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Whitten CJ, King JE, Rodriguez RM, Hennon LM, Scarborough MC, Hooker MK, Jenkins MS, Katigbak IM, Cooper MA. Activation of androgen receptor-expressing neurons in the posterior medial amygdala is associated with stress resistance in dominant male hamsters. Horm Behav 2024; 164:105577. [PMID: 38878493 PMCID: PMC11330741 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2024.105577] [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: 02/21/2024] [Revised: 05/10/2024] [Accepted: 06/04/2024] [Indexed: 08/20/2024]
Abstract
Social stress is a negative emotional experience that can increase fear and anxiety. Dominance status can alter the way individuals react to and cope with stressful events. The underlying neurobiology of how social dominance produces stress resistance remains elusive, although experience-dependent changes in androgen receptor (AR) expression is thought to play an essential role. Using a Syrian hamster (Mesocricetus auratus) model, we investigated whether dominant individuals activate more AR-expressing neurons in the posterior dorsal and posterior ventral regions of the medial amygdala (MePD, MePV), and display less social anxiety-like behavior following social defeat stress compared to subordinate counterparts. We allowed male hamsters to form and maintain a dyadic dominance relationship for 12 days, exposed them to social defeat stress, and then tested their approach-avoidance behavior using a social avoidance test. During social defeat stress, dominant subjects showed a longer latency to submit and greater c-Fos expression in AR+ cells in the MePD/MePV compared to subordinates. We found that social defeat exposure reduced the amount of time animals spent interacting with a novel conspecific 24 h later, although there was no effect of dominance status. The amount of social vigilance shown by dominants during social avoidance testing was positively correlated with c-Fos expression in AR+ cells in the MePV. These findings indicate that dominant hamsters show greater neural activity in AR+ cells in the MePV during social defeat compared to their subordinate counterparts, and this pattern of neural activity correlates with their proactive coping response. Consistent with the central role of androgens in experience-dependent changes in aggression, activation of AR+ cells in the MePD/MePV contributes to experience-dependent changes in stress-related behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- C J Whitten
- Department of Psychology, University of Tennessee Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, United States
| | - J E King
- Department of Psychology, University of Tennessee Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, United States
| | - R M Rodriguez
- Department of Psychology, University of Tennessee Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, United States
| | - L M Hennon
- Department of Psychology, University of Tennessee Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, United States
| | - M C Scarborough
- Department of Psychology, University of Tennessee Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, United States
| | - M K Hooker
- Department of Psychology, University of Tennessee Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, United States
| | - M S Jenkins
- Department of Psychology, University of Tennessee Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, United States
| | - I M Katigbak
- Department of Psychology, University of Tennessee Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, United States
| | - M A Cooper
- Department of Psychology, University of Tennessee Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, United States.
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2
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Zuloaga DG, Lafrican JJ, Zuloaga KL. Androgen regulation of behavioral stress responses and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. Horm Behav 2024; 162:105528. [PMID: 38503191 PMCID: PMC11144109 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2024.105528] [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: 12/11/2023] [Revised: 02/02/2024] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/21/2024]
Abstract
Testosterone is a powerful steroid hormone that can impact the brain and behavior in various ways, including regulating behavioral and neuroendocrine (hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis) stress responses. Early in life androgens can act to alter development of brain regions associated with stress regulation, which ultimately impacts the display of stress responses later in life. Adult circulating androgens can also influence the expression of distinct genes and proteins that regulate stress responses. These changes in the brain are hypothesized to underlie the potent effects of androgens in regulating behaviors related to stress and stress-induced activation of the HPA axis. Androgens can induce alterations in these functions through direct binding to the androgen receptor (AR) or following conversion to estrogens and subsequent binding to estrogen receptors including estrogen receptor alpha (ERα), beta (ERβ), and G protein-coupled estrogen receptor 1 (GPER1). In this review, we focus on the role of androgens in regulating behavioral and neuroendocrine stress responses at different stages of the lifespan and the sex hormone receptors involved in regulating these effects. We also review the specific brain regions and cell phenotypes upon which androgens are proposed to act to regulate stress responses with an emphasis on hypothalamic and extended amygdala subregions. This knowledge of androgen effects on these neural systems is critical for understanding how sex hormones regulate stress responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damian G Zuloaga
- Department of Psychology, University at Albany, Albany, NY, USA.
| | | | - Kristen L Zuloaga
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, Albany Medical College, Albany, NY, USA
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Lake AA, Trainor BC. Leveraging the unique social organization of California mice to study circuit-specific effects of oxytocin on behavior. Horm Behav 2024; 160:105487. [PMID: 38281444 PMCID: PMC11391860 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2024.105487] [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: 10/23/2023] [Revised: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 01/30/2024]
Abstract
Oxytocin is a versatile neuropeptide that modulates many different forms of social behavior. Recent hypotheses pose that oxytocin enhances the salience of rewarding and aversive social experiences, and the field has been working to identify mechanisms that allow oxytocin to have diverse effects on behavior. Here we review studies conducted on the California mouse (Peromyscus californicus) that shed light on how oxytocin modulates social behavior following stressful experiences. In this species, both males and females exhibit high levels of aggression, which has facilitated the study of how social stress impacts both sexes. We review findings of short- and long-term effects of social stress on the reactivity of oxytocin neurons. We also consider the results of pharmacological studies which show that oxytocin receptors in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis and nucleus accumbens have distinct but overlapping effects on social approach behaviors. These findings help explain how social stress can have different behavioral effects in males and females, and how oxytocin can have such divergent effects on behavior. Finally, we consider how new technological developments and innovative research programs take advantage of the unique social organization of California mice to address questions that can be difficult to study in conventional rodent model species. These new methods and questions have opened new avenues for studying the neurobiology of social behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alyssa A Lake
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, United States of America
| | - Brian C Trainor
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, United States of America.
