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Nassar MR. Toward a computational role for locus coeruleus/norepinephrine arousal systems. Curr Opin Behav Sci 2024; 59:101407. [PMID: 39070697 PMCID: PMC11280330 DOI: 10.1016/j.cobeha.2024.101407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/30/2024]
Abstract
Brain and behavior undergo measurable changes in their underlying state and neuromodulators are thought to contribute to these fluctuations. Why do we undergo such changes, and what function could the underlying neuromodulatory systems perform? Here we examine theoretical answers to these questions with respect to the locus coeruleus/norepinephrine system focusing on peripheral markers for arousal, such as pupil diameter, that are thought to provide a window into brain wide noradrenergic signaling. We explore a computational role for arousal systems in facilitating internal state transitions that facilitate credit assignment and promote accurate perceptions in non-stationary environments. We summarize recent work that supports this idea and highlight open questions as well as alternative views of how arousal affects cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- M R Nassar
- Brown University, Dept of Neuroscience and Carney Institute for Brain Science
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2
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Campbell I, Beckers E, Sharifpour R, Berger A, Paparella I, Aizpurua JFB, Koshmanova E, Mortazavi N, Sherif S, Vandewalle G. Impact of light on task-evoked pupil responses during cognitive tasks. J Sleep Res 2024; 33:e14101. [PMID: 37974557 DOI: 10.1111/jsr.14101] [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: 04/13/2023] [Revised: 10/30/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
Light has many non-image-forming functions including modulation of pupil size and stimulation of alertness and cognition. Part of these non-image-forming effects may be mediated by the brainstem locus coeruleus. The processing of sensory inputs can be associated with a transient pupil dilation that is likely driven in part by the phasic activity of the locus coeruleus. In the present study, we aimed to characterise the task-evoked pupil response associated with auditory inputs under different light levels and across two cognitive tasks. We continuously monitored the pupil of 20 young healthy participants (mean [SD] 24.05 [4.0] years; 14 women) whilst they completed an attentional and an emotional auditory task whilst exposed to repeated 30-40-s blocks of light interleaved with darkness periods. Blocks could either consist of monochromatic orange light (0.16 melanopic equivalent daylight illuminance (EDI) lux) or blue-enriched white light of three different levels [37, 92, 190 melanopic EDI lux; 6500 K]. For the analysis, 15 and then 14 participants were included in the attentional and emotional tasks, respectively. Generalised linear mixed models showed a significant main effect of light level on the task-evoked pupil responses triggered by the attentional and emotional tasks (p ≤ 0.0001). The impact of light was different for the target versus non-target stimulus of the attentional task but was not different for the emotional and neutral stimulus of the emotional task. There is a smaller sustained pupil size during brighter light blocks but, a higher light level triggers a stronger task-evoked pupil response to auditory stimulation, presumably through the recruitment of the locus coeruleus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Islay Campbell
- GIGA-Cyclotron Research Centre-In Vivo Imaging, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Elise Beckers
- GIGA-Cyclotron Research Centre-In Vivo Imaging, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
- Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Alzheimer Centre Limburg, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Roya Sharifpour
- GIGA-Cyclotron Research Centre-In Vivo Imaging, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Alexandre Berger
- GIGA-Cyclotron Research Centre-In Vivo Imaging, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
- Institute of Neuroscience (IoNS), Université Catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain), Brussels, Belgium
- Synergia Medical SA, Mont-Saint-Guibert, Belgium
| | - Ilenia Paparella
- GIGA-Cyclotron Research Centre-In Vivo Imaging, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | | | - Ekaterina Koshmanova
- GIGA-Cyclotron Research Centre-In Vivo Imaging, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Nasrin Mortazavi
- GIGA-Cyclotron Research Centre-In Vivo Imaging, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Siya Sherif
- GIGA-Cyclotron Research Centre-In Vivo Imaging, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Gilles Vandewalle
- GIGA-Cyclotron Research Centre-In Vivo Imaging, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
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3
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Lum JAG, Barham MP, Hill AT. Pupillometry reveals resting state alpha power correlates with individual differences in adult auditory language comprehension. Cortex 2024; 177:1-14. [PMID: 38821014 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2024.02.019] [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: 11/06/2023] [Revised: 02/09/2024] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 06/02/2024]
Abstract
Although individual differences in adult language processing are well-documented, the neural basis of this variability remains largely unexplored. The current study addressed this gap in the literature by examining the relationship between resting state alpha activity and individual differences in auditory language comprehension. Alpha oscillations modulate cortical excitability, facilitating efficient information processing in the brain. While resting state alpha oscillations have been tied to individual differences in cognitive performance, their association with auditory language comprehension is less clear. Participants in the study were 80 healthy adults with a mean age of 25.8 years (SD = 7.2 years). Resting state alpha activity was acquired using electroencephalography while participants looked at a benign stimulus for 3 min. Participants then completed a language comprehension task that involved listening to 'syntactically simple' subject-relative clause sentences and 'syntactically complex' object-relative clause sentences. Pupillometry measured real-time processing demand changes, with larger pupil dilation indicating increased processing loads. Replicating past research, comprehending object relative clauses, compared to subject relative clauses, was associated with lower accuracy, slower reaction times, and larger pupil dilation. Resting state alpha power was found to be positively correlated with the pupillometry data. That is, participants with higher resting state alpha activity evidenced larger dilation during sentence comprehension. This effect was more pronounced for the 'complex' object sentences compared to the 'simple' subject sentences. These findings suggest the brain's capacity to generate a robust resting alpha rhythm contributes to variability in processing demands associated with auditory language comprehension, especially when faced with challenging syntactic structures. More generally, the study demonstrates that the intrinsic functional architecture of the brain likely influences individual differences in language comprehension.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jarrad A G Lum
- Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, School of Psychology, Deakin University, Australia.
| | - Michael P Barham
- Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, School of Psychology, Deakin University, Australia
| | - Aron T Hill
- Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, School of Psychology, Deakin University, Australia
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4
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Lamba A, Frank MJ, FeldmanHall O. Keeping an eye out for change: Anxiety disrupts adaptive resolution of policy uncertainty. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY. COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2024:S2451-9022(24)00203-9. [PMID: 39069235 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2024.07.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2024] [Revised: 07/17/2024] [Accepted: 07/17/2024] [Indexed: 07/30/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Human learning unfolds under uncertainty. Uncertainty is heterogeneous with different forms exerting distinct influences on learning. While one can be uncertain about what to do to maximize rewarding outcomes, known as policy uncertainty, one can also be uncertain about general world knowledge, known as epistemic uncertainty. In complex and naturalistic environments such as the social world, adaptive learning may hinge on striking a balance between attending to and resolving each type of uncertainty. Prior work illustrates that people with anxiety-those with increased threat and uncertainty sensitivity-learn less from aversive outcomes, particularly as outcomes become more uncertain. How does a learner adaptively trade-off between attending to these distinct sources of uncertainty to successfully learn about their social environment? METHODS We developed a novel eye-tracking method to capture highly granular estimates of policy and epistemic uncertainty based on gaze patterns and pupil diameter (a physiological estimate of arousal) RESULTS: These empirically derived uncertainty measures reveal that humans (N = 94) flexibly switch between resolving policy and epistemic uncertainty to adaptively learn about which individuals can be trusted and which should be avoided. However, those with increased anxiety (N = 49) do not flexibly switch between resolving policy and epistemic uncertainty, and instead express less uncertainty overall CONCLUSIONS: Combining modeling and eye-tracking techniques, we show that altered learning in people with anxiety emerges from an insensitivity to policy uncertainty and rigid choice policies, leading to maladaptive behaviors with untrustworthy people.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amrita Lamba
- Department of Cognitive & Psychological Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI; Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
| | - Michael J Frank
- Department of Cognitive & Psychological Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI; Carney Institute of Brain Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI
| | - Oriel FeldmanHall
- Department of Cognitive & Psychological Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI; Carney Institute of Brain Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI.
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5
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Wass SV, Mirza FU, Smith C. Understanding allostasis: Early-life self-regulation involves both up- and down-regulation of arousal. Child Dev 2024. [PMID: 39056636 DOI: 10.1111/cdev.14136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/28/2024]
Abstract
Optimal performance lies at intermediate autonomic arousal, but no previous research has examined whether the emergence of endogenous control associates with changes in children's up-regulation from hypo-arousal, as well as down-regulation from hyper-arousal. We used wearables to take day-long recordings from N = 58, 12-month-olds (60% white/58% female); and, in the same infants, we measured self-regulation in the lab with a still-face paradigm. Overall, our findings suggest that infants who showed more self-regulatory behaviors in the lab were more likely to actively change their behaviors in home settings moment-by-moment "on the fly" following changes in autonomic arousal, and that these changes result in up- as well as down-regulation. Implications for the role of atypical self-regulation in later psychopathology are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- S V Wass
- Department of Psychology, University of East London, London, UK
| | - F U Mirza
- Department of Psychology, University of East London, London, UK
| | - C Smith
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
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Yu J, Ji S, Tao H, Shan X, Yan Y, Sun X, Tu X, Li L, Deng C. Cell-specific expression of Cre recombinase in rat noradrenergic neurons via CRISPR-Cas9 system. Neuroscience 2024:S0306-4522(24)00345-2. [PMID: 39067682 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2024.07.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2024] [Revised: 05/01/2024] [Accepted: 07/18/2024] [Indexed: 07/30/2024]
Abstract
Noradrenergic neurons play a crucial role in the functioning of the nervous system. They formed compact small clusters in the central nervous system. To target noradrenergic neurons in combination with viral tracing and achieve cell-type specific functional manipulation using chemogenetic or optogenetic tools, new transgenic animal lines are needed, especially rat models for their advantages in large body size with facilitating easy operation, physiological parameter monitoring, and accommodating complex behavioral and cognitive studies. In this study, we successfully generated a transgenic rat strain capable of expressing Cre recombinase under the control of the dopamine beta-hydroxylase (DBH) gene promoter using the CRISPR-Cas9 system. Our validation process included co-immunostaining with Cre and DBH antibodies, confirming the specific expression of Cre recombinase. Furthermore, stereotaxic injection of a fluorescence-labeled AAV-DIO virus illustrated the precise Cre-loxP-mediated recombination activity in noradrenergic neurons within the locus coeruleus (LC). Through crossbreeding with the LSL-fluorescence reporter rat line, DBH-Cre rats proved instrumental in delineating the position and structure of noradrenergic neuron clusters A1, A2, A6 (LC), and A7 in rats. Additionally, our specific activation of the LC noradrenergic neurons showed effective behavioral readout using chemogenetics of this rat line. Our results underscore the effectiveness and specificity of Cre recombinase in noradrenergic neurons, serving as a robust tool for cell-type specific targeting of small-sized noradrenergic nuclei. This approach enhances our understanding of their anatomical, physiological, and pathological roles, contributing to a more profound comprehension of noradrenergic neuron function in the nervous system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingwei Yu
- Department of Urology and Andrology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, China
| | - Shuqin Ji
- Department of Urology and Andrology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, China
| | - Huixin Tao
- The Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Xiaochun Shan
- The Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Yu Yan
- The Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 101408, China
| | - Xiangzhou Sun
- Department of Urology and Andrology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, China
| | - Xiang'an Tu
- Department of Urology and Andrology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, China
| | - Lei Li
- The Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 101408, China; CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Behavior, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China.
| | - Chunhua Deng
- Department of Urology and Andrology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, China.
