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Bezerra TO, Roque AC, Salum C. A Computational Model for the Simulation of Prepulse Inhibition and Its Modulation by Cortical and Subcortical Units. Brain Sci 2024; 14:502. [PMID: 38790479 PMCID: PMC11118907 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci14050502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2024] [Revised: 05/10/2024] [Accepted: 05/11/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
The sensorimotor gating is a nervous system function that modulates the acoustic startle response (ASR). Prepulse inhibition (PPI) phenomenon is an operational measure of sensorimotor gating, defined as the reduction of ASR when a high intensity sound (pulse) is preceded in milliseconds by a weaker stimulus (prepulse). Brainstem nuclei are associated with the mediation of ASR and PPI, whereas cortical and subcortical regions are associated with their modulation. However, it is still unclear how the modulatory units can influence PPI. In the present work, we developed a computational model of a neural circuit involved in the mediation (brainstem units) and modulation (cortical and subcortical units) of ASR and PPI. The activities of all units were modeled by the leaky-integrator formalism for neural population. The model reproduces basic features of PPI observed in experiments, such as the effects of changes in interstimulus interval, prepulse intensity, and habituation of ASR. The simulation of GABAergic and dopaminergic drugs impaired PPI by their effects over subcortical units activity. The results show that subcortical units constitute a central hub for PPI modulation. The presented computational model offers a valuable tool to investigate the neurobiology associated with disorder-related impairments in PPI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thiago Ohno Bezerra
- Center of Mathematics, Computation and Cognition, Universidade Federal do ABC, São Bernardo do Campo 09606-045, Brazil
| | - Antonio C. Roque
- Department of Physics, School of Philosophy, Sciences and Letters of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto 14040-901, Brazil
| | - Cristiane Salum
- Center of Mathematics, Computation and Cognition, Universidade Federal do ABC, São Bernardo do Campo 09606-045, Brazil
- Interdisciplinary Applied Neuroscience Unit, Universidade Federal do ABC, São Bernardo do Campo 09606-045, Brazil
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2
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Montiel-Herrera F, Batanero-Geraldo A, López JC, Vargas JP, Quintero E, Díaz E. Effects of acute and chronic methylphenidate on prepulse inhibition: A sex difference study in Wistar rats. Physiol Behav 2024; 278:114526. [PMID: 38531426 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2024.114526] [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: 01/25/2024] [Revised: 02/28/2024] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The utilization of methylphenidate (MPH) is experiencing a notable surge within the adult population. This growth can be attributed to two key factors: its recreational and cognitive enhancement purposes, as well as the rising prevalence of ADHD diagnoses within this population. This study examined acute and chronic oral MPH effects on attention in male and female Wistar rats. To this end, we used a prepulse inhibition (PPI) task, which is widely used to assess psychoactive drug effects in both humans and rodents. This task allowed us to evaluate changes in attention by analyzing sensorimotor gating associated with stimulus selection process. METHODS Animals were administered a clinically relevant dose of MPH (5 mg/kg) daily for seven days. The estrous cycle phases of the female rats were measured during behavioral sessions. The PPI task was conducted 20 min after drug administration on day 1 (acute), day 7 (chronic), and 48 h post-treatment. RESULTS Results indicated that both acute and chronic MPH treatment impaired PPI expression in male rats, but not in female rats, regardless of their estrous cycle phase. Furthermore, a differential effect of chronic MPH treatment on the PPI task was found in male rats. Specifically, on the seventh treatment day, the PPI effect was observed when animals undertook the PPI task for the first time but was impaired in those animals in which the initial PPI session occurred under the acute influence of the drug (day 1). CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that the impact of MPH on sensorimotor gating responses may vary based on sex and task experience, possibly leading to state-dependent effects in healthy individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Montiel-Herrera
- Laboratory of Animal Behavior and Neuroscience, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Seville, Seville, Spain
| | - A Batanero-Geraldo
- Laboratory of Animal Behavior and Neuroscience, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Seville, Seville, Spain
| | - J C López
- Laboratory of Animal Behavior and Neuroscience, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Seville, Seville, Spain
| | - J P Vargas
- Laboratory of Animal Behavior and Neuroscience, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Seville, Seville, Spain
| | - E Quintero
- Laboratory of Animal Behavior and Neuroscience, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Seville, Seville, Spain
| | - E Díaz
- Laboratory of Animal Behavior and Neuroscience, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Seville, Seville, Spain.
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Boele HJ, Jung C, Sherry S, Roggeveen LEM, Dijkhuizen S, Öhman J, Abraham E, Uvarov A, Boele CP, Gultig K, Rasmussen A, Vinueza-Veloz MF, Medina JF, Koekkoek SKE, De Zeeuw CI, Wang SSH. Accessible and reliable neurometric testing in humans using a smartphone platform. Sci Rep 2023; 13:22871. [PMID: 38129487 PMCID: PMC10739701 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-49568-2] [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: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 12/09/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Tests of human brain circuit function typically require fixed equipment in lab environments. We have developed a smartphone-based platform for neurometric testing. This platform, which uses AI models like computer vision, is optimized for at-home use and produces reproducible, robust results on a battery of tests, including eyeblink conditioning, prepulse inhibition of acoustic startle response, and startle habituation. This approach provides a scalable, universal resource for quantitative assays of central nervous system function.
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Affiliation(s)
- H J Boele
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton, USA.
- Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - C Jung
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton, USA
| | - S Sherry
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton, USA
| | - L E M Roggeveen
- Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Neuroscience, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - S Dijkhuizen
- Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - J Öhman
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - E Abraham
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton, USA
| | | | - C P Boele
- Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - K Gultig
- Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - A Rasmussen
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - M F Vinueza-Veloz
- Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Community Medicine and Global Health, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - J F Medina
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, USA
| | - S K E Koekkoek
- Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - C I De Zeeuw
- Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Royal Academy of Arts and Sciences, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - S S-H Wang
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton, USA.
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Caballero N, Machiraju S, Diomino A, Kennedy L, Kadivar A, Cadenhead KS. Recent Updates on Predicting Conversion in Youth at Clinical High Risk for Psychosis. Curr Psychiatry Rep 2023; 25:683-698. [PMID: 37755654 PMCID: PMC10654175 DOI: 10.1007/s11920-023-01456-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW This review highlights recent advances in the prediction and treatment of psychotic conversion. Over the past 25 years, research into the prodromal phase of psychotic illness has expanded with the promise of early identification of individuals at clinical high risk (CHR) for psychosis who are likely to convert to psychosis. RECENT FINDINGS Meta-analyses highlight conversion rates between 20 and 30% within 2-3 years using existing clinical criteria while research into more specific risk factors, biomarkers, and refinement of psychosis risk calculators has exploded, improving our ability to predict psychotic conversion with greater accuracy. Recent studies highlight risk factors and biomarkers likely to contribute to earlier identification and provide insight into neurodevelopmental abnormalities, CHR subtypes, and interventions that can target specific risk profiles linked to neural mechanisms. Ongoing initiatives that assess longer-term (> 5-10 years) outcome of CHR participants can provide valuable information about predictors of later conversion and diagnostic outcomes while large-scale international biomarker studies provide hope for precision intervention that will alter the course of early psychosis globally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noe Caballero
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr., La Jolla, CA, 92093-0810, USA
| | - Siddharth Machiraju
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr., La Jolla, CA, 92093-0810, USA
| | - Anthony Diomino
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr., La Jolla, CA, 92093-0810, USA
| | - Leda Kennedy
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr., La Jolla, CA, 92093-0810, USA
| | - Armita Kadivar
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr., La Jolla, CA, 92093-0810, USA
| | - Kristin S Cadenhead
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr., La Jolla, CA, 92093-0810, USA.
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Ren D, Luo B, Chen P, Yu L, Xiong M, Fu Z, Zhou T, Chen WB, Fei E. DiGeorge syndrome critical region gene 2 (DGCR2), a schizophrenia risk gene, regulates dendritic spine development through cell adhesion. Cell Biosci 2023; 13:134. [PMID: 37480133 PMCID: PMC10362570 DOI: 10.1186/s13578-023-01081-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2023] [Accepted: 07/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/23/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Dendritic spines are the sites of excitatory synapses on pyramidal neurons, and their development is crucial for neural circuits and brain functions. The spine shape, size, or number alterations are associated with neurological disorders, including schizophrenia. DiGeorge syndrome critical region gene 2 (DGCR2) is one of the deleted genes within the 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11DS), which is a high risk for developing schizophrenia. DGCR2 expression was reduced in schizophrenics. However, the pathophysiological mechanism of DGCR2 in schizophrenia or 22q11DS is still unclear. RESULTS Here, we report that DGCR2 expression was increased during the neurodevelopmental period and enriched in the postsynaptic densities (PSDs). DGCR2-deficient hippocampal neurons formed fewer spines. In agreement, glutamatergic transmission and synaptic plasticity were decreased in the hippocampus of DGCR2-deficient mice. Further molecular studies showed that the extracellular domain (ECD) of DGCR2 is responsible for its transcellular interaction with cell adhesion molecule Neurexin1 (NRXN1) and spine development. Consequently, abnormal behaviors, like anxiety, were observed in DGCR2-deficient mice. CONCLUSIONS These observations indicate that DGCR2 is a novel cell adhesion molecule required for spine development and synaptic plasticity, and its deficiency induces abnormal behaviors in mice. This study provides a potential pathophysiological mechanism of DGCR2 in 22q11DS and related mental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongyan Ren
- School of Life Sciences, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China
- Institute of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China
| | - Bin Luo
- Institute of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China
| | - Peng Chen
- Institute of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China
| | - Lulu Yu
- Institute of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China
| | - Mingtao Xiong
- Institute of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China
| | - Zhiqiang Fu
- Institute of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China
| | - Tian Zhou
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China
| | - Wen-Bing Chen
- Institute of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China.
| | - Erkang Fei
- School of Life Sciences, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China.
- Institute of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China.
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de Oliveira YG, Poltronieri BC, Woodruff E, da Costa BF, Panizzutti RA. Age-related changes in prepulse inhibition of the startle response. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:1145783. [PMID: 37124271 PMCID: PMC10133574 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1145783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 05/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Acoustic prepulse inhibition of the startle response (PPI) is a phenomenon characterized by the reduction in the startle reflex caused by the presence of weak and brief stimulus before an intense and sudden stimulus (pulse). These phenomena can be observed in several species, but in humans it is commonly measured by the eyeblink using electromyography. PPI works as an operational measure of sensorimotor gating, which is the ability to suppress motor responses for sensory stimulus. Healthy aging is marked by several changes in neural processing, like inhibitory functioning decline. In this line, PPI measure can be a potential biomarker for changes related to the aging process. Methods In this research we aim to investigate if PPI is reduced with aging and if this reduction would be associated with cognitive functioning of older adults. To this aim, we compared PPI levels of older adults (over 60 years old) with PPI levels of young adults (from 18 to 28 years old). Results With that, we found, significantly lower PPI level (F[1,25] = 7.44 p = 0.01) and lower startle amplitude startle amplitude: (U = 26.000 p = 0.001) in older adults than in young adults. However, we did not find differences in levels of habituation (T = -1.1 p = 0.28) and correlation between PPI and cognition within the sample of healthy older adults. Discussion Our results demonstrate that aging is a factor that affects PPI and that it does not seem to predict cognition, however, future studies should explore the potential of using PPI for monitoring cognitive changes associated with techniques such as cognitive training.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasmin Guedes de Oliveira
- Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Instituto de Psiquiatria, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Bruno Costa Poltronieri
- Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Instituto de Psiquiatria, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Erica Woodruff
- Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Instituto de Psiquiatria, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Brunno Freitas da Costa
- Instituto de Psiquiatria, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Hospital Universitário Antônio Pedro, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niterói, Brazil
| | - Rogerio Arena Panizzutti
- Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Instituto de Psiquiatria, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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Kim A, Gu SM, Lee H, Kim DE, Hong JT, Yun J, Cha HJ. Prenatal ketamine exposure impairs prepulse inhibition via arginine vasopressin receptor 1A-mediated GABAergic neuronal dysfunction in the striatum. Biomed Pharmacother 2023; 160:114318. [PMID: 36738499 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2023.114318] [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: 06/18/2021] [Revised: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/26/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Ketamine is a widely used anesthetic with N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonism. Exposure to ketamine and NMDA receptor antagonists may induce psychosis. However, the mechanism underlying the effects of ketamine on the immature brain remains unclear. In this study, NMDA receptor antagonists, ketamine and methoxetamine, were administered to pregnant F344 rats (E17). These regimens induce psychosis-like behaviors in the offspring, such as hyperlocomotion induced by MK-801, a non-competitive NMDA receptor antagonist. We also observed that prepulse inhibition (PPI) was significantly reduced. Interestingly, ketamine administration increased the arginine vasopressin receptor 1A (Avpr1a) expression levels in the striatum of offspring with abnormal behaviors. Methoxetamine, another NMDA receptor antagonist, also showed similar results. In addition, we demonstrated a viral vector-induced Avpr1a overexpression in the striatum-inhibited PPI. In the striatum of offspring, ketamine or methoxetamine treatment increased glutamate decarboxylase 67 (GAD67) and δ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) levels. These results show that prenatal NMDA receptor antagonist treatment induces GABAergic neuronal dysfunction and abnormalities in sensorimotor gating via regulating Avpr1a expression in the striatum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aeseul Kim
- College of Pharmacy, Chungbuk National University, 194-31, Osongsaengmyeong 1-ro, Osong-eup, Heungdeok-gu, Cheongju-si, Chungcheongbuk-do 28160, the Republic of Korea
| | - Sun Mi Gu
- College of Pharmacy, Chungbuk National University, 194-31, Osongsaengmyeong 1-ro, Osong-eup, Heungdeok-gu, Cheongju-si, Chungcheongbuk-do 28160, the Republic of Korea
| | - Haemiru Lee
- Pharmacological Research Division, National Institute of Food and Drug Safety Evaluation (NIFDS), Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS), OHTAC 187, Osongsaengmyong 2-ro, Cheongju-si, Chungcheongbuk-do 28159, the Republic of Korea
| | - Dong Eun Kim
- Pharmacological Research Division, National Institute of Food and Drug Safety Evaluation (NIFDS), Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS), OHTAC 187, Osongsaengmyong 2-ro, Cheongju-si, Chungcheongbuk-do 28159, the Republic of Korea
| | - Jin Tae Hong
- College of Pharmacy, Chungbuk National University, 194-31, Osongsaengmyeong 1-ro, Osong-eup, Heungdeok-gu, Cheongju-si, Chungcheongbuk-do 28160, the Republic of Korea
| | - Jaesuk Yun
- College of Pharmacy, Chungbuk National University, 194-31, Osongsaengmyeong 1-ro, Osong-eup, Heungdeok-gu, Cheongju-si, Chungcheongbuk-do 28160, the Republic of Korea.
| | - Hye Jin Cha
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Gyeongsang National University, 501, Jinju-daero, Jinju-si, Gyeongsangnam-do 52828, the Republic of Korea.
