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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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2
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Fan W, Engborg CB, Sciolino NR. Locus Ceruleus Dynamics Are Suppressed during Licking and Enhanced Postlicking Independent of Taste Novelty. eNeuro 2024; 11:ENEURO.0535-23.2024. [PMID: 38649278 PMCID: PMC11036117 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0535-23.2024] [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: 12/15/2023] [Revised: 03/26/2024] [Accepted: 04/01/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Attending to salient sensory attributes of food, such as tastes that are new, displeasing, or unexpected, allows the procurement of nutrients without food poisoning. Exposure to new tastes is known to increase norepinephrine (NE) release in taste processing forebrain areas, yet the central source for this release is unknown. Locus ceruleus norepinephrine neurons (LC-NE) emerge as a candidate in signaling salient information about taste, as other salient sensory stimuli (e.g., visual, auditory, somatosensation) are known to activate LC neurons. To determine if LC neurons are sensitive to features of taste novelty, we used fiber photometry to record LC-NE activity in water-restricted mice that voluntarily licked either novel or familiar substances of differential palatability (saccharine, citric acid). We observed that LC-NE activity was suppressed during lick bursts and transiently activated upon the termination of licking and that these dynamics were independent of the familiarity of the substance consumed. We next recorded LC dynamics during brief and unexpected consumption of tastants and found no increase in LC-NE activity, despite their responsiveness to visual and auditory stimuli, revealing selectivity in LC's responses to salient sensory information. Our findings suggest that LC activity during licking is not influenced by taste novelty, implicating a possible role for non-LC noradrenergic nuclei in signaling critical information about taste.
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Affiliation(s)
- Will Fan
- Departments of Physiology and Neurobiology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269
| | - Christopher B Engborg
- Departments of Physiology and Neurobiology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269
| | - Natale R Sciolino
- Departments of Physiology and Neurobiology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269
- Biomedical Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269
- Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269
- Institute for the Brain and Cognitive Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269
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3
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Privitera CM, Noah S, Carney T, Klein SA, Lenartowicz A, Hinshaw SP, McCracken JT, Nigg JT, Karalunas SL, Reid RC, Oliva MT, Betts SS, Simpson GV. Pupillary dilations in a Target/Distractor visual task paradigm and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Neurosci Lett 2024; 818:137556. [PMID: 37951300 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2023.137556] [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: 06/23/2023] [Revised: 09/30/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/13/2023]
Abstract
ADHD is a neurocognitive disorder characterized by attention difficulties, hyperactivity, and impulsivity, often persisting into adulthood with substantial personal and societal consequences. Despite the importance of neurophysiological assessment and treatment monitoring tests, their availability outside of research settings remains limited. Cognitive neuroscience investigations have identified distinct components associated with ADHD, including deficits in sustained attention, inefficient enhancement of attended Targets, and altered suppression of ignored Distractors. In this study, we examined pupil activity in control and ADHD subjects during a sustained visual attention task specifically designed to evaluate the mechanisms underlying Target enhancement and Distractor suppression. Our findings revealed some distinguishing factors between the two groups which we discuss in light of their neurobiological implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudio M Privitera
- School of Optometry and Vision Science, University of California, Berkeley, United States.
| | - Sean Noah
- School of Optometry and Vision Science, University of California, Berkeley, United States; Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, United States
| | - Thom Carney
- School of Optometry and Vision Science, University of California, Berkeley, United States
| | - Stanley A Klein
- School of Optometry and Vision Science, University of California, Berkeley, United States
| | - Agatha Lenartowicz
- Department of Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, United States
| | - Stephen P Hinshaw
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, United States
| | - James T McCracken
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute and David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, United States
| | - Joel T Nigg
- Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, United States
| | - Sarah L Karalunas
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States
| | - Rory C Reid
- Department of Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, United States
| | - Mercedes T Oliva
- Division of Social Sciences, University of California, Santa Cruz, United States
| | - Samantha S Betts
- Graduate Program in Neurosciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, United States
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4
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Modirshanechi A, Kondrakiewicz K, Gerstner W, Haesler S. Curiosity-driven exploration: foundations in neuroscience and computational modeling. Trends Neurosci 2023; 46:1054-1066. [PMID: 37925342 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2023.10.002] [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: 06/21/2023] [Revised: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 11/06/2023]
Abstract
Curiosity refers to the intrinsic desire of humans and animals to explore the unknown, even when there is no apparent reason to do so. Thus far, no single, widely accepted definition or framework for curiosity has emerged, but there is growing consensus that curious behavior is not goal-directed but related to seeking or reacting to information. In this review, we take a phenomenological approach and group behavioral and neurophysiological studies which meet these criteria into three categories according to the type of information seeking observed. We then review recent computational models of curiosity from the field of machine learning and discuss how they enable integrating different types of information seeking into one theoretical framework. Combinations of behavioral and neurophysiological studies along with computational modeling will be instrumental in demystifying the notion of curiosity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kacper Kondrakiewicz
- Neuroelectronics Research Flanders (NERF), Leuven, Belgium; VIB, Leuven, Belgium; Department of Neuroscience, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Wulfram Gerstner
- École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Sebastian Haesler
- Neuroelectronics Research Flanders (NERF), Leuven, Belgium; VIB, Leuven, Belgium; Department of Neuroscience, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Leuven Brain Institute, Leuven, Belgium.
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5
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Luckey AM, McLeod LS, Huang Y, Mohan A, Vanneste S. Making memories last using the peripheral effect of direct current stimulation. eLife 2023; 12:e75586. [PMID: 37204308 PMCID: PMC10241520 DOI: 10.7554/elife.75586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2021] [Accepted: 05/18/2023] [Indexed: 05/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Most memories that are formed are forgotten, while others are retained longer and are subject to memory stabilization. We show that non-invasive transcutaneous electrical stimulation of the greater occipital nerve (NITESGON) using direct current during learning elicited a long-term memory effect. However, it did not trigger an immediate effect on learning. A neurobiological model of long-term memory proposes a mechanism by which memories that are initially unstable can be strengthened through subsequent novel experiences. In a series of studies, we demonstrate NITESGON's capability to boost the retention of memories when applied shortly before, during, or shortly after the time of learning by enhancing memory consolidation via activation and communication in and between the locus coeruleus pathway and hippocampus by plausibly modulating dopaminergic input. These findings may have a significant impact for neurocognitive disorders that inhibit memory consolidation such as Alzheimer's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison M Luckey
- Global Brain Health Institute and Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College DublinDublinIreland
| | - Lauren S McLeod
- School of Medicine, Texas Tech School of MedicineLubbockUnited States
| | - Yuefeng Huang
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiNew YorkUnited States
| | - Anusha Mohan
- Global Brain Health Institute and Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College DublinDublinIreland
| | - Sven Vanneste
- Global Brain Health Institute and Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College DublinDublinIreland
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6
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Cuevas JS, Watanabe M, Uematsu A, Johansen JP. Whole-brain afferent input mapping to functionally distinct brainstem noradrenaline cell types. Neurosci Res 2023:S0168-0102(23)00074-3. [PMID: 37062443 DOI: 10.1016/j.neures.2023.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2023] [Revised: 04/10/2023] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 04/18/2023]
Abstract
The locus coeruleus (LC) is a small region in the pons and the main source of noradrenaline (NA) to the forebrain. While traditional models suggested that all LC-NA neurons project indiscriminately throughout the brain, accumulating evidence indicates that these cells can be heterogeneous based on their anatomical connectivity and behavioral functionality and exhibit distinct coding modes. How LC-NA neuronal subpopulations are endowed with unique functional properties is unclear. Here, we used a viral-genetic approach for mapping anatomical connectivity at different levels of organization based on inputs and outputs of defined cell classes. Specifically, we studied the whole-brain afferent inputs onto two functionally distinct LC-NA neuronal subpopulations which project to amygdala or medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). We found that the global input distribution is similar for both LC-NA neuronal subpopulations. However, finer analysis demonstrated important differences in inputs from specific brain regions. Moreover, sex related differences were apparent, but only in inputs to amygdala-projecting LC-NA neurons. These findings reveal a cell type and sex specific afferent input organization which could allow for context dependent and target specific control of NA outflow to forebrain structures involved in emotional control and decision making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Sulkes Cuevas
- RIKEN Center for Brain Science, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako-shi, Saitama, Japan 351-0198; Department of Life Sciences, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 0Japan
| | - Mayumi Watanabe
- RIKEN Center for Brain Science, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako-shi, Saitama, Japan 351-0198; Department of Life Sciences, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 0Japan
| | - Akira Uematsu
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan; International Research Center for Neurointelligence, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Joshua P Johansen
- RIKEN Center for Brain Science, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako-shi, Saitama, Japan 351-0198; Department of Life Sciences, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 0Japan.