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7
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Font-Alaminos M, Paraskevoudi N, Costa-Faidella J, SanMiguel I. Do actions structure auditory memory? Action-based event segmentation effects on sensory responses, pupil dilation and sequential memory. Psychophysiology 2024:e14652. [PMID: 38992865 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.14652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2023] [Revised: 06/14/2024] [Accepted: 07/02/2024] [Indexed: 07/13/2024]
Abstract
Our actions shape our everyday experience: what we experience, how we perceive, and remember it are deeply affected by how we interact with the world. Performing an action to deliver a stimulus engages neurophysiological processes which are reflected in the modulation of sensory and pupil responses. We hypothesized that these processes shape memory encoding, parsing the experience by grouping self- and externally generated stimuli into differentiated events. Participants encoded sound sequences, in which either the first or last few sounds were self-generated and the rest externally generated. We tested recall of the sequential order of sounds that had originated from the same (within event) or different sources (across events). Memory performance was not higher for within-event sounds, suggesting that actions did not structure the memory representation. However, during encoding, we observed the expected electrophysiological response attenuation for self-generated sounds, together with increased pupil dilation triggered by actions. Moreover, at the boundary between events, physiological responses to the first sound from the new source were influenced by the direction of the source switch. Our results suggest that introducing actions creates a stronger contextual shift than removing them, even though actions do not directly contribute to memory performance. This study contributes to our understanding of how interacting with sensory input shapes experiences by exploring the relationships between action effects on sensory responses, pupil dilation, and memory encoding. Importantly, it challenges the notion of a meaningful contribution from low-level neurophysiological mechanisms associated with action execution in the modulation of the self-generation effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Font-Alaminos
- Brainlab-Cognitive Neuroscience Research Group, Departament de Psicologia Clinica i Psicobiologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Nadia Paraskevoudi
- Brainlab-Cognitive Neuroscience Research Group, Departament de Psicologia Clinica i Psicobiologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jordi Costa-Faidella
- Brainlab-Cognitive Neuroscience Research Group, Departament de Psicologia Clinica i Psicobiologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, Spain
| | - Iria SanMiguel
- Brainlab-Cognitive Neuroscience Research Group, Departament de Psicologia Clinica i Psicobiologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, Spain
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8
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Giraudier M, Ventura-Bort C, Weymar M. Effects of Transcutaneous Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation on the P300: Do Stimulation Duration and Stimulation Type Matter? Brain Sci 2024; 14:690. [PMID: 39061430 PMCID: PMC11274684 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci14070690] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2024] [Revised: 07/05/2024] [Accepted: 07/08/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Non-invasive transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) has attracted increasing interest as a neurostimulation tool with potential applications in modulating cognitive processes such as attention and memory, possibly through the modulation of the locus-coeruleus noradrenaline system. Studies examining the P300 brain-related component as a correlate of noradrenergic activity, however, have yielded inconsistent findings, possibly due to differences in stimulation parameters, thus necessitating further investigation. In this event-related potential study involving 61 participants, therefore, we examined how changes in taVNS parameters, specifically stimulation type (interval vs. continuous stimulation) and duration, influence P300 amplitudes during a visual novelty oddball task. Although no effects of stimulation were found over the whole cluster and time window of the P300, cluster-based permutation tests revealed a distinct impact of taVNS on the P300 response for a small electrode cluster, characterized by larger amplitudes observed for easy targets (i.e., stimuli that are easily discernible from standards) following taVNS compared to sham stimulation. Notably, our findings suggested that the type of stimulation significantly modulated taVNS effects on the P300, with continuous stimulation showing larger P300 differences (taVNS vs. sham) for hard targets and standards compared to interval stimulation. We observed no interaction effects of stimulation duration on the target-related P300. While our findings align with previous research, further investigation is warranted to fully elucidate the influence of taVNS on the P300 component and its potential utility as a reliable marker for neuromodulation in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manon Giraudier
- Department of Biological Psychology and Affective Science, Faculty of Human Sciences, University of Potsdam, Campus Golm, Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 24/25, 14476 Potsdam, Germany; (C.V.-B.); (M.W.)
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9
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Xu S, Zhang H, Fan J, Jiang X, Zhang M, Guan J, Ding H, Zhang Y. Auditory Challenges and Listening Effort in School-Age Children With Autism: Insights From Pupillary Dynamics During Speech-in-Noise Perception. JOURNAL OF SPEECH, LANGUAGE, AND HEARING RESEARCH : JSLHR 2024; 67:2410-2453. [PMID: 38861391 DOI: 10.1044/2024_jslhr-23-00553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE This study aimed to investigate challenges in speech-in-noise (SiN) processing faced by school-age children with autism spectrum conditions (ASCs) and their impact on listening effort. METHOD Participants, including 23 Mandarin-speaking children with ASCs and 19 age-matched neurotypical (NT) peers, underwent sentence recognition tests in both quiet and noisy conditions, with a speech-shaped steady-state noise masker presented at 0-dB signal-to-noise ratio in the noisy condition. Recognition accuracy rates and task-evoked pupil responses were compared to assess behavioral performance and listening effort during auditory tasks. RESULTS No main effect of group was found on accuracy rates. Instead, significant effects emerged for autistic trait scores, listening conditions, and their interaction, indicating that higher trait scores were associated with poorer performance in noise. Pupillometric data revealed significantly larger and earlier peak dilations, along with more varied pupillary dynamics in the ASC group relative to the NT group, especially under noisy conditions. Importantly, the ASC group's peak dilation in quiet mirrored that of the NT group in noise. However, the ASC group consistently exhibited reduced mean dilations than the NT group. CONCLUSIONS Pupillary responses suggest a different resource allocation pattern in ASCs: An initial sharper and larger dilation may signal an intense, narrowed resource allocation, likely linked to heightened arousal, engagement, and cognitive load, whereas a subsequent faster tail-off may indicate a greater decrease in resource availability and engagement, or a quicker release of arousal and cognitive load. The presence of noise further accentuates this pattern. This highlights the unique SiN processing challenges children with ASCs may face, underscoring the importance of a nuanced, individual-centric approach for interventions and support.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suyun Xu
- Speech-Language-Hearing Center, School of Foreign Languages, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China
- National Research Centre for Language and Well-Being, Shanghai, China
| | - Hua Zhang
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, China
| | - Juan Fan
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, China
| | - Xiaoming Jiang
- Institute of Linguistics, Shanghai International Studies University, China
| | - Minyue Zhang
- Speech-Language-Hearing Center, School of Foreign Languages, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China
- National Research Centre for Language and Well-Being, Shanghai, China
| | | | - Hongwei Ding
- Speech-Language-Hearing Center, School of Foreign Languages, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China
- National Research Centre for Language and Well-Being, Shanghai, China
| | - Yang Zhang
- Department of Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences and Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis
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10
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Ghosh S, Maunsell JHR. Locus coeruleus norepinephrine contributes to visual-spatial attention by selectively enhancing perceptual sensitivity. Neuron 2024; 112:2231-2240.e5. [PMID: 38701788 PMCID: PMC11223979 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2024.04.001] [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: 11/07/2023] [Revised: 03/07/2024] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024]
Abstract
Selectively focusing on a behaviorally relevant stimulus while ignoring irrelevant stimuli improves perception. Enhanced neuronal response gain is thought to support attention-related improvements in detection and discrimination. However, understanding of the neuronal pathways regulating perceptual sensitivity remains limited. Here, we report that responses of norepinephrine (NE) neurons in the locus coeruleus (LC) of non-human primates to behaviorally relevant sensory stimuli promote visual discrimination in a spatially selective way. LC-NE neurons spike in response to a visual stimulus appearing in the contralateral hemifield only when that stimulus is attended. This spiking is associated with enhanced behavioral sensitivity, is independent of motor control, and is absent on error trials. Furthermore, optogenetically activating LC-NE neurons selectively improves monkeys' contralateral stimulus detection without affecting motor criteria, supporting NE's causal role in granular cognitive control of selective attention at a cellular level, beyond its known diffuse and non-selective functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Supriya Ghosh
- Department of Neurobiology and Neuroscience Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA.
| | - John H R Maunsell
- Department of Neurobiology and Neuroscience Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
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11
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Krauzlis RJ, Subramanian D, Yu G, Katz LN. Attention: The blue spot reveals one of its secrets. Neuron 2024; 112:2083-2085. [PMID: 38964283 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2024.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2024] [Revised: 06/04/2024] [Accepted: 06/04/2024] [Indexed: 07/06/2024]
Abstract
The locus coeruleus is the seat of a brain-wide neuromodulatory circuit. Using optogenetic and electrophysiological tools to selectively interrogate noradrenergic neurons in non-human primates, Ghosh and Maunsell show how locus coeruleus neurons contribute to a specific aspect of visual attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard J Krauzlis
- Laboratory of Sensorimotor Research, National Eye Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
| | - Divya Subramanian
- Laboratory of Sensorimotor Research, National Eye Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Gongchen Yu
- Laboratory of Sensorimotor Research, National Eye Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Leor N Katz
- Laboratory of Sensorimotor Research, National Eye Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
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12
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Weigard A, Angstadt M, Taxali A, Heathcote A, Heitzeg MM, Sripada C. Flexible adaptation of task-positive brain networks predicts efficiency of evidence accumulation. Commun Biol 2024; 7:801. [PMID: 38956310 PMCID: PMC11220037 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-06506-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 06/25/2024] [Indexed: 07/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Efficiency of evidence accumulation (EEA), an individual's ability to selectively gather goal-relevant information to make adaptive choices, is thought to be a key neurocomputational mechanism associated with cognitive functioning and transdiagnostic risk for psychopathology. However, the neural basis of individual differences in EEA is poorly understood, especially regarding the role of largescale brain network dynamics. We leverage data from 5198 participants from the Human Connectome Project and Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study to demonstrate a strong association between EEA and flexible adaptation to cognitive demand in the "task-positive" frontoparietal and dorsal attention networks. Notably, individuals with higher EEA displayed divergent task-positive network activation across n-back task conditions: higher activation under high cognitive demand (2-back) and lower activation under low demand (0-back). These findings suggest that brain networks' flexible adaptation to cognitive demands is a key neural underpinning of EEA.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mike Angstadt
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA
| | - Aman Taxali
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA
| | - Andrew Heathcote
- Department of Psychological Methods, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Mary M Heitzeg
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA
| | - Chandra Sripada
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA
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13
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Szabadi E. Three paradoxes related to the mode of action of pramipexole: The path from D2/D3 dopamine receptor stimulation to modification of dopamine-modulated functions. J Psychopharmacol 2024; 38:581-596. [PMID: 39041250 DOI: 10.1177/02698811241261022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/24/2024]
Abstract
Pramipexole, a D2/D3 dopamine receptor agonist, is used to treat the motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease, caused by degeneration of the dopaminergic nigrostriatal pathway. There are three paradoxes associated with its mode of action. Firstly, stimulation of D2/D3 receptors leads to neuronal inhibition, although pramipexole does not inhibit but promotes some dopamine-modulated functions, such as locomotion and reinforcement. Secondly, another dopamine-modulated function, arousal, is not promoted but inhibited by pramipexole, leading to sedation. Thirdly, pramipexole-evoked sedation is associated with an increase in pupil diameter, although sedation is expected to cause pupil constriction. To resolve these paradoxes, the path from stimulation of D2/D3 receptors to the modification of dopamine-modulated functions has been tracked. The functions considered are modulated by midbrain dopaminergic nuclei: locomotion - substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc), reinforcement/motivation - ventral tegmental area (VTA), sympathetic activity (as reflected in pupil function) - VTA; arousal - ventral periaqueductal grey (vPAG), with contributions from VTA and SNc. The application of genetics-based molecular techniques (optogenetics and chemogenetics) has enabled tracing the chains of neurones from the dopaminergic nuclei to their final targets executing the functions. The functional neuronal circuits linked to the D2/D3 receptors in the dorsal and ventral striata, stimulated by inputs from SNc and VTA, respectively, may explain how neuronal inhibition induced by pramipexole is translated into the promotion of locomotion, reinforcement/motivation and sympathetic activity. As the vPAG may increase arousal mainly by stimulating cortical D1 dopamine receptors, pramipexole would stimulate only presynaptic D2/D3 receptors on vPAG neurones, curtailing their activity and leading to sedation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elemer Szabadi
- Developmental Psychiatry, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
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14
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Kiss L, Szikora B, Linnell KJ. Music in the eye of the beholder: a pupillometric study on preferred background music, attentional state, and arousal. PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2024; 88:1616-1628. [PMID: 38652303 PMCID: PMC11281972 DOI: 10.1007/s00426-024-01963-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2023] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
Although background music listening during attention-demanding tasks is common, there is little research on how it affects fluctuations in attentional state and how these fluctuations are linked to physiological arousal. The present study built on Kiss and Linnell (2021) - showing a decrease in mind-wandering and increase in task-focus states with background music - to explore the link between attentional state and arousal with and without background music. 39 students between the ages of 19-32 completed a variation of the Psychomotor Vigilance Task in silence and with their self-selected background music (music they would normally listen to during attention-demanding tasks). Objective arousal measures (pretrial pupil diameter and task-evoked pupillary responses) and subjective attentional state measures (mind-wandering, task-focus, and external-distraction states) were collected throughout the task. Results showed a link between attentional state and arousal and indicated that background music increased arousal. Importantly, arousal mediated the effect of music to decrease mind-wandering and increase task-focus attentional states, suggesting that the arousal increase induced by music was behind the changes in attentional states. These findings show, for the first time in the context of background music listening, that there is a link between arousal and attentional state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Kiss
- Department of Psychology, Goldsmiths University of London, 8 Lewisham Way New Cross, London, SE14 6NW, UK.
