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Vierkant V, Xie X, Huang Z, He L, Bancroft E, Wang X, Nguyen T, Srinivasan R, Zhou Y, Wang J. Optogenetic inhibition of light-captured alcohol-taking striatal engrams facilitates extinction and suppresses reinstatement. ALCOHOL, CLINICAL & EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH 2024. [PMID: 39095328 DOI: 10.1111/acer.15412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2024] [Revised: 07/09/2024] [Accepted: 07/16/2024] [Indexed: 08/04/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a complex condition, and it remains unclear which specific neuronal substrates mediate alcohol-seeking and -taking behaviors. Engram cells and their related ensembles, which encode learning and memory, may play a role in this process. We aimed to assess the precise neural substrates underlying alcohol-seeking and -taking behaviors and determine how they may affect one another. METHODS Using FLiCRE (Fast Light and Calcium-Regulated Expression; a newly developed technique which permits the trapping of acutely activated neuronal ensembles) and operant self-administration (OSA), we tagged striatal neurons activated during alcohol-taking behaviors. We used FLiCRE to express an inhibitory halorhodopsin in alcohol-taking neurons, permitting loss-of-function manipulations. RESULTS We found that the inhibition of OSA-tagged alcohol-taking neurons decreased both alcohol-seeking and -taking behaviors in future OSA trials. In addition, optogenetic inhibition of these OSA-tagged alcohol-taking neurons during extinction training facilitated the extinction of alcohol-seeking behaviors. Furthermore, inhibition of these OSA-tagged alcohol-taking neurons suppressed the reinstatement of alcohol-seeking behaviors, but, interestingly, it did not significantly suppress alcohol-taking behaviors during reinstatement. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that alcohol-taking neurons are crucial for future alcohol-seeking behaviors during extinction and reinstatement. These results may help in the development of new therapeutic approaches to enhance extinction and suppress relapse in individuals with AUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valerie Vierkant
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, School of Medicine, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Bryan, Texas, USA
| | - Xueyi Xie
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, School of Medicine, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Bryan, Texas, USA
| | - Zhenbo Huang
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, School of Medicine, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Bryan, Texas, USA
| | - Lian He
- Center for Translational Cancer Research, Institute of Biosciences and Technology, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Eric Bancroft
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, School of Medicine, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Bryan, Texas, USA
| | - Xuehua Wang
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, School of Medicine, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Bryan, Texas, USA
| | - Tran Nguyen
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, School of Medicine, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Bryan, Texas, USA
| | - Rahul Srinivasan
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, School of Medicine, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Bryan, Texas, USA
| | - Yubin Zhou
- Center for Translational Cancer Research, Institute of Biosciences and Technology, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Jun Wang
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, School of Medicine, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Bryan, Texas, USA
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2
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Giannone F, Ebrahimi C, Endrass T, Hansson AC, Schlagenhauf F, Sommer WH. Bad habits-good goals? Meta-analysis and translation of the habit construct to alcoholism. Transl Psychiatry 2024; 14:298. [PMID: 39030169 PMCID: PMC11271507 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-024-02965-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2023] [Revised: 05/19/2024] [Accepted: 05/24/2024] [Indexed: 07/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Excessive alcohol consumption remains a global public health crisis, with millions suffering from alcohol use disorder (AUD, or simply "alcoholism"), leading to significantly reduced life expectancy. This review examines the interplay between habitual and goal-directed behaviors and the associated neurobiological changes induced by chronic alcohol exposure. Contrary to a strict habit-goal dichotomy, our meta-analysis of the published animal experiments combined with a review of human studies reveals a nuanced transition between these behavioral control systems, emphasizing the need for refined terminology to capture the probabilistic nature of decision biases in individuals with a history of chronic alcohol exposure. Furthermore, we distinguish habitual responding from compulsivity, viewing them as separate entities with diverse roles throughout the stages of the addiction cycle. By addressing species-specific differences and translational challenges in habit research, we provide insights to enhance future investigations and inform strategies for combatting AUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Giannone
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, 68159, Mannheim, Germany
| | - C Ebrahimi
- Faculty of Psychology, Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, 01062, Dresden, Germany
| | - T Endrass
- Faculty of Psychology, Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, 01062, Dresden, Germany
| | - A C Hansson
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, 68159, Mannheim, Germany
| | - F Schlagenhauf
- Department of Psychotherapy, Campus Charité Mitte, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin & St. Hedwig Hospital, 10117, Berlin, Germany
| | - W H Sommer
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, 68159, Mannheim, Germany.
- Bethania Hospital for Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Greifswald, Germany.
- German Center for Mental Health (DZPG), Partner Site Mannheim-Heidelberg-Ulm, 68159, Mannheim, Germany.
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3
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Pochapski JA, Gómez-A A, Stringfield SJ, Jaggers H, Boettiger CA, Da Cunha C, Robinson DL. Adolescent alcohol exposure persistently alters orbitofrontal cortical encoding of Pavlovian conditional stimulus components in female rats. Sci Rep 2024; 14:13775. [PMID: 38877100 PMCID: PMC11178901 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-64036-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2024] [Accepted: 06/04/2024] [Indexed: 06/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Exposure to alcohol during adolescence impacts cortical and limbic brain regions undergoing maturation. In rodent models, long-term effects on behavior and neurophysiology have been described after adolescent intermittent ethanol (AIE), especially in males. We hypothesized that AIE in female rats increases conditional approach to a reward-predictive cue and corresponding neuronal activity in the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and nucleus accumbens (NAc). We evaluated behavior and neuronal firing after AIE (5 g/kg intragastric) or water (CON) in adult female rats. Both AIE and CON groups expressed a ST phenotype, and AIE marginally increased sign-tracking (ST) and decreased goal-tracking (GT) metrics. NAc neurons exhibited phasic firing patterns to the conditional stimulus (CS), with no differences between groups. In contrast, neuronal firing in the OFC of AIE animals was greater at CS onset and offset than in CON animals. During reward omission, OFC responses to CS offset normalized to CON levels, but enhanced OFC firing to CS onset persisted in AIE. We suggest that the enhanced OFC neural activity observed in AIE rats to the CS could contribute to behavioral inflexibility. Ultimately, AIE persistently impacts the neurocircuitry of reward-motivated behavior in female rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jose A Pochapski
- Laboratorio de Fisiologia e Farmacologia do Sistema Nervoso Central, Department of Pharmacology, Universidade Federal do Parana, Curitiba, PR, Brazil
| | - Alexander Gómez-A
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | | | - Hannah Jaggers
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Charlotte A Boettiger
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Claudio Da Cunha
- Laboratorio de Fisiologia e Farmacologia do Sistema Nervoso Central, Department of Pharmacology, Universidade Federal do Parana, Curitiba, PR, Brazil
- Department of Biochemistry, Universidade Federal do Parana, Curitiba, PR, Brazil
| | - Donita L Robinson
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
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4
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Bender BN, Stringfield SJ, Torregrossa MM. Changes in dorsomedial striatum activity during expression of goal-directed vs. habit-like cue-induced cocaine seeking. ADDICTION NEUROSCIENCE 2024; 11:100149. [PMID: 38957402 PMCID: PMC11218864 DOI: 10.1016/j.addicn.2024.100149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/04/2024]
Abstract
A preclinical model of cue exposure therapy, cue extinction, reduces cue-induced cocaine seeking that is goal-directed but not habit-like. Goal-directed and habitual behaviors differentially rely on the dorsomedial striatum (DMS) and dorsolateral striatum (DLS), but the effects of cue extinction on dorsal striatal responses to cue-induced drug seeking are unknown. We used fiber photometry in rats trained to self-administer cocaine paired with an audiovisual cue to examine how dorsal striatal intracellular calcium and extracellular dopamine activity differs between goal-directed and habit-like cue-induced cocaine seeking and how it is impacted by cue extinction. After minimal fixed-ratio training, rats showed enhanced DMS and DLS calcium responses to cue-reinforced compared to unreinforced lever presses. After rats were trained on goal-promoting fixed ratio schedules or habit-promoting second-order schedules of reinforcement, different patterns of dorsal striatal calcium and dopamine responses to cue-reinforced lever presses emerged. Rats trained on habit-promoting second-order schedules showed reduced DMS calcium responses and enhanced DLS dopamine responses to cue-reinforced lever presses. Cue extinction reduced calcium responses during subsequent drug seeking in the DMS, but not in the DLS. Therefore, cue extinction may reduce goal-directed behavior through its effects on the DMS, whereas habit-like behavior and the DLS are unaffected.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brooke N. Bender
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, 450 Technology Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, United States
- Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, 4200 Fifth Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, United States
| | - Sierra J. Stringfield
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, 450 Technology Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, United States
| | - Mary M. Torregrossa
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, 450 Technology Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, United States
- Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, 4200 Fifth Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, United States
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5