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7
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Sciolino NR, Hsiang M, Mazzone CM, Wilson LR, Plummer NW, Amin J, Smith KG, McGee CA, Fry SA, Yang CX, Powell JM, Bruchas MR, Kravitz AV, Cushman JD, Krashes MJ, Cui G, Jensen P. Natural locus coeruleus dynamics during feeding. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabn9134. [PMID: 35984878 PMCID: PMC9390985 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abn9134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2021] [Accepted: 07/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Recent data demonstrate that noradrenergic neurons of the locus coeruleus (LC-NE) are required for fear-induced suppression of feeding, but the role of endogenous LC-NE activity in natural, homeostatic feeding remains unclear. Here, we found that LC-NE activity was suppressed during food consumption, and the magnitude of this neural response was attenuated as mice consumed more pellets throughout the session, suggesting that LC responses to food are modulated by satiety state. Visual-evoked LC-NE activity was also attenuated in sated mice, suggesting that satiety state modulates LC-NE encoding of multiple behavioral states. We also found that food intake could be attenuated by brief or longer durations of LC-NE activation. Last, we found that activation of the LC to the lateral hypothalamus pathway suppresses feeding and enhances avoidance and anxiety-like responding. Our findings suggest that LC-NE neurons modulate feeding by integrating both external cues (e.g., anxiogenic environmental cues) and internal drives (e.g., satiety).
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Affiliation(s)
- Natale R. Sciolino
- Neurobiology Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Madeline Hsiang
- Neurobiology Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Christopher M. Mazzone
- Neurobiology Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Leslie R. Wilson
- Neurobiology Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Nicholas W. Plummer
- Neurobiology Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Jaisal Amin
- Neurobiology Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Kathleen G. Smith
- Neurobiology Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Christopher A. McGee
- Comparative Medicine, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Sydney A. Fry
- Neurobiology Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Cindy X. Yang
- Neurobiology Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Jeanne M. Powell
- Neurobiology Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Michael R. Bruchas
- Departments of Anesthesiology and Pharmacology, Center for the Neurobiology of Addiction, Pain, and Emotion, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | - Jesse D. Cushman
- Neurobiology Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Michael J. Krashes
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Guohong Cui
- Neurobiology Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Patricia Jensen
- Neurobiology Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
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Using Inhibitory DREADDs to Silence LC Neurons in Monkeys. Brain Sci 2022; 12:brainsci12020206. [PMID: 35203969 PMCID: PMC8869890 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12020206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2021] [Revised: 01/18/2022] [Accepted: 01/26/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding the role of the noradrenergic nucleus locus coeruleus (LC) in cognition and behavior is critical: It is involved in several key behavioral functions such as stress and vigilance, as well as in cognitive processes such as attention and decision making. In recent years, the development of viral tools has provided a clear insight into numerous aspects of brain functions in rodents. However, given the specificity of primate brains and the key benefit of monkey research for translational applications, developing viral tools to study the LC in monkeys is essential for understanding its function and exploring potential clinical strategies. Here, we describe a pharmacogenetics approach that allows to selectively and reversibly inactivate LC neurons using Designer Receptors Exclusively Activated by Designer Drugs (DREADD). We show that the expression of the hM4Di DREADD can be restricted to noradrenergic LC neurons and that the amount of LC inhibition can be adjusted by adapting the dose of the specific DREADD activator deschloroclozapine (DCZ). Indeed, even if high doses (>0.3 mg/kg) induce a massive inhibition of LC neurons and a clear decrease in vigilance, smaller doses (<0.3 mg/kg) induce a more moderate decrease in LC activity, but it does not affect vigilance, which is more compatible with an assessment of subtle cognitive functions such as decision making and attention.
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9
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Joshi S, Gold JI. Context-dependent relationships between locus coeruleus firing patterns and coordinated neural activity in the anterior cingulate cortex. eLife 2022; 11:63490. [PMID: 34994344 PMCID: PMC8765756 DOI: 10.7554/elife.63490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2020] [Accepted: 12/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Ascending neuromodulatory projections from the locus coeruleus (LC) affect cortical neural networks via the release of norepinephrine (NE). However, the exact nature of these neuromodulatory effects on neural activity patterns in vivo is not well understood. Here, we show that in awake monkeys, LC activation is associated with changes in coordinated activity patterns in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). These relationships, which are largely independent of changes in firing rates of individual ACC neurons, depend on the type of LC activation: ACC pairwise correlations tend to be reduced when ongoing (baseline) LC activity increases but enhanced when external events evoke transient LC responses. Both relationships covary with pupil changes that reflect LC activation and arousal. These results suggest that modulations of information processing that reflect changes in coordinated activity patterns in cortical networks can result partly from ongoing, context-dependent, arousal-related changes in activation of the LC-NE system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siddhartha Joshi
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, United States
| | - Joshua I Gold
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, United States
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10
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Solecki WB, Kielbinski M, Bernacka J, Gralec K, Klasa A, Pradel K, Rojek-Sito K, Przewłocki R. Alpha 1-adrenergic receptor blockade in the ventral tegmental area attenuates acquisition of cocaine-induced pavlovian associative learning. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:969104. [PMID: 35990723 PMCID: PMC9386374 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.969104] [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: 06/14/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Activity of the alpha1-adrenergic receptor (α1-AR) in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) modulates dopaminergic activity, implying its modulatory role in the behavioral functions of the dopamine (DA) system. Indeed, intra-VTA α1-AR blockade attenuates conditioned stimulus dependent behaviors such as drug seeking responses signifying a role of the noradrenergic signaling in the VTA in conditioned behaviors. Importantly, the role of the VTA α1-AR activity in Pavlovian associative learning with positive outcomes remains unknown. Here, we aimed to examine how intra-VTA α1-AR blockade affects acquisition of cocaine-induced Pavlovian associative learning in the conditioned place preference (CPP) paradigm. The impact of α1-AR blockade on cocaine-reinforced operant responding and cocaine-evoked ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) was also studied. In addition, both α1-AR immunoreactivity in the VTA and its role in phasic DA release in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) were assessed. We demonstrated cellular localization of α1-AR expression in the VTA, providing a neuroanatomical substrate for the α1-AR mechanism. We showed that prazosin (α1-AR selective antagonist; 1 μg/0.5 μl) microinfusion attenuated electrically evoked DA transients in the NAc and dose-dependently (0.1-1 μg/0.5 μl) prevented the acquisition of cocaine CPP but did not affect cocaine-reinforced operant responding nor cocaine-induced positive affective state (measured as USVs). We propose that the VTA α1-AR signaling is necessary for the acquisition of Pavlovian associative learning but does not encode hedonic value. Thus, α1-AR signaling in the VTA might underlie salience encoding of environmental stimuli and reflect an ability of alerting/orienting functions, originating from bottom-up information processing to guide behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wojciech B Solecki
- Department of Neurobiology and Neuropsychology, Institute of Applied Psychology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
| | - Michał Kielbinski
- Department of Neurobiology and Neuropsychology, Institute of Applied Psychology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
| | - Joanna Bernacka
- Department of Neurobiology and Neuropsychology, Institute of Applied Psychology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland.,Laboratory of Pharmacology and Brain Biostructure, Department of Pharmacology, Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kraków, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Gralec
- Department of Molecular Neuropharmacology, Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kraków, Poland
| | - Adam Klasa
- Department of Neurobiology and Neuropsychology, Institute of Applied Psychology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
| | - Kamil Pradel
- Department of Neurophysiology and Chronobiology, Institute of Zoology and Biomedical Research, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
| | - Karolina Rojek-Sito
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience and Drug Development, Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kraków, Poland
| | - Ryszard Przewłocki
- Department of Molecular Neuropharmacology, Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kraków, Poland
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11
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Monosov IE, Rushworth MFS. Interactions between ventrolateral prefrontal and anterior cingulate cortex during learning and behavioural change. Neuropsychopharmacology 2022; 47:196-210. [PMID: 34234288 PMCID: PMC8617208 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-021-01079-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2021] [Revised: 05/27/2021] [Accepted: 06/15/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Hypotheses and beliefs guide credit assignment - the process of determining which previous events or actions caused an outcome. Adaptive hypothesis formation and testing are crucial in uncertain and changing environments in which associations and meanings are volatile. Despite primates' abilities to form and test hypotheses, establishing what is causally responsible for the occurrence of particular outcomes remains a fundamental challenge for credit assignment and learning. Hypotheses about what surprises are due to stochasticity inherent in an environment as opposed to real, systematic changes are necessary for identifying the environment's predictive features, but are often hard to test. We review evidence that two highly interconnected frontal cortical regions, anterior cingulate cortex and ventrolateral prefrontal area 47/12o, provide a biological substrate for linking two crucial components of hypothesis-formation and testing: the control of information seeking and credit assignment. Neuroimaging, targeted disruptions, and neurophysiological studies link an anterior cingulate - 47/12o circuit to generation of exploratory behaviour, non-instrumental information seeking, and interpretation of subsequent feedback in the service of credit assignment. Our observations support the idea that information seeking and credit assignment are linked at the level of neural circuits and explain why this circuit is important for ensuring behaviour is flexible and adaptive.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilya E Monosov
- Department of Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA.
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, USA.
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, USA.
- Department of Neurosurgery, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, USA.
