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McCutcheon RA, Weber LAE, Nour MM, Cragg SJ, McGuire PM. Psychosis as a disorder of muscarinic signalling: psychopathology and pharmacology. Lancet Psychiatry 2024; 11:554-565. [PMID: 38795721 DOI: 10.1016/s2215-0366(24)00100-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2024] [Revised: 03/15/2024] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 05/28/2024]
Abstract
Dopaminergic receptor antagonism is a crucial component of all licensed treatments for psychosis, and dopamine dysfunction has been central to pathophysiological models of psychotic symptoms. Some clinical trials, however, indicate that drugs that act through muscarinic receptor agonism can also be effective in treating psychosis, potentially implicating muscarinic abnormalities in the pathophysiology of psychosis. Here, we discuss understanding of the central muscarinic system, and we examine preclinical, behavioural, post-mortem, and neuroimaging evidence for its involvement in psychosis. We then consider how altered muscarinic signalling could contribute to the genesis and maintenance of psychotic symptoms, and we review the clinical evidence for muscarinic agents as treatments. Finally, we discuss future research that could clarify the relationship between the muscarinic system and psychotic symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert A McCutcheon
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; Oxford Health, Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK; Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.
| | - Lilian A E Weber
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Matthew M Nour
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; Oxford Health, Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK; Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, University College London, London, UK
| | - Stephanie J Cragg
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, Centre for Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology, University of Oxford, UK; Aligning Science Across Parkinson's Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD, USA
| | - Philip M McGuire
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; Oxford Health, Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK
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2
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Morelli M, Dudzikowska K, Deelchand DK, Quinn AJ, Mullins PG, Apps MAJ, Wilson M. Functional Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy of Prolonged Motor Activation using Conventional and Spectral GLM Analyses. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.15.594270. [PMID: 38798416 PMCID: PMC11118477 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.15.594270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
Background Functional MRS (fMRS) is a technique used to measure metabolic changes in response to increased neuronal activity, providing unique insights into neurotransmitter dynamics and neuroenergetics. In this study we investigate the response of lactate and glutamate levels in the motor cortex during a sustained motor task using conventional spectral fitting and explore the use of a novel analysis approach based on the application of linear modelling directly to the spectro-temporal fMRS data. Methods fMRS data were acquired at a field strength of 3 Tesla from 23 healthy participants using a short echo-time (28ms) semi-LASER sequence. The functional task involved rhythmic hand clenching over a duration of 8 minutes and standard MRS preprocessing steps, including frequency and phase alignment, were employed. Both conventional spectral fitting and direct linear modelling were applied, and results from participant-averaged spectra and metabolite-averaged individual analyses were compared. Results We observed a 20% increase in lactate in response to the motor task, consistent with findings at higher magnetic field strengths. However, statistical testing showed some variability between the two averaging schemes and fitting algorithms. While lactate changes were supported by the direct spectral modelling approach, smaller increases in glutamate (2%) were inconsistent. Exploratory spectral modelling identified a 4% decrease in aspartate, aligning with conventional fitting and observations from prolonged visual stimulation. Conclusion We demonstrate that lactate dynamics in response to a prolonged motor task are observed using short-echo time semi-LASER at 3 Tesla, and that direct linear modelling of fMRS data is a useful complement to conventional analysis. Future work includes mitigating spectral confounds, such as scalp lipid contamination and lineshape drift, and further validation of our novel direct linear modelling approach through experimental and simulated datasets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Morelli
