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Ferris CF. Applications in Awake Animal Magnetic Resonance Imaging. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:854377. [PMID: 35450017 PMCID: PMC9017993 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.854377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2022] [Accepted: 03/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
There are numerous publications on methods and applications for awake functional MRI across different species, e.g., voles, rabbits, cats, dogs, and rhesus macaques. Each of these species, most obviously rhesus monkey, have general or unique attributes that provide a better understanding of the human condition. However, much of the work today is done on rodents. The growing number of small bore (≤30 cm) high field systems 7T- 11.7T favor the use of small animals. To that point, this review is primarily focused on rodents and their many applications in awake function MRI. Applications include, pharmacological MRI, drugs of abuse, sensory evoked stimuli, brain disorders, pain, social behavior, and fear.
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Colon-Perez LM, Turner SM, Lubke KN, Pompilus M, Febo M, Burke SN. Multiscale Imaging Reveals Aberrant Functional Connectome Organization and Elevated Dorsal Striatal Arc Expression in Advanced Age. eNeuro 2019; 6:ENEURO.0047-19.2019. [PMID: 31826916 PMCID: PMC6978920 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0047-19.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2019] [Revised: 11/30/2019] [Accepted: 12/05/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The functional connectome reflects a network architecture enabling adaptive behavior that becomes vulnerable in advanced age. The cellular mechanisms that contribute to altered functional connectivity in old age, however, are not known. Here we used a multiscale imaging approach to link age-related changes in the functional connectome to altered expression of the activity-dependent immediate-early gene Arc as a function of training to multitask on a working memory (WM)/biconditional association task (BAT). Resting-state fMRI data were collected from young and aged rats longitudinally at three different timepoints during cognitive training. After imaging, rats performed the WM/BAT and were immediately sacrificed to examine expression levels of Arc during task performance. Aged behaviorally impaired, but not young, rats had a subnetwork of increased connectivity between the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and dorsal striatum (DS) that was correlated with the use of a suboptimal response-based strategy during cognitive testing. Moreover, while young rats had stable rich-club organization across three scanning sessions, the rich-club organization of old rats increased with cognitive training. In a control group of young and aged rats that were longitudinally scanned at similar time intervals, but without cognitive training, ACC-DS connectivity and rich-club organization did not change between scans in either age group. These findings suggest that aberrant large-scale functional connectivity in aged animals is associated with altered cellular activity patterns within individual brain regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis M Colon-Perez
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California 92697
| | - Sean M Turner
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32610
| | - Katelyn N Lubke
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32610
| | - Marjory Pompilus
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32610
| | - Marcelo Febo
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32610
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32610
- Department of McKnight Brain Institute and College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32610
| | - Sara N Burke
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32610
- Department of McKnight Brain Institute and College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32610
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Muroi Y, Ishii T. Glutamatergic Signals in the Dorsal Raphe Nucleus Regulate Maternal Aggression and Care in an Opposing Manner in Mice. Neuroscience 2018; 400:33-47. [PMID: 30605702 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2018.12.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2018] [Revised: 11/01/2018] [Accepted: 12/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Lactating female mice nurture their pups and attack intruders in their territory. When an intruder invades a dam's territory, she needs to switch her behavior from care to aggression to protect her pups and territory. Although the neuronal mechanisms underlying each distinct behavior have been studied, it is unclear how these behaviors are displayed alternatively. The dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) regulates both nurturing and aggressive behaviors. In the present study, we examined whether the DRN is involved in regulating alternative display of maternal care and aggression. We first examined neuronal activity in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and lateral habenula (LHb), which send glutamatergic input to the DRN, in dams by injecting Fluorogold, a retrograde tracer, into the DRN. The number of c-Fos- and Fluorogold-positive neurons in the mPFC and LHb increased in the dams that displayed biting behavior in response to an intruder, but remained unchanged in the dams that displayed nurturing behavior. Injections of N-methyl-d-aspartic acid (NMDA) receptor antagonists or α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA)/kainate receptor antagonists into the DRN inhibited biting behavior but not nurturing behavior. In contrast, injections of NMDA or AMPA into the DRN inhibited nurturing behavior. These results suggest that glutamatergic signals in the DRN, which may originate from the mPFC and/or LHb, regulate the preferential display of biting behavior over nurturing behavior in dams.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoshikage Muroi
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan.