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Haddad FL, De Oliveira C, Schmid S. Investigating behavioral phenotypes related to autism spectrum disorder in a gene-environment interaction model of Cntnap2 deficiency and Poly I:C maternal immune activation. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1160243. [PMID: 36998729 PMCID: PMC10043204 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1160243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2023] Open
Abstract
IntroductionAutism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) has been associated with a wide variety of genetic and environmental risk factors in both human and preclinical studies. Together, findings support a gene-environment interaction hypothesis whereby different risk factors independently and synergistically impair neurodevelopment and lead to the core symptoms of ASD. To date, this hypothesis has not been commonly investigated in preclinical ASD models. Mutations in the Contactin-associated protein-like 2 (Cntnap2) gene and exposure to maternal immune activation (MIA) during pregnancy have both been linked to ASD in humans, and preclinical rodent models have shown that both MIA and Cntnap2 deficiency lead to similar behavioral deficits.MethodsIn this study, we tested the interaction between these two risk factors by exposing Wildtype, Cntnap2+/–, and Cntnap2–/– rats to Polyinosinic: Polycytidylic acid (Poly I:C) MIA at gestation day 9.5.ResultsOur findings showed that Cntnap2 deficiency and Poly I:C MIA independently and synergistically altered ASD-related behaviors like open field exploration, social behavior, and sensory processing as measured through reactivity, sensitization, and pre-pulse inhibition (PPI) of the acoustic startle response. In support of the double-hit hypothesis, Poly I:C MIA acted synergistically with the Cntnap2–/– genotype to decrease PPI in adolescent offspring. In addition, Poly I:C MIA also interacted with the Cntnap2+/– genotype to produce subtle changes in locomotor hyperactivity and social behavior. On the other hand, Cntnap2 knockout and Poly I:C MIA showed independent effects on acoustic startle reactivity and sensitization.DiscussionTogether, our findings support the gene-environment interaction hypothesis of ASD by showing that different genetic and environmental risk factors could act synergistically to exacerbate behavioral changes. In addition, by showing the independent effects of each risk factor, our findings suggest that ASD phenotypes could be caused by different underlying mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Faraj L. Haddad
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Cleusa De Oliveira
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Susanne Schmid
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
- Department of Psychology, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
- *Correspondence: Susanne Schmid,
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G Modrak C, S Wilkinson C, L Blount H, Schwendt M, A Knackstedt L. The role of mGlu receptors in susceptibility to stress-induced anhedonia, fear, and anxiety-like behavior. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF NEUROBIOLOGY 2023; 168:221-264. [PMID: 36868630 DOI: 10.1016/bs.irn.2022.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Stress and trauma exposure contribute to the development of psychiatric disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and major depressive disorder (MDD) in a subset of people. A large body of preclinical work has found that the metabotropic glutamate (mGlu) family of G protein-coupled receptors regulate several behaviors that are part of the symptom clusters for both PTSD and MDD, including anhedonia, anxiety, and fear. Here, we review this literature, beginning with a summary of the wide variety of preclinical models used to assess these behaviors. We then summarize the involvement of Group I and II mGlu receptors in these behaviors. Bringing together this extensive literature reveals that mGlu5 signaling plays distinct roles in anhedonia, fear, and anxiety-like behavior. mGlu5 promotes susceptibility to stress-induced anhedonia and resilience to stress-induced anxiety-like behavior, while serving a fundamental role in the learning underlying fear conditioning. The medial prefrontal cortex, basolateral amygdala, nucleus accumbens, and ventral hippocampus are key regions where mGlu5, mGlu2, and mGlu3 regulate these behaviors. There is strong support that stress-induced anhedonia arises from decreased glutamate release and post-synaptic mGlu5 signaling. Conversely, decreasing mGlu5 signaling increases resilience to stress-induced anxiety-like behavior. Consistent with opposing roles for mGlu5 and mGlu2/3 in anhedonia, evidence suggests that increased glutamate transmission may be therapeutic for the extinction of fear learning. Thus, a large body of literature supports the targeting of pre- and post-synaptic glutamate signaling to ameliorate post-stress anhedonia, fear, and anxiety-like behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cassandra G Modrak
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States; Center for Addiction Research and Education, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States; Center for OCD, Anxiety, and Related Disorders, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Courtney S Wilkinson
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States; Center for Addiction Research and Education, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States; Center for OCD, Anxiety, and Related Disorders, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Harrison L Blount
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States; Center for Addiction Research and Education, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States; Center for OCD, Anxiety, and Related Disorders, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Marek Schwendt
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States; Center for Addiction Research and Education, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States; Center for OCD, Anxiety, and Related Disorders, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Lori A Knackstedt
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States; Center for Addiction Research and Education, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States; Center for OCD, Anxiety, and Related Disorders, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States.
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Acheson DT, Baker DG, Nievergelt CM, Yurgil KA, Geyer MA, Risbrough VB. Prospective longitudinal assessment of sensorimotor gating as a risk/resiliency factor for posttraumatic stress disorder. Neuropsychopharmacology 2022; 47:2238-2244. [PMID: 36192631 PMCID: PMC9630259 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-022-01460-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2022] [Revised: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 09/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Little is understood about cognitive mechanisms that confer risk and resiliency for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Prepulse Inhibition (PPI) is a measure of pre-attentional response inhibition that is a stable cognitive trait disrupted in many neuropsychiatric disorders characterized by poor behavioral or cognitive inhibition, including PTSD. Differentiating between PTSD-related phenotypes that are pre-existing factors vs. those that emerge specifically after trauma is critical to understanding PTSD etiology and can only be addressed by prospective studies. This study tested the hypothesis that sensorimotor gating performance is associated with risk/resiliency for combat-related PTSD. As part of a prospective, longitudinal study, 1226 active duty Marines and Navy Corpsman completed a PPI test as well as a clinical interview to assess PTSD symptoms both before, and 3 and 6 months after a combat deployment. Participants that developed PTSD 6 months following deployment (N=46) showed lower PPI across pre and post-deployment time points compared to participants who did not develop PTSD (N=1182) . Examination of the distribution of PTSD across PPI performance revealed a lower than expected number of cases in the highest performing quartile compared to the rest of the distribution (p < 0.04). When controlling for other factors that predict PTSD in this population, those in the top 25% of PPI performance showed a >50% reduction in chance to develop PTSD (OR = 0.32). Baseline startle reactivity and startle habituation were not significantly different between PTSD risk and control groups. These findings suggest that robust sensorimotor gating may represent a resiliency factor for development of PTSD following trauma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dean T Acheson
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Center for Excellence in Stress and Mental Health, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Dewleen G Baker
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Center for Excellence in Stress and Mental Health, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Caroline M Nievergelt
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Center for Excellence in Stress and Mental Health, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Kate A Yurgil
- Center for Excellence in Stress and Mental Health, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, USA
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Loyola University New Orleans, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Mark A Geyer
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Victoria B Risbrough
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
- Center for Excellence in Stress and Mental Health, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, USA.
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11
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Liu-Chen LY, Huang P. Signaling underlying kappa opioid receptor-mediated behaviors in rodents. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:964724. [PMID: 36408401 PMCID: PMC9670127 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.964724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Kappa opioid receptor (KOR) agonists are potentially useful as analgesic and anti-pruritic agents, for prevention and treatment of substance use disorders, and for treatment of demyelinating diseases. However, side effects of KOR agonists, including psychotomimesis, dysphoria, and sedation, have caused early termination of clinical trials. Understanding the signaling mechanisms underlying the beneficial therapeutic effects and the adverse side effects may help in the development of KOR agonist compounds. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge in this regard in five sections. First, studies conducted on mutant mouse lines (GRK3-/-, p38alpha MAPK-/-, β-arrestin2-/-, phosphorylation-deficient KOR) are summarized. In addition, the abilities of four distinct KOR agonists, which have analgesic and anti-pruritic effects with different side effect profiles, to cause KOR phosphorylation are discussed. Second, investigations on the KOR agonist nalfurafine, both in vitro and in vivo are reviewed. Nalfurafine was the first KOR full agonist approved for clinical use and in the therapeutic dose range it did not produce significant side effects associated with typical KOR agonists. Third, large-scale high-throughput phosphoproteomic studies without a priori hypotheses are described. These studies have revealed that KOR-mediated side effects are associated with many signaling pathways. Fourth, several novel G protein-biased KOR agonists that have been characterized for in vitro biochemical properties and agonist biases and in vivo behavior effects are described. Lastly, possible mechanisms underlying KOR-mediated CPA, hypolocomotion and motor incoordination are discussed. Overall, it is agreed upon that the analgesic and anti-pruritic effects of KOR agonists are mediated via G protein signaling. However, there is no consensus on the mechanisms underlying their side effects. GRK3, p38 MAPK, β-arrestin2, mTOR pathway, CB1 cannabinoid receptor and protein kinase C have been implicated in one side effect or another. For drug discovery, after initial in vitro characterization, in vivo pharmacological characterizations in various behavior tests are still the most crucial steps and dose separation between beneficial therapeutic effects and adverse side effects are the critical determinant for the compounds to be moved forward for clinical development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lee-Yuan Liu-Chen
- Center for Substance Abuse Research, Department of Neural Sciences, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
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12
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Lai J, Dowling M, Bartlett EL. Comparison of age-related declines in behavioral auditory responses versus electrophysiological measures of amplitude modulation. Neurobiol Aging 2022; 117:201-211. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2022.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2021] [Revised: 05/31/2022] [Accepted: 06/01/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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13
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The blinking eye as a window into tinnitus: A new animal model of tinnitus in the macaque. Hear Res 2022; 420:108517. [DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2022.108517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2021] [Revised: 04/16/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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14
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Giannopoulos AE, Zioga I, Papageorgiou P, Pervanidou P, Makris G, Chrousos GP, Stachtea X, Capsalis C, Papageorgiou C. Evaluating the Modulation of the Acoustic Startle Reflex in Children and Adolescents via Vertical EOG and EEG: Sex, Age, and Behavioral Effects. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:798667. [PMID: 35464323 PMCID: PMC9019526 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.798667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2021] [Accepted: 02/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Acoustic startle reflex (ASR) constitutes a reliable, cross-species indicator of sensorimotor and inhibitory mechanisms, showing distinct signature in cognitive aging, sex, and psychopathological characterization. ASR can be modulated by the prepulse inhibition (PPI) paradigm, which comprises the suppression of reactivity to a startling stimulus (pulse) following a weak prepulse (30- to 500-ms time difference), being widely linked to inhibitory capabilities of the sensorimotor system. If the prepulse–pulse tones are more clearly separated (500–2,000 ms), ASR amplitude is enhanced, termed as prepulse facilitation (PPF), reflecting sustained or selective attention. Our study aimed to investigate early-life sensorimotor sex/age differences using Electroencephalographic recordings to measure muscular and neural ASR in a healthy young population. Sixty-three children and adolescents aged 6.2–16.7 years (31 females) took part in the experiment. Neural ASR was assessed by two different analyses, namely, event-related potentials (ERPs) and first-derivative potentials (FDPs). As expected, PPF showed enhanced responses compared with PPI, as indicated by eyeblink, ERP and FDP measures, confirming the gating effect hypothesis. Sex-related differences were reflected in FDPs, with females showing higher ASR than males, suggesting increased levels of poststartle excitability. Intragroup age effects were evaluated via multipredictor regression models, noticing positive correlation between age versus eyeblink and ERP responses. Attention-related ERPs (N100 and P200) showed distinct patterns in PPI versus PPF, potentially indicative for alternative attentional allocation and block-out of sensory overload. Screening measures of participants’ neurodevelopmental (assessed by Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children) and behavioral (assessed by Child Behavior Checklist) markers were also associated with increased N100/P200 responses, presumably indexing synergy between perceptual consistency, personality profiling, and inhibitory performance. Conclusively, modulation of ASR by PPI and PPF is associated with biological sex and internal/external personality traits in childhood and adolescence, potentially useful to guide symptomatology and prevention of psychopathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastasios E. Giannopoulos