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Baltz ET, Renteria R, Gremel CM. Chronic alcohol exposure differentially alters calcium activity of striatal cell populations during actions. ADDICTION NEUROSCIENCE 2023; 8:100128. [PMID: 37842013 PMCID: PMC10569208 DOI: 10.1016/j.addicn.2023.100128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2023]
Abstract
Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) can induce long lasting alterations to executive function. This includes altered action control, which can manifest as dysfunctional goal-directed control. Cortical and striatal circuits mediate goal-directed control over behavior, and prior research has found chronic alcohol disrupts these circuits. In particular, prior in vivo and ex vivo work have identified alterations to function and activity of dorsal medial striatum (DMS), which is necessary for goal-directed control. However, unknown is whether these alterations manifest as altered activity of select DMS populations during behavior. Here we examine effects of prior chronic alcohol exposure on calcium activity modulation during action-related behaviors via fiber photometry of genetically-identified DMS populations including the direct and indirect output pathways, and fast-spiking interneurons. We find that prior chronic alcohol exposure leads to increased calcium modulation of the direct pathway during action related behavior. In contrast, prior chronic alcohol exposure led to decreased calcium activity modulation of the indirect pathway and the fast-spiking interneuron population around action-related events. Together, our findings suggest an imbalance in striatal activity during action control. This disruption may contribute to the altered goal-directed control previously reported.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily T. Baltz
- The Neurosciences Graduate Program, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Rafael Renteria
- Department of Psychology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Christina M. Gremel
- The Neurosciences Graduate Program, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
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6
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Bender BN, Stringfield SJ, Torregrossa MM. Changes in dorsomedial striatum activity mediate expression of goal-directed vs. habit-like cue-induced cocaine seeking. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.07.24.550364. [PMID: 37546826 PMCID: PMC10402009 DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.24.550364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/08/2023]
Abstract
A preclinical model of cue exposure therapy, cue extinction, reduces cue-induced cocaine seeking when drug seeking is goal-directed but not habitual. Goal-directed and habitual behaviors differentially rely on the dorsomedial striatum (DMS) and dorsolateral striatum (DLS), but the effects of cue extinction on dorsal striatal responses to cue-induced drug seeking are unknown. We used fiber photometry to examine how dorsal striatal intracellular calcium and extracellular dopamine activity differs between goal-directed and habitual cue-induced cocaine seeking and how it is impacted by cue extinction. Rats trained to self-administer cocaine paired with an audiovisual cue on schedules of reinforcement that promote goal-directed or habitual cocaine seeking had different patterns of dorsal striatal calcium and dopamine responses to cue-reinforced lever presses. Cue extinction reduced calcium and dopamine responses during subsequent drug seeking in the DMS, but not in the DLS. Therefore, cue extinction may reduce goal-directed behavior through its effects on the DMS, whereas habitual behavior and the DLS are unaffected.
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7
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Prenatal Opioid Exposure Impairs Endocannabinoid and Glutamate Transmission in the Dorsal Striatum. eNeuro 2022; 9:ENEURO.0119-22.2022. [PMID: 35396255 PMCID: PMC9034757 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0119-22.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2022] [Accepted: 03/24/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The opioid crisis has contributed to a growing population of children exposed to opioids during fetal development; however, many of the long-term effects of opioid exposure on development are unknown. We previously demonstrated that opioids have deleterious effects on endocannabinoid plasticity at glutamate synapses in the dorsal striatum of adolescent rodents, but it is unclear whether prenatal opioid exposure produces similar neuroadaptations. Using a mouse model of prenatal methadone exposure (PME), we performed proteomics, phosphoproteomics, and patch-clamp electrophysiology in the dorsolateral striatum (DLS) and dorsomedial striatum (DMS) to examine synaptic functioning in adolescent PME offspring. PME impacted the proteome and phosphoproteome in a region- and sex-dependent manner. Many proteins and phosphorylated proteins associated with glutamate transmission were differentially abundant in PME offspring, which was associated with reduced glutamate release in the DLS and altered the rise time of excitatory events in the DMS. Similarly, the intrinsic excitability properties of DMS neurons were significantly affected by PME. Last, pathway analyses revealed an enrichment in retrograde endocannabinoid signaling in the DLS, but not in the DMS, of males. Electrophysiology studies confirmed that endocannabinoid-mediated synaptic depression was impaired in the DLS, but not DMS, of PME-males. These results indicate that PME induces persistent neuroadaptations in the dorsal striatum and could contribute to the aberrant behavioral development described in offspring with prenatal opioid exposure.
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8
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Rutherford LG, Milton AL. Deconstructing and reconstructing behaviour relevant to mental health disorders: The benefits of a psychological approach, with a focus on addiction. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 133:104514. [PMID: 34958822 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.104514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2021] [Revised: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 11/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
RUTHERFORD, L.G. and Milton, A.L. Deconstructing and reconstructing behaviour relevant to mental health disorders: what can psychology offer? NEUROSCI BIOBEHAV REV XX(X)XXX-XXX, 2021. - Current treatments for mental health disorders are successful only for some patients, and there is an unmet clinical need for new treatment development. One challenge for treatment development has been how best to model complex human conditions in animals, where mechanism can be more readily studied with a range of neuroscientific techniques. We suggest that an approach to modelling based on associative animal learning theory provides a good framework for deconstructing complex mental health disorders such that they can be studied in animals. These individual simple models can subsequently be used in combination to 'reconstruct' a more complex model of the mental health disorder of interest. Using examples primarily from the field of drug addiction, we explore the 'psychological approach' and suggest that in addition to facilitating translation and backtranslation of tasks between animal models and patients, it is also highly concordant with the concept of triangulation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Amy L Milton
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom.
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9
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Poisson CL, Engel L, Saunders BT. Dopamine Circuit Mechanisms of Addiction-Like Behaviors. Front Neural Circuits 2021; 15:752420. [PMID: 34858143 PMCID: PMC8631198 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2021.752420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2021] [Accepted: 10/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Addiction is a complex disease that impacts millions of people around the world. Clinically, addiction is formalized as substance use disorder (SUD), with three primary symptom categories: exaggerated substance use, social or lifestyle impairment, and risky substance use. Considerable efforts have been made to model features of these criteria in non-human animal research subjects, for insight into the underlying neurobiological mechanisms. Here we review evidence from rodent models of SUD-inspired criteria, focusing on the role of the striatal dopamine system. We identify distinct mesostriatal and nigrostriatal dopamine circuit functions in behavioral outcomes that are relevant to addictions and SUDs. This work suggests that striatal dopamine is essential for not only positive symptom features of SUDs, such as elevated intake and craving, but also for impairments in decision making that underlie compulsive behavior, reduced sociality, and risk taking. Understanding the functional heterogeneity of the dopamine system and related networks can offer insight into this complex symptomatology and may lead to more targeted treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carli L. Poisson
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States
- Medical Discovery Team on Addiction, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States
| | - Liv Engel
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States
- Medical Discovery Team on Addiction, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States
| | - Benjamin T. Saunders
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States
- Medical Discovery Team on Addiction, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States
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10
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Corticosterone in the dorsolateral striatum facilitates the extinction of stimulus-response memory. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2021; 183:107481. [PMID: 34166790 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2021.107481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2021] [Revised: 06/17/2021] [Accepted: 06/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Glucocorticoid hormones are crucially involved in modulating mnemonic processing of stressful or emotionally arousing experiences. They are known to enhance the consolidation of new memories, including those that extinguish older memories. In this study, we investigated whether glucocorticoids facilitate the extinction of a striatum-dependent, and behaviorally more rigid, stimulus-response memory. For this, male rats were initially trained for six days on a stimulus-response task in a T-maze to obtain a reward after making an egocentric right-turn body response, regardless of the starting position in this maze. This training phase was followed by three extinction sessions in which right-turn body responses were not reinforced. Corticosterone administration into the dorsolateral region of the striatum after the first extinction session dose-dependently enhanced the consolidation of extinction memory: Rats administered the higher dose of corticosterone (30 ng), but not lower doses (5 or 10 ng), exhibited significantly fewer right-turn body responses and had longer latencies compared to vehicle-treated animals on the second and third extinction sessions. Co-administration of the glucocorticoid receptor antagonist RU 486 (10 ng) prevented the corticosterone effect, indicating that glucocorticoids enhance the extinction of stimulus-response memory via activation of the glucocorticoid receptor. Corticosterone administration into the dorsomedial striatum did not affect extinction memory. These findings indicate that stress-response mechanisms involving corticosterone actions in the dorsolateral striatum facilitate the extinction of stimulus-response memory that might allow for the development of an opportune behavioral strategy.