- Centre for Human Brain Health and School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Katarzyna Dudzikowska
- Centre for Human Brain Health and School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Dinesh K. Deelchand
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research and Department of Radiology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Andrew J. Quinn
- Centre for Human Brain Health and School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | | | - Matthew A. J. Apps
- Centre for Human Brain Health and School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Martin Wilson
- Centre for Human Brain Health and School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
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3
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Bradfield LA, Becchi S, Kendig MD. Striatal Acetylcholine and Dopamine Interactions Produce Situationappropriate Action Selection. Curr Neuropharmacol 2024; 22:1491-1496. [PMID: 37702238 PMCID: PMC11097990 DOI: 10.2174/1570159x21666230912093041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2023] [Revised: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 09/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Individuals often learn how to perform new actions for particular outcomes against a complex background of existing action-outcome associations. As such, this new knowledge can interfere or even compete with existing knowledge, such that individuals must use internal and external cues to determine which action is appropriate to the current situation. The question thus remains as to how this problem is solved at a neural level. Research over the last decade or so has begun to determine how the brain achieves situation-appropriate action selection. Several converging lines of evidence suggest that it is achieved through the complex interactions of acetylcholine and dopamine within the striatum in a manner that relies on glutamatergic inputs from the cortex and thalamus. Here we briefly review this evidence, then relate it to several very recent findings to provide new, speculative insights regarding the precise nature of striatal acetylcholine/dopamine interaction dynamics and their relation to situation- appropriate action selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura A. Bradfield
- School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, New South Wales 2007, Australia
| | - Serena Becchi
- Decision Neuroscience Laboratory, School of Psychology, University of New South Wales Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Michael D. Kendig
- School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, New South Wales 2007, Australia
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4
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Park MTM, Jeon P, French L, Dempster K, Chakravarty MM, MacKinley M, Richard J, Khan AR, Théberge J, Palaniyappan L. Microstructural imaging and transcriptomics of the basal forebrain in first-episode psychosis. Transl Psychiatry 2022; 12:358. [PMID: 36050318 PMCID: PMC9436926 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-022-02136-0] [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] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2021] [Revised: 08/16/2022] [Accepted: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Cholinergic dysfunction has been implicated in the pathophysiology of psychosis and psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia, depression, and bipolar disorder. The basal forebrain (BF) cholinergic nuclei, defined as cholinergic cell groups Ch1-3 and Ch4 (Nucleus Basalis of Meynert; NBM), provide extensive cholinergic projections to the rest of the brain. Here, we examined microstructural neuroimaging measures of the cholinergic nuclei in patients with untreated psychosis (~31 weeks of psychosis, <2 defined daily dose of antipsychotics) and used magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) and transcriptomic data to support our findings. We used a cytoarchitectonic atlas of the BF to map the nuclei and obtained measures of myelin (quantitative T1, or qT1 as myelin surrogate) and microstructure (axial diffusion; AxD). In a clinical sample (n = 85; 29 healthy controls, 56 first-episode psychosis), we found significant correlations between qT1 of Ch1-3, left NBM and MRS-based dorsal anterior cingulate choline in healthy controls while this relationship was disrupted in FEP (p > 0.05). Case-control differences in qT1 and AxD were observed in the Ch1-3, with increased qT1 (reflecting reduced myelin content) and AxD (reflecting reduced axonal integrity). We found clinical correlates between left NBM qT1 with manic symptom severity, and AxD with negative symptom burden in FEP. Intracortical and subcortical myelin maps were derived and correlated with BF myelin. BF-cortical and BF-subcortical myelin correlations demonstrate known projection patterns from the BF. Using data from the Allen Human Brain Atlas, cholinergic nuclei showed significant enrichment for schizophrenia and depression-related genes. Cell-type specific enrichment indicated enrichment for cholinergic neuron markers as expected. Further relating the neuroimaging correlations to transcriptomics demonstrated links with cholinergic receptor genes and cell type markers of oligodendrocytes and cholinergic neurons, providing biological validity to the measures. These results provide genetic, neuroimaging, and clinical evidence for cholinergic dysfunction in schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Tae M. Park