| | | | - Karina J Linnell
- Department of Psychology, Goldsmiths University of London, 8 Lewisham Way New Cross, London, SE14 6NW, UK
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15
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Geng H, Xu P, Aleman A, Qin S, Luo YJ. Dynamic Organization of Large-scale Functional Brain Networks Supports Interactions Between Emotion and Executive Control. Neurosci Bull 2024; 40:981-991. [PMID: 38261252 PMCID: PMC11250766 DOI: 10.1007/s12264-023-01168-w] [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: 05/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Emotion and executive control are often conceptualized as two distinct modes of human brain functioning. Little, however, is known about how the dynamic organization of large-scale functional brain networks that support flexible emotion processing and executive control, especially their interactions. The amygdala and prefrontal systems have long been thought to play crucial roles in these processes. Recent advances in human neuroimaging studies have begun to delineate functional organization principles among the large-scale brain networks underlying emotion, executive control, and their interactions. Here, we propose a dynamic brain network model to account for interactive competition between emotion and executive control by reviewing recent resting-state and task-related neuroimaging studies using network-based approaches. In this model, dynamic interactions among the executive control network, the salience network, the default mode network, and sensorimotor networks enable dynamic processes of emotion and support flexible executive control of multiple processes; neural oscillations across multiple frequency bands and the locus coeruleus-norepinephrine pathway serve as communicational mechanisms underlying dynamic synergy among large-scale functional brain networks. This model has important implications for understanding how the dynamic organization of complex brain systems and networks empowers flexible cognitive and affective functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haiyang Geng
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
- Tianqiao and Chrissy, Chen Institute for Translational Research, Shanghai, 200040, China
| | - Pengfei Xu
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Applied Experimental Psychology, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Psychology Education (BNU), Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
- Center for Neuroimaging, Shenzhen Institute of Neuroscience, Shenzhen, 518107, China
| | - Andre Aleman
- University of Groningen, Department of Biomedical Sciences of Cells and Systems, Section Cognitive Neuroscience, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Shaozheng Qin
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China.
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, 102206, China.
| | - Yue-Jia Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China.
- Institute for Neuropsychological Rehabilitation, University of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Qingdao, 266113, China.
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Affective and Social Neuroscience, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Center for Brain Disorders and Cognitive Sciences, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China.
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16
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Nuiten SA, de Gee JW, Zantvoord JB, Fahrenfort JJ, van Gaal S. Pharmacological Elevation of Catecholamine Levels Improves Perceptual Decisions, But Not Metacognitive Insight. eNeuro 2024; 11:ENEURO.0019-24.2024. [PMID: 39029953 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0019-24.2024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2024] [Revised: 07/12/2024] [Accepted: 07/15/2024] [Indexed: 07/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Perceptual decisions are often accompanied by a feeling of decision confidence. Where the parietal cortex is known for its crucial role in shaping such perceptual decisions, metacognitive evaluations are thought to additionally rely on the (pre)frontal cortex. Because of this supposed neural differentiation between these processes, perceptual and metacognitive decisions may be divergently affected by changes in internal (e.g., attention, arousal) and external (e.g., task and environmental demands) factors. Although intriguing, causal evidence for this hypothesis remains scarce. Here, we investigated the causal effect of two neuromodulatory systems on behavioral and neural measures of perceptual and metacognitive decision-making. Specifically, we pharmacologically elevated levels of catecholamines (with atomoxetine) and acetylcholine (with donepezil) in healthy adult human participants performing a visual discrimination task in which we gauged decision confidence, while electroencephalography was measured. Where cholinergic effects were not robust, catecholaminergic enhancement improved perceptual sensitivity, while at the same time leaving metacognitive sensitivity unaffected. Neurally, catecholaminergic elevation did not affect sensory representations of task-relevant visual stimuli but instead enhanced well-known decision signals measured over the centroparietal cortex, reflecting the accumulation of sensory evidence over time. Crucially, catecholaminergic enhancement concurrently impoverished neural markers measured over the frontal cortex linked to the formation of metacognitive evaluations. Enhanced catecholaminergic neuromodulation thus improves perceptual but not metacognitive decision-making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stijn A Nuiten
- Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Amsterdam Brain & Cognition, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Department of Psychiatry (UPK), University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Jan Willem de Gee
- Amsterdam Brain & Cognition, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Cognitive and Systems Neuroscience, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Jasper B Zantvoord
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam UMC location AMC, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Johannes J Fahrenfort
- Institute for Brain and Behavior Amsterdam, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Department of Experimental and Applied Psychology - Cognitive Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Simon van Gaal
- Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Amsterdam Brain & Cognition, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
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Choudhary AG, Awathale SN, Dudhabhate BB, Pawar N, Jadhav G, Upadhya MA, Khedkar T, Gadhikar YA, Sakharkar AJ, Subhedar NK, Kokare DM. Response of nitrergic system in the brain of rat conditioned to intracranial self-stimulation. J Neurochem 2024; 168:1402-1419. [PMID: 38445395 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.16090] [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: 07/06/2023] [Revised: 02/15/2024] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024]
Abstract
The role of nitrergic system in modulating the action of psychostimulants on reward processing is well established. However, the relevant anatomical underpinnings and scope of the involved interactions with mesolimbic dopaminergic system have not been clarified. Using immunohistochemistry, we track the changes in neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) containing cell groups in the animals conditioned to intracranial self-stimulation (ICSS) via an electrode implanted in the lateral hypothalamus-medial forebrain bundle (LH-MFB) area. An increase in the nNOS immunoreactivity was noticed in the cells and fibers in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and nucleus accumbens shell (AcbSh), the primary loci of the reward system. In addition, nNOS was up-regulated in the nucleus accumbens core (AcbC), vertical limb of diagonal band (VDB), locus coeruleus (LC), lateral hypothalamus (LH), superficial gray layer (SuG) of the superior colliculus, and periaqueductal gray (PAG). The brain tissue fragments drawn from these areas showed a change in nNOS mRNA expression, but in opposite direction. Intracerebroventricular (icv) administration of nNOS inhibitor, 7-nitroindazole (7-NI) showed decreased lever press activity in a dose-dependent manner in ICSS task. While an increase in the dopamine (DA) and 3, 4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) efflux was noted in the microdialysates collected from the AcbSh of ICSS rats, pre-administration of 7-NI (icv route) attenuated the response. The study identifies nitrergic centers that probably mediate sensory, cognitive, and motor components of the goal-directed behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amit G Choudhary
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University, Nagpur, India
| | - Sanjay N Awathale
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University, Nagpur, India
| | - Biru B Dudhabhate
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University, Nagpur, India
| | - Namrata Pawar
- Department of Biotechnology, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune, India
| | - Gouri Jadhav
- Department of Biotechnology, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune, India
| | - Manoj A Upadhya
- Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Pune, India
| | - Trupti Khedkar
- Department of Zoology, Nabira Mahavidyalay, Katol, India
| | - Yashashree A Gadhikar
- Department of Zoology, Government Vidarbha Institute of Science and Humanities, Amravati, India
| | - Amul J Sakharkar
- Department of Biotechnology, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune, India
| | | | - Dadasaheb M Kokare
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University, Nagpur, India
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18
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Zouridis IS, Schmors L, Fischer KM, Berens P, Preston-Ferrer P, Burgalossi A. Juxtacellular recordings from identified neurons in the mouse locus coeruleus. Eur J Neurosci 2024; 60:3659-3676. [PMID: 38872397 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.16368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2023] [Revised: 03/15/2024] [Accepted: 04/11/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024]
Abstract
The locus coeruleus (LC) is the primary source of noradrenergic transmission in the mammalian central nervous system. This small pontine nucleus consists of a densely packed nuclear core-which contains the highest density of noradrenergic neurons-embedded within a heterogeneous surround of non-noradrenergic cells. This local heterogeneity, together with the small size of the LC, has made it particularly difficult to infer noradrenergic cell identity based on extracellular sampling of in vivo spiking activity. Moreover, the relatively high cell density, background activity and synchronicity of LC neurons have made spike identification and unit isolation notoriously challenging. In this study, we aimed at bridging these gaps by performing juxtacellular recordings from single identified neurons within the mouse LC complex. We found that noradrenergic neurons (identified by tyrosine hydroxylase, TH, expression; TH-positive) and intermingled putatively non-noradrenergic (TH-negative) cells displayed similar morphologies and responded to foot shock stimuli with excitatory responses; however, on average, TH-positive neurons exhibited more prominent foot shock responses and post-activation firing suppression. The two cell classes also displayed different spontaneous firing rates, spike waveforms and temporal spiking properties. A logistic regression classifier trained on spontaneous electrophysiological features could separate the two cell classes with 76% accuracy. Altogether, our results reveal in vivo electrophysiological correlates of TH-positive neurons, which can be useful for refining current approaches for the classification of LC unit activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ioannis S Zouridis
- Institute of Neurobiology, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Werner Reichardt Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, Tübingen, Germany
- Graduate Training Centre of Neuroscience, International Max-Planck Research School (IMPRS), Tübingen, Germany
| | - Lisa Schmors
- Werner Reichardt Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, Tübingen, Germany
- Hertie Institute for AI in Brain Health, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Kathrin Maite Fischer
- Institute of Neurobiology, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Werner Reichardt Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, Tübingen, Germany
- Graduate Training Centre of Neuroscience, International Max-Planck Research School (IMPRS), Tübingen, Germany
| | - Philipp Berens
- Werner Reichardt Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, Tübingen, Germany
- Hertie Institute for AI in Brain Health, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Tübingen AI Center, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Patricia Preston-Ferrer
- Institute of Neurobiology, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Werner Reichardt Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Andrea Burgalossi
- Institute of Neurobiology, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Werner Reichardt Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, Tübingen, Germany
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19
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Contier F, Wartenburger I, Weymar M, Rabovsky M. Are the P600 and P3 ERP components linked to the task-evoked pupillary response as a correlate of norepinephrine activity? Psychophysiology 2024; 61:e14565. [PMID: 38469647 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.14565] [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: 05/24/2023] [Revised: 02/28/2024] [Accepted: 02/29/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024]
Abstract
During language comprehension, anomalies and ambiguities in the input typically elicit the P600 event-related potential component. Although traditionally interpreted as a specific signal of combinatorial operations in sentence processing, the component has alternatively been proposed to be a variant of the oddball-sensitive, domain-general P3 component. In particular, both components might reflect phasic norepinephrine release from the locus coeruleus (LC/NE) to motivationally significant stimuli. In this preregistered study, we tested this hypothesis by relating both components to the task-evoked pupillary response, a putative biomarker of LC/NE activity. 36 participants completed a sentence comprehension task (containing 25% morphosyntactic violations) and a non-linguistic oddball task (containing 20% oddballs), while the EEG and pupil size were co-registered. Our results showed that the task-evoked pupillary response and the ERP amplitudes of both components were similarly affected by both experimental tasks. In the oddball task, there was also a temporally specific relationship between the P3 and the pupillary response beyond the shared oddball effect, thereby further linking the P3 to NE. Because this link was less reliable in the linguistic context, we did not find conclusive evidence for or against a relationship between the P600 and the pupillary response. Still, our findings further stimulate the debate on whether language-related ERPs are indeed specific to linguistic processes or shared across cognitive domains. However, further research is required to verify a potential link between the two ERP positivities and the LC/NE system as the common neural generator.