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Abstract
Abstract
Purpose of Review
Current theories of alcohol use disorders (AUD) highlight the importance of Pavlovian and instrumental learning processes mainly based on preclinical animal studies. Here, we summarize available evidence for alterations of those processes in human participants with AUD with a focus on habitual versus goal-directed instrumental learning, Pavlovian conditioning, and Pavlovian-to-instrumental transfer (PIT) paradigms.
Recent Findings
The balance between habitual and goal-directed control in AUD participants has been studied using outcome devaluation or sequential decision-making procedures, which have found some evidence of reduced goal-directed/model-based control, but little evidence for stronger habitual responding. The employed Pavlovian learning and PIT paradigms have shown considerable differences regarding experimental procedures, e.g., alcohol-related or conventional reinforcers or stimuli.
Summary
While studies of basic learning processes in human participants with AUD support a role of Pavlovian and instrumental learning mechanisms in the development and maintenance of drug addiction, current studies are characterized by large variability regarding methodology, sample characteristics, and results, and translation from animal paradigms to human research remains challenging. Longitudinal approaches with reliable and ecologically valid paradigms of Pavlovian and instrumental processes, including alcohol-related cues and outcomes, are warranted and should be combined with state-of-the-art imaging techniques, computational approaches, and ecological momentary assessment methods.
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12
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Grecco GG, Haggerty DL, Doud EH, Fritz BM, Yin F, Hoffman H, Mosley AL, Simpson E, Liu Y, Baucum AJ, Atwood BK. A multi-omic analysis of the dorsal striatum in an animal model of divergent genetic risk for alcohol use disorder. J Neurochem 2020; 157:1013-1031. [PMID: 33111353 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.15226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2020] [Revised: 09/07/2020] [Accepted: 10/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
The development of selectively bred high and low alcohol-preferring mice (HAP and LAP, respectively) has allowed for an assessment of the polygenetic risk for pathological alcohol consumption and phenotypes associated with alcohol use disorder (AUD). Accumulating evidence indicates that the dorsal striatum (DS) is a central node in the neurocircuitry underlying addictive processes. Therefore, knowledge of differential gene, protein, and phosphorylated protein expression in the DS of HAP and LAP mice may foster new insights into how aberrant DS functioning may contribute to AUD-related phenotypes. To begin to elucidate these basal differences, a complementary and integrated analysis of DS tissue from alcohol-naïve male and female HAP and LAP mice was performed using RNA sequencing, quantitative proteomics, and phosphoproteomics. These datasets were subjected to a thorough analysis of gene ontology, pathway enrichment, and hub gene assessment. Analyses identified 2,108, 390, and 521 significant differentially expressed genes, proteins, and phosphopeptides, respectively between the two lines. Network analyses revealed an enrichment in the differential expression of genes, proteins, and phosphorylated proteins connected to cellular organization, cytoskeletal protein binding, and pathways involved in synaptic transmission and functioning. These findings suggest that the selective breeding to generate HAP and LAP mice may lead to a rearrangement of synaptic architecture which could alter DS neurotransmission and plasticity differentially between mouse lines. These rich datasets will serve as an excellent resource to inform future studies on how inherited differences in gene, protein, and phosphorylated protein expression contribute to AUD-related phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory G Grecco
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA.,Medical Scientist Training Program, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - David L Haggerty
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Emma H Doud
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Brandon M Fritz
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Fuqin Yin
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Hunter Hoffman
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Amber L Mosley
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Edward Simpson
- Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Yunlong Liu
- Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Anthony J Baucum
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA.,Department of Biology, Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis, IN, USA.,Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Brady K Atwood
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA.,Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
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13
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Barker JM, Bryant KG, Montiel-Ramos A, Goldwasser B, Chandler LJ. Selective Deficits in Contingency-Driven Ethanol Seeking Following Chronic Ethanol Exposure in Male Mice. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2020; 44:1896-1905. [PMID: 32735737 DOI: 10.1111/acer.14418] [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: 06/03/2020] [Revised: 07/13/2020] [Accepted: 07/14/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND People with alcohol use disorders exhibit an overreliance on habitual response strategies which may result from a history of chronic alcohol exposure. Although habits are defined by behavior that persists despite changes in outcome value and in action-outcome relationships, most research investigating the effects of ethanol exposure on habits has focused only on outcome devaluation. A clear understanding of the effects of chronic alcohol exposure on the ability to flexibly update behavior may provide insight into the behavioral deficits that characterize alcohol use disorders. METHODS To dissociate the effects of chronic intermittent ethanol (CIE) exposure on contingency-mediated sucrose versus ethanol seeking, adult male C57Bl/6J mice were assigned to 2 separate experiments. In the first experiment, mice were trained to self-administer ethanol prior to 2 cycles of interleaved CIE exposure by vapor inhalation. In a second experiment, mice were trained to self-administer sucrose and ethanol in separate training sessions prior to 4 cycles of interleaved CIE. The use of contingencies to mediate reward seeking was assessed using a contingency degradation paradigm. RESULTS In mice trained to self-administer only ethanol, 2 weeks of CIE resulted in escalated self-administration. At this time point, CIE-exposed mice, but not air-exposed controls, exhibited ethanol seeking that was insensitive to changes in action-outcome contingency, consistent with habitual ethanol seeking. In mice trained to self-administer ethanol and sucrose rewards in sequential sessions, no escalation in self-administration across 4 weeks of CIE was observed. Under these conditions, neither Air- nor CIE-exposed mice reduced ethanol seeking in response to contingency degradation. In contrast, sucrose seeking remained goal-directed. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that chronic ethanol exposure impairs contingency-driven ethanol seeking more readily than sucrose-seeking behavior. Further, these findings indicate that the transition from contingency-mediated ethanol seeking occurs more rapidly than for sucrose seeking under similar ethanol exposure conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacqueline M Barker
- From the, Department of Pharmacology and Physiology (JMB, KGB), Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Kathleen G Bryant
- From the, Department of Pharmacology and Physiology (JMB, KGB), Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Alan Montiel-Ramos
- Department of Neurosciences (AM, BG, LJC), Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
| | - Benjamin Goldwasser
- Department of Neurosciences (AM, BG, LJC), Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
| | - Lawrence Judson Chandler
- Department of Neurosciences (AM, BG, LJC), Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
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14
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Willett JA, Cao J, Johnson A, Patel OH, Dorris DM, Meitzen J. The estrous cycle modulates rat caudate-putamen medium spiny neuron physiology. Eur J Neurosci 2019; 52:2737-2755. [PMID: 31278786 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.14506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2019] [Revised: 05/16/2019] [Accepted: 06/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The neuroendocrine environment in which the brain operates is both dynamic and differs by sex. How differences in neuroendocrine state affect neuron properties has been significantly neglected in neuroscience research. Behavioral data across humans and rodents indicate that natural cyclical changes in steroid sex hormone production affect sensorimotor and cognitive behaviors in both normal and pathological contexts. These behaviors are critically mediated by the caudate-putamen. In the caudate-putamen, medium spiny neurons (MSNs) are the predominant and primary output neurons. MSNs express membrane-associated estrogen receptors and demonstrate estrogen sensitivity. However, how the cyclical hormone changes across the estrous cycle may modulate caudate-putamen MSN electrophysiological properties remains unknown. Here, we performed whole-cell patch-clamp recordings on male, diestrus female, proestrus female, and estrus female caudate-putamen MSNs. Action potential, passive membrane, and miniature excitatory post-synaptic current properties were assessed. Numerous MSN electrical properties robustly differed by cycle state, including resting membrane potential, rheobase, action potential threshold, maximum evoked action potential firing rate, and inward rectification. Strikingly, when considered independent of estrous cycle phase, all but one of these properties do not significantly differ from male MSNs. These data indicate that female caudate-putamen MSNs are sensitive to the estrous cycle, and more broadly, the importance of considering neuroendocrine state in studies of neuron physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaime A Willett
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA.,W.M. Keck Center for Behavioral Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA.,Graduate Program in Physiology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA.,Grass Laboratory, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA, USA
| | - Jinyan Cao
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA.,W.M. Keck Center for Behavioral Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Ashlyn Johnson
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Opal H Patel
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - David M Dorris
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - John Meitzen
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA.,W.M. Keck Center for Behavioral Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA.,Center for Human Health and the Environment, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA.,Comparative Medicine Institute, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
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15
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Hung CC, Zhang S, Chen CM, Duann JR, Lin CP, Lee TSH, Li CSR. Striatal functional connectivity in chronic ketamine users: a pilot study. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF DRUG AND ALCOHOL ABUSE 2019; 46:31-43. [DOI: 10.1080/00952990.2019.1624764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Chia-Chun Hung
- Bali Psychiatric Center, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Taoyuan, Taiwan
- Institute of Brain Science, National Yang Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Sheng Zhang
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Chun-Ming Chen
- Department of Radiology, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Jeng-Ren Duann
- Department of Radiology, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, National Central University, Taoyuan, Taiwan
- Institute for Neural Computation, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Ching-Po Lin
- Institute of Brain Science, National Yang Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Tony Szu-Hsien Lee
- Department of Health Promotion and Health Education, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan
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16
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Siciliano CA, Tye KM. Leveraging calcium imaging to illuminate circuit dysfunction in addiction. Alcohol 2019; 74:47-63. [PMID: 30470589 PMCID: PMC7575247 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2018.05.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2018] [Revised: 05/08/2018] [Accepted: 05/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Alcohol and drug use can dysregulate neural circuit function to produce a wide range of neuropsychiatric disorders, including addiction. To understand the neural circuit computations that mediate behavior, and how substances of abuse may transform them, we must first be able to observe the activity of circuits. While many techniques have been utilized to measure activity in specific brain regions, these regions are made up of heterogeneous sub-populations, and assessing activity from neuronal populations of interest has been an ongoing challenge. To fully understand how neural circuits mediate addiction-related behavior, we must be able to reveal the cellular granularity within brain regions and circuits by overlaying functional information with the genetic and anatomical identity of the cells involved. The development of genetically encoded calcium indicators, which can be targeted to populations of interest, allows for in vivo visualization of calcium dynamics, a proxy for neuronal activity, thus providing an avenue for real-time assessment of activity in genetically and anatomically defined populations during behavior. Here, we highlight recent advances in calcium imaging technology, compare the current technology with other state-of-the-art approaches for in vivo monitoring of neural activity, and discuss the strengths, limitations, and practical concerns for observing neural circuit activity in preclinical addiction models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cody A Siciliano
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, United States.