- Pain Center, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, USA.
| | - Matthew F S Rushworth
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging (WIN), Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
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12
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Bornert P, Bouret S. Locus coeruleus neurons encode the subjective difficulty of triggering and executing actions. PLoS Biol 2021; 19:e3001487. [PMID: 34874935 PMCID: PMC8683033 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2021] [Revised: 12/17/2021] [Accepted: 11/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The brain stem noradrenergic nucleus locus coeruleus (LC) is involved in various costly processes: arousal, stress, and attention. Recent work has pointed toward an implication in physical effort, and indirect evidence suggests that the LC could be also involved in cognitive effort. To assess the dynamic relation between LC activity, effort production, and difficulty, we recorded the activity of 193 LC single units in 5 monkeys performing 2 discounting tasks (a delay discounting task and a force discounting task), as well as a simpler target detection task where conditions were matched for difficulty and only differed in terms of sensory-motor processes. First, LC neurons displayed a transient activation both when monkeys initiated an action and when exerting force. Second, the magnitude of the activation scaled with the associated difficulty, and, potentially, the corresponding amount of effort produced, both for decision and force production. Indeed, at action initiation in both discounting tasks, LC activation increased in conditions associated with lower average engagement rate, i.e., those requiring more cognitive control to trigger the response. Decision-related activation also scaled with response time (RT), over and above task parameters, in line with the idea that it reflects the amount of resources (here time) spent on the decision process. During force production, LC activation only scaled with the amount of force produced in the force discounting task, but not in the control target detection task, where subjective difficulty was equivalent across conditions. Our data show that LC neurons dynamically track the amount of effort produced to face both cognitive and physical challenges with a subsecond precision. This works provides key insight into effort processing and the contribution of the noradrenergic system, which is affected in several pathologies where effort is impaired, including Parkinson disease and depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pauline Bornert
- Motivation, Brain and Behavior Team, Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière (ICM), INSERM UMRS 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, Paris, France
| | - Sebastien Bouret
- Motivation, Brain and Behavior Team, Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière (ICM), INSERM UMRS 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, Paris, France
- * E-mail:
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13
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Takarada Y, Nozaki D. The unconscious mental inhibiting process of human maximal voluntary contraction. PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2021; 86:1458-1466. [PMID: 34398275 DOI: 10.1007/s00426-021-01578-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2020] [Accepted: 08/05/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Human maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) is believed to be limited by neural inhibition. Motivational goal priming alters background states of the motor system, leading to enhanced MVC. However, the mechanisms that determine the constant inhibition of force exertion in the motor system remain unclear. The primary behavioural goal of MVC is maximal voluntary force exertion. The final expected or desired state of this behavioural goal is explicitly demonstrated with words related to physical exertion, such as 'maximal', irrespective of the possibility of demand-like properties in participants' minds, such as attainability and/or desirability of the goal. For the primed maximal goal state, most trial results fail to meet expectations, demonstrating negative affect that, without awareness, contributes to the mentioned inhibitory mechanism underlying MVC. We therefore speculated that the behavioural goal of MVC contributes to neural inhibitory mechanisms underlying MVC. In our study, we used a previously developed paradigm (Takarada and Nozaki in Scientific Reports 8: 10135, 2018) in which subliminal visual priming stimuli such as the physical exertion-related words "perform" and "exert" were presented to 12 healthy participants and were followed by supraliminal words that were the word "maximal" or neutral.We found that when combined with the term 'maximal' in the consciously visible form, the effect of this subliminal motor-goal priming in inducing pupil dilation and stronger action preparation/execution was abolished without conscious awareness. This is the first objective evidence of motor inhibitory effect-predicting patterns of pupil-linked noradrenergic activity as a signature of a type of mental inhibition underlying the MVC behavioural goal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yudai Takarada
- Faculty of Sports Sciences, Waseda University, 2-579-15, Mikajima, Tokorozawa, Saitama, 359-1192, Japan.
| | - Daichi Nozaki
- Graduate School of Education, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
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14
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Breton-Provencher V, Drummond GT, Sur M. Locus Coeruleus Norepinephrine in Learned Behavior: Anatomical Modularity and Spatiotemporal Integration in Targets. Front Neural Circuits 2021; 15:638007. [PMID: 34163331 PMCID: PMC8215268 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2021.638007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2020] [Accepted: 05/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The locus coeruleus (LC), a small brainstem nucleus, is the primary source of the neuromodulator norepinephrine (NE) in the brain. The LC receives input from widespread brain regions, and projects throughout the forebrain, brainstem, cerebellum, and spinal cord. LC neurons release NE to control arousal, but also in the context of a variety of sensory-motor and behavioral functions. Despite its brain-wide effects, much about the role of LC-NE in behavior and the circuits controlling LC activity is unknown. New evidence suggests that the modular input-output organization of the LC could enable transient, task-specific modulation of distinct brain regions. Future work must further assess whether this spatial modularity coincides with functional differences in LC-NE subpopulations acting at specific times, and how such spatiotemporal specificity might influence learned behaviors. Here, we summarize the state of the field and present new ideas on the role of LC-NE in learned behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Mriganka Sur
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
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15
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Borderies N, Bornert P, Gilardeau S, Bouret S. Pharmacological evidence for the implication of noradrenaline in effort. PLoS Biol 2020; 18:e3000793. [PMID: 33044952 PMCID: PMC7580990 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3000793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2020] [Revised: 10/22/2020] [Accepted: 09/02/2020] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
The trade-off between effort and reward is one of the main determinants of behavior, and its alteration is at the heart of major disorders such as depression or Parkinson's disease. Monoaminergic neuromodulators are thought to play a key role in this trade-off, but their relative contribution remains unclear. Rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) performed a choice task requiring a trade-off between the volume of fluid reward and the amount of force to be exerted on a grip. In line with a causal role of noradrenaline in effort, decreasing noradrenaline levels with systemic clonidine injections (0.01 mg/kg) decreased exerted force and enhanced the weight of upcoming force on choices, without any effect on reward sensitivity. Using computational modeling, we showed that a single variable ("effort") could capture the amount of resources necessary for action and control both choices (as a variable for decision) and force production (as a driving force). Critically, the multiple effects of noradrenaline manipulation on behavior could be captured by a specific modulation of this single variable. Thus, our data strongly support noradrenaline's implication in effort processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Borderies
- Motivation, Brain and Behavior team, Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière (ICM), INSERM UMRS 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, Paris, France
| | - Pauline Bornert
- Motivation, Brain and Behavior team, Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière (ICM), INSERM UMRS 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, Paris, France
| | - Sophie Gilardeau
- Phenoparc PRIM’R, Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière (ICM), INSERM UMRS 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, Paris, France
| | - Sebastien Bouret
- Motivation, Brain and Behavior team, Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière (ICM), INSERM UMRS 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, Paris, France
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16
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Joshi N, McAree M, Chandler D. Corticotropin releasing factor modulates excitatory synaptic transmission. VITAMINS AND HORMONES 2020; 114:53-69. [PMID: 32723550 DOI: 10.1016/bs.vh.2020.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/16/2023]
Abstract
The mammalian brain contains many regions which synthesize and release the hormone and transmitter corticotropin releasing factor. This peptide is a key player in the function of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and has major role in mediating the endocrine limb of the stress response. However, there are several regions outside of the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus which synthesize this peptide in which it has a role more akin to a classical neurotransmitter. A significant body of literature exists in which its role as a transmitter and its cellular effects in many brain regions, as well as how it affects various forms of behavior, is described. However, the receptors which corticotropin releasing factor interacts with in the brain are G-protein coupled receptors, and therefore their activation promotes a multitude of cellular effects. Despite this, comparatively little research has been done to investigate how this peptide affects excitatory synaptic transmission in the brain. This is important because both excitatory and inhibitory regulation of physiology are important extrinsic factors in the operation of neurons which occur in conjunction with their intrinsic properties. By not taking into account how corticotropin releasing factor affects these processes, a complete picture of this peptide's role in brain function is not available. In this chapter, the limited body of research which has explicitly investigated how corticotropin releasing factor affects excitatory synaptic transmission in various brain regions will be explored.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neal Joshi
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine, Stratford, NJ, United States
| | - Michael McAree
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine, Stratford, NJ, United States
| | - Daniel Chandler
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine, Stratford, NJ, United States.