| | - Toshiaki Ishii
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan
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Dopfel D, Zhang N. Mapping stress networks using functional magnetic resonance imaging in awake animals. Neurobiol Stress 2018; 9:251-263. [PMID: 30450389 PMCID: PMC6234259 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2018.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2018] [Revised: 05/27/2018] [Accepted: 06/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The neurobiology of stress is studied through behavioral neuroscience, endocrinology, neuronal morphology and neurophysiology. There is a shift in focus toward progressive changes throughout stress paradigms and individual susceptibility to stress that requires methods that allow for longitudinal study design and study of individual differences in stress response. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), with the advantages of noninvasiveness and a large field of view, can be used for functionally mapping brain-wide regions and circuits critical to the stress response, making it suitable for longitudinal studies and understanding individual variability of short-term and long-term consequences of stress exposure. In addition, fMRI can be applied to both animals and humans, which is highly valuable in translating findings across species and examining whether the physiology and neural circuits involved in the stress response are conserved in mammals. However, compared to human fMRI studies, there are a number of factors that are essential for the success of fMRI studies in animals. This review discussed the use of fMRI in animal studies of stress. It reviewed advantages, challenges and technical considerations of the animal fMRI methodology as well as recent literature of stress studies using fMRI in animals. It also highlighted the development of combining fMRI with other methods and the future potential of fMRI in animal studies of stress. We conclude that animal fMRI studies, with their flexibility, low cost and short time frame compared to human studies, are crucial to advancing our understanding of the neurobiology of stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Dopfel
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Nanyin Zhang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
- The Huck Institutes of Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
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Hillerer KM, Woodside B, Parkinson E, Long H, Verlezza S, Walker CD. Gating of the neuroendocrine stress responses by stressor salience in early lactating female rats is independent of infralimbic cortex activation and plasticity. Stress 2018; 21:217-228. [PMID: 29397787 DOI: 10.1080/10253890.2018.1434618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2017] [Accepted: 01/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
In early lactation (EL), stressor salience modulates neuroendocrine stress responses, but it is unclear whether this persists throughout lactation and which neural structures are implicated. We hypothesized that this process is specific to EL and that the infralimbic (IL) medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) might provide a critical link between assessment of threat and activation of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis in EL. We measured neuroendocrine responses and neuronal Fos induction to a salient (predator odor) or non-salient (tail pinch) psychogenic stressor in EL and late lactation (LL) females. We found that EL females exhibited a large response to predator stress only in the presence of pups, while responses to tail pinch were reduced independently of pup presence. In LL, HPA axis responses were independent of pup presence for both stressors and only responses to tail pinch were modestly reduced compared to virgins. Intracerebral injection of the local anesthetic bupivacaine (BUP) (0.75%; 0.5 µl/side) in the IL mPFC did not differentially affect neuroendocrine responses to predator odor in virgin and EL females, suggesting that lactation-induced changes in this structure might not regulate stressor salience for the HPA axis. However, the IL mPFC displayed morphological changes in lactation, with significant increases in dendritic spine numbers and density in EL compared to LL and virgin females. EL females also showed improved performance in the attention set-shifting task (AST), which could reflect early plasticity in the IL mPFC at a time when rapid adaptation of the maternal brain is necessary for pup survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina M Hillerer
- a Department of Psychiatry , McGill University, Douglas Mental Health University Institute , Montreal , Canada
- b Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology , Paracelsus Medical University , Salzburg , Austria
| | - Barbara Woodside
- c Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Concordia University , Montreal , Canada
| | - Emily Parkinson
- a Department of Psychiatry , McGill University, Douglas Mental Health University Institute , Montreal , Canada
| | - Hong Long
- a Department of Psychiatry , McGill University, Douglas Mental Health University Institute , Montreal , Canada
| | - Silvanna Verlezza
- a Department of Psychiatry , McGill University, Douglas Mental Health University Institute , Montreal , Canada
| | - Claire-Dominique Walker
- a Department of Psychiatry , McGill University, Douglas Mental Health University Institute , Montreal , Canada
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Nephew BC, Febo M, Huang W, Colon-Perez LM, Payne L, Poirier GL, Greene O, King JA. Early life social stress and resting state functional connectivity in postpartum rat anterior cingulate circuits. J Affect Disord 2018; 229:213-223. [PMID: 29324369 PMCID: PMC5807174 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2017.12.089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2017] [Revised: 11/22/2017] [Accepted: 12/31/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Continued development and refinement of resting state functional connectivity (RSFC) fMRI techniques in both animal and clinical studies has enhanced our comprehension of the adverse effects of stress on psychiatric health. The objective of the current study was to assess both maternal behavior and resting state functional connectivity (RSFC) changes in these animals when they were dams caring for their own young. It was hypothesized that ECSS exposed dams would express depressed maternal care and exhibit similar (same networks), yet different specific changes in RSFC (different individual nuclei) than reported when they were adult females. METHODS We have developed an ethologically relevant transgenerational model of the role of chronic social stress (CSS) in the etiology of postpartum depression and anxiety. Initial fMRI investigation of the CSS model indicates that early life exposure to CSS (ECSS) induces long term changes in functional connectivity in adult nulliparous female F1 offspring. RESULTS ECSS in F1 dams resulted in depressed maternal care specifically during early lactation, consistent with previous CSS studies, and induced changes in functional connectivity in regions associated with sensory processing, maternal and emotional responsiveness, memory, and the reward pathway, with robust changes in anterior cingulate circuits. LIMITATIONS The sample sizes for the fMRI groups were low, limiting statistical power. CONCLUSION This behavioral and functional neuroanatomical foundation can now be used to enhance our understanding of the neural etiology of early life stress associated disorders and test preventative measures and treatments for stress related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin C Nephew
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, 200 Westborough Road, North Grafton, MA 01536, USA.
