1
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Heaton EC, Seo EH, Butkovich LM, Yount ST, Gourley SL. Control of goal-directed and inflexible actions by dorsal striatal melanocortin systems, in coordination with the central nucleus of the amygdala. Prog Neurobiol 2024; 238:102629. [PMID: 38763506 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2024.102629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2023] [Revised: 04/15/2024] [Accepted: 05/10/2024] [Indexed: 05/21/2024]
Abstract
The dorsomedial striatum (DMS) is associated with flexible goal seeking, as opposed to routinized habits. Whether local mechanisms brake this function, for instance when habits may be adaptive, is incompletely understood. We find that a sub-population of dopamine D1 receptor-containing striatal neurons express the melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R) for α-melanocyte stimulating hormone. These neurons within the DMS are necessary and sufficient for controlling the capacity of mice to flexibly adjust actions based on the likelihood that they will be rewarded. In investigating MC4R function, we found that it suppresses immediate-early gene levels in the DMS and concurrently, flexible goal seeking. MC4R+ neurons receive input from the central nucleus of the amygdala, and behavioral experiments indicate that they are functionally integrated into an amygdalo-striatal circuit that suppresses action flexibility in favor of routine. Publicly available spatial transcriptomics datasets were analyzed for gene transcript correlates of Mc4r expression across the striatal subregions, revealing considerable co-variation in dorsal structures. This insight led to the discovery that the function of MC4R in the dorsolateral striatum complements that in the DMS, in this case suppressing habit-like behavior. Altogether, our findings suggest that striatal MC4R controls the capacity for goal-directed and inflexible actions alike.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth C Heaton
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Emory University, United States; Emory National Primate Research Center, Departments of Pediatrics and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, United States
| | - Esther H Seo
- Emory National Primate Research Center, Departments of Pediatrics and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, United States
| | - Laura M Butkovich
- Emory National Primate Research Center, Departments of Pediatrics and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, United States
| | - Sophie T Yount
- Emory National Primate Research Center, Departments of Pediatrics and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, United States; Graduate Program in Molecular and Systems Pharmacology, Emory University, United States
| | - Shannon L Gourley
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Emory University, United States; Emory National Primate Research Center, Departments of Pediatrics and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, United States; Graduate Program in Molecular and Systems Pharmacology, Emory University, United States; Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, United States.
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2
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Dubinsky JM, Hamid AA. The neuroscience of active learning and direct instruction. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2024; 163:105737. [PMID: 38796122 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105737] [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: 12/19/2023] [Revised: 05/13/2024] [Accepted: 05/20/2024] [Indexed: 05/28/2024]
Abstract
Throughout the educational system, students experiencing active learning pedagogy perform better and fail less than those taught through direct instruction. Can this be ascribed to differences in learning from a neuroscientific perspective? This review examines mechanistic, neuroscientific evidence that might explain differences in cognitive engagement contributing to learning outcomes between these instructional approaches. In classrooms, direct instruction comprehensively describes academic content, while active learning provides structured opportunities for learners to explore, apply, and manipulate content. Synaptic plasticity and its modulation by arousal or novelty are central to all learning and both approaches. As a form of social learning, direct instruction relies upon working memory. The reinforcement learning circuit, associated agency, curiosity, and peer-to-peer social interactions combine to enhance motivation, improve retention, and build higher-order-thinking skills in active learning environments. When working memory becomes overwhelmed, additionally engaging the reinforcement learning circuit improves retention, providing an explanation for the benefits of active learning. This analysis provides a mechanistic examination of how emerging neuroscience principles might inform pedagogical choices at all educational levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janet M Dubinsky
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
| | - Arif A Hamid
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
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3
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Hoisington ZW, Salvi A, Laguesse S, Ehinger Y, Shukla C, Phamluong K, Ron D. The small G-protein Rac1 in the dorsomedial striatum promotes alcohol-dependent structural plasticity and goal-directed learning in mice. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.08.30.555562. [PMID: 37693512 PMCID: PMC10491244 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.30.555562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/12/2023]
Abstract
The small G-protein Rac1 promotes the formation of filamentous actin (F-Actin). Actin is a major component of dendritic spines, and we previously found that alcohol alters actin composition and dendritic spine structure in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) and the dorsomedial striatum (DMS). To examine if Rac1 contributes to these alcohol-mediated adaptations, we measured the level of GTP-bound active Rac1 in the striatum of mice following 7 weeks of intermittent access to 20% alcohol. We found that chronic alcohol intake activates Rac1 in the DMS of male mice. In contrast, Rac1 is not activated by alcohol in the NAc and DLS of male mice, or in the DMS of female mice. Similarly, closely related small G-proteins are not activated by alcohol in the DMS, and Rac1 activity is not increased in the DMS by moderate alcohol or natural reward. To determine the consequences of alcohol-dependent Rac1 activation in the DMS of male mice, we inhibited endogenous Rac1 by infecting the DMS of mice with an AAV expressing a dominant negative form of the small G-protein (Rac1-DN). We found that overexpression of AAV-Rac1-DN in the DMS inhibits alcohol-mediated Rac1 signaling and attenuates alcohol-mediated F-actin polymerization, which corresponded with a decrease in dendritic arborization and spine maturation. Finally, we provide evidence to suggest that Rac1 in the DMS plays a role in alcohol-associated goal-directed learning. Together, our data suggest that Rac1 in the DMS plays an important role in alcohol-dependent structural plasticity and aberrant learning. Significance Statement Addiction, including alcohol use disorder, is characterized by molecular and cellular adaptations that promote maladaptive behaviors. We found that Rac1 was activated by alcohol in the dorsomedial striatum (DMS) of male mice. We show that alcohol-mediated Rac1 signaling is responsible for alterations in actin dynamics and neuronal morphology. We also present data to suggest that Rac1 is important for alcohol-associated learning processes. These results suggest that Rac1 in the DMS is an important contributor to adaptations that promote alcohol use disorder.
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Cheng Y, Magnard R, Langdon AJ, Lee D, Janak PH. Chronic Ethanol Exposure Produces Persistent Impairment in Cognitive Flexibility and Decision Signals in the Striatum. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.10.584332. [PMID: 38585868 PMCID: PMC10996555 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.10.584332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/09/2024]
Abstract
Lack of cognitive flexibility is a hallmark of substance use disorders and has been associated with drug-induced synaptic plasticity in the dorsomedial striatum (DMS). Yet the possible impact of altered plasticity on real-time striatal neural dynamics during decision-making is unclear. Here, we identified persistent impairments induced by chronic ethanol (EtOH) exposure on cognitive flexibility and striatal decision signals. After a substantial withdrawal period from prior EtOH vapor exposure, male, but not female, rats exhibited reduced adaptability and exploratory behavior during a dynamic decision-making task. Reinforcement learning models showed that prior EtOH exposure enhanced learning from rewards over omissions. Notably, neural signals in the DMS related to the decision outcome were enhanced, while those related to choice and choice-outcome conjunction were reduced, in EtOH-treated rats compared to the controls. These findings highlight the profound impact of chronic EtOH exposure on adaptive decision-making, pinpointing specific changes in striatal representations of actions and outcomes as underlying mechanisms for cognitive deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yifeng Cheng
- Department Psychological and Brain Sciences, Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
| | - Robin Magnard
- Department Psychological and Brain Sciences, Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
| | - Angela J. Langdon
- Intramural Research Program, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - Daeyeol Lee
- Department Psychological and Brain Sciences, Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
- Zanvyl Krieger Mind/Brain Institute, Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
- Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
- Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
| | - Patricia H. Janak
- Department Psychological and Brain Sciences, Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
- Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
- Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
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5
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Hart G, Burton TJ, Nolan CR, Balleine BW. Striatal dopamine release tracks the relationship between actions and their consequences. Cell Rep 2024; 43:113828. [PMID: 38386550 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.113828] [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: 09/06/2023] [Revised: 12/05/2023] [Accepted: 02/03/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
The acquisition and performance of goal-directed actions has long been argued to depend on the integration of glutamatergic inputs to the posterior dorsomedial striatum (pDMS) under the modulatory influence of dopamine. Nevertheless, relatively little is known about the dynamics of striatal dopamine during goal-directed actions. To investigate this, we chronically recorded dopamine release in the pDMS as rats acquired two actions for distinct outcomes as these action-outcome associations were incremented and then subsequently degraded or reversed. We found that bilateral dopamine release scaled with action value, whereas the lateralized dopamine signal, i.e., the difference in dopamine release ipsilaterally and contralaterally to the direction of the goal-directed action, reflected the strength of the action-outcome association independently of changes in movement. Our results establish, therefore, that striatal dopamine activity during goal-directed action reflects both bilateral moment-to-moment changes in action value and the long-term action-outcome association.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Hart
- Decision Neuroscience Laboratory, School of Psychology, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - T J Burton
- Decision Neuroscience Laboratory, School of Psychology, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - C R Nolan
- Decision Neuroscience Laboratory, School of Psychology, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - B W Balleine
- Decision Neuroscience Laboratory, School of Psychology, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
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Ferguson LA, Matamales M, Nolan C, Balleine BW, Bertran-Gonzalez J. Adaptation of sequential action benefits from timing variability related to lateral basal ganglia circuitry. iScience 2024; 27:109274. [PMID: 38496293 PMCID: PMC10943431 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.109274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2023] [Revised: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 03/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Streamlined action sequences must remain flexible should stable contingencies in the environment change. By combining analyses of behavioral structure with a circuit-specific manipulation in mice, we report on a relationship between action timing variability and successful adaptation that relates to post-synaptic targets of primary motor cortical (M1) projections to dorsolateral striatum (DLS). In a two-lever instrumental task, mice formed successful action sequences by, first, establishing action scaffolds and, second, smoothly extending action duration to adapt to increased task requirements. Interruption of DLS neurons in M1 projection territories altered this process, evoking higher-rate actions that were more stereotyped in their timing, reducing opportunities for success. Based on evidence from neuronal tracing experiments, we propose that DLS neurons in M1 projection territories supply action timing variability to facilitate adaptation, a function that may involve additional downstream subcortical processing relating to collateralization of descending motor pathways to multiple basal ganglia centers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lachlan A. Ferguson
- Decision Neuroscience Laboratory, School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Miriam Matamales