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Xie Z, Xing L, Zhao M, Zhao L, Liu J, Li Y, Gan J, Chen S, Li H. Versatile, vigilance, and gut microbiome support the priority of high-ranking hens. Front Vet Sci 2023; 10:1324937. [PMID: 38179328 PMCID: PMC10764595 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2023.1324937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Dominance hierarchy exists in social animals and shows profound impacts on animals' survival, physical and mental health, and reproductive success. Aggressive interaction, as the main indicator used to calculate social hierarchy, however, is not found in some female animals. In this study, we aimed to figure out the establishment of social hierarchy in hens that almost perform aggressive behaviors and investigated the interactions of social hierarchy with production performance and gut microbiome. Forty 49-day-old Qingyuan hens were randomly divided into four groups. The social hierarchy of hens was calculated by the relative position around the feeder. The rank 1 (R1), R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, R7, R8, R9, and R10 birds were determined in ascending order. Then, R1 and R2 birds (four duplicates, n = 8) were named as the high-ranking hens (HR) group, while R9 and R10 individuals were named as the low-ranking hens (LR) group (four duplicates, n = 8). The heart index (p = 0.01), number of visits per day, daily feed intake, and occupation time per day were higher in the HR group than LR group, but the LR group had a higher feed intake per visit than the HR group. The alpha diversity was significantly lower in the HR group than the LR group (p = 0.05). The relative abundance of phylum Firmicutes was higher while that of phylum Deferribacterota was lower in the HR group than LR group (p < 0.05). At the genus level, the relative abundance of Succinatimonas, Eubacterium hallii group, and Anaerostipes were higher in HR group than in LR group. The relative abundance of Bacteroides, Mucispirillum, Subdoligranulum, and Barnesiellaceae unclassified was higher in the LR group than HR group (p < 0.05). In conclusion, the rank of hens could be calculated by the relative position around the feeder when they compete for food. The dominant hens have a versatile. Moreover, they are more vigilant and have priority when foraging. Low-ranking hens adopt strategies to get enough food to sustain themselves. Hens of high-rank possess beneficial bacteria that use favorable substances to maintain the balance of the gut environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhijiang Xie
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Molecular Design and Precise Breeding, Key Laboratory of Animal Molecular Design and Precise Breeding of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, School of Life Science and Engineering, Foshan University, Foshan, China
| | - Limin Xing
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Molecular Design and Precise Breeding, Key Laboratory of Animal Molecular Design and Precise Breeding of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, School of Life Science and Engineering, Foshan University, Foshan, China
| | - Mengqiao Zhao
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Molecular Design and Precise Breeding, Key Laboratory of Animal Molecular Design and Precise Breeding of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, School of Life Science and Engineering, Foshan University, Foshan, China
| | - Lei Zhao
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Molecular Design and Precise Breeding, Key Laboratory of Animal Molecular Design and Precise Breeding of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, School of Life Science and Engineering, Foshan University, Foshan, China
| | - Jinling Liu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Molecular Design and Precise Breeding, Key Laboratory of Animal Molecular Design and Precise Breeding of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, School of Life Science and Engineering, Foshan University, Foshan, China
| | - Yushan Li
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Molecular Design and Precise Breeding, Key Laboratory of Animal Molecular Design and Precise Breeding of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, School of Life Science and Engineering, Foshan University, Foshan, China
| | - Jiankang Gan
- Guangdong Tinoo’s Foods Group Co., Ltd., Qingyuan, China
| | - Siyu Chen
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Molecular Design and Precise Breeding, Key Laboratory of Animal Molecular Design and Precise Breeding of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, School of Life Science and Engineering, Foshan University, Foshan, China
| | - Hua Li
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Molecular Design and Precise Breeding, Key Laboratory of Animal Molecular Design and Precise Breeding of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, School of Life Science and Engineering, Foshan University, Foshan, China
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Ronquillo J, Nguyen MT, Rothi LY, Bui‐Tu T, Yang J, Halladay LR. Nature and nurture: Comparing mouse behavior in classic versus revised anxiety-like and social behavioral assays in genetically or environmentally defined groups. GENES, BRAIN, AND BEHAVIOR 2023; 22:e12869. [PMID: 37872655 PMCID: PMC10733577 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2023] [Revised: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 10/25/2023]
Abstract
Widely used rodent anxiety assays like the elevated plus maze (EPM) and the open field test (OFT) are conflated with rodents' natural preference for dark over light environments or protected over open spaces. The EPM and OFT have been used for decades but are often criticized by behavioral scientists. Years ago, two revised anxiety assays were designed to improve upon the "classic" tests by excluding the possibility to avoid or escape aversion. The 3-D radial arm maze (3DR) and the 3-D open field test (3Doft) utilize continual motivational conflict to better model anxiety; each consist of an open space connected to ambiguous paths toward uncertain escape. Despite their utility, the revised assays have not caught on. This could be because no study yet has directly compared classic and revised assays in the same animals. To remedy this, we contrasted behavior from a battery of assays (EPM, OFT, 3DR, 3Doft and a sociability test) in mice defined genetically by isogenic strain, or environmentally by postnatal experience. One major motivation for this work is to inform future studies by offering a transparent look at individual outcomes on these assays, as there is no one-size-fits-all test to assess rodent anxiety-like behavior. Findings suggest that classic assays may sufficiently characterize differences across genetically defined groups, but the revised 3DR may be advantageous for investigating more nuanced behavioral differences such as those stemming from environmental factors. Finally, exposure to multiple assays significantly affected sociability, highlighting concerns for designing and interpreting batteries of rodent behavioral tests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janet Ronquillo