| | - Marcelo Febo
- Department of Psychiatry, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
| | - Wei Huang
- Center for Comparative NeuroImaging, Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01655, USA
| | - Luis M Colon-Perez
- Department of Psychiatry, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
| | - Laurellee Payne
- Center for Comparative NeuroImaging, Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01655, USA
| | - Guillaume L Poirier
- Center for Comparative NeuroImaging, Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01655, USA
| | - Owen Greene
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, 200 Westborough Road, North Grafton, MA 01536, USA
| | - Jean A King
- Center for Comparative NeuroImaging, Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01655, USA
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Brethel-Haurwitz KM, O'Connell K, Cardinale EM, Stoianova M, Stoycos SA, Lozier LM, VanMeter JW, Marsh AA. Amygdala-midbrain connectivity indicates a role for the mammalian parental care system in human altruism. Proc Biol Sci 2017; 284:20171731. [PMID: 29070724 PMCID: PMC5666102 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2017.1731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2017] [Accepted: 09/26/2017] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Costly altruism benefitting a stranger is a rare but evolutionarily conserved phenomenon. This behaviour may be supported by limbic and midbrain circuitry that supports mammalian caregiving. In rodents, reciprocal connections between the amygdala and the midbrain periaqueductal grey (PAG) are critical for generating protective responses toward vulnerable and distressed offspring. We used functional and structural magnetic resonance imaging to explore whether these regions play a role in supporting costly altruism in humans. We recruited a rare population of altruists, all of whom had donated a kidney to a stranger, and measured activity and functional connectivity of the amygdala and PAG as altruists and matched controls responded to care-eliciting scenarios. When these scenarios were coupled with pre-attentive distress cues, altruists' sympathy corresponded to greater activity in the left amygdala and PAG, and functional connectivity analyses revealed increased coupling between these regions in altruists during this epoch. We also found that altruists exhibited greater fractional anisotropy within the left amygdala-PAG white matter tract. These results, coupled with previous evidence of altruists' increased amygdala-linked sensitivity to distress, are consistent with costly altruism resulting from enhanced care-oriented responses to vulnerability and distress that are supported by recruitment of circuitry that supports mammalian parental care.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Katherine O'Connell
- Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC 20007, USA
| | - Elise M Cardinale
- Department of Psychology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057, USA
| | - Maria Stoianova
- Department of Psychology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057, USA
| | - Sarah A Stoycos
- Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Leah M Lozier
- Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC 20007, USA
| | - John W VanMeter
- Department of Neurology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC 20007, USA
| | - Abigail A Marsh
- Department of Psychology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057, USA
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Nephew BC, Huang W, Poirier GL, Payne L, King JA. Altered neural connectivity in adult female rats exposed to early life social stress. Behav Brain Res 2016; 316:225-233. [PMID: 27594665 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2016.08.051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2016] [Revised: 08/24/2016] [Accepted: 08/25/2016] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
The use of a variety of neuroanatomical techniques has led to a greater understanding of the adverse effects of stress on psychiatric health. One recent advance that has been particularly valuable is the development of resting state functional connectivity (RSFC) in clinical studies. The current study investigates changes in RSFC in F1 adult female rats exposed to the early life chronic social stress (ECSS) of the daily introduction of a novel male intruder to the cage of their F0 mothers while the F1 pups are in the cage. This ECSS for the F1 animals consists of depressed maternal care from their F0 mothers and exposure to conflict between their F0 mothers and intruder males. Analyses of the functional connectivity data in ECSS exposed adult females versus control females reveal broad changes in the limbic and reward systems, the salience and introspective socioaffective networks, and several additional stress and social behavior associated nuclei. Substantial changes in connectivity were found in the prefrontal cortex, nucleus accumbens, hippocampus, and somatosensory cortex. The current rodent RSFC data support the hypothesis that the exposure to early life social stress has long term effects on neural connectivity in numerous social behavior, stress, and depression relevant brain nuclei. Future conscious rodent RSFC studies can build on the wealth of data generated from previous neuroanatomical studies of early life stress and enhance translational connectivity between animal and human fMRI studies in the development of novel preventative measures and treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin C Nephew
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Peabody Pavilion, North Grafton, MA, 01536, United States.
| | - Wei Huang
- Center for Comparative NeuroImaging, Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 55 Lake Avenue North, Worcester, MA, 01655, United States
| | - Guillaume L Poirier
- Center for Comparative NeuroImaging, Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 55 Lake Avenue North, Worcester, MA, 01655, United States
| | - Laurellee Payne
- Center for Comparative NeuroImaging, Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 55 Lake Avenue North, Worcester, MA, 01655, United States
| | - Jean A King
- Center for Comparative NeuroImaging, Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 55 Lake Avenue North, Worcester, MA, 01655, United States
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Weisholtz DS, Root JC, Butler T, Tüscher O, Epstein J, Pan H, Protopopescu X, Goldstein M, Isenberg N, Brendel G, LeDoux J, Silbersweig DA, Stern E. Beyond the amygdala: Linguistic threat modulates peri-sylvian semantic access cortices. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2015; 151:12-22. [PMID: 26575986 PMCID: PMC4743641 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2015.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2014] [Revised: 10/16/2015] [Accepted: 10/24/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
In this study, healthy volunteers were scanned using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to investigate the neural systems involved in processing the threatening content conveyed via visually presented "threat words." The neural responses elicited by these words were compared to those elicited by matched neutral control words. The results demonstrate that linguistic threat, when presented in written form, can selectively engage areas of lateral temporal and inferior frontal cortex, distinct from the core language areas implicated in aphasia. Additionally, linguistic threat modulates neural activity in visceral/emotional systems (amygdala, parahippocampal gyrus and periaqueductal gray), and at earlier stages of the visual-linguistic processing stream involved in visual word form representations (ventral occipitotemporal cortex). We propose a model whereby limbic activation modulates activity at multiple nodes along the visual-linguistic-semantic processing stream, including a perisylvian "semantic access network" involved in decoding word meaning, suggesting a dynamic interplay between feedforward and feedback processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel S Weisholtz
- Department of Neurology, Brigham & Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 75 Francis Street, Boston, MA 02115, United States.
