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Roberts AC, Mulvihill KG. Multiple faces of anxiety: a frontal lobe perspective. Trends Neurosci 2024:S0166-2236(24)00126-7. [PMID: 39127569 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2024.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2024] [Revised: 06/20/2024] [Accepted: 07/11/2024] [Indexed: 08/12/2024]
Abstract
Marked dysregulation of the human prefrontal cortex (PFC) and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) characterises a variety of anxiety disorders, and its amelioration is a key feature of treatment success. Overall treatment response, however, is highly variable, and about a third of patients are resistant to treatment. In this review we hypothesise that a major contributor to this variation in treatment response are the multiple faces of anxiety induced by distinct forms of frontal cortex dysregulation. Comparison of findings from humans and non-human primates reveals marked similarity in the functional organisation of threat regulation across the frontal lobes. This organisation is discussed in relation to the 'predatory imminence continuum' model of threat and the differential engagement of executive functions at the core of both emotion generation and regulation strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela C Roberts
- Department of Physiology, Development, and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
| | - Kevin G Mulvihill
- Department of Physiology, Development, and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
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2
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Santos LW, Canzian J, Resmim CM, Fontana BD, Rosemberg DB. Contextual fear conditioning in zebrafish: Influence of different shock frequencies, context, and pharmacological modulation on behavior. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2024:107963. [PMID: 39059760 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2024.107963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2024] [Revised: 07/16/2024] [Accepted: 07/23/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024]
Abstract
Contextual fear conditioning is a protocol used to assess associative learning across species, including fish. Here, our goal is to expand the analysis of behavioral parameters that may reflect aversive behaviors in a contextual fear conditioning protocol using adult zebrafish (Danio rerio) and to verify how such parameters can be modulated. First, we analyzed the influence of an aversive stimulus (3 mild electric shocks for 5 s each at frequencies of 10, 100 or 1000 Hz) on fish behavior, and their ability to elicit fear responses in the absence of shock during a test session. To confirm whether the aversive responses are context-dependent, behaviors were also measured in a different experimental environment than the test session. Furthermore, we investigated the effects of dizocilpine (MK-801, 2 mg/kg, i.p.) on fear-related responses. Zebrafish showed significant changes in baseline activity immediately after shock exposure in the training session, in which 100 Hz induced robust contextual fear responses during the testing session. Importantly, when introduced to a different environment, animals exposed to the aversive stimulus did not show any differences in locomotor parameters including immobility-related parameters. MK-801 administered after the training session reduced fear responses during the test, indicating that glutamate NMDA-receptors can be relevant for the consolidation of contextual fear-related memory in zebrafish. In conclusion, by further exploring fear-related behaviors in a contextual fear conditioning task, we show the effects of different shock frequencies and confirm the importance of context on aversive responses for associative learning in zebrafish. Additionally, our data support the use of zebrafish in contextual fear conditioning tasks, as well as for advancing pharmacological studies related to associative learning in translational neurobehavioral research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura W Santos
- Laboratory of Experimental Neuropsychobiology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Natural and Exact Sciences Center, Federal University of Santa Maria, 1000 Roraima Avenue, Santa Maria, RS 97105-900, Brazil
| | - Julia Canzian
- Laboratory of Experimental Neuropsychobiology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Natural and Exact Sciences Center, Federal University of Santa Maria, 1000 Roraima Avenue, Santa Maria, RS 97105-900, Brazil; Graduate Program in Biological Sciences: Toxicological Biochemistry, Federal University of Santa Maria, 1000 Roraima Avenue, Santa Maria, RS 97105-900, Brazil; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Natural and Exact Sciences Center, Federal University of Santa Maria, 1000 Roraima Avenue, Santa Maria, RS 97105-900, Brazil
| | - Cássio M Resmim
- Laboratory of Experimental Neuropsychobiology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Natural and Exact Sciences Center, Federal University of Santa Maria, 1000 Roraima Avenue, Santa Maria, RS 97105-900, Brazil; Graduate Program in Biological Sciences: Toxicological Biochemistry, Federal University of Santa Maria, 1000 Roraima Avenue, Santa Maria, RS 97105-900, Brazil; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Natural and Exact Sciences Center, Federal University of Santa Maria, 1000 Roraima Avenue, Santa Maria, RS 97105-900, Brazil
| | - Barbara D Fontana
- Laboratory of Experimental Neuropsychobiology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Natural and Exact Sciences Center, Federal University of Santa Maria, 1000 Roraima Avenue, Santa Maria, RS 97105-900, Brazil; Graduate Program in Biological Sciences: Toxicological Biochemistry, Federal University of Santa Maria, 1000 Roraima Avenue, Santa Maria, RS 97105-900, Brazil; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Natural and Exact Sciences Center, Federal University of Santa Maria, 1000 Roraima Avenue, Santa Maria, RS 97105-900, Brazil.
| | - Denis B Rosemberg
- Laboratory of Experimental Neuropsychobiology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Natural and Exact Sciences Center, Federal University of Santa Maria, 1000 Roraima Avenue, Santa Maria, RS 97105-900, Brazil; Graduate Program in Biological Sciences: Toxicological Biochemistry, Federal University of Santa Maria, 1000 Roraima Avenue, Santa Maria, RS 97105-900, Brazil; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Natural and Exact Sciences Center, Federal University of Santa Maria, 1000 Roraima Avenue, Santa Maria, RS 97105-900, Brazil; The International Zebrafish Neuroscience Research Consortium (ZNRC), 309 Palmer Court, Slidell, LA 70458, USA.
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3
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Gomes-de-Souza L, Busnardo C, Santos A, Paz HS, Resstel LB, Planeta CS, Nunes-de-Souza RL, Crestani CC. Functional lateralization in the medial prefrontal cortex control of contextual conditioned emotional responses in rats. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2024; 133:111015. [PMID: 38653363 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2024.111015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2024] [Revised: 04/17/2024] [Accepted: 04/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
A functional lateralization has been reported in control of emotional responses by the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). However, a hemisphere asymmetry in involvement of the mPFC in expression of fear conditioning responses has never been reported. Therefore, we investigated whether control by mPFC of freezing and cardiovascular responses during re-exposure to an aversively conditioned context is lateralized. For this, rats had guide cannulas directed to the mPFC implanted bilaterally or unilaterally in the right or left hemispheres. Vehicle or the non-selective synaptic inhibitor CoCl2 was microinjected into the mPFC 10 min before re-exposure to a chamber where the animals had previously received footshocks. A catheter was implanted into the femoral artery before the fear retrieval test for cardiovascular recordings. We observed that bilateral microinjection of CoCl2 into the mPFC reduced both the freezing behavior (enhancing locomotion and rearing) and arterial pressure and heart rate increases during re-exposure to the aversively conditioned context. Unilateral microinjection of CoCl2 into the right hemisphere of the mPFC also decreased the freezing behavior (enhancing locomotion and rearing), but without affecting the cardiovascular changes. Conversely, unilateral synaptic inhibition in the left mPFC did not affect either behavioral or cardiovascular responses during fear retrieval test. Taken together, these results suggest that the right hemisphere of the mPFC is necessary and sufficient for expression of freezing behavior to contextual fear conditioning. However, the control of cardiovascular responses and freezing behavior during fear retrieval test is somehow dissociated in the mPFC, being the former bilaterally processed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas Gomes-de-Souza
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, São Paulo State University (UNESP), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Araraquara, SP, Brazil
| | - Cristiane Busnardo
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, São Paulo State University (UNESP), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Araraquara, SP, Brazil
| | - Adrielly Santos
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, São Paulo State University (UNESP), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Araraquara, SP, Brazil
| | - Higor S Paz
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, São Paulo State University (UNESP), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Araraquara, SP, Brazil
| | - Leonardo B Resstel
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Cleopatra S Planeta
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, São Paulo State University (UNESP), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Araraquara, SP, Brazil
| | - Ricardo L Nunes-de-Souza
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, São Paulo State University (UNESP), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Araraquara, SP, Brazil
| | - Carlos C Crestani
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, São Paulo State University (UNESP), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Araraquara, SP, Brazil.
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4
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Greiner EM, Petrovich GD. Recruitment of hippocampal and thalamic pathways to the central amygdala in the control of feeding behavior under novelty. Brain Struct Funct 2024; 229:1179-1191. [PMID: 38625554 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-024-02791-7] [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: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024]
Abstract
It is adaptive to restrict eating under uncertainty, such as during habituation to novel foods and unfamiliar environments. However, sustained restrictive eating can become maladaptive. Currently, the neural substrates of restrictive eating are poorly understood. Using a model of feeding avoidance under novelty, our recent study identified forebrain activation patterns and found evidence that the central nucleus of the amygdala (CEA) is a core integrating node. The current study analyzed the activity of CEA inputs in male and female rats to determine if specific pathways are recruited during feeding under novelty. Recruitment of direct inputs from the paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus (PVT), the infralimbic cortex (ILA), the agranular insular cortex (AI), the hippocampal ventral field CA1, and the bed nucleus of the stria terminals (BST) was assessed with combined retrograde tract tracing and Fos induction analysis. The study found that during consumption of a novel food in a novel environment, larger number of neurons within the PVTp and the CA1 that send monosynaptic inputs to the CEA were recruited compared to controls that consumed familiar food in a familiar environment. The ILA, AI, and BST inputs to the CEA were similarly recruited across conditions. There were no sex differences in activation of any of the pathways analyzed. These results suggest that the PVTp-CEA and CA1-CEA pathways underlie feeding inhibition during novelty and could be potential sites of malfunction in excessive food avoidance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eliza M Greiner
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, 02467, USA
| | - Gorica D Petrovich
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, 02467, USA.
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5
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Premachandran H, Wilkin J, Arruda-Carvalho M. Minimizing Variability in Developmental Fear Studies in Mice: Toward Improved Replicability in the Field. Curr Protoc 2024; 4:e1040. [PMID: 38713136 DOI: 10.1002/cpz1.1040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2024]
Abstract
In rodents, the first weeks of postnatal life feature remarkable changes in fear memory acquisition, retention, extinction, and discrimination. Early development is also marked by profound changes in brain circuits underlying fear memory processing, with heightened sensitivity to environmental influences and stress, providing a powerful model to study the intersection between brain structure, function, and the impacts of stress. Nevertheless, difficulties related to breeding and housing young rodents, preweaning manipulations, and potential increased variability within that population pose considerable challenges to developmental fear research. Here we discuss several factors that may promote variability in studies examining fear conditioning in young rodents and provide recommendations to increase replicability. We focus primarily on experimental conditions, design, and analysis of rodent fear data, with an emphasis on mouse studies. The convergence of anatomical, synaptic, physiological, and behavioral changes during early life may increase variability, but careful practice and transparency in reporting may improve rigor and consensus in the field. © 2024 The Authors. Current Protocols published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanista Premachandran
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- These authors contributed equally to this work
| | - Jennifer Wilkin
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- These authors contributed equally to this work
| | - Maithe Arruda-Carvalho
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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6
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Knox D, Parikh V. Basal forebrain cholinergic systems as circuits through which traumatic stress disrupts emotional memory regulation. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2024; 159:105569. [PMID: 38309497 PMCID: PMC10948307 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105569] [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: 09/11/2023] [Revised: 01/25/2024] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/05/2024]
Abstract
Contextual and spatial systems facilitate changes in emotional memory regulation brought on by traumatic stress. Cholinergic basal forebrain (chBF) neurons provide input to contextual/spatial systems and although chBF neurons are important for emotional memory, it is unknown how they contribute to the traumatic stress effects on emotional memory. Clusters of chBF neurons that project to the prefrontal cortex (PFC) modulate fear conditioned suppression and passive avoidance, while clusters of chBF neurons that project to the hippocampus (Hipp) and PFC (i.e. cholinergic medial septum and diagonal bands of Broca (chMS/DBB neurons) are critical for fear extinction. Interestingly, neither Hipp nor PFC projecting chMS/DBB neurons are critical for fear extinction. The retrosplenial cortex (RSC) is a contextual/spatial memory system that receives input from chMS/DBB neurons, but whether this chMS/DBB-RSC circuit facilitates traumatic stress effects on emotional memory remain unexplored. Traumatic stress leads to neuroinflammation and the buildup of reactive oxygen species. These two molecular processes may converge to disrupt chBF circuits enhancing the impact of traumatic stress on emotional memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dayan Knox
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Behavioral Neuroscience Program, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA.