- Department of PsychologySanta Clara UniversitySanta ClaraCaliforniaUSA
| | - Michael T. Nguyen
- Department of PsychologySanta Clara UniversitySanta ClaraCaliforniaUSA
| | - Linnea Y. Rothi
- Department of PsychologySanta Clara UniversitySanta ClaraCaliforniaUSA
| | - Trung‐Dan Bui‐Tu
- Department of PsychologySanta Clara UniversitySanta ClaraCaliforniaUSA
| | - Jocelyn Yang
- Department of PsychologySanta Clara UniversitySanta ClaraCaliforniaUSA
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Walker SL, Sud N, Beyene R, Palin N, Glasper ER. Paternal deprivation induces vigilance-avoidant behavior and accompanies sex-specific alterations in stress reactivity and central proinflammatory cytokine response in California mice (Peromyscus californicus). Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2023; 240:2317-2334. [PMID: 36988696 PMCID: PMC10599166 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-023-06354-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2022] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Early-life stress (ELS) can increase anxiety, reduce prosocial behaviors, and impair brain regions that facilitate emotional and social development. This knowledge greatly stems from assessing disrupted mother-child relationships, while studies investigating the long-term effects of father-child relationships on behavioral development in children are scarce. However, available evidence suggests that fathers may uniquely influence a child's behavioral development in a sex-specific manner. Rodent models examining mother-offspring interaction demonstrate relationships among ELS, neuroinflammatory mediators, and behavioral development; yet, the role paternal care may play in neuroimmune functioning remains unreported. OBJECTIVES Using the biparental California mouse (Peromyscus californicus), we examined to what extent paternal deprivation impairs social and anxiety-like behaviors, augments peripheral corticosterone (CORT) response, and alters central proinflammatory cytokine production following an acute stressor in adulthood. METHODS Biparentally reared and paternally deprived (permanent removal of the sire 24 h post-birth) adult mice were assessed for sociability, preference for social novelty, social vigilance, and social avoidance behaviors, followed by novelty-suppressed feeding (NSF) testing for general anxiety-like behavior. Following an acute stressor, circulating CORT concentrations and region-specific proinflammatory cytokine concentrations were determined via radioimmunoassay and Luminex multianalyte analysis, respectively. RESULTS In response to a novel same-sex conspecific, social vigilance behavior was associated with reduced sociability and increased avoidance in paternally deprived mice-an effect not observed in biparentally reared counterparts. Yet, in response to a familiar same-sex conspecific, social vigilance persisted but only in paternally deprived females. The latency to consume during NSF testing was not significantly altered by paternal deprivation. In response to an acute physical stressor, lower circulating CORT concentrations were observed in paternally deprived females. Compared to control-reared males, paternal deprivation increased hypothalamic interleukin-1β, but decreased hippocampal IL-6 protein concentration. CONCLUSION Greater social vigilance behavior was demonstrated in paternally deprived mice while they avoided social interaction with a novel same-sex conspecific; however, in response to a familiar same-sex conspecific, paternal deprivation increased social vigilance behavior but only in females. It is possible that different neurobiological mechanisms underlie these observed behavioral outcomes as sex-specific central proinflammatory cytokine and stress responsivity were observed in paternally deprived offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shakeera L Walker
- Department of Neuroscience, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
- Neuroscience and Cognitive Science Program, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA
| | - Neilesh Sud
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA
| | - Rita Beyene
- Department of Neuroscience, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - Nicole Palin
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA
| | - Erica R Glasper
- Department of Neuroscience, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA.
- Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA.
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA.
- Neuroscience and Cognitive Science Program, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA.
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA.
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Wright EC, Luo PX, Zakharenkov HC, Serna Godoy A, Lake AA, Prince ZD, Sekar S, Culkin HI, Ramirez AV, Dwyer T, Kapoor A, Corbett C, Tian L, Fox AS, Trainor BC. Sexual differentiation of neural mechanisms of stress sensitivity during puberty. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2306475120. [PMID: 37847733 PMCID: PMC10614610 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2306475120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Anxiety disorders are a major public health concern and current treatments are inadequate for many individuals. Anxiety is more common in women than men and this difference arises during puberty. Sex differences in physiological stress responses may contribute to this variability. During puberty, gonadal hormones shape brain structure and function, but the extent to which these changes affect stress sensitivity is unknown. We examined how pubertal androgens shape behavioral and neural responses to social stress in California mice (Peromyscus californicus), a model species for studying sex differences in stress responses. In adults, social defeat reduces social approach and increases social vigilance in females but not males. We show this sex difference is absent in juveniles, and that prepubertal castration sensitizes adult males to social defeat. Adult gonadectomy does not alter behavioral responses to defeat, indicating that gonadal hormones act during puberty to program behavioral responses to stress in adulthood. Calcium imaging in the medioventral bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) showed that social threats increased neural activity and that prepubertal castration generalized these responses to less threatening social contexts. These results support recent hypotheses that the BNST responds to immediate threats. Prepubertal treatment with the nonaromatizable androgen dihydrotestosterone acts in males and females to reduce the effects of defeat on social approach and vigilance in adults. These data indicate that activation of androgen receptors during puberty is critical for programming behavioral responses to stress in adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily C. Wright
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA95616
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA95616