| | - James C Root
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, United States; Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medical College/New York Presbyterian Hospital, 525 East 68th Street, New York, NY 10065, United States
| | - Tracy Butler
- Department of Neurology, New York University Langone Medical Center, 223 East 34th Street, New York, NY 10016, United States; Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medical College/New York Presbyterian Hospital, 525 East 68th Street, New York, NY 10065, United States
| | - Oliver Tüscher
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Johannes-Gutenberg University Mainz, Langenbeck Street 1, D-55131 Mainz, Germany
| | - Jane Epstein
- Department of Psychiatry, VA Boston Healthcare System/Harvard Medical School, 940 Belmont Street, Brockton, MA 02301, United States
| | - Hong Pan
- Department of Psychiatry, Brigham & Women's Hospital, 75 Francis Street, Boston, MA 02115, United States
| | | | - Martin Goldstein
- Mount Sinai School of Medicine, Department of Neurology, 5 East 98th Street, 7th Floor, New York, NY 10029, United States
| | - Nancy Isenberg
- Neuroscience Institute, Virginia Mason Medical Center, 1100 Ninth Ave., Seattle, WA 98101, United States
| | - Gary Brendel
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medical College/New York Presbyterian Hospital, 525 East 68th Street, New York, NY 10065, United States
| | - Joseph LeDoux
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, 4 Washington Place, Room 809, New York, NY 10003, United States
| | - David A Silbersweig
- Department of Psychiatry, Brigham & Women's Hospital, 75 Francis Street, Boston, MA 02115, United States
| | - Emily Stern
- Department of Radiology, Brigham & Women's Hospital, 75 Francis Street, Boston, MA 02115, United States; Department of Psychiatry, Brigham & Women's Hospital, 75 Francis Street, Boston, MA 02115, United States
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Nephew BC, Murgatroyd C, Pittet F, Febo M. Brain Reward Pathway Dysfunction in Maternal Depression and Addiction: A Present and Future Transgenerational Risk. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2015; 1:105-116. [PMID: 27617302 PMCID: PMC5013732 DOI: 10.17756/jrds.2015-017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Two research areas that could benefit from a greater focus on the role of the reward pathway are maternal depression and maternal addiction. Both depression and addiction in mothers are mediated by deficiencies in the reward pathway and represent substantial risks to the health of offspring and future generations. This targeted review discusses maternal reward deficits in depressed and addicted mothers, neural, genetic, and epigenetic mechanisms, and the transgenerational transmission of these deficits from mother to offspring. Postpartum depression and drug use disorders may entail alterations in the reward pathway, particularly in striatal and prefrontal areas, which may affect maternal attachment to offspring and heighten the risk of transgenerational effects on the oxytocin and dopamine systems. Alterations may involve neural circuitry changes, genetic factors that impact monoaminergic neurotransmission, as well as growth factors such as BDNF and stress-associated signaling in the brain. Improved maternal reward-based preventative measures and treatments may be specifically effective for mothers and their offspring suffering from depression and/or addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin C Nephew
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Section of Neuroscience and Reproductive Biology, Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, North Grafton, MA, USA
| | | | - Florent Pittet
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Section of Neuroscience and Reproductive Biology, Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, North Grafton, MA, USA
| | - Marcelo Febo
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL, USA
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11
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Moses-Kolko EL, Horner MS, Phillips ML, Hipwell AE, Swain JE. In search of neural endophenotypes of postpartum psychopathology and disrupted maternal caregiving. J Neuroendocrinol 2014; 26:665-84. [PMID: 25059408 PMCID: PMC4353923 DOI: 10.1111/jne.12183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2014] [Revised: 07/18/2014] [Accepted: 07/21/2014] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
This is a selective review that provides the context for the study of perinatal affective disorder mechanisms and outlines directions for future research. We integrate existing literature along neural networks of interest for affective disorders and maternal caregiving: (i) the salience/fear network; (ii) the executive network; (iii) the reward/social attachment network; and (iv) the default mode network. Extant salience/fear network research reveals disparate responses and corticolimbic coupling to various stimuli based upon a predominantly depressive versus anxious (post-traumatic stress disorder) clinical phenotype. Executive network and default mode connectivity abnormalities have been described in postpartum depression (PPD), although studies are very limited in these domains. Reward/social attachment studies confirm a robust ventral striatal response to infant stimuli, including cry and happy infant faces, which is diminished in depressed, insecurely attached and substance-using mothers. The adverse parenting experiences received and the attachment insecurity of current mothers are factors that are associated with a diminution in infant stimulus-related neural activity similar to that in PPD, and raise the need for additional studies that integrate mood and attachment concepts in larger study samples. Several studies examining functional connectivity in resting state and emotional activation functional magnetic resonance imaging paradigms have revealed attenuated corticolimbic connectivity, which remains an important outcome that requires dissection with increasing precision to better define neural treatment targets. Methodological progress is expected in the coming years in terms of refining clinical phenotypes of interest and experimental paradigms, as well as enlarging samples to facilitate the examination of multiple constructs. Functional imaging promises to determine neural mechanisms underlying maternal psychopathology and impaired caregiving, such that earlier and more precise detection of abnormalities will be possible. Ultimately, the discovery of such mechanisms will promote the refinement of treatment approaches toward maternal affective disturbance, parenting behaviours and the augmentation of parenting resiliency.
