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Crombag HS, Duka T, Stephens DN. The Continuing Challenges of Studying Parallel Behaviours in Humans and Animal Models. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2024. [PMID: 38976140 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2024_485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/09/2024]
Abstract
The use of animal models continues to be essential for carrying out research into clinical phenomena, including addiction. However, the complexity of the clinical condition inevitably means that even the best animal models are inadequate, and this may go some way to account for the apparent failures of discoveries from animal models, including the identification of potential novel therapies, to translate to the clinic. We argue here that it is overambitious and misguided in the first place to attempt to model complex, multifacetted human disorders such as addiction in animals, and especially in rodents, and that all too frequently "validity" of such models is limited to superficial similarities, referred to as "face validity", that reflect quite different underlying phenomena and biological processes from the clinical situation. Instead, a more profitable approach is to identify (a) well-defined intermediate human behavioural phenotypes that reflect defined, limited aspects of, or contributors to, the human clinical disorder, and (b) to develop animal models that are homologous with those discrete human behavioural phenotypes in terms of psychological processes, and underlying neurobiological mechanisms. Examples of past and continuing weaknesses and suggestions for more limited approaches that may allow better homology between the test animal and human condition are made.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hans S Crombag
- School of Psychology and Sussex Neuroscience, The University of Sussex, Brighton, UK.
| | - Theodora Duka
- School of Psychology and Sussex Neuroscience, The University of Sussex, Brighton, UK
| | - David N Stephens
- School of Psychology and Sussex Neuroscience, The University of Sussex, Brighton, UK
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2
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Mao S, Chou T, D'Orsogna MR. A probabilistic model of relapse in drug addiction. Math Biosci 2024; 372:109184. [PMID: 38582296 DOI: 10.1016/j.mbs.2024.109184] [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: 02/15/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/08/2024]
Abstract
More than 60% of individuals recovering from substance use disorder relapse within one year. Some will resume drug consumption even after decades of abstinence. The cognitive and psychological mechanisms that lead to relapse are not completely understood, but stressful life experiences and external stimuli that are associated with past drug-taking are known to play a primary role. Stressors and cues elicit memories of drug-induced euphoria and the expectation of relief from current anxiety, igniting an intense craving to use again; positive experiences and supportive environments may mitigate relapse. We present a mathematical model of relapse in drug addiction that draws on known psychiatric concepts such as the "positive activation; negative activation" paradigm and the "peak-end" rule to construct a relapse rate that depends on external factors (intensity and timing of life events) and individual traits (mental responses to these events). We analyze which combinations and ordering of stressors, cues, and positive events lead to the largest relapse probability and propose interventions to minimize the likelihood of relapse. We find that the best protective factor is exposure to a mild, yet continuous, source of contentment, rather than large, episodic jolts of happiness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sayun Mao
- Department of Computational Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, 90095-1766, CA, USA.
| | - Tom Chou
- Department of Computational Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, 90095-1766, CA, USA.
| | - Maria R D'Orsogna
- Department of Computational Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, 90095-1766, CA, USA; Department of Mathematics, California State University at Northridge, Los Angeles, 91330, CA, USA.
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3
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Hayashi Y. Problematic mobile phone use as impulsive choice: Development and empirical verification of a reinforcer-pathology model. J Exp Anal Behav 2024; 121:189-200. [PMID: 38148676 DOI: 10.1002/jeab.900] [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: 04/15/2023] [Accepted: 11/18/2023] [Indexed: 12/28/2023]
Abstract
Problematic mobile phone use is characterized by its "impulsive" nature; users engage in it despite their negative attitude toward it. From a behavioral-economic perspective, this attitude-behavior discrepancy is generated by competing contingencies that involve smaller-sooner social reinforcers associated with mobile phone use and larger-later prosocial reinforcers potentially compromised by phone use. Based on this conceptualization, the reinforcer-pathology model of problematic mobile phone use is proposed, which posits that such phone use stems from excessive delay discounting of the social and prosocial reinforcers and/or excessive demand for the social reinforcers. A secondary data analysis of previously published studies was conducted, with the novel addition of principal component analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis of these data. The results generated evidence that supports the reinforcer-pathology model proposed in this article. Based on the theoretical analyses and accumulated empirical evidence, theory-driven prevention and intervention strategies for problematic mobile phone use are proposed. Overall, the reinforcer-pathology model of problematic mobile phone use provides a comprehensive framework for understanding and addressing this growing issue.