- grid.39381.300000 0004 1936 8884Department of Psychiatry, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, Canada
| | - Peter Jeon
- grid.39381.300000 0004 1936 8884Department of Medical Biophysics, Western University, London, Canada ,grid.39381.300000 0004 1936 8884Robarts Research Institute, Western University, London, Canada ,grid.415847.b0000 0001 0556 2414Lawson Health Research Institute, London, Canada
| | - Leon French
- grid.17063.330000 0001 2157 2938Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Kara Dempster
- grid.55602.340000 0004 1936 8200Department of Psychiatry, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada
| | - M. Mallar Chakravarty
- grid.14709.3b0000 0004 1936 8649Departments of Psychiatry and Biological and Biomedical Engineering, McGill University, Montreal, Canada ,Cerebral Imaging Centre, Douglas Research Centre, Montreal, Canada
| | - Michael MacKinley
- grid.39381.300000 0004 1936 8884Robarts Research Institute, Western University, London, Canada
| | - Julie Richard
- grid.39381.300000 0004 1936 8884Department of Psychiatry, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, Canada
| | - Ali R. Khan
- grid.39381.300000 0004 1936 8884Department of Medical Biophysics, Western University, London, Canada ,grid.39381.300000 0004 1936 8884Robarts Research Institute, Western University, London, Canada
| | - Jean Théberge
- grid.39381.300000 0004 1936 8884Department of Psychiatry, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, Canada ,grid.39381.300000 0004 1936 8884Department of Medical Biophysics, Western University, London, Canada ,grid.415847.b0000 0001 0556 2414Lawson Health Research Institute, London, Canada
| | - Lena Palaniyappan
- Department of Psychiatry, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, Canada. .,Department of Medical Biophysics, Western University, London, Canada. .,Robarts Research Institute, Western University, London, Canada. .,Lawson Health Research Institute, London, Canada. .,Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.
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5
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Bell TK, Godfrey KJ, Ware AL, Yeates KO, Harris AD. Harmonization of multi-site MRS data with ComBat. Neuroimage 2022; 257:119330. [PMID: 35618196 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.119330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2021] [Revised: 05/20/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) is a non-invasive neuroimaging technique used to measure brain chemistry in vivo and has been used to study the healthy brain as well as neuropathology in numerous neurological disorders. The number of multi-site studies using MRS are increasing; however, non-biological variability introduced during data collection across multiple sites, such as differences in scanner vendors and site-specific acquisition implementations for MRS, can obscure detection of biological effects of interest. ComBat is a data harmonization technique that can remove non-biological sources of variance in multisite studies. It has been validated for use with structural and functional MRI metrics but not for MRS metabolites. This study investigated the validity of using ComBat to harmonize MRS metabolites for vendor and site differences. Analyses were performed using data acquired across 20 sites and included edited MRS for GABA+ (N=218) and macromolecule-suppressed GABA data (N=209), as well as standard PRESS data to quantify NAA, creatine, choline, and glutamate (N=190). ComBat harmonization successfully mitigated vendor and site differences for all metabolites of interest. Moreover, significant associations were detected between sex and choline levels and between age and glutamate and GABA+ levels that were not detectable prior to harmonization, confirming the importance of removing site and vendor effects in multi-site data. In conclusion, ComBat harmonization can be successfully applied to MRS data in multi-site MRS studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiffany K Bell
- Department of Radiology, University of Calgary, AB, Canada; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, AB, Canada; Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, 28 Oki Drive, Calgary, AB T3B 6A9, Canada.