- School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, Athens, Greece
- *Correspondence: Anastasios E. Giannopoulos,
| | - Ioanna Zioga
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, Netherlands
- First Department of Psychiatry, Eginition Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Medical School, Athens, Greece
| | - Panos Papageorgiou
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Patras, Patras, Greece
| | - Panagiota Pervanidou
- Unit of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, First Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, “Aghia Sophia” Children’s Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Gerasimos Makris
- Unit of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, First Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, “Aghia Sophia” Children’s Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - George P. Chrousos
- Unit of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, First Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, “Aghia Sophia” Children’s Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Xanthi Stachtea
- Neurosciences and Precision Medicine Research Institute “COSTAS STEFANIS” (UMHRI), University Mental Health, Athens, Greece
| | - Christos Capsalis
- School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Charalabos Papageorgiou
- Neurosciences and Precision Medicine Research Institute “COSTAS STEFANIS” (UMHRI), University Mental Health, Athens, Greece
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15
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Sherafat Y, Chen E, Lallai V, Bautista M, Fowler JP, Chen YC, Miwa J, Fowler CD. Differential Expression Patterns of Lynx Proteins and Involvement of Lynx1 in Prepulse Inhibition. Front Behav Neurosci 2021; 15:703748. [PMID: 34803621 PMCID: PMC8595198 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.703748] [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: 05/14/2021] [Accepted: 09/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Negative allosteric modulators, such as lynx1 and lynx2, directly interact with nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs). The nAChRs are integral to cholinergic signaling in the brain and have been shown to mediate different aspects of cognitive function. Given the interaction between lynx proteins and these receptors, we examined whether these endogenous negative allosteric modulators are involved in cognitive behaviors associated with cholinergic function. We found both cell-specific and overlapping expression patterns of lynx1 and lynx2 mRNA in brain regions associated with cognition, learning, memory, and sensorimotor processing, including the prefrontal cortex (PFC), cingulate cortex, septum, hippocampus, amygdala, striatum, and pontine nuclei. Since lynx proteins are thought to play a role in conditioned associations and given the expression patterns across brain regions, we first assessed whether lynx knockout mice would differ in a cognitive flexibility task. We found no deficits in reversal learning in either the lynx1–/– or lynx2–/– knockout mice. Thereafter, sensorimotor gating was examined with the prepulse inhibition (PPI) assessment. Interestingly, we found that both male and female lynx1–/– mice exhibited a deficit in the PPI behavioral response. Given the comparable expression of lynx2 in regions involved in sensorimotor gating, we then examined whether removal of the lynx2 protein would lead to similar behavioral effects. Unexpectedly, we found that while male lynx2–/– mice exhibited a decrease in the baseline startle response, no differences were found in sensorimotor gating for either male or female lynx2–/– mice. Taken together, these studies provide insight into the expression patterns of lynx1 and lynx2 across multiple brain regions and illustrate the modulatory effects of the lynx1 protein in sensorimotor gating.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasmine Sherafat
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Edison Chen
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Valeria Lallai
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Malia Bautista
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - James P Fowler
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Yen-Chu Chen
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Julie Miwa
- Department of Biological Sciences, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA, United States
| | - Christie D Fowler
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
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16
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Naysmith LF, Kumari V, Williams SCR. Neural mapping of prepulse-induced startle reflex modulation as indices of sensory information processing in healthy and clinical populations: A systematic review. Hum Brain Mapp 2021; 42:5495-5518. [PMID: 34414633 PMCID: PMC8519869 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2021] [Revised: 07/30/2021] [Accepted: 08/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Startle reflex is modulated when a weaker sensory stimulus ("prepulse") precedes a startling stimulus ("pulse"). Prepulse Inhibition (PPI) is the attenuation of the startle reflex (prepulse precedes pulse by 30-500 ms), whereas Prepulse Facilitation (PPF) is the enhancement of the startle reflex (prepulse precedes pulse by 500-6000 ms). Here, we critically appraise human studies using functional neuroimaging to establish brain regions associated with PPI and PPF. Of 10 studies, nine studies revealed thalamic, striatal and frontal lobe activation during PPI in healthy groups, and activation deficits in the cortico-striato-pallido-thalamic circuitry in schizophrenia (three studies) and Tourette Syndrome (two studies). One study revealed a shared network for PPI and PPF in frontal regions and cerebellum, with PPF networks recruiting superior medial gyrus and cingulate cortex. The main gaps in the literature are (i) limited PPF research and whether PPI and PPF operate on separate/shared networks, (ii) no data on sex differences in neural underpinnings of PPI and PPF, and (iii) no data on neural underpinnings of PPI and PPF in other clinical disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura F. Naysmith
- Centre for Neuroimaging Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and NeuroscienceKing's College LondonLondonUK
| | - Veena Kumari
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and NeuroscienceKing's College LondonLondonUK
- Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, College of HealthMedicine and Life Sciences, Brunel University LondonUK
| | - Steven C. R. Williams
- Centre for Neuroimaging Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and NeuroscienceKing's College LondonLondonUK
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17
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Weeks JJ, Grace AA, Sved AF. Nicotine Administration Normalizes Behavioral and Neurophysiological Perturbations in the MAM Rodent Model of Schizophrenia. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol 2021; 24:979-987. [PMID: 34622270 PMCID: PMC8653870 DOI: 10.1093/ijnp/pyab064] [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] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2021] [Revised: 09/10/2021] [Accepted: 10/04/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The present study utilized the methylazoxymethanol (MAM) neurodevelopmental rodent model of schizophrenia (SCZ) to evaluate the hypothesis that individuals with SCZ smoke in an attempt to "self-medicate" their symptoms through nicotine (NIC) intake. METHODS To explore this question, we examined the effects of acute and chronic administration of NIC in 2 established behavioral tests known to be disrupted in the MAM model: prepulse inhibition of startle and novel object recognition. Additionally, we assessed the effects of acute and chronic NIC on 2 indices of the pathophysiology of SCZ modeled by MAM, elevated dopamine neuron population activity in the ventral tegmental area and neuronal activity in the ventral hippocampus, using in vivo electrophysiological recordings. RESULTS Our findings demonstrated that both acute and chronic administration of NIC significantly improved deficits in prepulse inhibition of startle and novel object recognition among MAM rats and normalized elevated ventral tegmental area and ventral hippocampal neuronal activity in these animals. CONCLUSION Together, these findings of NIC-induced improvement of deficits lend support for a "self-medication" hypothesis behind increased cigarette smoking in SCZ and illustrate the potential utility of nicotinic modulation in future pharmacotherapies for certain SCZ symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Anthony A Grace
- Center for Neuroscience,Departments of Neuroscience, Psychiatry, and Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Alan F Sved
- Center for Neuroscience,Departments of Neuroscience, Psychiatry, and Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA,Correspondence: Alan F. Sved, PhD, 210 Langley Hall, Department of Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA ()
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18
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Berryman C, Wallwork SB, Heredia-Rizo AM, Knight E, Camfferman D, Russek L, Moseley GL. Are You Listening? Facilitation of the Auditory Blink Response in People with Fibromyalgia. THE JOURNAL OF PAIN 2021; 22:1072-1083. [PMID: 33757876 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpain.2021.03.141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2020] [Revised: 03/04/2021] [Accepted: 03/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
The purpose of the current study was to determine whether auditory prepulse inhibition (PPI) and/or prepulse facilitation (PPF) were altered in people with fibromyalgia (FM) when compared with controls. Eyeblink responses were recorded from 29 females with FM and 27 controls, while they listened to 3 blocks of auditory stimuli that delivered pulses with either PPI or PPF. Using a linear mixed model, our main findings were that there was a GROUP*CONDITION interaction (F4, 1084 = 4.01, P= .0031) indicating that the difference in amplitude between FM group and control group changed depending on the condition (PPI or PPF). Post hoc tests revealed no differences between the groups in response to PPI. The FM group showed a greater reactivity of response to the PPF conditioned stimulus than the control group did (t(39.7) = 2.03, P= .0494). Augmentation of PPF, as demonstrated by the FM group is thought to be linked to alterations in information processing mediated by an autonomically driven general orienting process. Activities that decrease autonomic drive or rebalance autonomic and parasympathetic tone such as vagal stimulation might be pursued as effective interventions for people with FM. PERSPECTIVE: This article presents evidence of preservation of neural circuitry that underpins response suppression and evidence of neural circuit disturbance mediated by autonomic drive-in people with FM. These results are important because intact circuitry underpins the effectiveness of therapies and may be harnessed, and rebalancing autonomic drive may be indicated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolyn Berryman
- Faculty of Health and Medical Science, The University of Adelaide, North Terrace, Adelaide, Australia; IIMPACT in Health, University of South Australia, North Terrace, Adelaide, Australia.
| | - Sarah B Wallwork
- IIMPACT in Health, University of South Australia, North Terrace, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Alberto Marcos Heredia-Rizo
- Physiotherapy Department, Faculty of Nursing, Physiotherapy and Podiatry, University of Seville, Seville, Spain
| | - Emma Knight
- Faculty of Health and Medical Science, The University of Adelaide, North Terrace, Adelaide, Australia
| | | | - Leslie Russek
- Physical Therapy Department, Clarkson University, Potsdam, New York
| | - G Lorimer Moseley
- IIMPACT in Health, University of South Australia, North Terrace, Adelaide, Australia
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19
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Cano JC, Huang W, Fénelon K. The amygdala modulates prepulse inhibition of the auditory startle reflex through excitatory inputs to the caudal pontine reticular nucleus. BMC Biol 2021; 19:116. [PMID: 34082731 PMCID: PMC8176709 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-021-01050-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2020] [Accepted: 05/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Sensorimotor gating is a fundamental pre-attentive process that is defined as the inhibition of a motor response by a sensory event. Sensorimotor gating, commonly measured using the prepulse inhibition (PPI) of the auditory startle reflex task, is impaired in patients suffering from various neurological and psychiatric disorders. PPI deficits are a hallmark of schizophrenia, and they are often associated with attention and other cognitive impairments. Although the reversal of PPI deficits in animal models is widely used in pre-clinical research for antipsychotic drug screening, the neurotransmitter systems and synaptic mechanisms underlying PPI are still not resolved, even under physiological conditions. Recent evidence ruled out the longstanding hypothesis that PPI is mediated by midbrain cholinergic inputs to the caudal pontine reticular nucleus (PnC). Instead, glutamatergic, glycinergic, and GABAergic inhibitory mechanisms are now suggested to be crucial for PPI, at the PnC level. Since amygdalar dysfunctions alter PPI and are common to pathologies displaying sensorimotor gating deficits, the present study was designed to test that direct projections to the PnC originating from the amygdala contribute to PPI. Results Using wild type and transgenic mice expressing eGFP under the control of the glycine transporter type 2 promoter (GlyT2-eGFP mice), we first employed tract-tracing, morphological reconstructions, and immunohistochemical analyses to demonstrate that the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) sends glutamatergic inputs lateroventrally to PnC neurons, including GlyT2+ cells. Then, we showed the contribution of the CeA-PnC excitatory synapses to PPI in vivo by demonstrating that optogenetic inhibition of this connection decreases PPI, and optogenetic activation induces partial PPI. Finally, in GlyT2-Cre mice, whole-cell recordings of GlyT2+ PnC neurons in vitro paired with optogenetic stimulation of CeA fibers, as well as photo-inhibition of GlyT2+ PnC neurons in vivo, allowed us to implicate GlyT2+ neurons in the PPI pathway. Conclusions Our results uncover a feedforward inhibitory mechanism within the brainstem startle circuit by which amygdalar glutamatergic inputs and GlyT2+ PnC neurons contribute to PPI. We are providing new insights to the clinically relevant theoretical construct of PPI, which is disrupted in various neuropsychiatric and neurological diseases. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12915-021-01050-z.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jose Carlos Cano
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Texas at El Paso, 500 West University Avenue, El Paso, TX, 79912, USA
| | - Wanyun Huang
- Biology Department, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Life Science Laboratories, 240 Thatcher Road, Amherst, MA, 01002, USA
| | - Karine Fénelon
- Biology Department, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Life Science Laboratories, 240 Thatcher Road, Amherst, MA, 01002, USA.