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Hayashi Y, Fisher NM, Hantula DA, Furman L, Washio Y. A behavioral economic demand analysis of mothers' decision to exclusively breastfeed in the workplace. J Exp Anal Behav 2022; 118:132-147. [PMID: 35607847 DOI: 10.1002/jeab.772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2021] [Revised: 04/15/2022] [Accepted: 05/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
The present study determined whether behavioral economic demand analysis could characterize mothers' decision to exclusively breastfeed in the workplace. Females, aged between 18 and 50 who have given birth in the past three years, completed a novel demand task with hypothetical scenarios, in which they returned to work with a 2-month-old baby. Participants rated their likelihood of breastfeeding their baby at a workplace lactation room versus formula-feeding their baby at their desk. The distance to the lactation room ranged from 10 s to 60 min. This assessment was conducted with and without hypothetical financial incentives for 6-month exclusive breastfeeding. Primary dependent measures were demand intensity and change in demand elasticity, which could conceptually represent initiation and continuation of breastfeeding, respectively. Demand for breastfeeding was more intense and less elastic (i.e., more likely to initiate and continue breastfeeding) among mothers with an experience of 6-month exclusive breastfeeding and under the condition with the financial incentives. The novel demand task can potentially provide a useful behavioral marker for quantifying mothers' decision to initiate and continue exclusive breastfeeding in the workplace, informing workplace policy regarding lactation rooms, identifying risk for early cessation, and developing and individualizing an intervention to assist mothers to exclusively breastfeed in the workplace.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yusuke Hayashi
- Division of Social Sciences and Education, Pennsylvania State University, Hazleton
| | - Nicole M Fisher
- Division of Social Sciences and Education, Pennsylvania State University, Hazleton
| | | | - Lydia Furman
- Department of Pediatrics, Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital
| | - Yukiko Washio
- Substance Use, Gender and Applied Research, RTI International.,Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Temple University Lewis Katz School of Medicine
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5
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Clueless about cues: the impact of reward-paired cues on decision making under uncertainty. Curr Opin Behav Sci 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cobeha.2021.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
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6
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Trucco EM. A review of psychosocial factors linked to adolescent substance use. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2020; 196:172969. [PMID: 32565241 PMCID: PMC7415605 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2020.172969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2020] [Revised: 05/23/2020] [Accepted: 06/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Informed by ecological theories and models of influence, this review discusses various psychosocial risk and protective factors that contribute to adolescent substance use behavior. Given typical patterns of substance use initiation during this developmental period, an emphasis is placed on alcohol, cigarette, and marijuana use. FINDINGS Consistent with bioecological theories, peers and parents tend to have the strongest effect on adolescent substance use behavior. Influences can be both direct, such as offers and availability to use substances, as well as indirect influences, such as the perception of substance use approval. Schools and neighborhoods also contribute to adolescent substance use behavior, but this effect is often less direct. Moreover, the effect of neighborhoods on adolescent behavior reflects both structural components (e.g., neighborhood racial composition, teacher-student ratios) in addition to social process (e.g., neighborhood social cohesion, school connectedness). A review of parallel studies conducted with animals is also provided. SUMMARY Adolescent substance use behavior does not occur in a vacuum. Investigations must encompass the relevant social ecologies that affect adolescent behavior, including family, peer, school, and neighborhood contexts to provide a more complete understanding of substance use etiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa M Trucco
- Florida International University, Psychology Department, Center for Children and Families, 11200 SW 8th Street, AHC-1, Miami, FL 33199, United States of America.
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Hayashi Y, Friedel JE, Foreman AM, Wirth O. A cluster analysis of text message users based on their demand for text messaging: A behavioral economic approach. J Exp Anal Behav 2019; 112:273-289. [PMID: 31680270 DOI: 10.1002/jeab.554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2019] [Accepted: 10/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The goal of this study was to determine whether cluster analysis could be used to identify distinct subgroups of text message users based on behavioral economic indices of demand for text messaging. Cluster analysis is an analytic technique that attempts to categorize cases based on similarities across selected variables. Participants completed a questionnaire about mobile phone usage and a hypothetical texting demand task in which they indicated their likelihood of paying an extra charge to continue to send text messages. A hierarchical cluster analysis was conducted on behavioral economic indices, such as demand intensity, demand elasticity, breakpoint, and the maximum expenditure. With the cluster analysis, we identified 3 subgroups of text message users. The groups were characterized by (a) high intensity and low elasticity, (b) high intensity and medium elasticity, and (c) low intensity and high elasticity. In a demonstration of convergent validity, there were statistically significant and conceptually meaningful differences across the subgroups in various measures of mobile phone use and text messaging. Cluster analysis is a useful tool for identifying and profiling distinct, practically meaningful groups based on behavioral indices and could provide a framework for targeting interventions more efficiently.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Oliver Wirth
- National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