| | - Vinay Parikh
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience Program, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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Felix-Ortiz AC, Terrell JM, Gonzalez C, Msengi HD, Boggan MB, Ramos AR, Magalhães G, Burgos-Robles A. Prefrontal Regulation of Safety Learning during Ethologically Relevant Thermal Threat. eNeuro 2024; 11:ENEURO.0140-23.2024. [PMID: 38272673 PMCID: PMC10903390 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0140-23.2024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2023] [Revised: 01/02/2024] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 01/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Learning and adaptation during sources of threat and safety are critical mechanisms for survival. The prelimbic (PL) and infralimbic (IL) subregions of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) have been broadly implicated in the processing of threat and safety. However, how these regions regulate threat and safety during naturalistic conditions involving thermal challenge still remains elusive. To examine this issue, we developed a novel paradigm in which adult mice learned that a particular zone that was identified with visuospatial cues was associated with either a noxious cold temperature ("threat zone") or a pleasant warm temperature ("safety zone"). This led to the rapid development of avoidance behavior when the zone was paired with cold threat or approach behavior when the zone was paired with warm safety. During a long-term test without further thermal reinforcement, mice continued to exhibit robust avoidance or approach to the zone of interest, indicating that enduring spatial-based memories were formed to represent the thermal threat and thermal safety zones. Optogenetic experiments revealed that neural activity in PL and IL was not essential for establishing the memory for the threat zone. However, PL and IL activity bidirectionally regulated memory formation for the safety zone. While IL activity promoted safety memory during normal conditions, PL activity suppressed safety memory especially after a stress pretreatment. Therefore, a working model is proposed in which balanced activity between PL and IL is favorable for safety memory formation, whereas unbalanced activity between these brain regions is detrimental for safety memory after stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ada C Felix-Ortiz
- Department of Neuroscience, Developmental, and Regenerative Biology, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas 78249
| | - Jaelyn M Terrell
- Department of Neuroscience, Developmental, and Regenerative Biology, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas 78249
| | - Carolina Gonzalez
- Department of Neuroscience, Developmental, and Regenerative Biology, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas 78249
| | - Hope D Msengi
- Department of Neuroscience, Developmental, and Regenerative Biology, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas 78249
| | - Miranda B Boggan
- Department of Neuroscience, Developmental, and Regenerative Biology, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas 78249
| | - Angelica R Ramos
- Department of Neuroscience, Developmental, and Regenerative Biology, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas 78249
| | - Gabrielle Magalhães
- Department of Neuroscience, Developmental, and Regenerative Biology, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas 78249
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215
| | - Anthony Burgos-Robles
- Department of Neuroscience, Developmental, and Regenerative Biology, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas 78249
- Brain Health Consortium, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas 78249
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8
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Iqbal J, Huang GD, Xue YX, Yang M, Jia XJ. The neural circuits and molecular mechanisms underlying fear dysregulation in posttraumatic stress disorder. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1281401. [PMID: 38116070 PMCID: PMC10728304 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1281401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a stress-associated complex and debilitating psychiatric disorder due to an imbalance of neurotransmitters in response to traumatic events or fear. PTSD is characterized by re-experiencing, avoidance behavior, hyperarousal, negative emotions, insomnia, personality changes, and memory problems following exposure to severe trauma. However, the biological mechanisms and symptomatology underlying this disorder are still largely unknown or poorly understood. Considerable evidence shows that PTSD results from a dysfunction in highly conserved brain systems involved in regulating stress, anxiety, fear, and reward circuitry. This review provides a contemporary update about PTSD, including new data from the clinical and preclinical literature on stress, PTSD, and fear memory consolidation and extinction processes. First, we present an overview of well-established laboratory models of PTSD and discuss their clinical translational value for finding various treatments for PTSD. We then highlight the research progress on the neural circuits of fear and extinction-related behavior, including the prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, and amygdala. We further describe different molecular mechanisms, including GABAergic, glutamatergic, cholinergic, and neurotropic signaling, responsible for the structural and functional changes during fear acquisition and fear extinction processes in PTSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javed Iqbal
- Shenzhen Graduate School, Peking University Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
- Department of Addiction Medicine, Shenzhen Engineering Research Center for Precision Psychiatric Technology, Shenzhen Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Shenzhen Kangning Hospital and Shenzhen Mental Health Center; Clinical College of Mental Health, Shenzhen University Health Science Center; Affiliated Mental Health Center, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Geng-Di Huang
- Shenzhen Graduate School, Peking University Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
- Department of Addiction Medicine, Shenzhen Engineering Research Center for Precision Psychiatric Technology, Shenzhen Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Shenzhen Kangning Hospital and Shenzhen Mental Health Center; Clinical College of Mental Health, Shenzhen University Health Science Center; Affiliated Mental Health Center, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Yan-Xue Xue
- National Institute on Drug Dependence and Beijing Key Laboratory of Drug Dependence, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Mei Yang
- Department of Addiction Medicine, Shenzhen Engineering Research Center for Precision Psychiatric Technology, Shenzhen Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Shenzhen Kangning Hospital and Shenzhen Mental Health Center; Clinical College of Mental Health, Shenzhen University Health Science Center; Affiliated Mental Health Center, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Xiao-Jian Jia
- Department of Addiction Medicine, Shenzhen Engineering Research Center for Precision Psychiatric Technology, Shenzhen Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Shenzhen Kangning Hospital and Shenzhen Mental Health Center; Clinical College of Mental Health, Shenzhen University Health Science Center; Affiliated Mental Health Center, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
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9
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Bertocchi I, Rocha-Almeida F, Romero-Barragán MT, Cambiaghi M, Carretero-Guillén A, Botta P, Dogbevia GK, Treviño M, Mele P, Oberto A, Larkum ME, Gruart A, Sprengel R, Delgado-García JM, Hasan MT. Pre- and postsynaptic N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors are required for sequential printing of fear memory engrams. iScience 2023; 26:108050. [PMID: 37876798 PMCID: PMC10590821 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.108050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2023] [Revised: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 09/22/2023] [Indexed: 10/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The organization of fear memory involves the participation of multiple brain regions. However, it is largely unknown how fear memory is formed, which circuit pathways are used for "printing" memory engrams across brain regions, and the role of identified brain circuits in memory retrieval. With advanced genetic methods, we combinatorially blocked presynaptic output and manipulated N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) in the basolateral amygdala (BLA) and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) before and after cued fear conditioning. Further, we tagged fear-activated neurons during associative learning for optogenetic memory recall. We found that presynaptic mPFC and postsynaptic BLA NMDARs are required for fear memory formation, but not expression. Our results provide strong evidence that NMDAR-dependent synaptic plasticity drives multi-trace systems consolidation for the sequential printing of fear memory engrams from BLA to mPFC and, subsequently, to the other regions, for flexible memory retrieval.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilaria Bertocchi
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, Jahnstrasse 29, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Neuroscience "Rita Levi Montalcini", Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri Ottolenghi (NICO), University of Turin, 10043 Turin, Italy
| | - Florbela Rocha-Almeida
- Division of Neurosciences, University Pablo de Olavide, Ctra. de Utrera, km. 1 41013 Seville, Spain
| | | | - Marco Cambiaghi
- Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Strada le Grazie 8, Verona, Italy
| | - Alejandro Carretero-Guillén
- Laboratory of Brain Circuits Therapeutics, Achucarro Basque Center for Neuroscience, Science Park of the UPV/EHU, Sede Building, Barrio Sarriena, s/n, 48940 Leioa, Spain
| | - Paolo Botta
- CNS drug development, Copenhagen, Capital Region, Denmark
| | - Godwin K. Dogbevia
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, Jahnstrasse 29, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
- Health Canada, 70 Colombine Driveway, Ottawa, ON K1A0K9, Canada
| | - Mario Treviño
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, Jahnstrasse 29, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
- Laboratorio de Plasticidad Cortical y Aprendizaje Perceptual, Instituto de Neurociencias, Universidad de Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Mexico
| | - Paolo Mele
- Department of Neuroscience "Rita Levi Montalcini", Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri Ottolenghi (NICO), University of Turin, 10043 Turin, Italy
| | - Alessandra Oberto
- Department of Neuroscience "Rita Levi Montalcini", Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri Ottolenghi (NICO), University of Turin, 10043 Turin, Italy
| | - Matthew E. Larkum
- NeuroCure, Charité-Universitatsmedizin, Virchowweg 6, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Agnes Gruart
- Division of Neurosciences, University Pablo de Olavide, Ctra. de Utrera, km. 1 41013 Seville, Spain
| | - Rolf Sprengel
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, Jahnstrasse 29, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | | | - Mazahir T. Hasan
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, Jahnstrasse 29, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
- Laboratory of Brain Circuits Therapeutics, Achucarro Basque Center for Neuroscience, Science Park of the UPV/EHU, Sede Building, Barrio Sarriena, s/n, 48940 Leioa, Spain
- Ikerbasque – Basque Foundation for Science, Bilbao, Spain
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10
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Totty MS, Tuna T, Ramanathan KR, Jin J, Peters SE, Maren S. Thalamic nucleus reuniens coordinates prefrontal-hippocampal synchrony to suppress extinguished fear. Nat Commun 2023; 14:6565. [PMID: 37848425 PMCID: PMC10582091 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42315-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2022] [Accepted: 10/05/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Traumatic events result in vivid and enduring fear memories. Suppressing the retrieval of these memories is central to behavioral therapies for pathological fear. The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and hippocampus (HPC) have been implicated in retrieval suppression, but how mPFC-HPC activity is coordinated during extinction retrieval is unclear. Here we show that after extinction training, coherent theta oscillations (6-9 Hz) in the HPC and mPFC are correlated with the suppression of conditioned freezing in male and female rats. Inactivation of the nucleus reuniens (RE), a thalamic hub interconnecting the mPFC and HPC, reduces extinction-related Fos expression in both the mPFC and HPC, dampens mPFC-HPC theta coherence, and impairs extinction retrieval. Conversely, theta-paced optogenetic stimulation of RE augments fear suppression and reduces relapse of extinguished fear. Collectively, these results demonstrate a role for RE in coordinating mPFC-HPC interactions to suppress fear memories after extinction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael S Totty
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
- Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Tuğçe Tuna
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
- Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Karthik R Ramanathan
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
- Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Jingji Jin
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
- Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Shaun E Peters
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Stephen Maren
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA.
- Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA.
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11
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Greiner EM, Petrovich G. Recruitment of Hippocampal and Thalamic Pathways to the Central Amygdala in the Control of Feeding Behavior Under Novelty. RESEARCH SQUARE 2023:rs.3.rs-3328572. [PMID: 37790294 PMCID: PMC10543251 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3328572/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/05/2023]
Abstract
It is adaptive to restrict eating under uncertainty, such as during habituation to novel foods and unfamiliar environments. However, sustained restrictive eating is a core symptom of eating disorders and has serious long-term health consequences. Current therapeutic efforts are limited, because the neural substrates of restrictive eating are poorly understood. Using a model of feeding avoidance under novelty, our recent study identified forebrain activation patterns and found evidence that the central nucleus of the amygdala (CEA) is a core integrating node. The current study analyzed the activity of CEA inputs in male and female rats to determine if specific pathways are recruited during feeding under novelty. Recruitment of direct inputs from the paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus (PVT), the infralimbic cortex (ILA), the agranular insular cortex (AI), the hippocampal ventral field CA1, and the bed nucleus of the stria terminals (BST) was assessed with combined retrograde tract tracing and Fos induction analysis. The study found that during consumption of a novel food in a novel environment, larger number of neurons within the PVTp and the CA1 that send monosynaptic inputs to the CEA were recruited compared to controls that consumed familiar food in a familiar environment. The ILA, AI, and BST inputs to the CEA were similarly recruited across conditions. There were no sex differences in activation of any of the pathways analyzed. These results suggest that the PVTp-CEA and CA1-CEA pathways underlie feeding inhibition during novelty and could be potential sites of malfunction in excessive food avoidance.