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20
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Si W, Liu X, Pape HC, Reinscheid RK. Neuropeptide S-Mediated Modulation of Prepulse Inhibition Depends on Age, Gender, Stimulus-Timing, and Attention. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2021; 14:489. [PMID: 34065431 PMCID: PMC8160819 DOI: 10.3390/ph14050489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2021] [Revised: 05/12/2021] [Accepted: 05/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Conflicting reports about the role of neuropeptide S (NPS) in animal models of psychotic-like behavior and inconsistent results from human genetic studies seeking potential associations with schizophrenia prompted us to reevaluate the effects of NPS in the prepulse inhibition (PPI) paradigm in mice. Careful examination of NPS receptor (NPSR1) knockout mice at different ages revealed that PPI deficits are only expressed in young male knockout animals (<12 weeks of age), that can be replicated in NPS precursor knockout mice and appear strain-independent, but are absent in female mice. PPI deficits can be aggravated by MK-801 and alleviated by clozapine. Importantly, treatment of wildtype mice with a centrally-active NPSR1 antagonist was able to mimic PPI deficits. PPI impairment in young male NPSR1 and NPS knockout mice may be caused by attentional deficits that are enhanced by increasing interstimulus intervals. Our data reveal a substantial NPS-dependent developmental influence on PPI performance and confirm a significant role of attentional processes for sensory-motor gating. Through its influence on attention and arousal, NPS appears to positively modulate PPI in young animals, whereas compensatory mechanisms may alleviate NPS-dependent deficits in older mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Si
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; (W.S.); (X.L.)
| | - Xiaobin Liu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; (W.S.); (X.L.)
| | - Hans-Christian Pape
- Institute of Physiology I, Westfälische-Wilhelms University, 48149 Münster, Germany;
| | - Rainer K. Reinscheid
- Institute of Physiology I, Westfälische-Wilhelms University, 48149 Münster, Germany;
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Friedrich-Schiller University, 07747 Jena, Germany
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21
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Versace V, Campostrini S, Sebastianelli L, Saltuari L, Valls-Solé J, Kofler M. Prepulse inhibition vs cognitive modulation of the hand-blink reflex. Sci Rep 2021; 11:4618. [PMID: 33633320 PMCID: PMC7907410 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-84241-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2020] [Accepted: 02/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
The excitability of brainstem circuitries mediating defensive blinking in response to abrupt sensory inputs is continuously modulated by cortical areas, e.g., the hand-blink reflex (HBR), elicited by intense electrical median nerve stimulation, is enhanced when the stimulated hand is close to the face, with the behavioural purpose to optimize self-protection from increased threat. Here we investigated whether such cortically mediated HBR facilitation can be influenced by prepulse inhibition (PPI), which is known to occur entirely at the subcortical level. Twenty healthy volunteers underwent HBR recordings in five experimental conditions. In conditions 1 and 2, the stimulated hand was held either near (1) or far (2) from the face, respectively. In conditions 3 and 4, stimulation of the hand near the face was preceded by a peri-liminal prepulse to the index finger of the contralateral hand held either near (3) or far from the face (4). In condition 5, participants self-triggered the stimulus eliciting the HBR. We observed a reproducible HBR in 14 out of 20 participants and measured onset latency and area of the HBR in orbicularis oculi muscles bilaterally. HBR area decreased and latency increased in condition 2 relative to condition 1; HBR area decreased and latency increased markedly in condition 3, and somewhat less in condition 4, relative to conditions 1 and 2; self-stimulation (condition 5) also suppressed HBRs, but less than prepulses. These findings indicate that PPI of the HBR is more robust than the cognitive modulation exerted by top-down cortical projections. Possibly, an attentional shift to a prepulse may serve to reduce blinking in response to perturbation when it is convenient, in a given situation, not to interrupt ongoing visual processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viviana Versace
- Department of Neurorehabilitation, Hospital of Vipiteno-Sterzing (SABES-ASDAA), Margarethenstr. 24, 39049, Vipiteno-Sterzing, BZ, Italy.
| | - Stefania Campostrini
- Department of Neurorehabilitation, Hospital of Vipiteno-Sterzing (SABES-ASDAA), Margarethenstr. 24, 39049, Vipiteno-Sterzing, BZ, Italy
| | - Luca Sebastianelli
- Department of Neurorehabilitation, Hospital of Vipiteno-Sterzing (SABES-ASDAA), Margarethenstr. 24, 39049, Vipiteno-Sterzing, BZ, Italy
| | - Leopold Saltuari
- Department of Neurorehabilitation, Hospital of Vipiteno-Sterzing (SABES-ASDAA), Margarethenstr. 24, 39049, Vipiteno-Sterzing, BZ, Italy
| | - Josep Valls-Solé
- IDIBAPS (Institut d'Investigació August Pi i Sunyer), Facultat de Medicina, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Markus Kofler
- Department of Neurology, Hochzirl Hospital, Zirl, Austria
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22
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Cook JA, Barry KM, Zimdahl JW, Leggett K, Mulders WHAM. Spontaneous firing patterns in the medial geniculate nucleus in a guinea pig model of tinnitus. Hear Res 2021; 403:108190. [PMID: 33556774 DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2021.108190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2020] [Revised: 01/21/2021] [Accepted: 01/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The mechanism of tinnitus, the perception of sound in the absence of acoustic stimulation, remains as yet unknown. It has been proposed that tinnitus is caused by altered spontaneous activity in the auditory pathway following cochlear damage in combination with inadequate gating at the level of the auditory thalamus, the medial geniculate nucleus (MGN). To investigate this further we made electrophysiological recordings in MGN of guinea pigs (n = 9) with and without tinnitus after acoustic trauma (continuous loud tone at 10 kHz, 124 dB SPL for 2 h). Parameters of interest were spontaneous tonic and burst firing. After acoustic trauma, 5 out of 9 guinea pigs developed signs of tinnitus as determined by the gap prepulse inhibition of acoustic startle. Spontaneous firing rates were significantly increased in the tinnitus animals as compared to the non-tinnitus animals and this change was specific to pure-tone responsive MGN neurons. However, burst firing parameters, including number of bursts per minute, burst duration, number of spikes in each burst, and percentage of spikes occurring in a burst, were not different between tinnitus and non-tinnitus animals. In addition, our data showed a strong dependence of spontaneous firing rates with heart rate, which implies that monitoring physiological status in animals is pertinent to obtaining reliable data when recording at higher levels of the auditory pathway. Our results suggest that increases in the tonic spontaneous fining rate of pure-tone responsive MGN neurons but not changes in burst firing parameters, are a robust neural signature of tinnitus in anaesthetised animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- J A Cook
- The Auditory laboratory, School of Human Sciences, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
| | - K M Barry
- The Auditory laboratory, School of Human Sciences, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
| | - J W Zimdahl
- The Auditory laboratory, School of Human Sciences, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
| | - K Leggett
- The Auditory laboratory, School of Human Sciences, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
| | - W H A M Mulders
- The Auditory laboratory, School of Human Sciences, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia.
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Pantoni MM, Herrera GM, Van Alstyne KR, Anagnostaras SG. Quantifying the Acoustic Startle Response in Mice Using Standard Digital Video. Front Behav Neurosci 2020; 14:83. [PMID: 32595460 PMCID: PMC7289120 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2020.00083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2020] [Accepted: 05/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The startle response is an unconditional reflex, characterized by the rapid contraction of facial and skeletal muscles, to a sudden and intense startling stimulus. It is an especially useful tool in translational research for its consistency across species, simple neural circuitry, and sensitivity to a variety of experimental manipulations. The rodent acoustic startle response is commonly used to study fundamental properties of the central nervous system, including habituation, sensitization, classical conditioning, fear and anxiety, sensorimotor gating, and drug effects. The rodent startle response is typically assessed in stabilimeter chambers, and while these systems are excellent at measuring startle, they are designed only for this sole purpose. In the present study, we used the VideoFreeze system-a widely used tool for studying Pavlovian fear conditioning-to assess the acoustic startle response in freely moving mice. We validated the use of this system to quantify startle response amplitude and prepulse inhibition of startle. This is the first demonstration to date of using standard video in the automated assessment of the acoustic startle response in rodents. We believe that researchers already using the VideoFreeze system will benefit from the additional ability to assess startle without the purchase of new equipment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madeline M Pantoni
- Molecular Cognition Laboratory, Department of Psychology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Gerald M Herrera
- Med-Associates Inc., Catamount Research & Development Inc., St. Albans, VT, United States.,Department of Pharmacology, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, United States
| | - Kaitlin R Van Alstyne
- Molecular Cognition Laboratory, Department of Psychology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Stephan G Anagnostaras
- Molecular Cognition Laboratory, Department of Psychology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States.,Program in Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
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24
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Effects of combined 5-HT 2A and cannabinoid receptor modulation on a schizophrenia-related prepulse inhibition deficit in mice. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2020; 237:1643-1655. [PMID: 32095916 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-020-05485-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2019] [Accepted: 02/14/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Prepulse inhibition of the startle reflex (PPI) is disrupted in several psychiatric disorders including schizophrenia. Understanding PPI pharmacology may help elucidate the pathophysiology of these disorders and lead to better treatments. Given the advantages of multi-target approaches for complex mental illnesses treatment, we have investigated the interaction between receptors known to modulate PPI (5-HT1A and 5-HT2A) and the neuromodulatory endocannabinoid system. OBJECTIVES To investigate serotonin and cannabinoid receptor (CBR) co-modulation in a model of PPI disruption relevant to schizophrenia METHODS: Male Swiss mice were pretreated with WIN 55,212-2 (CBR agonist), rimonabant (CB1R inverse agonist), 8-OH-DPAT (5-HT1A/7 agonist), and volinanserin (5-HT2A antagonist) or with a combination of a cannabinoid and a serotonergic drug. PPI disruption was induced by acute administration of MK-801. RESULTS WIN 55,212-2 and rimonabant did not change PPI nor block MK-801-induced deficits. 8-OH-DPAT increased PPI in control mice and, in a higher dose, inhibited MK-801-induced impairments. Volinanserin also increased PPI in control and MK-801-treated mice, presenting an inverted U-shaped dose-response curve. Co-administration of either cannabinoid ligand with 8-OH-DPAT did not change PPI; however, the combination of volinanserin with rimonabant increased PPI in both control and MK-801-exposed mice. CONCLUSIONS WIN 55,212-2 and rimonabant had similar effects in PPI. Moreover, serotonin and cannabinoid receptors interact to modulate PPI. While co-modulation of CBR and 5-HT1A receptors did not change PPI, a beneficial effect of 5-HT2A and CB1R antagonist combination was detected, possibly mediated through potentiation of 5-HT2A blockade effects by concomitant CB1R blockade.