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Natividad LA, Steinman MQ, Laredo SA, Irimia C, Polis IY, Lintz R, Buczynski MW, Martin-Fardon R, Roberto M, Parsons LH. Phosphorylation of calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II in the rat dorsal medial prefrontal cortex is associated with alcohol-induced cognitive inflexibility. Addict Biol 2018; 23:1117-1129. [PMID: 28940879 PMCID: PMC5862723 DOI: 10.1111/adb.12568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Repeated cycles of alcohol [ethanol (EtOH)] intoxication and withdrawal dysregulate excitatory glutamatergic systems in the brain and induce neuroadaptations in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) that contribute to cognitive dysfunction. The mPFC is composed of subdivisions that are functionally distinct, with dorsal regions facilitating drug-cue associations and ventral regions modulating new learning in the absence of drug. A key modulator of glutamatergic activity is the holoenzyme calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) that phosphorylates ionotropic glutamate receptors. Here, we examined the hypothesis that abstinence from chronic intermittent EtOH (CIE) exposure dysregulates CaMKII activity in the mPFC to impair cognitive flexibility. We used an operant model of strategy set shifting in male Long-Evans rats demonstrating reduced susceptibility to trial omissions during performance in a visual cue-guided task versus albino strains. Relative to naïve controls, rats experiencing approximately 10 days of abstinence from CIE vapor exposure demonstrated impaired performance during a procedural shift from visual cue to spatial location discrimination. Phosphorylation of CaMKII subtype α was upregulated in the dorsal, but not ventral mPFC of CIE-exposed rats, and was positively correlated with perseverative-like responding during the set shift. The findings suggest that abstinence from CIE exposure induces an undercurrent of kinase activity (e.g. CaMKII), which may promote aberrant glutamatergic responses in select regions of the mPFC. Given the role of the mPFC in modulating executive control of behavior, we propose that increased CaMKII subtype α activity reflects a dysregulated 'top-down' circuit that interferes with adaptive behavioral performance under changing environmental demands.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Sarah A. Laredo
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, 92037, USA
| | - Cristina Irimia
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, 92037, USA
| | - Ilham Y. Polis
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, 92037, USA
| | - Robert Lintz
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, 92037, USA
| | - Matthew W. Buczynski
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, 92037, USA
| | - Rémi Martin-Fardon
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, 92037, USA
| | - Marisa Roberto
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, 92037, USA
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Naloxone effects on extinction of ethanol- and cocaine-induced conditioned place preference in mice. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2017; 234:2747-2759. [PMID: 28653079 PMCID: PMC5709191 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-017-4672-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2017] [Accepted: 06/06/2017] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Previous studies found that naloxone (NLX) facilitated choice extinction of ethanol conditioned place preference (CPP) using long (60 min) test sessions, but there is little information on the variables determining this effect. OBJECTIVES These studies examined repeated exposure to NLX during extinction of ethanol- or cocaine-induced CPP using both short and long tests. METHODS DBA/2J mice were injected with NLX (0 or 10 mg/kg) before three 10- or 60-min choice extinction tests (experiment 1). All mice received a final 60-min test without NLX. Post-test NLX was given in experiment 2. Experiment 3 tested whether NLX would affect a forced extinction procedure. Experiment 4 tested its effect on extinction of cocaine-induced CPP. RESULTS Pre-test (but not post-test) injections of NLX-facilitated choice extinction of ethanol CPP at both test durations. Pre-test NLX also facilitated forced extinction. However, pre-test NLX had no effect on choice extinction of cocaine CPP. CONCLUSIONS Extinction test duration is not critical for engaging the opioid system during ethanol CPP extinction (experiment 1). Moreover, NLX's effect does not depend on CPP expression during extinction, just exposure to previously conditioned cues (experiment 3). The null effect of post-test NLX eliminates a memory consolidation interpretation (experiment 2) and the failure to alter cocaine CPP extinction argues against alteration of general learning or memory processes (experiment 4). Overall, these data suggest that the endogenous opioid system mediates a conditioned motivational effect that normally maintains alcohol-induced seeking behavior, which may underlie the efficacy of opiate antagonists in the treatment of alcoholism.
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Dysregulated Glycine Signaling Contributes to Increased Impulsivity during Protracted Alcohol Abstinence. J Neurosci 2017; 37:1853-1861. [PMID: 28202787 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2466-16.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2016] [Revised: 01/03/2017] [Accepted: 01/09/2017] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Persons with alcoholism who are abstinent exhibit persistent impairments in the capacity for response inhibition, and this form of impulsivity is significantly associated with heightened relapse risk. Brain-imaging studies implicate aberrant prefrontal cortical function in this behavioral pathology, although the underlying mechanisms are not understood. Here we present evidence that deficient activation of glycine and serine release in the ventral medial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) contributes to increased motor impulsivity during protracted abstinence from long-term alcohol exposure. Levels of 12 neurotransmitters were monitored in the rat vmPFC during the performance of a challenging variant of the five-choice serial reaction time task (5-CSRTT) in which alcohol-exposed rats exhibit excessive premature responding. Following long-term ethanol exposure, rats showed blunted task-related recruitment of vmPFC glycine and serine release, and the loss of an inverse relationship between levels of these neurotransmitters and premature responding normally evident in alcohol-naive subjects. Intra-vmPFC administration of the glycine transport inhibitor ALX5407 prevented excessive premature responding by alcohol-exposed rats, and this was reliant on NMDA glycine site availability. Alcohol-exposed rats and controls did not differ in their premature responding and glycine and serine levels in vmPFC during the performance of the standard 5-CSRTT. Collectively, these findings provide novel insight into cortical neurochemical mechanisms contributing to increased impulsivity following long-term alcohol exposure and highlight the NMDA receptor coagonist site as a potential therapeutic target for increased impulsivity that may contribute to relapse risk.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Persons with alcoholism demonstrate increased motor impulsivity during abstinence; however, the neuronal mechanisms underlying these behavioral effects remain unknown. Here, we took advantage of an animal model that shows deficiencies in inhibitory control following prolonged alcohol exposure to investigate the neurotransmitters that are potentially responsible for dysregulated motor impulsivity following long-term alcohol exposure. We found that increased motor impulsivity is associated with reduced recruitment of glycine and serine neurotransmitters in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) cortex in rats following long-term alcohol exposure. Administration of glycine transport inhibitor ALX5407 in the vmPFC alleviated deficits in impulse control.