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12
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Rajbhandari AK, Barson JR, Gilmartin MR, Hammack SE, Chen BK. The functional heterogeneity of PACAP: Stress, learning, and pathology. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2023; 203:107792. [PMID: 37369343 PMCID: PMC10527199 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2023.107792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2023] [Revised: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023]
Abstract
Pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating peptide (PACAP) is a highly conserved and widely expressed neuropeptide that has emerged as a key regulator of multiple neural and behavioral processes. PACAP systems, including the various PACAP receptor subtypes, have been implicated in neural circuits of learning and memory, stress, emotion, feeding, and pain. Dysregulation within these PACAP systems may play key roles in the etiology of pathological states associated with these circuits, and PACAP function has been implicated in stress-related psychopathology, feeding and metabolic disorders, and migraine. Accordingly, central PACAP systems may represent important therapeutic targets; however, substantial heterogeneity in PACAP systems related to the distribution of multiple PACAP isoforms across multiple brain regions, as well as multiple receptor subtypes with several isoforms, signaling pathways, and brain distributions, provides both challenges and opportunities for the development of new clinically-relevant strategies to target the PACAP system in health and disease. Here we review the heterogeneity of central PACAP systems, as well as the data implicating PACAP systems in clinically-relevant behavioral processes, with a particular focus on the considerable evidence implicating a role of PACAP in stress responding and learning and memory. We also review data suggesting that there are sex differences in PACAP function and its interactions with sex hormones. Finally, we discuss both the challenges and promise of harnessing the PACAP system in the development of new therapeutic avenues and highlight PACAP systems for their critical role in health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jessica R Barson
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Marieke R Gilmartin
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI, United States
| | - Sayamwong E Hammack
- Department of Psychological Science, University of Vermont, 2 Colchester Avenue, Burlington, VT, United States
| | - Briana K Chen
- Division of Systems Neuroscience, Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, Inc. (RFMH) / New York State Psychiatric Institute (NYSPI), New York, NY, United States; Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC), New York, NY, United States.
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13
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Lai TT, Gericke B, Feja M, Conoscenti M, Zelikowsky M, Richter F. Anxiety in synucleinopathies: neuronal circuitry, underlying pathomechanisms and current therapeutic strategies. NPJ Parkinsons Dis 2023; 9:97. [PMID: 37349373 DOI: 10.1038/s41531-023-00547-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2023] [Accepted: 06/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Synucleinopathies are neurodegenerative disorders characterized by alpha-synuclein (αSyn) accumulation in neurons or glial cells, including Parkinson's disease (PD), dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), and multiple system atrophy (MSA). αSyn-related pathology plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of synucleinopathies leading to the progressive loss of neuronal populations in specific brain regions and the development of motor and non-motor symptoms. Anxiety is among the most frequent non-motor symptoms in patients with PD, but it remains underrecognized and undertreated, which significantly reduces the quality of life for patients. Anxiety is defined as a neuropsychiatric complication with characteristics such as nervousness, loss of concentration, and sweating due to the anticipation of impending danger. In patients with PD, neuropathology in the amygdala, a central region in the anxiety and fear circuitry, may contribute to the high prevalence of anxiety. Studies in animal models reported αSyn pathology in the amygdala together with alteration of anxiety or fear learning response. Therefore, understanding the progression, extent, and specifics of pathology in the anxiety and fear circuitry in synucleinopathies will suggest novel approaches to the diagnosis and treatment of neuropsychiatric symptoms. Here, we provide an overview of studies that address neuropsychiatric symptoms in synucleinopathies. We offer insights into anxiety and fear circuitry in animal models and the current implications for therapeutic intervention. In summary, it is apparent that anxiety is not a bystander symptom in these disorders but reflects early pathogenic mechanisms in the cortico-limbic system which may even contribute as a driver to disease progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thuy Thi Lai
- Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmacy, University of Veterinary Medicine, Hannover, Germany
- Center for Systems Neuroscience, Hannover, Germany
| | - Birthe Gericke
- Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmacy, University of Veterinary Medicine, Hannover, Germany
- Center for Systems Neuroscience, Hannover, Germany
| | - Malte Feja
- Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmacy, University of Veterinary Medicine, Hannover, Germany
- Center for Systems Neuroscience, Hannover, Germany
| | | | | | - Franziska Richter
- Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmacy, University of Veterinary Medicine, Hannover, Germany.
- Center for Systems Neuroscience, Hannover, Germany.
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Felix-Ortiz AC, Terrell JM, Gonzalez C, Msengi HD, Ramos AR, Boggan MB, Lopez-Pesina SM, Magalhães G, Burgos-Robles A. The infralimbic and prelimbic cortical areas bidirectionally regulate safety learning during normal and stress conditions. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.05.05.539516. [PMID: 37205585 PMCID: PMC10187296 DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.05.539516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Safety learning is a critical function for behavioral adaptation, environmental fitness, and mental health. Animal models have implicated the prelimbic (PL) and infralimbic (IL) subregions of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) in safety learning. However, whether these regions differentially contribute to safety learning and how their contributions become affected by stress still remain poorly understood. In this study, we evaluated these issues using a novel semi-naturalistic mouse model for threat and safety learning. As mice navigated within a test arena, they learned that specific zones were associated with either noxious cold temperatures ("threat") or pleasant warm temperatures ("safety"). Optogenetic-mediated inhibition revealed critical roles for the IL and PL regions for selectively controlling safety learning during these naturalistic conditions. This form of safety learning was also highly susceptible to stress pre-exposure, and while IL inhibition mimicked the deficits produced by stress, PL inhibition fully rescued safety learning in stress-exposed mice. Collectively, these findings indicate that IL and PL bidirectionally regulate safety learning during naturalistic situations, with the IL region promoting this function and the PL region suppressing it, especially after stress. A model of balanced IL and PL activity is proposed as a fundamental mechanism for controlling safety learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ada C. Felix-Ortiz
- Department of Neuroscience, Developmental, and Regenerative Biology, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States, 78249
| | - Jaelyn M. Terrell
- Department of Neuroscience, Developmental, and Regenerative Biology, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States, 78249
| | - Carolina Gonzalez
- Department of Neuroscience, Developmental, and Regenerative Biology, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States, 78249
| | - Hope D. Msengi
- Department of Neuroscience, Developmental, and Regenerative Biology, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States, 78249
| | - Angelica R. Ramos
- Department of Neuroscience, Developmental, and Regenerative Biology, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States, 78249
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States, 78249
| | - Miranda B. Boggan
- Department of Neuroscience, Developmental, and Regenerative Biology, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States, 78249
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States, 78249
| | - Savannah M. Lopez-Pesina
- Department of Neuroscience, Developmental, and Regenerative Biology, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States, 78249
| | - Gabrielle Magalhães
- Department of Neuroscience, Developmental, and Regenerative Biology, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States, 78249
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States, 02215
| | - Anthony Burgos-Robles
- Department of Neuroscience, Developmental, and Regenerative Biology, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States, 78249
- Brain Health Consortium, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States, 78249
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15
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Meamar M, Rashidy-Pour A, Rahmani M, Vafaei AA, Raise-Abdullahi P. Glucocorticoid- β-adrenoceptors interactions in the infralimbic cortex in acquisition and consolidation of auditory fear memory extinction in rats. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2023; 225:173560. [PMID: 37094708 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2023.173560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 04/26/2023]
Abstract
This study investigated the interactive effect of glucocorticoid and β-adrenoceptors in the infralimbic (IL) cortex on the acquisition and consolidation of fear extinction in rats' auditory fear conditioning (AFC) task. On day 1, rats underwent habituation for 9 min (12 tonnes, 10 s, 4 kHz, 80 dB, without footshock). On day 2 (conditioning), rats received 3 mild electrical footshocks (US; 2 s, 0.5 mA) paired with the auditory-conditioned stimulus (CS; tone: 30 s, 4 kHz, 80 dB). On days 3-5 (Ext 1-3), rats received 15 tonnes with no footshock in the test box. Intra-IL injection of corticosterone (CORT, 20 ng/0.5 μl per side) before Ext 1 and after Ext 1-2, respectively, facilitated the acquisition and consolidation of fear memory extinction. Intra-IL injection of the β2-adrenoceptor agonist clenbuterol (CLEN, 50 ng/0.5 μl per side) inhibited, but the β-adrenoceptor antagonist propranolol (PROP, 500 ng/0.5 μl per side) enhanced the facilitatory effects of CORT on fear memory extinction. CORT injection before the acquisition of fear extinction increased p-ERK levels in the IL. Co-injection of CORT with CLEN increased, but PROP decreased p-ERK activities. CORT injection after the consolidation of fear extinction increased p-CREB in the IL. Co-injection of CORT with CLEN increased, but PROP reduced p-CREB activities. Our findings show that corticosterone facilitates the acquisition and consolidation of fear memory extinction. GRs and β-adrenoceptors in the IL jointly regulate fear memory extinction via ERK and CREB signaling pathways. This pre-clinical animal study may highlight the effect of GRs and β-adrenoceptors of the IL cortex in regulating fear memory processes in fear-related disorders such as PTSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morvarid Meamar
- Research Center of Physiology, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran
| | - Ali Rashidy-Pour
- Research Center of Physiology, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran; Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran
| | - Mehrnoush Rahmani
- Research Center of Physiology, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran
| | - Abbas Ali Vafaei
- Research Center of Physiology, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran; Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran.
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16
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Babb JA, Zuberer A, Heinrichs S, Rumbika KK, Alfiler L, Lakis GA, Leite-Morris KA, Kaplan GB. Disturbances in fear extinction learning after mild traumatic brain injury in mice are accompanied by alterations in dendritic plasticity in the medial prefrontal cortex and basolateral nucleus of the amygdala. Brain Res Bull 2023; 198:15-26. [PMID: 37031792 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2023.04.001] [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: 01/10/2023] [Revised: 03/25/2023] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 04/11/2023]
Abstract
Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have emerged as the signature injuries of the U.S. veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, and frequently co-occur in both military and civilian and populations. To better understand how fear learning and underlying neural systems might be altered after mTBI we examined the acquisition of cued fear conditioning and its extinction along with brain morphology and dendritic plasticity in a mouse model of mTBI. To induce mTBI in adult male C57BL/6J mice, a lateral fluid percussive injury (LFP 1.7) was produced using a fluid pulse of 1.7 atmosphere force to the right parietal lobe. Behavior in LFP 1.7 mice was compared to behavior in mice from two separate control groups: mice subjected to craniotomy without LFP injury (Sham) and mice that did not undergo surgery (Unoperated). Following behavioral testing, neural endpoints (dendritic structural plasticity and neuronal volume) were assessed in the basolateral nucleus of the amygdala (BLA), which plays a critical sensory role in fear learning, and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), responsible for executive functions and inhibition of fear behaviors. No gross motor abnormalities or increased anxiety-like behaviors were observed in LFP or Sham mice after surgery compared to Unoperated mice. We found that all mice acquired fear behavior, assessed as conditioned freezing to auditory cue in a single session of 6 trials, and acquisition was similar across treatment groups. Using a linear mixed effects analysis, we showed that fear behavior decreased overall over 6 days of extinction training with no effect of treatment group across extinction days. However, a significant interaction was demonstrated between the treatment groups during within-session freezing behavior (5 trials per day) during extinction training. Specifically, freezing behavior increased across within-session extinction trials in LFP 1.7 mice, whereas freezing behavior in control groups did not change on extinction test days, reflecting a dissociation between within-trial and between-trial fear extinction. Additionally, LFP mice demonstrated bilateral increases in dendritic spine density in the BLA and decreases in dendritic complexity in the PFC. The translational implications are that individuals with TBI undergoing fear extinction therapy may demonstrate within-session aberrant learning that could be targeted for more effective treatment interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica A Babb
- Research Service, VA Boston Healthcare System, West Roxbury, MA, 02132 USA; Mental Health Service, VA Boston Healthcare System, West Roxbury, MA, 02132 USA; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115 USA.
| | - Agnieszka Zuberer
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Jena University Hospital, 07743 Jena, Germany.
| | - Stephen Heinrichs
- Research Service, VA Boston Healthcare System, West Roxbury, MA, 02132 USA.
| | - Kendra K Rumbika
- Research Service, VA Boston Healthcare System, West Roxbury, MA, 02132 USA.
| | - Lauren Alfiler
- Research Service, VA Boston Healthcare System, West Roxbury, MA, 02132 USA.
| | - Gabrielle A Lakis
- Research Service, VA Boston Healthcare System, West Roxbury, MA, 02132 USA; Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 02218 USA.
| | - Kimberly A Leite-Morris
- Research Service, VA Boston Healthcare System, West Roxbury, MA, 02132 USA; Department of Psychiatry, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 02118 USA.
| | - Gary B Kaplan
- Research Service, VA Boston Healthcare System, West Roxbury, MA, 02132 USA; Mental Health Service, VA Boston Healthcare System, West Roxbury, MA, 02132 USA; Department of Psychiatry, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 02118 USA; Department of Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 02118 USA.