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25
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Bartsch VB, Lord JS, Diering GH, Zylka MJ. Mania- and anxiety-like behavior and impaired maternal care in female diacylglycerol kinase eta and iota double knockout mice. GENES, BRAIN, AND BEHAVIOR 2020; 19:e12570. [PMID: 30985063 PMCID: PMC6800745 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2018] [Revised: 02/18/2019] [Accepted: 03/24/2019] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Genome-wide association studies linked diacylglycerol kinase eta and iota to mood disorders, including bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, and both genes are expressed throughout the brain. Here, we generated and behaviorally characterized female mice lacking Dgkh alone, Dgki alone, and double Dgkh/Dgki-knockout (dKO) mice. We found that fewer than 30% of newborn pups raised by dKO females survived to weaning, while over 85% of pups survived to weaning when raised by wild-type (WT) females. Poor survival under the care of dKO mothers was unrelated to pup genotype. Moreover, pups from dKO dams survived when fostered by WT dams, suggesting the poor survival rate of dKO-raised litters was related to impaired maternal care by dKO dams. Nest building was similar between WT and dKO dams; however, some dKO females failed to retrieve any pups in a retrieval assay. Pups raised by dKO dams had smaller or absent milk spots and reduced weight, indicative of impaired nursing. Unlike WT females, postpartum dKO females showed erratic, panicked responses to cage disturbances. Virgin dKO females showed behavioral signs of anxiety and mania, which were not seen in mice lacking either Dgkh or Dgki alone. Our research indicates that combined deletion of Dgkh and Dgki impairs maternal behavior in the early postpartum period, and suggests female dKO mice model symptoms of mania and anxiety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria B. Bartsch
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Julia S. Lord
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina,UNC Neuroscience Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Graham H. Diering
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina,UNC Neuroscience Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Mark J. Zylka
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina,UNC Neuroscience Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
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26
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Cadenhead KS, Duncan E, Addington J, Bearden C, Cannon TD, Cornblatt BA, Mathalon D, McGlashan TH, Perkins DO, Seidman LJ, Tsuang M, Walker EF, Woods SW, Bauchman P, Belger A, Carrión RE, Donkers F, Johannesen J, Light G, Niznikiewicz M, Nunag J, Roach B. Evidence of Slow Neural Processing, Developmental Differences and Sensitivity to Cannabis Effects in a Sample at Clinical High Risk for Psychosis From the NAPLS Consortium Assessed With the Human Startle Paradigm. Front Psychiatry 2020; 11:833. [PMID: 33005152 PMCID: PMC7479820 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2020] [Accepted: 07/31/2020] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
ABSTRACT Biomarkers are important in the study of the prodromal period of psychosis because they can help to identify individuals at greatest risk for future psychotic illness and provide insights into disease mechanism underlying neurodevelopmental abnormalities. The biomarker abnormalities can then be targeted with treatment, with an aim toward prevention or mitigation of disease. The human startle paradigm has been used in translational studies of psychopathology including psychotic illness to assess preattentive information processing for over 50 years. In one of the largest studies to date in clinical high risk (CHR) for psychosis participants, we aimed to evaluate startle indices as biomarkers of risk along with the role of age, sex, treatment, and substance use in this population of high risk individuals. METHODS Startle response reactivity, latency, and prepulse inhibition (PPI) were assessed in 543 CHR and 218 Normal Comparison (NC) participants between the ages of 12 and 35. RESULTS At 1 year follow-up, 58 CHR participants had converted to psychosis. CHR and NC groups did not differ across any of the startle measures but those CHR participants who later converted to psychosis had significantly slower startle latency than did those who did not convert to psychosis, and this effect was driven by female CHR participants. PPI was significantly associated with age in the CHR, but not the NC, participants with the greatest positive age correlations present in those CHR participants who later converted to psychosis, consistent with a prior report. Finally, there was a significant group by cannabis use interaction due to greater PPI in cannabis users and opposite PPI group effects in users (CHR>NC) and non-users (NC>CHR). DISCUSSION This is the first study to demonstrate a relationship of startle response latency to psychotic conversion in a CHR population. PPI is an important biomarker that may be sensitive to the neurodevelopmental abnormalities thought to be present in psychosis prone individuals and the effects of cannabis. The significant correlations with age in this sample as well as the finding of greater PPI in CHR cannabis users replicate findings from another large sample of CHR participants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristin S Cadenhead
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego (UCSD), La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Erica Duncan
- Department of Psychiatry, Atlanta Veterans Affairs Healthcare System, Decatur, GA, United States.,Department of Psychiatry, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Jean Addington
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Carrie Bearden
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Tyrone D Cannon
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Barbara A Cornblatt
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Manhasset, NY, United States.,Department of Psychology, Hofstra North Shore-LIJ School of Medicine, Hempstead, NY, United States.,The Zucker Hillside Hospital, New York, NY, United States
| | - Dan Mathalon
- University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States.,San Francisco VA Medical Center, San Francisco, VA, United States
| | - Thomas H McGlashan
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Diana O Perkins
- Department of Psychology, Hofstra North Shore-LIJ School of Medicine, Hempstead, NY, United States.,University of North Carolina (UNC), Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Larry J Seidman
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Ming Tsuang
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego (UCSD), La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Elaine F Walker
- Department of Psychiatry, Atlanta Veterans Affairs Healthcare System, Decatur, GA, United States
| | - Scott W Woods
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Peter Bauchman
- San Francisco VA Medical Center, San Francisco, VA, United States
| | - Ayse Belger
- University of North Carolina (UNC), Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Ricardo E Carrión
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Manhasset, NY, United States.,Department of Psychology, Hofstra North Shore-LIJ School of Medicine, Hempstead, NY, United States.,The Zucker Hillside Hospital, New York, NY, United States
| | - Franc Donkers
- University of North Carolina (UNC), Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Jason Johannesen
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Gregory Light
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego (UCSD), La Jolla, CA, United States
| | | | - Jason Nunag
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego (UCSD), La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Brian Roach
- University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States.,San Francisco VA Medical Center, San Francisco, VA, United States
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Ashbrook DG, Cahill S, Hager R. A Cross-Species Systems Genetics Analysis Links APBB1IP as a Candidate for Schizophrenia and Prepulse Inhibition. Front Behav Neurosci 2019; 13:266. [PMID: 31920576 PMCID: PMC6914690 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2019.00266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2019] [Accepted: 11/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Prepulse inhibition (PPI) of the startle response is a highly conserved form of sensorimotor gating, disruption of which is found in schizophrenia patients and their unaffected first-degree relatives. PPI can be measured in many species, and shows considerable phenotypic variation between and within rodent models. This makes PPI a useful endophenotype. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have been carried out to identify genetic variants underlying schizophrenia, and these suggest that schizophrenia is highly polygenic. GWAS have been unable to account for the high heritability of schizophrenia seen in family studies, partly because of the low power of GWAS due to multiple comparisons. By contrast, complementary mouse model linkage studies often have high statistical power to detect variants for behavioral traits but lower resolution, producing loci that include tens or hundreds of genes. To capitalize on the advantages of both GWAS and genetic mouse models, our study uses a cross-species approach to identify novel genes associated with PPI regulation, which thus may contribute to the PPI deficits seen in schizophrenia. Results: Using experimental data from the recombinant inbred (RI) mouse panel BXD, we identified two significant loci affecting PPI. These genomic regions contain genetic variants which influence PPI in mice and are therefore candidates that may be influencing aspects of schizophrenia in humans. We next investigated these regions in whole-genome data from the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium (PGC) schizophrenia GWAS and identify one novel candidate gene (ABPP1IP) that was significantly associated with PPI in mice and risk of schizophrenia in humans. A systems genetics approach demonstrates that APBB1IP coexpresses with several other genes related to schizophrenia in several brain regions. Gene coexpression and enrichment analysis shows clear links between APBB1IP and the immune system. Conclusion: The combination of human GWAS and mouse quantitative trait loci (QTL) from some of the largest study systems available has enabled us to identify a novel gene, APBB1IP, which influences schizophrenia in humans and PPI in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- David G Ashbrook
- Department of Genetics, Genomics and Informatics, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, United States
| | - Stephanie Cahill
- Evolution and Genomic Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine, and Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, The University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Reinmar Hager
- Evolution and Genomic Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine, and Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, The University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
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28
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Maddox SA, Hartmann J, Ross RA, Ressler KJ. Deconstructing the Gestalt: Mechanisms of Fear, Threat, and Trauma Memory Encoding. Neuron 2019; 102:60-74. [PMID: 30946827 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2019.03.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2019] [Revised: 03/03/2019] [Accepted: 03/12/2019] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Threat processing is central to understanding debilitating fear- and trauma-related disorders such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Progress has been made in understanding the neural circuits underlying the "engram" of threat or fear memory formation that complements a decades-old appreciation of the neurobiology of fear and threat involving hub structures such as the amygdala. In this review, we examine key recent findings, as well as integrate the importance of hormonal and physiological approaches, to provide a broader perspective of how bodily systems engaged in threat responses may interact with amygdala-based circuits in the encoding and updating of threat-related memory. Understanding how trauma-related memories are encoded and updated throughout the brain and the body will ultimately lead to novel biologically-driven approaches for treatment and prevention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie A Maddox
- Neurobiology of Fear Laboratory, Division of Depression and Anxiety Disorders, McLean Hospital, 115 Mill Street, Belmont, MA 02478, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Jakob Hartmann
- Neurobiology of Fear Laboratory, Division of Depression and Anxiety Disorders, McLean Hospital, 115 Mill Street, Belmont, MA 02478, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Rachel A Ross
- Neurobiology of Fear Laboratory, Division of Depression and Anxiety Disorders, McLean Hospital, 115 Mill Street, Belmont, MA 02478, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Kerry J Ressler
- Neurobiology of Fear Laboratory, Division of Depression and Anxiety Disorders, McLean Hospital, 115 Mill Street, Belmont, MA 02478, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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29
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Wert KJ, Koch SF, Velez G, Hsu CW, Mahajan M, Bassuk AG, Tsang SH, Mahajan VB. CAPN5 genetic inactivation phenotype supports therapeutic inhibition trials. Hum Mutat 2019; 40:2377-2392. [PMID: 31403230 DOI: 10.1002/humu.23894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2019] [Revised: 07/20/2019] [Accepted: 08/09/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Small molecule pharmacological inhibition of dominant human genetic disease is a feasible treatment that does not rely on the development of individual, patient-specific gene therapy vectors. However, the consequences of protein inhibition as a clinical therapeutic are not well-studied. In advance of human therapeutic trials for CAPN5 vitreoretinopathy, genetic inactivation can be used to infer the effect of protein inhibition in vivo. We created a photoreceptor-specific knockout (KO) mouse for Capn5 and compared the retinal phenotype to both wild-type and an existing Capn5 KO mouse model. In humans, CAPN5 loss-of-function (LOF) gene variants were ascertained in large exome databases from 60,706 unrelated subjects without severe disease phenotypes. Ocular examination of the retina of Capn5 KO mice by histology and electroretinography showed no significant abnormalities. In humans, there were 22 LOF CAPN5 variants located throughout the gene and in all major protein domains. Structural modeling of coding variants showed these LOF variants were nearby known disease-causing variants within the proteolytic core and in regions of high homology between human CAPN5 and 150 homologs, yet the LOF of CAPN5 was tolerated as opposed to gain-of-function disease-causing variants. These results indicate that localized inhibition of CAPN5 is a viable strategy for hyperactivating disease alleles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine J Wert
- Omics Laboratory, Byers Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California
| | - Susanne F Koch
- Department of Physiological Genomics, Biomedical Center, Ludwig Maximillian University, Munich, Germany
| | - Gabriel Velez
- Omics Laboratory, Byers Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California.,Department of Ophthalmology, Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa
| | - Chun-Wei Hsu
- Department of Ophthalmology, Edward S. Harkness Eye Institute, New York Presbyterian Hospital, New York, New York.,Departments of Ophthalmology, Pathology, and Cell Biology, Jonas Children's Vision Care and Bernard and Shirlee Brown Glaucoma Laboratory, Institute of Human Nutrition, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia Stem Cell Initiative (CSCI), Columbia University, New York, New York
| | - MaryAnn Mahajan
- Omics Laboratory, Byers Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California
| | | | - Stephen H Tsang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Edward S. Harkness Eye Institute, New York Presbyterian Hospital, New York, New York.,Departments of Ophthalmology, Pathology, and Cell Biology, Jonas Children's Vision Care and Bernard and Shirlee Brown Glaucoma Laboratory, Institute of Human Nutrition, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia Stem Cell Initiative (CSCI), Columbia University, New York, New York
| | - Vinit B Mahajan
- Omics Laboratory, Byers Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California.,Department of Ophthalmology, Veterans Affairs, Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, California
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30
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Guercio GD, Thomas ME, Cisneros-Franco JM, Voss P, Panizzutti R, de Villers-Sidani E. Improving cognitive training for schizophrenia using neuroplasticity enhancers: Lessons from decades of basic and clinical research. Schizophr Res 2019; 207:80-92. [PMID: 29730045 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2018.04.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2017] [Revised: 04/13/2018] [Accepted: 04/17/2018] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Mounting evidence indicates that schizophrenia is a disorder that stems from maladaptive plasticity within neural circuits and produces broad cognitive deficits leading to loss of autonomy. A large number of studies have identified abnormalities spanning many neurotransmitter systems in schizophrenia, and as a result, a variety of drugs have been developed to attempt to treat these abnormalities and enhance cognition. Unfortunately, positive results have been limited so far. This may be in part because the scope of abnormalities in the schizophrenic brain requires a treatment capable of engaging many different neurotransmitter systems. One approach to achieving this kind of treatment has been to use neuroplasticity-based computerized cognitive training programs to stimulate the formation of more adaptive circuits. Although the number of studies implementing this approach has increased exponentially in recent years, effect sizes for cognitive gains have been modest and adherence to treatment remains an important challenge in many studies, as patients are often required to train for 40 h or more. In the present paper, we argue that cognitive training protocols will benefit from the addition of cognitive enhancers to produce more robust and longer lasting targeted neuroplasticity. Indeed, recent data from animal studies have provided support for combining plasticity-enhancing drugs with tailored behavioral training paradigms to restore normal function within dysfunctioning neural circuits. The advantages and challenges of applying this approach to patients with schizophrenia will be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- G D Guercio
- Biomedical Sciences Institute, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil; Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
| | - M E Thomas
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - J M Cisneros-Franco
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - P Voss
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - R Panizzutti
- Biomedical Sciences Institute, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - E de Villers-Sidani
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
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31
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Perez-Garcia G, Gama Sosa MA, De Gasperi R, Tschiffely AE, McCarron RM, Hof PR, Gandy S, Ahlers ST, Elder GA. Blast-induced "PTSD": Evidence from an animal model. Neuropharmacology 2018; 145:220-229. [PMID: 30227150 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2018.09.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2018] [Revised: 08/19/2018] [Accepted: 09/14/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
A striking observation among veterans returning from the recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan has been the co-occurrence of blast-related mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). PTSD and mTBI might coexist due to additive effects of independent psychological and physical traumas experienced in a war zone. Alternatively blast injury might induce PTSD-related traits or damage brain structures that mediate responses to psychological stressors, increasing the likelihood that PTSD will develop following a subsequent psychological stressor. Rats exposed to repetitive low-level blasts consisting of three 74.5 kPa exposures delivered once daily for three consecutive days develop a variety of anxiety and PTSD-related behavioral traits that are present for at least 9 months after blast exposure. A single predator scent challenge delivered 8 months after the last blast exposure induces additional anxiety-related changes that are still present 45 days later. Because the blast injuries occur under general anesthesia, it appears that blast exposure in the absence of a psychological stressor can induce chronic PTSD-related traits. The reaction to a predator scent challenge delivered many months after blast exposure suggests that blast exposure in addition sensitizes the brain to react abnormally to subsequent psychological stressors. The development of PTSD-related behavioral traits in the absence of a psychological stressor suggests the existence of blast-induced "PTSD". Findings that PTSD-related behavioral traits can be reversed by BCI-838, a group II metabotropic glutamate receptor antagonist offers insight into pathogenesis and possible treatment options for blast-related brain injury. This article is part of the Special Issue entitled "Novel Treatments for Traumatic Brain Injury".