| | - Kate J Godfrey
- Department of Radiology, University of Calgary, AB, Canada; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, AB, Canada; Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, 28 Oki Drive, Calgary, AB T3B 6A9, Canada
| | - Ashley L Ware
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, AB, Canada; Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, 28 Oki Drive, Calgary, AB T3B 6A9, Canada; Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, AB Canada; Department of Neurology, University of Utah, UT, United States
| | - Keith Owen Yeates
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, AB, Canada; Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, 28 Oki Drive, Calgary, AB T3B 6A9, Canada; Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, AB Canada
| | - Ashley D Harris
- Department of Radiology, University of Calgary, AB, Canada; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, AB, Canada; Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, 28 Oki Drive, Calgary, AB T3B 6A9, Canada
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6
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Williams B, Christakou A. Dissociable roles for the striatal cholinergic system in different flexibility contexts. IBRO Neurosci Rep 2022; 12:260-270. [PMID: 35481226 PMCID: PMC9035710 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibneur.2022.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2022] [Revised: 03/03/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The production of behavioural flexibility requires the coordination and integration of information from across the brain, by the dorsal striatum. In particular, the striatal cholinergic system is thought to be important for the modulation of striatal activity. Research from animal literature has shown that chemical inactivation of the dorsal striatum leads to impairments in reversal learning. Furthermore, proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy work has shown that the striatal cholinergic system is also important for reversal learning in humans. Here, we aim to assess whether the state of the dorsal striatal cholinergic system at rest is related to serial reversal learning in humans. We provide preliminary results showing that variability in choline in the dorsal striatum is significantly related to both the number of perseverative and regressive errors that participants make, and their rate of learning from positive and negative prediction errors. These findings, in line with previous work, suggest the resting state of dorsal striatal cholinergic system has important implications for producing flexible behaviour. However, these results also suggest the system may have heterogeneous functionality across different types of tasks measuring behavioural flexibility. These findings provide a starting point for further interrogation into understanding the functional role of the striatal cholinergic system in flexibility. Striatal acetylcholine is important for behavioural flexibility in rodents & primates. Nascent evidence the striatal cholinergic system is important for human flexibility. 1H-MRS, reversal learning and reinforcement learning used to interrogate relationship. Striatal cholinergic system at rest is associated with direct and latent performance. Results specific to concentrations of striatal choline, and not other metabolites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brendan Williams
- Centre for Integrative Neuroscience and Neurodynamics, University of Reading, UK
- School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, University of Reading, UK
- Correspondence to: Centre for Integrative Neuroscience and Neurodynamics, Harry Pitt Building, University of Reading, Reading, Berkshire, UK.
| | - Anastasia Christakou
- Centre for Integrative Neuroscience and Neurodynamics, University of Reading, UK
- School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, University of Reading, UK
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7
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An overview of recent analysis and detection of acetylcholine. Anal Biochem 2021; 632:114381. [PMID: 34534543 DOI: 10.1016/j.ab.2021.114381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2021] [Revised: 09/08/2021] [Accepted: 09/10/2021] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Acetylcholine (ACh), the major neurotransmitter secreted by cholinergic neurons, is widely found in the peripheral and central nervous systems, and its main function is to complete the transmission of neural signals. When cholinergic neurons are impaired, the synthesis and decomposition of ACh are abnormal and the neural signalling transition is blocked. To some extent, the concentration changes of ACh reflects the occurrence and development of many kinds of nervous system diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Myasthenia gravis and so on. Thus, researches of the physiological and pathological roles and the tracking of the concentration changes of ACh in vivo are significant to the prevention and treatment of these diseases. In the paper, the pathophysiological functions and the comprehensive research progress on detection methods of ACh are summarized. Specifically, the latest research and related applications of the optical and electrochemical biosensors are described, and the future development directions and challenges are prospected, which provides a reference for the detection and applications of ACh.
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8
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Bilingualism is a long-term cognitively challenging experience that modulates metabolite concentrations in the healthy brain. Sci Rep 2021; 11:7090. [PMID: 33782462 PMCID: PMC8007713 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-86443-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2020] [Accepted: 03/16/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Cognitively demanding experiences, including complex skill acquisition and processing, have been shown to induce brain adaptations, at least at the macroscopic level, e.g. on brain volume and/or functional connectivity. However, the neurobiological bases of these adaptations, including at the cellular level, are unclear and understudied. Here we use bilingualism as a case study to investigate the metabolic correlates of experience-based brain adaptations. We employ Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy to measure metabolite concentrations in the basal ganglia, a region critical to language control which is reshaped by bilingualism. Our results show increased myo-Inositol and decreased N-acetyl aspartate concentrations in bilinguals compared to monolinguals. Both metabolites are linked to synaptic pruning, a process underlying experience-based brain restructuring. Interestingly, both concentrations correlate with relative amount of bilingual engagement. This suggests that degree of long-term cognitive experiences matters at the level of metabolic concentrations, which might accompany, if not drive, macroscopic brain adaptations.