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17
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Meamar M, Rashidy-Pour A, Vafaei AA, Raise-Abdullahi P. β-adrenoceptors of the infra-limbic cortex mediate corticosterone-induced enhancement of acquisition and consolidation of fear memory extinction in rats. Behav Brain Res 2023; 442:114310. [PMID: 36706807 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2023.114310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2022] [Revised: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
The extinction of auditory fear conditioning (AFC) refers to reducing the fear responses induced following repeated presentation of a conditioned stimulus (tone) in the absence of an unconditioned stimulus (electric foot shock). Glucocorticoid receptors (GRs) play an important role in extinction, but the underlying neurobiological mechanisms are unclear. This study aimed to investigate the interaction between glucocorticoids and β-adrenoceptors of the infra-limbic cortex (IL) in regulating the acquisition and consolidation of fear memory extinction in rats. Male rats were trained to AFC and received three trial tones (30 s, 4 kHz, 80 dB) co-terminated with a footshock (0.8 mA, 1 s; unconditioned stimulus). Extinction trials were conducted over 3 days after training (Ext 1-3). In experiment 1, rats received clenbuterol (0.25 mg/kg/2 ml, IP) as a β2-adrenoceptor agonist or propranolol (2.5 mg/kg/2 ml, IP) as a β-adrenoceptors antagonist before Ext 1 and immediately after Ext 1 and Ext 2 followed by systemic injection of corticosterone (3 mg/kg/2 ml, IP). In Experiment 2, separate groups of rats received a bilateral intra-IL injection of clenbuterol (50 ng/0.5 µl/side) or propranolol (500 ng/0.5 µl/side) followed by a systemic injection of corticosterone (3 mg/kg/2 ml) before Ext 1 and immediately after Ext 1 and Ext 2. Results indicated that systemic and intra-IL injections of clenbuterol and propranolol inhibited and increased the facilitative effects of corticosterone on fear memory extinction, respectively. These findings show that activating β-adrenergic receptors in the IL mediates glucocorticoid effects on the acquisition and consolidation of auditory-conditioned fear memory extinction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morvarid Meamar
- Research Center of Physiology, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran
| | - Ali Rashidy-Pour
- Research Center of Physiology, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran; Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran
| | - Abbas Ali Vafaei
- Research Center of Physiology, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran; Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran.
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18
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Shao S, Zheng Y, Fu Z, Wang J, Zhang Y, Wang C, Qi X, Gong T, Ma L, Lin X, Yu H, Yuan S, Wan Y, Zhang H, Yi M. Ventral hippocampal CA1 modulates pain behaviors in mice with peripheral inflammation. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112017. [PMID: 36662622 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112017] [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: 04/27/2022] [Revised: 09/12/2022] [Accepted: 01/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic pain is one of the most significant medical problems throughout the world. Recent evidence has confirmed the hippocampus as an active modulator of pain chronicity, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Using in vivo electrophysiology, we identify a neural ensemble in the ventral hippocampal CA1 (vCA1) that shows inhibitory responses to noxious but not innocuous stimuli. Following peripheral inflammation, this ensemble becomes responsive to innocuous stimuli, representing hypersensitivity. Mimicking the inhibition of vCA1 neurons using chemogenetics induces chronic pain-like behaviors in naive mice, whereas activating vCA1 neurons in mice with peripheral inflammation results in a reduction of pain-related behaviors. Pathway-specific manipulation of vCA1 projections to basolateral amygdala (BLA) and infralimbic cortex (IL) shows that these pathways are differentially involved in pain modulation at different temporal stages of chronic inflammatory pain. These results confirm a crucial role of the vCA1 and its circuits in modulating the development of chronic pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shan Shao
- Neuroscience Research Institute and Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100083, P.R. China
| | - Yawen Zheng
- Neuroscience Research Institute and Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100083, P.R. China
| | - Zibing Fu
- Neuroscience Research Institute and Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100083, P.R. China
| | - Jiaxin Wang
- Neuroscience Research Institute and Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100083, P.R. China
| | - Yu Zhang
- Neuroscience Research Institute and Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100083, P.R. China; Institute of Laboratory Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS), Comparative Medicine Center, Peking Union Medical College (PUMC), Beijing 100021, P.R. China
| | - Cheng Wang
- Neuroscience Research Institute and Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100083, P.R. China; Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing 102206, P.R. China
| | - Xuetao Qi
- Neuroscience Research Institute and Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100083, P.R. China
| | - Tingting Gong
- Neuroscience Research Institute and Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100083, P.R. China
| | - Longyu Ma
- Neuroscience Research Institute and Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100083, P.R. China
| | - Xi Lin
- Department of Civil Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, P.R. China
| | - Haitao Yu
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education for Neurological Disorders, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, P.R. China
| | - Shulu Yuan
- Neuroscience Research Institute and Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100083, P.R. China
| | - You Wan
- Neuroscience Research Institute and Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100083, P.R. China; Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, Ministry of Education / National Health Commission, Peking University, Beijing 100083, P.R. China
| | - Haolin Zhang
- Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing 100191, P.R. China.
| | - Ming Yi
- Neuroscience Research Institute and Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100083, P.R. China; Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, Ministry of Education / National Health Commission, Peking University, Beijing 100083, P.R. China.
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19
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Kanishka, Jha SK. Compensatory cognition in neurological diseases and aging: A review of animal and human studies. AGING BRAIN 2023; 3:100061. [PMID: 36911258 PMCID: PMC9997140 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbas.2022.100061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Revised: 12/06/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Specialized individual circuits in the brain are recruited for specific functions. Interestingly, multiple neural circuitries continuously compete with each other to acquire the specialized function. However, the dominant among them compete and become the central neural network for that particular function. For example, the hippocampal principal neural circuitries are the dominant networks among many which are involved in learning processes. But, in the event of damage to the principal circuitry, many times, less dominant networks compensate for the primary network. This review highlights the psychopathologies of functional loss and the aspects of functional recuperation in the absence of the hippocampus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kanishka
- School of Life Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi 110067, India
| | - Sushil K Jha
- School of Life Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi 110067, India
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20
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Functional dissociation along the rostrocaudal axis of Japanese quail hippocampus. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0277414. [DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0277414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2022] [Accepted: 10/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The mammalian hippocampus (Hp) can be functionally segregated along its septotemporal axis, with involvement of dorsal hippocampus (dHp) in spatial memory and ventral hippocampus (vHp) in stress responses and emotional behaviour. In the present study, we investigate comparable functional segregation in proposed homologues within the avian brain. Using Japanese quail (Coturnix Japonica), we report that bilateral lesions of the rostral hippocampus (rHp) produce robust deficits in a spatial Y-maze discrimination (YMD) test while sparing performance during contextual fear conditioning (CFC), comparable to results from lesions to homologous regions in mammals. In contrast, caudal hippocampus (cHp) lesions failed to produce deficits in either CFC or YMD, suggesting that, unlike mammals, both cHp and rHp of birds can support emotional behavior. These observations demonstrate functional segregation along the rostrocaudal axis of the avian Hp that is comparable in part to distinctions seen along the mammalian hippocampal septotemporal axis.
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21
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Seno FZ, Sgobbi RF, Nobre MJ. Contributions of the GABAergic system of the prelimbic cortex and basolateral amygdala to morphine withdrawal-induced contextual fear. Physiol Behav 2022; 254:113868. [PMID: 35724926 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2022.113868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2022] [Revised: 05/20/2022] [Accepted: 06/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Morphine withdrawal can trigger disruptions in neuronal pathways involved in the modulation and expression of anxiety and fear-related behaviors, particularly those involved in associative learning. When it comes to contextual fear, specific subdivisions of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) regulate the expression of defensive behaviors through projections to specific amygdala (AM) nuclei, such as the prelimbic cortex (PrL). The basolateral nucleus (BLA) of the AM has been shown to be involved in the modulation and expression of associative memories of fear, including those associated with opiate withdrawal-related aversive events. The purpose of this study is to determine the role of GABA mechanisms in the PrL and BLA in startle potentiation and freezing behavior caused by morphine-precipitated withdrawal. Our findings show that morphine withdrawal promotes the emergence of contextual conditioned fear in animals when they are exposed to the same environment where the withdrawal sessions were performed. This suggests that the neural circuits underlying the organism's response to conditioned stressors and the circuits modulating the negative affective states induced by drug withdrawal may overlap. The pharmacological manipulation of GABAergic neurotransmission in the PrL and BLA can reverse contextual fear in morphine-withdrawn rats, an effect that appears to be mediated, at least in part, by GABAA receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Z Seno
- Departamento de Psicologia, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo (USP), 14040-901 Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brasil
| | - R F Sgobbi
- Departamento de Psicologia, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo (USP), 14040-901 Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brasil
| | - M J Nobre
- Departamento de Psicologia, Uni-FACEF, 14401-135, Franca, SP, Brasil; Departamento de Psicologia, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo (USP), 14040-901 Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brasil.
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22
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Plexin-A1 expression in the inhibitory neurons of infralimbic cortex regulates the specificity of fear memory in male mice. Neuropsychopharmacology 2022; 47:1220-1230. [PMID: 34508226 PMCID: PMC9018853 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-021-01177-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2021] [Revised: 08/30/2021] [Accepted: 08/31/2021] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Maintaining appropriate levels of fear memory specificity is crucial for individual's survival and mental health, whereas overgeneralized fear commonly occurs in neuropsychiatric disorders, including posttraumatic stress disorder and generalized anxiety disorder. However, the molecular mechanisms regulating fear memory specificity remain poorly understood. The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) is considered as a key brain region in fear memory regulation. Previous transcriptomic studies have identified that plexin-A1, a transmembrane receptor critical for axon development, was downregulated in the mPFC after fear memory training. In this study, we identified that learning-induced downregulation of the mRNA and protein levels of plexin-A1 specifically occurred in the inhibitory but not excitatory neurons in the infralimbic cortex (IL) of mPFC. Further studies of plexin-A1 by virus-mediated over-expression of functional mutants selectively in the IL inhibitory neurons revealed the critical roles of plexin-A1 for regulating memory specificity and anxiety. Moreover, our findings revealed that plexin-A1 regulated the distribution of glutamic acid decarboxylase 67, a GABA synthetase, which in turn modulated the activity of IL and its downstream brain regions. Collectively, our findings elucidate the molecular modifier of IL inhibitory neurons in regulating memory specificity and anxiety, and provide candidates for developing therapeutic strategies for the prevention or treatment of a series of fear generalization-related neuropsychiatric disorders.
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23
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Neurogenic Interventions for Fear Memory via Modulation of the Hippocampal Function and Neural Circuits. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23073582. [PMID: 35408943 PMCID: PMC8998417 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23073582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Revised: 03/22/2022] [Accepted: 03/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Fear memory helps animals and humans avoid harm from certain stimuli and coordinate adaptive behavior. However, excessive consolidation of fear memory, caused by the dysfunction of cellular mechanisms and neural circuits in the brain, is responsible for post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety-related disorders. Dysregulation of specific brain regions and neural circuits, particularly the hippocampus, amygdala, and medial prefrontal cortex, have been demonstrated in patients with these disorders. These regions are involved in learning, memory, consolidation, and extinction. These are also the brain regions where new neurons are generated and are crucial for memory formation and integration. Therefore, these three brain regions and neural circuits have contributed greatly to studies on neural plasticity and structural remodeling in patients with psychiatric disorders. In this review, we provide an understanding of fear memory and its underlying cellular mechanisms and describe how neural circuits are involved in fear memory. Additionally, we discuss therapeutic interventions for these disorders based on their proneurogenic efficacy and the neural circuits involved in fear memory.