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11
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Ferland JMN, Winstanley CA. Risk-preferring rats make worse decisions and show increased incubation of craving after cocaine self-administration. Addict Biol 2017; 22:991-1001. [PMID: 27002211 DOI: 10.1111/adb.12388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2015] [Revised: 01/07/2016] [Accepted: 02/10/2016] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Maladaptive decision-making may play an integral role in the development and maintenance of an addiction. Substance-dependent individuals make riskier choices on the Iowa Gambling Task, and these deficits persist during withdrawal and are predictive of relapse. However, it is unclear from clinical studies whether this cognitive impairment is a cause or consequence of drug use. We trained male Long-Evans rats on the rat Gambling Task, a rodent analogue of the Iowa Gambling Task, to determine how choice preference influenced, and was influenced by, cocaine self-administration, withdrawal and incubation of craving. Rats that exhibited a preference for the risky, disadvantageous options at baseline were uniquely and adversely affected by cocaine self-administration. Risky choice was exacerbated in these rats when decision-making was assessed during the same diurnal period as cocaine self-administration, whereas the choice pattern of optimal decision-makers was unaffected. This decision-making deficit was maintained during 30 days of withdrawal and correlated with greater cue-induced incubation of craving. Risk-preferring rats also made more drug-seeking responses during cocaine self-administration. These data demonstrate that poor decision-making prior to contact with addictive drugs is associated with a pro-addictive behavioural phenotype, characterized by further increased risky choice and heightened responding for drug both during cocaine self-administration and withdrawal. Such findings indicate that the elevated risky decision-making observed in substance-dependent populations is not merely circumstantial, but makes an important contribution to addiction vulnerability and severity that can now be effectively modelled in laboratory rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacqueline-Marie N. Ferland
- Department of Psychology, Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health; University of British Columbia; Canada
| | - Catharine A. Winstanley
- Department of Psychology, Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health; University of British Columbia; Canada
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12
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Muzyk AJ, Gagliardi JP, Rakesh G, Jiroutek MR, Radhakrishnan R, Pae CU, Masand PS, Szabo ST. Development of a Diverse Learning Experience for Diverse Psychiatry Resident Needs: A Four-Year Biological Psychiatry Curriculum Incorporating Principles of Neurobiology, Psychopharmacology, and Evidence-Based Practice. Psychiatry Investig 2017; 14:289-297. [PMID: 28539947 PMCID: PMC5440431 DOI: 10.4306/pi.2017.14.3.289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2016] [Revised: 03/15/2016] [Accepted: 06/03/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE A clinically relevant approach to patient care grounded in neurobiological constructs and evidence based practice which emphasizes a relevant psychopharmacology is needed to optimally train psychiatry residents. METHODS We implemented a biological psychiatry course that now incorporates neurobiology, psychopharmacology, and evidence-based practice in conjunction with a Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) perspective. A survey launched prior to course implementation and following each class session, served as the outcome metric of residents' attitudes toward the new curriculum and followed a baseline attitudinal survey designed to evaluate the program. RESULTS Greater than 90% of the psychiatry residents at Duke University who took the attitudinal survey agreed or strongly agreed with needing a course that helped them develop an understanding of neurobiology, psychopharmacology, and evidence-based practice concepts. Most residents also indicated a less than adequate understanding of the neurobiology and psychopharmacology of psychiatric disorders prior to sessions. CONCLUSION Our biological psychiatry curriculum was associated with enthusiasm among residents regarding the incorporation of neurobiology, psychopharmacology, and evidence-based practice into course topics and discussions. A biological psychiatry curriculum with integrated neurobiology and psychopharmacology built on an evidence base approach is possible, well-received, and needed in training of future psychiatrists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew J Muzyk
- Department of Pharmacy Practice, Campbell University School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Buies Creek, NC, USA
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Jane P Gagliardi
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Department of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Gopalkumar Rakesh
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Michael R Jiroutek
- Department of Clinical Research, Campbell University College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences, Buies Creek, NC, USA
| | | | - Chi-Un Pae
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, The Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Prakash S Masand
- Academic Medicine Education Institute, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore
- Global Medical Education, New York, NY, USA
| | - Steven T Szabo
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Mental Health Service Line, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
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Zhang Q, Liu Q, Li T, Liu Y, Wang L, Zhang Z, Liu H, Hu M, Qiao Y, Niu H. Expression and colocalization of NMDA receptor and FosB/ΔFosB in sensitive brain regions in rats after chronic morphine exposure. Neurosci Lett 2016; 614:70-6. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2015.11.052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2015] [Revised: 11/30/2015] [Accepted: 11/30/2015] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
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Moreno-López L, Perales JC, van Son D, Albein-Urios N, Soriano-Mas C, Martinez-Gonzalez JM, Wiers RW, Verdejo-García A. Cocaine use severity and cerebellar gray matter are associated with reversal learning deficits in cocaine-dependent individuals. Addict Biol 2015; 20:546-56. [PMID: 24738841 DOI: 10.1111/adb.12143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Cocaine addiction involves persistent deficits to unlearn previously rewarded response options, potentially due to neuroadaptations in learning-sensitive regions. Cocaine-targeted prefrontal systems have been consistently associated with reinforcement learning and reversal deficits, but more recent interspecies research has raised awareness about the contribution of the cerebellum to cocaine addiction and reversal. We aimed at investigating the link between cocaine use, reversal learning and prefrontal, insula and cerebellar gray matter in cocaine-dependent individuals (CDIs) varying on levels of cocaine exposure in comparison with healthy controls (HCs). Twenty CDIs and 21 HCs performed a probabilistic reversal learning task (PRLT) and were subsequently scanned in a 3-Tesla magnetic resonance imaging scanner. In the PRLT, subjects progressively learn to respond to one predominantly reinforced stimulus, and then must learn to respond according to the opposite, previously irrelevant, stimulus-reward pairing. Performance measures were errors after reversal (reversal cost), and probability of maintaining response after errors. Voxel-based morphometry was conducted to investigate the association between gray matter volume in the regions of interest and cocaine use and PRLT performance. Severity of cocaine use correlated with gray matter volume reduction in the left cerebellum (lobule VIII), while greater reversal cost was correlated with gray matter volume reduction in a partially overlapping cluster (lobules VIIb and VIII). Right insula/inferior frontal gyrus correlated with probability of maintaining response after errors. Severity of cocaine use detrimentally impacted reversal learning and cerebellar gray matter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Moreno-López