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9
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Stayte S, Dhungana A, Vissel B, Bradfield LA. Parafascicular Thalamic and Orbitofrontal Cortical Inputs to Striatum Represent States for Goal-Directed Action Selection. Front Behav Neurosci 2021; 15:655029. [PMID: 33841111 PMCID: PMC8029974 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.655029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2021] [Accepted: 03/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Several lines of evidence accrued over the last 5–10 years have converged to suggest that the parafascicular nucleus of the thalamus and the lateral orbitofrontal cortex each represent or contribute to internal state/context representations that guide action selection in partially observable task situations. In rodents, inactivations of each structure have been found to selectively impair performance in paradigms testing goal-directed action selection, but only when that action selection relies on state representations. Electrophysiological evidence has suggested that each structure achieves this function via inputs onto cholinergic interneurons (CINs) in the dorsomedial striatum. Here, we briefly review these studies, then point to anatomical evidence regarding the afferents of each structure and what they suggest about the specific features that each contribute to internal state representations. Finally, we speculate as to whether this role might be achieved interdependently through direct PF→OFC projections, or through the convergence of independent direct orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and parafascicular nucleus of the thalamus (PF) inputs onto striatal targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandy Stayte
- Centre for Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,St. Vincent's Centre for Applied Medical Research, St. Vincent's Hospital Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Amolika Dhungana
- Centre for Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,St. Vincent's Centre for Applied Medical Research, St. Vincent's Hospital Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Bryce Vissel
- Centre for Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,St. Vincent's Centre for Applied Medical Research, St. Vincent's Hospital Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Laura A Bradfield
- Centre for Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,St. Vincent's Centre for Applied Medical Research, St. Vincent's Hospital Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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10
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Waddell J, Hill E, Tang S, Jiang L, Xu S, Mooney SM. Choline Plus Working Memory Training Improves Prenatal Alcohol-Induced Deficits in Cognitive Flexibility and Functional Connectivity in Adulthood in Rats. Nutrients 2020; 12:E3513. [PMID: 33202683 PMCID: PMC7696837 DOI: 10.3390/nu12113513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Revised: 10/27/2020] [Accepted: 11/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) is the leading known cause of intellectual disability, and may manifest as deficits in cognitive function, including working memory. Working memory capacity and accuracy increases during adolescence when neurons in the prefrontal cortex undergo refinement. Rats exposed to low doses of ethanol prenatally show deficits in working memory during adolescence, and in cognitive flexibility in young adulthood. The cholinergic system plays a crucial role in learning and memory processes. Here we report that the combination of choline and training on a working memory task during adolescence significantly improved cognitive flexibility (performance on an attentional set shifting task) in young adulthood: 92% of all females and 81% of control males formed an attentional set, but only 36% of ethanol-exposed males did. Resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging showed that functional connectivity among brain regions was different between the sexes, and was altered by prenatal ethanol exposure and by choline + training. Connectivity, particularly between prefrontal cortex and striatum, was also different in males that formed a set compared with those that did not. Together, these findings indicate that prenatal exposure to low doses of ethanol has persistent effects on brain functional connectivity and behavior, that these effects are sex-dependent, and that an adolescent intervention could mitigate some of the effects of prenatal ethanol exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaylyn Waddell
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA; (E.H.); (S.M.M.)
| | - Elizabeth Hill
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA; (E.H.); (S.M.M.)
| | - Shiyu Tang
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA; (S.T.); (L.J.); (S.X.)
| | - Li Jiang
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA; (S.T.); (L.J.); (S.X.)
| | - Su Xu
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA; (S.T.); (L.J.); (S.X.)
| | - Sandra M. Mooney
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA; (E.H.); (S.M.M.)