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Affiliation(s)
- Friederike Contier
- Cognitive Sciences, Department of Psychology, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Isabell Wartenburger
- Cognitive Sciences, Department of Linguistics, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Mathias Weymar
- Cognitive Sciences, Department of Psychology, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Milena Rabovsky
- Cognitive Sciences, Department of Psychology, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
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van Steenbergen H, Wilderjans TF, Band GPH, Nieuwenhuis ST. Boosting arousal and cognitive performance through alternating posture: Insights from a multi-method laboratory study. Psychophysiology 2024:e14634. [PMID: 38943231 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.14634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2023] [Revised: 06/01/2024] [Accepted: 06/01/2024] [Indexed: 07/01/2024]
Abstract
This study investigated the role of arousal and effort costs in the cognitive benefits of alternating between sitting and standing postures using a sit-stand desk, while measuring executive functions, self-reports, physiology, and neural activity in a 2-h laboratory session aimed to induce mental fatigue. Two sessions were conducted with a one-week gap, during which participants alternated between sitting and standing postures each 20-min block in one session and remained seated in the other. In each block, inhibition, switching, and updating were assessed. We examined effects of time-on-task, acute (local) effects of standing versus sitting posture, and cumulative (global) effects of a standing posture that generalize to the subsequent block in which participants sit. Results (N = 43) confirmed that time-on-task increased mental fatigue and decreased arousal. Standing (versus sitting) led to acute increases in arousal levels, including self-reports, alpha oscillations, and cardiac responses. Standing also decreased physiological and perceived effort costs. Standing enhanced processing speed in the flanker task, attributable to shortened nondecision time and speeded evidence accumulation processes. No significant effects were observed on higher-level executive functions. Alternating postures also increased heart rate variability cumulatively over time. Exploratory mediation analyses indicated that the positive impact of acute posture on enhanced drift rate was mediated by self-reported arousal, whereas decreased nondecision time was mediated by reductions in alpha power. In conclusion, alternating between sitting and standing postures can enhance arousal, decrease effort costs, and improve specific cognitive and physiological outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henk van Steenbergen
- Cognitive Psychology Unit, Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Tom F Wilderjans
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Methodology and Statistics Unit, Institute of Psychology, Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Research Group of Quantitative Psychology and Individual Differences, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Guido P H Band
- Cognitive Psychology Unit, Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Sander T Nieuwenhuis
- Cognitive Psychology Unit, Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden, The Netherlands
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21
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Kang Y, Toyoda H, Saito M. Search for unknown neural link between the masticatory and cognitive brain systems to clarify the involvement of its impairment in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease. Front Cell Neurosci 2024; 18:1425645. [PMID: 38994328 PMCID: PMC11236757 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2024.1425645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2024] [Accepted: 06/12/2024] [Indexed: 07/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Brain degenerations in sporadic Alzheimer's disease (AD) are observed earliest in the locus coeruleus (LC), a population of noradrenergic neurons, in which hyperphosphorylated tau protein expression and β-amyloid (Aβ) accumulation begin. Along with this, similar changes occur in the basal forebrain cholinergic neurons, such as the nucleus basalis of Meynert. Neuronal degeneration of the two neuronal nuclei leads to a decrease in neurotrophic factors such as brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the hippocampus and cerebral cortex, which results in the accumulation of Aβ and hyperphosphorylated tau protein and ultimately causes neuronal cell death in those cortices. On the other hand, a large number of epidemiological studies have shown that tooth loss or masticatory dysfunction is a risk factor for dementia including AD, and numerous studies using experimental animals have also shown that masticatory dysfunction causes brain degeneration in the basal forebrain, hippocampus, and cerebral cortex similar to those observed in human AD, and that learning and memory functions are impaired accordingly. However, it remains unclear how masticatory dysfunction can induce such brain degeneration similar to AD, and the neural mechanism linking the trigeminal nervous system responsible for mastication and the cognitive and memory brain system remains unknown. In this review paper, we provide clues to the search for such "missing link" by discussing the embryological, anatomical, and physiological relationship between LC and its laterally adjoining mesencephalic trigeminal nucleus which plays a central role in the masticatory functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Youngnam Kang
- Department of Behavioral Physiology, Osaka University Graduate School of Human Sciences, Osaka, Japan
| | - Hiroki Toyoda
- Department of Oral Physiology, Osaka University Graduate School of Dentistry, Osaka, Japan
| | - Mitsuru Saito
- Department of Oral Physiology, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima, Japan
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22
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Ludwig M, Yi YJ, Lüsebrink F, Callaghan MF, Betts MJ, Yakupov R, Weiskopf N, Dolan RJ, Düzel E, Hämmerer D. Functional locus coeruleus imaging to investigate an ageing noradrenergic system. Commun Biol 2024; 7:777. [PMID: 38937535 PMCID: PMC11211439 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-06446-5] [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: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2024] [Indexed: 06/29/2024] Open
Abstract
The locus coeruleus (LC), our main source of norepinephrine (NE) in the brain, declines with age and is a potential epicentre of protein pathologies in neurodegenerative diseases (ND). In vivo measurements of LC integrity and function are potentially important biomarkers for healthy ageing and early ND onset. In the present study, high-resolution functional MRI (fMRI), a reversal reinforcement learning task, and dedicated post-processing approaches were used to visualise age differences in LC function (N = 50). Increased LC responses were observed during emotionally and task-related salient events, with subsequent accelerations and decelerations in reaction times, respectively, indicating context-specific adaptive engagement of the LC. Moreover, older adults exhibited increased LC activation compared to younger adults, indicating possible compensatory overactivation of a structurally declining LC in ageing. Our study shows that assessment of LC function is a promising biomarker of cognitive aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mareike Ludwig
- Institute of Cognitive Neurology and Dementia Research, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany.
- CBBS Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Magdeburg, Germany.
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Magdeburg, Germany.
| | - Yeo-Jin Yi
- Institute of Cognitive Neurology and Dementia Research, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Falk Lüsebrink
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Magdeburg, Germany
- Biomedical Magnetic Resonance, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany
- NMR Methods Development Group, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Martina F Callaghan
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, UCL Queen Square, Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Matthew J Betts
- Institute of Cognitive Neurology and Dementia Research, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
- CBBS Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Magdeburg, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Renat Yakupov
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Nikolaus Weiskopf
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, UCL Queen Square, Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
- Department of Neurophysics, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
- Felix Bloch Institute for Solid State Physics, Faculty of Physics and Earth Sciences, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Raymond J Dolan
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, UCL Queen Square, Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
- Max Planck University College London Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, London, UK
| | - Emrah Düzel
- Institute of Cognitive Neurology and Dementia Research, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Magdeburg, Germany
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, UK
| | - Dorothea Hämmerer
- Institute of Cognitive Neurology and Dementia Research, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
- CBBS Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Magdeburg, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Magdeburg, Germany
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, UCL Queen Square, Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, UK
- Department of Psychology, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
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23
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Ohta H, Nozawa T, Nakano T, Morimoto Y, Ishizuka T. Nonlinear age-related differences in probabilistic learning in mice: A 5-armed bandit task study. Neurobiol Aging 2024; 142:8-16. [PMID: 39029360 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2024.06.004] [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: 02/03/2024] [Revised: 06/17/2024] [Accepted: 06/19/2024] [Indexed: 07/21/2024]
Abstract
This study explores the impact of aging on reinforcement learning in mice, focusing on changes in learning rates and behavioral strategies. A 5-armed bandit task (5-ABT) and a computational Q-learning model were used to evaluate the positive and negative learning rates and the inverse temperature across three age groups (3, 12, and 18 months). Results showed a significant decline in the negative learning rate of 18-month-old mice, which was not observed for the positive learning rate. This suggests that older mice maintain the ability to learn from successful experiences while decreasing the ability to learn from negative outcomes. We also observed a significant age-dependent variation in inverse temperature, reflecting a shift in action selection policy. Middle-aged mice (12 months) exhibited higher inverse temperature, indicating a higher reliance on previous rewarding experiences and reduced exploratory behaviors, when compared to both younger and older mice. This study provides new insights into aging research by demonstrating that there are age-related differences in specific components of reinforcement learning, which exhibit a non-linear pattern.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroyuki Ohta
- Department of Pharmacology, National Defense Medical College, 3-2 Namiki, Tokorozawa, Saitama 359-8513, Japan.
| | - Takashi Nozawa
- Mejiro University, 4-31-1 Naka-Ochiai, Shinjuku, Tokyo 161-8539, Japan
| | - Takashi Nakano
- Department of Computational Biology, School of Medicine, Fujita Health University, 1-98 Dengakugakubo, Kutsukake, Toyoake, Aichi 470-1192, Japan; International Center for Brain Science (ICBS), Fujita Health University, 1-98 Dengakugakubo, Kutsukake, Toyoake, Aichi 470-1192, Japan
| | - Yuji Morimoto
- Department of Physiology, National Defense Medical College, 3-2 Namiki, Tokorozawa, Saitama 359-8513, Japan
| | - Toshiaki Ishizuka
- Department of Pharmacology, National Defense Medical College, 3-2 Namiki, Tokorozawa, Saitama 359-8513, Japan
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Cao J, Luo J, Zhou J, Jiang Y. Attention switching through text dissimilarity: a cognition research on fragmented reading behavior. Front Hum Neurosci 2024; 18:1402746. [PMID: 38983754 PMCID: PMC11231079 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2024.1402746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2024] [Accepted: 06/03/2024] [Indexed: 07/11/2024] Open
Abstract
People tend to obtain information through fragmented reading. However, this behavior itself might lead to distraction and affect cognitive ability. To address it, it is necessary to understand how fragmented reading behavior influences readers' attention switching. In this study, the researchers first collected online news that had 6 theme words and 60 sentences to compose the experimental material, then defined the degree of text dissimilarity, used to measure the degree of attention switching based on the differences in text content, and conducted an EEG experiment based on P200. The results showed that even after reading the fragmented text content with the same overall content, people in subsequent cognitive tasks had more working memory capacity, lower working memory load, and less negative impact on cognitive ability with the text content with lower text dissimilarity. Additionally, attention switching caused by differences in concept or working memory representation of text content might be the key factor affecting cognitive ability in fragmented reading behavior. The findings disclosed the relation between cognitive ability and fragmented reading and attention switching, opening a new perspective on the method of text dissimilarity. This study provides some references on how to reduce the negative impact of fragmented reading on cognitive ability on new media platforms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingjing Cao
- School of Management Science and Real Estate, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
| | - Jingtao Luo
- College of Mechanical and Vehicle Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
| | - Jia Zhou
- School of Management Science and Real Estate, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yunshan Jiang
- School of Management Science and Real Estate, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
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25
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Lee YT, Chang YH, Tsai HJ, Chao SP, Chen DYT, Chen JT, Cherng YG, Wang CA. Altered pupil light and darkness reflex and eye-blink responses in late-life depression. BMC Geriatr 2024; 24:545. [PMID: 38914987 PMCID: PMC11194921 DOI: 10.1186/s12877-024-05034-w] [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: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 06/26/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Late-life depression (LLD) is a prevalent neuropsychiatric disorder in the older population. While LLD exhibits high mortality rates, depressive symptoms in older adults are often masked by physical health conditions. In younger adults, depression is associated with deficits in pupil light reflex and eye blink rate, suggesting the potential use of these responses as biomarkers for LLD. METHODS We conducted a study using video-based eye-tracking to investigate pupil and blink responses in LLD patients (n = 25), older (OLD) healthy controls (n = 29), and younger (YOUNG) healthy controls (n = 25). The aim was to determine whether there were alterations in pupil and blink responses in LLD compared to both OLD and YOUNG groups. RESULTS LLD patients displayed significantly higher blink rates and dampened pupil constriction responses compared to OLD and YOUNG controls. While tonic pupil size in YOUNG differed from that of OLD, LLD patients did not exhibit a significant difference compared to OLD and YOUNG controls. GDS-15 scores in older adults correlated with light and darkness reflex response variability and blink rates. PHQ-15 scores showed a correlation with blink rates, while MoCA scores correlated with tonic pupil sizes. CONCLUSIONS The findings demonstrate that LLD patients display altered pupil and blink behavior compared to OLD and YOUNG controls. These altered responses correlated differently with the severity of depressive, somatic, and cognitive symptoms, indicating their potential as objective biomarkers for LLD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yao-Tung Lee
- Department of Psychiatry, Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, New Taipei City, Taiwan
- Department of Psychiatry, Far Eastern Memorial Hospital, New Taipei City, Taiwan
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Hsuan Chang
- Eye-Tracking Laboratory, Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, New Taipei City, Taiwan
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, College of Health Science and Technology, National Central University, Taoyuan City, Taiwan
| | - Hsu-Jung Tsai
- Eye-Tracking Laboratory, Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, New Taipei City, Taiwan
| | - Shu-Ping Chao
- Taipei Neuroscience Institute, Taipei Medical University, New Taipei City, Taiwan
- Dementia Center, Department of Neurology, Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, New Taipei City, Taiwan
| | - David Yen-Ting Chen
- Department of Medical Image, Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, New Taipei City, Taiwan
- Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei City, Taiwan
| | - Jui-Tai Chen
- Department of Anesthesiology, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Department of Anesthesiology, Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, New Taipei City, Taiwan
| | - Yih-Giun Cherng
- Department of Anesthesiology, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Department of Anesthesiology, Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, New Taipei City, Taiwan
| | - Chin-An Wang
- Eye-Tracking Laboratory, Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, New Taipei City, Taiwan.
- Department of Anesthesiology, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.
- Department of Anesthesiology, Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, New Taipei City, Taiwan.
