michael Bogenschutz
- Department of Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
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19
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Pucci M, Micioni Di Bonaventura MV, Wille-Bille A, Fernández MS, Maccarrone M, Pautassi RM, Cifani C, D’Addario C. Environmental stressors and alcoholism development: Focus on molecular targets and their epigenetic regulation. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2019; 106:165-181. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2018.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2018] [Revised: 06/13/2018] [Accepted: 07/09/2018] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
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20
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Brain activation patterns associated with paragraph learning in persons with multiple sclerosis: The MEMREHAB trial. Int J Psychophysiol 2019; 154:37-45. [PMID: 31644933 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2019.09.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2018] [Revised: 09/18/2019] [Accepted: 09/19/2019] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
The modified Story Memory Technique (mSMT) is a memory rehabilitation program that combines training in visualization and context formation to improve learning and memory. Previous studies have shown improvement in learning and memory in individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS) after undergoing the mSMT, including changes in brain activity related to working memory and word encoding. The current study examined changes in brain activity in 16 individuals diagnosed with MS (n treatment = 6; n placebo control = 10) when they were presented with to-be-remembered information within a meaningful context (i.e. a paragraph) from before to after mSMT treatment. We expected treatment-related changes in brain activation in the language network (LAN), default mode network (DMN), and executive control network (ECN). Consistent with this prediction, fMRI results revealed reduced brain activation in the LAN, DMN and ECN after completing the mSMT treatment in the context of paragraph learning. While no significant behavioral changes were observed, a marginally significant improvement with a large effect size was noted between baseline and follow-up performance on the Rivermead Behavioral Memory Test in persons who completed treatment. Results are discussed in terms of the impact of imagery training on patterns of cerebral activation when learning words presented within a context.
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21
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Natividad LA, Steinman MQ, Laredo SA, Irimia C, Polis IY, Lintz R, Buczynski MW, Martin-Fardon R, Roberto M, Parsons LH. Phosphorylation of calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II in the rat dorsal medial prefrontal cortex is associated with alcohol-induced cognitive inflexibility. Addict Biol 2018; 23:1117-1129. [PMID: 28940879 PMCID: PMC5862723 DOI: 10.1111/adb.12568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Repeated cycles of alcohol [ethanol (EtOH)] intoxication and withdrawal dysregulate excitatory glutamatergic systems in the brain and induce neuroadaptations in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) that contribute to cognitive dysfunction. The mPFC is composed of subdivisions that are functionally distinct, with dorsal regions facilitating drug-cue associations and ventral regions modulating new learning in the absence of drug. A key modulator of glutamatergic activity is the holoenzyme calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) that phosphorylates ionotropic glutamate receptors. Here, we examined the hypothesis that abstinence from chronic intermittent EtOH (CIE) exposure dysregulates CaMKII activity in the mPFC to impair cognitive flexibility. We used an operant model of strategy set shifting in male Long-Evans rats demonstrating reduced susceptibility to trial omissions during performance in a visual cue-guided task versus albino strains. Relative to naïve controls, rats experiencing approximately 10 days of abstinence from CIE vapor exposure demonstrated impaired performance during a procedural shift from visual cue to spatial location discrimination. Phosphorylation of CaMKII subtype α was upregulated in the dorsal, but not ventral mPFC of CIE-exposed rats, and was positively correlated with perseverative-like responding during the set shift. The findings suggest that abstinence from CIE exposure induces an undercurrent of kinase activity (e.g. CaMKII), which may promote aberrant glutamatergic responses in select regions of the mPFC. Given the role of the mPFC in modulating executive control of behavior, we propose that increased CaMKII subtype α activity reflects a dysregulated 'top-down' circuit that interferes with adaptive behavioral performance under changing environmental demands.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Sarah A. Laredo
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, 92037, USA
| | - Cristina Irimia
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, 92037, USA
| | - Ilham Y. Polis
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, 92037, USA
| | - Robert Lintz
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, 92037, USA
| | - Matthew W. Buczynski
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, 92037, USA
| | - Rémi Martin-Fardon
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, 92037, USA
| | - Marisa Roberto
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, 92037, USA
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22