- Department of Personality, Evaluation and Psychological Treatment; Universidad de Granada; Spain
| | - José C. Perales
- Mind, Brain and Behavior Research Center (Centro de Investigación Mente, Cerebro y Comportamiento-CIMCYC); Universidad de Granada; Spain
| | - Dana van Son
- Addiction, Development and Psychopathology (ADAPT) Lab; Department of Psychology; University of Amsterdam; The Netherlands
| | - Natalia Albein-Urios
- Department of Personality, Evaluation and Psychological Treatment; Universidad de Granada; Spain
| | - Carles Soriano-Mas
- Department of Psychiatry; Bellvitge University Hospital-IDIBELL; Spain
- Carlos III Health Institute; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM); Spain
| | - Jose M. Martinez-Gonzalez
- Institute of Neurosciences Federico Olóriz; Universidad de Granada; Spain
- Red de Trastornos Adictivos; RETICS Program; Instituto de Salud Carlos III; Universidad de Granada; Spain
| | - Reinout W. Wiers
- Addiction, Development and Psychopathology (ADAPT) Lab; Department of Psychology; University of Amsterdam; The Netherlands
| | - Antonio Verdejo-García
- Department of Personality, Evaluation and Psychological Treatment; Universidad de Granada; Spain
- Institute of Neurosciences Federico Olóriz; Universidad de Granada; Spain
- Red de Trastornos Adictivos; RETICS Program; Instituto de Salud Carlos III; Universidad de Granada; Spain
- School of Psychological Sciences; Monash University; Australia
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15
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Irimia C, Wiskerke J, Natividad LA, Polis IY, de Vries TJ, Pattij T, Parsons LH. Increased impulsivity in rats as a result of repeated cycles of alcohol intoxication and abstinence. Addict Biol 2015; 20:263-74. [PMID: 24341858 DOI: 10.1111/adb.12119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Impulsivity is a risk factor for alcoholism, and long-term alcohol exposure may further impair impulse control in a manner that propels problematic alcohol use. The present study employed the rat 5-choice serial reaction time task (5-CSRTT) to measure behavioral inhibition and attentional capacity during abstinence from repeated 5-day cycles of alcohol liquid diet consumption. Task performance was not disrupted following the first cycle of alcohol exposure; however, evidence of impaired behavioral inhibition emerged following the third cycle of alcohol exposure. In comparison with controls, alcoholic rats exhibited deficits in inhibitory control during cognitively challenging 5-CSRTT tests employing variable intertrial interval (varITI). This behavioral disruption was not present during early abstinence (3 days) but was evident by 7 days of abstinence and persisted for at least 34 days. Interestingly, renewed alcohol consumption ameliorated these disruptions in impulse control, although deficient behavioral inhibition re-emerged during subsequent abstinence. Indices of increased impulsivity were no longer present in tests conducted after 49 days of abstinence. Alcohol-related impairments in impulse control were not evident in sessions employing highly familiar task parameters regardless of the abstinence period, and control experiments confirmed that performance deficits during the challenge sessions were unlikely to result from alcohol-related disruption in the adaptation to repeated varITI testing. Together, the current findings demonstrate that chronic intermittent alcohol consumption results in decreased behavioral inhibition in rats that is temporally similar to clinical observations of disrupted impulsive control in abstinent alcoholics performing tasks of behavioral inhibition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Irimia
- Committee on the Neurobiology of Addictive Disorders; The Scripps Research Institute; La Jolla CA USA
| | - Joost Wiskerke
- Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences; Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam; VU University Medical Center; Amsterdam The Netherlands
| | - Luis A. Natividad
- Committee on the Neurobiology of Addictive Disorders; The Scripps Research Institute; La Jolla CA USA
| | - Ilham Y. Polis
- Committee on the Neurobiology of Addictive Disorders; The Scripps Research Institute; La Jolla CA USA
| | - Taco J. de Vries
- Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences; Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam; VU University Medical Center; Amsterdam The Netherlands
| | - Tommy Pattij
- Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences; Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam; VU University Medical Center; Amsterdam The Netherlands
| | - Loren H. Parsons
- Committee on the Neurobiology of Addictive Disorders; The Scripps Research Institute; La Jolla CA USA
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Impaired response inhibition in the rat 5 choice continuous performance task during protracted abstinence from chronic alcohol consumption. PLoS One 2014; 9:e109948. [PMID: 25333392 PMCID: PMC4198178 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0109948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2014] [Accepted: 09/10/2014] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Impaired cognitive processing is a hallmark of addiction. In particular, deficits in inhibitory control can propel continued drug use despite adverse consequences. Clinical evidence shows that detoxified alcoholics exhibit poor inhibitory control in the Continuous Performance Task (CPT) and related tests of motor impulsivity. Animal models may provide important insight into the neural mechanisms underlying this consequence of chronic alcohol exposure though pre-clinical investigations of behavioral inhibition during alcohol abstinence are sparse. The present study employed the rat 5 Choice-Continuous Performance Task (5C-CPT), a novel pre-clinical variant of the CPT, to evaluate attentional capacity and impulse control over the course of protracted abstinence from chronic intermittent alcohol consumption. In tests conducted with familiar 5C-CPT conditions EtOH-exposed rats exhibited impaired attentional capacity during the first hours of abstinence and impaired behavioral restraint (increased false alarms) during the first 5d of abstinence that dissipated thereafter. Subsequent tests employing visual distractors that increase the cognitive load of the task revealed significant increases in impulsive action (premature responses) at 3 and 5 weeks of abstinence, and the emergence of impaired behavioral restraint (increased false alarms) at 7 weeks of abstinence. Collectively, these findings demonstrate the emergence of increased impulsive action in alcohol-dependent rats during protracted alcohol abstinence and suggest the 5C-CPT with visual distractors may provide a viable behavioral platform for characterizing the neurobiological substrates underlying impaired behavioral inhibition resulting from chronic intermittent alcohol exposure.