- Decision Neuroscience Laboratory, School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Christopher Nolan
- Decision Neuroscience Laboratory, School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Bernard W. Balleine
- Decision Neuroscience Laboratory, School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Jesus Bertran-Gonzalez
- Decision Neuroscience Laboratory, School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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7
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Riley B, Gould E, Lloyd J, Hallum LE, Vlajkovic S, Todd K, Freestone PS. Dopamine transmission in the tail striatum: Regional variation and contribution of dopamine clearance mechanisms. J Neurochem 2024; 168:251-268. [PMID: 38308566 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.16052] [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: 08/11/2023] [Revised: 12/05/2023] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/05/2024]
Abstract
The striatum can be divided into four anatomically and functionally distinct domains: the dorsolateral, dorsomedial, ventral and the more recently identified caudolateral (tail) striatum. Dopamine transmission in these striatal domains underlies many important behaviours, yet little is known about this phenomenon in the tail striatum. Furthermore, the tail is divided anatomically into four divisions (dorsal, medial, intermediate and lateral) based on the profile of D1 and D2 dopamine receptor-expressing medium spiny neurons, something that is not seen elsewhere in the striatum. Considering this organisation, how dopamine transmission occurs in the tail striatum is of great interest. We recorded evoked dopamine release in the four tail divisions, with comparison to the dorsolateral striatum, using fast-scan cyclic voltammetry in rat brain slices. Contributions of clearance mechanisms were investigated using dopamine transporter knockout (DAT-KO) rats, pharmacological transporter inhibitors and dextran. Evoked dopamine release in all tail divisions was smaller in amplitude than in the dorsolateral striatum and, importantly, regional variation was observed: dorsolateral ≈ lateral > medial > dorsal ≈ intermediate. Release amplitudes in the lateral division were 300% of that in the intermediate division, which also exhibited uniquely slow peak dopamine clearance velocity. Dopamine clearance in the intermediate division was most dependent on DAT, and no alternative dopamine transporters investigated (organic cation transporter-3, norepinephrine transporter and serotonin transporter) contributed significantly to dopamine clearance in any tail division. Our findings confirm that the tail striatum is not only a distinct dopamine domain but also that each tail division has unique dopamine transmission characteristics. This supports that the divisions are not only anatomically but also functionally distinct. How this segregation relates to the overall function of the tail striatum, particularly the processing of multisensory information, is yet to be determined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bronwyn Riley
- Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Emily Gould
- Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Jordan Lloyd
- Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Luke E Hallum
- Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Srdjan Vlajkovic
- Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Kathryn Todd
- Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- Faculty of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, Oxford University, Oxford, UK
| | - Peter S Freestone
- Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
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8
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Bradfield LA, Becchi S, Kendig MD. Striatal Acetylcholine and Dopamine Interactions Produce Situationappropriate Action Selection. Curr Neuropharmacol 2024; 22:1491-1496. [PMID: 37702238 PMCID: PMC11097990 DOI: 10.2174/1570159x21666230912093041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2023] [Revised: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 09/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Individuals often learn how to perform new actions for particular outcomes against a complex background of existing action-outcome associations. As such, this new knowledge can interfere or even compete with existing knowledge, such that individuals must use internal and external cues to determine which action is appropriate to the current situation. The question thus remains as to how this problem is solved at a neural level. Research over the last decade or so has begun to determine how the brain achieves situation-appropriate action selection. Several converging lines of evidence suggest that it is achieved through the complex interactions of acetylcholine and dopamine within the striatum in a manner that relies on glutamatergic inputs from the cortex and thalamus. Here we briefly review this evidence, then relate it to several very recent findings to provide new, speculative insights regarding the precise nature of striatal acetylcholine/dopamine interaction dynamics and their relation to situation- appropriate action selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura A. Bradfield
- School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, New South Wales 2007, Australia
| | - Serena Becchi
- Decision Neuroscience Laboratory, School of Psychology, University of New South Wales Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Michael D. Kendig
- School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, New South Wales 2007, Australia
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9
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Chen APF, Chen L, Shi KW, Cheng E, Ge S, Xiong Q. Nigrostriatal dopamine modulates the striatal-amygdala pathway in auditory fear conditioning. Nat Commun 2023; 14:7231. [PMID: 37945595 PMCID: PMC10636191 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43066-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2023] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The auditory striatum, a sensory portion of the dorsal striatum, plays an essential role in learning and memory. In contrast to its roles and underlying mechanisms in operant conditioning, however, little is known about its contribution to classical auditory fear conditioning. Here, we reveal the function of the auditory striatum in auditory-conditioned fear memory. We find that optogenetically inhibiting auditory striatal neurons impairs fear memory formation, which is mediated through the striatal-amygdala pathway. Using calcium imaging in behaving mice, we find that auditory striatal neuronal responses to conditioned tones potentiate across memory acquisition and expression. Furthermore, nigrostriatal dopaminergic projections plays an important role in modulating conditioning-induced striatal potentiation. Together, these findings demonstrate the existence of a nigro-striatal-amygdala circuit for conditioned fear memory formation and expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allen P F Chen
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, SUNY Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, USA
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Renaissance School of Medicine at SUNY Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, USA
| | - Lu Chen
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, SUNY Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, USA
| | - Kaiyo W Shi
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, SUNY Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, USA
| | - Eileen Cheng
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, SUNY Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, USA
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, SUNY Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, USA
| | - Shaoyu Ge
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, SUNY Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, USA
| | - Qiaojie Xiong
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, SUNY Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, USA.
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10
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Conn KA, Alexander S, Burne THJ, Kesby JP. Antagonism of D2 receptors via raclopride ameliorates amphetamine-induced associative learning deficits in male mice. Behav Brain Res 2023; 454:114649. [PMID: 37643667 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2023.114649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2023] [Revised: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
Dopamine levels in the dorsomedial striatum (DMS) are highly dynamic and are thought to underly the encoding of action-outcome associations. Although it is known that amphetamine disrupts the learning that is required for goal-directed action, the role of D1 and D2 receptors in this process has not been established. In this study, we examined the role of D1 and D2 receptor antagonists on learning in response to amphetamine. We used the outcome-specific devaluation task to examine goal-directed action in male C57BL6/J mice treated systemically with either a D1 antagonist (SCH-23990; 0.01 mg/kg) or a D2 antagonist (raclopride; 0.5 mg/kg) and then administered amphetamine (1 mg/kg). The mice were injected repeatedly throughout the instrumental training phase of the task to assess the impact on the learning of action-outcomes, and the subsequent choice test assessing performance of goal-directed action was conducted drug free. Effects of chronic drug administration on locomotor behaviour was assessed before and after the choice test. Treatment during learning with either amphetamine, or the D1 or D2 antagonists, impaired the subsequent performance of goal-directed action. The amphetamine-induced impairment in goal-directed action was reversed in mice treated with raclopride, but not when treated with SCH-23990. By contrast, amphetamine-induced hyperactivity was reversed in mice treated with SCH-23990, but not in mice treated with raclopride. Taken together, these data support the role of a balance of dopamine receptor signalling after amphetamine treatment. While overall D1 receptor availability is necessary to promote learning, in a state of elevated dopamine, modifying D2 receptor function can ameliorate learning deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyna-Anne Conn
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Suzy Alexander
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Thomas H J Burne
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia; Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research, Wacol, QLD 4076, Australia
| | - James P Kesby
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia; Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research, Wacol, QLD 4076, Australia.
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11
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Xie X, Lu J, Ma T, Cheng Y, Woodson K, Bonifacio J, Bego K, Wang X, Wang J. Linking input- and cell-type-specific synaptic plasticity to the reinforcement of alcohol-seeking behavior. Neuropharmacology 2023; 237:109619. [PMID: 37290535 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2023.109619] [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: 04/17/2023] [Revised: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 05/27/2023] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The reinforcement of voluntary alcohol-seeking behavior requires dopamine-dependent long-term synaptic plasticity in the striatum. Specifically, the long-term potentiation (LTP) of direct-pathway medium spiny neurons (dMSNs) in the dorsomedial striatum (DMS) promotes alcohol drinking. However, it remains unclear whether alcohol induces input-specific plasticity onto dMSNs and whether this plasticity directly drives instrumental conditioning. In this study, we found that voluntary alcohol intake selectively strengthened glutamatergic transmission from the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) to DMS dMSNs in mice. Importantly, mimicking this alcohol-induced potentiation by optogenetically self-stimulating mPFC→dMSN synapse with an LTP protocol was sufficient to drive the reinforcement of lever pressing in operant chambers. Conversely, induction of a post-pre spike timing-dependent LTD at this synapse time-locked to alcohol delivery during operant conditioning persistently decreased alcohol-seeking behavior. Our results establish a causal relationship between input- and cell-type-specific corticostriatal plasticity and the reinforcement of alcohol-seeking behavior. This provides a potential therapeutic strategy to restore normal cortical control of dysregulated basal ganglia circuitries in alcohol use disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xueyi Xie
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, School of Medicine, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Bryan, TX, 77807, USA
| | - Jiayi Lu
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, School of Medicine, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Bryan, TX, 77807, USA
| | - Tengfei Ma
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, School of Medicine, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Bryan, TX, 77807, USA
| | - Yifeng Cheng
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, School of Medicine, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Bryan, TX, 77807, USA
| | - Kayla Woodson
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, School of Medicine, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Bryan, TX, 77807, USA
| | - Jordan Bonifacio
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, School of Medicine, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Bryan, TX, 77807, USA
| | - Kassidy Bego
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, School of Medicine, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Bryan, TX, 77807, USA
| | - Xuehua Wang
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, School of Medicine, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Bryan, TX, 77807, USA
| | - Jun Wang
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, School of Medicine, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Bryan, TX, 77807, USA.