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Affiliation(s)
- E L Moses-Kolko
- Department of Psychiatry, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
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12
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Sabihi S, Dong SM, Durosko NE, Leuner B. Oxytocin in the medial prefrontal cortex regulates maternal care, maternal aggression and anxiety during the postpartum period. Front Behav Neurosci 2014; 8:258. [PMID: 25147513 PMCID: PMC4123787 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2014.00258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2014] [Accepted: 07/13/2014] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The neuropeptide oxytocin (OT) acts on a widespread network of brain regions to regulate numerous behavioral adaptations during the postpartum period including maternal care, maternal aggression, and anxiety. In the present study, we examined whether this network also includes the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). We found that bilateral infusion of a highly specific oxytocin receptor antagonist (OTR-A) into the prelimbic (PL) region of the mPFC increased anxiety-like behavior in postpartum, but not virgin, females. In addition, OTR blockade in the postpartum mPFC impaired maternal care behaviors and enhanced maternal aggression. Overall, these results suggest that OT in the mPFC modulates maternal care and aggression, as well as anxiety-like behavior, during the postpartum period. Although the relationship among these behaviors is complicated and further investigation is required to refine our understanding of OT actions in the maternal mPFC, these data nonetheless provide new insights into neural circuitry of OT-mediated postpartum behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Sabihi
- Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Shirley M Dong
- Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Nicole E Durosko
- Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Benedetta Leuner
- Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University Columbus, OH, USA ; Department of Neuroscience, The Ohio State University Columbus, OH, USA
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13
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Abstract
Although data from both animals and humans suggests that adult cocaine use can have long term effects on behavior, it is unknown if prior cocaine use affects future maternal behavior in nulliparous females. In the current study, cocaine or saline was administered to adult female rats for 10 days, the animals were withdrawn from cocaine for 7 days, and the females were then exposed to donor pups to induce the expression of maternal behavior. Nulliparous females sensitized to cocaine were more likely to retrieve pups, spent more time caring for the pups, and were more likely to express full maternal behavior on day 8 of pup exposure. The fMRI data revealed significant effects of pup exposure in the hippocampal CA1 region, and effects of cocaine in the anterior thalamus and periaqueductal gray. Prior adult cocaine use may have lasting effects on offspring care, and this effect is not dependent on pup mediated effects or the endocrine changes of gestation and lactation. The present findings provide support for the hypothesis that maternal motivation to exhibit maternal behavior is enhanced by prior cocaine sensitization, possibly due to cross sensitization between cocaine and the natural reward of maternal behavior.
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Febo M, Ferris CF. Oxytocin and vasopressin modulation of the neural correlates of motivation and emotion: results from functional MRI studies in awake rats. Brain Res 2014; 1580:8-21. [PMID: 24486356 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2014.01.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2013] [Revised: 11/13/2013] [Accepted: 01/15/2014] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Oxytocin and vasopressin modulate a range of species typical behavioral functions that include social recognition, maternal-infant attachment, and modulation of memory, offensive aggression, defensive fear reactions, and reward seeking. We have employed novel functional magnetic resonance mapping techniques in awake rats to explore the roles of these neuropeptides in the maternal and non-maternal brain. Results from the functional neuroimaging studies that are summarized here have directly and indirectly confirmed and supported previous findings. Oxytocin is released within the lactating rat brain during suckling stimulation and activates specific subcortical networks in the maternal brain. Both vasopressin and oxytocin modulate brain regions involved unconditioned fear, processing of social stimuli and the expression of agonistic behaviors. Across studies there are relatively consistent brain networks associated with internal motivational drives and emotional states that are modulated by oxytocin and vasopressin. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Oxytocin and Social Behav.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcelo Febo
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Florida McKnight Brain Institute, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA.