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17
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Jahn CI, Varazzani C, Sallet J, Walton ME, Bouret S. Noradrenergic But Not Dopaminergic Neurons Signal Task State Changes and Predict Reengagement After a Failure. Cereb Cortex 2020; 30:4979-4994. [PMID: 32390051 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhaa089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2019] [Revised: 03/11/2020] [Accepted: 03/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The two catecholamines, noradrenaline and dopamine, have been shown to play comparable roles in behavior. Both noradrenergic and dopaminergic neurons respond to cues predicting reward availability and novelty. However, even though both are thought to be involved in motivating actions, their roles in motivation have seldom been directly compared. We therefore examined the activity of putative noradrenergic neurons in the locus coeruleus and putative midbrain dopaminergic neurons in monkeys cued to perform effortful actions for rewards. The activity in both regions correlated with engagement with a presented option. By contrast, only noradrenaline neurons were also (i) predictive of engagement in a subsequent trial following a failure to engage and (ii) more strongly activated in nonrepeated trials, when cues indicated a new task condition. This suggests that while both catecholaminergic neurons are involved in promoting action, noradrenergic neurons are sensitive to task state changes, and their influence on behavior extends beyond the immediately rewarded action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline I Jahn
- Motivation, Brain and Behavior Team, Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle Épinière, 75013 Paris, France.,Sorbonne Paris Cité universités, Université Paris Descartes, Frontières du Vivant, 75005 Paris, France.,Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX13SR, UK
| | - Chiara Varazzani
- Motivation, Brain and Behavior Team, Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle Épinière, 75013 Paris, France.,Sorbonne Paris Cité universités, Université Paris Descartes, Frontières du Vivant, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Jérôme Sallet
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX13SR, UK.,Inserm, Stem Cell and Brain Research Institute U1208, Université Lyon, Université Lyon 1, 69500 Bron, France
| | - Mark E Walton
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX13SR, UK
| | - Sébastien Bouret
- Motivation, Brain and Behavior Team, Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle Épinière, 75013 Paris, France
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18
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Abstract
Noradrenergic system of brain supplies the neurotransmitter noradrenalin throughout the brain through widespread efferent projections and play pivotal role in cognitive activities and could be involve in motor and non-motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD) pathology. Profound loss of noradrenergic pathways has been reported in both Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology however their employment in therapeutics is still scarce. Therefore the present review is providing the various aspects for involvement on noradrenergic pathways in PD and AD pathology as well as the imaging of locus coeruleus as indicative diagnostic marker for disease. The present review is describing about the role of tiny nucleus locus coeruleus located noradrenergic pathways in said pathologies and discussing the past research as well as lacunas in this regard.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarika Singh
- Toxicology and Experimental Medicine Division, CDRI-CSIR, Lucknow, UP, India
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19
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McBurney-Lin J, Lu J, Zuo Y, Yang H. Locus coeruleus-norepinephrine modulation of sensory processing and perception: A focused review. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2019; 105:190-199. [PMID: 31260703 PMCID: PMC6742544 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.06.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2018] [Revised: 05/03/2019] [Accepted: 06/11/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
The locus coeruleus-norepinephrine (LC-NE) system is involved in many brain functions and neurological disorders. In this review we discuss how LC-NE signaling affects the activity of cortical and subcortical sensory neurons, and how it influences perception-driven behaviors associated with mammalian somatosensory, visual, auditory, and olfactory systems. We summarize the consistent as well as seemingly inconsistent findings across brain areas and sensory modalities and propose a framework to understand these phenomena from the perspective of adrenergic receptor expression, dose-dependent physiology and excitation-inhibition balance. We also discuss potential future research directions in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jim McBurney-Lin
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA; Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
| | - Ju Lu
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
| | - Yi Zuo
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA.
| | - Hongdian Yang
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA; Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA.
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20
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Yebra M, Galarza-Vallejo A, Soto-Leon V, Gonzalez-Rosa JJ, de Berker AO, Bestmann S, Oliviero A, Kroes MCW, Strange BA. Action boosts episodic memory encoding in humans via engagement of a noradrenergic system. Nat Commun 2019; 10:3534. [PMID: 31388000 PMCID: PMC6684634 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-11358-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2017] [Accepted: 07/10/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
We are constantly interacting with our environment whilst we encode memories. However, how actions influence memory formation remains poorly understood. Goal-directed movement engages the locus coeruleus (LC), the main source of noradrenaline in the brain. Noradrenaline is also known to enhance episodic encoding, suggesting that action could improve memory via LC engagement. Here we demonstrate, across seven experiments, that action (Go-response) enhances episodic encoding for stimuli unrelated to the action itself, compared to action inhibition (NoGo). Functional magnetic resonance imaging, and pupil diameter as a proxy measure for LC-noradrenaline transmission, indicate increased encoding-related LC activity during action. A final experiment, replicated in two independent samples, confirmed a novel prediction derived from these data that emotionally aversive stimuli, which recruit the noradrenergic system, modulate the mnemonic advantage conferred by Go-responses relative to neutral stimuli. We therefore provide converging evidence that action boosts episodic memory encoding via a noradrenergic mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mar Yebra
- Laboratory for Clinical Neuroscience, Centre for Biomedical Technology, Universidad Politecnica de Madrid, Campus Montegancedo, Madrid, Spain.
- Cedars-Sinai 127S. San Vicente Blvd, Advanced Health Sciences Pavilion, 6th Floor, Los Angeles, CA, 90048, USA.
| | - Ana Galarza-Vallejo
- Laboratory for Clinical Neuroscience, Centre for Biomedical Technology, Universidad Politecnica de Madrid, Campus Montegancedo, Madrid, Spain
| | - Vanesa Soto-Leon
- Hospital Nacional de Parapléjicos, FENNSI Group, Hospital Nacional de parapléjicos Finca la Peraleda s/n 45004, Toledo, Spain
| | - Javier J Gonzalez-Rosa
- Laboratory for Clinical Neuroscience, Centre for Biomedical Technology, Universidad Politecnica de Madrid, Campus Montegancedo, Madrid, Spain
- University of Cadiz, Institute of Biomedical Research Cadiz (INiBICA), Puerta del Mar Hospital, Research Unit, Lab 3, 9th floor, Av. Ana de Viya, 21, 11009, Cádiz, Spain
| | - Archy O de Berker
- Dept Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, 33 Queen Square WC1N3BG, London, UK
| | - Sven Bestmann
- Dept Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, 33 Queen Square WC1N3BG, London, UK
| | - Antonio Oliviero
- Hospital Nacional de Parapléjicos, FENNSI Group, Hospital Nacional de parapléjicos Finca la Peraleda s/n 45004, Toledo, Spain
| | - Marijn C W Kroes
- Laboratory for Clinical Neuroscience, Centre for Biomedical Technology, Universidad Politecnica de Madrid, Campus Montegancedo, Madrid, Spain
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Center, Kapittelweg 29, 6500 HB, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Bryan A Strange
- Laboratory for Clinical Neuroscience, Centre for Biomedical Technology, Universidad Politecnica de Madrid, Campus Montegancedo, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Neuroimaging, Alzheimer's Disease Research Centre, Reina Sofia-CIEN Foundation, Calle de Valderrebollo, 5, 28031, Madrid, Spain
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21
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Totah NK, Logothetis NK, Eschenko O. Noradrenergic ensemble-based modulation of cognition over multiple timescales. Brain Res 2019; 1709:50-66. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2018.12.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2017] [Revised: 12/11/2018] [Accepted: 12/21/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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22
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Behavioral correlates of activity of optogenetically identified locus coeruleus noradrenergic neurons in rats performing T-maze tasks. Sci Rep 2019; 9:1361. [PMID: 30718532 PMCID: PMC6362200 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-37227-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2018] [Accepted: 11/28/2018] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The nucleusLocus Coeruleus (LC) is the major source of forebrain norepinephrine. LC is implicated in arousal, response to novelty, and cognitive functions, including decision-making and behavioral flexibility. One hypothesis is that LC activation promotes rapid shifts in cortical attentional networks following changes in environmental contingencies. Recent recordings further suggest LC is critical for mobilizing resources to deal with challenging situations. In the present study optogenetically identified LC neuronal activity was recorded in rats in a self-paced T-maze. Rats were trained on visual discrimination; then place-reward contingencies were instated. In the session where the animal shifted tasks the first time, the LC firing rate after visual cue onset increased significantly, even as the animal adhered to the previous rule. Firing rate also increased prior to crossing photodetectors that controlled stimulus onset and offset, and this was positively correlated with accelerations, consistent with a role in mobilizing effort. The results contribute to the growing evidence that the noradrenergic LC is essential for behavioral adaptation by promoting cognitive flexibility and mobilizing effort in face of changing environmental contingencies.
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23
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Guedj C, Reynaud A, Monfardini E, Salemme R, Farnè A, Meunier M, Hadj-Bouziane F. Atomoxetine modulates the relationship between perceptual abilities and response bias. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2019; 236:3641-3653. [PMID: 31384989 PMCID: PMC6954008 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-019-05336-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2019] [Accepted: 07/16/2019] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Elucidation of how neuromodulators influence motivated behaviors is a major challenge of neuroscience research. It has been proposed that the locus-cœruleus-norepinephrine system promotes behavioral flexibility and provides resources required to face challenges in a wide range of cognitive processes. Both theoretical models and computational models suggest that the locus-cœruleus-norepinephrine system tunes neural gain in brain circuits to optimize behavior. However, to the best of our knowledge, empirical proof demonstrating the role of norepinephrine in performance optimization is scarce. Here, we modulated norepinephrine transmission in monkeys performing a Go/No-Go discrimination task using atomoxetine, a norepinephrine-reuptake inhibitor. We tested the optimization hypothesis by assessing perceptual sensitivity, response bias, and their functional relationship within the framework of the signal detection theory. We also manipulated the contingencies of the task (level of stimulus discriminability, target stimulus frequency, and decision outcome values) to modulate the relationship between sensitivity and response bias. We found that atomoxetine increased the subject's perceptual sensitivity to discriminate target stimuli regardless of the task contingency. Atomoxetine also improved the functional relationship between sensitivity and response bias, leading to a closer fit with the optimal strategy in different contexts. In addition, atomoxetine tended to reduce reaction time variability. Taken together, these findings support a role of norepinephrine transmission in optimizing response strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carole Guedj
- INSERM, U1028, CNRS UMR5292, Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, ImpAct Team, 16 Avenue Doyen Lépine, 69500, Bron, France. .,University UCBL Lyon 1, F-69000, Villeurbanne, France.