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12
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Centofante E, Fralleoni L, Lupascu CA, Migliore M, Rinaldi A, Mele A. Specific patterns of neural activity in the hippocampus after massed or distributed spatial training. Sci Rep 2023; 13:13357. [PMID: 37587232 PMCID: PMC10432541 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-39882-0] [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: 03/01/2023] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 08/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Training with long inter-session intervals, termed distributed training, has long been known to be superior to training with short intervals, termed massed training. In the present study we compared c-Fos expression after massed and distributed training protocols in the Morris water maze to outline possible differences in the learning-induced pattern of neural activation in the dorsal CA1 in the two training conditions. The results demonstrate that training and time lags between learning opportunities had an impact on the pattern of neuronal activity in the dorsal CA1. Mice trained with the distributed protocol showed sustained neuronal activity in the postero-distal component of the dorsal CA1. In parallel, in trained mice we found more active cells that tended to constitute spatially restricted clusters, whose degree increased with the increase in the time lags between learning trials. Moreover, activated cell assemblies demonstrated increased stability in their spatial organization after distributed as compared to massed training or control condition. Finally, using a machine learning algorithm we found that differences in the number of c-Fos positive cells and their location in the dorsal CA1 could be predictive of the training protocol used. These results suggest that the topographic organization and the spatial location of learning activated cell assemblies might be critical to promote the increased stability of the memory trace induced by distributed training.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleonora Centofante
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology 'C. Darwin' - Centre for Research in Neurobiology 'D.Bovet', Sapienza University of Rome, P.Le A. Moro, 5, 00185, Rome, Italy
- Institute of Biophysics, National Research Council, Palermo, Italy
| | - Luca Fralleoni
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology 'C. Darwin' - Centre for Research in Neurobiology 'D.Bovet', Sapienza University of Rome, P.Le A. Moro, 5, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Carmen A Lupascu
- Institute of Biophysics, National Research Council, Palermo, Italy
| | - Michele Migliore
- Institute of Biophysics, National Research Council, Palermo, Italy
| | - Arianna Rinaldi
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology 'C. Darwin' - Centre for Research in Neurobiology 'D.Bovet', Sapienza University of Rome, P.Le A. Moro, 5, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Andrea Mele
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology 'C. Darwin' - Centre for Research in Neurobiology 'D.Bovet', Sapienza University of Rome, P.Le A. Moro, 5, 00185, Rome, Italy.
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13
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Zhao YX, Li XN, Tang YX, Talukder M, Zhao Y, Li JL. Cadmium Transforms Astrocytes into the A1 Subtype via Inducing Gap Junction Protein Connexin 43 into the Nucleus. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2023; 71:12043-12051. [PMID: 37471304 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.3c02963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/22/2023]
Abstract
Cadmium is highly toxic and present in the environment and can be accumulated among various levels of the food chain. Both humans and animals are at risk from toxicity associated with cadmium. However, the neurological endpoint caused by cadmium has not been revealed. The aim of our research is to explore the potential target of cadmium attack when causing neurotoxicity. 80 male chickens (one day old, weighing 36.49 ± 2.88 g) were randomly divided into four groups and independently treated with 0, 35, 70, or 140 mg/kg CdCl2 in diet for 90 days. The result showed that the striatum was damaged due to a high dose of cadmium in the brain, which was characterized by degeneration of neurons and astrocyte dysfunction. Transcriptome analysis demonstrated that striatal astrocytes were transformed into the A1 state under cadmium exposure. Deeper investigation revealed that the internalization of gap junction protein connexin 43 was responsible for this transformation. Eventually, we can conclude that the internalized gap junction protein connexin 43 of astrocytes is the target of cadmium anchoring, and this process was accompanied by the transformation of astrocytes into the A1 subtype. This study provides a new direction for exploring the effects of cadmium on the nervous system and the treatment of subsequent nervous system diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Xue-Nan Li
- Key Laboratory of the Provincial Education Department of Heilongjiang for Common Animal Disease Prevention and Treatment, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, P. R. China
| | | | | | - Yi Zhao
- Key Laboratory of the Provincial Education Department of Heilongjiang for Common Animal Disease Prevention and Treatment, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, P. R. China
| | - Jin-Long Li
- Key Laboratory of the Provincial Education Department of Heilongjiang for Common Animal Disease Prevention and Treatment, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, P. R. China
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14
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Isett BR, Nguyen KP, Schwenk JC, Yurek JR, Snyder CN, Vounatsos MV, Adegbesan KA, Ziausyte U, Gittis AH. The indirect pathway of the basal ganglia promotes transient punishment but not motor suppression. Neuron 2023; 111:2218-2231.e4. [PMID: 37207651 PMCID: PMC10524991 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.04.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2022] [Revised: 03/19/2023] [Accepted: 04/14/2023] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Optogenetic stimulation of Adora2a receptor-expressing spiny projection neurons (A2A-SPNs) in the striatum drives locomotor suppression and transient punishment, results attributed to activation of the indirect pathway. The sole long-range projection target of A2A-SPNs is the external globus pallidus (GPe). Unexpectedly, we found that inhibition of the GPe drove transient punishment but not suppression of movement. Within the striatum, A2A-SPNs inhibit other SPNs through a short-range inhibitory collateral network, and we found that optogenetic stimuli that drove motor suppression shared a common mechanism of recruiting this inhibitory collateral network. Our results suggest that the indirect pathway plays a more prominent role in transient punishment than in motor control and challenges the assumption that activity of A2A-SPNs is synonymous with indirect pathway activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian R Isett
- Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Katrina P Nguyen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Jenna C Schwenk
- Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Jeff R Yurek
- Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Christen N Snyder
- Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Maxime V Vounatsos
- Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Kendra A Adegbesan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Ugne Ziausyte
- Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Aryn H Gittis
- Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
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15
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Bertran-Gonzalez J, Dinale C, Matamales M. Restoring the youthful state of striatal plasticity in aged mice re-enables cognitive control of action. Curr Biol 2023; 33:1997-2007.e5. [PMID: 37141886 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.04.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2022] [Revised: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Multidisciplinary evidence suggests that the control of voluntary action arbitrates between two major forms of behavioral processing: cognitively guided (or goal directed) and autonomously guided (or habitual). Brain-state irregularities affecting the striatum-such as aging-commonly shift control toward the latter, although the responsible neural mechanisms remain unknown. Combining instrumental conditioning with cell-specific mapping and chemogenetics in striatal neurons, we explored strategies that invigorate goal-directed capacity in aged mice. We found that, under conditions favoring goal-directed control, aged animals resiliently expressed autonomously guided behavior, a response that was underpinned by a characteristic one-to-one functional engagement of the two main neuronal populations in the striatum-D1- and D2-dopamine receptor-expressing spiny projection neurons (SPNs). Chemogenetically induced desensitization of D2-SPN signaling in aged transgenic mice recapitulated the striatal plasticity state observed in young mice, an effect that shifted behavior toward vigorous, goal-directed action. Our findings contribute to the understanding of the neural bases of behavioral control and propose neural system interventions that enhance cognitive functioning in habit-prone brains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesus Bertran-Gonzalez
- Decision Neuroscience Laboratory, School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.
| | - Caroline Dinale
- Decision Neuroscience Laboratory, School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Miriam Matamales
- Decision Neuroscience Laboratory, School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.
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16
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Conn KA, Zou S, Das J, Alexander S, Burne TH, Kesby JP. Activating the dorsomedial and ventral midbrain projections to the striatum differentially impairs goal-directed action in male mice. Neuropharmacology 2023; 234:109550. [PMID: 37085011 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2023.109550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2022] [Revised: 03/29/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 04/23/2023]
Abstract
The cognitive symptoms of schizophrenia are wide ranging and include impaired goal-directed action. This could be driven by an increase in dopamine transmission in the dorsomedial striatum, a pathophysiological hallmark of schizophrenia. Although commonly associated with psychotic symptoms, dopamine signalling in this region also modulates associative learning that aids in the execution of actions. To gain a better understanding of the role of subcortical dopamine in learning and decision-making, we assessed goal-directed action in male mice using the cross-species outcome-specific devaluation task (ODT). First, we administered systemic amphetamine during training to determine the impact of altered dopaminergic signaling on associative learning. Second, we used pathway-specific chemogenetic approaches to activate the dorsomedial and ventral striatal pathways (that originate in the midbrain) to separately assess learning and performance. Amphetamine treatment during learning led to a dose-dependent impairment in goal-directed action. Activation of both striatal pathways during learning also impaired performance. However, when these pathways were activated during choice, only activation of the ventral pathway impaired goal-directed action. This suggests that elevated transmission in the dorsomedial striatal pathway impairs associative learning processes that guide the goal-directed execution of actions. By contrast, elevated transmission of the ventral striatal pathway disrupts the encoding of outcome values that are important for both associative learning and choice performance. These findings highlight the differential roles of the dorsomedial and ventral inputs into the striatum in goal-directed action and provides insight into how striatal dopamine signaling may contribute to the cognitive problems in those with schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyna-Anne Conn
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Simin Zou
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Joyosmita Das
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Suzy Alexander
- Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research, Wacol, QLD, 4076, Australia
| | - Thomas Hj Burne
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia; Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research, Wacol, QLD, 4076, Australia
| | - James P Kesby
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia; Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research, Wacol, QLD, 4076, Australia; QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Herston, QLD, 4029, Australia.
