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Bregman-Yemini N, Nitzan K, Franko M, Doron R. Connecting the emotional-cognitive puzzle: The role of tyrosine kinase B (TrkB) receptor isoform imbalance in age-related emotional and cognitive impairments. Ageing Res Rev 2024; 99:102349. [PMID: 38823488 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2024.102349] [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: 04/14/2024] [Revised: 05/16/2024] [Accepted: 05/26/2024] [Indexed: 06/03/2024]
Abstract
Age-related cognitive and affective disorders pose significant public health challenges. Notably, emotional and cognitive symptoms co-occur across multiple age-associated conditions like normal aging, Alzheimer's disease (AD), and mood disorders such as depression and anxiety. While the intricate interplay underlying this relationship remains poorly understood, this article highlights the possibility that an imbalance between full-length (TrkB.FL) and truncated (TrkB.T1) isoforms of tyrosine kinase receptor TrkB in the neurotrophic system may significantly affect age-associated emotional and cognitive functions, by altering brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) signaling, integral to neuronal health, cognitive functions and mood regulation. While the contribution of this imbalance to pathogenesis awaits full elucidation, this review evaluates its potential mediating role, linking emotional and cognitive decline across age-related disorders The interplay between TrkB.T1 and TrkB.FL isoforms may be considered as a pivotal shared regulator underlying this complex relationship. The current review aims to synthesize current knowledge on TrkB isoform imbalance, specifically its contribution to age-related cognitive decline and mood disorders. By examining shared pathogenic pathways between aging, cognitive decline, and mood disorders through the lens of TrkB signaling, this review uncovers potential therapeutic targets not previously considered, offering a fresh perspective on combating age-related mental health issues as well as cognitive deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noa Bregman-Yemini
- Department of Education and Psychology, The Open University, Israel; Department of Psychology, The Hebrew University, Israel
| | - Keren Nitzan
- Department of Education and Psychology, The Open University, Israel
| | - Motty Franko
- Department of Education and Psychology, The Open University, Israel; Department of Psychology, Ben-Gurion University, Israel
| | - Ravid Doron
- Department of Education and Psychology, The Open University, Israel.
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Xue R, Tang X, Tang J, Zhang S, Liao X, Chen X, Li L, Li X. Climbing Fiber Activation Induced by Footshock in the Cerebellar Vermis Lobule IV/V of Freely Moving Mice. Physiol Res 2024; 73:449-459. [PMID: 39027961 PMCID: PMC11299787 DOI: 10.33549/physiolres.935203] [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: 08/06/2023] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Parallel fibers (PFs) in the cerebellar cortex are involved in a series of coordinated responses in the fear conditioning paradigm induced by footshock. However, whether footshock can activate cerebellar climbing fibers (CFs) remains unclear. In this study, we recorded calcium (Ca2+) activity in CFs by optical fiber photometry in the cerebellar vermis lobule IV/V of freely moving mice with footshock stimulation. We found that the activation of CFs in the lobule IV/V was highly correlated with footshock stimulation but not with the sound stimulation used as a control. This result suggests that afferent information from CFs might be associated with the motor initiation of fear-related behaviors or fear emotion itself. Thus, our results suggest that a characteristic CF signal in the cerebellar cortex might be related to fear processing or footshock-related behaviors (such as startle responses or pain sensation).