| | - Pei X. Luo
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA95616
| | | | | | - Alyssa A. Lake
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA95616
| | - Zhana D. Prince
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA95616
| | - Shwetha Sekar
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA95616
| | - Hannah I. Culkin
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA95616
| | | | - Tjien Dwyer
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA95616
| | - Amita Kapoor
- Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI53715
| | - Cody Corbett
- Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI53715
| | - Lin Tian
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA95616
| | - Andrew S. Fox
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA95616
- California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, CA95616
| | - Brian C. Trainor
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA95616
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8
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Ronquillo J, Nguyen MT, Rothi L, Bui-Tu TD, Yang J, Halladay LR. Nature and nurture: comparing mouse behavior in classic versus revised anxiety-like and social behavioral assays in genetically or environmentally defined groups. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.06.16.545212. [PMID: 37398211 PMCID: PMC10312802 DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.16.545212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/04/2023]
Abstract
Widely used rodent anxiety assays like the elevated plus maze (EPM) and the open field test (OFT) are often conflated with rodents' natural preference for dark over light environments or protected over open spaces. The EPM and OFT have been used for many decades, yet have also been criticized by generations of behavioral scientists. Several years ago, two revised anxiety assays were designed to improve upon the "classic" tests by excluding the possibility to avoid or escape aversive areas of each maze. The 3-D radial arm maze (3DR) and the 3-D open field test (3Doft) each consist of an open space connected to ambiguous paths toward uncertain escape. This introduces continual motivational conflict, thereby increasing external validity as an anxiety model. But despite this improvement, the revised assays have not caught on. One issue may be that studies to date have not directly compared classic and revised assays in the same animals. To remedy this, we contrasted behavior in a battery of assays (EPM, OFT, 3DR, 3Doft, and a sociability test) in mice defined either genetically by isogenic strain, or environmentally by postnatal experience. Findings indicate that the optimal assay to assess anxiety-like behavior may depend upon grouping variable (e.g. genetic versus environment). We argue that the 3DR may be the most ecologically valid of the anxiety assays tested, while the OFT and 3Doft provided the least useful information. Finally, exposure to multiple assays significantly affected sociability measures, raising concerns for designing and interpreting batteries of behavioral tests in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janet Ronquillo
- Department of Psychology, Santa Clara University, 500 El Camino Real, Santa Clara, California, 95053, USA
| | - Michael T. Nguyen
- Department of Psychology, Santa Clara University, 500 El Camino Real, Santa Clara, California, 95053, USA
| | - Linnea Rothi
- Department of Psychology, Santa Clara University, 500 El Camino Real, Santa Clara, California, 95053, USA
| | - Trung-Dan Bui-Tu
- Department of Psychology, Santa Clara University, 500 El Camino Real, Santa Clara, California, 95053, USA
| | - Jocelyn Yang
- Department of Psychology, Santa Clara University, 500 El Camino Real, Santa Clara, California, 95053, USA
| | - Lindsay R. Halladay
- Department of Psychology, Santa Clara University, 500 El Camino Real, Santa Clara, California, 95053, USA
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9
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Graf A, Murray SH, Eltahir A, Patel S, Hansson AC, Spanagel R, McCormick CM. Acute and long-term sex-dependent effects of social instability stress on anxiety-like and social behaviours in Wistar rats. Behav Brain Res 2023; 438:114180. [PMID: 36349601 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2022.114180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2022] [Revised: 10/07/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Adolescence is a critical time of social learning in which both the quantity and quality of social interactions shape adult behavior and social function. During adolescence, social instability such as disrupting or limiting social interactions can lead to negative life-long effects on mental health and well-being in humans. Animal models on social instability are critically important in understanding those underlying neurobiological mechanisms. However, studies in rats using these models have produced partly inconsistent results and can be difficult to generalize. Here we assessed in a sex and age consistent manner the long-term behavioural consequences of social instability stress (SIS - 1-hr daily isolation and change in cage mate between postnatal day (PD30-45)) in Wistar rats. Female and male rats underwent a battery of tests for anxiety-like, exploratory, and social behaviour over five days beginning either in adolescence (PD46) or in adulthood (PD70). Social instability led to reduced anxiety-like behaviour in the elevated plus maze in both sexes in adolescence and in adulthood. Social interactions were also reduced in rats that underwent SIS - an effect that was independent of sex and age when tested. SIS improved social recognition memory in both sexes whereas a sex-dependent effect was seen in the social novelty preference test where male rats that underwent SIS spent more time in social approach toward a novel peer than toward their cage mate. In comparison, control male and female groups did not differ in this test, in time spent with novel versus the cage mate. Thus, overall, social instability stress in Wistar rats altered the behavioural repertoire, with enduring alterations in social behaviour, enhanced exploratory behaviour, and reduced anxiety-like behaviour. In conclusion, the social instability stress paradigm may better be interpreted as a form of enrichment in Wistar rats than as a stressor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akseli Graf
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Shealin H Murray
- Centre for Neuroscience and Department of Psychology, Brock University, St. Catharines, Canada
| | - Akif Eltahir
- Centre for Neuroscience and Department of Psychology, Brock University, St. Catharines, Canada
| | - Smit Patel
- Centre for Neuroscience and Department of Psychology, Brock University, St. Catharines, Canada
| | - Anita C Hansson
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Rainer Spanagel
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Cheryl M McCormick
- Centre for Neuroscience and Department of Psychology, Brock University, St. Catharines, Canada.