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgina Perez-Garcia
- Research and Development Service, James J. Peters Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 130 West Kingsbridge Road, Bronx, NY 10468, USA; Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Miguel A Gama Sosa
- General Medical Research Service, James J. Peters Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Bronx, NY 10468, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Rita De Gasperi
- Research and Development Service, James J. Peters Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 130 West Kingsbridge Road, Bronx, NY 10468, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Anna E Tschiffely
- Department of Neurotrauma, Naval Medical Research Center, 503 Robert Grant Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA
| | - Richard M McCarron
- Department of Neurotrauma, Naval Medical Research Center, 503 Robert Grant Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA; Department of Surgery, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20914, USA
| | - Patrick R Hof
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Care, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; Mount Sinai Alzheimer's Disease Research Center and the Ronald M. Loeb Center for Alzheimer's Disease, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Sam Gandy
- Research and Development Service, James J. Peters Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 130 West Kingsbridge Road, Bronx, NY 10468, USA; Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA; Mount Sinai Alzheimer's Disease Research Center and the Ronald M. Loeb Center for Alzheimer's Disease, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; NFL Neurological Care Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Stephen T Ahlers
- Department of Neurotrauma, Naval Medical Research Center, 503 Robert Grant Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA
| | - Gregory A Elder
- Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA; Mount Sinai Alzheimer's Disease Research Center and the Ronald M. Loeb Center for Alzheimer's Disease, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; Neurology Service, James J. Peters Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 130 West Kingsbridge Road, Bronx, NY 10468, USA.
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32
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MacQueen DA, Young JW, Cope ZA. Cognitive Phenotypes for Biomarker Identification in Mental Illness: Forward and Reverse Translation. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2018; 40:111-166. [PMID: 29858983 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2018_50] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Psychiatric illness has been acknowledged for as long as people were able to describe behavioral abnormalities in the general population. In modern times, these descriptions have been codified and continuously updated into manuals by which clinicians can diagnose patients. None of these diagnostic manuals have attempted to tie abnormalities to neural dysfunction however, nor do they necessitate the quantification of cognitive function despite common knowledge of its ties to functional outcome. In fact, in recent years the National Institute of Mental Health released a novel transdiagnostic classification, the Research Domain Criteria (RDoC), which utilizes quantifiable behavioral abnormalities linked to neurophysiological processes. This reclassification highlights the utility of RDoC constructs as potential cognitive biomarkers of disease state. In addition, with RDoC and cognitive biomarkers, the onus of researchers utilizing animal models no longer necessitates the recreation of an entire disease state, but distinct processes. Here, we describe the utilization of constructs from the RDoC initiative to forward animal research on these cognitive and behavioral processes, agnostic of disease. By linking neural processes to these constructs, identifying putative abnormalities in diseased patients, more targeted therapeutics can be developed.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A MacQueen
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Research Service, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Jared W Young
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
- Research Service, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, USA.
| | - Zackary A Cope
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
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Tanabe Y, Naito Y, Vasuta C, Lee AK, Soumounou Y, Linhoff MW, Takahashi H. IgSF21 promotes differentiation of inhibitory synapses via binding to neurexin2α. Nat Commun 2017; 8:408. [PMID: 28864826 PMCID: PMC5581337 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-00333-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2016] [Accepted: 06/21/2017] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Coordinated development of excitatory and inhibitory synapses is essential for higher brain function, and impairment in this development is associated with neuropsychiatric disorders. In contrast to the large body of accumulated evidence regarding excitatory synapse development, little is known about synaptic adhesion and organization mechanisms underlying inhibitory synapse development. Through unbiased expression screens and proteomics, we identified immunoglobulin superfamily member 21 (IgSF21) as a neurexin2α-interacting membrane protein that selectively induces inhibitory presynaptic differentiation. IgSF21 localizes postsynaptically and recruits axonal neurexin2α in a trans-interaction manner. Deleting IgSF21 in mice impairs inhibitory presynaptic organization, especially in the hippocampal CA1 stratum radiatum, and also diminishes GABA-mediated synaptic transmission in hippocampal CA1 neurons without affecting their excitatory synapses. Finally, mice lacking IgSF21 show a sensorimotor gating deficit. These findings suggest that IgSF21 selectively regulates inhibitory presynaptic differentiation through interacting with presynaptic neurexin2α and plays a crucial role in synaptic inhibition in the brain. Molecular mechanisms regulating the development of inhibitory synapses are poorly understood. Here the authors show that IgSF21 interacts with neurexin2α to induce presynaptic differentiation of inhibitory synapses, and that mice lacking IgSF21 exhibit deficits in inhibitory synaptic transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuko Tanabe
- Synapse Development and Plasticity Research Unit, Institut de RecherchesCliniques de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada, H2W 1R7
| | - Yusuke Naito
- Synapse Development and Plasticity Research Unit, Institut de RecherchesCliniques de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada, H2W 1R7.,Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada, H3A 2B2
| | - Cristina Vasuta
- Synapse Development and Plasticity Research Unit, Institut de RecherchesCliniques de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada, H2W 1R7
| | - Alfred Kihoon Lee
- Synapse Development and Plasticity Research Unit, Institut de RecherchesCliniques de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada, H2W 1R7.,Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada, H3A 2B2
| | - Youssouf Soumounou
- Synapse Development and Plasticity Research Unit, Institut de RecherchesCliniques de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada, H2W 1R7
| | - Michael W Linhoff
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA.,The Brain Research Centre and Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V6T 2B5.,Vollum Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, 97239, USA
| | - Hideto Takahashi
- Synapse Development and Plasticity Research Unit, Institut de RecherchesCliniques de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada, H2W 1R7. .,Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada, H3A 2B2. .,Department of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada, H3T 1J4. .,Division of Experimental Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada, H3A 0G4.
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Sinclair D, Oranje B, Razak KA, Siegel SJ, Schmid S. Sensory processing in autism spectrum disorders and Fragile X syndrome-From the clinic to animal models. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2017; 76:235-253. [PMID: 27235081 PMCID: PMC5465967 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016.05.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 114] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2015] [Revised: 04/08/2016] [Accepted: 05/23/2016] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Brains are constantly flooded with sensory information that needs to be filtered at the pre-attentional level and integrated into endogenous activity in order to allow for detection of salient information and an appropriate behavioral response. People with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) or Fragile X Syndrome (FXS) are often over- or under-reactive to stimulation, leading to a wide range of behavioral symptoms. This altered sensitivity may be caused by disrupted sensory processing, signal integration and/or gating, and is often being neglected. Here, we review translational experimental approaches that are used to investigate sensory processing in humans with ASD and FXS, and in relevant rodent models. This includes electroencephalographic measurement of event related potentials, neural oscillations and mismatch negativity, as well as habituation and pre-pulse inhibition of startle. We outline robust evidence of disrupted sensory processing in individuals with ASD and FXS, and in respective animal models, focusing on the auditory sensory domain. Animal models provide an excellent opportunity to examine common mechanisms of sensory pathophysiology in order to develop therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Sinclair
- Translational Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, 125 S 31st St., Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - B Oranje
- Department of Psychiatry, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, HP A 01.126 Heidelberglaan 100, CX Utrecht, 3584, The Netherlands; Center for Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research (CNSR) and Center for Clinical Intervention and Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research (CINS), Copenhagen University Hospital, Psychiatric Center Glostrup, Ndr. Ringvej 29-67, Glostrup, 2600, Denmark; Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Neurology, Psychiatry, and Sensory Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - K A Razak
- Psychology Department, University of California Riverside, 900 University Avenue, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
| | - S J Siegel
- Translational Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, 125 S 31st St., Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - S Schmid
- Anatomy & Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, MSB 470, London, ON N6A 5C1, Canada.
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Ronca SE, Smith J, Koma T, Miller MM, Yun N, Dineley KT, Paessler S. Mouse Model of Neurological Complications Resulting from Encephalitic Alphavirus Infection. Front Microbiol 2017; 8:188. [PMID: 28223982 PMCID: PMC5293790 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.00188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2016] [Accepted: 01/25/2017] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Long-term neurological complications, termed sequelae, can result from viral encephalitis, which are not well understood. In human survivors, alphavirus encephalitis can cause severe neurobehavioral changes, in the most extreme cases, a schizophrenic-like syndrome. In the present study, we aimed to adapt an animal model of alphavirus infection survival to study the development of these long-term neurological complications. Upon low-dose infection of wild-type C57B/6 mice, asymptomatic and symptomatic groups were established and compared to mock-infected mice to measure general health and baseline neurological function, including the acoustic startle response and prepulse inhibition paradigm. Prepulse inhibition is a robust operational measure of sensorimotor gating, a fundamental form of information processing. Deficits in prepulse inhibition manifest as the inability to filter out extraneous sensory stimuli. Sensory gating is disrupted in schizophrenia and other mental disorders, as well as neurodegenerative diseases. Symptomatic mice developed deficits in prepulse inhibition that lasted through 6 months post infection; these deficits were absent in asymptomatic or mock-infected groups. Accompanying prepulse inhibition deficits, symptomatic animals exhibited thalamus damage as visualized with H&E staining, as well as increased GFAP expression in the posterior complex of the thalamus and dentate gyrus of the hippocampus. These histological changes and increased GFAP expression were absent in the asymptomatic and mock-infected animals, indicating that glial scarring could have contributed to the prepulse inhibition phenotype observed in the symptomatic animals. This model provides a tool to test mechanisms of and treatments for the neurological sequelae of viral encephalitis and begins to delineate potential explanations for the development of such sequelae post infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shannon E Ronca
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, GalvestonTX, USA; Department of Preventive Medicine and Community Health, University of Texas Medical Branch, GalvestonTX, USA
| | - Jeanon Smith
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston TX, USA
| | - Takaaki Koma
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston TX, USA
| | - Magda M Miller
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston TX, USA
| | - Nadezhda Yun
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston TX, USA
| | - Kelly T Dineley
- Department of Neurology, Center for Addiction Research, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston TX, USA
| | - Slobodan Paessler
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, GalvestonTX, USA; Galveston National Lab, Institute for Human Infections and Immunity, University of Texas Medical Branch, GalvestonTX, USA
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Chen CH, Lee PW, Liao HM, Chang PK. Neuroligin 2 R215H Mutant Mice Manifest Anxiety, Increased Prepulse Inhibition, and Impaired Spatial Learning and Memory. Front Psychiatry 2017; 8:257. [PMID: 29230184 PMCID: PMC5711828 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2017.00257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2017] [Accepted: 11/13/2017] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuroligin 2 (NLGN2) is a postsynaptic adhesion protein that plays an essential role in synaptogenesis and function of inhibitory neuron. We previously identified a missense mutation R215H of the NLGN2 in a patient with schizophrenia. This missense mutation was shown to be pathogenic in several cell-based assays. The objective of this study was to better understand the behavioral consequences of this mutation in vivo. We generated a line of transgenic mice carrying this mutation using a recombinant-based method. The mice were subjected to a battery of behavioral tests including open field locomotor activity assay, prepulse inhibition (PPI) assay, accelerated rotarod test, novel location and novel recognition tests, elevated plus-maze (EPM) test, and Morris water maze test. The transgenic animals were viable and fertile, but the Nlgn2 R215H knock-in (KI) homozygous mice showed growth retardation, anxiety-like behavior, increased PPI, and impaired spatial learning and memory. There was no significant interaction between sex and genotype in most behavioral tests; however, we observed a significant interaction between sex and genotype in EPM test in this study. Also, we found that the Nlgn2 R215H homozygous KI mice did not express the NLGN2 protein, resembling Nlgn2 knockout mice. Our results demonstrate that Nlgn2 R215H KI homozygous mice manifest several behavioral abnormalities similar to those found in psychiatric patients carrying NLGN2 mutations, indicating that dysfunction of NLGN2 contributes to the pathogenesis of certain psychiatric symptoms commonly present in various mental disorders, not limited to schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chia-Hsiang Chen
- Department of Psychiatry, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital-Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan.,Department and Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Pin-Wei Lee
- Department and Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Hsiao-Mei Liao
- Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, United States
| | - Pi-Kai Chang
- Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan
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Caldwell HK, Aulino EA, Freeman AR, Miller TV, Witchey SK. Oxytocin and behavior: Lessons from knockout mice. Dev Neurobiol 2016; 77:190-201. [PMID: 27513442 DOI: 10.1002/dneu.22431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2016] [Revised: 07/19/2016] [Accepted: 08/08/2016] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
It is well established that the nonapeptide oxytocin (Oxt) is important for the neural modulation of behaviors in many mammalian species. Since its discovery in 1906 and synthesis in the early 1950s, elegant pharmacological work has helped identify specific neural substrates on which Oxt exerts its effects. More recently, mice with targeted genetic disruptions of the Oxt system-i.e., both the peptide and its receptor (the Oxtr)-have further defined Oxt's actions and laid some important scientific groundwork for studies in other species. In this article, we highlight the scientific contributions that various mouse knockouts of the Oxt system have made to our understanding of Oxt's modulation of behavior. We specifically focus on how the use of these mice has shed light on our understanding of social recognition memory, maternal behavior, aggression, and several nonsocial behaviors. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Develop Neurobiol 77: 190-201, 2017.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather K Caldwell
- Department of Biological Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio, 44242.,School of Biomedical Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio, 44242
| | - Elizabeth A Aulino
- Department of Biological Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio, 44242
| | - Angela R Freeman
- Department of Biological Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio, 44242
| | - Travis V Miller
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio, 44242
| | - Shannah K Witchey
- Department of Biological Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio, 44242
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De la Casa LG, Mena A, Ruiz-Salas JC. Effect of stress and attention on startle response and prepulse inhibition. Physiol Behav 2016; 165:179-86. [PMID: 27484698 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2016.07.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2016] [Revised: 07/26/2016] [Accepted: 07/29/2016] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The startle reflex magnitude can be modulated when a weak stimulus is presented before the onset of the startle stimulus, a phenomenon termed prepulse inhibition (PPI). Previous research has demonstrated that emotional processes can modulate PPI and startle intensity, but the available evidence is inconclusive. In order to obtain additional evidence in this domain, we conducted two experiments intended to analyze the effect of induced stress and attentional load on PPI and startle magnitude. Specifically, in Experiment 1 we used a between subject strategy to evaluate the effect on startle response and PPI magnitude of performing a difficult task intended to induce stress in the participants, as compared to a group exposed to a control task. In Experiment 2 we evaluated the effect of diverting attention from the acoustic stimulus on startle and PPI intensity. The results seem to indicate that induced stress can reduce PPI, and that startle reflex intensity is reduced when attention is directed away from the auditory stimulus that induces the reflex.