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24
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Marks WD, Yokose J, Kitamura T, Ogawa SK. Neuronal Ensembles Organize Activity to Generate Contextual Memory. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:805132. [PMID: 35368306 PMCID: PMC8965349 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.805132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 02/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Contextual learning is a critical component of episodic memory and important for living in any environment. Context can be described as the attributes of a location that are not the location itself. This includes a variety of non-spatial information that can be derived from sensory systems (sounds, smells, lighting, etc.) and internal state. In this review, we first address the behavioral underpinnings of contextual memory and the development of context memory theory, with a particular focus on the contextual fear conditioning paradigm as a means of assessing contextual learning and the underlying processes contributing to it. We then present the various neural centers that play roles in contextual learning. We continue with a discussion of the current knowledge of the neural circuitry and physiological processes that underlie contextual representations in the Entorhinal cortex-Hippocampal (EC-HPC) circuit, as the most well studied contributor to contextual memory, focusing on the role of ensemble activity as a representation of context with a description of remapping, and pattern separation and completion in the processing of contextual information. We then discuss other critical regions involved in contextual memory formation and retrieval. We finally consider the engram assembly as an indicator of stored contextual memories and discuss its potential contribution to contextual memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- William D. Marks
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
| | - Jun Yokose
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
| | - Takashi Kitamura
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
| | - Sachie K. Ogawa
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
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25
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Shultz B, Farkash A, Collins B, Mohammadmirzaei N, Knox D. Fear learning-induced changes in AMPAR and NMDAR expression in the fear circuit. Learn Mem 2022; 29:83-92. [PMID: 35169047 PMCID: PMC8852224 DOI: 10.1101/lm.053525.121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2021] [Accepted: 01/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
NMDA receptors (NMDARs) and AMPA receptors (AMPARs) in amygdala nuclei and the dorsal hippocampus (dHipp) are critical for fear conditioning. Enhancements in synaptic AMPAR expression in amygdala nuclei and the dHipp are critical for fear conditioning, with some studies observing changes in AMPAR expression across many neurons in these brain regions. Whether similar changes occur in other nodes of the fear circuit (e.g., ventral hippocampus [vHipp]) or changes in NMDAR expression in the fear circuit occur with fear conditioning have not been sufficiently examined. To address this we used near-infrared immunohistochemistry (IHC) to measure AMPAR and NMDAR subunit expression in several nodes of the fear circuit. Long-term changes in GluR1 and GluR2 expression in the ventral hippocampus (vHipp) and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), enhanced NR2A expression in amygdala nuclei, and changes in the ratio of GluR1/NR2A and GluR2/NR2A in the dHipp was observed with fear conditioning. Most of these changes were dependent on protein synthesis during fear conditioning and were not observed immediately after fear conditioning. The results of the study suggest that global changes in AMPARs and NMDARs occur in multiple nodes within the fear circuit and raise the possibility that these changes contribute to fear memory. Further research examining how global changes in AMPAR, NMDAR, and AMPAR/NMDAR ratios within nodes of the fear circuit contribute to fear memory is needed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Negin Mohammadmirzaei
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark DE 19716
| | - Dayan Knox
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark DE 19716
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26
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Joseph NF, Zucca A, Wingfield JL, Espadas I, Page D, Puthanveettil SV. Molecular motor KIF3B in the prelimbic cortex constrains the consolidation of contextual fear memory. Mol Brain 2021; 14:162. [PMID: 34749771 PMCID: PMC8573985 DOI: 10.1186/s13041-021-00873-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2021] [Accepted: 10/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying the role of the prelimbic cortex in contextual fear memory remain elusive. Here we examined the kinesin family of molecular motor proteins (KIFs) in the prelimbic cortex for their role in mediating contextual fear, a form of associative memory. KIFs function as critical mediators of synaptic transmission and plasticity by their ability to modulate microtubule function and transport of gene products. However, the regulation and function of KIFs in the prelimbic cortex insofar as mediating memory consolidation is not known. We find that within one hour of contextual fear conditioning, the expression of KIF3B is upregulated in the prelimbic but not the infralimbic cortex. Importantly, lentiviral-mediated knockdown of KIF3B in the prelimbic cortex produces deficits in consolidation while reducing freezing behavior during extinction of contextual fear. We also find that the depletion of KIF3B increases spine density within prelimbic neurons. Taken together, these results illuminate a key role for KIF3B in the prelimbic cortex as far as mediating contextual fear memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadine F Joseph
- The Skaggs Graduate School of Chemical and Biological Sciences, Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA.,Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, FL, 33458, USA
| | - Aya Zucca
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, FL, 33458, USA
| | - Jenna L Wingfield
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, FL, 33458, USA
| | - Isabel Espadas
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, FL, 33458, USA
| | - Damon Page
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, FL, 33458, USA
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27
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Brault V, Nguyen TL, Flores-Gutiérrez J, Iacono G, Birling MC, Lalanne V, Meziane H, Manousopoulou A, Pavlovic G, Lindner L, Selloum M, Sorg T, Yu E, Garbis SD, Hérault Y. Dyrk1a gene dosage in glutamatergic neurons has key effects in cognitive deficits observed in mouse models of MRD7 and Down syndrome. PLoS Genet 2021; 17:e1009777. [PMID: 34587162 PMCID: PMC8480849 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1009777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2021] [Accepted: 08/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Perturbation of the excitation/inhibition (E/I) balance leads to neurodevelopmental diseases including to autism spectrum disorders, intellectual disability, and epilepsy. Loss-of-function mutations in the DYRK1A gene, located on human chromosome 21 (Hsa21,) lead to an intellectual disability syndrome associated with microcephaly, epilepsy, and autistic troubles. Overexpression of DYRK1A, on the other hand, has been linked with learning and memory defects observed in people with Down syndrome (DS). Dyrk1a is expressed in both glutamatergic and GABAergic neurons, but its impact on each neuronal population has not yet been elucidated. Here we investigated the impact of Dyrk1a gene copy number variation in glutamatergic neurons using a conditional knockout allele of Dyrk1a crossed with the Tg(Camk2-Cre)4Gsc transgenic mouse. We explored this genetic modification in homozygotes, heterozygotes and combined with the Dp(16Lipi-Zbtb21)1Yey trisomic mouse model to unravel the consequence of Dyrk1a dosage from 0 to 3, to understand its role in normal physiology, and in MRD7 and DS. Overall, Dyrk1a dosage in postnatal glutamatergic neurons did not impact locomotor activity, working memory or epileptic susceptibility, but revealed that Dyrk1a is involved in long-term explicit memory. Molecular analyses pointed at a deregulation of transcriptional activity through immediate early genes and a role of DYRK1A at the glutamatergic post-synapse by deregulating and interacting with key post-synaptic proteins implicated in mechanism leading to long-term enhanced synaptic plasticity. Altogether, our work gives important information to understand the action of DYRK1A inhibitors and have a better therapeutic approach. The Dual Specificity Tyrosine Phosphorylation Regulated Kinase 1A, DYRK1A, drives cognitive alterations with increased dose in Down syndrome (DS) or with reduced dose in DYRK1A-related intellectual disability syndromes (ORPHA:268261; ORPHA:464311) also known as mental retardation, autosomal dominant disease 7 (MRD7; OMIM #614104). Here we report that specific and complete loss of Dyrk1a in glutamatergic neurons induced a range of specific cognitive phenotypes and alter the expression of genes involved in neurotransmission in the hippocampus. We further explored the consequences of Dyrk1a dosage in glutamatergic neurons on the cognitive phenotypes observed respectively in MRD7 and DS mouse models and we found specific roles in long-term explicit memory with no impact on motor activity, short-term working memory, and susceptibility to epilepsy. Then we demonstrated that DYRK1A is a component of the glutamatergic post-synapse and interacts with several component such as NR2B and PSD95. Altogether our work describes a new role of DYRK1A at the glutamatergic synapse that must be considered to understand the consequence of treatment targeting DYRK1A in disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Véronique Brault
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, INSERM, Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, IGBMC, Illkirch, France
| | - Thu Lan Nguyen
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, INSERM, Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, IGBMC, Illkirch, France
| | - Javier Flores-Gutiérrez
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, INSERM, Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, IGBMC, Illkirch, France
| | - Giovanni Iacono
- Department of Molecular Biology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Marie-Christine Birling
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, INSERM, CELPHEDIA, PHENOMIN, Institut Clinique de la Souris, Illkirch, France
| | - Valérie Lalanne
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, INSERM, CELPHEDIA, PHENOMIN, Institut Clinique de la Souris, Illkirch, France
| | - Hamid Meziane
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, INSERM, CELPHEDIA, PHENOMIN, Institut Clinique de la Souris, Illkirch, France
| | - Antigoni Manousopoulou
- Institute for Life Sciences, University of Southampton, School of Medicine, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Guillaume Pavlovic
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, INSERM, CELPHEDIA, PHENOMIN, Institut Clinique de la Souris, Illkirch, France
| | - Loïc Lindner
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, INSERM, CELPHEDIA, PHENOMIN, Institut Clinique de la Souris, Illkirch, France
| | - Mohammed Selloum
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, INSERM, Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, IGBMC, Illkirch, France
| | - Tania Sorg
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, INSERM, Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, IGBMC, Illkirch, France
| | - Eugene Yu
- The Children’s Guild Foundation Down Syndrome Research Program, Genetics and Genomics Program and Department of Cancer Genetics and Genomics, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, New York, United States of America
- Genetics, Genomics and Bioinformatics Program, State University of New York At Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, United States of America
| | - Spiros D. Garbis
- Institute for Life Sciences, University of Southampton, School of Medicine, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Yann Hérault
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, INSERM, Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, IGBMC, Illkirch, France
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, INSERM, CELPHEDIA, PHENOMIN, Institut Clinique de la Souris, Illkirch, France
- * E-mail:
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28
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Saulskaya NB, Burmakina MA, Trofimova NA. Nitric Oxide Inhibits the Functional Activation of the Medial Prefrontal Cortex Serotonin System during Fear Formation and Decreases Fear Generalization. NEUROCHEM J+ 2021. [DOI: 10.1134/s1819712421030107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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29
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Martin K, Musaus M, Navabpour S, Gustin A, Ray WK, Helm RF, Jarome TJ. Females, but not males, require protein degradation in the hippocampus for contextual fear memory formation. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2021; 28:248-253. [PMID: 34266989 PMCID: PMC8284313 DOI: 10.1101/lm.053429.121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2021] [Accepted: 06/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Strong evidence supports a role for protein degradation in fear memory formation. However, these data have been largely done in only male animals. Here, we found that following contextual fear conditioning, females, but not males, had increased levels of proteasome activity and K48 polyubiquitin protein targeting in the dorsal hippocampus, the latter of which occurred at chaperones or RNA processing proteins. In vivo CRISPR–dCas9-mediated repression of protein degradation in the dorsal hippocampus impaired contextual fear memory in females, but not males. These results suggest a sex-specific role for protein degradation in the hippocampus during the consolidation of a contextual fear memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kiley Martin
- School of Neuroscience, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, USA
| | - Madeline Musaus
- School of Neuroscience, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, USA
| | - Shaghayegh Navabpour
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute, Department of Translational Biology, Medicine, and Health, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Roanoke, Virginia 24016, USA
| | - Aspen Gustin
- Department of Animal and Poultry Science, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, USA
| | - W Keith Ray
- Department of Biochemistry, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, USA
| | - Richard F Helm
- Department of Biochemistry, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, USA
| | - Timothy J Jarome
- School of Neuroscience, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, USA.,Fralin Biomedical Research Institute, Department of Translational Biology, Medicine, and Health, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Roanoke, Virginia 24016, USA.,Department of Animal and Poultry Science, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, USA
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30
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Chaaya N, Wang J, Jacques A, Beecher K, Chaaya M, Battle AR, Johnson LR, Chehrehasa F, Belmer A, Bartlett SE. Contextual Fear Memory Maintenance Changes Expression of pMAPK, BDNF and IBA-1 in the Pre-limbic Cortex in a Layer-Specific Manner. Front Neural Circuits 2021; 15:660199. [PMID: 34295224 PMCID: PMC8291085 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2021.660199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2021] [Accepted: 06/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a debilitating and chronic fear-based disorder. Pavlovian fear conditioning protocols have long been utilised to manipulate and study these fear-based disorders. Contextual fear conditioning (CFC) is a particular Pavlovian conditioning procedure that pairs fear with a particular context. Studies on the neural mechanisms underlying the development of contextual fear memories have identified the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), or more specifically, the pre-limbic cortex (PL) of the mPFC as essential for the expression of contextual fear. Despite this, little research has explored the role of the PL in contextual fear memory maintenance or examined the role of neuronal mitogen-activated protein kinase (pMAPK; ERK 1/2), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and IBA-1 in microglia in the PL as a function of Pavlovian fear conditioning. The current study was designed to evaluate how the maintenance of two different long-term contextual fear memories leads to changes in the number of immune-positive cells for two well-known markers of neural activity (phosphorylation of MAPK and BDNF) and microglia (IBA-1). Therefore, the current experiment is designed to assess the number of immune-positive pMAPK and BDNF cells, microglial number, and morphology in the PL following CFC. Specifically, 2 weeks following conditioning, pMAPK, BDNF, and microglia number and morphology were evaluated using well-validated antibodies and immunohistochemistry (n = 12 rats per group). A standard CFC protocol applied to rats led to increases in pMAPK, BDNF expression and microglia number as compared to control conditions. Rats in the unpaired fear conditioning (UFC) procedure, despite having equivalent levels of fear to context, did not have any change in pMAPK, BDNF expression and microglia number in the PL compared to the control conditions. These data suggest that alterations in the expression of pMAPK, BDNF, and microglia in the PL can occur for up to 2 weeks following CFC. Together the data suggest that MAPK, BDNF, and microglia within the PL of the mPFC may play a role in contextual fear memory maintenance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas Chaaya
- School of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.,Translational Research Institute, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Joshua Wang
- School of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.,Translational Research Institute, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Angela Jacques
- School of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.,Translational Research Institute, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Kate Beecher
- School of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.,Translational Research Institute, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Michael Chaaya