| | - Kay M Tye
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, United States; The Salk Institute for Biological Sciences, 10010 N Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, United States.
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17
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Shnitko TA, Gonzales SW, Grant KA. Low cognitive flexibility as a risk for heavy alcohol drinking in non-human primates. Alcohol 2019; 74:95-104. [PMID: 30097387 PMCID: PMC6202248 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2018.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2018] [Revised: 04/16/2018] [Accepted: 04/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Chronic alcohol abuse is frequently considered a habitual or inflexible behavior; however, measures of pre-existing cognitive flexibility prior to initiation of alcohol use are usually not available. This study used rhesus monkeys and an attentional set-shifting task to investigate whether pre-existing cognitive flexibility would predict increased risk for heavy alcohol drinking. As previously reported, monkeys were given 30 daily set-shifting sessions prior to alcohol access. These sessions consisted of the same sequence of eight unique visual discriminations (sets) of two objects that varied on two dimensions (shapes and colors). The ratio of errors per trials, session duration, and maximum set reached were primary dependent variables from each session and were used to compose a session performance index (PI) that ranged from a low performance PI of 31 to an optimal performance PI of 247. Here, animals underwent an alcohol induction period followed by 22 weeks of daily (22-h) self-administration sessions with free access to water and alcohol. Based on average daily alcohol intake during 22 weeks of 22-h/day access, the monkeys were categorized as non-heavy (mean = 2.0 ± 0.3 g/kg/day; n = 3) and heavy (mean = 3.3 ± 0.5 g/kg/day; n = 6) drinkers. The two groups diverged in performance on the set-shifting task across the 30 pre-alcohol sessions, and at the end of the pre-alcohol testing, the group average PI was 216 ± 27 and 137 ± 71 for the future non-heavy and heavy drinkers, respectively. The data show that low cognitive flexibility assessed with a set-shifting procedure was predictive of future classification as a heavy alcohol drinker. The data highlight individual differences in both cognitive flexibility and in alcohol self-administration in this population of rhesus monkeys.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatiana A Shnitko
- Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, 505 NW 185th Avenue, Beaverton, OR 97006-3448, United States
| | - Steven W Gonzales
- Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, 505 NW 185th Avenue, Beaverton, OR 97006-3448, United States
| | - Kathleen A Grant
- Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, 505 NW 185th Avenue, Beaverton, OR 97006-3448, United States; Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, L-470, Portland, OR 97239-3098, United States.
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18
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Abstract
Drug addiction or substance-use disorder is a chronically relapsing disorder that progresses through binge/intoxication, withdrawal/negative affect and preoccupation/anticipation stages. These stages represent diverse neurobiological mechanisms that are differentially involved in the transition from recreational to compulsive drug use and from positive to negative reinforcement. The progression from recreational to compulsive substance use is associated with downregulation of the brain reward systems and upregulation of the brain stress systems. Individual differences in the neurobiological systems that underlie the processing of reward, incentive salience, habits, stress, pain, and executive function may explain (i) the vulnerability to substance-use disorder; (ii) the diversity of emotional, motivational, and cognitive profiles of individuals with substance-use disorders; and (iii) heterogeneous responses to cognitive and pharmacological treatments. Characterization of the neuropsychological mechanisms that underlie individual differences in addiction-like behaviors is the key to understanding the mechanisms of addiction and development of personalized pharmacotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivier George
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - George F Koob
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Rockville, Maryland, USA
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19
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Cuzon Carlson VC, Grant KA, Lovinger DM. Synaptic adaptations to chronic ethanol intake in male rhesus monkey dorsal striatum depend on age of drinking onset. Neuropharmacology 2018; 131:128-142. [PMID: 29241653 PMCID: PMC5820135 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2017.12.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2017] [Revised: 11/20/2017] [Accepted: 12/05/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
One in 12 adults suffer with alcohol use disorder (AUD). Studies suggest the younger the age in which alcohol consumption begins the higher the probability of being diagnosed with AUD. Binge/excessive alcohol drinking involves a transition from flexible to inflexible behavior likely involving the dorsal striatum (caudate and putamen nuclei). A major focus of this study was to examine the effect of age of drinking onset on subsequent chronic, voluntary ethanol intake and dorsal striatal circuitry. Data from rhesus monkeys (n = 45) that started drinking as adolescents, young adults or mature adults confirms an age-related risk for heavy drinking. Striatal neuroadaptations were examined using whole-cell patch clamp electrophysiology to record AMPA receptor-mediated miniature excitatory postsynaptic currents (mEPSCs) and GABAA receptor-mediated miniature inhibitory postsynaptic currents (mIPSCs) from medium-sized spiny projection neurons located in the caudate or putamen nuclei. In controls, greater GABAergic transmission (mIPSC frequency and amplitude) was observed in the putamen compared to the caudate. With advancing age, in the absence of ethanol, an increase in mIPSC frequency concomitant with changes in mIPSC amplitude was observed in both regions. Chronic ethanol drinking decreased mIPSC frequency in the putamen regardless of age of onset. In the caudate, an ethanol drinking-induced increase in mIPSC frequency was only observed in monkeys that began drinking as young adults. Glutamatergic transmission did not differ between the dorsal striatal subregions in controls. With chronic ethanol drinking there was a decrease in the postsynaptic characteristics of rise time and area of mEPSCs in the putamen but an increase in mEPSC frequency in the caudate. Together, the observed changes in striatal physiology indicate a combined disinhibition due to youth and ethanol leading to abnormally strong activation of the putamen that could contribute to the increased risk for problem drinking in younger drinkers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Verginia C Cuzon Carlson
- Section on Synaptic Pharmacology, Laboratory for Integrative Neuroscience, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH, United States; Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, United States
| | - Kathleen A Grant
- Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, United States; Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, United States
| | - David M Lovinger
- Section on Synaptic Pharmacology, Laboratory for Integrative Neuroscience, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH, United States.