| | - Amélie Reynaud
- Present Address: INSERM, U1028, CNRS UMR5292, Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, ImpAct
Team, 16 Avenue Doyen Lépine, 69500 Bron, France ,University UCBL Lyon 1, F-69000 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Elisabetta Monfardini
- Present Address: INSERM, U1028, CNRS UMR5292, Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, ImpAct
Team, 16 Avenue Doyen Lépine, 69500 Bron, France ,University UCBL Lyon 1, F-69000 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Romeo Salemme
- Present Address: INSERM, U1028, CNRS UMR5292, Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, ImpAct
Team, 16 Avenue Doyen Lépine, 69500 Bron, France ,University UCBL Lyon 1, F-69000 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Alessandro Farnè
- Present Address: INSERM, U1028, CNRS UMR5292, Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, ImpAct
Team, 16 Avenue Doyen Lépine, 69500 Bron, France ,University UCBL Lyon 1, F-69000 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Martine Meunier
- Present Address: INSERM, U1028, CNRS UMR5292, Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, ImpAct
Team, 16 Avenue Doyen Lépine, 69500 Bron, France ,University UCBL Lyon 1, F-69000 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Fadila Hadj-Bouziane
- INSERM, U1028, CNRS UMR5292, Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, ImpAct Team, 16 Avenue Doyen Lépine, 69500, Bron, France. .,University UCBL Lyon 1, F-69000, Villeurbanne, France.
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24
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What Is the Relationship between Dopamine and Effort? Trends Neurosci 2018; 42:79-91. [PMID: 30391016 PMCID: PMC6352317 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2018.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2018] [Revised: 09/18/2018] [Accepted: 10/01/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The trade-off between reward and effort is at the heart of most behavioral theories, from ecology to economics. Compared to reward, however, effort remains poorly understood, both at the behavioral and neurophysiological levels. This is important because unwillingness to overcome effort to gain reward is a common feature of many neuropsychiatric and neurological disorders. A recent surge in interest in the neurobiological basis of effort has led to seemingly conflicting results regarding the role of dopamine. We argue here that, upon closer examination, there is actually striking consensus across studies: dopamine primarily codes for future reward but is less sensitive to anticipated effort cost. This strong association between dopamine and the incentive effects of rewards places dopamine in a key position to promote reward-directed action.
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25
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Ventura-Bort C, Wirkner J, Genheimer H, Wendt J, Hamm AO, Weymar M. Effects of Transcutaneous Vagus Nerve Stimulation (tVNS) on the P300 and Alpha-Amylase Level: A Pilot Study. Front Hum Neurosci 2018; 12:202. [PMID: 29977196 PMCID: PMC6021745 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2018.00202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2017] [Accepted: 04/30/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent research suggests that the P3b may be closely related to the activation of the locus coeruleus-norepinephrine (LC-NE) system. To further study the potential association, we applied a novel technique, the non-invasive transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS), which is speculated to increase noradrenaline levels. Using a within-subject cross-over design, 20 healthy participants received continuous tVNS and sham stimulation on two consecutive days (stimulation counterbalanced across participants) while performing a visual oddball task. During stimulation, oval non-targets (standard), normal-head (easy) and rotated-head (difficult) targets, as well as novel stimuli (scenes) were presented. As an indirect marker of noradrenergic activation we also collected salivary alpha-amylase (sAA) before and after stimulation. Results showed larger P3b amplitudes for target, relative to standard stimuli, irrespective of stimulation condition. Exploratory post hoc analyses, however, revealed that, in comparison to standard stimuli, easy (but not difficult) targets produced larger P3b (but not P3a) amplitudes during active tVNS, compared to sham stimulation. For sAA levels, although main analyses did not show differential effects of stimulation, direct testing revealed that tVNS (but not sham stimulation) increased sAA levels after stimulation. Additionally, larger differences between tVNS and sham stimulation in P3b magnitudes for easy targets were associated with larger increase in sAA levels after tVNS, but not after sham stimulation. Despite preliminary evidence for a modulatory influence of tVNS on the P3b, which may be partly mediated by activation of the noradrenergic system, additional research in this field is clearly warranted. Future studies need to clarify whether tVNS also facilitates other processes, such as learning and memory, and whether tVNS can be used as therapeutic tool.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Janine Wirkner
- Department of Psychology, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Hannah Genheimer
- Department of Psychology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Julia Wendt
- Department of Psychology, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Alfons O. Hamm
- Department of Psychology, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Mathias Weymar
- Department of Psychology, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
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Dual contributions of noradrenaline to behavioural flexibility and motivation. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2018; 235:2687-2702. [PMID: 29998349 PMCID: PMC6182595 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-018-4963-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2018] [Accepted: 06/27/2018] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION While several theories have highlighted the importance of the noradrenergic system for behavioral flexibility, a number of recent studies have also shown a role for noradrenaline in motivation, particularly in effort processing. Here, we designed a novel sequential cost/benefit decision task to test the causal influence of noradrenaline on these two functions in rhesus monkeys. METHODS We manipulated noradrenaline using clonidine, an alpha-2 noradrenergic receptor agonist, which reduces central noradrenaline levels and examined how this manipulation influenced performance on the task. RESULTS Clonidine had two specific and distinct effects: first, it decreased choice variability, without affecting the cost/benefit trade-off; and second, it reduced force production, without modulating the willingness to work. CONCLUSIONS Together, these results support an overarching role for noradrenaline in facing challenging situations in two complementary ways: by modulating behavioral volatility, which would facilitate adaptation depending on the lability of the environment, and by modulating the mobilization of resources to face immediate challenges.
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Soya S, Takahashi TM, McHugh TJ, Maejima T, Herlitze S, Abe M, Sakimura K, Sakurai T. Orexin modulates behavioral fear expression through the locus coeruleus. Nat Commun 2017; 8:1606. [PMID: 29151577 PMCID: PMC5694764 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-01782-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2016] [Accepted: 10/11/2017] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Emotionally salient information activates orexin neurons in the lateral hypothalamus, leading to increase in sympathetic outflow and vigilance level. How this circuit alters animals’ behavior remains unknown. Here we report that noradrenergic neurons in the locus coeruleus (NALC neurons) projecting to the lateral amygdala (LA) receive synaptic input from orexin neurons. Pharmacogenetic/optogenetic silencing of this circuit as well as acute blockade of the orexin receptor-1 (OX1R) decreases conditioned fear responses. In contrast, optogenetic stimulation of this circuit potentiates freezing behavior against a similar but distinct context or cue. Increase of orexinergic tone by fasting also potentiates freezing behavior and LA activity, which are blocked by pharmacological blockade of OX1R in the LC. These findings demonstrate the circuit involving orexin, NALC and LA neurons mediates fear-related behavior and suggests inappropriate excitation of this pathway may cause fear generalization sometimes seen in psychiatric disorders, such as PTSD. Vigilance involves the activation of orexinergic neurons in the lateral hypothalamus (LH-ox). Here the authors report the functional role of a monosynaptically connected circuit with orexinergic neurons connected to noradrenergic neurons in the locus coeruleus which target lateral amygdala neurons and enhance fear expression and generalization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shingo Soya
- International Institute for Integrative Sleep Medicine (WPI-IIIS), University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8575, Japan
| | - Tohru M Takahashi
- International Institute for Integrative Sleep Medicine (WPI-IIIS), University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8575, Japan.,Department of Molecular Neuroscience and Integrative Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Ishikawa, 920-8640, Japan
| | - Thomas J McHugh
- Laboratory for Circuit & Behavioral Physiology RIKEN Brain Science Institute, Wako, Saitama, 351-0198, Japan
| | - Takashi Maejima
- Department of Molecular Neuroscience and Integrative Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Ishikawa, 920-8640, Japan
| | - Stefan Herlitze
- Department of General Zoology and Neurobiology, ND7/31, Ruhr-University Bochum, Universitätsstrasse 150, 44780, Bochum, Germany
| | - Manabu Abe
- Department of Cellular Neurobiology, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Asahimachi, Chuoku Niigata, 951-8585, Japan
| | - Kenji Sakimura
- Department of Cellular Neurobiology, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Asahimachi, Chuoku Niigata, 951-8585, Japan
| | - Takeshi Sakurai
- International Institute for Integrative Sleep Medicine (WPI-IIIS), University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8575, Japan. .,Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8575, Japan. .,Life Science Center for Tsukuba Advanced Research Alliance (TARA), University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8575, Japan.