- School of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.,Translational Research Institute, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Andrew Raymond Battle
- Translational Research Institute, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.,School of Biomedical Science, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.,University of Queensland Diamantina Institute, Translational Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Luke R Johnson
- Translational Research Institute, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.,School of Psychology and Counselling, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.,Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress, Department of Psychiatry, USU School of Medicine, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Fatemeh Chehrehasa
- Translational Research Institute, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.,School of Biomedical Science, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Arnauld Belmer
- School of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.,Translational Research Institute, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Selena E Bartlett
- School of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.,Translational Research Institute, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
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31
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Gilmartin MR, Ferrara NC. Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase-Activating Polypeptide in Learning and Memory. Front Cell Neurosci 2021; 15:663418. [PMID: 34239418 PMCID: PMC8258392 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2021.663418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2021] [Accepted: 06/02/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) is a highly conserved neuropeptide that regulates neuronal physiology and transcription through Gs/Gq-coupled receptors. Its actions within hypothalamic, limbic, and mnemonic systems underlie its roles in stress regulation, affective processing, neuroprotection, and cognition. Recently, elevated PACAP levels and genetic disruption of PAC1 receptor signaling in humans has been linked to maladaptive threat learning and pathological stress and fear in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). PACAP is positioned to integrate stress and memory in PTSD for which memory of the traumatic experience is central to the disorder. However, PACAP's role in memory has received comparatively less attention than its role in stress. In this review, we consider the evidence for PACAP-PAC1 receptor signaling in learning and plasticity, discuss emerging data on sex differences in PACAP signaling, and raise key questions for further study toward elucidating the contribution of PACAP to adaptive and maladaptive fear learning.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Nicole C Ferrara
- Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, United States
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32
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Michaels TI, Stone E, Singal S, Novakovic V, Barkin RL, Barkin S. Brain reward circuitry: The overlapping neurobiology of trauma and substance use disorders. World J Psychiatry 2021; 11:222-231. [PMID: 34168969 PMCID: PMC8209534 DOI: 10.5498/wjp.v11.i6.222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2021] [Revised: 04/14/2021] [Accepted: 05/20/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Mental health symptoms secondary to trauma exposure and substance use disorders (SUDs) co-occur frequently in both clinical and community samples. The possibility of a shared aetiology remains an important question in translational neuroscience. Advancements in genetics, basic science, and neuroimaging have led to an improved understanding of the neural basis of these disorders, their frequent comorbidity and high rates of relapse remain a clinical challenge. This project aimed to conduct a review of the field's current understanding regarding the neural circuitry underlying posttraumatic stress disorder and SUD. A comprehensive review was conducted of available published literature regarding the shared neurobiology of these disorders, and is summarized in detail, including evidence from both animal and clinical studies. Upon summarizing the relevant literature, this review puts forth a hypothesis related to their shared neurobiology within the context of fear processing and reward cues. It provides an overview of brain reward circuitry and its relation to the neurobiology, symptomology, and phenomenology of trauma and substance use. This review provides clinical insights and implications of the proposed theory, including the potential development of novel pharmacological and therapeutic treatments to address this shared neurobiology. Limitations and extensions of this theory are discussed to provide future directions and insights for this shared phenomena.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy I Michaels
- Department of Psychiatry, The Zucker Hillside Hospital, Northwell Health, Glen Oaks, NY 11004, United States
- Department of Psychiatry, The Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine, Hofstra/Northwell, Glen Oaks, NY 11004, United States
| | - Emily Stone
- Department of Psychiatry, The Zucker Hillside Hospital, Northwell Health, Glen Oaks, NY 11004, United States
| | - Sonali Singal
- Department of Psychiatry, The Zucker Hillside Hospital, Northwell Health, Glen Oaks, NY 11004, United States
| | - Vladan Novakovic
- Department of Psychiatry, The Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine, Hofstra/Northwell, Glen Oaks, NY 11004, United States
| | - Robert L Barkin
- Department of Anesthesiology, Rush University Medical College, Chicago, IL 60612, United States
| | - Stacy Barkin
- Private Practice, Scottsdale, AZ 85250, United States
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33
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Omura J, Fuchikami M, Araki M, Miyagi T, Okamoto Y, Morinobu S. Chemogenetic activation of the mPFC alleviates impaired fear memory extinction in an animal model of PTSD. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2021; 108:110090. [PMID: 32896603 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2020.110090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2020] [Revised: 08/19/2020] [Accepted: 08/30/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIM Although impaired extinction of fear memory (EFM) is a hallmark symptom of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the mechanisms underlying the impairment are unknown. Activation of the infralimbic cortex (IL) in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) has been reported to predict successful fear extinction, whereas functionally disrupting this region impairs extinction. We examined whether chemogenetic activation of the IL could alleviate impaired EFM in a single prolonged stress (SPS) rat model of PTSD. METHODS Chemogenetic activation of IL and prelimbic (PL) excitatory neurons was undertaken to evaluate EFM using a contextual fear conditioning paradigm. Neuronal activity in the IL was recorded using a 32-multichannel silicon electrode. To examine histological changes in the mPFC, apoptosis was measured by TUNEL staining. RESULTS Chemogenetic activation of excitatory neurons in the IL, but not the PL, enhanced EFM in sham rats and resulted in alleviation of EFM impairment in SPS rats. The alleviation of impaired EFM in SPS rats was observed during the extinction test session. Neuronal activity in the IL of SPS rats was lower than that of sham rats after clozapine-n-oxide administration. Increased apoptosis was found in the IL of SPS rats. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that a decreased excitatory response in the IL due, at least in part, to an increase in apoptosis in SPS rats leads to impaired EFM, and that neuronal activation during extinction training could be useful for the treatment of impaired EFM in PTSD patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Omura
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Division of Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Manabu Fuchikami
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Division of Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan.
| | - Motoaki Araki
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Division of Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Tatsuhiro Miyagi
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Division of Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Yasumasa Okamoto
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Division of Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Shigeru Morinobu
- Department of Occupational Therapy, School of Health Science and Social Welfare, Kibi International University, Takahashi, Japan
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Bystritsky A, Spivak NM, Dang BH, Becerra SA, Distler MG, Jordan SE, Kuhn TP. Brain circuitry underlying the ABC model of anxiety. J Psychiatr Res 2021; 138:3-14. [PMID: 33798786 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2021.03.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2021] [Revised: 03/12/2021] [Accepted: 03/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Anxiety Disorders are prevalent and often chronic, recurrent conditions that reduce quality of life. The first-line treatments, such as serotonin reuptake inhibitors and cognitive behavioral therapy, leave a significant proportion of patients symptomatic. As psychiatry moves toward targeted circuit-based treatments, there is a need for a theory that unites the phenomenology of anxiety with its underlying neural circuits. The Alarm, Belief, Coping (ABC) theory of anxiety describes how the neural circuits associated with anxiety interact with each other and domains of the anxiety symptoms, both temporally and spatially. The latest advancements in neuroimaging techniques offer the ability to assess these circuits in vivo. Using Neurosynth, a large open-access meta-analytic imaging database, the association between terms related to specific neural circuits was explored within the ABC theory framework. Alarm-related terms were associated with the amygdala, anterior cingulum, insula, and bed nucleus of stria terminalis. Belief-related terms were associated with medial prefrontal cortex, precuneus, bilateral temporal poles, and hippocampus. Coping-related terms were associated with the ventrolateral and dorsolateral prefrontal cortices, basal ganglia, and anterior cingulate. Neural connections underlying the functional neuroanatomy of the ABC model were observed. Additionally, there was considerable interaction and overlap between circuits associated with the symptom domains. Further neuroimaging research is needed to explore the dynamic interaction between the functional domains of the ABC theory. This will pave the way for probing the neuroanatomical underpinnings of anxiety disorders and provide an evidence-based foundation for the development of targeted treatments, such as neuromodulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Bystritsky
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA; BrainSonix Corporation, Sherman Oaks, CA, USA.
| | - Norman M Spivak
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department of Neurosurgery, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA; David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Bianca H Dang
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Sergio A Becerra
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Margaret G Distler
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Sheldon E Jordan
- Neurology Management Associates - Los Angeles, Santa Monica, CA, USA
| | - Taylor P Kuhn
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA; David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Le Merre P, Ährlund-Richter S, Carlén M. The mouse prefrontal cortex: Unity in diversity. Neuron 2021; 109:1925-1944. [PMID: 33894133 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2021.03.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2020] [Revised: 01/28/2021] [Accepted: 03/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The prefrontal cortex (PFC) is considered to constitute the highest stage of neural integration and to be devoted to representation and production of actions. Studies in primates have laid the foundation for theories regarding the principles of prefrontal function and provided mechanistic insights. The recent surge of studies of the PFC in mice holds promise for evolvement of present theories and development of novel concepts, particularly regarding principles shared across mammals. Here we review recent empirical work on the mouse PFC capitalizing on the experimental toolbox currently privileged to studies in this species. We conclude that this line of research has revealed cellular and structural distinctions of the PFC and neuronal activity with direct relevance to theories regarding the functions of the PFC. We foresee that data-rich mouse studies will be key to shed light on the general prefrontal architecture and mechanisms underlying cognitive aspects of organized actions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierre Le Merre
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, 171 77 Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | - Marie Carlén
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, 171 77 Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, 141 83 Huddinge, Sweden.
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36
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Taylor WW, Imhoff BR, Sathi ZS, Liu WY, Garza KM, Dias BG. Contributions of glucocorticoid receptors in cortical astrocytes to memory recall. Learn Mem 2021; 28:126-133. [PMID: 33723032 PMCID: PMC7970741 DOI: 10.1101/lm.053041.120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2020] [Accepted: 01/14/2021] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Dysfunctions in memory recall lead to pathological fear; a hallmark of trauma-related disorders, like posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Both, heightened recall of an association between a cue and trauma, as well as impoverished recall that a previously trauma-related cue is no longer a threat, result in a debilitating fear toward the cue. Glucocorticoid-mediated action via the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) influences memory recall. This literature has primarily focused on GRs expressed in neurons or ignored cell-type specific contributions. To ask how GR action in nonneuronal cells influences memory recall, we combined auditory fear conditioning in mice and the knockout of GRs in astrocytes in the prefrontal cortex (PFC), a brain region implicated in memory recall. We found that knocking out GRs in astrocytes of the PFC disrupted memory recall. Specifically, we found that knocking out GRs in astrocytes in the PFC (AstroGRKO) after fear conditioning resulted in higher levels of freezing to the CS+ tone when compared with controls (AstroGRintact). While we did not find any differences in extinction of fear toward the CS+ between these groups, AstroGRKO female but not male mice showed impaired recall of extinction training. These results suggest that GRs in cortical astrocytes contribute to memory recall. These data demonstrate the need to examine GR action in cortical astrocytes to elucidate the basic neurobiology underlying memory recall and potential mechanisms that underlie female-specific biases in the incidence of PTSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- William W Taylor
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, USA
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90007, USA
- Developmental Neuroscience and Neurogenetics Program, Division of Research on Children, Youth, and Families, The Saban Research Institute, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90027, USA
| | - Barry R Imhoff
- Division of Behavioral Neuroscience and Psychiatric Disorders, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, USA
| | - Zakia Sultana Sathi
- Division of Behavioral Neuroscience and Psychiatric Disorders, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, USA
| | - Wei Y Liu
- Developmental Neuroscience and Neurogenetics Program, Division of Research on Children, Youth, and Families, The Saban Research Institute, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90027, USA
| | - Kristie M Garza
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, USA
- Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, USA
| | - Brian G Dias
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, USA
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90007, USA
- Developmental Neuroscience and Neurogenetics Program, Division of Research on Children, Youth, and Families, The Saban Research Institute, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90027, USA
- Division of Behavioral Neuroscience and Psychiatric Disorders, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90027, USA
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tDCS-Augmented in vivo exposure therapy for specific fears: A randomized clinical trial. J Anxiety Disord 2021; 78:102344. [PMID: 33418483 DOI: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2020.102344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2020] [Revised: 10/01/2020] [Accepted: 12/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Exposure therapy is highly effective for anxiety-related disorders, but there is a need for enhancement. Recent trials of adjunctive neuromodulation have shown promise, warranting evaluation of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) as an augmentation. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, contamination- and animal-phobic participants (N = 49) were randomized to active tDCS (1.7 mA, 20 min; n = 27), or sham tDCS (1.7 mA, 30 s; n = 22), followed by 30 min of in-vivo exposure. Active tDCS targeted excitation of the left mPFC and inhibition of the right dlPFC; polarity was counterbalanced for controls. We predicted tDCS would result in accelerated and better maintained gains, contingent on the subsequent in-session response, and baseline negative prognostic indicators. Consistent with predictions, tDCS promoted engagement and reductions in threat appraisals during exposure, and greater reductions in distress and threat appraisals through 1-month, although effects did not uniformly generalize. tDCS was most beneficial given high phobic severity, anxiety sensitivity, and a suboptimal early response. tDCS may promote engagement and response among individuals who are resistant or refractory to standard treatment. tDCS should be applied to more severe anxiety-related disorders, with parameters yoked to individual differences to improve outcomes in exposure-based interventions.