- Department of Nutrition, Nutrition Research Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Kannapolis, NC 28081, USA
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11
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White TL, Gonsalves MA, Cohen RA, Harris AD, Monnig MA, Walsh EG, Nitenson AZ, Porges EC, Lamb DG, Woods AJ, Borja CB. The neurobiology of wellness: 1H-MRS correlates of agency, flexibility and neuroaffective reserves in healthy young adults. Neuroimage 2020; 225:117509. [PMID: 33127477 PMCID: PMC7869459 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.117509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2020] [Revised: 10/08/2020] [Accepted: 10/21/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) is a noninvasive imaging technique that measures the concentration of metabolites in defined areas of the human brain in vivo. The underlying structure of natural metabolism-emotion relationships is unknown. Further, there is a wide range of between-person differences in metabolite concentration in healthy individuals, but the significance of this variation for understanding emotion in healthy humans is unclear. Here we investigated the relationship of two emotional constructs, agency and flexibility, with the metabolites glutamate and glutamine (Glx), N-acetylaspartate (tNAA), choline (Cho), creatine (tCr), and myo-inositol (Ins) in the right dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) in medically and psychiatrically healthy volunteers (N = 20, 9 female; mean age = 22.8 years, SD = 3.40). The dACC was selected because this region is an integrative hub involved in multiple brain networks of emotion, cognition and behavior. Emotional traits were assessed using the Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire Brief Form (MPQ-BF), an empirically derived self-report instrument with an orthogonal factor structure. Phenotypes evaluated were positive and negative agency (MPQ-BF Social Potency, Aggression), emotional and behavioral flexibility (MPQ-BF Absorption, Control-reversed), and positive and negative affect (MPQ-BF Social Closeness; Stress Reaction, Alienation). The resting concentration of tNAA in the dACC was robustly positively correlated with Absorption (r = +0.56, unadjusted p = .005), moderately positively correlated with Social Potency (r = +0.42, unadjusted p = .03), and robustly negatively correlated with Aggression (r = −0.59, unadjusted p = .003). Absorption and Aggression accounted for substantial variance in tNAA (R2 = 0.31, 0.35; combined R2 = 0.50), and survived correction for multiple comparisons (Holm-Bonferroni adjusted p = .032, 0.021, respectively). dACC Glx and Cho had modest relationships with behavioral flexibility and social affiliation that did not survive this multiple correction, providing effect sizes for future work. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) revealed a three-factor orthogonal solution indicating specific relationships between: 1) Glx and behavioral engagement; 2) Cho and affiliative bonding; and 3) tNAA and a novel dimension that we term neuroaffective reserves. Our results inform the neurobiology of agency and flexibility and lay the groundwork for understanding mechanisms of natural emotion using 1H-MRS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tara L White
- Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University, Box G-S121-4, 121 South Main St., Providence, RI 02912, USA; Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, School of Public Health, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA; Carney Institute for Brain Science, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.