| | - Craig F Ferris
- Center for Translational Neuroimaging, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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15
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Caffrey MK, Febo M. Cocaine-associated odor cue re-exposure increases blood oxygenation level dependent signal in memory and reward regions of the maternal rat brain. Drug Alcohol Depend 2014; 134:167-177. [PMID: 24183499 PMCID: PMC3908547 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2013.09.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2013] [Revised: 09/27/2013] [Accepted: 09/27/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cue triggered relapse during the postpartum period can negatively impact maternal care. Given the high reward value of pups in maternal rats, we designed an fMRI experiment to test whether offspring presence reduces the neural response to a cocaine associated olfactory cue. METHODS Cocaine conditioned place preference was carried out before pregnancy in the presence of two distinct odors that were paired with cocaine or saline (+Cue and -Cue). The BOLD response to +Cue and -Cue was measured in dams on postpartum days 2-4. Odor cues were delivered to dams in the absence and then the presence of pups. RESULTS Our data indicate that several limbic and cognitive regions of the maternal rat brain show a greater BOLD signal response to a +Cue versus -Cue. These include dorsal striatum, prelimbic cortex, parietal cortex, habenula, bed nucleus of stria terminalis, lateral septum and the mediodorsal and the anterior thalamic nucleus. Of the aforementioned brain regions, only the parietal cortex of cocaine treated dams showed a significant modulatory effect of pup presence. In this area of the cortex, cocaine exposed maternal rats showed a greater BOLD activation in response to the +Cue in the presence than in the absence of pups. CONCLUSIONS Specific regions of the cocaine exposed maternal rat brain are strongly reactive to drug associated cues. The regions implicated in cue reactivity have been previously reported in clinical imaging work, and previous work supports their role in various motivational and cognitive functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martha K. Caffrey
- Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA USA 02115
| | - Marcelo Febo
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Florida McKnight Brain Institute, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA.
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16
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What we can learn from second animal neuroscience. Behav Brain Sci 2013; 36:433-4. [PMID: 23883762 DOI: 10.1017/s0140525x12002002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
There are several facets of second-person neuroscience which can benefit from comparisons with animal behavioral neuroscience studies. This commentary addresses the challenges involved in obtaining quantitative data from second-person techniques, the role of stress in inducing robust responses, the use of interactive functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), and the value of applying interactive methods to studies of aggression and depression.
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17
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Carini LM, Murgatroyd CA, Nephew BC. Using chronic social stress to model postpartum depression in lactating rodents. J Vis Exp 2013:e50324. [PMID: 23792810 PMCID: PMC3727206 DOI: 10.3791/50324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Exposure to chronic stress is a reliable predictor of depressive disorders, and social stress is a common ethologically relevant stressor in both animals and humans. However, many animal models of depression were developed in males and are not applicable or effective in studies of postpartum females. Recent studies have reported significant effects of chronic social stress during lactation, an ethologically relevant and effective stressor, on maternal behavior, growth, and behavioral neuroendocrinology. This manuscript will describe this chronic social stress paradigm using repeated exposure of a lactating dam to a novel male intruder, and the assessment of the behavioral, physiological, and neuroendocrine effects of this model. Chronic social stress (CSS) is a valuable model for studying the effects of stress on the behavior and physiology of the dam as well as her offspring and future generations. The exposure of pups to CSS can also be used as an early life stress that has long term effects on behavior, physiology, and neuroendocrinology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsay M Carini
- Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine
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18
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Olazábal DE, Pereira M, Agrati D, Ferreira A, Fleming AS, González-Mariscal G, Lévy F, Lucion AB, Morrell JI, Numan M, Uriarte N. Flexibility and adaptation of the neural substrate that supports maternal behavior in mammals. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2013; 37:1875-92. [PMID: 23608126 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2013.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2013] [Accepted: 04/08/2013] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Maternal behavior is species-specific and expressed under different physiological conditions, and contexts. It is the result of neural processes that support different forms (e.g. postpartum, cycling sensitized and spontaneous maternal behavior) and modalities of mother-offspring interaction (e.g. maternal interaction with altricial/precocious young; selective/non-selective bond). To understand how the brain adapts to and regulates maternal behavior in different species, and physiological and social conditions we propose new neural models to explain different forms of maternal expression (e.g. sensitized and spontaneous maternal behavior) and the behavioral changes that occur across the postpartum period. We emphasize the changing role of the medial preoptic area in the neural circuitry that supports maternal behavior and the cortical regulation and adjustment of ongoing behavioral performance. Finally, we discuss how our accumulated knowledge about the psychobiology of mothering in animal models supports the validity of animal studies to guide our understanding of human mothering and to improve human welfare and health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel E Olazábal
- Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de la República, Avda. Gral. Flores 2125, CP 11800, Montevideo, Uruguay.
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19
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Prinssen EP, Nicolas LB, Klein S, Grundschober C, Lopez-Lopez C, Kessler MS, Bruns A, von Kienlin M, Wettstein JG, Moreau JL, Risterucci C. Imaging trait anxiety in high anxiety F344 rats: Focus on the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2012; 22:441-51. [PMID: 22153786 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2011.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2011] [Revised: 09/18/2011] [Accepted: 11/05/2011] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has become an important method in clinical psychiatry research whereas there are still only few comparable preclinical investigations. Herein, we report that fMRI in rats can provide key information regarding brain areas underlying anxiety behavior. Perfusion as surrogate for neuronal activity was measured by means of arterial spin labeling-based fMRI in various brain areas of high anxiety F344 rats and control Sprague-Dawley rats. In one of these areas, the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC), c-Fos labeling was compared between these two strains with immunolabeling. The effects of a neurotoxic ibotenic acid lesion of the dmPFC in F344 rats were examined in a social approach-avoidance anxiety procedure and fMRI. Regional brain activity of high anxiety F344 rats was different in selective cortical and subcortical areas as compared to that of low anxiety Sprague-Dawley rats; the largest difference (i.e. hyperactivity) was measured in the dmPFC. Independently, c-Fos labeling confirmed that F344 rats show increased dmPFC activity. The functional role was confirmed by neurotoxic lesion of the dmPFC that reversed the high anxiety-like behavior and partially normalized the brain activity pattern of F344 rats. The current findings may have translational value as increased activity is reported in an equivalent cortical area in patients with social anxiety, suggesting that pharmacological or functional inhibition of activity in this brain area should be explored to alleviate social anxiety in patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric P Prinssen
- CNS Research, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., CH-4070 Basel, Switzerland.