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Lawson KM, Barrett BL, Cerny RJ, Enrici KE, Garcia-Cardenas J, Gonzales CE, Hernandez ID, Iacobacci CP, Lin T, Martinez Urieta NY, Moreno P, Rivera MG, Teichrow DJ, Vizcarra A, Hostinar CE, Robins RW. The Development of Shyness from Late Childhood to Adolescence: A Longitudinal Study of Mexican-origin Youth. SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PERSONALITY SCIENCE 2023; 14:13-25. [PMID: 36644497 PMCID: PMC9838638 DOI: 10.1177/19485506211070674] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Shyness, the tendency to be inhibited and uncomfortable in novel social situations, is a consequential personality trait, especially during adolescence. The present study examined the development of shyness from late childhood (age 10) through adolescence (age 16) using data from a large, longitudinal study of Mexican-origin youth (N = 674). Using both self- and mother-reports of shyness assessed via the Early Adolescent Temperament Questionnaire-Revised, we found moderate to high rank-order stabilities across two-year intervals and a mean-level decrease in shyness from age 10 to 16. Anxiety and depression were associated with higher initial levels of shyness, and anxiety was associated with greater decreases in shyness from age 10 to 16. Contrary to predictions, neither nativity (country of birth) nor language proficiency (English, Spanish) was associated with the development of shyness across adolescence. Thus, youth generally decline in shyness during adolescence, although there is substantial individual variability in shyness trajectories.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Ryan J Cerny
- Psychology Department, University of California-Davis
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Tiffanie Lin
- Psychology Department, University of California-Davis
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Williams AV, Peña CJ, Ramos-Maciel S, Laman-Maharg A, Ordoñez-Sanchez E, Britton M, Durbin-Johnson B, Settles M, Hao R, Yokoyama S, Xu C, Luo PX, Dwyer T, Bhela S, Black AM, Labonté B, Serafini RA, Ruiz A, Neve RL, Zachariou V, Nestler EJ, Trainor BC. Comparative Transcriptional Analyses in the Nucleus Accumbens Identifies RGS2 as a Key Mediator of Depression-Related Behavior. Biol Psychiatry 2022; 92:942-951. [PMID: 36075764 PMCID: PMC9794384 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2022.06.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Revised: 06/21/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Major depressive disorder is one of the most commonly diagnosed mental illnesses worldwide, with a higher prevalence in women than in men. Although currently available pharmacological therapeutics help many individuals, they are not effective for most. Animal models have been important for the discovery of molecular alterations in stress and depression, but difficulties in adapting animal models of depression for females has impeded progress in developing novel therapeutic treatments that may be more efficacious for women. METHODS Using the California mouse social defeat model, we took a multidisciplinary approach to identify stress-sensitive molecular targets that have translational relevance for women. We determined the impact of stress on transcriptional profiles in male and female California mouse nucleus accumbens (NAc) and compared these results with data from postmortem samples of the NAc from men and women diagnosed with major depressive disorder. RESULTS Our cross-species computational analyses identified Rgs2 (regulator of G protein signaling 2) as a transcript downregulated by social defeat stress in female California mice and in women with major depressive disorder. RGS2 plays a key role in signal regulation of neuropeptide and neurotransmitter receptors. Viral vector-mediated overexpression of Rgs2 in the NAc restored social approach and sucrose preference in stressed female California mice. CONCLUSIONS These studies show that Rgs2 acting in the NAc has functional properties that translate to changes in anxiety- and depression-related behavior. Future studies should investigate whether targeting Rgs2 represents a novel target for treatment-resistant depression in women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexia V Williams
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, Davis, California
| | - Catherine J Peña
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York; Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton, New Jersey
| | | | | | - Evelyn Ordoñez-Sanchez
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, Davis, California; Department of Psychology, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Monica Britton
- Bioinformatics Core Facility, UC Davis Genome Center, University of California, Davis, Davis, California
| | | | - Matt Settles
- Bioinformatics Core Facility, UC Davis Genome Center, University of California, Davis, Davis, California
| | - Rebecca Hao
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, Davis, California
| | - Sae Yokoyama
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, Davis, California
| | - Christine Xu
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, Davis, California
| | - Pei X Luo
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, Davis, California
| | - Tjien Dwyer
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, Davis, California
| | - Shanu Bhela
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, Davis, California
| | - Alexis M Black
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, Davis, California
| | - Benoit Labonté
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York; Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Laval University, Québec, Quebec, Canada
| | - Randal Alex Serafini
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Anne Ruiz
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Rachael L Neve
- Gene Delivery Technology Core, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Venetia Zachariou
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Eric J Nestler
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Brian C Trainor
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, Davis, California.
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12
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Dong C, Zheng Y, Long-Iyer K, Wright EC, Li Y, Tian L. Fluorescence Imaging of Neural Activity, Neurochemical Dynamics, and Drug-Specific Receptor Conformation with Genetically Encoded Sensors. Annu Rev Neurosci 2022; 45:273-294. [PMID: 35316611 PMCID: PMC9940643 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-neuro-110520-031137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Recent advances in fluorescence imaging permit large-scale recording of neural activity and dynamics of neurochemical release with unprecedented resolution in behaving animals. Calcium imaging with highly optimized genetically encoded indicators provides a mesoscopic view of neural activity from genetically defined populations at cellular and subcellular resolutions. Rigorously improved voltage sensors and microscopy allow for robust spike imaging of populational neurons in various brain regions. In addition, recent protein engineering efforts in the past few years have led to the development of sensors for neurotransmitters and neuromodulators. Here, we discuss the development and applications of these genetically encoded fluorescent indicators in reporting neural activity in response to various behaviors in different biological systems as well as in drug discovery. We also report a simple model to guide sensor selection and optimization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunyang Dong
- Graduate Program in Biochemistry, Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Davis, California, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, California, USA;