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Kirouac GJ. The Paraventricular Nucleus of the Thalamus as an Integrating and Relay Node in the Brain Anxiety Network. Front Behav Neurosci 2021; 15:627633. [PMID: 33732118 PMCID: PMC7959748 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.627633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2020] [Accepted: 01/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The brain anxiety network is composed of a number of interconnected cortical regions that detect threats and execute appropriate defensive responses via projections to the shell of the nucleus accumbens (NAcSh), dorsolateral region of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BSTDL) and lateral region of the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeL). The paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus (PVT) is anatomically positioned to integrate threat- and arousal-related signals from cortex and hypothalamus and then relay these signals to neural circuits in the NAcSh, BSTDL, and CeL that mediate defensive responses. This review describes the anatomical connections of the PVT that support the view that the PVT may be a critical node in the brain anxiety network. Experimental findings are reviewed showing that the arousal peptides orexins (hypocretins) act at the PVT to promote avoidance of potential threats especially following exposure of rats to a single episode of footshocks. Recent anatomical and experimental findings are discussed which show that neurons in the PVT provide divergent projections to subcortical regions that mediate defensive behaviors and that the projection to the NAcSh is critical for the enhanced social avoidance displayed in rats exposed to footshocks. A theoretical model is proposed for how the PVT integrates cortical and hypothalamic signals to modulate the behavioral responses associated with anxiety and other challenging situations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gilbert J. Kirouac
- Department of Oral Biology, Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
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39
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Prefrontal NMDA-receptor antagonism disrupts encoding or consolidation but not retrieval of incidental context learning. Behav Brain Res 2021; 405:113175. [PMID: 33596432 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2021.113175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2020] [Revised: 01/12/2021] [Accepted: 02/07/2021] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
The Context Preexposure Facilitation Effect (CPFE) is a variant of contextual fear conditioning in which learning about the context, acquiring a context-shock association, and retrieval of this association occur separately across three phases (context preexposure, immediate-shock training, and retention). We have shown that prefrontal inactivation or muscarinic-receptor antagonism prior to any phase disrupts retention test freezing during the CPFE in adolescent rats (Heroux et al., 2017; Robinson-Drummer et al., 2017). Furthermore, the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) is the only region in which robust learning-related expression of the immediate early genes c-Fos, Arc, Egr-1 and Npas4 is observed during immediate-shock training in the CPFE (Asok et al., 2013; Heroux et al., 2018; Schreiber et al., 2014). However, the role of prefrontal NMDA-receptor plasticity in supporting preexposure- and training-day processes of the CPFE is not known. Therefore, the current study examined the effects of intra-mPFC infusion of the NMDA-receptor antagonist MK-801 or saline vehicle prior to context preexposure (Experiment 1) or immediate-shock training (Experiment 2) in adolescent Long-Evans male and female rats. This infusion given prior to context preexposure but not training abolished retention test freezing, with no difference between MK-801-infused rats and non-associative controls preexposed to an alternative context (pooled across drug). These results demonstrate a role of prefrontal NMDA-receptor plasticity in the acquisition and/or consolidation of incidental context learning (i.e., encoded in the absence of reinforcement). In contrast, this plasticity is not required for context retrieval, or acquisition, expression, or consolidation of a context-shock association during immediate-shock training in the CPFE. These experiments add to a growing body of work implicating the mPFC in Pavlovian contextual fear conditioning processes in rodents.
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40
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Kausche FM, Zerbes G, Kampermann L, Müller JC, Wiedemann K, Büchel C, Schwabe L. Noradrenergic stimulation increases fear memory expression. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2021; 43:71-81. [PMID: 33358539 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2020.11.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2020] [Revised: 09/08/2020] [Accepted: 11/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Fear responses are typically not limited to the actual threatening stimulus but generalize to other stimuli resembling the threatening stimulus. Although this fear generalization is generally adaptive, fear overgeneralization is maladaptive and assumed to contribute to anxiety disorders. Despite the clinical relevance of fear (over)generalization, how the extent of fear generalization is modulated remains not well understood. Based on the known effects of stress on learning and memory, we tested here the impact of major stress mediators, glucocorticoids and noradrenergic arousal, on fear generalization. In a laboratory-based, placebo-controlled, double-blind, between-subject design, 125 healthy participants first underwent a fear conditioning procedure. About 24 h later, participants received orally either a placebo, hydrocortisone, the α2-adrenoceptor antagonist yohimbine, leading to increased noradrenergic stimulation, or both drugs before a test of fear generalization. Skin conductance responses as well as explicit rating data revealed that yohimbine intake led to enhanced fear memory expression, i.e. an enhanced responding to the CS+ but not to stimuli resembling the CS+. Moreover, neither enhanced safety learning nor a mere enhancement of perceptual discrimination ability could explain this result. In contrast to yohimbine, hydrocortisone had no significant effect on fear memory. These findings suggest that noradrenergic arousal strengthens fear memory expression and have important implications for mental disorders in which the overgeneralization of conditioned fear is prominent.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Gundula Zerbes
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, Universität Hamburg, 20146 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Lea Kampermann
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Jana Christina Müller
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Klaus Wiedemann
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Christian Büchel
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Lars Schwabe
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, Universität Hamburg, 20146 Hamburg, Germany.
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Stanton ME, Murawski NJ, Jablonski SA, Robinson-Drummer PA, Heroux NA. Mechanisms of context conditioning in the developing rat. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2021; 179:107388. [PMID: 33482320 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2021.107388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2020] [Revised: 01/04/2021] [Accepted: 01/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The article reviews our studies of contextual fear conditioning (CFC) in rats during a period of development---Postnatal Day (PND) 17-33---that represents the late-infant, juvenile, and early-adolescent stages. These studies seek to acquire 'systems level' knowledge of brain and memory development and apply it to a rodent model of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). This rodent model focuses on alcohol exposure from PND4-9, a period of brain development equivalent to the human third trimester, when neocortex, hippocampus, and cerebellum are especially vulnerable to adverse effects of alcohol. Our research emphasizes a variant of CFC, termed the Context Preexposure Facilitation Effect (CPFE, Fanselow, 1990), in which context representations incidentally learned on one occasion are retrieved and associated with immediate shock on a subsequent occasion. These representations can be encoded at the earliest developmental stage but seem not to be retained or retrieved until the juvenile period. This is associated with developmental differences in context-elicited expression, in prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, and amygdala, of immediate early genes (IEGs) that are implicated in long-term memory. Loss-of-function studies establish a functional role for these regions as soon as the CPFE emerges during ontogeny. In our rodent model of FASD, the CPFE is much more sensitive to alcohol dose than other commonly used cognitive tasks. This impairment can be reversed by acute administration during behavioral testing of drugs that enhance cholinergic function. This effect is associated with normalized IEG expression in prefrontal cortex during incidental context learning. In summary, our findings suggest that long-term memory of incidentally-learned context representations depends on prefrontal-hippocampal circuitry that is important both for the normative development of context conditioning and for its disruption by developmental alcohol exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark E Stanton
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, United States.
| | - Nathen J Murawski
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, United States
| | - Sarah A Jablonski
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, United States
| | | | - Nicholas A Heroux
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, United States
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Zwierzyńska E, Krupa-Burtnik A, Pietrzak B. Beneficial effect of retigabine on memory in rats receiving ethanol. Pharmacol Rep 2021; 73:480-489. [PMID: 33385172 PMCID: PMC7994244 DOI: 10.1007/s43440-020-00205-z] [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: 08/31/2020] [Revised: 11/14/2020] [Accepted: 11/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Background Retigabine belongs to the novel generation of antiepileptic drugs but its complex mechanism of action causes that the drug might be effective in other diseases, for instance, alcohol dependence. It is known that ethanol abuse impaired the function of brain structures associated with memory and learning such as the hippocampus. In our previous study, retigabine reduced hippocampal changes induced by ethanol in the EEG rhythms in rabbits. This study is focused on the impact of retigabine on memory processes in male rats receiving alcohol. Methods Memory was evaluated in various experimental models: Morris water maze, Contextual, and Cued Fear Conditioning tests. Retigabine was administered for 3 weeks directly to the stomach via oral gavage at a dose of 10 mg/kg. Rats received also 20% ethanol (5 g/kg/day in two doses) via oral gavage for 3 weeks and had free access to 5% ethanol in the afternoon and at night. Morris water maze was performed after 1 and 3 weeks of ethanol administration and after 1 week from the discontinuation of ethanol administration. Contextual and Cued Fear Conditioning tests were carried out after 24 h and 72 h of alcohol discontinuation. Results The drug significantly decreased ethanol-induced memory disturbances during alcohol administration as well as slightly improved learning processes after the discontinuation of ethanol administration. Conclusions This beneficial effect of retigabine-ethanol interaction on memory may be a relevant element of the drug’s impact on the development of addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ewa Zwierzyńska
- Department of Pharmacodynamics, Medical University of Lodz, Muszyńskiego 1, 90-151, Łódź, Poland.