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26
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Li L, Rana AN, Li EM, Travis MO, Bruchas MR. Noradrenergic tuning of arousal is coupled to coordinated movements. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.18.599619. [PMID: 38948871 PMCID: PMC11212988 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.18.599619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/02/2024]
Abstract
Matching arousal level to the motor activity of an animal is important for efficiently allocating cognitive resources and metabolic supply in response to behavioral demands, but how the brain coordinates changes in arousal and wakefulness in response to motor activity remains an unclear phenomenon. We hypothesized that the locus coeruleus (LC), as the primary source of cortical norepinephrine (NE) and promoter of cortical and sympathetic arousal, is well-positioned to mediate movement-arousal coupling. Here, using a combination of physiological recordings, fiber photometry, optogenetics, and behavioral tracking, we show that the LCNE activation is tightly coupled to the return of organized movements during waking from an anesthetized state. Moreover, in an awake animal, movement initiations are coupled to LCNE activation, while movement arrests, to LCNE deactivation. We also report that LCNE activity covaries with the depth of anesthesia and that LCNE photoactivation leads to sympathetic activation, consistent with its role in mediating increased arousal. Together, these studies reveal a more nuanced, modulatory role that LCNE plays in coordinating movement and arousal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Li
- Departments of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
- Center for Neurobiology of Addiction, Pain, and Emotion, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
- Seattle Children's Research Institute" Seattle, WA 98101, USA
| | - Akshay N Rana
- Departments of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
- Center for Neurobiology of Addiction, Pain, and Emotion, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Esther M Li
- Departments of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
- Center for Neurobiology of Addiction, Pain, and Emotion, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98105, USA
| | - Myesa O Travis
- Seattle Children's Research Institute" Seattle, WA 98101, USA
| | - Michael R Bruchas
- Departments of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
- Center for Neurobiology of Addiction, Pain, and Emotion, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98105, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
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27
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Szarka G, Ganczer A, Balogh M, Tengölics ÁJ, Futácsi A, Kenyon G, Pan F, Kovács-Öller T, Völgyi B. Gap junctions fine-tune ganglion cell signals to equalize response kinetics within a given electrically coupled array. iScience 2024; 27:110099. [PMID: 38947503 PMCID: PMC11214328 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.110099] [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: 01/04/2024] [Revised: 03/06/2024] [Accepted: 05/22/2024] [Indexed: 07/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) summate inputs and forward a spike train code to the brain in the form of either maintained spiking (sustained) or a quickly decaying brief spike burst (transient). We report diverse response transience values across the RGC population and, contrary to the conventional transient/sustained scheme, responses with intermediary characteristics are the most abundant. Pharmacological tests showed that besides GABAergic inhibition, gap junction (GJ)-mediated excitation also plays a pivotal role in shaping response transience and thus visual coding. More precisely GJs connecting RGCs to nearby amacrine and RGCs play a defining role in the process. These GJs equalize kinetic features, including the response transience of transient OFF alpha (tOFFα) RGCs across a coupled array. We propose that GJs in other coupled neuron ensembles in the brain are also critical in the harmonization of response kinetics to enhance the population code and suit a corresponding task.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gergely Szarka
- University of Pécs, Szentágothai Research Centre, Pécs, Hungary
- University of Pécs, Department of Neurobiology, Pécs, Hungary
- MTA-PTE NAP 2 Retinal Electrical Synapses Research Group, Pécs, Hungary
- Center for Neuroscience, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
- SzKK Imaging Core Facility, Szentágothai Research Centre, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Alma Ganczer
- University of Pécs, Szentágothai Research Centre, Pécs, Hungary
- University of Pécs, Department of Neurobiology, Pécs, Hungary
- MTA-PTE NAP 2 Retinal Electrical Synapses Research Group, Pécs, Hungary
- Center for Neuroscience, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Márton Balogh
- University of Pécs, Szentágothai Research Centre, Pécs, Hungary
- University of Pécs, Department of Neurobiology, Pécs, Hungary
- MTA-PTE NAP 2 Retinal Electrical Synapses Research Group, Pécs, Hungary
- Center for Neuroscience, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Ádám Jonatán Tengölics
- University of Pécs, Szentágothai Research Centre, Pécs, Hungary
- University of Pécs, Department of Neurobiology, Pécs, Hungary
- MTA-PTE NAP 2 Retinal Electrical Synapses Research Group, Pécs, Hungary
- Center for Neuroscience, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Anett Futácsi
- University of Pécs, Szentágothai Research Centre, Pécs, Hungary
- MTA-PTE NAP 2 Retinal Electrical Synapses Research Group, Pécs, Hungary
- Center for Neuroscience, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
- SzKK Imaging Core Facility, Szentágothai Research Centre, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | | | - Feng Pan
- The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China
| | - Tamás Kovács-Öller
- University of Pécs, Szentágothai Research Centre, Pécs, Hungary
- University of Pécs, Department of Neurobiology, Pécs, Hungary
- MTA-PTE NAP 2 Retinal Electrical Synapses Research Group, Pécs, Hungary
- Center for Neuroscience, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
- SzKK Imaging Core Facility, Szentágothai Research Centre, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Béla Völgyi
- University of Pécs, Szentágothai Research Centre, Pécs, Hungary
- University of Pécs, Department of Neurobiology, Pécs, Hungary
- MTA-PTE NAP 2 Retinal Electrical Synapses Research Group, Pécs, Hungary
- Center for Neuroscience, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
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28
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Harding EK, Zhang Z, Canet-Pons J, Stokes-Heck S, Trang T, Zamponi GW. Expression of GAD2 in excitatory neurons projecting from the ventrolateral periaqueductal gray to the locus coeruleus. iScience 2024; 27:109972. [PMID: 38868198 PMCID: PMC11166693 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.109972] [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: 12/01/2023] [Revised: 01/12/2024] [Accepted: 05/10/2024] [Indexed: 06/14/2024] Open
Abstract
The ventrolateral periaqueductal gray (vlPAG) functionally projects to diverse brain regions, including the locus coeruleus (LC). Excitatory projections from the vlPAG to the LC are well described, while few studies have indicated the possibility of inhibitory projections. Here, we quantified the relative proportion of excitatory and inhibitory vlPAG-LC projections in male and female mice, and found an unexpected overlapping population of neurons expressing both GAD2 and VGLUT2. Combined in vitro optogenetic stimulation and electrophysiology of LC neurons revealed that vlPAG neurons expressing channelrhodopsin-2 under the GAD2 promoter release both GABA and glutamate. Subsequent experiments identified a population of GAD2+/VGLUT2+ vlPAG neurons exclusively releasing glutamate onto LC neurons. Altogether, we demonstrate that ∼25% of vlPAG-LC projections are inhibitory, and that there is a significant GAD2 expressing population of glutamatergic projections. Our findings have broad implications for the utility of GAD2-Cre lines within midbrain and brainstem regions, and especially within the PAG.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erika K. Harding
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Zizhen Zhang
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Julia Canet-Pons
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Sierra Stokes-Heck
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Tuan Trang
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Gerald W. Zamponi
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
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29
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Metha J, Ji Y, Braun C, Nicholson JR, De Lecea L, Murawski C, Hoyer D, Jacobson LH. Hypocretin-1 receptor antagonism improves inhibitory control during the Go/No-Go task in highly motivated, impulsive male mice. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2024:10.1007/s00213-024-06628-3. [PMID: 38886189 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-024-06628-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2024] [Accepted: 05/28/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024]
Abstract
RATIONALE Motivation and inhibitory control are dominantly regulated by the dopaminergic (DA) and noradrenergic (NA) systems, respectively. Hypothalamic hypocretin (orexin) neurons provide afferent inputs to DA and NA nuclei and hypocretin-1 receptors (HcrtR1) are implicated in reward and addiction. However, the role of the HcrtR1 in inhibitory control is not well understood. OBJECTIVES To determine the effects of HcrtR1 antagonism and motivational state in inhibitory control using the go/no-go task in mice. METHODS n = 23 male C57Bl/6JArc mice were trained in a go/no-go task. Decision tree dendrogram analysis of training data identified more and less impulsive clusters of animals. A HcrtR1 antagonist (BI001, 12.5 mg/kg, per os) or vehicle were then administered 30 min before go/no-go testing, once daily for 5 days, under high (food-restricted) and low (free-feeding) motivational states in a latin-square crossover design. Compound exposure levels were assessed in a satellite group of animals. RESULTS HcrtR1 antagonism increased go accuracy and decreased no-go accuracy in free-feeding animals overall, whereas it decreased go accuracy and increased no-go accuracy only in more impulsive, food restricted mice. HcrtR1 antagonism also showed differential effects in premature responding, which was increased in response to the antagonist in free-feeding, less impulsive animals, and decreased in food restricted, more impulsive animals. HcrtR1 receptor occupancy by BI001 was estimated at ~ 66% during the task. CONCLUSIONS These data indicate that hypocretin signalling plays roles in goal-directed behaviour and inhibitory control in a motivational state-dependant manner. While likely not useful in all settings, HcrtR1 antagonism may be beneficial in improving inhibitory control in impulsive subpopulations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy Metha
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
- Department of Finance, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
- Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
| | - Yijun Ji
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
- Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
- Circadian Misalignment and Shift Work Laboratory, Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Notting Hill, VIC, 3162, Australia
| | - Clemens Braun
- Drug Discovery Sciences, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, 88397 Biberach, Germany
| | - Janet R Nicholson
- CNS Diseases Research, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, 88397 Biberach, Germany
| | - Luis De Lecea
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Carsten Murawski
- Department of Finance, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
| | - Daniel Hoyer
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
- Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Laura H Jacobson
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia.
- Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia.
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30
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Grujic N, Polania R, Burdakov D. Neurobehavioral meaning of pupil size. Neuron 2024:S0896-6273(24)00406-9. [PMID: 38925124 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2024.05.029] [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: 11/24/2023] [Revised: 03/22/2024] [Accepted: 05/31/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
Pupil size is a widely used metric of brain state. It is one of the few signals originating from the brain that can be readily monitored with low-cost devices in basic science, clinical, and home settings. It is, therefore, important to investigate and generate well-defined theories related to specific interpretations of this metric. What exactly does it tell us about the brain? Pupils constrict in response to light and dilate during darkness, but the brain also controls pupil size irrespective of luminosity. Pupil size fluctuations resulting from ongoing "brain states" are used as a metric of arousal, but what is pupil-linked arousal and how should it be interpreted in neural, cognitive, and computational terms? Here, we discuss some recent findings related to these issues. We identify open questions and propose how to answer them through a combination of well-defined tasks, neurocomputational models, and neurophysiological probing of the interconnected loops of causes and consequences of pupil size.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikola Grujic
- Neurobehavioural Dynamics Lab, ETH Zürich, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, Schorenstrasse 16, 8603 Schwerzenbach, Switzerland.
| | - Rafael Polania
- Decision Neuroscience Lab, ETH Zürich, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, Winterthurstrasse 190, 8057 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Denis Burdakov
- Neurobehavioural Dynamics Lab, ETH Zürich, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, Schorenstrasse 16, 8603 Schwerzenbach, Switzerland.
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31
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Acosta MC, Hussein M, Saltzman W. Effects of acute inhibition of dopamine β-hydroxylase on neural responses to pups in adult virgin male California mice (Peromyscus californicus). Behav Brain Res 2024; 471:115116. [PMID: 38897419 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2024.115116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2024] [Revised: 06/09/2024] [Accepted: 06/15/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Abstract
The neural mechanisms underlying paternal care in biparental mammals are not well understood. The California mouse (Peromyscus californicus) is a biparental rodent in which virtually all fathers are attracted to pups, while virgin males vary widely in their behavior toward unrelated infants, ranging from attacking to avoiding to huddling and grooming pups. We previously showed that pharmacologically inhibiting the synthesis of the neurotransmitter norepinephrine (NE) with the dopamine β-hydroxylase inhibitor nepicastat reduced the propensity of virgin male and female California mice to interact with pups. The current study tested the hypothesis that nepicastat would reduce pup-induced c-Fos immunoreactivity, a cellular marker of neural activity, in the medial preoptic area (MPOA), medial amygdala (MeA), basolateral amygdala (BLA), and bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST), brain regions implicated in the control of parental behavior and/or anxiety. Virgin males were injected with nepicastat (75 mg/kg, i.p.) or vehicle 2 hours prior to exposure to either an unrelated pup or novel object for 60 minutes (n = 4-6 mice per group). Immediately following the 60-minute stimulus exposure, mice were euthanized and their brains were collected for c-Fos immunohistochemistry. Nepicastat reduced c-Fos expression in the MeA and MPOA of pup-exposed virgin males compared to vehicle-injected controls. In contrast, nepicastat did not alter c-Fos expression in any of the above brain regions following exposure to a novel object. Overall, these results suggest that the noradrenergic system might influence MeA and MPOA function to promote behavioral interactions with pups in virgin males.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melina C Acosta
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA; Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
| | - Manal Hussein
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
| | - Wendy Saltzman
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA; Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA.