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Affiliation(s)
- R Xue
- Center for Neurointelligence, School of Medicine, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China. or
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Li W, Xie M, Chen H, Zhang X, Zhang H, Xu Z, Song S, Wang Z, Jiang W, Jiang Y, Liu N, Zhang N. Resting-state functional connectivity of amygdala subregions predicts treatment outcome for cognitive behavioral therapy in obsessive-compulsive disorder at a 4-month follow-up. Psychiatry Res 2024; 335:115876. [PMID: 38564923 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2024.115876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2023] [Revised: 03/10/2024] [Accepted: 03/24/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is considered as the first-line treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). However, the underlying neural mechanisms through which CBT exerts its effects in OCD remain unclear. This study aims to investigate whether the improvement of clinical symptoms in OCD patients after CBT treatment is associated with changes in resting-state functional connectivity (FC) of the amygdala subregion, and whether these changes can be served as potential predictors of four-months treatment efficacy. METHODS We collected resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) data from 57 OCD patients and 50 healthy subjects at baseline. In the patient group, rs-fMRI was also obtained after completion of an 8-week CBT treatment and 4 months post-treatment. A whole-brain rsFC analysis was conducted using the amygdala subregion as the seed point. We analyzed the FC patterns in relation to 4 months clinical outcomes to elucidate the long-term efficacy of CBT in OCD patients. RESULTS Treatment responseat at pre-treatment was found to be associated with reduced rsFC between the left basolateral amygdala(BLA)and left superior temporal gyrus(STG) at baseline. Lower pre-treatment FC were negatively correlated with the severity of OCD symptoms as measured by the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Severity Scale (Y-BOCS). Moreover, the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve for the FC between the left BLA and STG at the end of treatment was 73.0% and 70.4% for the effective-ineffective and remitted or unremitted groups, respectively. At the 4-month follow-up, the area under the ROC curve for the effective-ineffective and remitted or unremitted groups was 83.9% and 76.5%, respectively. CONCLUSION These findings suggest that brain functional activity in patients with OCD can predict treatment response to CBT, and longitudinal changes in relevant brain functional activity following CBT treatment are associated with treatment response in OCD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wangyue Li
- Nanjing Brain Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, PR China
| | - Minyao Xie
- Nanjing Brain Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, PR China
| | - Haocheng Chen
- Nanjing Brain Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, PR China
| | - Xuedi Zhang
- Nanjing Brain Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, PR China
| | - Huan Zhang
- Department of Medical Psychology, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, PR China
| | - Zhihan Xu
- Nanjing Brain Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, PR China
| | - Shasha Song
- Department of Medical Psychology, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, PR China
| | - Zhongqi Wang
- Nanjing Brain Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, PR China
| | - Wenjing Jiang
- Nanjing Brain Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, PR China
| | - Yicheng Jiang
- School of Psychology, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, PR China
| | - Na Liu
- Department of Medical Psychology, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, PR China.
| | - Ning Zhang
- Nanjing Brain Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, PR China
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Tian X, Zhang Y, Ai HW. ATP-Independent Water-Soluble Luciferins Enable Non-Invasive High-Speed Video-Rate Bioluminescence Imaging of Mice. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.30.591933. [PMID: 38746394 PMCID: PMC11092570 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.30.591933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
NanoLuc luciferase and its derivatives are attractive bioluminescent reporters recognized for their efficient photon production and ATP independence. However, utilizing them for in vivo imaging poses notable challenges. Low substrate solubility has been a prominent problem, limiting in vivo brightness, while substrate instability hampers consistent results and handling. To address these issues, we developed a range of caged PEGylated luciferins with improved stability and water solubility of up to 25 mM, resulting in substantial bioluminescence increases in mouse models. This advancement has created the brightest and most sensitive luciferase-luciferin combination, enabling high-speed video-rate imaging of freely moving mice with brain-expressed luciferase. Furthermore, we developed a bioluminescent Ca 2+ indicator with exceptional sensitivity to physiological Ca 2+ changes and paired it with a new substrate to showcase non-invasive, video-rate imaging of Ca 2+ activity in a defined brain region in awake mice. These innovative substrates and the Ca 2+ indicator are poised to become invaluable resources for biological and biomedical fields.