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Rohleder C, Wiedermann D, Neumaier B, Drzezga A, Timmermann L, Graf R, Leweke FM, Endepols H. The Functional Networks of Prepulse Inhibition: Neuronal Connectivity Analysis Based on FDG-PET in Awake and Unrestrained Rats. Front Behav Neurosci 2016; 10:148. [PMID: 27493627 PMCID: PMC4954847 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2016.00148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2016] [Accepted: 07/06/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Prepulse inhibition (PPI) is a neuropsychological process during which a weak sensory stimulus (“prepulse”) attenuates the motor response (“startle reaction”) to a subsequent strong startling stimulus. It is measured as a surrogate marker of sensorimotor gating in patients suffering from neuropsychological diseases such as schizophrenia, as well as in corresponding animal models. A variety of studies has shown that PPI of the acoustical startle reaction comprises three brain circuitries for: (i) startle mediation, (ii) PPI mediation, and (iii) modulation of PPI mediation. While anatomical connections and information flow in the startle and PPI mediation pathways are well known, spatial and temporal interactions of the numerous regions involved in PPI modulation are incompletely understood. We therefore combined [18F]fluoro-2-deoxyglucose positron-emission-tomography (FDG-PET) with PPI and resting state control paradigms in awake rats. A battery of subtractive, correlative as well as seed-based functional connectivity analyses revealed a default mode-like network (DMN) active during resting state only. Furthermore, two functional networks were observed during PPI: Metabolic activity in the lateral circuitry was positively correlated with PPI effectiveness and involved the auditory system and emotional regions. The medial network was negatively correlated with PPI effectiveness, i.e., associated with startle, and recruited a spatial/cognitive network. Our study provides evidence for two distinct neuronal networks, whose continuous interplay determines PPI effectiveness in rats, probably by either protecting the prepulse or facilitating startle processing. Discovering similar networks affected in neuropsychological disorders may help to better understand mechanisms of sensorimotor gating deficits and provide new perspectives for therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cathrin Rohleder
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg UniversityMannheim, Germany; Institute of Radiochemistry and Experimental Molecular Imaging, University Hospital of CologneCologne, Germany
| | - Dirk Wiedermann
- In-Vivo NMR Laboratory, Max-Planck-Institute for Metabolism Research Cologne, Germany
| | - Bernd Neumaier
- Institute of Radiochemistry and Experimental Molecular Imaging, University Hospital of CologneCologne, Germany; Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Institute of Neurosciences and Medicine, INM-5: Nuclear ChemistryJülich, Germany
| | - Alexander Drzezga
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital of Cologne Cologne, Germany
| | - Lars Timmermann
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital of Cologne Cologne, Germany
| | - Rudolf Graf
- Multimodal Imaging of Brain Metabolism, Max-Planck-Institute for Metabolism Research Cologne, Germany
| | - F Markus Leweke
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University Mannheim, Germany
| | - Heike Endepols
- Institute of Radiochemistry and Experimental Molecular Imaging, University Hospital of Cologne Cologne, Germany
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Mosher LJ, Frau R, Pardu A, Pes R, Devoto P, Bortolato M. Selective activation of D1 dopamine receptors impairs sensorimotor gating in Long-Evans rats. Br J Pharmacol 2016; 173:2122-34. [PMID: 26101934 PMCID: PMC4908197 DOI: 10.1111/bph.13232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2015] [Revised: 06/04/2015] [Accepted: 06/14/2015] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Sensorimotor gating is a perceptual process aimed at filtering out irrelevant information. In humans and animal models, this function can be operationally measured through the prepulse inhibition (PPI) of the acoustic startle reflex. Notably, PPI deficits are associated with numerous neuropsychiatric conditions characterized by gating disturbances, including schizophrenia and Tourette syndrome. Ample evidence has shown that dopamine plays a key role in PPI regulation and, in particular, rodent studies indicate that this neurotransmitter modulates PPI through D1 and D2 dopamine receptors. In mice, the relative contributions of these two families of receptors are strain-dependent. Conversely, the role of D1 receptors in the regulation of PPI across different rat strains remains unclear. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH We tested the effects of selective D1 and D2 receptor agonists and antagonists on the startle reflex and PPI of Sprague-Dawley, Wistar and Long-Evans rats. KEY RESULTS In contrast with Sprague-Dawley and Wistar rats, the full D1 receptor agonist SKF82958 elicited significant PPI deficits in Long-Evans rats, an effect sensitive to the selective D1 antagonist SCH23390. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS Our results suggest that, in Long-Evans rats, D1 receptor activation may be sufficient to significantly impair PPI. These data emphasize the role of D1 receptors in the pathophysiology of neuropsychiatric disorders featuring alterations in sensorimotor gating, and uphold the importance of the genetic background in shaping the role of dopamine receptors in the regulation of this key information-processing function. LINKED ARTICLES This article is part of a themed section on Updating Neuropathology and Neuropharmacology of Monoaminergic Systems. To view the other articles in this section visit http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.v173.13/issuetoc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura J Mosher
- Department of Pharmacology and ToxicologySchool of PharmacyUniversity of KansasLawrenceKSUSA
- Consortium for Translational Research on Aggression and Drug Abuse (ConTRADA)University of KansasLawrenceKSUSA
- Problem Gambling Research Studies (ProGResS) NetworkUniversity of KansasLawrenceKSUSA
| | - Roberto Frau
- ‘Guy Everett’ Laboratory, Dept. of Neuroscience ‘B.B. Brodie’University of CagliariMonserratoCAItaly
| | - Alessandra Pardu
- ‘Guy Everett’ Laboratory, Dept. of Neuroscience ‘B.B. Brodie’University of CagliariMonserratoCAItaly
| | - Romina Pes
- Department of Pharmacology and ToxicologySchool of PharmacyUniversity of KansasLawrenceKSUSA
| | - Paola Devoto
- ‘Guy Everett’ Laboratory, Dept. of Neuroscience ‘B.B. Brodie’University of CagliariMonserratoCAItaly
| | - Marco Bortolato
- Department of Pharmacology and ToxicologySchool of PharmacyUniversity of KansasLawrenceKSUSA
- Consortium for Translational Research on Aggression and Drug Abuse (ConTRADA)University of KansasLawrenceKSUSA
- Problem Gambling Research Studies (ProGResS) NetworkUniversity of KansasLawrenceKSUSA
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Steube N, Nowotny M, Pilz PKD, Gaese BH. Dependence of the Startle Response on Temporal and Spectral Characteristics of Acoustic Modulatory Influences in Rats and Gerbils. Front Behav Neurosci 2016; 10:133. [PMID: 27445728 PMCID: PMC4928136 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2016.00133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2016] [Accepted: 06/13/2016] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The acoustic startle response (ASR) and its modulation by non-startling prepulses, presented shortly before the startle-eliciting stimulus, is a broadly applied test paradigm to determine changes in neural processing related to auditory or psychiatric disorders. Modulation by a gap in background noise as a prepulse is especially used for tinnitus assessment. However, the timing and frequency-related aspects of prepulses are not fully understood. The present study aims to investigate temporal and spectral characteristics of acoustic stimuli that modulate the ASR in rats and gerbils. For noise-burst prepulses, inhibition was frequency-independent in gerbils in the test range between 4 and 18 kHz. Prepulse inhibition (PPI) by noise-bursts in rats was constant in a comparable range (8–22 kHz), but lower outside this range. Purely temporal aspects of prepulse–startle-interactions were investigated for gap-prepulses focusing mainly on gap duration. While very short gaps had no (rats) or slightly facilitatory (gerbils) influence on the ASR, longer gaps always had a strong inhibitory effect. Inhibition increased with durations up to 75 ms and remained at a high level of inhibition for durations up to 1000 ms for both, rats and gerbils. Determining spectral influences on gap-prepulse inhibition (gap-PPI) revealed that gerbils were unaffected in the limited frequency range tested (4–18 kHz). The more detailed analysis in rats revealed a variety of frequency-dependent effects. Gaps in pure-tone background elicited constant and high inhibition (around 75%) over a broad frequency range (4–32 kHz). For gaps in noise-bands, on the other hand, a clear frequency-dependency was found: inhibition was around 50% at lower frequencies (6–14 kHz) and around 70% at high frequencies (16–20 kHz). This pattern of frequency-dependency in rats was specifically resulting from the inhibitory effect by the gaps, as revealed by detailed analysis of the underlying startle amplitudes. An interaction of temporal and spectral influences, finally, resulted in higher inhibition for 500 ms gaps than for 75 ms gaps at all frequencies tested. Improved prepulse paradigms based on these results are well suited to quantify the consequences of central processing disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalie Steube
- Institute of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Goethe-University Frankfurt/Main Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Manuela Nowotny
- Institute of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Goethe-University Frankfurt/Main Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Peter K D Pilz
- Institute of Neurobiology, University of Tuebingen Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Bernhard H Gaese
- Institute of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Goethe-University Frankfurt/Main Frankfurt, Germany
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Ronca SE, Dineley KT, Paessler S. Neurological Sequelae Resulting from Encephalitic Alphavirus Infection. Front Microbiol 2016; 7:959. [PMID: 27379085 PMCID: PMC4913092 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2016.00959] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2016] [Accepted: 06/02/2016] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The recent surge in viral clinical cases and associated neurological deficits have reminded us that viral infections can lead to detrimental, long-term effects, termed sequelae, in survivors. Alphaviruses are enveloped, single-stranded positive-sense RNA viruses in the Togaviridae family. Transmission of alphaviruses between and within species occurs mainly via the bite of an infected mosquito bite, giving alphaviruses a place among arboviruses, or arthropod-borne viruses. Alphaviruses are found throughout the world and typically cause arthralgic or encephalitic disease in infected humans. Originally detected in the 1930s, today the major encephalitic viruses include Venezuelan, Western, and Eastern equine encephalitis viruses (VEEV, WEEV, and EEEV, respectively). VEEV, WEEV, and EEEV are endemic to the Americas and are important human pathogens, leading to thousands of human infections each year. Despite awareness of these viruses for nearly 100 years, we possess little mechanistic understanding regarding the complications (sequelae) that emerge after resolution of acute infection. Neurological sequelae are those complications involving damage to the central nervous system that results in cognitive, sensory, or motor deficits that may also manifest as emotional instability and seizures in the most severe cases. This article serves to provide an overview of clinical cases documented in the past century as well as a summary of the reported neurological sequelae due to VEEV, WEEV, and EEEV infection. We conclude with a treatise on the utility of, and practical considerations for animal models applied to the problem of neurological sequelae of viral encephalopathies in order to decipher mechanisms and interventional strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shannon E Ronca
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TXUSA; Department of Preventive Medicine and Community Health, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TXUSA
| | - Kelly T Dineley
- Department of Neurology, Center for Addiction Research, Rodent In Vivo Assessment Core, Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Disorders, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX USA
| | - Slobodan Paessler
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TXUSA; Institute for Human Infections and Immunity, Galveston National Laboratory, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TXUSA
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Yael D, Israelashvili M, Bar-Gad I. Animal Models of Tourette Syndrome-From Proliferation to Standardization. Front Neurosci 2016; 10:132. [PMID: 27065791 PMCID: PMC4814698 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2016.00132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2015] [Accepted: 03/16/2016] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Tourette syndrome (TS) is a childhood onset disorder characterized by motor and vocal tics and associated with multiple comorbid symptoms. Over the last decade, the accumulation of findings from TS patients and the emergence of new technologies have led to the development of novel animal models with high construct validity. In addition, animal models which were previously associated with other disorders were recently attributed to TS. The proliferation of TS animal models has accelerated TS research and provided a better understanding of the mechanism underlying the disorder. This newfound success generates novel challenges, since the conclusions that can be drawn from TS animal model studies are constrained by the considerable variation across models. Typically, each animal model examines a specific subset of deficits and centers on one field of research (physiology/genetics/pharmacology/etc.). Moreover, different studies do not use a standard lexicon to characterize different properties of the model. These factors hinder the evaluation of individual model validity as well as the comparison across models, leading to a formation of a fuzzy, segregated landscape of TS pathophysiology. Here, we call for a standardization process in the study of TS animal models as the next logical step. We believe that a generation of standard examination criteria will improve the utility of these models and enable their consolidation into a general framework. This should lead to a better understanding of these models and their relationship to TS, thereby improving the research of the mechanism underlying this disorder and aiding the development of new treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dorin Yael
- The Leslie and Susan Goldschmied (Gonda) Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar-Ilan University Ramat-Gan, Israel
| | - Michal Israelashvili
- The Leslie and Susan Goldschmied (Gonda) Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar-Ilan University Ramat-Gan, Israel
| | - Izhar Bar-Gad
- The Leslie and Susan Goldschmied (Gonda) Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar-Ilan University Ramat-Gan, Israel
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Parikh V, Kutlu MG, Gould TJ. nAChR dysfunction as a common substrate for schizophrenia and comorbid nicotine addiction: Current trends and perspectives. Schizophr Res 2016; 171:1-15. [PMID: 26803692 PMCID: PMC4762752 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2016.01.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2015] [Revised: 01/07/2016] [Accepted: 01/10/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The prevalence of tobacco use in the population with schizophrenia is enormously high. Moreover, nicotine dependence is found to be associated with symptom severity and poor outcome in patients with schizophrenia. The neurobiological mechanisms that explain schizophrenia-nicotine dependence comorbidity are not known. This study systematically reviews the evidence highlighting the contribution of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) to nicotine abuse in schizophrenia. METHODS Electronic data bases (Medline, Google Scholar, and Web of Science) were searched using the selected key words that match the aims set forth for this review. A total of 276 articles were used for the qualitative synthesis of this review. RESULTS Substantial evidence from preclinical and clinical studies indicated that dysregulation of α7 and β2-subunit containing nAChRs account for the cognitive and affective symptoms of schizophrenia and nicotine use may represent a strategy to remediate these symptoms. Additionally, recent meta-analyses proposed that early tobacco use may itself increase the risk of developing schizophrenia. Genetic studies demonstrating that nAChR dysfunction that may act as a shared vulnerability factor for comorbid tobacco dependence and schizophrenia were found to support this view. The development of nAChR modulators was considered an effective therapeutic strategy to ameliorate psychiatric symptoms and to promote smoking cessation in schizophrenia patients. CONCLUSIONS The relationship between schizophrenia and smoking is complex. While the debate for the self-medication versus addiction vulnerability hypothesis continues, it is widely accepted that a dysfunction in the central nAChRs represent a common substrate for various symptoms of schizophrenia and comorbid nicotine dependence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vinay Parikh
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19112, United States.