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20
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Bosse KE, Oginsky MF, Susick LL, Ramalingam S, Ferrario CR, Conti AC. Adenylyl Cyclase 1 Is Required for Ethanol-Induced Locomotor Sensitization and Associated Increases in NMDA Receptor Phosphorylation and Function in the Dorsal Medial Striatum. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 2017; 363:148-155. [PMID: 28838956 PMCID: PMC5625283 DOI: 10.1124/jpet.117.242321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2017] [Accepted: 08/08/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuroadaptive responses to chronic ethanol, such as behavioral sensitization, are associated with N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) recruitment. Ethanol enhances GluN2B-containing NMDAR function and phosphorylation (Tyr-1472) of the GluN2B-NMDAR subunit in the dorsal medial striatum (DMS) through a protein kinase A (PKA)-dependent pathway. Ethanol-induced phosphorylation of PKA substrates is partially mediated by calcium-stimulated adenylyl cyclase 1 (AC1), which is enriched in the dorsal striatum. As such, AC1 is poised as an upstream modulator of ethanol-induced DMS neuroadaptations that promote drug responding, and thus represents a therapeutic target. Our hypothesis is that loss of AC1 activity will prevent ethanol-induced locomotor sensitization and associated DMS GluN2B-NMDAR adaptations. We evaluated AC1's contribution to ethanol-evoked locomotor responses and DMS GluN2B-NMDAR phosphorylation and function using AC1 knockout (AC1KO) mice. Results were mechanistically validated with the AC1 inhibitor, NB001. Acute ethanol (2.0 g/kg) locomotor responses in AC1KO and wild-type (WT) mice pretreated with NB001 (10 mg/kg) were comparable to WT ethanol controls. However, repeated ethanol treatment (10 days, 2.5 g/kg) failed to produce sensitization in AC1KO or NB001 pretreated mice, as observed in WT ethanol controls, following challenge exposure (2.0 g/kg). Repeated exposure to ethanol in the sensitization procedure significantly increased pTyr-1472 GluN2B levels and GluN2B-containing NMDAR transmission in the DMS of WT mice. Loss of AC1 signaling impaired ethanol-induced increases in DMS pGluN2B levels and NMDAR-mediated transmission. Together, these data support a critical and specific role for AC1 in striatal signaling that mediates ethanol-induced behavioral sensitization, and identify GluN2B-containing NMDARs as an important AC1 target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly E Bosse
- Research & Development, John D. Dingell VA Medical Center, Detroit, Michigan (K.E.B., L.L.S., S.R., A.C.C.); Department of Neurosurgery, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan (K.E.B., L.L.S., S.R., A.C.C.); and Department of Pharmacology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan (M.F.O., C.R.F.)
| | - Max F Oginsky
- Research & Development, John D. Dingell VA Medical Center, Detroit, Michigan (K.E.B., L.L.S., S.R., A.C.C.); Department of Neurosurgery, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan (K.E.B., L.L.S., S.R., A.C.C.); and Department of Pharmacology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan (M.F.O., C.R.F.)
| | - Laura L Susick
- Research & Development, John D. Dingell VA Medical Center, Detroit, Michigan (K.E.B., L.L.S., S.R., A.C.C.); Department of Neurosurgery, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan (K.E.B., L.L.S., S.R., A.C.C.); and Department of Pharmacology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan (M.F.O., C.R.F.)
| | - Sailesh Ramalingam
- Research & Development, John D. Dingell VA Medical Center, Detroit, Michigan (K.E.B., L.L.S., S.R., A.C.C.); Department of Neurosurgery, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan (K.E.B., L.L.S., S.R., A.C.C.); and Department of Pharmacology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan (M.F.O., C.R.F.)
| | - Carrie R Ferrario
- Research & Development, John D. Dingell VA Medical Center, Detroit, Michigan (K.E.B., L.L.S., S.R., A.C.C.); Department of Neurosurgery, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan (K.E.B., L.L.S., S.R., A.C.C.); and Department of Pharmacology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan (M.F.O., C.R.F.)
| | - Alana C Conti
- Research & Development, John D. Dingell VA Medical Center, Detroit, Michigan (K.E.B., L.L.S., S.R., A.C.C.); Department of Neurosurgery, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan (K.E.B., L.L.S., S.R., A.C.C.); and Department of Pharmacology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan (M.F.O., C.R.F.)
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21
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Habitual nicotine-seeking in rats following limited training. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2017; 234:2619-2629. [PMID: 28589264 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-017-4655-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2016] [Accepted: 05/19/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES A potential reason that cigarette smoking can persist despite multiple quit attempts is that repeated voluntary nicotine intake may facilitate a transition from goal-directed to habitual behavioral control. Although accelerated habit formation for self-administered ethanol or cocaine has been previously demonstrated, this phenomenon has not been extensively studied with nicotine. We therefore examined the liability of nicotine self-administration to become habitual, while also examining that of orally consumed saccharin as an experimental control. METHODS Under fixed ratio 1 (FR-1) schedules, male Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 8-11/group) lever-pressed for intravenous (IV) nicotine (30 μg/kg/infusion) for 10 consecutive days, while also lever-pressing for saccharin solution (0.1% w/v, 0.19 mL/delivery) in separate operant sessions. In experiment 1, either nicotine or saccharin was devalued by pairing with the aversive agent lithium chloride (LiCl; 0.15 M, 14.1 mL/kg) prior to extinction and reacquisition testing. In experiment 2, the contingency between lever pressing and delivery of either nicotine or saccharin was degraded in six sessions, followed by extinction testing. RESULTS LiCl pairings selectively reduced responding for nicotine (-35% from control) and saccharin (-48%) in reacquisition testing, indicating that both rewards were effectively devalued. During extinction testing, saccharin-seeking responses were reduced by both manipulations (devaluation -30%, degradation -79%), suggesting that responding for saccharin was goal-directed. In contrast, nicotine-seeking responses were not significantly affected by either manipulation (devaluation -4%, degradation -21%), suggesting that responding for nicotine was habitually driven. CONCLUSIONS Operant responding for IV nicotine may rapidly come under habitual control, potentially contributing to the tenacity of tobacco use.
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22
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George O. Individual differences in the neuropsychopathology of addiction. DIALOGUES IN CLINICAL NEUROSCIENCE 2017; 19:217-229. [PMID: 29302219 PMCID: PMC5741105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/28/2024]
Abstract
Drug addiction or substance-use disorder is a chronically relapsing disorder that progresses through binge/intoxication, withdrawal/negative affect and preoccupation/anticipation stages. These stages represent diverse neurobiological mechanisms that are differentially involved in the transition from recreational to compulsive drug use and from positive to negative reinforcement. The progression from recreational to compulsive substance use is associated with downregulation of the brain reward systems and upregulation of the brain stress systems. Individual differences in the neurobiological systems that underlie the processing of reward, incentive salience, habits, stress, pain, and executive function may explain (i) the vulnerability to substance-use disorder; (ii) the diversity of emotional, motivational, and cognitive profiles of individuals with substance-use disorders; and (iii) heterogeneous responses to cognitive and pharmacological treatments. Characterization of the neuropsychological mechanisms that underlie individual differences in addiction-like behaviors is the key to understanding the mechanisms of addiction and development of personalized pharmacotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivier George
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, USA
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23
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Stringfield SJ, Palmatier MI, Boettiger CA, Robinson DL. Orbitofrontal participation in sign- and goal-tracking conditioned responses: Effects of nicotine. Neuropharmacology 2017; 116:208-223. [PMID: 28012948 PMCID: PMC5385154 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2016.12.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2016] [Revised: 11/15/2016] [Accepted: 12/21/2016] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Pavlovian conditioned stimuli can acquire incentive motivational properties, and this phenomenon can be measured in animals using Pavlovian conditioned approach behavior. Drugs of abuse can influence the expression of this behavior, and nicotine in particular exhibits incentive amplifying effects. Both conditioned approach behavior and drug abuse rely on overlapping corticolimbic circuitry. We hypothesize that the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) regulates conditioned approach, and that one site of nicotine action is in the OFC where it reduces cortical output. To test this, we repeatedly exposed rats to 0.4 mg/kg nicotine (s.c.) during training and then pharmacologically inactivated the lateral OFC or performed in vivo electrophysiological recordings of lateral OFC neurons in the presence or absence of nicotine. In Experiment 1, animals were trained in a Pavlovian conditioning paradigm and behavior was evaluated after inactivation of the OFC by microinfusion of the GABA agonists baclofen and muscimol. In Experiment 2, we monitored phasic firing of OFC neurons during Pavlovian conditioning sessions. Nicotine reliably enhanced conditioned responding to the conditioned cue, and inactivation of the OFC reduced conditioned responding, especially the sign-tracking response. OFC neurons exhibited phasic excitations to cue presentation and during goal tracking, and nicotine acutely blunted this phasic neuronal firing. When nicotine was withheld, both conditioned responding and phasic firing in the OFC returned to the level of controls. These results suggest that the OFC is recruited for the expression of conditioned responses, and that nicotine acutely influences this behavior by reducing phasic firing in the OFC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sierra J Stringfield
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA; Neurobiology Curriculum, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Matthew I Palmatier
- Department of Psychology, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN, USA
| | - Charlotte A Boettiger
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA; Neurobiology Curriculum, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA; Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Donita L Robinson
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA; Neurobiology Curriculum, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
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24
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Badanich KA, Fakih ME, Gurina TS, Roy EK, Hoffman JL, Uruena-Agnes AR, Kirstein CL. Reversal learning and experimenter-administered chronic intermittent ethanol exposure in male rats. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2016; 233:3615-26. [PMID: 27518574 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-016-4395-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2015] [Accepted: 07/23/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Chronic alcohol exposure is associated with impaired decision making skills, cognitive deficits, and poor performance on tasks requiring behavioral flexibility. Although oral routes of alcohol administration are commonly used to examine effects of alcohol on various behaviors in rodents, only a few investigations have used intragastric exposures to evaluate ethanol's effects on behavioral flexibility in the adult rat. OBJECTIVES The aim of the current series of experiments was to determine if behavioral flexibility impairments would be demonstrated across a variety of procedural factors, including route of administration [intraperitoneal injection (i.p.), intragastric gavage (i.g.)], ethanol dose (3-5 g/kg), number of daily exposures (once/day, twice/day), duration of exposure (2-6 weeks), or length of abstinence (5-7 days). METHODS Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to chronic intermittent ethanol (CIE) or vehicle and evaluated for behavioral intoxication, blood ethanol concentrations (BEC), and performance on a reversal learning odor discrimination task. RESULTS While all rats displayed behavioral intoxication and elevated BECs, CIE i.p. rats had prolonged elevation in BECs and made the most errors during the reversal learning task. Unexpectedly, CIE i.g. exposures failed to produce deficits during reversal learning tasks regardless of ethanol dose, frequency/duration of exposure, or length of abstinence. CONCLUSIONS Behavioral flexibility deficits resulting from CIE i.p. exposures may be due to the severity and chronicity of alcohol intoxication. Elucidating the impact of ethanol on behavioral flexibility is critical for developing a better understanding of the behavioral consequences of chronic alcohol exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly A Badanich
- Department of Psychology, University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee, Sarasota, FL, 34243, USA.