| | - Yu Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Peking University School of Life Sciences; PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research; and Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Beijing, China;
| | - Kiran Long-Iyer
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, California, USA;
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California, Davis, California, USA
| | - Emily C Wright
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, California, USA;
| | - Yulong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Peking University School of Life Sciences; PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research; and Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Beijing, China;
| | - Lin Tian
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, California, USA;
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13
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Trainor BC, Falkner AL. Quantifying Sex Differences in Behavior in the Era of "Big" Data. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol 2022; 14:a039164. [PMID: 34607831 PMCID: PMC9159265 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a039164] [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] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Sex differences are commonly observed in behaviors that are closely linked to adaptive function, but sex differences can also be observed in behavioral "building blocks" such as locomotor activity and reward processing. Modern neuroscientific inquiry, in pursuit of generalizable principles of functioning across sexes, has often ignored these more subtle sex differences in behavioral building blocks that may result from differences in these behavioral building blocks. A frequent assumption is that there is a default (often male) way to perform a behavior. This approach misses fundamental drivers of individual variability within and between sexes. Incomplete behavioral descriptions of both sexes can lead to an overreliance on reduced "single-variable" readouts of complex behaviors, the design of which may be based on male-biased samples. Here, we advocate that the incorporation of new machine-learning tools for collecting and analyzing multimodal "big behavior" data allows for a more holistic and richer approach to the quantification of behavior in both sexes. These new tools make behavioral description more robust and replicable across laboratories and species, and may open up new lines of neuroscientific inquiry by facilitating the discovery of novel behavioral states. Having more accurate measures of behavioral diversity in males and females could serve as a hypothesis generator for where and when we should look in the brain for meaningful neural differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian C Trainor
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, California 95616, USA
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14
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Dwortz MF, Curley JP, Tye KM, Padilla-Coreano N. Neural systems that facilitate the representation of social rank. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20200444. [PMID: 35000438 PMCID: PMC8743891 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2021] [Accepted: 11/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Across species, animals organize into social dominance hierarchies that serve to decrease aggression and facilitate survival of the group. Neuroscientists have adopted several model organisms to study dominance hierarchies in the laboratory setting, including fish, reptiles, rodents and primates. We review recent literature across species that sheds light onto how the brain represents social rank to guide socially appropriate behaviour within a dominance hierarchy. First, we discuss how the brain responds to social status signals. Then, we discuss social approach and avoidance learning mechanisms that we propose could drive rank-appropriate behaviour. Lastly, we discuss how the brain represents memories of individuals (social memory) and how this may support the maintenance of unique individual relationships within a social group. This article is part of the theme issue 'The centennial of the pecking order: current state and future prospects for the study of dominance hierarchies'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madeleine F. Dwortz
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
- Institute for Neuroscience, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - James P. Curley
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Kay M. Tye
- Systems Neuroscience Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Nancy Padilla-Coreano
- Systems Neuroscience Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, FN 32611, USA
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15
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Making sense of strengths and weaknesses observed in adolescent lab rodents. Curr Opin Psychol 2022; 45:101297. [DOI: 10.1016/j.copsyc.2021.12.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2021] [Revised: 12/16/2021] [Accepted: 12/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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16
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Zhang X, Yang H, Zhang J, Yang M, Yuan N, Liu J. Prevalence of and risk factors for depressive and anxiety symptoms in a large sample of Chinese adolescents in the post-COVID-19 era. Child Adolesc Psychiatry Ment Health 2021; 15:80. [PMID: 34961519 PMCID: PMC8710930 DOI: 10.1186/s13034-021-00429-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2021] [Accepted: 12/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Depressive and anxiety symptoms are widespread among adolescents today, creating a large social problem. However, few previous studies have addressed depression and anxiety among adolescents in Chinese cohorts. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of and risk factors for depressive and anxiety symptoms among Chinese middle school adolescent students in the post-COVID-19 era. METHODS A total of 22,380 middle school students from Jiangsu Province were surveyed online, and their general demographic data were collected. The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) was used to assess depressive symptoms, and the seven-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) scale was used to measure anxiety symptoms. RESULTS Of these participants (aged 12-17 years), 25.6% had depressive symptoms, 26.9% had anxiety symptoms, and 20.6% had a combination of depression and anxiety symptoms. The prevalence of depressive symptoms was higher in female adolescents (27.6%) than in male adolescents (23.7%; χ2 = 45.479, P = 0.000), and the proportion with anxiety symptoms was higher among female adolescents (28.6%) than among male adolescents (25.4%; χ2 = 29.390, P = 0.000). Furthermore, binary logistic regression analysis showed that gender, region, and parental relationship were significantly associated with depressive symptoms among adolescents, while age, gender, region, and parental relationship were significantly associated with anxiety symptoms. CONCLUSIONS Our findings demonstrated that the prevalence of reported depressive and anxiety symptoms in Chinese adolescents are high. Female gender, urban region, and poor parental relationship may be risk factors for depressive and anxiety symptoms. Furthermore, policy makers, schools, and families need to pay more attention to the psychological health of adolescents, develop response plans and take early intervention measures to reduce the prevalence of adolescent depression and anxiety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaobin Zhang
- Institute of Mental Health, Suzhou Psychiatric Hospital, The Affiliated Guangji Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, 215137, People's Republic of China.