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Ehlers M, Todd R. Acute psychophysiological stress impairs human associative learning. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2017; 145:84-93. [DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2017.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2017] [Revised: 08/31/2017] [Accepted: 09/08/2017] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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Modular organization of the brainstem noradrenaline system coordinates opposing learning states. Nat Neurosci 2017; 20:1602-1611. [DOI: 10.1038/nn.4642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 174] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2017] [Accepted: 08/17/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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30
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Takarada Y, Nozaki D. Pupil dilations induced by barely conscious reward goal-priming. Neuropsychologia 2017; 103:69-76. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2017.07.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2017] [Revised: 06/22/2017] [Accepted: 07/14/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Alpha 1-adrenergic receptor blockade in the VTA modulates fear memories and stress responses. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2017; 27:782-794. [PMID: 28606743 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2017.05.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2016] [Revised: 04/14/2017] [Accepted: 05/22/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Activity of the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and its terminals has been implicated in the Pavlovian associative learning of both stressful and rewarding stimuli. However, the role of the VTA noradrenergic signaling in fear responses remains unclear. We aimed to examine how alpha1-adrenergic receptor (α1-AR) signaling in the VTA affects conditioned fear. The role of α1-AR was assessed using the micro-infusions into the VTA of the selective antagonists (0.1-1µg/0.5µl prazosin and 1µg/0.5µl terazosin) in acquisition and expression of fear memory. In addition, we performed control experiments with α1-AR blockade in the mammillary bodies (MB) - a brain region with α1-AR expression adjacent to the VTA. Intra-VTA but not intra-MB α1-AR blockade prevented formation and retrieval of fear memories. Importantly, local administration of α1-AR antagonists did not influence footshock sensitivity, locomotion or anxiety-like behaviors. Similarly, α1-AR blockade in the VTA had no effects on negative affect measured as number of 22kHz ultrasonic vocalizations during fear conditioning training. We propose that noradrenergic signaling in the VTA via α1-AR regulates formation and retrieval of fear memories but not other behavioral responses to stressful environmental stimuli. It enhances the encoding of environmental stimuli by the VTA to form and retrieve conditioned fear memories and to predict future behavioral outcomes. Our results provide novel insight into the role of the VTA α1-AR signaling in the regulation of stress responsiveness and fear memory.
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Genesis and Maintenance of Attentional Biases: The Role of the Locus Coeruleus-Noradrenaline System. Neural Plast 2017; 2017:6817349. [PMID: 28808590 PMCID: PMC5541826 DOI: 10.1155/2017/6817349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2017] [Revised: 06/13/2017] [Accepted: 06/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Emotionally arousing events are typically better remembered than mundane ones, in part because emotionally relevant aspects of our environment are prioritized in attention. Such biased attentional tuning is itself the result of associative processes through which we learn affective and motivational relevance of cues. We propose that the locus coeruleus-noradrenaline (LC-NA) system plays an important role in the genesis of attentional biases through associative learning processes as well as their maintenance. We further propose that individual differences in and disruptions of the LC-NA system underlie the development of maladaptive biases linked to psychopathology. We provide support for the proposed role of the LC-NA system by first reviewing work on attentional biases in development and its link to psychopathology in relation to alterations and individual differences in NA availability. We focus on pharmacological manipulations to demonstrate the effect of a disrupted system as well as the ADRA2b polymorphism as a tool to investigate naturally occurring differences in NA availability. We next review associative learning processes that-modulated by the LC-NA system-result in such implicit attentional biases. Further, we demonstrate how NA may influence aversive and appetitive conditioning linked to anxiety disorders as well as addiction and depression.
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Noradrenergic Modulation of Cognition in Health and Disease. Neural Plast 2017; 2017:6031478. [PMID: 28596922 PMCID: PMC5450174 DOI: 10.1155/2017/6031478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 136] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2017] [Accepted: 04/18/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Norepinephrine released by the locus coeruleus modulates cellular processes and synaptic transmission in the central nervous system through its actions at a number of pre- and postsynaptic receptors. This transmitter system facilitates sensory signal detection and promotes waking and arousal, processes which are necessary for navigating a complex and dynamic sensory environment. In addition to its effects on sensory processing and waking behavior, norepinephrine is now recognized as a contributor to various aspects of cognition, including attention, behavioral flexibility, working memory, and long-term mnemonic processes. Two areas of dense noradrenergic innervation, the prefrontal cortex and the hippocampus, are particularly important with regard to these functions. Due to its role in mediating normal cognitive function, it is reasonable to expect that noradrenergic transmission becomes dysfunctional in a number of neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative diseases characterized by cognitive deficits. In this review, we summarize the unique role that norepinephrine plays in prefrontal cortical and hippocampal function and how its interaction with its various receptors contribute to cognitive behaviors. We further assess the changes that occur in the noradrenergic system in Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and schizophrenia and how these changes contribute to cognitive decline in these pathologies.
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Prouty EW, Waterhouse BD, Chandler DJ. Corticotropin releasing factor dose-dependently modulates excitatory synaptic transmission in the noradrenergic nucleus locus coeruleus. Eur J Neurosci 2017; 45:712-722. [PMID: 27973694 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.13501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2016] [Revised: 12/05/2016] [Accepted: 12/06/2016] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
The noradrenergic nucleus locus coeruleus (LC) is critically involved in the stress response and receives afferent input from a number of corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) containing structures. Several in vivo and in vitro studies in rat have shown that CRF robustly increases the firing rate of LC neurons in a dose-dependent manner. While it is known that these increases are dependent on CRF receptor subtype 1 and mediated by effects of cAMP intracellular signaling cascades on potassium conductance, the impact of CRF on synaptic transmission within LC has not been clarified. In the present study, we used whole-cell patch clamp electrophysiology to assess how varying concentrations of bath-applied CRF affect AMPA-receptor dependent spontaneous excitatory post-synaptic currents (sEPSCs). Compared to vehicle, 10, 25, and 100 nm CRF had no significant effects on any sEPSC parameters. Fifty nanomolar CRF, however, significantly increased sEPSC amplitude, half-width, and charge transfer, while these measures were significantly decreased by 200 nm CRF. These observations suggest that stress may differentially affect ongoing excitatory synaptic transmission in LC depending on how much CRF is released from presynaptic terminals. Combined with the well-documented effects of CRF on membrane properties and spontaneous LC discharge, these observations may help explain how stress and CRF release are able to modulate the signal to noise ratio of LC neurons. These findings have implications for how stress affects the fidelity of signal transmission and information flow through LC and how it might impact norepinephrine release in the CNS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric W Prouty
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Barry D Waterhouse
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine, Stratford, NJ, USA
| | - Daniel J Chandler
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine, 2 Medical Center Drive, Stratford, NJ, 08084, USA
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35
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Chandler DJ. Evidence for a specialized role of the locus coeruleus noradrenergic system in cortical circuitries and behavioral operations. Brain Res 2016; 1641:197-206. [PMID: 26607255 PMCID: PMC4879003 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2015.11.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2015] [Revised: 10/30/2015] [Accepted: 11/12/2015] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
The brainstem nucleus locus coeruleus (LC) innervates the entire central nervous system and is the primary source of norepinephrine (NE) to the neocortex. While classically considered a homogenous modulator of forebrain activity by virtue of highly widespread and divergent axons, recent behavioral and pharmacological evidence suggest this nucleus may execute distinct operations within functionally distinct terminal fields. Summarized in this review are the anatomical and physiological properties of the nucleus within a historical context that led to the interpretation of the nucleus as a homogeneous entity with uniform and simultaneous actions throughout its terminal fields. Also included are findings from several laboratories which point to a more nuanced model of LC/NE function that parallels that seen in other forebrain-projecting monoaminergic nuclei. Such compartmentalized models of the nucleus promote the idea that specific LC circuits are involved in discrete behavioral operations, and therefore, by identifying the networks that are engaged by LC, the substrates for these behaviors can be identified and manipulated. Perturbations in the functional anatomy and physiology of this system may be related to neuropsychiatric conditions associated with dysregulation of the LC-noradrenergic system such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Recent findings regarding the organization and operation of the LC/NE system collectively challenge the classical view of the nucleus as a relatively homogenous modulator of forebrain activity and provide the basis for a renewed scientific interest in this region of the brain. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled SI: Noradrenergic System.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel J Chandler
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19129, USA.
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36
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Automaticity of phasic alertness: Evidence for a three-component model of visual cueing. Atten Percept Psychophys 2016; 78:1948-67. [PMID: 27173487 DOI: 10.3758/s13414-016-1124-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The automaticity of phasic alertness is investigated using the attention network test. Results show that the cueing effect from the alerting cue-double cue-is strongly enhanced by the task relevance of visual cues, as determined by the informativeness of the orienting cue-single cue-that is being mixed (80 % vs. 50 % valid in predicting where the target will appear). Counterintuitively, the cueing effect from the alerting cue can be negatively affected by its visibility, such that masking the cue from awareness can reveal a cueing effect that is otherwise absent when the cue is visible. Evidently, then, top-down influences-in the form of contextual relevance and cue awareness-can have opposite influences on the cueing effect from the alerting cue. These findings lead us to the view that a visual cue can engage three components of attention-orienting, alerting, and inhibition-to determine the behavioral cueing effect. We propose that phasic alertness, particularly in the form of specific response readiness, is regulated by both internal, top-down expectation and external, bottom-up stimulus properties. In contrast to some existing views, we advance the perspective that phasic alertness is strongly tied to temporal orienting, attentional capture, and spatial orienting. Finally, we discuss how translating attention research to clinical applications would benefit from an improved ability to measure attention. To this end, controlling the degree of intraindividual variability in the attentional components and improving the precision of the measurement tools may prove vital.