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32
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Kuo CC, McCall JG. Neural circuit-selective, multiplexed pharmacological targeting of prefrontal cortex-projecting locus coeruleus neurons drives antinociception. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.08.598059. [PMID: 38895281 PMCID: PMC11185789 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.08.598059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Abstract
Selective manipulation of neural circuits using optogenetics and chemogenetics holds great translational potential but requires genetic access to neurons. Here, we demonstrate a general framework for identifying genetic tool-independent, pharmacological strategies for neural circuit-selective modulation. We developed an economically accessible calcium imaging-based approach for large-scale pharmacological scans of endogenous receptor-mediated neural activity. As a testbed for this approach, we used the mouse locus coeruleus due to the combination of its widespread, modular efferent neural circuitry and its wide variety of endogenously expressed GPCRs. Using machine learning-based action potential deconvolution and retrograde tracing, we identified an agonist cocktail that selectively inhibits medial prefrontal cortex-projecting locus coeruleus neurons. In vivo, this cocktail produces synergistic antinociception, consistent with selective pharmacological blunting of this neural circuit. This framework has broad utility for selective targeting of other neural circuits under different physiological and pathological states, facilitating non-genetic translational applications arising from cell type-selective discoveries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao-Cheng Kuo
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA; Center for Clinical Pharmacology, University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis and Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA; Washington University Pain Center, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Jordan G. McCall
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA; Center for Clinical Pharmacology, University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis and Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA; Washington University Pain Center, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
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Mahdavi K, Zendehdel M, Zarei H. The role of central neurotransmitters in appetite regulation of broilers and layers: similarities and differences. Vet Res Commun 2024; 48:1313-1328. [PMID: 38286893 DOI: 10.1007/s11259-024-10312-4] [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: 09/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 01/31/2024]
Abstract
The importance of feeding as a vital physiological function, on the one hand, and the spread of complications induced by its disorder in humans and animals, on the other hand, have led to extensive research on its regulatory factors. Unfortunately, despite many studies focused on appetite, only limited experiments have been conducted on avian, and our knowledge of this species is scant. Considering this, the purpose of this review article is to examine the role of central neurotransmitters in regulating food consumption in broilers and layers and highlight the similarities and differences between these two strains. The methodology of this review study includes a comprehensive search of relevant literature on the topic using appropriate keywords in reliable electronic databases. Based on the findings, the central effect of most neurotransmitters on the feeding of broilers and laying chickens was similar, but in some cases, such as dopamine, ghrelin, nitric oxide, and agouti-related peptide, differences were observed. Also, the lack of conducting a study on the role of some neurotransmitters in one of the bird strains made it impossible to make an exact comparison. Finally, it seems that although there are general similarities in appetite regulatory mechanisms in meat and egg-type chickens, the long-term genetic selection appropriate to breeding goals (meat or egg production) has caused differences in the effect of some neurotransmitters. Undoubtedly, conducting future studies while completing the missing links can lead to a comprehensive understanding of this process and its manipulation according to the breeding purposes of chickens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimia Mahdavi
- Department of Basic Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Tehran, 14155-6453, Iran
| | - Morteza Zendehdel
- Department of Basic Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Tehran, 14155-6453, Iran.
| | - Hamed Zarei
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Basic Science, Central Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
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Menicucci D, Animali S, Malloggi E, Gemignani A, Bonanni E, Fornai F, Giorgi FS, Binda P. Correlated P300b and phasic pupil-dilation responses to motivationally significant stimuli. Psychophysiology 2024; 61:e14550. [PMID: 38433453 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.14550] [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: 07/24/2023] [Revised: 02/11/2024] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
Motivationally significant events like oddball stimuli elicit both a characteristic event-related potential (ERPs) known as P300 and a set of autonomic responses including a phasic pupil dilation. Although co-occurring, P300 and pupil-dilation responses to oddball events have been repeatedly found to be uncorrelated, suggesting separate origins. We re-examined their relationship in the context of a three-stimulus version of the auditory oddball task, independently manipulating the frequency (rare vs. repeated) and motivational significance (relevance for the participant's task) of the stimuli. We used independent component analysis to derive a P300b component from EEG traces and linear modeling to separate a stimulus-related pupil-dilation response from a potentially confounding action-related response. These steps revealed that, once the complexity of ERP and pupil-dilation responses to oddball targets is accounted for, the amplitude of phasic pupil dilations and P300b are tightly and positively correlated (across participants: r = .69 p = .002), supporting their coordinated generation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danilo Menicucci
- Department of Surgical, Medical and Molecular Pathology and Critical Care Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Silvia Animali
- Department of Surgical, Medical and Molecular Pathology and Critical Care Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Eleonora Malloggi
- Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Angelo Gemignani
- Department of Surgical, Medical and Molecular Pathology and Critical Care Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Enrica Bonanni
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Francesco Fornai
- Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Filippo Sean Giorgi
- Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Paola Binda
- Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
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Koyun AH, Talebi N, Werner A, Wendiggensen P, Kuntke P, Roessner V, Beste C, Stock AK. Interactions of catecholamines and GABA+ in cognitive control: Insights from EEG and 1H-MRS. Neuroimage 2024; 293:120619. [PMID: 38679186 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2024.120619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2024] [Revised: 04/17/2024] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Catecholamines and amino acid transmitter systems are known to interact, the exact links and their impact on cognitive control functions have however remained unclear. Using a multi-modal imaging approach combining EEG and proton-magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS), we investigated the effect of different degrees of pharmacological catecholaminergic enhancement onto theta band activity (TBA) as a measure of interference control during response inhibition and execution. It was central to our study to evaluate the predictive impact of in-vivo baseline GABA+ concentrations in the striatum, the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and the supplemental motor area (SMA) of healthy adults under varying degrees of methylphenidate (MPH) stimulation. We provide evidence for a predictive interrelation of baseline GABA+ concentrations in cognitive control relevant brain areas onto task-induced TBA during response control stimulated with MPH. Baseline GABA+ concentrations in the ACC, the striatum, and the SMA had a differential impact on predicting interference control-related TBA in response execution trials. GABA+ concentrations in the ACC appeared to be specifically important for TBA modulations when the cognitive effort needed for interference control was high - that is when no prior task experience exists, or in the absence of catecholaminergic enhancement with MPH. The study highlights the predictive role of baseline GABA+ concentrations in key brain areas influencing cognitive control and responsiveness to catecholaminergic enhancement, particularly in high-effort scenarios.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Helin Koyun
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Schubertstrasse 42, Dresden D-01307, Germany
| | - Nasibeh Talebi
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Schubertstrasse 42, Dresden D-01307, Germany
| | - Annett Werner
- Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, TU Dresden, Germany
| | - Paul Wendiggensen
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Schubertstrasse 42, Dresden D-01307, Germany
| | - Paul Kuntke
- Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, TU Dresden, Germany
| | - Veit Roessner
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Schubertstrasse 42, Dresden D-01307, Germany
| | - Christian Beste
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Schubertstrasse 42, Dresden D-01307, Germany
| | - Ann-Kathrin Stock
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Schubertstrasse 42, Dresden D-01307, Germany.
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Silcox JW, Bennett K, Copeland A, Ferguson SH, Payne BR. The Costs (and Benefits?) of Effortful Listening for Older Adults: Insights from Simultaneous Electrophysiology, Pupillometry, and Memory. J Cogn Neurosci 2024; 36:997-1020. [PMID: 38579256 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_02161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/07/2024]
Abstract
Although the impact of acoustic challenge on speech processing and memory increases as a person ages, older adults may engage in strategies that help them compensate for these demands. In the current preregistered study, older adults (n = 48) listened to sentences-presented in quiet or in noise-that were high constraint with either expected or unexpected endings or were low constraint with unexpected endings. Pupillometry and EEG were simultaneously recorded, and subsequent sentence recognition and word recall were measured. Like young adults in prior work, we found that noise led to increases in pupil size, delayed and reduced ERP responses, and decreased recall for unexpected words. However, in contrast to prior work in young adults where a larger pupillary response predicted a recovery of the N400 at the cost of poorer memory performance in noise, older adults did not show an associated recovery of the N400 despite decreased memory performance. Instead, we found that in quiet, increases in pupil size were associated with delays in N400 onset latencies and increased recognition memory performance. In conclusion, we found that transient variation in pupil-linked arousal predicted trade-offs between real-time lexical processing and memory that emerged at lower levels of task demand in aging. Moreover, with increased acoustic challenge, older adults still exhibited costs associated with transient increases in arousal without the corresponding benefits.
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Ilipilla G, Arnold LE. The role of adrenergic neurotransmitter reuptake inhibitors in the ADHD armamentarium. Expert Opin Pharmacother 2024; 25:945-956. [PMID: 38900676 DOI: 10.1080/14656566.2024.2369197] [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: 03/05/2024] [Accepted: 06/13/2024] [Indexed: 06/22/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Adrenergic neurotransmitter reuptake inhibitors are gaining attention in treatment for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Due to their effects on norepinephrine, dopamine, and serotonin neurotransmission, they benefit both ADHD and comorbid disorders and have some other advantages including longer duration of action and fewer adverse effects compared to stimulants. There is continued interest in these agents with novel mechanisms of action in treatment of ADHD. AREAS COVERED The authors conducted a PubMed literature search using the following key words: 'ADHD' AND 'adrenergic reuptake inhibitors' OR 'nonstimulants' OR 'atomoxetine' OR 'Viloxazine' OR 'Dasotraline' OR 'Centanafadine' OR 'PDC-1421' OR 'Reboxetine' OR 'Edivoxetine' OR 'Bupropion' OR 'Venlafaxine' OR 'Duloxetine.' They reviewed FDA fact sheets of available medications for safety/tolerability studies and reviewed published clinical studies of these medications for treatment of ADHD. EXPERT OPINION Adrenergic neurotransmitter reuptake inhibitors fit the diverse needs of children and adolescents with ADHD with 1) poor tolerability to stimulants (e.g. due to growth suppression, insomnia, rebound irritability, co-morbid depression, anxiety and tic disorders, substance abuse or diversion concerns), 2) cardiac risks, and/or 3) need for extended duration of action. Their differences in receptor affinities and modulating effects support the unique benefits of individual agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geeta Ilipilla
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Nationwide Childrens Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA
- Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - L Eugene Arnold
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Nisonger Center Clinical Trials Program, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA
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Mækelæ MJ, Kreis IV, Pfuhl G. Teleological reasoning bias is predicted by pupil dynamics: Evidence for the extensive integration account of bias in reasoning. Psychophysiology 2024; 61:e14532. [PMID: 38282116 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.14532] [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: 12/13/2022] [Revised: 10/13/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 01/30/2024]
Abstract
Teleological reasoning is the tendency for humans to see purpose and intentionality in natural phenomena when there is none. In this study, we assess three competing theories on how bias in reasoning arises by examining performance on a teleological reasoning task while measuring pupil size and response times. We replicate that humans (N = 45) are prone to accept false teleological explanations. Further, we show that errors on the teleological reasoning task are associated with slower response times, smaller baseline pupil size, and larger pupil dilations. The results are in line with the single-process extensive integration account and directly oppose predictions from dual-processing accounts. Lastly, by modeling responses with a drift-diffusion model, we find that larger baseline pupil size is associated with lower decision threshold and higher drift rate, whereas larger pupil dilations are associated with higher decision threshold and lower drift rate. The results highlight the role of neural gain and the Locus Coeruleus-Norepinephrine system in modulating evidence integration and bias in reasoning. Thus, teleological reasoning and susceptibility to bias likely arise due to extensive processing rather than through fast and effortless processing.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Isabel V Kreis
- Department of Psychology, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Gerit Pfuhl
- Department of Psychology, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
- Department of Psychology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
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Ten Brink AF, Heiner I, Dijkerman HC, Strauch C. Pupil dilation reveals the intensity of touch. Psychophysiology 2024; 61:e14538. [PMID: 38362931 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.14538] [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: 11/28/2023] [Revised: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024]
Abstract
Touch is important for many aspects of our daily activities. One of the most important tactile characteristics is its perceived intensity. However, quantifying the intensity of perceived tactile stimulation is not always possible using overt responses. Here, we show that pupil responses can objectively index the intensity of tactile stimulation in the absence of overt participant responses. In Experiment 1 (n = 32), we stimulated three reportedly differentially sensitive body locations (finger, forearm, and calf) with a single tap of a tactor while tracking pupil responses. Tactile stimulation resulted in greater pupil dilation than a baseline without stimulation. Furthermore, pupils dilated more for the more sensitive location (finger) than for the less sensitive location (forearm and calf). In Experiment 2 (n = 20) we extended these findings by manipulating the intensity of the stimulation with three different intensities, here a short vibration, always at the little finger. Again, pupils dilated more when being stimulated at higher intensities as compared to lower intensities. In summary, pupils dilated more for more sensitive parts of the body at constant stimulation intensity and for more intense stimulation at constant location. Taken together, the results show that the intensity of perceived tactile stimulation can be objectively measured with pupil responses - and that such responses are a versatile marker for touch research. Our findings may pave the way for previously impossible objective tests of tactile sensitivity, for example in minimally conscious state patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonia F Ten Brink