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20
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Febo M. Firing patterns of maternal rat prelimbic neurons during spontaneous contact with pups. Brain Res Bull 2012; 88:534-42. [PMID: 22643133 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2012.05.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2011] [Revised: 04/19/2012] [Accepted: 05/20/2012] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Extracellular single unit activity was recorded from medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) of postpartum dams over the course of 3 days while they engaged in spontaneous pup-directed behaviors and non-specific exploratory behavior. Out of 109 units identified over the course of the experiment, 15 units were observed to be pup-responsive and 15 increased their discharge rates non-specifically while not attending to pups. An association between neuronal activity and typical maternal behaviors (e.g., retrieval, pup-grooming, nursing) was not observed. Instead, brief bouts of snout contact with pups were accompanied by phasic increases and decreases in spike rates. The observed pup contact responsive cells might play a role in processing of sensory feedback from pups or the transmission of modulatory output to other subcortical maternal brain areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcelo Febo
- Department of Psychiatry, The McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, P.O. Box 100256, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA.
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21
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Felix-Ortiz AC, Febo M. Gestational valproate alters BOLD activation in response to complex social and primary sensory stimuli. PLoS One 2012; 7:e37313. [PMID: 22615973 PMCID: PMC3355108 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0037313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2012] [Accepted: 04/19/2012] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Valproic acid (VPA) has been used clinically as an anticonvulsant medication during pregnancy; however, it poses a neurodevelopmental risk due to its high teratogenicity. We hypothesized that midgestational (GD) exposure to VPA will lead to lasting deficits in social behavior and the processing of social stimuli. To test this, animals were given a single IP injection of 600 mg/kg of VPA on GD 12.5. Starting on postnatal day 2 (PND2), animals were examined for physical and behavior abnormalities. Functional MRI studies were carried out after PND60. VPA and control animals were given vehicle or a central infusion of a V1a antagonist 90 minutes before imaging. During imaging sessions, rats were presented with a juvenile test male followed by a primary visual stimulus (2 Hz pulsed light) to examine the effects of prenatal VPA on neural processing. VPA rats showed greater increases in BOLD signal response to the social stimulus compared to controls in the temporal cortex, thalamus, midbrain and the hypothalamus. Blocking the V1a receptor reduced the BOLD response in VPA animals only. Neural responses to the visual stimulus, however, were lower in VPA animals. Blockade with the V1a antagonist did not revert this latter effect. Our data suggest that prenatal VPA affects the processing of social stimuli and perhaps social memory, partly through a mechanism that may involve vasopressin V1a neurotransmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ada C. Felix-Ortiz
- Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Marcelo Febo
- Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Department of Psychiatry, The McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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22
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Abstract
Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has been used to investigate the responsiveness of the maternal rat brain to pup-suckling under various experimental paradigms. Our research employing the lactating rat model has explored the cortical sensory processing of pup stimuli and the effect of suckling on the brain's reward system. Suckling was observed to increase blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) signal intensity in the midbrain, striatum and prefrontal cortex, which are areas that receive prominent dopaminergic inputs. The BOLD activation of the reward system occurs in parallel with the activation of extensive cortical sensory areas. The observed regions include the olfactory cortex, auditory cortex and gustatory cortex, and could correspond to cortical representations of pup odours, vocalisations and taste that are active during lactation. Activation patterns within reward regions are consistent with past research on maternal motivation and we explore the possibility that exposure to drugs of abuse might be disruptive of maternal neural responses to pups, particularly in the prefrontal cortex. Our ongoing fMRI studies support and extend past research on the maternal rat brain and its functional neurocircuitry.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Febo
- Department of Psychiatry, The McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL 32610-0256, USA.