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17
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Gilbert DL, Dubow JS, Cunniff TM, Wanaski SP, Atkinson SD, Mahableshwarkar AR. Ecopipam for Tourette Syndrome: A Randomized Trial. Pediatrics 2023; 151:190459. [PMID: 36628546 DOI: 10.1542/peds.2022-059574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES All US Food and Drug Administration-approved medications for Tourette syndrome are antipsychotics, and their use is limited by the risk of weight gain, metabolic changes, and drug-induced movement disorders. Several small trials suggest that ecopipam, a first-in-class, selective dopamine 1 receptor antagonist, reduces tics with a low risk for these adverse events. This trial sought to further evaluate the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of ecopipam in children and adolescents with moderate to severe Tourette syndrome. METHODS This was a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 2b trial. Subjects aged ≥6 to <18 years with a baseline Yale Global Tic Severity Score Total Tic Score of ≥20 were randomly assigned 1:1 to ecopipam (n = 76) or placebo (n = 77). The primary endpoint was mean change over 12 weeks in the Yale Global Tic Severity Score Total Tic Score. The Clinical Global Impression of Tourette Syndrome Severity was the secondary endpoint. Safety and tolerability were evaluated at each study visit. RESULTS Total tic scores were significantly reduced from baseline to 12 weeks in the ecopipam group compared with placebo (least squares mean differences -3.44, 95% confidence interval -6.09 to -0.79, P = .01). Improvement in Clinical Global Impression of Tourette Syndrome Severity was also greater in the ecopipam group (P = .03). More weight gain was seen in subjects assigned to placebo. No metabolic or electrocardiogram changes were identified. Headache (15.8%), insomnia (14.5%), fatigue (7.9%), and somnolence (7.9%) were the most common adverse events. CONCLUSIONS Among children and adolescents with TS, ecopipam reduces tics to a greater extent than placebo, without observable evidence of common antipsychotic-associated side effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donald L Gilbert
- Division of Neurology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio.,Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio
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18
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Gerfen CR. Segregation of D1 and D2 dopamine receptors in the striatal direct and indirect pathways: An historical perspective. Front Synaptic Neurosci 2023; 14:1002960. [PMID: 36741471 PMCID: PMC9892636 DOI: 10.3389/fnsyn.2022.1002960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The direct and indirect striatal pathways form a cornerstone of the circuits of the basal ganglia. Dopamine has opponent affects on the function of these pathways due to the segregation of the D1- and D2-dopamine receptors in the spiny projection neurons giving rise to the direct and indirect pathways. An historical perspective is provided on the discovery of dopamine receptor segregation leading to models of how the direct and indirect affect motor behavior.
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19
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Morita K, Shimomura K, Kawaguchi Y. Opponent Learning with Different Representations in the Cortico-Basal Ganglia Circuits. eNeuro 2023; 10:ENEURO.0422-22.2023. [PMID: 36653187 PMCID: PMC9884109 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0422-22.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2022] [Revised: 12/06/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The direct and indirect pathways of the basal ganglia (BG) have been suggested to learn mainly from positive and negative feedbacks, respectively. Since these pathways unevenly receive inputs from different cortical neuron types and/or regions, they may preferentially use different state/action representations. We explored whether such a combined use of different representations, coupled with different learning rates from positive and negative reward prediction errors (RPEs), has computational benefits. We modeled animal as an agent equipped with two learning systems, each of which adopted individual representation (IR) or successor representation (SR) of states. With varying the combination of IR or SR and also the learning rates from positive and negative RPEs in each system, we examined how the agent performed in a dynamic reward navigation task. We found that combination of SR-based system learning mainly from positive RPEs and IR-based system learning mainly from negative RPEs could achieve a good performance in the task, as compared with other combinations. In such a combination of appetitive SR-based and aversive IR-based systems, both systems show activities of comparable magnitudes with opposite signs, consistent with the suggested profiles of the two BG pathways. Moreover, the architecture of such a combination provides a novel coherent explanation for the functional significance and underlying mechanism of diverse findings about the cortico-BG circuits. These results suggest that particularly combining different representations with appetitive and aversive learning could be an effective learning strategy in certain dynamic environments, and it might actually be implemented in the cortico-BG circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenji Morita
- Physical and Health Education, Graduate School of Education, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
- International Research Center for Neurointelligence (WPI-IRCN), The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Kanji Shimomura
- Physical and Health Education, Graduate School of Education, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
- Department of Behavioral Medicine, National Institute of Mental Health, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Kodaira 187-8551, Japan
| | - Yasuo Kawaguchi
- Brain Science Institute, Tamagawa University, Machida 194-8610, Japan
- National Institute for Physiological Sciences (NIPS), Okazaki 444-8787, Japan
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20
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Chen APF, Malgady JM, Chen L, Shi KW, Cheng E, Plotkin JL, Ge S, Xiong Q. Nigrostriatal dopamine pathway regulates auditory discrimination behavior. Nat Commun 2022; 13:5942. [PMID: 36209150 PMCID: PMC9547888 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-33747-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2022] [Accepted: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The auditory striatum, the tail portion of dorsal striatum in basal ganglia, is implicated in perceptual decision-making, transforming auditory stimuli to action outcomes. Despite its known connections to diverse neurological conditions, the dopaminergic modulation of sensory striatal neuronal activity and its behavioral influences remain unknown. We demonstrated that the optogenetic inhibition of dopaminergic projections from the substantia nigra pars compacta to the auditory striatum specifically impairs mouse choice performance but not movement in an auditory frequency discrimination task. In vivo dopamine and calcium imaging in freely behaving mice revealed that this dopaminergic projection modulates striatal tone representations, and tone-evoked striatal dopamine release inversely correlated with the evidence strength of tones. Optogenetic inhibition of D1-receptor expressing neurons and pharmacological inhibition of D1 receptors in the auditory striatum dampened choice performance accuracy. Our study uncovers a phasic mechanism within the nigrostriatal system that regulates auditory decisions by modulating ongoing auditory perception. The auditory striatum, the tail portion of dorsal striatum, is implicated in decision-making. This study uncovers a phasic mechanism within the nigrostriatal system that regulates auditory decisions by modulating ongoing auditory perception.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allen P F Chen
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, USA.,Medical Scientist Training Program, Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, USA
| | - Jeffrey M Malgady
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, USA
| | - Lu Chen
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, USA
| | - Kaiyo W Shi
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, USA
| | - Eileen Cheng
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, USA.,Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, USA
| | - Joshua L Plotkin
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, USA.,Center for Nervous System Disorders, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, USA
| | - Shaoyu Ge
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, USA
| | - Qiaojie Xiong
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, USA.
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21
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Burke DA, Alvarez VA. Serotonin receptors contribute to dopamine depression of lateral inhibition in the nucleus accumbens. Cell Rep 2022; 39:110795. [PMID: 35545050 PMCID: PMC9171783 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.110795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2021] [Revised: 01/09/2022] [Accepted: 04/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Dopamine modulation of nucleus accumbens (NAc) circuitry is central to theories of reward seeking and reinforcement learning. Despite decades of effort, the acute dopamine actions on the NAc microcircuitry remain puzzling. Here, we dissect out the direct actions of dopamine on lateral inhibition between medium spiny neurons (MSNs) in mouse brain slices and find that they are pathway specific. Dopamine potently depresses GABAergic transmission from presynaptic dopamine D2 receptor-expressing MSNs (D2-MSNs), whereas it potentiates transmission from presynaptic dopamine D1 receptor-expressing MSNs (D1-MSNs) onto other D1-MSNs. To our surprise, presynaptic D2 receptors mediate only half of the depression induced by endogenous and exogenous dopamine. Presynaptic serotonin 5-HT1B receptors are responsible for a significant component of dopamine-induced synaptic depression. This study clarifies the mechanistic understanding of dopamine actions in the NAc by showing pathway-specific modulation of lateral inhibition and involvement of D2 and 5-HT1B receptors in dopamine depression of D2-MSN synapses. Burke and Alvarez find that, in the nucleus accumbens, dopamine depresses or potentiates lateral inhibition between projection neurons, depending on the specific synapses isolated. Dopamine depression of D2-MSN GABA transmission involves activation of 5-HT1B receptors, suggesting that cross-talk between monoamines and receptors plays a role in accumbens circuit function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dennis A Burke
- Laboratory on Neurobiology of Compulsive Behaviors, NIAAA, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | - Veronica A Alvarez
- Laboratory on Neurobiology of Compulsive Behaviors, NIAAA, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; Intramural Research Program, NIDA, NIH, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA; Center on Compulsive Behaviors, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
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22
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Badreddine N, Zalcman G, Appaix F, Becq G, Tremblay N, Saudou F, Achard S, Fino E. Spatiotemporal reorganization of corticostriatal networks encodes motor skill learning. Cell Rep 2022; 39:110623. [PMID: 35385722 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.110623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2021] [Revised: 01/21/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Motor skill learning requires the activity of the dorsal striatum, with a differential global implication of the dorsomedial and dorsolateral territories. We investigate here whether and how specific striatal neurons encode the acquisition and consolidation of a motor skill. Using ex vivo two-photon calcium imaging after rotarod training, we report that highly active (HA) striatal populations arise from distinct spatiotemporal reorganization in the dorsomedial (DMS) and dorsolateral (DLS) striatum networks and are correlated with learning performance. The DMS overall activity decreases in early training, with few and sparsely distributed HA cells, while the DLS shows a progressive and long-lasting formation of HA cell clusters. These reorganizations result from reinforcement of synaptic connections to the DMS and anatomical rearrangements to the DLS. Targeted silencing of DMS or DLS HA cells with the cFos-TRAP strategy strongly impairs individual performance. Our data reveal that discrete domains of striatal populations encode acquisition and long-lasting retention of a motor skill.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nagham Badreddine
- Université Grenoble Alpes, INSERM, U1216, CHU Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Grenoble Institut Neurosciences, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Gisela Zalcman
- Université Grenoble Alpes, INSERM, U1216, CHU Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Grenoble Institut Neurosciences, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Florence Appaix
- Université Grenoble Alpes, INSERM, U1216, CHU Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Grenoble Institut Neurosciences, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Guillaume Becq
- Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Grenoble INP, GIPSA-Lab, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Nicolas Tremblay
- Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Grenoble INP, GIPSA-Lab, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Frédéric Saudou
- Université Grenoble Alpes, INSERM, U1216, CHU Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Grenoble Institut Neurosciences, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Sophie Achard
- Université Grenoble Alpes, Inria, CNRS, Grenoble INP, LJK, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Elodie Fino
- Université Grenoble Alpes, INSERM, U1216, CHU Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Grenoble Institut Neurosciences, 38000 Grenoble, France.