- Experimental Psychology, Helmholtz Institute, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Iris Heiner
- Experimental Psychology, Helmholtz Institute, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - H Chris Dijkerman
- Experimental Psychology, Helmholtz Institute, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Christoph Strauch
- Experimental Psychology, Helmholtz Institute, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
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40
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Liebe T, Danyeli LV, Sen ZD, Li M, Kaufmann J, Walter M. Subanesthetic Ketamine Suppresses Locus Coeruleus-Mediated Alertness Effects: A 7T fMRI Study. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol 2024; 27:pyae022. [PMID: 38833581 PMCID: PMC11187989 DOI: 10.1093/ijnp/pyae022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2024] [Accepted: 06/03/2024] [Indexed: 06/06/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The NMDA antagonist S-ketamine is gaining increasing use as a rapid-acting antidepressant, although its exact mechanisms of action are still unknown. In this study, we investigated ketamine in respect to its properties toward central noradrenergic mechanisms and how they influence alertness behavior. METHODS We investigated the influence of S-ketamine on the locus coeruleus (LC) brain network in a placebo-controlled, cross-over, 7T functional, pharmacological MRI study in 35 healthy male participants (25.1 ± 4.2 years) in conjunction with the attention network task to measure LC-related alertness behavioral changes. RESULTS We could show that acute disruption of the LC alertness network to the thalamus by ketamine is related to a behavioral alertness reduction. CONCLUSION The results shed new light on the neural correlates of ketamine beyond the glutamatergic system and underpin a new concept of how it may unfold its antidepressant effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Liebe
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Jena, Jena, Germany
- University Clinic for Dermatology, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Lena Vera Danyeli
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Jena, Jena, Germany
- Center for Intervention and Research on Adaptive and Maladaptive Brain Circuits Underlying Mental Health (C-I-R-C), Halle-Jena-Magdeburg, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- German Center for Mental Health (DZPG), Partner site Halle-Jena-Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Zümrüt Duygu Sen
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Jena, Jena, Germany
- Center for Intervention and Research on Adaptive and Maladaptive Brain Circuits Underlying Mental Health (C-I-R-C), Halle-Jena-Magdeburg, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Meng Li
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Jena, Jena, Germany
- Center for Intervention and Research on Adaptive and Maladaptive Brain Circuits Underlying Mental Health (C-I-R-C), Halle-Jena-Magdeburg, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Jörn Kaufmann
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Jena, Jena, Germany
- Department of Neurology, University of Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Martin Walter
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Jena, Jena, Germany
- Center for Intervention and Research on Adaptive and Maladaptive Brain Circuits Underlying Mental Health (C-I-R-C), Halle-Jena-Magdeburg, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- German Center for Mental Health (DZPG), Partner site Halle-Jena-Magdeburg, Germany
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41
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Rose JM, Ganbold O, Rose AM, Thibodeau JC, Rotaru K. Overcoming resistance to belief revision and correction of misinformation beliefs: psychophysiological and behavioral effects of a counterfactual mindset. Sci Rep 2024; 14:12493. [PMID: 38822014 PMCID: PMC11143297 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-63230-5] [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: 04/05/2023] [Accepted: 05/27/2024] [Indexed: 06/02/2024] Open
Abstract
In a series of experiments involving beliefs and misinformation beliefs, we find that individuals who are prompted with a counterfactual mindset are significantly more likely to change their existing beliefs when presented with evidence that contradicts their beliefs. While research finds that beliefs that are considered part of one's identity are highly resistant to change in the face of evidence that challenges these beliefs, four experiments provide evidence that counterfactual generation causes individuals to adjust beliefs and correct misinformation beliefs in response to contradicting evidence. Indeed, we find that a counterfactual mindset was effective in promoting incorporation of accurate facts and causing individuals to revise misinformation beliefs about COVID vaccination safety for a large sample of individuals who have rejected COVID vaccinations. Finally, the results of the psychophysiological experiment reveal that counterfactual generation alters decision makers' search strategies, increases their cognitive arousal in response to evidence that challenges their beliefs, and increases their desire to seek out disconfirming evidence. Overall, the four experiments indicate that counterfactual generation can effectively activate mindsets that increase individuals' willingness to evaluate evidence that contradicts their beliefs and adjust their beliefs in response to evidence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob M Rose
- Department of Accounting, University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, CO, 80639, USA
| | - Odkhishig Ganbold
- Department of Medicine at Royal Melbourne Hospital, Melbourne Medical School, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, 3050, Australia
| | - Anna M Rose
- Department of Accounting, University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, CO, 80639, USA
| | - Jay C Thibodeau
- Department of Accounting, Bentley University, Waltham, MA, 02452, US
| | - Kristian Rotaru
- Department of Accounting, Monash Business School, Monash University, Caulfield East, VIC, 3145, Australia.
- The Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences and Monash Biomedical Imaging Facility, Monash University, BrainPark, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia.
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Tomasetti C, Autullo G, Ballerini A, de Bartolomeis A, Dell'Osso B, Fiorentini A, Tonioni F, Villari V, De Berardis D. Treating depression in patients with borderline personality disorder: clinical clues on the use of antidepressants. Ann Gen Psychiatry 2024; 23:21. [PMID: 38816843 PMCID: PMC11140967 DOI: 10.1186/s12991-024-00507-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2024] [Accepted: 05/23/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Personality disorders (PD) are described as enduring patterns of markedly deviant and pervasive inner experiences and behaviors, with onset in adolescence, which lead to severe distress or impairment. Patients suffering from major depressive disorder (MDD) display higher rates of comorbidity with personality disorders, often complicating the treatment, and worsening the outcomes. Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is the most common of PD and is frequently associated with MDD, with which shares several features. The most part of research agrees on the fact that comorbid BPD in MDD patients quite doubles the poor response to treatments. Moreover, no treatment strategy stands out currently to emerge as more effective in these cases, thus urging the call for the need of new approaches. Herein, we revise the current literature on BPD, its neurobiology and comorbidity with MDD, as well as the more recent treatment strategies used. Then, based on its pharmacology, we propose a possible role of trazodone as a valuable tool to approach comorbid BPD-MDD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carmine Tomasetti
- Department of Mental Health, Alzheimer Center of Giulianova, Hospital "Maria SS dello Splendore", ASL Teramo, Giulianova (TE), Italy.
| | - G Autullo
- Psychiatry and Psychology Institute, Catholic University of Sacred Heart of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - A Ballerini
- Psychiatry Unit, Department of Health Science, University of Florence, Largo Brambilla 3, Florence, 50134, Italy
| | - A de Bartolomeis
- Laboratory of Molecular and Translational Psychiatry and Unit of Treatment Resistant Psychosis, Section of Psychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, Reproductive Science and Dentistry, University of Naples "Federico II", Naples, Italy
| | - B Dell'Osso
- Department of Mental Health, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences Luigi Sacco, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - A Fiorentini
- Department of Neurosciences and Mental Health, Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Fondazione Istituto di Ricerca e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - F Tonioni
- Psychiatric Emergency Service, Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, A.O.U. "Città della Salute e della Scienza", Turin, Italy
| | - V Villari
- Psychiatry and Psychology Institute, Catholic University of Sacred Heart of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - D De Berardis
- Department of Mental Health, Mental Health Center of Giulianova, ASL Teramo, Teramo, Italy
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43
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Stark P, Bozkir E, Sójka W, Huff M, Kasneci E, Göllner R. The impact of presentation modes on mental rotation processing: a comparative analysis of eye movements and performance. Sci Rep 2024; 14:12329. [PMID: 38811593 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-60370-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024] Open
Abstract
Mental rotation is the ability to rotate mental representations of objects in space. Shepard and Metzler's shape-matching tasks, frequently used to test mental rotation, involve presenting pictorial representations of 3D objects. This stimulus material has raised questions regarding the ecological validity of the test for mental rotation with actual visual 3D objects. To systematically investigate differences in mental rotation with pictorial and visual stimuli, we compared data of N = 54 university students from a virtual reality experiment. Comparing both conditions within subjects, we found higher accuracy and faster reaction times for 3D visual figures. We expected eye tracking to reveal differences in participants' stimulus processing and mental rotation strategies induced by the visual differences. We statistically compared fixations (locations), saccades (directions), pupil changes, and head movements. Supplementary Shapley values of a Gradient Boosting Decision Tree algorithm were analyzed, which correctly classified the two conditions using eye and head movements. The results indicated that with visual 3D figures, the encoding of spatial information was less demanding, and participants may have used egocentric transformations and perspective changes. Moreover, participants showed eye movements associated with more holistic processing for visual 3D figures and more piecemeal processing for pictorial 2D figures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philipp Stark
- Hector Research Institute of Education Sciences and Psychology, University of Tübingen, Europastraße 6, 72072, Tübingen, Germany.
| | - Efe Bozkir
- Human-Computer Interaction, University of Tübingen, Sand 14, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
- Human-Centered Technologies for Learning, Technical University of Munich, Arcisstraße 21, 80333, Munich, Germany
| | - Weronika Sójka
- Hector Research Institute of Education Sciences and Psychology, University of Tübingen, Europastraße 6, 72072, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Markus Huff
- Department of Psychology, University of Tübingen, Schleichstraße 4, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
- Perception and Action Lab, Leibniz-Institut für Wissensmedien, Schleichstraße 6, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Enkelejda Kasneci
- Human-Centered Technologies for Learning, Technical University of Munich, Arcisstraße 21, 80333, Munich, Germany
| | - Richard Göllner
- Hector Research Institute of Education Sciences and Psychology, University of Tübingen, Europastraße 6, 72072, Tübingen, Germany
- Institute of Educational Science, Faculty of Human Sciences, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstraße 31, 93053, Regensburg, Germany
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44
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Hou W, Zhao W, Li J. Intact gesture cueing of attention but attenuated sensitivity to peripheral social targets in autistic children: An eye-tracking and pupillometric study. Biol Psychol 2024; 191:108822. [PMID: 38821466 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2024.108822] [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: 09/20/2023] [Revised: 04/05/2024] [Accepted: 05/26/2024] [Indexed: 06/02/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Altered automatic attention cueing has been reported in autistic children. Yet less is known about how autistic children would respond when the social cue that directs attention occurs in an implied social interaction. METHODS By using eye-tracking, the current study examined orienting responses to a socially-relevant target or a nonsocial target cued by a goal-directed social gesture in autistic children. Saccadic reaction time and pupillary responses were employed to measure gaze behavior and physiological arousal of autistic children. RESULTS Both groups of children showed reflexive orienting to the target regardless of its sociality, whereas typically developing (TD) children exhibited faster gaze shift than autistic children when the target was a social stimulus. An increased pupil dilation was observed in autistic children in response to stimuli relative to TD children. Further, autistic children showed larger baseline pupil response. CONCLUSIONS Autistic children show attenuated sensitivity to social targets and atypical pupil responses, which may be due to the dysfunction of locus coeruleus (LC) - norepinephrine (NE) system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenwen Hou
- CAS Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; Child Language Lab, School of Foreign Languages, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Wenlu Zhao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jing Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
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45
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Vora I, Gochyyev P, Engineer N, Wolf SL, Kimberley TJ. Distal Versus Proximal Arm Improvement After Paired Vagus Nerve Stimulation Therapy After Chronic Stroke. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 2024:S0003-9993(24)01014-1. [PMID: 38815953 DOI: 10.1016/j.apmr.2024.05.018] [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: 10/11/2023] [Revised: 05/15/2024] [Accepted: 05/19/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To evaluate differences in upper-extremity (UE) segment-specific (proximal or distal segment) recovery after vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) paired with UE rehabilitation (Paired-VNS) compared with rehabilitation with sham-VNS (Control). We also assessed whether gains in specific UE segments predicted clinically meaningful improvement. DESIGN This study reports on a secondary analysis of Vagus nerve stimulation paired with rehabilitation for UE motor function after chronic ischemic stroke (VNS-REHAB), a randomized, triple-blinded, sham-controlled pivotal trial. A Rasch latent regression was used to determine differences between Paired-VNS and Controls for distal and proximal UE changes after in-clinic therapy and 3 months later. Subsequently, we ran a random forest model to assess candidate predictors of meaningful improvement. Each item of the Fugl-Meyer Assessment-Upper Extremity (FMA-UE) and Wolf Motor Function Test (WMFT) was evaluated as a predictor of response to treatment. SETTING Nineteen stroke rehabilitation centers in the USA and UK. PARTICIPANTS Dataset included 108 participants (N=108) with chronic ischemic stroke and moderate-to-severe UE impairments. INTERVENTIONS Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES FMA-UE and WMFT. RESULTS Distal UE improvement was significantly greater in the Paired-VNS group than in Controls immediately after therapy (95% confidence interval, 0.27-0.73; P≤.001) and after 3 months (95% confidence interval, 0.16-0.75; P=.003). Both groups showed similar improvement in proximal UE at both time points. A subset of both distal and proximal items from the FMA-UE and WMFT were predictors of meaningful improvement. CONCLUSIONS Paired-VNS improved distal UE impairment in chronic stroke to a greater degree than intensive rehabilitation alone. Proximal improvements were equally responsive to either treatment. Given that meaningful UE recovery is predicted by improvements across both proximal and distal segments, Paired-VNS may facilitate improvement that is otherwise elusive.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isha Vora
- Department of Rehabilitation Science, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, MGH Institute of Health Professions, Boston, MA
| | - Perman Gochyyev
- Department of Rehabilitation Science, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, MGH Institute of Health Professions, Boston, MA; Berkeley Evaluation and Assessment Research Center, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA
| | | | - Steven L Wolf
- Division of Physical Therapy, Center for Physical Therapy and Movement Science, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
| | - Teresa J Kimberley
- Department of Rehabilitation Science, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, MGH Institute of Health Professions, Boston, MA; Department of Physical Therapy, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, MGH Institute of Health Professions, Boston, MA.