| | | | - Ronald A Cohen
- Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, Center for Cognitive Aging and Memory, and McKnight Brain Research Foundation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Ashley D Harris
- Department of Radiology, CAIR Program, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, and Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Mollie A Monnig
- Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University, Box G-S121-4, 121 South Main St., Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | - Edward G Walsh
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Adam Z Nitenson
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Eric C Porges
- Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, Center for Cognitive Aging and Memory, and McKnight Brain Research Foundation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Damon G Lamb
- Department of Psychiatry, and Center for Cognitive Aging and Memory, McKnight Brain Research Foundation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA; Center for Neuropsychological Studies, Department of Neurology, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL, USA; Brain Rehabilitation Research Center, Malcom Randall Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Adam J Woods
- Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, Center for Cognitive Aging and Memory, and McKnight Brain Research Foundation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Cara B Borja
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
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Bell T, Lindner M, Langdon A, Mullins PG, Christakou A. Regional Striatal Cholinergic Involvement in Human Behavioral Flexibility. J Neurosci 2019; 39:5740-5749. [PMID: 31109959 PMCID: PMC6636079 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2110-18.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2018] [Revised: 05/08/2019] [Accepted: 05/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Animal studies have shown that the striatal cholinergic system plays a role in behavioral flexibility but, until recently, this system could not be studied in humans due to a lack of appropriate noninvasive techniques. Using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy, we recently showed that the concentration of dorsal striatal choline (an acetylcholine precursor) changes during reversal learning (a measure of behavioral flexibility) in humans. The aim of the present study was to examine whether regional average striatal choline was associated with reversal learning. A total of 22 participants (mean age = 25.2 years, range = 18-32 years, 13 female) reached learning criterion in a probabilistic learning task with a reversal component. We measured choline at rest in both the dorsal and ventral striatum using magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Task performance was described using a simple reinforcement learning model that dissociates the contributions of positive and negative prediction errors to learning. Average levels of choline in the dorsal striatum were associated with performance during reversal, but not during initial learning. Specifically, lower levels of choline in the dorsal striatum were associated with a lower number of perseverative trials. Moreover, choline levels explained interindividual variance in perseveration over and above that explained by learning from negative prediction errors. These findings suggest that the dorsal striatal cholinergic system plays an important role in behavioral flexibility, in line with evidence from the animal literature and our previous work in humans. Additionally, this work provides further support for the idea of measuring choline with magnetic resonance spectroscopy as a noninvasive way of studying human cholinergic neurochemistry.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Behavioral flexibility is a crucial component of adaptation and survival. Evidence from the animal literature shows that the striatal cholinergic system is fundamental to reversal learning, a key paradigm for studying behavioral flexibility, but this system remains understudied in humans. Using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy, we showed that choline levels at rest in the dorsal striatum are associated with performance specifically during reversal learning. These novel findings help to bridge the gap between animal and human studies by demonstrating the importance of cholinergic function in the dorsal striatum in human behavioral flexibility. Importantly, the methods described here cannot only be applied to furthering our understanding of healthy human neurochemistry, but also to extending our understanding of cholinergic disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiffany Bell
- School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, and Centre for Integrative Neuroscience and Neurodynamics, University of Reading, Reading RG6 6AL, United Kingdom
| | - Michael Lindner
- School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, and Centre for Integrative Neuroscience and Neurodynamics, University of Reading, Reading RG6 6AL, United Kingdom
| | - Angela Langdon
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, New Jersey 08544, and
| | | | - Anastasia Christakou
- School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, and Centre for Integrative Neuroscience and Neurodynamics, University of Reading, Reading RG6 6AL, United Kingdom,
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Inhibitory and excitatory mechanisms in the human cingulate-cortex support reinforcement learning: A functional Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy study. Neuroimage 2018; 184:25-35. [PMID: 30201464 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2018.09.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2018] [Revised: 08/10/2018] [Accepted: 09/07/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) is crucial for motivation, reward- and error-guided decision-making, yet its excitatory and inhibitory mechanisms remain poorly explored in humans. In particular, the balance between excitation and inhibition (E/I), demonstrated to play a role in animal studies, is difficult to measure in behaving humans. Here, we used functional magnetic-resonance-spectroscopy (1H-fMRS) to measure the brain's major inhibitory (GABA) and excitatory (Glutamate) neurotransmitters during reinforcement learning with three different conditions: high cognitive load (uncertainty); probabilistic discrimination learning; and a control null-condition. Participants learned to prefer the gain option in the discrimination phase and had no preference in the other conditions. We found increased GABA levels during the uncertainty condition, potentially reflecting recruitment of inhibitory systems during high cognitive load when trying to learn. Further, higher GABA levels during the null (baseline) condition correlated with improved discrimination learning. Finally, glutamate and GABA levels were correlated during high cognitive load. These results suggest that availability of dACC inhibitory resources enables successful learning. Our approach helps elucidate the potential contribution of the balance between excitation and inhibition to learning and motivation in behaving humans.
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