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23
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Bloem B, Huda R, Amemori KI, Abate AS, Krishna G, Wilson AL, Carter CW, Sur M, Graybiel AM. Multiplexed action-outcome representation by striatal striosome-matrix compartments detected with a mouse cost-benefit foraging task. Nat Commun 2022; 13:1541. [PMID: 35318343 PMCID: PMC8941061 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-28983-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2021] [Accepted: 02/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Learning about positive and negative outcomes of actions is crucial for survival and underpinned by conserved circuits including the striatum. How associations between actions and outcomes are formed is not fully understood, particularly when the outcomes have mixed positive and negative features. We developed a novel foraging (‘bandit’) task requiring mice to maximize rewards while minimizing punishments. By 2-photon Ca++ imaging, we monitored activity of visually identified anterodorsal striatal striosomal and matrix neurons. We found that action-outcome associations for reward and punishment were encoded in parallel in partially overlapping populations. Single neurons could, for one action, encode outcomes of opposing valence. Striosome compartments consistently exhibited stronger representations of reinforcement outcomes than matrix, especially for high reward or punishment prediction errors. These findings demonstrate multiplexing of action-outcome contingencies by single identified striatal neurons and suggest that striosomal neurons are particularly important in action-outcome learning. The role that the striatum plays in tracking the association between actions and combinations of rewarding and aversive outcomes remains unclear. Here, by using both calcium imaging in mice and reinforcement learning models, the authors find that individual striatal neurons can encode associations between actions and multiple, sometimes conflicting, outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernard Bloem
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 43 Vassar Street, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA.,Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 43 Vassar Street, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA.,Sinopia Biosciences, 600W Broadway, Suite 700, San Diego, CA, 92101, USA
| | - Rafiq Huda
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 43 Vassar Street, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA.,Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 43 Vassar Street, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA.,Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, WM Keck Center for Collaborative Neuroscience, Rutgers University, 604 Allison Rd, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA
| | - Ken-Ichi Amemori
- Institute for the Advanced Study of Human Biology, Kyoto University, Yoshida Konoe-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8501, Japan
| | - Alex S Abate
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 43 Vassar Street, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA.,Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 43 Vassar Street, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Gayathri Krishna
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 43 Vassar Street, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA.,Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 43 Vassar Street, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Anna L Wilson
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 43 Vassar Street, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA.,Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 43 Vassar Street, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Cody W Carter
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 43 Vassar Street, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA.,Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 43 Vassar Street, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Mriganka Sur
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 43 Vassar Street, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA.,Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 43 Vassar Street, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Ann M Graybiel
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 43 Vassar Street, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA. .,Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 43 Vassar Street, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA.
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24
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Animal models of action control and cognitive dysfunction in Parkinson's disease. PROGRESS IN BRAIN RESEARCH 2022; 269:227-255. [PMID: 35248196 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pbr.2022.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD) has historically been considered a motor disorder induced by a loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta. More recently, it has been recognized to have significant non-motor symptoms, most prominently cognitive symptoms associated with a dysexecutive syndrome. It is common in the literature to see motor and cognitive symptoms treated separately and, indeed, there has been a general call for specialized treatment of the latter, particularly in the more severe cases of PD with mild cognitive impairment and dementia. Animal studies have similarly been developed to model the motor or non-motor symptoms. Nevertheless, considerable research has established that segregating consideration of cognition from the precursors to motor movement, particularly movement associated with goal-directed action, is difficult if not impossible. Indeed, on some contemporary views cognition is embodied in action control, something that is particularly prevalent in theory and evidence relating to the integration of goal-directed and habitual control processes. The current paper addresses these issues within the literature detailing animal models of cognitive dysfunction in PD and their neural and neurochemical bases. Generally, studies using animal models of PD provide some of the clearest evidence for the integration of these action control processes at multiple levels of analysis and imply that consideration of this integrative process may have significant benefits for developing new approaches to the treatment of PD.
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Allen AT, Heaton EC, Shapiro LP, Butkovich LM, Yount ST, Davies RA, Li DC, Swanson AM, Gourley SL. Inter-individual variability amplified through breeding reveals control of reward-related action strategies by Melanocortin-4 Receptor in the dorsomedial striatum. Commun Biol 2022; 5:116. [PMID: 35136204 PMCID: PMC8825839 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03043-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2021] [Accepted: 01/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
In day-to-day life, we often must choose between pursuing familiar behaviors or adjusting behaviors when new strategies might be more fruitful. The dorsomedial striatum (DMS) is indispensable for arbitrating between old and new action strategies. To uncover molecular mechanisms, we trained mice to generate nose poke responses for food, then uncoupled the predictive relationship between one action and its outcome. We then bred the mice that failed to rapidly modify responding. This breeding created offspring with the same tendencies, failing to inhibit behaviors that were not reinforced. These mice had less post-synaptic density protein 95 in the DMS. Also, densities of the melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R), a high-affinity receptor for α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone, predicted individuals' response strategies. Specifically, high MC4R levels were associated with poor response inhibition. We next found that reducing Mc4r in the DMS in otherwise typical mice expedited response inhibition, allowing mice to modify behavior when rewards were unavailable or lost value. This process required inputs from the orbitofrontal cortex, a brain region canonically associated with response strategy switching. Thus, MC4R in the DMS appears to propel reward-seeking behavior, even when it is not fruitful, while moderating MC4R presence increases the capacity of mice to inhibit such behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aylet T Allen
- Department of Pediatrics and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Emory School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Elizabeth C Heaton
- Department of Pediatrics and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Emory School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Lauren P Shapiro
- Department of Pediatrics and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Emory School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Graduate Program in Molecular and Systems Pharmacology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Laura M Butkovich
- Department of Pediatrics and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Emory School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Sophie T Yount
- Department of Pediatrics and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Emory School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Graduate Program in Molecular and Systems Pharmacology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Rachel A Davies
- Department of Pediatrics and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Emory School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Dan C Li
- Department of Pediatrics and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Emory School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Andrew M Swanson
- Department of Pediatrics and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Emory School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Shannon L Gourley
- Department of Pediatrics and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Emory School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
- Graduate Program in Molecular and Systems Pharmacology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
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Optogenetic inhibition of indirect pathway neurons in the dorsomedial striatum reduces excessive grooming in Sapap3-knockout mice. Neuropsychopharmacology 2022; 47:477-487. [PMID: 34417544 PMCID: PMC8674346 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-021-01161-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2021] [Revised: 08/07/2021] [Accepted: 08/13/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Excessive grooming of Sapap3-KO mice has been used as a model of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Previous studies suggest that dysregulation of cortico-striatal circuits is critically important in the generation of compulsive behaviors, and it has been proposed that the alteration in the activity patterns of striatal circuitry underlies the excessive grooming observed in Sapap3-KO mice. To test this hypothesis, we used in-vivo calcium imaging of individual cells to record striatal activity in these animals and optogenetic inhibition to manipulate this activity. We identified striatal neurons that are modulated during grooming behavior and found that their proportion is significantly larger in Sapap3-KO mice compared to wild-type littermates. Inhibition of striatal cells in Sapap3-KO mice increased the number of grooming episodes observed. Remarkably, the specific inhibition of indirect pathway neurons decreased the occurrence of grooming events. Our results indicate that there is striatal neural activity related to excessive grooming engagement in Sapap3-KO mice. We also demonstrate, for the first time, that specific inhibition of striatal indirect pathway neurons reduces this compulsive phenotype, suggesting that treatments that alleviate compulsive symptoms in OCD patients may exert their effects through this specific striatal population.