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Cox SS, Brown BJ, Wood SK, Brown SJ, Kearns AM, Reichel CM. Neuronal, affective, and sensory correlates of targeted helping behavior in male and female Sprague Dawley rats. Front Behav Neurosci 2024; 18:1384578. [PMID: 38660390 PMCID: PMC11041374 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2024.1384578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2024] [Accepted: 03/29/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Empathic behaviors are driven by the ability to understand the emotional states of others along with the motivation to improve it. Evidence points towards forms of empathy, like targeted helping, in many species including rats. There are several variables that may modulate targeted helping, including sex, sensory modalities, and activity of multiple neural substrates. Methods Using a model of social contact-independent targeted helping, we first tested whether sex differences exist in helping behavior. Next, we explored sex differences in sensory and affective signaling, including direct visualization and an analysis of ultrasonic vocalizations made between animal pairs. Finally, we examined the neural activity in males and females of multiple regions of interest across time. Here, we aim to examine any behavioral differences in our lab's social contact independent targeted helping task between males and females. Results and Discussion These findings are the first to intimate that, like other prosocial behaviors, males and females may exhibit similar social-independent targeted helping behavior, but the underlying sensory communication in males and females may differ. In addition, this is the first set of experiments that explore the neural correlates of social-independent targeted helping in both males and females. These results lay the groundwork for future studies to explore the similarities and differences that drive targeted helping in both sexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stewart S. Cox
- Department of Neurosciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, United States
| | | | | | | | | | - Carmela M. Reichel
- Department of Neurosciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, United States
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Sasaki K, Sakurai N, Yuguchi Y, Kasai S, Kodama N. Identification of areas of the brain activated by active stimulation in hairless skin. Behav Brain Res 2024; 458:114758. [PMID: 37952686 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2023.114758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2023] [Revised: 11/08/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023]
Abstract
In the past few decades, neuroscientists have studied the physiological basis of pleasant touch. Unmyelinated low-threshold mechanoreceptors are central to the study of the physiological basis of pleasant touch. Research on pleasant stimuli has mostly focused on passive stimuli, and the brain activation sites for active pleasant stimuli are not clear. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to identify brain activation sites during active pleasant stimulation of hairless skin using functional magnetic resonance imaging. Forty-two healthy subjects aged 19 years or older were asked to actively grasp in five stimulus tasks. The comfort and sensations that occurred during the tasks were investigated using a questionnaire. Significant activation was found in the middle frontal gyrus when the hair ball and slime ball were grasped, while there was significant activation in the amygdala when grasping a squeeze ball compared to the tennis ball. In a questionnaire survey of the subjects, there was a significant difference in the comfort score between the tennis ball and the squeeze ball, but no significant correlation was found between the comfort scores and the brain sites of activation. Therefore, although active stimulation with the squeeze ball significantly activated the amygdala, it was not clear that the amygdala was significantly activated by active pleasant stimulation. In the future, it will be necessary to investigate the texture of the squeeze ball in more detail, and to increase the number of subjects for further study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kei Sasaki
- Graduate School of Health and Welfare, Niigata University of Health and Welfare, 1398 Shimami-cho, Kita-ku, Niigata 950-3198, Japan
| | - Noriko Sakurai
- Department of Radiological Technology, Faculty of Medical Technology, Niigata University of Health and Welfare, 1398 Shimami-cho, Kita-ku, Niigata 950-3198, Japan
| | - Yukina Yuguchi
- Graduate School of Health and Welfare, Niigata University of Health and Welfare, 1398 Shimami-cho, Kita-ku, Niigata 950-3198, Japan
| | - Satoshi Kasai
- Department of Radiological Technology, Faculty of Medical Technology, Niigata University of Health and Welfare, 1398 Shimami-cho, Kita-ku, Niigata 950-3198, Japan
| | - Naoki Kodama
- Department of Radiological Technology, Faculty of Medical Technology, Niigata University of Health and Welfare, 1398 Shimami-cho, Kita-ku, Niigata 950-3198, Japan.