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Jakubczyk A, Trucco EM, Kopera M, Kobyliński P, Suszek H, Fudalej S, Brower KJ, Wojnar M. The association between impulsivity, emotion regulation, and symptoms of alcohol use disorder. J Subst Abuse Treat 2018; 91:49-56. [PMID: 29910014 PMCID: PMC6020846 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsat.2018.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2018] [Revised: 04/11/2018] [Accepted: 05/30/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Emotion dysregulation and impulsivity are important factors influencing the development and course of alcohol dependence. However, few empirical studies investigate the association between different aspects of impulsivity (cognitive, attentional, behavioral), emotion regulation, and alcohol use disorder symptoms in the same model. The goal of this study was to assess the association between emotion regulation and different facets of impulsivity among patients with an alcohol use disorder and healthy controls. The sample was comprised of 273 individuals: 180 participants with an alcohol use disorder undergoing inpatient alcohol treatment and 93 healthy controls. Emotion regulation was assessed using the Schutte Self-Report Emotional Intelligence Test subscale. Impulsivity was assessed with Barratt's Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11). Statistical models tested both the BIS-11 total score, as well as three secondary factors (non-planning, attentional, and motor impulsivity). Findings indicate that individuals with alcohol use disorder symptoms were characterized by poor emotion regulation and high levels of impulsivity in all analyzed domains. Moreover, path analytic models indicated that after accounting for demographic factors (i.e., biological sex, age, education) there was evidence for a significant indirect effect of alcohol use disorder symptomatology on non-planning and attentional impulsivity via emotion regulation. There was no association between emotion regulation and motor impulsivity. These findings indicate the importance of targeting emotion regulation skills as well as behavioral control when treating patients with alcohol use disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrzej Jakubczyk
- Department of Psychiatry, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Elisa M Trucco
- Department of Psychology and the Center for Children and Families, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Addiction Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Maciej Kopera
- Department of Psychiatry, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Paweł Kobyliński
- National Information Processing Institute, Laboratory of Interactive Technologies, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Hubert Suszek
- Department of Psychology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Sylwia Fudalej
- Department of Psychiatry, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Kirk J Brower
- Department of Psychiatry, Addiction Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Marcin Wojnar
- Department of Psychiatry, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland; Department of Psychiatry, Addiction Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
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23
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Varodayan FP, Sidhu H, Kreifeldt M, Roberto M, Contet C. Morphological and functional evidence of increased excitatory signaling in the prelimbic cortex during ethanol withdrawal. Neuropharmacology 2018; 133:470-480. [PMID: 29471053 PMCID: PMC5865397 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2018.02.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2017] [Revised: 01/26/2018] [Accepted: 02/16/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Excessive alcohol consumption in humans induces deficits in decision making and emotional processing, which indicates a dysfunction of the prefrontal cortex (PFC). The present study aimed to determine the impact of chronic intermittent ethanol (CIE) inhalation on mouse medial PFC pyramidal neurons. Data were collected 6-8 days into withdrawal from 7 weeks of CIE exposure, a time point when mice exhibit behavioral symptoms of withdrawal. We found that spine maturity in prelimbic (PL) layer 2/3 neurons was increased, while dendritic spines in PL layer 5 neurons or infralimbic (IL) neurons were not affected. Corroborating these morphological observations, CIE enhanced glutamatergic transmission in PL layer 2/3 pyramidal neurons, but not IL layer 2/3 neurons. Contrary to our predictions, these cellular alterations were associated with improved, rather than impaired, performance in reversal learning and strategy switching tasks in the Barnes maze at an earlier stage of chronic ethanol exposure (5-7 days withdrawal from 3 to 4 weeks of CIE), which could result from the anxiety-like behavior associated with ethanol withdrawal. Altogether, this study adds to a growing body of literature indicating that glutamatergic activity in the PFC is upregulated following chronic ethanol exposure, and identifies PL layer 2/3 pyramidal neurons as a sensitive target of synaptic remodeling. It also indicates that the Barnes maze is not suitable to detect deficits in cognitive flexibility in CIE-withdrawn mice.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Harpreet Sidhu
- The Scripps Research Institute, Department of Neuroscience, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Max Kreifeldt
- The Scripps Research Institute, Department of Neuroscience, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Marisa Roberto
- The Scripps Research Institute, Department of Neuroscience, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Candice Contet
- The Scripps Research Institute, Department of Neuroscience, La Jolla, CA, USA.