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Ma T, Huang Z, Xie X, Cheng Y, Zhuang X, Childs MJ, Gangal H, Wang X, Smith LN, Smith RJ, Zhou Y, Wang J. Chronic alcohol drinking persistently suppresses thalamostriatal excitation of cholinergic neurons to impair cognitive flexibility. J Clin Invest 2021; 132:154969. [PMID: 34941575 PMCID: PMC8843706 DOI: 10.1172/jci154969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2021] [Accepted: 12/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Exposure to addictive substances impairs flexible decision making. Cognitive flexibility is mediated by striatal cholinergic interneurons (CINs). However, how chronic alcohol drinking alters cognitive flexibility through CINs remains unclear. Here, we report that chronic alcohol consumption and withdrawal impaired reversal of instrumental learning. Chronic alcohol consumption and withdrawal also caused a long-lasting (21 days) reduction of excitatory thalamic inputs onto CINs and reduced pause responses of CINs in the dorsomedial striatum (DMS). CINs are known to inhibit glutamatergic transmission in dopamine D1 receptor–expressing medium spiny neurons (D1-MSNs) but facilitate this transmission in D2-MSNs, which may contribute to flexible behavior. We discovered that chronic alcohol drinking impaired CIN-mediated inhibition in D1-MSNs and facilitation in D2-MSNs. Importantly, in vivo optogenetic induction of long-term potentiation of thalamostriatal transmission in DMS CINs rescued alcohol-induced reversal learning deficits. These results demonstrate that chronic alcohol drinking reduces thalamic excitation of DMS CINs, compromising their regulation of glutamatergic transmission in MSNs, which may contribute to alcohol-induced impairment of cognitive flexibility. These findings provide a neural mechanism underlying inflexible drinking in alcohol use disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tengfei Ma
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Bryan, United States of America
| | - Zhenbo Huang
- Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Bryan, United States of America
| | - Xueyi Xie
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Bryan, United States of America
| | - Yifeng Cheng
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Bryan, United States of America
| | - Xiaowen Zhuang
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Bryan, United States of America
| | - Matthew J Childs
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Bryan, United States of America
| | - Himanshu Gangal
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Bryan, United States of America
| | - Xuehua Wang
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Bryan, United States of America
| | - Laura N Smith
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Bryan, United States of America
| | - Rachel J Smith
- Department of Psychology, Texas A&M University, College Station, United States of America
| | - Yubin Zhou
- Department of Translational Medical Sciences, Texas A&M University, Houston, United States of America
| | - Jun Wang
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Bryan, United States of America
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Gourley SL, Srikanth KD, Woon EP, Gil-Henn H. Pyk2 Stabilizes Striatal Medium Spiny Neuron Structure and Striatal-Dependent Action. Cells 2021; 10:3442. [PMID: 34943950 PMCID: PMC8700592 DOI: 10.3390/cells10123442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2021] [Revised: 11/17/2021] [Accepted: 11/30/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
In day-to-day life, we often choose between pursuing familiar behaviors that have been rewarded in the past or adjusting behaviors when new strategies might be more fruitful. The dorsomedial striatum (DMS) is indispensable for flexibly arbitrating between old and new behavioral strategies. The way in which DMS neurons host stable connections necessary for sustained flexibility is still being defined. An entry point to addressing this question may be the structural scaffolds on DMS neurons that house synaptic connections. We find that the non-receptor tyrosine kinase Proline-rich tyrosine kinase 2 (Pyk2) stabilizes both dendrites and spines on striatal medium spiny neurons, such that Pyk2 loss causes dendrite arbor and spine loss. Viral-mediated Pyk2 silencing in the DMS obstructs the ability of mice to arbitrate between rewarded and non-rewarded behaviors. Meanwhile, the overexpression of Pyk2 or the closely related focal adhesion kinase (FAK) enhances this ability. Finally, experiments using combinatorial viral vector strategies suggest that flexible, Pyk2-dependent action involves inputs from the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), but not the ventrolateral orbitofrontal cortex (OFC). Thus, Pyk2 stabilizes the striatal medium spiny neuron structure, likely providing substrates for inputs, and supports the capacity of mice to arbitrate between novel and familiar behaviors, including via interactions with the medial-prefrontal cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shannon L. Gourley
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, 954 Gatewood Rd. NE, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA;
| | - Kolluru D. Srikanth
- The Azrieli Faculty of Medicine, Bar-Ilan University, Safed 1311502, Israel;
| | - Ellen P. Woon
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, 954 Gatewood Rd. NE, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA;
| | - Hava Gil-Henn
- The Azrieli Faculty of Medicine, Bar-Ilan University, Safed 1311502, Israel;
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Hollon NG, Williams EW, Howard CD, Li H, Traut TI, Jin X. Nigrostriatal dopamine signals sequence-specific action-outcome prediction errors. Curr Biol 2021; 31:5350-5363.e5. [PMID: 34637751 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.09.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2021] [Revised: 08/31/2021] [Accepted: 09/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Dopamine has been suggested to encode cue-reward prediction errors during Pavlovian conditioning, signaling discrepancies between actual versus expected reward predicted by the cues.1-5 While this theory has been widely applied to reinforcement learning concerning instrumental actions, whether dopamine represents action-outcome prediction errors and how it controls sequential behavior remain largely unknown. The vast majority of previous studies examining dopamine responses primarily have used discrete reward-predictive stimuli,1-15 whether Pavlovian conditioned stimuli for which no action is required to earn reward or explicit discriminative stimuli that essentially instruct an animal how and when to respond for reward. Here, by training mice to perform optogenetic intracranial self-stimulation, we examined how self-initiated goal-directed behavior influences nigrostriatal dopamine transmission during single and sequential instrumental actions, in behavioral contexts with minimal overt changes in the animal's external environment. We found that dopamine release evoked by direct optogenetic stimulation was dramatically reduced when delivered as the consequence of the animal's own action, relative to non-contingent passive stimulation. This dopamine suppression generalized to food rewards was specific to the reinforced action, was temporally restricted to counteract the expected outcome, and exhibited sequence-selectivity consistent with hierarchical control of sequential behavior. These findings demonstrate that nigrostriatal dopamine signals sequence-specific prediction errors in action-outcome associations, with fundamental implications for reinforcement learning and instrumental behavior in health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nick G Hollon
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Elora W Williams
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Christopher D Howard
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Hao Li
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Tavish I Traut
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Xin Jin
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA; Center for Motor Control and Disease, Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China; NYU-ECNU Institute of Brain and Cognitive Science, New York University Shanghai, Shanghai 200062, China.
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Balleine BW, Peak J, Matamales M, Bertran-Gonzalez J, Hart G. The dorsomedial striatum: an optimal cellular environment for encoding and updating goal-directed learning. Curr Opin Behav Sci 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cobeha.2021.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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Yu X, Chen S, Shan Q. Depression in the Direct Pathway of the Dorsomedial Striatum Permits the Formation of Habitual Action. Cereb Cortex 2021; 31:3551-3564. [PMID: 33774666 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhab031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2020] [Revised: 01/16/2021] [Accepted: 01/26/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
In order to achieve optimal outcomes in an ever-changing environment, humans and animals generally manage their action control via either goal-directed action or habitual action. These two action strategies are thought to be encoded in distinct parallel circuits in the dorsal striatum, specifically, the posterior dorsomedial striatum (DMS) and the dorsolateral striatum (DLS), respectively. The striatum is primarily composed of two subtypes of medium spiny neurons (MSNs): the direct-pathway striatonigral and the indirect-pathway striatopallidal MSNs. MSN-subtype-specific synaptic plasticity in the DMS and the DLS has been revealed to underlie goal-directed action and habitual action, respectively. However, whether any MSN-subtype-specific synaptic plasticity in the DMS is associated with habitual action, and if so, whether the synaptic plasticity affects the formation of habitual action, are not known. This study demonstrates that postsynaptic depression in the excitatory synapses of the direct-pathway striatonigral MSNs in the DMS is formed after habit learning. Moreover, chemogenetically rescuing this depression compromises the acquisition, but not the expression, of habitual action. These findings reveal that an MSN-subtype-specific synaptic plasticity in the DMS affects habitual action and suggest that plasticity in the DMS as well as in the DLS contributes to the formation of habitual action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoxuan Yu
- Laboratory for Synaptic Plasticity, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong 515041, China
| | - Shijie Chen
- Laboratory for Synaptic Plasticity, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong 515041, China
| | - Qiang Shan
- Laboratory for Synaptic Plasticity, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong 515041, China
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Chen APF, Chen L, Kim TA, Xiong Q. Integrating the Roles of Midbrain Dopamine Circuits in Behavior and Neuropsychiatric Disease. Biomedicines 2021; 9:biomedicines9060647. [PMID: 34200134 PMCID: PMC8228225 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines9060647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Revised: 06/01/2021] [Accepted: 06/03/2021] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Dopamine (DA) is a behaviorally and clinically diverse neuromodulator that controls CNS function. DA plays major roles in many behaviors including locomotion, learning, habit formation, perception, and memory processing. Reflecting this, DA dysregulation produces a wide variety of cognitive symptoms seen in neuropsychiatric diseases such as Parkinson’s, Schizophrenia, addiction, and Alzheimer’s disease. Here, we review recent advances in the DA systems neuroscience field and explore the advancing hypothesis that DA’s behavioral function is linked to disease deficits in a neural circuit-dependent manner. We survey different brain areas including the basal ganglia’s dorsomedial/dorsolateral striatum, the ventral striatum, the auditory striatum, and the hippocampus in rodent models. Each of these regions have different reported functions and, correspondingly, DA’s reflecting role in each of these regions also has support for being different. We then focus on DA dysregulation states in Parkinson’s disease, addiction, and Alzheimer’s Disease, emphasizing how these afflictions are linked to different DA pathways. We draw upon ideas such as selective vulnerability and region-dependent physiology. These bodies of work suggest that different channels of DA may be dysregulated in different sets of disease. While these are great advances, the fine and definitive segregation of such pathways in behavior and disease remains to be seen. Future studies will be required to define DA’s necessity and contribution to the functional plasticity of different striatal regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allen PF Chen
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA; (A.P.C.); (L.C.); (T.A.K.)
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - Lu Chen
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA; (A.P.C.); (L.C.); (T.A.K.)
| | - Thomas A. Kim
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA; (A.P.C.); (L.C.); (T.A.K.)
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - Qiaojie Xiong
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA; (A.P.C.); (L.C.); (T.A.K.)
- Correspondence:
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Hamid AA, Frank MJ, Moore CI. Wave-like dopamine dynamics as a mechanism for spatiotemporal credit assignment. Cell 2021; 184:2733-2749.e16. [PMID: 33861952 PMCID: PMC8122079 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2021.03.046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2019] [Revised: 12/31/2020] [Accepted: 03/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Significant evidence supports the view that dopamine shapes learning by encoding reward prediction errors. However, it is unknown whether striatal targets receive tailored dopamine dynamics based on regional functional specialization. Here, we report wave-like spatiotemporal activity patterns in dopamine axons and release across the dorsal striatum. These waves switch between activational motifs and organize dopamine transients into localized clusters within functionally related striatal subregions. Notably, wave trajectories were tailored to task demands, propagating from dorsomedial to dorsolateral striatum when rewards are contingent on animal behavior and in the opponent direction when rewards are independent of behavioral responses. We propose a computational architecture in which striatal dopamine waves are sculpted by inference about agency and provide a mechanism to direct credit assignment to specialized striatal subregions. Supporting model predictions, dorsomedial dopamine activity during reward-pursuit signaled the extent of instrumental control and interacted with reward waves to predict future behavioral adjustments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arif A Hamid
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA; Carney Institute for Brain Science, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA.
| | - Michael J Frank
- Department of Cognitive Linguistics & Psychological Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA; Carney Institute for Brain Science, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA.
| | - Christopher I Moore
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA; Carney Institute for Brain Science, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA.