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Shih CW, Chang CH. Anatomical analyses of collateral prefrontal cortex projections to the basolateral amygdala and the nucleus accumbens core in rats. Brain Struct Funct 2024; 229:97-114. [PMID: 37910300 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-023-02722-y] [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: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 11/03/2023]
Abstract
The basolateral amygdala (BLA) and the nucleus accumbens core (NAcc) share some similar behavioral functions, such as associative learning, Pavlovian to instrumental transfer, and choice behavior. However, their prefrontal anatomical inputs have not been well characterized before, especially the collateral projections. In this study, we analyzed the distribution and collateralization of projections to the BLA and the NAcc from the prefrontal cortices (PFC), including the prelimbic (PL) and the infralimbic (IL) divisions of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and the subregions of the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), such as the medial OFC (MO), the lateral OFC (LO), and the ventral OFC (VO). Double retrograde tracing approach was used, in which Cholera toxin subunit B conjugated with the Alexa Fluor 488 (CTB-AF488) or Alexa Fluor 594 (CTB-AF594) were unilaterally injected into the BLA and the NAcc, respectively, in male Long-Evans rats (n = 6). Among the sampled neurons, prefrontal projection to the BLA or the NAcc is more robust on the ipsilateral side, and more robust from the PL, the IL, and the MO compared to from the LO and the VO. The majority of the projections from the PFC to the BLA and/or the NAcc are confined in deep layer. In addition, for each of the prefrontal areas, about 15-25% BLA-projecting neurons send collateral projections to the NAcc, and vice versa. In conclusion, our data suggested that prefrontal control over the BLA and the NAcc is not entirely independent. The functional importance of the collateral projections awaits further examination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng-Wei Shih
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, National Tsing Hua University, Kuang-fu Rd, Sec 2, No 101, Hsinchu, 30013, Taiwan
- Brain Research Center, National Tsing Hua University, Kuang-fu Rd, Sec 2, No 101, Hsinchu, 30013, Taiwan
| | - Chun-Hui Chang
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, National Tsing Hua University, Kuang-fu Rd, Sec 2, No 101, Hsinchu, 30013, Taiwan.
- Brain Research Center, National Tsing Hua University, Kuang-fu Rd, Sec 2, No 101, Hsinchu, 30013, Taiwan.
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Melo MBD, Favaro VM, Oliveira MGM. The contextual fear conditioning consolidation depends on the functional interaction of the dorsal subiculum and basolateral amygdala in rats. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2023; 205:107827. [PMID: 37678544 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2023.107827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2023] [Revised: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023]
Abstract
Fear conditioning tasks enable us to explore the neural basis of adaptative and maladaptive behaviors related to aversive memories. Recently, we provided the first evidence of the dorsal subiculum (DSub) involvement in contextual fear conditioning (CFC) consolidation by showing that the post-training bilateral NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartate) receptor blockade in DSub impaired the performance of animals in the test session. As the memory consolidation process depends on the coordinated engagement of different brain regions, and the DSub share reciprocal projections with the basolateral amygdala (BLA), which is also involved in CFC, it is possible that the functional interaction between these sites can be relevant for the consolidation of this task. In this sense, the present study aimed to explore the effects of the functional disconnection of the DSub and BLA in the CFC consolidation after NMDA post-training blockade. In addition, to verify if the observed effects were due to spatial representation processes mediated by the DSub, we employed a hippocampal-independent procedure: tone fear conditioning (TFC). Results showed that the functional disconnection of these regions by post-training NMDA blockade impaired CFC consolidation, whereas there was no impairment in TFC. Altogether, the present data suggest that the DSub and BLA would functionally interact through NMDA-related synaptic plasticity to support CFC consolidation probably due to DSub-related spatial processing showing that the TFC consolidation was not disrupted. This work contributes to filling a gap of studies exploring the DSub involvement in fear conditioning by providing a broad framework of the subicular-amygdaloid connection functionality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Márcio Braga de Melo
- Departamento de Psicobiologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
| | - Vanessa Manchim Favaro
- Setor de Investigação de Doenças Neuromusculares, Departamento de Neurologia e Neurocirurgia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
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Olivera-Pasilio V, Dabrowska J. Fear-Conditioning to Unpredictable Threats Reveals Sex and Strain Differences in Rat Fear-Potentiated Startle (FPS). Neuroscience 2023; 530:108-132. [PMID: 37640137 PMCID: PMC10726736 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2023.08.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2023] [Revised: 08/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