| | - Haidong Yang
- grid.89957.3a0000 0000 9255 8984Department of Psychiatry, The Fourth People’s Hospital of Lianyungang, The Affiliated KangDa College of Nanjing Medical University, Lianyungang, 222003 People’s Republic of China
| | - Jing Zhang
- grid.89957.3a0000 0000 9255 8984Department of Psychiatry, The Fourth People’s Hospital of Lianyungang, The Affiliated KangDa College of Nanjing Medical University, Lianyungang, 222003 People’s Republic of China
| | - Man Yang
- grid.89957.3a0000 0000 9255 8984Department of Psychiatry, The Fourth People’s Hospital of Lianyungang, The Affiliated KangDa College of Nanjing Medical University, Lianyungang, 222003 People’s Republic of China
| | - Nian Yuan
- grid.89957.3a0000 0000 9255 8984Science and Education Section, The Fourth People’s Hospital of Lianyungang, The Affiliated KangDa College of Nanjing Medical University, Lianyungang, 222003 People’s Republic of China
| | - Junjie Liu
- grid.89957.3a0000 0000 9255 8984Science and Education Section, The Fourth People’s Hospital of Lianyungang, The Affiliated KangDa College of Nanjing Medical University, Lianyungang, 222003 People’s Republic of China
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17
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Computed Tomography Image Feature under Intelligent Algorithms in Diagnosing the Effect of Humanized Nursing on Neuroendocrine Hormones in Patients with Primary Liver Cancer. JOURNAL OF HEALTHCARE ENGINEERING 2021; 2021:4563100. [PMID: 34659687 PMCID: PMC8514893 DOI: 10.1155/2021/4563100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2021] [Revised: 09/12/2021] [Accepted: 09/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
This study was to explore the application value of computed tomography (CT) images processed by intelligent algorithm denoising in the evaluation of humanized nursing in postoperative neuroendocrine hormone changes in patients with primary liver cancer (PLC). In this study, a simple-structured recursive residual coding and decoding (RRCD) algorithm was constructed on the basis of residual network, which can effectively remove artifacts and noise in CT images and can also restore image details and lesion features well. In addition, 60 postoperative patients with primary liver cancer were collected and divided into routine nursing control group (30 cases) and humanized nursing experimental group (30 cases). After a period of nursing, CT images based on intelligent algorithms were evaluated by determining the hormone content. The results showed that the focal necrosis rate (FNR) of the experimental group was 6%. The adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) levels of 6 and 15 days after admission (T3 and T4) were 41.25 ± 3.81 pg/mL and 19.55 ± 1.72 pg/mL, respectively. The cortisol levels of days 6, 15, and 30 after admission (T3, T4, and T5) were 424.86 ± 16.82 nmol/L, 277.98 ± 14.36 nmol/L, and 241.53 ± 13.27 nmol/L, respectively. Estradiol levels were 53.48 ± 11.19 pg/mL, 41.64 ± 9.28 pg/mL, and 30.59 ± 8.16 pg/mL, respectively. Testosterone levels were 2.18 ± 1.14 ng/mL, 1.78 ± 1.03 ng/mL, and 1.42 ± 0.69 ng/mL, respectively. Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) scores were 40.24 ± 5.81 points, 36.55 ± 5.02 points, and 32.53 ± 4.8 points, respectively. There were 24 cases, 27 cases, 23 cases, and 21 patients who followed no smoking and drinking, taking medication on time, diet control, and self-monitoring. The scores of physical function, self-cognition, emotional function, and social function were 62.59 ± 6.82 points, 69.26 ± 8.14 points, 73.89 ± 6.35 points, and 66.88 ± 7.04 points, which were better than those of the control group in all aspects (P < 0.05). In short, the humanized nursing course can enhance the compliance of the patients after the surgery, improve the quality of life, and inhibit the anxiety and depression of the patients, so it showed a positive effect on the neuroendocrine hormones and the prognosis of the patients.
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18
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Xie S, Zhang X, Cheng W, Yang Z. Adolescent anxiety disorders and the developing brain: comparing neuroimaging findings in adolescents and adults. Gen Psychiatr 2021; 34:e100411. [PMID: 34423252 PMCID: PMC8340272 DOI: 10.1136/gpsych-2020-100411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2020] [Accepted: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Adolescence is the peak period for the incidence of anxiety disorders. Recent findings have revealed the immaturity of neural networks underlying emotional regulation in this population. Brain vulnerability to anxiety in adolescence is related to the unsynchronised development of anxiety-relevant brain functional systems. However, our current knowledge on brain deficits in adolescent anxiety is mainly borrowed from studies on adults. Understanding adolescent-specific brain deficits is essential for developing biomarkers and brain-based therapies targeting adolescent anxiety. This article reviews and compares recent neuroimaging literature on anxiety-related brain structural and functional deficits between adolescent and adult populations, and proposes a model highlighting the differences between adolescence and adulthood in anxiety-related brain networks. This model emphasises that in adolescence the emotional control system tends to be hypoactivated, the fear conditioning system is immature, and the reward and stress response systems are hypersensitive. Furthermore, the striatum’s functional links to the amygdala and the prefrontal cortex are strengthened, while the link between the prefrontal cortex and the amygdala is weakened in adolescence. This model helps to explain why adolescents are vulnerable to anxiety disorders and provides insights into potential brain-based approaches to intervene in adolescent anxiety disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuqi Xie
- Laboratory of Psychological Health and Imaging, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaochen Zhang
- Laboratory of Psychological Health and Imaging, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Wenhong Cheng
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhi Yang
- Laboratory of Psychological Health and Imaging, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Institute of Psychological and Behavioral Sciences, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
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19
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Zika MA, Becker L. Physical Activity as a Treatment for Social Anxiety in Clinical and Non-clinical Populations: A Systematic Review and Three Meta-Analyses for Different Study Designs. Front Hum Neurosci 2021; 15:653108. [PMID: 34177489 PMCID: PMC8230570 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2021.653108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2021] [Accepted: 04/28/2021] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The fear of being in the focus of attention in social situations can develop into a social anxiety disorder (SAD). The classical treatment for SAD is cognitive behavioral therapy, which is in many cases accompanied by drug treatments. A promising alternative treatment is physical activity (PA) interventions, because regular PA has been shown to be suitable for reducing anxiety in general. We conducted a pre-registered systematic review and meta-analysis (PROSPERO registration no. CRD42020191181) as well as two additional searches. Our aim was to investigate whether PA interventions are a suitable treatment for SAD and whether PA is suitable for reducing social anxiety (SA) in general. For studies with randomized controlled trial designs, a not statistically significant effect of medium size toward lower general SA symptomatology was found in the PA group in comparison with the control group (d = -0.24, p = 0.377). For studies with longitudinal designs, significantly lower SA symptoms were found after PA treatments (d = -0.22, p = 0.001). The effect of PA on SA was stronger for adults than for children and adolescents (p = 0.003). For cross-sectional studies, a small negative association between SA symptoms and the amount of PA was found, i.e., lower SA was found for people who were more physically active (r = -0.12, p = 0.003). We conclude that PA is a promising means for the (additional) treatment of SAD or to reduce SA in general in non-clinical samples, but more research in which high-quality studies with randomized controlled trial designs are used is needed. Furthermore, open questions with respect to moderating variables (e.g., age, sex, BMI, type of intervention, stress, amount of regular PA before the intervention, and comorbidities) remain still open.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maya A Zika