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Cataldi S, Stanley AT, Miniaci MC, Sulzer D. Interpreting the role of the striatum during multiple phases of motor learning. FEBS J 2021; 289:2263-2281. [PMID: 33977645 DOI: 10.1111/febs.15908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2021] [Revised: 03/28/2021] [Accepted: 04/30/2021] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
The synaptic pathways in the striatum are central to basal ganglia functions including motor control, learning and organization, action selection, acquisition of motor skills, cognitive function, and emotion. Here, we review the role of the striatum and its connections in motor learning and performance. The development of new techniques to record neuronal activity and animal models of motor disorders using neurotoxin, pharmacological, and genetic manipulations are revealing pathways that underlie motor performance and motor learning, as well as how they are altered by pathophysiological mechanisms. We discuss approaches that can be used to analyze complex motor skills, particularly in rodents, and identify specific questions central to understanding how striatal circuits mediate motor learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Cataldi
- Departments of Psychiatry, Neurology, Pharmacology, Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.,Division of Molecular Therapeutics, New York State Psychiatric Institute, NY, USA
| | - Adrien T Stanley
- Departments of Psychiatry, Neurology, Pharmacology, Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.,Division of Molecular Therapeutics, New York State Psychiatric Institute, NY, USA
| | | | - David Sulzer
- Departments of Psychiatry, Neurology, Pharmacology, Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.,Division of Molecular Therapeutics, New York State Psychiatric Institute, NY, USA
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Bouton ME, Maren S, McNally GP. BEHAVIORAL AND NEUROBIOLOGICAL MECHANISMS OF PAVLOVIAN AND INSTRUMENTAL EXTINCTION LEARNING. Physiol Rev 2021; 101:611-681. [PMID: 32970967 PMCID: PMC8428921 DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00016.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 146] [Impact Index Per Article: 48.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
This article reviews the behavioral neuroscience of extinction, the phenomenon in which a behavior that has been acquired through Pavlovian or instrumental (operant) learning decreases in strength when the outcome that reinforced it is removed. Behavioral research indicates that neither Pavlovian nor operant extinction depends substantially on erasure of the original learning but instead depends on new inhibitory learning that is primarily expressed in the context in which it is learned, as exemplified by the renewal effect. Although the nature of the inhibition may differ in Pavlovian and operant extinction, in either case the decline in responding may depend on both generalization decrement and the correction of prediction error. At the neural level, Pavlovian extinction requires a tripartite neural circuit involving the amygdala, prefrontal cortex, and hippocampus. Synaptic plasticity in the amygdala is essential for extinction learning, and prefrontal cortical inhibition of amygdala neurons encoding fear memories is involved in extinction retrieval. Hippocampal-prefrontal circuits mediate fear relapse phenomena, including renewal. Instrumental extinction involves distinct ensembles in corticostriatal, striatopallidal, and striatohypothalamic circuits as well as their thalamic returns for inhibitory (extinction) and excitatory (renewal and other relapse phenomena) control over operant responding. The field has made significant progress in recent decades, although a fully integrated biobehavioral understanding still awaits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark E Bouton
- Department of Psychological Science, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont
| | - Stephen Maren
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences and Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas
| | - Gavan P McNally
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
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37
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Espadas I, Ortiz O, García-Sanz P, Sanz-Magro A, Alberquilla S, Solis O, Delgado-García JM, Gruart A, Moratalla R. Dopamine D2R is Required for Hippocampal-dependent Memory and Plasticity at the CA3-CA1 Synapse. Cereb Cortex 2021; 31:2187-2204. [PMID: 33264389 PMCID: PMC7945019 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhaa354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2020] [Revised: 10/04/2020] [Accepted: 10/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Dopamine receptors play an important role in motivational, emotional, and motor responses. In addition, growing evidence suggests a key role of hippocampal dopamine receptors in learning and memory. It is well known that associative learning and synaptic plasticity of CA3-CA1 requires the dopamine D1 receptor (D1R). However, the specific role of the dopamine D2 receptor (D2R) on memory-related neuroplasticity processes is still undefined. Here, by using two models of D2R loss, D2R knockout mice (Drd2-/-) and mice with intrahippocampal injections of Drd2-small interfering RNA (Drd2-siRNA), we aimed to investigate how D2R is involved in learning and memory as well as in long-term potentiation of the hippocampus. Our studies revealed that the genetic inactivation of D2R impaired the spatial memory, associative learning, and the classical conditioning of eyelid responses. Similarly, deletion of D2R reduced the activity-dependent synaptic plasticity in the hippocampal CA1-CA3 synapse. Our results demonstrate the first direct evidence that D2R is essential in behaving mice for trace eye blink conditioning and associated changes in hippocampal synaptic strength. Taken together, these results indicate a key role of D2R in regulating hippocampal plasticity changes and, in consequence, acquisition and consolidation of spatial and associative forms of memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel Espadas
- Neurobiologia Funcional y de Sistemas, Instituto Cajal, CSIC, Madrid 28002, Spain
- CIBERNED, ISCIII, Madrid 28002, Spain
| | - Oscar Ortiz
- Neurobiologia Funcional y de Sistemas, Instituto Cajal, CSIC, Madrid 28002, Spain
- CIBERNED, ISCIII, Madrid 28002, Spain
| | - Patricia García-Sanz
- Neurobiologia Funcional y de Sistemas, Instituto Cajal, CSIC, Madrid 28002, Spain
- CIBERNED, ISCIII, Madrid 28002, Spain
| | - Adrián Sanz-Magro
- Neurobiologia Funcional y de Sistemas, Instituto Cajal, CSIC, Madrid 28002, Spain
- CIBERNED, ISCIII, Madrid 28002, Spain
| | - Samuel Alberquilla
- Neurobiologia Funcional y de Sistemas, Instituto Cajal, CSIC, Madrid 28002, Spain
- CIBERNED, ISCIII, Madrid 28002, Spain
| | - Oscar Solis
- Neurobiologia Funcional y de Sistemas, Instituto Cajal, CSIC, Madrid 28002, Spain
- CIBERNED, ISCIII, Madrid 28002, Spain
| | | | - Agnès Gruart
- División de Neurociencias, Univ. Pablo de Olavide, Sevilla 41013, Spain
| | - Rosario Moratalla
- Neurobiologia Funcional y de Sistemas, Instituto Cajal, CSIC, Madrid 28002, Spain
- CIBERNED, ISCIII, Madrid 28002, Spain
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Sarter M, Avila C, Kucinski A, Donovan E. Make a Left Turn: Cortico-Striatal Circuitry Mediating the Attentional Control of Complex Movements. Mov Disord 2021; 36:535-546. [PMID: 33615556 DOI: 10.1002/mds.28532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2020] [Revised: 01/21/2021] [Accepted: 01/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In movement disorders such as Parkinson's disease (PD), cholinergic signaling is disrupted by the loss of basal forebrain cholinergic neurons, as well as aberrant activity in striatal cholinergic interneurons (ChIs). Several lines of evidence suggest that gait imbalance, a key disabling symptom of PD, may be driven by alterations in high-level frontal cortical and cortico-striatal processing more typically associated with cognitive dysfunction. METHODS Here we describe the corticostriatal circuitry that mediates the cognitive-motor interactions underlying such complex movement control. The ability to navigate dynamic, obstacle-rich environments requires the continuous integration of information about the environment with movement selection and sequencing. The cortical-attentional processing of extero- and interoceptive cues requires modulation by cholinergic activity to guide striatal movement control. Cue-derived information is "transferred" to striatal circuitry primarily via fronto-striatal glutamatergic projections. RESULT Evidence from parkinsonian fallers and from a rodent model reproducing the dual cholinergic-dopaminergic losses observed in these patients supports the main hypotheses derived from this neuronal circuitry-guided conceptualization of parkinsonian falls. Furthermore, in the striatum, ChIs constitute a particularly critical node for the integration of cortical with midbrain dopaminergic afferents and thus for cues to control movements. CONCLUSION Procholinergic treatments that enhance or rescue cortical and striatal mechanisms may improve complex movement control in parkinsonian fallers and perhaps also in older persons suffering from gait disorders and a propensity for falls. © 2021 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Sarter
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Cassandra Avila
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Aaron Kucinski
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Eryn Donovan
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
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Lee SJ, Lodder B, Chen Y, Patriarchi T, Tian L, Sabatini BL. Cell-type-specific asynchronous modulation of PKA by dopamine in learning. Nature 2020; 590:451-456. [PMID: 33361810 PMCID: PMC7889726 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-020-03050-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2019] [Accepted: 10/30/2020] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Reinforcement learning models postulate that dopamine (DA) releasing neurons (DANs) encode information about action and action outcome and provide a teaching signal to striatal spiny projection neurons (SPNs) in the form of DA release1. DA is thought to guide learning via dynamic and differential modulation of protein kinase A (PKA) in each class of SPN2. However, the real-time relationship between DA and SPN PKA remains untested in behaving animals. Here, we monitor the activity of DANs, extracellular DA levels, and net PKA activity in SPNs in the nucleus accumbens in mice during learning. We find positive and negative modulation of DA that evolves across training and is both necessary and sufficient to explain concurrent fluctuations in SPN PKA activity. The modulations of PKA in SPNs that express type-1 and type-2 DA receptors are dichotomous such that they are selectively sensitive to increases and decreases in DA, respectively, which occur at different phases of learning. Thus, PKA-dependent pathways in each class of SPNs are asynchronously engaged by positive or negative DA signals during learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suk Joon Lee
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Bart Lodder
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Yao Chen
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Tommaso Patriarchi
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, USA.,Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Lin Tian
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Bernardo L Sabatini
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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Aristieta A, Barresi M, Azizpour Lindi S, Barrière G, Courtand G, de la Crompe B, Guilhemsang L, Gauthier S, Fioramonti S, Baufreton J, Mallet NP. A Disynaptic Circuit in the Globus Pallidus Controls Locomotion Inhibition. Curr Biol 2020; 31:707-721.e7. [PMID: 33306949 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.11.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2020] [Revised: 11/05/2020] [Accepted: 11/05/2020] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
The basal ganglia (BG) inhibit movements through two independent circuits: the striatal neuron-indirect and the subthalamic nucleus-hyperdirect pathways. These pathways exert opposite effects onto external globus pallidus (GPe) neurons, whose functional importance as a relay has changed drastically with the discovery of two distinct cell types, namely the prototypic and the arkypallidal neurons. However, little is known about the synaptic connectivity scheme of different GPe neurons toward both motor-suppressing pathways, as well as how opposite changes in GPe neuronal activity relate to locomotion inhibition. Here, we optogenetically dissect the input organizations of prototypic and arkypallidal neurons and further define the circuit mechanism and behavioral outcome associated with activation of the indirect or hyperdirect pathways. This work reveals that arkypallidal neurons are part of a novel disynaptic feedback loop differentially recruited by the indirect or hyperdirect pathways and that broadcasts inhibitory control onto locomotion only when arkypallidal neurons increase their activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asier Aristieta
- Université de Bordeaux, Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives, 33076 Bordeaux, France; CNRS UMR 5293, Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives, 33076 Bordeaux, France
| | - Massimo Barresi
- Université de Bordeaux, Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives, 33076 Bordeaux, France; CNRS UMR 5293, Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives, 33076 Bordeaux, France
| | - Shiva Azizpour Lindi
- Université de Bordeaux, Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives, 33076 Bordeaux, France; CNRS UMR 5293, Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives, 33076 Bordeaux, France
| | - Grégory Barrière
- Université de Bordeaux, CNRS UMR 5287, INCIA, 33076 Bordeaux, France
| | - Gilles Courtand
- Université de Bordeaux, CNRS UMR 5287, INCIA, 33076 Bordeaux, France
| | - Brice de la Crompe
- Université de Bordeaux, Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives, 33076 Bordeaux, France; CNRS UMR 5293, Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives, 33076 Bordeaux, France
| | - Lise Guilhemsang
- Université de Bordeaux, Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives, 33076 Bordeaux, France; CNRS UMR 5293, Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives, 33076 Bordeaux, France
| | - Sophie Gauthier
- Université de Bordeaux, Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives, 33076 Bordeaux, France; CNRS UMR 5293, Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives, 33076 Bordeaux, France
| | - Stéphanie Fioramonti
- Université de Bordeaux, Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives, 33076 Bordeaux, France; CNRS UMR 5293, Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives, 33076 Bordeaux, France
| | - Jérôme Baufreton
- Université de Bordeaux, Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives, 33076 Bordeaux, France; CNRS UMR 5293, Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives, 33076 Bordeaux, France.