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37
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Joshi S, Li Y, Kalwani RM, Gold JI. Relationships between Pupil Diameter and Neuronal Activity in the Locus Coeruleus, Colliculi, and Cingulate Cortex. Neuron 2015; 89:221-34. [PMID: 26711118 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2015.11.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 761] [Impact Index Per Article: 84.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2015] [Revised: 10/25/2015] [Accepted: 11/11/2015] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Changes in pupil diameter that reflect effort and other cognitive factors are often interpreted in terms of the activity of norepinephrine-containing neurons in the brainstem nucleus locus coeruleus (LC), but there is little direct evidence for such a relationship. Here, we show that LC activation reliably anticipates changes in pupil diameter that either fluctuate naturally or are driven by external events during near fixation, as in many psychophysical tasks. This relationship occurs on as fine a temporal and spatial scale as single spikes from single units. However, this relationship is not specific to the LC. Similar relationships, albeit with delayed timing and different reliabilities across sites, are evident in the inferior and superior colliculus and anterior and posterior cingulate cortex. Because these regions are interconnected with the LC, the results suggest that non-luminance-mediated changes in pupil diameter might reflect LC-mediated coordination of neuronal activity throughout some parts of the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siddhartha Joshi
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
| | - Yin Li
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Rishi M Kalwani
- Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19140, USA
| | - Joshua I Gold
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
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38
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Uematsu A, Tan BZ, Johansen JP. Projection specificity in heterogeneous locus coeruleus cell populations: implications for learning and memory. Learn Mem 2015; 22:444-51. [PMID: 26330494 PMCID: PMC4561410 DOI: 10.1101/lm.037283.114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2015] [Accepted: 06/22/2015] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Noradrenergic neurons in the locus coeruleus (LC) play a critical role in many functions including learning and memory. This relatively small population of cells sends widespread projections throughout the brain including to a number of regions such as the amygdala which is involved in emotional associative learning and the medial prefrontal cortex which is important for facilitating flexibility when learning rules change. LC noradrenergic cells participate in both of these functions, but it is not clear how this small population of neurons modulates these partially distinct processes. Here we review anatomical, behavioral, and electrophysiological studies to assess how LC noradrenergic neurons regulate these different aspects of learning and memory. Previous work has demonstrated that subpopulations of LC noradrenergic cells innervate specific brain regions suggesting heterogeneity of function in LC neurons. Furthermore, noradrenaline in mPFC and amygdala has distinct effects on emotional learning and cognitive flexibility. Finally, neural recording data show that LC neurons respond during associative learning and when previously learned task contingencies change. Together, these studies suggest a working model in which distinct and potentially opposing subsets of LC neurons modulate particular learning functions through restricted efferent connectivity with amygdala or mPFC. This type of model may provide a general framework for understanding other neuromodulatory systems, which also exhibit cell type heterogeneity and projection specificity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akira Uematsu
- RIKEN Brain Science Institute, Laboratory for Neural Circuitry of Memory, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako-shi, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Bao Zhen Tan
- RIKEN Brain Science Institute, Laboratory for Neural Circuitry of Memory, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako-shi, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Joshua P Johansen
- RIKEN Brain Science Institute, Laboratory for Neural Circuitry of Memory, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako-shi, Saitama 351-0198, Japan Department of Life Sciences, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, University of Tokyo, Tokyo 153-8902, Japan
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Noradrenaline and dopamine neurons in the reward/effort trade-off: a direct electrophysiological comparison in behaving monkeys. J Neurosci 2015; 35:7866-77. [PMID: 25995472 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0454-15.2015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 295] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Motivation determines multiple aspects of behavior, including action selection and energization of behavior. Several components of the underlying neural systems have been examined closely, but the specific role of the different neuromodulatory systems in motivation remains unclear. Here, we compare directly the activity of dopaminergic neurons from the substantia nigra pars compacta and noradrenergic neurons from the locus coeruleus in monkeys performing a task manipulating the reward/effort trade-off. Consistent with previous reports, dopaminergic neurons encoded the expected reward, but we found that they also anticipated the upcoming effort cost in connection with its negative influence on action selection. Conversely, the firing of noradrenergic neurons increased with both pupil dilation and effort production in relation to the energization of behavior. Therefore, this work underlines the contribution of dopamine to effort-based decision making and uncovers a specific role of noradrenaline in energizing behavior to face challenges.
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Schomaker J, Meeter M. Short- and long-lasting consequences of novelty, deviance and surprise on brain and cognition. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2015; 55:268-79. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2015.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 104] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2015] [Revised: 04/01/2015] [Accepted: 05/04/2015] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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Phasic activation of individual neurons in the locus ceruleus/subceruleus complex of monkeys reflects rewarded decisions to go but not stop. J Neurosci 2015; 34:13656-69. [PMID: 25297093 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2566-14.2014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurons in the brainstem nucleus locus ceruleus (LC) often exhibit phasic activation in the context of simple sensory-motor tasks. The functional role of this activation, which leads to the release of norepinephrine throughout the brain, is not yet understood in part because the conditions under which it occurs remain in question. Early studies focused on the relationship of LC phasic activation to salient sensory events, whereas more recent work has emphasized its timing relative to goal-directed behavioral responses, possibly representing the end of a sensory-motor decision process. To better understand the relationship between LC phasic activation and sensory, motor, and decision processing, we recorded spiking activity of neurons in the LC+ (LC and the adjacent, norepinephrine-containing subceruleus nucleus) of monkeys performing a countermanding task. The task required the monkeys to occasionally withhold planned, saccadic eye movements to a visual target. We found that many well isolated LC+ units responded to both the onset of the visual cue instructing the monkey to initiate the saccade and again after saccade onset, even when it was initiated erroneously in the presence of a stop signal. Many of these neurons did not respond to saccades made outside of the task context. In contrast, neither the appearance of the stop signal nor the successful withholding of the saccade elicited an LC+ response. Therefore, LC+ phasic activation encodes sensory and motor events related to decisions to execute, but not withhold, movements, implying a functional role in goal-directed actions, but not necessarily more covert forms of processing.
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Abstract
The noradrenergic nucleus locus ceruleus (LC) is associated classically with arousal and attention. Recent data suggest that it might also play a role in motivation. To study how LC neuronal responses are related to motivational intensity, we recorded 121 single neurons from two monkeys while reward size (one, two, or four drops) and the manner of obtaining reward (passive vs active) were both manipulated. The monkeys received reward under three conditions: (1) releasing a bar when a visual target changed color; (2) passively holding a bar; or (3) touching and releasing a bar. In the first two conditions, a visual cue indicated the size of the upcoming reward, and, in the third, the reward was constant through each block of 25 trials. Performance levels and lipping intensity (an appetitive behavior) both showed that the monkeys' motivation in the task was related to the predicted reward size. In conditions 1 and 2, LC neurons were activated phasically in relation to cue onset, and this activation strengthened with increasing expected reward size. In conditions 1 and 3, LC neurons were activated before the bar-release action, and the activation weakened with increasing expected reward size but only in task 1. These effects evolved as monkeys progressed through behavioral sessions, because increasing fatigue and satiety presumably progressively decreased the value of the upcoming reward. These data indicate that LC neurons integrate motivationally relevant information: both external cues and internal drives. The LC might provide the impetus to act when the predicted outcome value is low.
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Cell-based reporters reveal in vivo dynamics of dopamine and norepinephrine release in murine cortex. Nat Methods 2014; 11:1245-52. [PMID: 25344639 PMCID: PMC4245316 DOI: 10.1038/nmeth.3151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2014] [Accepted: 09/14/2014] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Neuronal coding of stimulus-to-action sequences are believed to involve the release of dopamine (DA) and norepinephrine (NE). The electrochemical similarity of these monoamines, however, confounds real-time measurements of their release. Here we report the creation of cell-based neurotransmitter fluorescent-engineered reporters (CNiFERs) that utilize the specificity of G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) to discriminate nanomolar concentrations of DA and NE. CNiFERs were implanted into frontal cortex of mice to measure the timing of neurotransmitter release during classical conditioning using two-photon microscopy. The onset of DA release correlated with that of licking and monotonically shifted from the time of the reward toward that of the cue. In contrast, concurrent release of NE did not correlate with licking or the cue. This new generation of CNiFERs provides unique tools to assess the release of monoamines. The molecular design of these CNiFERs may be generalized to realize CNiFERs for any molecule that activates a GPCR.
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Assessing value representation in animals. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014; 109:64-9. [PMID: 25092260 DOI: 10.1016/j.jphysparis.2014.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2014] [Revised: 07/10/2014] [Accepted: 07/17/2014] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Among all factors modulating our motivation to perform a given action, the ability to represent its outcome is clearly the most determining. Representation of outcomes, rewards in particular, and how they guide behavior, have sparked much research. Both practically and theoretically, understanding the relationship between the representation of outcome value and the organization of goal directed behavior implies that these two processes can be assessed independently. Most of animal studies essentially used instrumental actions as a proxy for the expected goal-value. The purpose of this article is to consider alternative measures of expected outcome value in animals, which are critical to understand the behavioral and neurobiological mechanisms relating the representation of the expected outcome to the organization of the behavior oriented towards its obtention. This would be critical in the field of decision making or social interactions, where the value of multiple items must often be compared and/or shared among individuals to determine the course of actions.