| | - Mackinzie E Fakih
- Department of Psychology, University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee, Sarasota, FL, 34243, USA
| | - Tatyana S Gurina
- Department of Psychology, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, 33620, USA
| | - Emalie K Roy
- Department of Psychology, University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee, Sarasota, FL, 34243, USA
| | - Jessica L Hoffman
- Department of Psychology, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, 33620, USA
| | | | - Cheryl L Kirstein
- Department of Psychology, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, 33620, USA.,Department of Physiology and Molecular Pharmacology, University of South Florida College of Medicine, Tampa, FL, 33620, USA
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25
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Spoelder M, Hesseling P, Styles M, Baars AM, Lozeman-van 't Klooster JG, Lesscher HMB, Vanderschuren LJMJ. Dopaminergic neurotransmission in ventral and dorsal striatum differentially modulates alcohol reinforcement. Eur J Neurosci 2016; 45:147-158. [PMID: 27521051 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.13358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2016] [Revised: 07/14/2016] [Accepted: 08/02/2016] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Dopaminergic neurotransmission in the striatum has been widely implicated in the reinforcing properties of substances of abuse. However, the striatum is functionally heterogeneous, and previous work has mostly focused on psychostimulant drugs. Therefore, we investigated how dopamine within striatal subregions modulates alcohol-directed behaviour in rats. We assessed the effects of infusion of the dopamine receptor antagonist alpha-flupenthixol into the shell and core of the nucleus accumbens (NAcc) and the dorsolateral striatum (DLS) on responding for alcohol under fixed ratio 1 (FR1) and progressive ratio (PR) schedules of reinforcement. Bilateral infusion of alpha-flupenthixol into the NAcc shell reduced responding for alcohol under both the FR1 (15 μg/side) and the PR schedule (3.75-15 μg/side) of reinforcement. Infusion of alpha-flupenthixol into the NAcc core (7.5-15 μg/side) also decreased responding for alcohol under both schedules. By contrast, alpha-flupenthixol infusion into the DLS did not affect FR1 responding, but reduced responding under the PR schedule (15 μg/side). The decreases in responding were related to earlier termination of responding during the session, whereas the onset and rate of responding remained largely unaffected. Together, these data suggest that dopamine in the NAcc shell is involved in the incentive motivation for alcohol, whereas DLS dopamine comes into play when obtaining alcohol requires high levels of effort. In contrast, NAcc core dopamine appears to play a more general role in alcohol reinforcement. In conclusion, dopaminergic neurotransmission acts in concert in subregions of the striatum to modulate different aspects of alcohol-directed behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcia Spoelder
- Department of Animals in Science and Society, Division of Behavioural Neuroscience, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 2, 3584 CM, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Peter Hesseling
- Department of Animals in Science and Society, Division of Behavioural Neuroscience, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 2, 3584 CM, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Matthew Styles
- Department of Animals in Science and Society, Division of Behavioural Neuroscience, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 2, 3584 CM, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Annemarie M Baars
- Department of Animals in Science and Society, Division of Behavioural Neuroscience, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 2, 3584 CM, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - José G Lozeman-van 't Klooster
- Department of Animals in Science and Society, Division of Behavioural Neuroscience, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 2, 3584 CM, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Heidi M B Lesscher
- Department of Animals in Science and Society, Division of Behavioural Neuroscience, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 2, 3584 CM, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Louk J M J Vanderschuren
- Department of Animals in Science and Society, Division of Behavioural Neuroscience, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 2, 3584 CM, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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Klanker M, Fellinger L, Feenstra M, Willuhn I, Denys D. Regionally distinct phasic dopamine release patterns in the striatum during reversal learning. Neuroscience 2016; 345:110-123. [PMID: 27185487 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2016.05.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2015] [Revised: 05/04/2016] [Accepted: 05/06/2016] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Striatal dopamine (DA) plays a central role in reward-related learning and behavioral adaptation to changing environments. Recent studies suggest that rather than being broadcast as a uniform signal throughout the entire region, DA release dynamics diverge between different striatal regions. In a previous study, we showed that phasic DA release patterns in the ventromedial striatum (VMS) rapidly adapt during reversal learning. However, it is unknown how DA dynamics in the dorsolateral striatum (DLS) are modulated during such adaptive behavior. Here, we used fast-scan cyclic voltammetry to measure phasic DA release in the DLS during spatial reversal learning. In the DLS, we observed minor DA release after the onset of a visual cue signaling reward availability, followed by more pronounced DA release during more proximal reward cues (e.g., lever extension) and execution of the operant response (i.e., lever press), both in rewarded and non-rewarded trials. These release dynamics (minor DA after onset of the predictive visual cue, prominent DA during the operant response) did not change significantly during or following a reversal of response-reward contingencies. Notably, the DA increase to the lever press did not reflect a general signal related to the initiation of any motivated motor response, as we did not observe DA release when rats initiated nose pokes into the food receptacle during inter-trial intervals. This suggests that DA release in the DLS occurs selectively during the initiation and execution of a learned operant response. Together with our previous results obtained in the VMS, these findings reveal distinct phasic DA release patterns during adaptation of established behavior in DLS and VMS. The VMS DA signal, which is highly sensitive to reversal of response-reward contingences, may provide a teaching signal to guide reward-related learning and facilitate behavioral adaptation, whereas DLS DA may reflect a 'response execution signal' largely independent of outcome, that may be involved in initiation and energizing of operant behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marianne Klanker
- Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Institute of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Meibergdreef 47, 1105 BA Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Psychiatry, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Postbus 22660, 1100 DD Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Lisanne Fellinger
- Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Institute of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Meibergdreef 47, 1105 BA Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Matthijs Feenstra
- Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Institute of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Meibergdreef 47, 1105 BA Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Psychiatry, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Postbus 22660, 1100 DD Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Ingo Willuhn
- Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Institute of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Meibergdreef 47, 1105 BA Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Psychiatry, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Postbus 22660, 1100 DD Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Damiaan Denys
- Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Institute of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Meibergdreef 47, 1105 BA Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Psychiatry, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Postbus 22660, 1100 DD Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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McKim TH, Shnitko TA, Robinson DL, Boettiger CA. Translational Research on Habit and Alcohol. CURRENT ADDICTION REPORTS 2016; 3:37-49. [PMID: 26925365 DOI: 10.1007/s40429-016-0089-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Habitual actions enable efficient daily living, but they can also contribute to pathological behaviors that resistant change, such as alcoholism. Habitual behaviors are learned actions that appear goal-directed but are in fact no longer under the control of the action's outcome. Instead, these actions are triggered by stimuli, which may be exogenous or interoceptive, discrete or contextual. A major hallmark characteristic of alcoholism is continued alcohol use despite serious negative consequences. In essence, although the outcome of alcohol seeking and drinking is dramatically devalued, these actions persist, often triggered by environmental cues associated with alcohol use. Thus, alcoholism meets the definition of an initially goal-directed behavior that converts to a habit-based process. Habit and alcohol have been well investigated in rodent models, with comparatively less research in non-human primates and people. This review focuses on translational research on habit and alcohol with an emphasis on cross-species methodology and neural circuitry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theresa H McKim
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Davie Hall, CB #3270, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
| | - Tatiana A Shnitko
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, CB #7178, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
| | - Donita L Robinson
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Department of Psychiatry, Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, CB #7178, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
| | - Charlotte A Boettiger
- Biomedical Research Imaging Center, Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, Davie Hall, CB #3270, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
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Devan BD, Chaban N, Piscopello J, Deibel SH, McDonald RJ. Cognitive and Stimulus–Response Habit Functions of the Neo-(Dorsal) Striatum. INNOVATIONS IN COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-42743-0_18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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Barker JM, Corbit LH, Robinson DL, Gremel CM, Gonzales RA, Chandler LJ. Corticostriatal circuitry and habitual ethanol seeking. Alcohol 2015; 49:817-24. [PMID: 26059221 PMCID: PMC4644517 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2015.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2015] [Revised: 03/22/2015] [Accepted: 03/26/2015] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
The development of alcohol-use disorders is thought to involve a transition from casual alcohol use to uncontrolled alcohol-seeking behavior. This review will highlight evidence suggesting that the shift toward inflexible alcohol seeking that occurs across the development of addiction consists, in part, of a progression from goal-directed to habitual behaviors. This shift in "response strategy" is thought to be largely regulated by corticostriatal network activity. Indeed, specific neuroanatomical substrates within the prefrontal cortex and the striatum have been identified as playing opposing roles in the expression of actions and habits. A majority of the research on the neurobiology of habitual behavior has focused on non-drug reward seeking. Here, we will highlight recent research identifying corticostriatal structures that regulate the expression of habitual alcohol seeking and a comparison will be made when possible to findings for non-drug rewards.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacqueline M Barker
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA.