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Ide JS, Zhang S, Hu S, Matuskey D, Bednarski SR, Erdman E, Farr OM, Li CSR. Gray matter volume correlates of global positive alcohol expectancy in non-dependent adult drinkers. Addict Biol 2014; 19:895-906. [PMID: 23461484 DOI: 10.1111/adb.12046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Alcohol use and misuse is known to involve structural brain changes. Numerous imaging studies have examined changes in gray matter (GM) volumes in dependent drinkers, but there is little information on whether non-dependent drinking is associated with structural changes and whether these changes are related to psychological factors-such as alcohol expectancy-that influence drinking behavior. We used voxel-based morphometry (VBM) to examine whether the global positive scale of alcohol expectancy, as measured by the Alcohol Expectancy Questionnaire-3, is associated with specific structural markers and whether such markers are associated with drinking behavior in 113 adult non-dependent drinkers (66 women). Alcohol expectancy is positively correlated with GM volume of left precentral gyrus (PCG) in men and women combined and bilateral superior frontal gyri (SFG) in women, and negatively correlated with GM volume of the right ventral putamen in men. Furthermore, mediation analyses showed that the GM volume of PCG mediate the correlation of alcohol expectancy and the average number of drinks consumed per occasion and monthly total number of drinks in the past year. When recent drinking was directly accounted for in multiple regressions, GM volume of bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortices correlated positively with alcohol expectancy in the combined sample. To our knowledge, these results are the first to identify the structural brain correlates of alcohol expectancy and its mediation of drinking behaviors. These findings suggest that more studies are needed to investigate increased GM volume in the frontal cortices as a neural correlate of alcohol expectancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaime S. Ide
- Department of Psychiatry; Yale University School of Medicine; New Haven CT USA
- Department of Science and; Technology; Federal University of Sao Paulo; Brazil
| | - Sheng Zhang
- Department of Psychiatry; Yale University School of Medicine; New Haven CT USA
| | - Sien Hu
- Department of Psychiatry; Yale University School of Medicine; New Haven CT USA
| | - David Matuskey
- Department of Psychiatry; Yale University School of Medicine; New Haven CT USA
| | - Sarah R. Bednarski
- Department of Psychiatry; Yale University School of Medicine; New Haven CT USA
| | - Emily Erdman
- Department of Psychiatry; Yale University School of Medicine; New Haven CT USA
| | - Olivia M. Farr
- Department of Psychiatry; Yale University School of Medicine; New Haven CT USA
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program; Yale University School of Medicine; New Haven CT USA
| | - Chiang-Shan R. Li
- Department of Psychiatry; Yale University School of Medicine; New Haven CT USA
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program; Yale University School of Medicine; New Haven CT USA
- Department of Neurobiology; Yale University School of Medicine; New Haven CT USA
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Abstract
Gabapentin is effective for the treatment of alcohol dependence and can be used for treating anxiety, insomnia, headaches, and/or pain in patients who have comorbid substance use disorders (SUDs) or who are at high risk of substance abuse. Deaths from unintentional drug overdoses are increasing, are the leading cause of injury death in the United States, and are mostly attributable to prescription drugs, in particular opioid agents. Compared to other psychotropic drugs, gabapentin is not especially harmful or lethal. Gabapentin misuse is possible, similar to other medications not typically considered drugs of abuse, but it should be considered safe and appropriate for use in patients with all types of SUDs, including patients who take opioid drugs.