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23
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Febo M, Pira AS. Increased BOLD activation to predator stressor in subiculum and midbrain of amphetamine-sensitized maternal rats. Brain Res 2010; 1382:118-27. [PMID: 21134359 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2010.11.092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2010] [Revised: 11/20/2010] [Accepted: 11/27/2010] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Amphetamine, which is known to cause sensitization, potentiates the hormonal and neurobiological signatures of stress and may also increase sensitivity to stress-inducing stimuli in limbic areas. Trimethylthiazoline (5μL TMT) is a chemical constituent of fox feces that evokes innate fear and activates the neuronal and hormonal signatures of stress in rats. We used blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) MRI to test whether amphetamine sensitization (1mg/kg, i.p. ×3days) in female rats has a lasting effect on the neural response to a stress-evoking stimulus, the scent of a predator, during the postpartum period. The subiculum and dopamine-enriched midbrain VTA/SN of amphetamine-sensitized but not control mothers showed a greater BOLD signal response to predator odor than a control putrid scent. The greater responsiveness of these two brain regions following stimulant sensitization might impact neural processing in response to stressors in the maternal brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcelo Febo
- Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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24
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Bosch OJ, Pförtsch J, Beiderbeck DI, Landgraf R, Neumann ID. Maternal behaviour is associated with vasopressin release in the medial preoptic area and bed nucleus of the stria terminalis in the rat. J Neuroendocrinol 2010; 22:420-9. [PMID: 20163514 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2826.2010.01984.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
The neuropeptide arginine vasopressin was recently shown to be an important regulator of female social behaviour, including maternal care and aggression. A key brain site for vasopressin- as well as oxytocin-mediated maternal care is the medial preoptic area (MPOA). Together with the adjacent bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST), these brain regions are considered to form a 'super-region' for maternal behaviour. In the present study, we investigated the vasopressin and oxytocin systems within the MPOA and the BNST during maternal care in lactating rats in more detail. Binding to V1a and oxytocin receptors in the BNST and to oxytocin receptors in the MPOA was increased in lactation. Furthermore, microdialysis revealed that vasopressin release significantly increased (MPOA) or tended to increase (BNST) during different phases of maternal care (i.e. with or without suckling stimulus). In support, manipulations of V1a receptors in the MPOA are known to alter maternal care. We now show that local injection of a selective V1a receptor antagonist bilaterally into the BNST did not affect maternal care, but reduced maternal aggression and tended to lower anxiety-related behaviour. The release of oxytocin did not change in any of the brain regions during maternal care. The results obtained indicate that locally-released vasopressin within the MPOA and the BNST is important for the maintenance of complex maternal behaviours, including maternal care and aggression, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- O J Bosch
- Department of Behavioural and Molecular Neuroendocrinology, University of Regensburg, 93040 Regensburg, Germany.
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25
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Effect of cocaine sensitization prior to pregnancy on maternal care and aggression in the rat. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2010; 209:127-35. [PMID: 20101390 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-010-1777-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2009] [Accepted: 01/04/2010] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Although many studies have investigated the effects of gestational and lactational cocaine use on maternal behavior, few studies have examined the effects of prior adult cocaine use on maternal behavior. METHODS In the current study, intraperitoneal cocaine or saline was administered to adult female rats for 10 days, treatments were stopped for 4 days, and the females were then mated. Litter size and weight were recorded on days 2 and 16 of lactation, and maternal care, maternal aggression, and light/dark box activity were assessed on days 2, 9, and 16 of lactation. RESULTS The cocaine-treated females exhibited behavioral sensitization on treatment day 10. Mothers previously treated with cocaine retrieved pups more quickly, spent more time caring for the pups (increased pup retrieval, pup grooming, and crouching over the pups by the mother), and were more aggressive towards a male intruder compared to saline-treated control animals on day 2 of lactation. These effects were specific to maternal behavior, as other behaviors were mostly unaffected by prior cocaine treatment. Data from light/dark box tests indicate that cocaine did not affect activity in this test. There were few significant behavioral effects of prior cocaine treatment on lactation days 9 and 16. CONCLUSIONS Prior cocaine use may have lasting effects on offspring care and maternal aggression, specifically during early lactation. The present data support the hypothesis that maternal behavior is increased by prior cocaine sensitization, possibly due to cross-sensitization between cocaine and the natural reward of maternal behavior.
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Febo M, Shields J, Ferris CF, King JA. Oxytocin modulates unconditioned fear response in lactating dams: an fMRI study. Brain Res 2009; 1302:183-93. [PMID: 19766607 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2009.09.043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2009] [Revised: 09/09/2009] [Accepted: 09/12/2009] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Oxytocinergic neurotransmission during lactation contributes to reduction of anxiety levels and fear. However, our knowledge of where oxytocin acts in the brain to achieve this effect, particularly to an unconditioned fear stimulus, is incomplete. We used blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) fMRI to test whether central administration of oxytocin 45-60 min before fMRI scanning alters maternal brain activation in response to a predator scent (TMT, trimethylthiazoline). Comparison behavioral experiments that examined maternal responses to this unconditioned fear-inducing odor were carried out in a separate cohort of lactating rats given similar treatments. Behavioral experiments confirmed the effectiveness of oxytocin at reducing freezing behavior as compared to vehicle controls. Our fMRI findings indicate that oxytocin modulated both positive and negative BOLD responses across several olfactory and forebrain nuclei. Significantly greater percent increases in BOLD signal in response to TMT were observed in the anterior cingulate, bed nucleus of stria terminalis and perirhinal area of oxytocin pretreated rats. These animals also showed significantly larger percent decreases in BOLD in mammillary bodies, secondary motor cortex, gustatory cortex, prelimbic prefrontal cortex, orbital cortex, and the anterior olfactory nucleus. The observed pattern of brain activity suggests that oxytocin enhances neural processing in emotion and cognition driven brain areas such as the cingulate cortex, while dramatically reducing activity in areas also controlling autonomic, visceromotor and skeletomotor responses. The present data contribute to the growing literature suggesting the oxytocin modulate the integration of emotional and cognitive information through myriad brain regions to facilitate decreases in anxiety (even to an unconditioned stimulus) while potentially promoting pair-bonding, social memory and parental care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcelo Febo
- Center for Translational Neuroimaging & Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
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