- Department of Psychology, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Linda Becker
- Department of Psychology, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
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20
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Contribution of growth hormone secretagogue receptor (GHSR) signaling in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) to the regulation of social motivation in male mice. Transl Psychiatry 2021; 11:230. [PMID: 33879778 PMCID: PMC8058340 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-021-01350-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2020] [Revised: 03/19/2021] [Accepted: 03/30/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Most psychiatric disorders are characterized by deficits in the ability to interact socially with others. Ghrelin, a hormone normally associated with the regulation of glucose utilization and appetite, is also implicated in the modulation of motivated behaviors including those associated with food and sex rewards. Here we hypothesized that deficits in ghrelin receptor (growth hormone secretagogue receptor; GHSR) signaling are also associated with deficits in social motivation in male mice. To test this hypothesis, we compared social motivation in male mice lacking GHSR or mice treated with the GHSR antagonist JMV2959 with that of WT or vehicle-treated mice. GHSR signaling in dopamine cells of the ventral tegmental area (VTA) has been implicated in the control of sexual behavior, thus we further hypothesized that GHSR signaling in the VTA is important for social motivation. Thus, we conducted studies where we delivered JMV2959 to block GHSR in the VTA of mice, and studies where we rescued the expression of GHSR in the VTA of GHSR knockout (KO) mice. Mice lacking GHSR or injected with JMV2959 peripherally for 3 consecutive days displayed lower social motivation as reflected by a longer latency to approach a novel conspecific and shorter interaction time compared to WT or vehicle-treated controls. Furthermore, intra-VTA infusion of JMV2959 resulted in longer latencies to approach a novel conspecific, whereas GHSR KO mice with partial rescue of the GHSR showed decreased latencies to begin a novel social interaction. Together, these data suggest that GHSR in the VTA facilitate social approach in male mice, and GHSR-signaling deficits within the VTA result in reduced motivation to interact socially.
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21
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van Harmelen AL, Blakemore S, Goodyer IM, Kievit R. The interplay between adolescent friendship quality and resilient functioning following childhood and adolescent adversity. ADVERSITY AND RESILIENCE SCIENCE 2021; 2:37-50. [PMID: 37915317 PMCID: PMC7615274 DOI: 10.1007/s42844-020-00027-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/03/2023]
Abstract
Background Child and adolescent adversity ('CA') is a major predictor of mental health problems in adolescence and early adulthood. However, not all young people who have experienced CA develop psychopathology; their mental health functioning can be described as resilient. We previously found that resilient functioning in adolescence following CA is facilitated by adolescent friendships.However, during adolescence, friendships undergo significant change. It is unknown whether resilient functioning after CA fluctuates with these normative changes in friendship quality. Methods We used Latent Change Score Modelling in a large sample of adolescents (i.e. the ROOTS cohort; N=1238) to examine whether and how emergent friendship quality and resilient functioning at ages 14 and 17 inter-relate and change together. Results We found that friendships quality and resilient functioning had strong associations at age 14, although friendships at 14 did not predict higher resilient functioning at 17. Higher resilient functioning in 14-year-olds with a history of CA was associated with a positive change in friendships from age 14 to 17. Finally, improvements in friendship quality and resilient functioning went hand in hand, even when taking into account baseline levels of both, the change within friendship quality or resilient functioning over time, and the association between resilient functioning and change in friendship quality over time. Conclusions We show that friendship quality and resilient functioning after CA inter-relate and change together between ages 14 and 17. Our results suggest that improving friendship quality or resilient functioning within this timeframe may benefit this vulnerable adolescent group, and this should be tested in future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- A.-L. van Harmelen
- Education and Child Studies, Leiden University, The Netherlands
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, UK
| | - S.J. Blakemore
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, UK
- UCL Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, London, UK
| | - IM Goodyer
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, UK
| | - R.A. Kievit
- Radboud University Medical Centre, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour
- MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, UK
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22
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Pawluski JL, Kokras N, Charlier TD, Dalla C. Sex matters in neuroscience and neuropsychopharmacology. Eur J Neurosci 2020; 52:2423-2428. [PMID: 32578303 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.14880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2020] [Revised: 06/12/2020] [Accepted: 06/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Prevalence and symptoms of most psychiatric and neurological disorders differ in men and women and there is substantial evidence that their neurobiological basis and treatment also differ by sex. This special issue sought to bring together a series of empirical papers and targeted reviews to highlight the diverse impact of sex in neuroscience and neuropsychopharmacology. This special issue emphasizes the diverse impact of sex in neuroscience and neuropsychopharmacology, including 9 review papers and 17 research articles highlighting investigation in different species (zebrafish, mice, rats, and humans). Each contribution covers scientific topics that overlap with genetics, endocrinology, cognition, behavioral neuroscience, neurology, and pharmacology. Investigating the extent to which sex differences can impact the brain and behavior is key to moving forward in neuroscience research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jodi L Pawluski
- Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut de Recherche en Santé, Environnement et Travail), Univ Rennes, Rennes, France
| | - Nikolaos Kokras
- Department of Pharmacology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece.,First Department of Psychiatry, Eginition Hospital, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Thierry D Charlier
- Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut de Recherche en Santé, Environnement et Travail), Univ Rennes, Rennes, France
| | - Christina Dalla
- Department of Pharmacology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
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