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Brevers D, Noël X. Pathological gambling and the loss of willpower: a neurocognitive perspective. SOCIOAFFECTIVE NEUROSCIENCE & PSYCHOLOGY 2013; 3:21592. [PMID: 24693357 PMCID: PMC3960021 DOI: 10.3402/snp.v3i0.21592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2013] [Revised: 08/09/2013] [Accepted: 08/19/2013] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
The purpose of this review is to gain more insight on the neurocognitive processes involved in the maintenance of pathological gambling. Firstly, we describe structural factors of gambling games that could promote the repetition of gambling experiences to such an extent that some individuals may become unable to control their gambling habits. Secondly, we review findings of neurocognitive studies on pathological gambling. As a whole, poor ability to resist gambling is a product of an imbalance between any one or a combination of three key neural systems: (1) an hyperactive 'impulsive' system, which is fast, automatic, and unconscious and promotes automatic and habitual actions; (2) a hypoactive 'reflective' system, which is slow and deliberative, forecasting the future consequences of a behavior, inhibitory control, and self-awareness; and (3) the interoceptive system, translating bottom-up somatic signals into a subjective state of craving, which in turn potentiates the activity of the impulsive system, and/or weakens or hijacks the goal-driven cognitive resources needed for the normal operation of the reflective system. Based on this theoretical background, we focus on certain clinical interventions that could reduce the risks of both gambling addiction and relapse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damien Brevers
- Psychological Medicine laboratory, Faculty of Medicine, Brugmann-campus, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium ; Department of Psychology, Brain and Creativity Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Xavier Noël
- Psychological Medicine laboratory, Faculty of Medicine, Brugmann-campus, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
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21
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Assessing addiction vulnerability with different rat strains and place preference procedures. Behav Pharmacol 2013; 24:471-7. [DOI: 10.1097/fbp.0b013e328364160a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
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Lonergan MH, Olivera-Figueroa LA, Pitman RK, Brunet A. Propranolol's effects on the consolidation and reconsolidation of long-term emotional memory in healthy participants: a meta-analysis. J Psychiatry Neurosci 2013; 38:222-31. [PMID: 23182304 PMCID: PMC3692719 DOI: 10.1503/jpn.120111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 149] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2012] [Revised: 09/18/2012] [Accepted: 10/01/2012] [Indexed: 11/01/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Considering the pivotal role of negative emotional experiences in the development and persistence of mental disorders, interfering with the consolidation/reconsolidation of such experiences would open the door to a novel treatment approach in psychiatry. We conducted a meta-analysis on the experimental evidence regarding the capacity of the ß-blocker propranolol to block the consolidation/reconsolidation of emotional memories in healthy adults. METHODS Selected studies consisted of randomized, double-blind experiments assessing long-term memory for emotional material in healthy adults and involved at least 1 propranolol and 1 placebo condition. We searched PsycInfo, PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Central, PILOTS, Google Scholar and clinicaltrials.org for eligible studies from the period 1995-2012. Ten consolidation (n = 259) and 8 reconsolidation (n = 308) experiments met the inclusion criteria. We calculated effect sizes (Hedges g) using a random effects model. RESULTS Compared with placebo, propranolol given before memory consolidation reduced subsequent recall for negatively valenced stories, pictures and word lists (Hedges g = 0.44, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.14-0.74). Propranolol before reconsolidation also reduced subsequent recall for negatively valenced emotional words and the expression of cue-elicited fear responses (Hedges g = 0.56, 95% CI 0.13-1.00). LIMITATIONS Limitations include the moderate number of studies examining the influence of propranolol on emotional memory consolidation and reconsolidation in healthy adults and the fact that most samples consisted entirely of young adults, which may limit the ecological validity of results. CONCLUSION Propranolol shows promise in reducing subsequent memory for new or recalled emotional material in healthy adults. However, future studies will need to investigate whether more powerful idiosyncratic emotional memories can also be weakened and whether this weakening can bring about long-lasting symptomatic relief in clinical populations, such as patients with posttraumatic stress or other event-related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle H. Lonergan
- Lonergan, Brunet — Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, and Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montréal, Que., Canada; Olivera-Figueroa — Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, and US Department of Veterans Affairs, West Haven, Conn., USA; Pitman — Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Mass., USA
| | - Lening A. Olivera-Figueroa
- Lonergan, Brunet — Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, and Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montréal, Que., Canada; Olivera-Figueroa — Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, and US Department of Veterans Affairs, West Haven, Conn., USA; Pitman — Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Mass., USA
| | - Roger K. Pitman
- Lonergan, Brunet — Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, and Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montréal, Que., Canada; Olivera-Figueroa — Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, and US Department of Veterans Affairs, West Haven, Conn., USA; Pitman — Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Mass., USA
| | - Alain Brunet
- Lonergan, Brunet — Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, and Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montréal, Que., Canada; Olivera-Figueroa — Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, and US Department of Veterans Affairs, West Haven, Conn., USA; Pitman — Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Mass., USA
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Bickel WK, Koffarnus MN, Moody L, Wilson AG. The behavioral- and neuro-economic process of temporal discounting: A candidate behavioral marker of addiction. Neuropharmacology 2013; 76 Pt B:518-27. [PMID: 23806805 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2013.06.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 271] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2013] [Revised: 05/17/2013] [Accepted: 06/07/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Addiction science would benefit from the identification of a behavioral marker. A behavioral marker could reflect the projected clinical course of the disorder, function as a surrogate measure of clinical outcome, and/or may be related to biological components that underlie the disorder. In this paper we review relevant literature, made possible with the early and sustained support by NIDA, to determine whether temporal discounting, a neurobehavioral process derived from behavioral economics and further explored through neuroeconomics, may function as a behavioral marker. Our review suggests that temporal discounting 1) identifies individuals who are drug-dependent, 2) identifies those at risk of developing drug dependence, 3) acts as a gauge of addiction severity, 4) correlates with all stages of addiction development, 5) changes with effective treatment, and 6) may be related to the biological and genetic processes that underlie addiction. Thus, initial evidence supports temporal discounting as a candidate behavioral marker. Additional studies will be required in several areas for a more conclusive determination. Confirmation that temporal discounting functions as a behavioral marker for addiction could lead to 1) a screen for new treatments, 2) personalization of prevention and treatment interventions, and 3) the extension of temporal discounting as a behavioral marker for other etiologically similar disorders. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled 'NIDA 40th Anniversary Issue'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Warren K Bickel
- Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute, 2 Riverside Circle, Roanoke, VA 24016, USA.