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24
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Wilcox CE, Calhoun VD, Rachakonda S, Claus ED, Littlewood RA, Mickey J, Arenella PB, Hutchison KE. Functional network connectivity predicts treatment outcome during treatment of nicotine use disorder. Psychiatry Res 2017; 265:45-53. [PMID: 28525877 PMCID: PMC5522183 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2017.04.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2017] [Revised: 04/28/2017] [Accepted: 04/28/2017] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Altered resting state functional connectivity (rsFC) and functional network connectivity (FNC), which is a measure of coherence between brain networks, may be associated with nicotine use disorder (NUD). We hypothesized that higher connectivity between insula and 1) dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) and 2) dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) would predict better treatment outcomes. We also performed an exploratory analysis of the associations between FNC values between additional key frontal and striatal regions and treatment outcomes. One hundred and forty four individuals with NUD underwent a resting state session during functional MRI prior to randomization to treatment with varenicline (n=82) or placebo. Group independent component analysis (ICA) was utilized to extract individual subject components and time series from intrinsic connectivity networks in aforementioned regions, and FNC between all possible pairs were calculated. Higher FNC between insula and dACC (rho=0.21) was significantly correlated with lower levels of baseline smoking quantity but did not predict treatment outcome upon controlling for baseline smoking. Higher FNC between putamen and dACC, caudate and dACC, and caudate and dlPFC significantly predicted worse treatment outcome in participants reporting high subjective withdrawal before the scan. FNC between key regions hold promise as biomarkers to predict outcome in NUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire E Wilcox
- Department of Psychiatry, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA.
| | - Vince D Calhoun
- Department of Psychiatry, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA; Mind Research Network and Lovelace Biomedical and Environmental Research Institute, Albuquerque, NM, USA; Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Srinivas Rachakonda
- Mind Research Network and Lovelace Biomedical and Environmental Research Institute, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Eric D Claus
- Mind Research Network and Lovelace Biomedical and Environmental Research Institute, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Rae A Littlewood
- Mind Research Network and Lovelace Biomedical and Environmental Research Institute, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Jessica Mickey
- Mind Research Network and Lovelace Biomedical and Environmental Research Institute, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Pamela B Arenella
- Department of Psychiatry, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Kent E Hutchison
- Mind Research Network and Lovelace Biomedical and Environmental Research Institute, Albuquerque, NM, USA; Department of Psychology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
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25
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Pahng AR, McGinn MA, Paulsen RI, Edwards S. The Prefrontal Cortex as a Critical Gate of Negative Affect and Motivation in Alcohol Use Disorder. Curr Opin Behav Sci 2017; 13:139-143. [PMID: 28111628 PMCID: PMC5242235 DOI: 10.1016/j.cobeha.2016.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
The prefrontal cortex (PFC) represents and executes the highest forms of goal-directed behavior, and has thereby attained a central neuroanatomical position in most pathophysiological conceptualizations of motivational disorders, including alcohol use disorder (AUD). Excessive, intermittent exposure to alcohol produces an allostatic dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis along with heightened forebrain glucocorticoid signaling that can damage PFC architecture and function. Negative affective states intimately associated with the transition to alcohol dependence result not only from a dysregulated HPA axis, but also from the inability of a damaged PFC to regulate subcortical stress and reinforcement centers, including the ventral striatum and amygdala. Several cognitive symptoms commonly associated with severe AUD, ranging from poor risk management to the cognitive/affective dimension of pain, are likely mediated by altered function of key anatomical elements that modulate PFC executive function, including contributions from the cingulate cortex and insula. Future therapeutic strategies for severe AUD should focus on attenuating the deleterious effects of excessive stress hormone activity on cognitive/affective and motivational behaviors gated by the PFC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda R Pahng
- Department of Physiology, Alcohol and Drug Abuse Center of Excellence, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA
| | - M Adrienne McGinn
- Department of Physiology, Alcohol and Drug Abuse Center of Excellence, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA
| | - Rod I Paulsen
- Department of Physiology, Alcohol and Drug Abuse Center of Excellence, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA
| | - Scott Edwards
- Department of Physiology, Alcohol and Drug Abuse Center of Excellence, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA
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26
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Perry CJ, Lawrence AJ. Addiction, cognitive decline and therapy: seeking ways to escape a vicious cycle. GENES BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR 2016; 16:205-218. [DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2016] [Revised: 08/14/2016] [Accepted: 08/25/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- C. J. Perry
- Behavioural Neuroscience Division; The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health; Melbourne VIC Australia
- Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health; University of Melbourne; Melbourne VIC Australia
| | - A. J. Lawrence
- Behavioural Neuroscience Division; The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health; Melbourne VIC Australia
- Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health; University of Melbourne; Melbourne VIC Australia
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