| | - Munir Gunes Kutlu
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19112, United States
| | - Thomas J Gould
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19112, United States
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Frau R, Mosher LJ, Bini V, Pillolla G, Pes R, Saba P, Fanni S, Devoto P, Bortolato M. The neurosteroidogenic enzyme 5α-reductase modulates the role of D1 dopamine receptors in rat sensorimotor gating. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2016; 63:59-67. [PMID: 26415119 PMCID: PMC4695380 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2015.09.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2015] [Revised: 08/21/2015] [Accepted: 09/14/2015] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Neurosteroids exert diverse modulatory actions on dopamine neurotransmission and signaling. We previously documented that the enzyme 5α-reductase, which catalyzes the main rate-limiting step in neurosteroid synthesis, is required for the behavioral responses of Sprague-Dawley rats to non-selective dopaminergic agonists, such as the D1-D2 receptor agonist apomorphine. Specifically, systemic and intra-accumbal administrations of the 5α-reductase inhibitor finasteride countered apomorphine-induced deficits of sensorimotor gating, as measured by the prepulse inhibition (PPI) of the startle reflex; the classes of dopamine receptors involved in these effects, however, remain unknown. Prior rodent studies have revealed that the contributions of dopamine receptors to PPI regulation vary depending on the genetic background; thus, we analyzed the effect of finasteride on the PPI deficits induced by selective dopamine receptor agonists in Long-Evans (a strain exhibiting PPI deficits in response to both D1 and D2 receptor agonists) and Sprague-Dawley rats (which display PPI reductions following treatment with D2, and D3, but not D1 receptor agonists). In Long-Evans rats, finasteride opposed the PPI deficits induced by activation of D1, but not D2 receptors; conversely, in Sprague-Dawley rats, finasteride prevented the reductions in %PPI and accumbal dopamine extracellular levels caused by selective stimulation of D3, but not D2 receptors; however, the effects on %PPI were not confirmed by analyses on absolute PPI values. Our findings suggest that 5α-reductase modulates the effects of D1, but not D2 receptor agonists on sensorimotor gating. These data may help elucidate the role of neurosteroids in neuropsychiatric disorders featuring PPI deficits, including schizophrenia and Tourette syndrome.
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MESH Headings
- 3-Oxo-5-alpha-Steroid 4-Dehydrogenase/metabolism
- 5-alpha Reductase Inhibitors/pharmacology
- Animals
- Dopamine Agonists/pharmacology
- Finasteride/pharmacology
- Male
- Microdialysis
- Nucleus Accumbens/drug effects
- Nucleus Accumbens/metabolism
- Prepulse Inhibition/drug effects
- Prepulse Inhibition/physiology
- Rats
- Rats, Long-Evans
- Rats, Sprague-Dawley
- Receptors, Dopamine D1/drug effects
- Receptors, Dopamine D1/metabolism
- Receptors, Dopamine D2/drug effects
- Receptors, Dopamine D2/metabolism
- Receptors, Dopamine D3/drug effects
- Receptors, Dopamine D3/metabolism
- Reflex, Startle/drug effects
- Reflex, Startle/physiology
- Sensory Gating/drug effects
- Sensory Gating/physiology
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Frau
- "Guy Everett" Laboratory, Dept. of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Italy; Tourette Syndrome Center, University of Cagliari, Italy
| | - Laura J Mosher
- Dept. of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA; Consortium for Translational Research on Aggression and Drug Abuse (ConTRADA), University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA; Problem Gambling Research Studies (ProGResS) Network, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA
| | - Valentina Bini
- "Guy Everett" Laboratory, Dept. of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Italy; Tourette Syndrome Center, University of Cagliari, Italy
| | - Giuliano Pillolla
- "Guy Everett" Laboratory, Dept. of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Italy
| | - Romina Pes
- "Guy Everett" Laboratory, Dept. of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Italy; Dept. of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA
| | - Pierluigi Saba
- "Guy Everett" Laboratory, Dept. of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Italy
| | - Silvia Fanni
- "Guy Everett" Laboratory, Dept. of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Italy
| | - Paola Devoto
- "Guy Everett" Laboratory, Dept. of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Italy; Tourette Syndrome Center, University of Cagliari, Italy
| | - Marco Bortolato
- Tourette Syndrome Center, University of Cagliari, Italy; Dept. of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA; Consortium for Translational Research on Aggression and Drug Abuse (ConTRADA), University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA; Problem Gambling Research Studies (ProGResS) Network, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA.
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Berridge CW, Spencer RC. Differential cognitive actions of norepinephrine a2 and a1 receptor signaling in the prefrontal cortex. Brain Res 2015; 1641:189-96. [PMID: 26592951 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2015.11.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2015] [Revised: 10/06/2015] [Accepted: 11/12/2015] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
The prefrontal cortex (PFC) supports cognitive and behavioral processes that guide goal directed behavior. Moreover, dysregulated prefrontal cognitive dysfunction is associated with multiple psychiatric disorders. Norepinephrine (NE) signaling in the PFC is a critical modulator of prefrontal cognition and is targeted by a variety of drugs used to treat PFC-dependent cognitive dysfunction. Noradrenergic modulation of PFC-dependent cognition is complex, with concentration and receptor-specific actions that are likely dependent on neuronal activity state. Recent studies indicate that within the PFC, noradrenergic α1 and α2 receptors exert unique modulatory actions across distinct cognitive processes that allow for context-dependent modulation of cognition. Specifically, high affinity post-synaptic α2 receptors, engaged at moderate rates of NE release associated with moderate arousal levels, promote working memory. In contrast, lower affinity α1 receptors, engaged at higher rates of release associated with high arousal conditions (e.g. stress), impair working memory performance while promoting flexible attention. While these and other observations were initially interpreted to indicate high rates of NE release promotes the transition from focused to flexible/scanning attention, recent findings indicate that α1 receptors promote both focused and flexible attention. Collectively, these observations indicate that while α2 and α1 receptors in the PFC differentially modulate distinct cognitive processes, this cannot be simply ascribed to differential roles of these receptors in 'focused' vs. 'flexible' cognitive processes. Translationally, this information indicates that: (1) not all tests of prefrontal cognitive function may be appropriate for preclinical programs aimed at specific PFC-dependent disorders and (2) the treatment of specific PFC cognitive deficits may require the differential targeting of noradrenergic receptor subtypes. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled SI: Noradrenergic System.
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Affiliation(s)
- Craig W Berridge
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, United States.
| | - Robert C Spencer
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, United States
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Kazdoba TM, Leach PT, Silverman JL, Crawley JN. Modeling fragile X syndrome in the Fmr1 knockout mouse. Intractable Rare Dis Res 2014; 3:118-33. [PMID: 25606362 PMCID: PMC4298642 DOI: 10.5582/irdr.2014.01024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 168] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2014] [Accepted: 11/28/2014] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Fragile X Syndrome (FXS) is a commonly inherited form of intellectual disability and one of the leading genetic causes for autism spectrum disorder. Clinical symptoms of FXS can include impaired cognition, anxiety, hyperactivity, social phobia, and repetitive behaviors. FXS is caused by a CGG repeat mutation which expands a region on the X chromosome containing the FMR1 gene. In FXS, a full mutation (> 200 repeats) leads to hypermethylation of FMR1, an epigenetic mechanism that effectively silences FMR1 gene expression and reduces levels of the FMR1 gene product, fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP). FMRP is an RNA-binding protein that is important for the regulation of protein expression. In an effort to further understand how loss of FMR1 and FMRP contribute to FXS symptomology, several FXS animal models have been created. The most well characterized rodent model is the Fmr1 knockout (KO) mouse, which lacks FMRP protein due to a disruption in its Fmr1 gene. Here, we review the behavioral phenotyping of the Fmr1 KO mouse to date, and discuss the clinical relevance of this mouse model to the human FXS condition. While much remains to be learned about FXS, the Fmr1 KO mouse is a valuable tool for understanding the repercussions of functional loss of FMRP and assessing the efficacy of pharmacological compounds in ameliorating the molecular and behavioral phenotypes relevant to FXS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatiana M. Kazdoba
- MIND Institute, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA, USA
- Address correspondence to: Dr. Tatiana M. Kazdoba, MIND Institute, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, School of Medicine, Sacramento, Research II Building 96, 4625 2nd Avenue, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA. E-mail:
| | - Prescott T. Leach
- MIND Institute, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - Jill L. Silverman
- MIND Institute, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - Jacqueline N. Crawley
- MIND Institute, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA, USA
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MacLaren DAA, Markovic T, Clark SD. Assessment of sensorimotor gating following selective lesions of cholinergic pedunculopontine neurons. Eur J Neurosci 2014; 40:3526-37. [PMID: 25208852 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.12716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2014] [Revised: 07/23/2014] [Accepted: 08/08/2014] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Sensorimotor gating is the state-dependent transfer of sensory information into a motor system. When this occurs at an early stage of the processing stream it enables stimuli to be filtered out or partially ignored, thereby reducing the demands placed on advanced systems. Prepulse inhibition (PPI) of the acoustic startle reflex (ASR) is the standard measure of sensorimotor gating. A brainstem-midbrain circuitry is widely viewed as mediating both PPI and ASR. In this circuitry, the pedunculopontine tegmental nucleus (PPTg) integrates sensory input and cortico-basal ganglia output and, via presumed cholinergic signaling, inhibits ASR-generating neurons within the reticular formation. Non-selective damage to all neuronal types within PPTg reduces PPI. We assessed whether this effect originates in the loss of cholinergic signaling by examining ASR and PPI in rats bearing non-selective (excitotoxic) or selective cholinergic (Dtx-UII) lesions of PPTg. Excitotoxic lesions had no effect on ASR but reduced PPI at all prepulse levels tested. In contrast, selective depletion of cholinergic neurons reduced ASR to the extent that PPI was not measurable with standard (10-20 s) inter-trial intervals. Subsequent testing revealed appreciable ASRs could be generated when the inter-trial interval was increased (180 s). Under these conditions, PPI was assessed and no deficits were found after lesions of cholinergic PPTg neurons. These results show that cholinergic output from PPTg is essential for rapidly regenerating the ASR, but has no influence on PPI. Results are discussed in terms of sensorimotor integration circuitry and psychiatric disorders that feature disrupted ASR and PPI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Duncan A A MacLaren
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, SUNY, Buffalo, NY, USA
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Fatty acid binding proteins and the nervous system: Their impact on mental conditions. Neurosci Res 2014; 102:47-55. [PMID: 25205626 DOI: 10.1016/j.neures.2014.08.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2014] [Revised: 08/26/2014] [Accepted: 08/28/2014] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
The brain is rich in lipid and fatty molecules. In this review article, we focus on fatty acid binding proteins (Fabps) that bind to fatty acids such as arachidonic acid and docosahexianoic acid and transfer these lipid ligands within the cytoplasm. Among Fabp family molecules, Fabp3, Fabp5, and Fabp7 are specifically localized in neural stem/progenitor cells, neurons and glia in a cell-type specific manner. Quantitative trait locus analysis has revealed that Fabp7 is related with performance of prepulse inhibition (PPI) that is used as an endophenotype of psychiatric diseases such as schizophrenia. Fabp5 and Fabp7 play important roles on neurogenesis and differentially regulate acoustic startle response and PPI. However, other behavior performances including spatial memory, anxiety-like behavior, and diurnal changes in general activity were not different in mice deficient for Fabp7 or Fabp5. Considering the importance of fatty acids in neurogenesis, we would like to emphasize that lipid nutrition and its dynamism via Fabps play significant roles in mental conditions. This might provide a good example of how nutritional environment can affect psychiatric conditions at the molecular level.
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