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Abstract
During extinction animals experience that the previously learned association between a conditioned stimulus (CS) and an unconditioned stimulus (US) no longer holds true. Accordingly, the conditioned response (CR) to the CS decreases. This decrease of the CR can be reversed by presentation of the US alone following extinction, a phenomenon termed reinstatement. Reinstatement and two additional phenomena, spontaneous recovery and renewal, indicate that the original CS-US association is not lost through extinction but can be reactivated through different processes. In honeybees (Apis mellifera), spontaneous recovery, i.e., the time-dependent return of the CR, has been demonstrated, suggesting that also in these insects the original CS-US association is not lost during extinction. To support this notion, we ask whether honeybees show reinstatement after extinction. In vertebrates reinstatement is context-dependent, so we examined whether the same holds true for honeybees. We demonstrate reinstatement in restrained honeybees and show that reinstatement is context-dependent. Furthermore, we show that an alteration of the color of light illuminating the experimental setup suffices to indicate a contextual change. We conclude that in honeybees the initially formed CS-US memory is not lost after extinction. Rather, honeybees might learn about the context during extinction. This enables them to adequately retrieve one of the two opposing memories about the CS that have been formed after extinction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenny Aino Plath
- Freie Universität Berlin, FB Biologie, Pharmazie, Chemie, Institut für Biologie, Neurobiologie, Königin-Luise-Strasse 28/30, 14195 Berlin, Germany
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25
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Anderson EM, Neubert JK, Caudle RM. Long-term changes in reward-seeking following morphine withdrawal are associated with altered N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor 1 splice variants in the amygdala. Neuroscience 2012; 223:45-55. [PMID: 22863572 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2012.07.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2012] [Revised: 07/11/2012] [Accepted: 07/20/2012] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The NR1 subunit of the NMDA receptor can be alternatively spliced by the insertion or removal of the N1, C1, C2, or C2' regions. Morphine dependence and withdrawal were previously demonstrated to lower N1 and C2' in the accumbens and lower N1, C1, and C2' in the amygdala (AMY). Withdrawal has also been demonstrated to increase motivational and anxiety/stress behaviors in rats. We tested the hypothesis that NR1 splicing would be associated with these behaviors during an extended withdrawal period of 2 months. Motivation was measured using an operant orofacial assay at non-aversive temperatures (37°C) while anxiety and stress were measured by examining this behavior at aversive temperatures (46°C). Lower C1 and C2 expression levels were observed in the AMY in a subset of the population of withdrawn rats even after 2 months of morphine withdrawal. These subsets were associated with a hypersensitivity to adverse conditions which may reflect long-term alterations in the withdrawn population.
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Affiliation(s)
- E M Anderson
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida College of Medicine, McKnight Brain Institute, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA.
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26
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Ripley TL, Stephens DN. Critical thoughts on current rodent models for evaluating potential treatments of alcohol addiction and withdrawal. Br J Pharmacol 2011; 164:1335-56. [PMID: 21470204 PMCID: PMC3229765 DOI: 10.1111/j.1476-5381.2011.01406.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2010] [Revised: 02/21/2011] [Accepted: 02/24/2011] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite years of neurobiological research that have helped to identify potential therapeutic targets, we do not have a reliable pharmacological treatment for alcoholism. There are a range of possible explanations for this failure, including arguments that alcoholism is a spectrum disorder and that different population subtypes may respond to different treatments. This view is supported by categorisations such as early- and late-onset alcoholism, whilst multifactorial genetic factors may also alter responsivity to pharmacological agents. Furthermore, experience of alcohol withdrawal may play a role in future drinking in a way that may distinguish alcoholism from other forms of addiction. Additionally, our neurobiological models, based largely upon results from rodent studies, may not mimic specific aspects of the human condition and may reflect different underlying phenomena and biological processes from the clinical pattern. As a result, potential treatments may be targeting inappropriate aspects of alcohol-related behaviours. Instead, we suggest a more profitable approach is (a) to identify well-defined intermediate behavioural phenotypes in human experimental models that reflect defined aspects of the human clinical disorder and (b) to develop animal models that are homologous with those phenotypes in terms of psychological processes and underlying neurobiological mechanisms. This review describes an array of animal models currently used in the addiction field and what they tell us about alcoholism. We will then examine how established pharmacological agents have been developed using only a limited number of these models, before describing some alternative novel approaches to achieving homology between animal and human experimental measures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamzin L Ripley
- School of Psychology, University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton, UK.
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Groblewski PA, Ryabinin AE, Cunningham CL. Activation and role of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) in extinction of ethanol-induced associative learning in mice. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2011; 97:37-46. [PMID: 21951632 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2011.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2011] [Revised: 07/27/2011] [Accepted: 09/07/2011] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Although the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) has been shown to be integrally involved in extinction of a number of associative behaviors, its role in extinction of alcohol (ethanol)-induced associative learning has received little attention. Previous reports have provided evidence supporting a role for the mPFC in acquisition and extinction of amphetamine-induced conditioned place preference (CPP) in rats, however, it remains unknown if this region is necessary for extinction of ethanol (EtOH)-induced associative learning in mice. Using immunohistochemical analysis of phosphorylated and unphosphorylated cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB), the current set of experiments first showed that the prelimbic (PL) and infralimbic (IL) subregions of the mPFC exhibited dynamic responses in phosphorylation of CREB to a Pavlovian-conditioned, EtOH-paired cue. Interestingly, CREB phosphorylation within these regions was sensitive to manipulations of the EtOH-cue contingency-that is, the cue-induced increase of pCREB in both the PL and IL was absent following extinction. In order to confirm a functional role of the mPFC in regulating the extinction process, we then showed that electrolytic lesions of the mPFC following acquisition blocked subsequent extinction of EtOH-CPP. Together, these experiments indicate a role for the PL and IL subregions of the mPFC in processing changes of the EtOH-cue contingency, as well as in regulating extinction of EtOH-induced associative learning in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter A Groblewski
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA.
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