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46
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Hu N, Long Q, Wang L, Hu X, Wang X, Ma R, Bai Y, Qian C, Chen A. Task-general or specific: The alertness modulates post-error adjustment. Behav Brain Res 2024; 466:114990. [PMID: 38582411 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2024.114990] [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: 10/27/2023] [Revised: 02/20/2024] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/08/2024]
Abstract
Previous studies have shown that alertness is closely related to executive control function, but its impact on components of post-error adjustment is unknown. This study applied the Attentional Networks Test and the Four-choice Flanker task with three response stimulus intervals (RSIs) to explore the correlation between alertness and post-error adjustment. The linear mixed-effects model of alertness and RSI on the post-error processing indicators showed a significant negative correlation between the alertness and post-error slowing (PES) under 200 ms RSI , as well as between alertness and post-error improvement in accuracy (PIA) under both 700 ms RSI and 1200 ms RSI. Participants with lower alertness showed larger post-error slowing in the early stages, while those with higher alertness had smaller PIA in later stages. This study revealed the effects of alertness on different processing components of post-error adjustment. The control strategies utilized by individuals with high and low levels of alertness differed in preparation for performance monitoring. Alertness improved post-error response speed in a task-unspecific manner, but not post-error adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Na Hu
- School of Preschool & Special Education, Kunming University, Kunming 650214, China
| | - Quanshan Long
- Faculty of Education, Yunnan Normal University, Kunming 650214, China
| | - Lijun Wang
- Institute of Psychology & Behavior, Henan University, Kaifeng 475001, China
| | - Xueping Hu
- Anhui Engineering Research Center for Intelligent Computing and Application on Cognitive Behavior, Faculty of Education, Huaibei Normal University, Huaibei 23500, China
| | - Xiaoxi Wang
- School of Preschool & Special Education, Kunming University, Kunming 650214, China
| | - Ruimin Ma
- School of Preschool & Special Education, Kunming University, Kunming 650214, China
| | - Yuqing Bai
- School of Preschool & Special Education, Kunming University, Kunming 650214, China
| | - Chen Qian
- School of Preschool & Special Education, Kunming University, Kunming 650214, China
| | - Antao Chen
- School of Psychology, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai 200438, China.
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47
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Özçete ÖD, Banerjee A, Kaeser PS. Mechanisms of neuromodulatory volume transmission. Mol Psychiatry 2024:10.1038/s41380-024-02608-3. [PMID: 38789677 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-024-02608-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2023] [Revised: 05/07/2024] [Accepted: 05/10/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024]
Abstract
A wealth of neuromodulatory transmitters regulate synaptic circuits in the brain. Their mode of signaling, often called volume transmission, differs from classical synaptic transmission in important ways. In synaptic transmission, vesicles rapidly fuse in response to action potentials and release their transmitter content. The transmitters are then sensed by nearby receptors on select target cells with minimal delay. Signal transmission is restricted to synaptic contacts and typically occurs within ~1 ms. Volume transmission doesn't rely on synaptic contact sites and is the main mode of monoamines and neuropeptides, important neuromodulators in the brain. It is less precise than synaptic transmission, and the underlying molecular mechanisms and spatiotemporal scales are often not well understood. Here, we review literature on mechanisms of volume transmission and raise scientific questions that should be addressed in the years ahead. We define five domains by which volume transmission systems can differ from synaptic transmission and from one another. These domains are (1) innervation patterns and firing properties, (2) transmitter synthesis and loading into different types of vesicles, (3) architecture and distribution of release sites, (4) transmitter diffusion, degradation, and reuptake, and (5) receptor types and their positioning on target cells. We discuss these five domains for dopamine, a well-studied monoamine, and then compare the literature on dopamine with that on norepinephrine and serotonin. We include assessments of neuropeptide signaling and of central acetylcholine transmission. Through this review, we provide a molecular and cellular framework for volume transmission. This mechanistic knowledge is essential to define how neuromodulatory systems control behavior in health and disease and to understand how they are modulated by medical treatments and by drugs of abuse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Özge D Özçete
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Aditi Banerjee
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Pascal S Kaeser
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
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48
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Anumba N, Kelberman MA, Pan W, Marriott A, Zhang X, Xu N, Weinshenker D, Keilholz S. The Effects of Locus Coeruleus Optogenetic Stimulation on Global Spatiotemporal Patterns in Rats. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.23.595327. [PMID: 38826205 PMCID: PMC11142206 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.23.595327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2024]
Abstract
Whole-brain intrinsic activity as detected by resting-state fMRI can be summarized by three primary spatiotemporal patterns. These patterns have been shown to change with different brain states, especially arousal. The noradrenergic locus coeruleus (LC) is a key node in arousal circuits and has extensive projections throughout the brain, giving it neuromodulatory influence over the coordinated activity of structurally separated regions. In this study, we used optogenetic-fMRI in rats to investigate the impact of LC stimulation on the global signal and three primary spatiotemporal patterns. We report small, spatially specific changes in global signal distribution as a result of tonic LC stimulation, as well as regional changes in spatiotemporal patterns of activity at 5 Hz tonic and 15 Hz phasic stimulation. We also found that LC stimulation had little to no effect on the spatiotemporal patterns detected by complex principal component analysis. These results show that the effects of LC activity on the BOLD signal in rats may be small and regionally concentrated, as opposed to widespread and globally acting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nmachi Anumba
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Michael A Kelberman
- Department of Human Genetics, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
- Molecular Cellular and Developmental Biology Department, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States
| | - Wenju Pan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Alexia Marriott
- Department of Human Genetics, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Xiaodi Zhang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Nan Xu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - David Weinshenker
- Department of Human Genetics, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Shella Keilholz
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
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49
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Chen AB, Duque M, Wang VM, Dhanasekar M, Mi X, Rymbek A, Tocquer L, Narayan S, Prober D, Yu G, Wyart C, Engert F, Ahrens MB. Norepinephrine changes behavioral state via astroglial purinergic signaling. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.23.595576. [PMID: 38826423 PMCID: PMC11142163 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.23.595576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2024]
Abstract
Both neurons and glia communicate via diffusible neuromodulatory substances, but the substrates of computation in such neuromodulatory networks are unclear. During behavioral transitions in the larval zebrafish, the neuromodulator norepinephrine drives fast excitation and delayed inhibition of behavior and circuit activity. We find that the inhibitory arm of this feedforward motif is implemented by astroglial purinergic signaling. Neuromodulator imaging, behavioral pharmacology, and perturbations of neurons and astroglia reveal that norepinephrine triggers astroglial release of adenosine triphosphate, extracellular conversion into adenosine, and behavioral suppression through activation of hindbrain neuronal adenosine receptors. This work, along with a companion piece by Lefton and colleagues demonstrating an analogous pathway mediating the effect of norepinephrine on synaptic connectivity in mice, identifies a computational and behavioral role for an evolutionarily conserved astroglial purinergic signaling axis in norepinephrine-mediated behavioral and brain state transitions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex B. Chen
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute; Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University; Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Harvard Medical School; Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Marc Duque
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University; Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Harvard Medical School; Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Vickie M. Wang
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University; Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Harvard Medical School; Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Mahalakshmi Dhanasekar
- Sorbonne Université, Paris Brain Institute (Institut du Cerveau, ICM), Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale U1127, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique Unité Mixte de Recherche 7225, Assistance Publique–Hôpitaux de Paris, Campus Hospitalier Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Xuelong Mi
- Bradley Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering; Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University; Arlington, VA 22203, USA
| | - Altyn Rymbek
- Tianqiao and Chrissy Chen Institute for Neuroscience, Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, 91125, USA
| | - Loeva Tocquer
- Sorbonne Université, Paris Brain Institute (Institut du Cerveau, ICM), Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale U1127, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique Unité Mixte de Recherche 7225, Assistance Publique–Hôpitaux de Paris, Campus Hospitalier Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Sujatha Narayan
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute; Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
- Present address: Allen Institute for Neural Dynamics; Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - David Prober
- Tianqiao and Chrissy Chen Institute for Neuroscience, Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, 91125, USA
| | - Guoqiang Yu
- Department of Automation, Tsinghua University; Beijing 100084, P.R. China
| | - Claire Wyart
- Sorbonne Université, Paris Brain Institute (Institut du Cerveau, ICM), Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale U1127, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique Unité Mixte de Recherche 7225, Assistance Publique–Hôpitaux de Paris, Campus Hospitalier Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Florian Engert
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University; Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Misha B. Ahrens
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute; Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
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50
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Concetti C, Viskaitis P, Grujic N, Duss SN, Privitera M, Bohacek J, Peleg-Raibstein D, Burdakov D. Exploratory Rearing Is Governed by Hypothalamic Melanin-Concentrating Hormone Neurons According to Locus Ceruleus. J Neurosci 2024; 44:e0015242024. [PMID: 38575343 PMCID: PMC11112542 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0015-24.2024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2024] [Revised: 03/20/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Information seeking, such as standing on tiptoes to look around in humans, is observed across animals and helps survival. Its rodent analog-unsupported rearing on hind legs-was a classic model in deciphering neural signals of cognition and is of intense renewed interest in preclinical modeling of neuropsychiatric states. Neural signals and circuits controlling this dedicated decision to seek information remain largely unknown. While studying subsecond timing of spontaneous behavioral acts and activity of melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) neurons (MNs) in behaving male and female mice, we observed large MN activity spikes that aligned to unsupported rears. Complementary causal, loss and gain of function, analyses revealed specific control of rear frequency and duration by MNs and MCHR1 receptors. Activity in a key stress center of the brain-the locus ceruleus noradrenaline cells-rapidly inhibited MNs and required functional MCH receptors for its endogenous modulation of rearing. By defining a neural module that both tracks and controls rearing, these findings may facilitate further insights into biology of information seeking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Concetti
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology, Neuroscience Center Zürich (ZNZ), Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zürich), Zürich 8092, Switzerland
| | - Paulius Viskaitis
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology, Neuroscience Center Zürich (ZNZ), Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zürich), Zürich 8092, Switzerland
| | - Nikola Grujic
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology, Neuroscience Center Zürich (ZNZ), Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zürich), Zürich 8092, Switzerland
| | - Sian N Duss
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology, Neuroscience Center Zürich (ZNZ), Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zürich), Zürich 8092, Switzerland
| | - Mattia Privitera
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology, Neuroscience Center Zürich (ZNZ), Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zürich), Zürich 8092, Switzerland
| | - Johannes Bohacek
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology, Neuroscience Center Zürich (ZNZ), Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zürich), Zürich 8092, Switzerland
| | - Daria Peleg-Raibstein
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology, Neuroscience Center Zürich (ZNZ), Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zürich), Zürich 8092, Switzerland
| | - Denis Burdakov
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology, Neuroscience Center Zürich (ZNZ), Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zürich), Zürich 8092, Switzerland
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