| | - Laura H Corbit
- School of Psychology, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Donita L Robinson
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Christina M Gremel
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Rueben A Gonzales
- Department of Pharmacology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - L Judson Chandler
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA
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Goodman J, Packard MG. The influence of cannabinoids on learning and memory processes of the dorsal striatum. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2015; 125:1-14. [PMID: 26092091 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2015.06.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2015] [Revised: 06/09/2015] [Accepted: 06/11/2015] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Extensive evidence indicates that the mammalian endocannabinoid system plays an integral role in learning and memory. Our understanding of how cannabinoids influence memory comes predominantly from studies examining cognitive and emotional memory systems mediated by the hippocampus and amygdala, respectively. However, recent evidence suggests that cannabinoids also affect habit or stimulus-response (S-R) memory mediated by the dorsal striatum. Studies implementing a variety of maze tasks in rats indicate that systemic or intra-dorsolateral striatum infusions of cannabinoid receptor agonists or antagonists impair habit memory. In mice, cannabinoid 1 (CB1) receptor knockdown can enhance or impair habit formation, whereas Δ(9)THC tolerance enhances habit formation. Studies in human cannabis users also suggest an enhancement of S-R/habit memory. A tentative conclusion based on the available data is that acute disruption of the endocannabinoid system with either agonists or antagonists impairs, whereas chronic cannabinoid exposure enhances, dorsal striatum-dependent S-R/habit memory. CB1 receptors are required for multiple forms of striatal synaptic plasticity implicated in memory, including short-term and long-term depression. Interactions with the hippocampus-dependent memory system may also have a role in some of the observed effects of cannabinoids on habit memory. The impairing effect often observed with acute cannabinoid administration argues for cannabinoid-based treatments for human psychopathologies associated with a dysfunctional habit memory system (e.g. post-traumatic stress disorder and drug addiction/relapse). In addition, the enhancing effect of repeated cannabinoid exposure on habit memory suggests a novel neurobehavioral mechanism for marijuana addiction involving the dorsal striatum-dependent memory system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jarid Goodman
- Department of Psychology, Texas A&M Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, United States
| | - Mark G Packard
- Department of Psychology, Texas A&M Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, United States.
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Fanelli RR, Robinson DL. Dopamine D1 receptor blockade impairs alcohol seeking without reducing dorsal striatal activation to cues of alcohol availability. Brain Behav 2015; 5:e00305. [PMID: 25642390 PMCID: PMC4309894 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2014] [Revised: 10/17/2014] [Accepted: 11/12/2014] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Alcohol-associated cues activate both ventral and dorsal striatum in functional brain imaging studies of heavy drinkers. In rodents, alcohol-associated cues induce changes in neuronal firing frequencies and increase dopamine release in ventral striatum, but the impact of alcohol-associated cues on neuronal activity in dorsal striatum is unclear. We previously reported phasic changes in action potential frequency in the dorsomedial and dorsolateral striatum after cues that signaled alcohol availability, prompting approach behavior. METHODS We investigated the hypothesis that dopamine transmission modulates these phasic firing changes. Rats were trained to self-administer alcohol, and neuronal activity was monitored with extracellular electrophysiology during "anticipatory" cues that signaled the start of the operant session. Sessions were preceded by systemic administration of the D1-type dopamine receptor antagonist SCH23390 (0, 10, and 20 μg/kg). RESULTS SCH23390 significantly decreased firing rates during the 60 s prior to cue onset without reducing phasic excitations immediately following the cues. While neuronal activation to cues might be expected to initiate behavioral responses, in this study alcohol seeking was reduced despite the presence of dorsal striatal excitations to alcohol cues. CONCLUSIONS These data suggest that D1 receptor antagonism reduces basal firing rates in the dorsal striatum and modulates the ability of neuronal activation to "anticipatory" cues to initiate alcohol seeking in rats with an extensive history of alcohol self-administration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca R Fanelli
- Neurobiology Curriculum, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, North Carolina ; Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Donita L Robinson
- Neurobiology Curriculum, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, North Carolina ; Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, North Carolina ; Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, North Carolina
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Shnitko TA, Robinson DL. Regional variation in phasic dopamine release during alcohol and sucrose self-administration in rats. ACS Chem Neurosci 2015; 6:147-54. [PMID: 25493956 PMCID: PMC4304482 DOI: 10.1021/cn500251j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
![]()
While
dopamine input to the dorsal striatum is well-known to be
critical for action selection, including alcohol-motivated behaviors,
it is unknown whether changes in phasic dopamine accompany these behaviors.
Long-term alcohol abuse is believed to promote alterations in the
neurocircuitry of reward learning in both ventral and dorsal striatum,
potentially through increasing dopamine release. Using fast-scan cyclic
voltammetry, we measured phasic dopamine release in the dorsal and
ventral striatum during alcoholic and nonalcoholic reward-seeking
behavior and reward-related cues in rats trained on a variable-interval
schedule of reinforcement. We observed robust phasic dopamine release
in the dorsolateral striatum after reinforced lever presses and inconsistent
dopamine release in the dorsomedial striatum. Contrary to our expectations,
alcohol did not enhance dopamine release in rats drinking alcoholic
rewards. Cue-induced dopamine release was also observed in the nucleus
accumbens core of rats drinking the reward solutions. These data demonstrate
that alcoholic and nonalcoholic reward self-administration on a variable-interval
schedule of reinforcement in rats is accompanied by phasic dopamine
release time-locked to reinforcement in the dorsolateral striatum
and the nucleus accumbens, but not the dorsomedial striatum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatiana A. Shnitko
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies and ‡Department
of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Donita L. Robinson
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies and ‡Department
of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
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Alterations in brain connectivity in three sub-regions of the anterior cingulate cortex in heroin-dependent individuals: Evidence from resting state fMRI. Neuroscience 2014; 284:998-1010. [PMID: 25446365 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2014.11.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2014] [Revised: 11/03/2014] [Accepted: 11/05/2014] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Previous studies that utilized task-based approaches have demonstrated that the chronic use of heroin is associated with altered activity of the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). However, few studies have focused on examining the variation in resting-state functional connectivity in heroin-dependent individuals, which might help further understanding the mechanisms underlying heroin addiction. Due to the structural and functional heterogeneity of the ACC, we systematically mapped the resting-state functional connectivity patterns of three sub-regions of the ACC in heroin-dependent individuals, wondered whether the partition of three sub-regions of the ACC is feasible in heroin-dependent individuals, and identified how heroin affected the correlated activities among three sub-regions of the ACC using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). In the present study, fMRI data were acquired from 21 heroin-dependent individuals (Her group) and 15 non-addicted controls (CN group). Compared to controls, there were reduced functional connectivities in the dorsal ACC (dACC) and rostral ACC (rACC) networks with different areas of the dorsal striatum (the caudate and the putamen) in the Her group. Meanwhile, there exhibited an inverted alteration of pattern for orbital frontal cortex (OFC) and superior frontal gyrus (SFG) in the functional connectivity network with the dACC and subcallosal ACC (sACC), and a different alteration of the cerebellum and the amygdala in the functional connectivity network with the rACC and the sACC. In addition, we also found reduced connectivities between dACC and rACC, as well as reduced connectivities between sACC and dACC. Our findings of variations of functional connectivities in three sub-regions of ACC in Her group implied that these sub-regions of the ACC together with other key brain areas (such as dorsal striatum, OFC, SFG, cerebellum, amygdale, etc.) might potentially play independent and/or overlapping roles in heroin addiction, which might indicate the potential direction of future research.