| | - Agata Krupa-Burtnik
- Department of Pharmacodynamics, Medical University of Lodz, Muszyńskiego 1, 90-151, Łódź, Poland
| | - Bogusława Pietrzak
- Department of Pharmacodynamics, Medical University of Lodz, Muszyńskiego 1, 90-151, Łódź, Poland
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Simonetti M, Paldy E, Njoo C, Bali KK, Worzfeld T, Pitzer C, Kuner T, Offermanns S, Mauceri D, Kuner R. The impact of Semaphorin 4C/Plexin-B2 signaling on fear memory via remodeling of neuronal and synaptic morphology. Mol Psychiatry 2021; 26:1376-1398. [PMID: 31444474 PMCID: PMC7985029 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-019-0491-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2018] [Revised: 05/20/2019] [Accepted: 06/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Aberrant fear is a cornerstone of several psychiatric disorders. Consequently, there is large interest in elucidation of signaling mechanisms that link extracellular cues to changes in neuronal function and structure in brain pathways that are important in the generation and maintenance of fear memory and its behavioral expression. Members of the Plexin-B family of receptors for class 4 semaphorins play important roles in developmental plasticity of neurons, and their expression persists in some areas of the adult nervous system. Here, we aimed to elucidate the role of Semaphorin 4C (Sema4C) and its cognate receptor, Plexin-B2, in the expression of contextual and cued fear memory, setting a mechanistic focus on structural plasticity and exploration of contributing signaling pathways. We observed that Plexin-B2 and Sema4C are expressed in forebrain areas related to fear memory, such as the anterior cingulate cortex, amygdala and the hippocampus, and their expression is regulated by aversive stimuli that induce fear memory. By generating forebrain-specific Plexin-B2 knockout mice and analyzing fear-related behaviors, we demonstrate that Sema4C-PlexinB2 signaling plays a crucial functional role in the recent and remote recall of fear memory. Detailed neuronal morphological analyses revealed that Sema4C-PlexinB2 signaling largely mediates fear-induced structural plasticity by enhancing dendritic ramifications and modulating synaptic density in the adult hippocampus. Analyses on signaling-related mutant mice showed that these functions are mediated by PlexinB2-dependent RhoA activation. These results deliver important insights into the mechanistic understanding of maladaptive plasticity in fear circuits and have implications for novel therapeutic strategies against fear-related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuela Simonetti
- grid.7700.00000 0001 2190 4373Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 366, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Eszter Paldy
- grid.7700.00000 0001 2190 4373Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 366, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Christian Njoo
- grid.7700.00000 0001 2190 4373Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 366, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Kiran Kumar Bali
- grid.7700.00000 0001 2190 4373Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 366, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Thomas Worzfeld
- grid.10253.350000 0004 1936 9756Institute of Pharmacology, Marburg University, Karl-von-Frisch-Str. 1, 35043 Marburg, Germany ,grid.418032.c0000 0004 0491 220XDepartment of Pharmacology, Max-Planck-Institute for Heart and Lung Research, Ludwigstrasse 43, 61231 Bad Nauheim, Germany
| | - Claudia Pitzer
- grid.7700.00000 0001 2190 4373Interdisciplinary Neurobehavioral Core, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 515, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Thomas Kuner
- grid.7700.00000 0001 2190 4373Anatomy and Cell Biology Institute, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 307, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Stefan Offermanns
- grid.418032.c0000 0004 0491 220XDepartment of Pharmacology, Max-Planck-Institute for Heart and Lung Research, Ludwigstrasse 43, 61231 Bad Nauheim, Germany
| | - Daniela Mauceri
- grid.7700.00000 0001 2190 4373Department of Neurobiology, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 366, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Rohini Kuner
- Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 366, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany.
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Saul’skaya NB, Marchuk OE, Puzanova MA, Trofimova NA. Activation of Serotonin System in the Medial Prefrontal Cortex by Sound Signals of Danger. NEUROCHEM J+ 2020. [DOI: 10.1134/s181971242004008x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
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45
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Wu Q, Hao Q, Li H, Wang B, Wang P, Jin X, Yu P, Gao G, Chang Y. Brain iron deficiency and affected contextual fear memory in mice with conditional Ferroportin1 ablation in the brain. FASEB J 2020; 35:e21174. [DOI: 10.1096/fj.202000167rr] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2020] [Revised: 10/22/2020] [Accepted: 10/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Qiong Wu
- Laboratory of Molecular Iron Metabolism College of Life Science Hebei Normal University Shijiazhuang China
- College of Basic Medicine Hebei University of Chinese Medicine Shijiazhuang China
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicine Research on Cardio‐Cerebrovascular Disease Shijiazhuang China
| | - Qian Hao
- Laboratory of Molecular Iron Metabolism College of Life Science Hebei Normal University Shijiazhuang China
| | - Haiyan Li
- Laboratory of Molecular Iron Metabolism College of Life Science Hebei Normal University Shijiazhuang China
| | - Bo Wang
- Laboratory of Molecular Iron Metabolism College of Life Science Hebei Normal University Shijiazhuang China
| | - Peina Wang
- Laboratory of Molecular Iron Metabolism College of Life Science Hebei Normal University Shijiazhuang China
| | - Xiaofang Jin
- Laboratory of Molecular Iron Metabolism College of Life Science Hebei Normal University Shijiazhuang China
| | - Peng Yu
- Laboratory of Molecular Iron Metabolism College of Life Science Hebei Normal University Shijiazhuang China
| | - Guofen Gao
- Laboratory of Molecular Iron Metabolism College of Life Science Hebei Normal University Shijiazhuang China
| | - Yan‐Zhong Chang
- Laboratory of Molecular Iron Metabolism College of Life Science Hebei Normal University Shijiazhuang China
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Leblanc H, Ramirez S. Linking Social Cognition to Learning and Memory. J Neurosci 2020; 40:8782-8798. [PMID: 33177112 PMCID: PMC7659449 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1280-20.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2020] [Revised: 09/30/2020] [Accepted: 10/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Many mammals have evolved to be social creatures. In humans, the ability to learn from others' experiences is essential to survival; and from an early age, individuals are surrounded by a social environment that helps them develop a variety of skills, such as walking, talking, and avoiding danger. Similarly, in rodents, behaviors, such as food preference, exploration of novel contexts, and social approach, can be learned through social interaction. Social encounters facilitate new learning and help modify preexisting memories throughout the lifespan of an organism. Moreover, social encounters can help buffer stress or the effects of negative memories, as well as extinguish maladaptive behaviors. Given the importance of such interactions, there has been increasing work studying social learning and applying its concepts in a wide range of fields, including psychotherapy and medical sociology. The process of social learning, including its neural and behavioral mechanisms, has also been a rapidly growing field of interest in neuroscience. However, the term "social learning" has been loosely applied to a variety of psychological phenomena, often without clear definition or delineations. Therefore, this review gives a definition for specific aspects of social learning, provides an overview of previous work at the circuit, systems, and behavioral levels, and finally, introduces new findings on the social modulation of learning. We contextualize such social processes in the brain both through the role of the hippocampus and its capacity to process "social engrams" as well as through the brainwide realization of social experiences. With the integration of new technologies, such as optogenetics, chemogenetics, and calcium imaging, manipulating social engrams will likely offer a novel therapeutic target to enhance the positive buffering effects of social experiences or to inhibit fear-inducing social stimuli in models of anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heloise Leblanc
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, 02119
- Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, 02118
| | - Steve Ramirez
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, 02119
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, 02119
- Neurophotonics Center at Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, 02119
- Center for Systems Neuroscience at Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, 02119
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Knox D, Della Valle R, Mohammadmirzaei N, Shultz B, Biddle M, Farkash A, Chamness M, Moulton E. PI3K-Akt Signaling in the Basolateral Amygdala Facilitates Traumatic Stress Enhancements in Fear Memory. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol 2020; 24:229-238. [PMID: 33151288 PMCID: PMC7968623 DOI: 10.1093/ijnp/pyaa083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2020] [Revised: 10/02/2020] [Accepted: 10/29/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND A core symptom of posttraumatic stress disorder is persistent fear memory, which can be defined as fear memory that is resistant to updating, inhibition, or extinction. posttraumatic stress disorder emerges after traumatic stress exposure, but neurobiological mechanisms via which traumatic stress leads to persistent fear memory are not well defined. Akt signaling within the amygdala (Amy) is enhanced with traumatic stress, and phosphatidylinositol kinase 3 (PI3K) activation of Akt within the basolateral Amy (BLA) has been implicated as critical to fear memory formation. These findings raise the possibility that traumatic stress enhances PI3K→Akt signaling in the BLA, which leads to persistent fear memory. METHODS To test this hypothesis, rats were exposed to traumatic stress using the single prolonged stress model, and changes in Akt phosphorylation were assayed in the Amy at 0 and 30 minutes after fear conditioning (FC). In a separate experiment, we inhibited PI3K→Akt signaling in the BLA prior to FC and observed the effect this had on acquisition, expression, and extinction of FC in stressed and control rats. RESULTS Enhanced Akt phosphorylation in the Amy at both time points was observed in stressed rats, but not in control rats. PI3K→Akt inhibition in the BLA had no effect on freezing in control rats but decreased freezing during extinction training and testing in stressed rats. CONCLUSION These findings suggest that PI3K→Akt signaling in the BLA could be a mechanism via which traumatic stress leads to fear memory that is resistant to extinction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dayan Knox
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, USA,Correspondence: Dayan Knox, PhD, 217 Wolf Hall, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716 ()
| | - Rebecca Della Valle
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, USA
| | - Negin Mohammadmirzaei
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, USA
| | - Brianna Shultz
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, USA
| | - Matt Biddle
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, USA
| | - Abigail Farkash
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, USA
| | - Marisa Chamness
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, USA
| | - Emily Moulton
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, USA
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Kellis DM, Kaigler KF, Witherspoon E, Fadel JR, Wilson MA. Cholinergic neurotransmission in the basolateral amygdala during cued fear extinction. Neurobiol Stress 2020; 13:100279. [PMID: 33344731 PMCID: PMC7739185 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2020.100279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2020] [Revised: 11/20/2020] [Accepted: 11/20/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Cholinergic neuromodulation plays an important role in numerous cognitive functions including regulating arousal and attention, as well as associative learning and extinction processes. Further, studies demonstrate that cholinergic inputs from the basal forebrain cholinergic system influence physiological responses in the basolateral amygdala (BLA) as well as fear extinction processes. Since rodent models display individual differences in conditioned fear and extinction responses, this study investigated if cholinergic transmission in the BLA during fear extinction could contribute to differences between extinction resistant and extinction competent phenotypes in outbred Long-Evans male rats. Experiment 1 used in vivo microdialysis to test the hypothesis that acetylcholine (ACH) efflux in the BLA would increase with presentation of an auditory conditioned stimulus (CS+) during extinction learning. Acetylcholine efflux was compared in rats exposed to the CS+, a CS- (the tone never paired with a footshock), or to a context shift alone (without CS+ tone presentation). Consistent with acetylcholine's role in attention and arousal, ACH efflux in the BLA was increased in all three groups (CS+, CS-, Shift Alone) by the initial context shift into the extinction learning chamber, but returned more rapidly to baseline levels in the Shift Alone group (no CS+). In contrast, in the group exposed to the CS+, ACH efflux in the BLA remained elevated during continued presentation of conditioned cues and returned to baseline more slowly, leading to an overall increase in ACH efflux compared with the Shift Alone group. Based on the very dense staining in the BLA for acetylcholinesterase (ACHE), Experiment 2 examined if individual differences in fear extinction were associated with differences in cholinesterase enzyme activity (CHE) in the BLA and/or plasma with a separate cohort of animals. Cholinesterase activity (post-testing) in both the BLA and plasma was higher in extinction competent rats versus rats resistant to extinction learning. There was also a significant negative correlation between BLA CHE activity and freezing during extinction learning. Taken together, our results support a role for ACH efflux in the BLA during cued fear extinction that may be modulated by individual differences in ACHE activity, and are associated with behavioral responses during fear extinction. These findings implicate individual differences in cholinergic regulation in the susceptibility to disorders with dysregulation of extinction learning, such post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Devin M. Kellis
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Neuroscience, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC, 29208, United States
| | - Kris Ford Kaigler
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Neuroscience, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC, 29208, United States
| | - Eric Witherspoon
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Neuroscience, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC, 29208, United States
| | - Jim R. Fadel
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Neuroscience, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC, 29208, United States
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de Lima MAX, Baldo MVC, Canteras NS. Revealing a Cortical Circuit Responsive to Predatory Threats and Mediating Contextual Fear Memory. Cereb Cortex 2020; 29:3074-3090. [PMID: 30085040 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhy173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2018] [Revised: 06/27/2018] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The ventral part of the anteromedial thalamic nucleus (AMv) receives substantial inputs from hypothalamic sites that are highly responsive to a live predator or its odor trace and represents an important thalamic hub for conveying predatory threat information to the cerebral cortex. In the present study, we begin by examining the cortico-amygdalar-hippocampal projections of the main AMv cortical targets, namely, the caudal prelimbic, rostral anterior cingulate, and medial visual areas, as well as the rostral part of the ventral retrosplenial area, one of the main targets of the anterior cingulate area. We observed that these areas form a clear cortical network. Next, we revealed that in animals exposed to a live cat, all of the elements of this circuit presented a differential increase in Fos, supporting the idea of a predator threat-responsive cortical network. Finally, we showed that bilateral cytotoxic lesions in each element of this cortical network did not change innate fear responses but drastically reduced contextual conditioning to the predator-associated environment. Overall, the present findings suggest that predator threat has an extensive representation in the cerebral cortex and revealed a cortical network that is responsive to predatory threats and exerts a critical role in processing fear memory.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Marcus Vinicius C Baldo
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo; São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Newton Sabino Canteras
- Department of Anatomy, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo; São Paulo, SP, Brazil
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Stubbendorff C, Stevenson CW. Dopamine regulation of contextual fear and associated neural circuit function. Eur J Neurosci 2020; 54:6933-6947. [DOI: 10.1111/ejn.14772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2019] [Revised: 04/29/2020] [Accepted: 05/01/2020] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
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