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Marzo A, Totah NK, Neves RM, Logothetis NK, Eschenko O. Unilateral electrical stimulation of rat locus coeruleus elicits bilateral response of norepinephrine neurons and sustained activation of medial prefrontal cortex. J Neurophysiol 2014; 111:2570-88. [DOI: 10.1152/jn.00920.2013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The brain stem nucleus locus coeruleus (LC) is thought to modulate cortical excitability by norepinephrine (NE) release in LC forebrain targets. The effects of LC burst discharge, typically evoked by a strong excitatory input, on cortical ongoing activity are poorly understood. To address this question, we combined direct electrical stimulation of LC (LC-DES) with extracellular recording in LC and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), an important cortical target of LC. LC-DES consisting of single pulses (0.1–0.5 ms, 0.01–0.05 mA) or pulse trains (20–50 Hz, 50–200 ms) evoked short-latency excitatory and inhibitory LC responses bilaterally as well as a delayed rebound excitation occurring ∼100 ms after stimulation offset. The pulse trains, but not single pulses, reliably elicited mPFC activity change, which was proportional to the stimulation strength. The firing rate of ∼50% of mPFC units was significantly modulated by the strongest LC-DES. Responses of mPFC putative pyramidal neurons included fast (∼100 ms), transient (∼100–200 ms) inhibition (10% of units) or excitation (13%) and delayed (∼500 ms), sustained (∼1 s) excitation (26%). The sustained spiking resembled NE-dependent mPFC activity during the delay period of working memory tasks. Concurrently, the low-frequency (0.1–8 Hz) power of the local field potential (LFP) decreased and high-frequency (>20 Hz) power increased. Overall, the DES-induced LC firing pattern resembled the naturalistic biphasic response of LC-NE neurons to alerting stimuli and was associated with a shift in cortical state that may optimize processing of behaviorally relevant events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aude Marzo
- Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany; and
| | - Nelson K. Totah
- Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany; and
| | - Ricardo M. Neves
- Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany; and
| | - Nikos K. Logothetis
- Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany; and
- Centre for Imaging Sciences, Biomedical Imaging Institute, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Oxana Eschenko
- Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany; and
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Lerchner W, Corgiat B, Der Minassian V, Saunders RC, Richmond BJ. Injection parameters and virus dependent choice of promoters to improve neuron targeting in the nonhuman primate brain. Gene Ther 2014; 21:233-41. [PMID: 24401836 DOI: 10.1038/gt.2013.75] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2013] [Revised: 10/01/2013] [Accepted: 11/04/2013] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
We, like many others, wish to use modern molecular methods to alter neuronal functionality in primates. For us, this requires expression in a large proportion of the targeted cell population. Long generation times make germline modification of limited use. The size and intricate primate brain anatomy poses additional challenges. We surved methods using lentiviruses and serotypes of adeno-associated viruses (AAVs) to introduce active molecular material into cortical and subcortical regions of old-world monkey brains. Slow injections of AAV2 give well-defined expression of neurons in the cortex surrounding the injection site. Somewhat surprisingly we find that in the monkey the use of cytomegalovirus promoter in lentivirus primarily targets glial cells but few neurons. In contrast, with a synapsin promoter fragment the lentivirus expression is neuron specific at high transduction levels in all cortical layers. We also achieve specific targeting of tyrosine hydroxlase (TH)- rich neurons in the locus coeruleus and substantia nigra with a lentvirus carrying a fragment of the TH promoter. Lentiviruses carrying neuron specific promoters are suitable for both cortical and subcortical injections even when injected quickly.
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Affiliation(s)
- W Lerchner
- Laboratory of Neuropsychology, National Institute of Mental Health/NIMH/DHHS, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - B Corgiat
- Laboratory of Neuropsychology, National Institute of Mental Health/NIMH/DHHS, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - V Der Minassian
- Laboratory of Neuropsychology, National Institute of Mental Health/NIMH/DHHS, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - R C Saunders
- Laboratory of Neuropsychology, National Institute of Mental Health/NIMH/DHHS, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - B J Richmond
- Laboratory of Neuropsychology, National Institute of Mental Health/NIMH/DHHS, Bethesda, MD, USA
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Privitera CM, Carney T, Klein S, Aguilar M. Analysis of microsaccades and pupil dilation reveals a common decisional origin during visual search. Vision Res 2013; 95:43-50. [PMID: 24333280 DOI: 10.1016/j.visres.2013.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2013] [Revised: 11/06/2013] [Accepted: 12/02/2013] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
During free viewing visual search, observers often refixate the same locations several times before and after target detection is reported with a button press. We analyzed the rate of microsaccades in the sequence of refixations made during visual search and found two important components. One related to the visual content of the region being fixated; fixations on targets generate more microsaccades and more microsaccades are generated for those targets that are more difficult to disambiguate. The other empathizes non-visual decisional processes; fixations containing the button press generate more microsaccades than those made on the same target but without the button press. Pupil dilation during the same refixations reveals a similar modulation. We inferred that generic sympathetic arousal mechanisms are part of the articulated complex of perceptual processes governing fixational eye movements.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Thom Carney
- School of Optometry, University of California, Berkeley, CA, United States
| | - Stanley Klein
- School of Optometry, University of California, Berkeley, CA, United States
| | - Mario Aguilar
- Intelligent Systems and Planning, Teledyne Scientific Company, Durham, NC, United States
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48
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Chase MH. A unified survival theory of the functioning of the hypocretinergic system. J Appl Physiol (1985) 2013; 115:954-71. [PMID: 23640599 DOI: 10.1152/japplphysiol.00700.2012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
This article advances the theory that the hypocretinergic (orexinergic) system initiates, coordinates, and maintains survival behaviors and survival-related processes (i.e., the Unified Survival Theory of the Functioning of the Hypocretinergic System or "Unified Hypocretinergic Survival Theory"). A priori presumptive support for the Unified Hypocretinergic Survival Theory emanates from the fact that neurons that contain hypocretin are located in the key executive central nervous system (CNS) site, the lateral hypothalamus, that for decades has been well-documented to govern core survival behaviors such as fight, flight, and food consumption. In addition, the hypocretinergic system exhibits the requisite morphological and electrophysiological capabilities to control survival behaviors and related processes. Complementary behavioral data demonstrate that all facets of "survival" are coordinated by the hypocretinergic system and that hypocretinergic directives are not promulgated except during survival behaviors. Importantly, it has been shown that survival behaviors are selectively impacted when the hypocretinergic system is impaired or rendered nonfunctional, whereas other behaviors are relatively unaffected. The Unified Hypocretinergic Survival Theory resolves the disparate, perplexing, and often paradoxical-appearing results of previous studies; it also provides a foundation for future hypothesis-driven basic science and clinical explorations of the hypocretinergic system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael H Chase
- WebSciences International, Veterans Affairs-Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, University of California, Los Angeles School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California
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Carcea I, Froemke RC. Cortical plasticity, excitatory-inhibitory balance, and sensory perception. PROGRESS IN BRAIN RESEARCH 2013; 207:65-90. [PMID: 24309251 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-444-63327-9.00003-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Experience shapes the central nervous system throughout life. Structural and functional plasticity confers a remarkable ability on the brain, allowing neural circuits to adequately adapt to dynamic environments. This process can require selective adjustment of many excitatory and inhibitory synapses in an organized manner, in such a way as to enhance representations of behaviorally important sensory stimuli while preserving overall network excitability. The rules and mechanisms that orchestrated these changes across different synapses and throughout neuronal ensembles are beginning to be understood. Here, we review the evidence connecting synaptic plasticity to functional plasticity and perceptual learning, focusing on the roles of various neuromodulatory systems in enabling plasticity of adult neural circuits. However, the challenge remains to appropriately leverage these systems and forms of plasticity to persistently improve perceptual abilities and behavioral performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ioana Carcea
- Molecular Neurobiology Program, The Helen and Martin Kimmel Center for Biology and Medicine at the Skirball Institute for Biomolecular Medicine, Department of Physiology and Neuroscience, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA; Department of Otolaryngology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA; Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY, USA
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50
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Orienting and reorienting: the locus coeruleus mediates cognition through arousal. Neuron 2012; 76:130-41. [PMID: 23040811 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2012.09.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 588] [Impact Index Per Article: 49.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/10/2012] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Mood, motivation, attention, and arousal are behavioral states having a profound impact on cognition. Behavioral states are mediated though the peripheral nervous system and neuromodulatory systems in the brainstem. The noradrenergic nucleus locus coeruleus is activated in parallel with the autonomic system in response to biological imperatives. These responses can be spontaneous, to unexpected salient or threatening stimuli, or they can be conditioned responses to awaited behaviorally relevant stimuli. Noradrenaline, released in forebrain structures, will facilitate sensory processing, enhance cognitive flexibility and executive function in the frontal cortex, and promote offline memory consolidation in limbic structures. Central activation of neuromodulatory neurons and peripheral arousal, together, prepare the organism for a reorientation or reset of cortical networks and an adaptive behavioral response.
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