| | - Nicolas P Mallet
- Université de Bordeaux, Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives, 33076 Bordeaux, France; CNRS UMR 5293, Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives, 33076 Bordeaux, France.
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Peak J, Chieng B, Hart G, Balleine BW. Striatal direct and indirect pathway neurons differentially control the encoding and updating of goal-directed learning. eLife 2020; 9:e58544. [PMID: 33215609 PMCID: PMC7707820 DOI: 10.7554/elife.58544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2020] [Accepted: 11/19/2020] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The posterior dorsomedial striatum (pDMS) is necessary for goal-directed action; however, the role of the direct (dSPN) and indirect (iSPN) spiny projection neurons in the pDMS in such actions remains unclear. In this series of experiments, we examined the role of pDMS SPNs in goal-directed action in rats and found that whereas dSPNs were critical for goal-directed learning and for energizing the learned response, iSPNs were involved in updating that learning to support response flexibility. Instrumental training elevated expression of the plasticity marker Zif268 in dSPNs only, and chemogenetic suppression of dSPN activity during training prevented goal-directed learning. Unilateral optogenetic inhibition of dSPNs induced an ipsilateral response bias in goal-directed action performance. In contrast, although initial goal-directed learning was unaffected by iSPN manipulations, optogenetic inhibition of iSPNs, but not dSPNs, impaired the updating of this learning and attenuated response flexibility after changes in the action-outcome contingency.
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Affiliation(s)
- James Peak
- Decision Neuroscience Lab, School of Psychology, UNSW SydneySydneyAustralia
| | - Billy Chieng
- Decision Neuroscience Lab, School of Psychology, UNSW SydneySydneyAustralia
| | - Genevra Hart
- Decision Neuroscience Lab, School of Psychology, UNSW SydneySydneyAustralia
| | - Bernard W Balleine
- Decision Neuroscience Lab, School of Psychology, UNSW SydneySydneyAustralia
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Fisher SD, Ferguson LA, Bertran-Gonzalez J, Balleine BW. Amygdala-Cortical Control of Striatal Plasticity Drives the Acquisition of Goal-Directed Action. Curr Biol 2020; 30:4541-4546.e5. [PMID: 33007245 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.08.090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2020] [Revised: 07/21/2020] [Accepted: 08/26/2020] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
In mammalian species, the capacity for goal-directed action relies on a process of cognitive-emotional integration, which melds the causal and incentive learning processes that link action-goal associations with the current value of the goal [1]. Recent evidence suggests that such integration depends on a cortical-limbic-striatal circuit centered on the posterior dorsomedial striatum (pDMS) [2]. Learning-related plasticity has been described at both classes of principal neuron in the pDMS, the direct (dSPNs) and indirect (iSPNs) pathway spiny projection neurons [3-5], and is thought to depend on inputs from prelimbic cortex (PL) [6] and the basolateral amygdala (BLA) [7]. Nevertheless, the relative contribution of these structures to the cellular changes associated with goal-directed learning has not been assessed, nor is it known whether any plasticity specific to the PL and BLA inputs to the pDMS is localized to dSPNs, iSPNs, or both cell types. Here, by combining instrumental conditioning with circuit-specific manipulations and ex vivo optogenetics in mice, we discovered that the PL and not the BLA input to pDMS is pivotal for goal-directed learning and that plasticity in the PL-pDMS pathway was bilateral and specific to dSPNs in the pDMS. Subsequent experiments revealed the BLA is critically but indirectly involved in striatal plasticity via its input to the PL; inactivation of the BLA projection to PL blocked goal-directed learning and prevented learning-related plasticity at dSPNs in pDMS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon D Fisher
- Decision Neuroscience Lab, School of Psychology, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia; School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia
| | - Lachlan A Ferguson
- Decision Neuroscience Lab, School of Psychology, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Jesus Bertran-Gonzalez
- Decision Neuroscience Lab, School of Psychology, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Bernard W Balleine
- Decision Neuroscience Lab, School of Psychology, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.
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Brewer R, Blum K, Bowirrat A, Modestino EJ, Baron D, Badgaiyan RD, Moran M, Boyett B, Gold MS. Transmodulation of Dopaminergic Signaling to Mitigate Hypodopminergia and Pharmaceutical Opioid-Induced Hyperalgesia. CURRENT PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY 2020; 9:164-184. [PMID: 37361136 PMCID: PMC10288629 DOI: 10.2174/2211556009999200628093231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2020] [Revised: 04/16/2020] [Accepted: 05/06/2020] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
Neuroscientists and psychiatrists working in the areas of "pain and addiction" are asked in this perspective article to reconsider the current use of dopaminergic blockade (like chronic opioid agonist therapy), and instead to consider induction of dopamine homeostasis by putative pro-dopamine regulation. Pro-dopamine regulation could help pharmaceutical opioid analgesic agents to mitigate hypodopaminergia-induced hyperalgesia by inducing transmodulation of dopaminergic signaling. An optimistic view is that early predisposition to diagnosis based on genetic testing, (pharmacogenetic/pharmacogenomic monitoring), combined with appropriate urine drug screening, and treatment with pro-dopamine regulators, could conceivably reduce stress, craving, and relapse, enhance well-being and attenuate unwanted hyperalgesia. These concepts require intensive investigation. However, based on the rationale provided herein, there is a good chance that combining opioid analgesics with genetically directed pro-dopamine-regulation using KB220 (supported by 43 clinical studies). This may become a front-line technology with the potential to overcome, in part, the current heightened rates of chronic opioid-induced hyperalgesia and concomitant Reward Deficiency Syndrome (RDS) behaviors. Current research does support the hypothesis that low or hypodopaminergic function in the brain may predispose individuals to low pain tolerance or hyperalgesia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raymond Brewer
- Department of Nutrigenomics, Genomic Testing Center, Geneus Health, LLC., San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Kenneth Blum
- Department of Nutrigenomics, Genomic Testing Center, Geneus Health, LLC., San Antonio, TX, USA
- Western University Health Sciences, Pomona, CA., USA
- Division of Neuroscience and Addiction Research, Pathway Healthcare, Birmingham, AL, USA
- Eotvos Loránd University, Institute of Psychology, Budapest, Hungary
- Department of Psychiatry, Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine and Dayton VA Medical Center, Dayton, OH, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT., USA
| | - Abdalla Bowirrat
- Department of Neuroscience and Genetics, Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya, Israel
| | | | - David Baron
- Western University Health Sciences, Pomona, CA., USA
| | - Rajendra D. Badgaiyan
- Department of Psychiatry, ICHAN School of Medicine, Mount Sinai, New York, NYC. & Department of Psychiatry, South Texas Veteran Health Care System, Audie L. Murphy Memorial VA Hospital, San Antonio, TX, Long School of Medicine, University of Texas Medical Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Mark Moran
- Department of Nutrigenomics, Genomic Testing Center, Geneus Health, LLC., San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Brent Boyett
- Division of Neuroscience and Addiction Research, Pathway Healthcare, Birmingham, AL, USA
- Bradford Health Services, Madison, AL., USA
| | - Mark S. Gold
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Mo., USA
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