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Mangieri RA, Cofresí RU, Gonzales RA. Ethanol exposure interacts with training conditions to influence behavioral adaptation to a negative instrumental contingency. Front Behav Neurosci 2014; 8:220. [PMID: 24987342 PMCID: PMC4060087 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2014.00220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2014] [Accepted: 05/31/2014] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
We previously reported that, in male, Long Evans rats, instrumental lever pressing that had been reinforced during limited training under a variable interval (VI) schedule by oral self-administration of a 10% sucrose/10% ethanol (10S10E) solution was insensitive to devaluation of 10S10E. In contrast, lever pressing that had been reinforced under a variable ratio (VR) schedule, or by self-administration of 10% sucrose (10S) alone, was sensitive to outcome devaluation. The relative insensitivity to outcome devaluation indicated that seeking of 10S10E by the VI-trained rats had become an instrumental habit. In the present study we employed an alternative operational definition of an instrumental habit and compared the effect of reversing the action-outcome contingency on lever press performance by rats trained under the same experimental conditions. Male Long Evans rats received daily operant training, in which lever presses were reinforced by 10S10E or 10S, under VI or VR schedules. After nine sessions of VI or VR training, rats were tested over four sessions in which the instrumental contingency was changed so that a lever press would prevent reinforcer delivery for 120 s. We found that rats that had been trained to lever press for 10S10E under the VR schedule showed a greater change in lever pressing across testing sessions than those that had received 10S10E reinforcement under the VI schedule. There was no such interaction with reinforcement schedule for rats that had received only 10S reinforcement during training. These findings are consistent with those of our previous study, and provide further evidence that addition of ethanol to sucrose may promote habitual responding in an instrumental task.
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Affiliation(s)
- Regina A Mangieri
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin Austin, TX, USA
| | - Roberto U Cofresí
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin Austin, TX, USA
| | - Rueben A Gonzales
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin Austin, TX, USA
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Shillinglaw JE, Everitt IK, Robinson DL. Assessing behavioral control across reinforcer solutions on a fixed-ratio schedule of reinforcement in rats. Alcohol 2014; 48:337-44. [PMID: 24680666 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2013.12.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2013] [Revised: 12/07/2013] [Accepted: 12/24/2013] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Instrumental behavior can shift from flexible, goal-directed actions to automatic, stimulus-response actions. The satiety-specific devaluation test assesses behavioral flexibility by evaluating reward seeking after temporary devaluation of the reinforcer via satiety; a decrease in responding compared to control conditions indicates goal-directed behavior. We have observed variability in the outcome of this test that may be dependent on the reinforcer. Another test of habit, contingency degradation, involves changing the action-outcome association over the course of retraining and determines whether reward seeking is sensitive to changing contingencies. We hypothesized that the outcome of the contingency-degradation test would remain consistent across reinforcers, while the satiety-specific devaluation test may vary across reinforcers because it depends on the ability of the reinforcer to induce satiety. Therefore, we trained rats to self-administer 1.5% sucrose, 10% sucrose, 10% ethanol, or 10 mM monosodium glutamate (MSG) on a fixed-ratio (FR5) schedule that has been shown to promote long-term, goal-directed responding. Next, behavioral flexibility was evaluated in three satiety-specific devaluation tests over 6 weeks. Finally, we investigated reward seeking after contingency-degradation training. All groups displayed sensitivity to satiety-specific devaluation in the first test, indicating goal-directed behavior. While the 10% sucrose and ethanol groups remained goal-directed, the 1.5% sucrose and MSG groups exhibited habit-like behavior in later tests. Nevertheless, all groups displayed decreased responding in an extinction session after contingency-degradation training, indicating goal-directed behavior. These results demonstrate that tests of behavioral flexibility can yield dissimilar results in the same rats. Next, rats from the 1.5% sucrose group underwent the entire experiment again, now self-administering 10% sucrose. These rats showed pronounced goal-directed behavior in satiety-specific and contingency-degradation tests under 10% sucrose conditions, further suggesting that the reinforcer solution affected the outcome of the satiety-specific devaluation test. We conclude that reinforcer characteristics should be considered when investigating habit-like behavior in alcohol research.
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Smith KS, Graybiel AM. Investigating habits: strategies, technologies and models. Front Behav Neurosci 2014; 8:39. [PMID: 24574988 PMCID: PMC3921576 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2014.00039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2013] [Accepted: 01/25/2014] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding habits at a biological level requires a combination of behavioral observations and measures of ongoing neural activity. Theoretical frameworks as well as definitions of habitual behaviors emerging from classic behavioral research have been enriched by new approaches taking account of the identification of brain regions and circuits related to habitual behavior. Together, this combination of experimental and theoretical work has provided key insights into how brain circuits underlying action-learning and action-selection are organized, and how a balance between behavioral flexibility and fixity is achieved. New methods to monitor and manipulate neural activity in real time are allowing us to have a first look “under the hood” of a habit as it is formed and expressed. Here we discuss ideas emerging from such approaches. We pay special attention to the unexpected findings that have arisen from our own experiments suggesting that habitual behaviors likely require the simultaneous activity of multiple distinct components, or operators, seen as responsible for the contrasting dynamics of neural activity in both cortico-limbic and sensorimotor circuits recorded concurrently during different stages of habit learning. The neural dynamics identified thus far do not fully meet expectations derived from traditional models of the structure of habits, and the behavioral measures of habits that we have made also are not fully aligned with these models. We explore these new clues as opportunities to refine an understanding of habits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyle S Smith
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College Hanover, NH, USA
| | - Ann M Graybiel
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, MA, USA
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Repeated binge-like ethanol drinking alters ethanol drinking patterns and depresses striatal GABAergic transmission. Neuropsychopharmacology 2014; 39:579-94. [PMID: 23995582 PMCID: PMC3895236 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2013.230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 107] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2013] [Revised: 08/22/2013] [Accepted: 08/23/2013] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Repeated cycles of binge alcohol drinking and abstinence are key components in the development of dependence. However, the precise behavioral mechanisms underlying binge-like drinking and its consequences on striatal synaptic physiology remain unclear. In the present study, ethanol and water drinking patterns were recorded with high temporal resolution over 6 weeks of binge-like ethanol drinking using the 'drinking in the dark' (DID) protocol. The bottle exchange occurring at the beginning of each session prompted a transient increase in the drinking rate that might facilitate the acquisition of ethanol binge-like drinking. Ethanol drinking mice also displayed a 'front-loading' behavior, in which the highest rate of drinking was recorded during the first 15 min. This rate increased over weeks and paralleled the mild escalation of blood ethanol concentrations. GABAergic and glutamatergic transmission in the dorsal striatum were examined following DID. Spontaneous glutamatergic transmission and the density of dendritic spines were unchanged after ethanol drinking. However, the frequency of GABAA receptor-mediated inhibitory postsynaptic currents was depressed in medium spiny neurons of ethanol drinking mice. A history of ethanol drinking also increased ethanol preference and altered the acute ethanol effects on GABAergic transmission differentially in dorsolateral and dorsomedial striatum. Together, the study shows that the bottle exchange during DID promotes fast, voluntary ethanol drinking and that this intermittent pattern of ethanol drinking causes a depression of GABAergic transmission in the dorsal striatum.
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