Fear-potentiated startle (FPS) has been widely used to study fear processing in humans and rodents. Human studies showed higher startle amplitudes and exaggerated fear reactivity to unpredictable vs. predictable threats in individuals suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Although human FPS studies use both sexes, a surprisingly limited number of rodent FPS studies use females. Here we investigate the effects of signal-threat contingency, signal-threat order and threat predictability on FPS in both sexes. We use a classic fear-conditioning protocol (100% contingency of cue and shock pairings, with forward conditioning such that the cue co-terminates with the shock) and compare it to modified fear-conditioning protocols (70% contingency; backward conditioning; or cue and shock un-paired). Although there are no sex differences in the startle amplitudes when corrected for body weight, females consistently demonstrate higher shock reactivity during fear-conditioning. Both sexes and strains demonstrate comparable levels of cued, non-cued, and contextual fear in the classic FPS and FPS following fear-conditioning with 70% contingency or backward order (cue co-starts with shock). However, in the classic FPS, Sprague-Dawley females show reduced proportion between cued fear and cue-elicited vigilant state than males. Lastly, a prominent sex difference is uncovered following unpredictable fear-conditioning (cue and shock un-paired), with Wistar, but not Sprague-Dawley, females showing significantly higher startle overall during the FPS recall, regardless of trial type, and higher contextual fear than males. This striking sex difference in processing unpredictable threats in rodent FPS might help to understand the mechanisms underlying higher incidence of PTSD in women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Olivera-Pasilio
- Center for the Neurobiology of Stress Resilience and Psychiatric Disorders, Discipline of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, The Chicago Medical School, School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, 3333 Green Bay Road, North Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Joanna Dabrowska
- Center for the Neurobiology of Stress Resilience and Psychiatric Disorders, Discipline of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, The Chicago Medical School, School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, 3333 Green Bay Road, North Chicago, IL, USA.
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Sun Y, Qian L, Xu L, Hunt S, Sah P. Somatostatin neurons in the central amygdala mediate anxiety by disinhibition of the central sublenticular extended amygdala. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:4163-4174. [PMID: 33005027 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-020-00894-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2019] [Revised: 07/29/2020] [Accepted: 09/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Fear and anxiety are two defensive emotional states evoked by threats in the environment. Fear can be initiated by either imminent or future threats, but experimentally, it is typically studied as a phasic response initiated by imminent danger that subsides when the threats is removed. In contrast, anxiety is a sustained response, initiated by imagined or potential threats. The central amygdala (CeA) is a key structure active during both fear and anxiety but thought to engage different neural systems. Fear responses are triggered by activation of somatostatin (SOM) expressing neurons in the lateral division of the CeA (CeL), and downstream projections from the medial division. Anxiety responses engage the central extended amygdala that includes the CeA, central sublenticular extended amygdala (SLEAc) and bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, but the nature of connections between these regions is not understood. Here using a combination of tract tracing, electrophysiology, and behavioral analysis in mice, we show that a population of SOM+ neurons in the CeL project to the SLEAc where they inhibit local GABAergic interneurons. Optogenetic activation of this input to the SLEAc has no effect on movement, but is anxiogenic in both open field and elevated plus maze. Our results define the inhibitory connections between CeL and SLEAc and establish a specific CeL to SLEAc projection as a circuit element in mediating anxiety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yajie Sun
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Lei Qian
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Li Xu
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Sarah Hunt
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Pankaj Sah
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
- Brain Research Centre and Department of Biology, Southern University of Science and Technology, Nanshan District, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, PR China.
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Forkmann K, Wiech K, Schmidt K, Schmid-Köhler J, Bingel U. Neural underpinnings of preferential pain learning and the modulatory role of fear. Cereb Cortex 2023; 33:9664-9676. [PMID: 37408110 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhad236] [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: 02/02/2023] [Revised: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Due to its unique biological relevance, pain-related learning might differ from learning from other aversive experiences. This functional magnetic resonance imaging study compared neural mechanisms underlying the acquisition and extinction of different threats in healthy humans. We investigated whether cue-pain associations are acquired faster and extinguished slower than cue associations with an equally unpleasant tone. Additionally, we studied the modulatory role of stimulus-related fear. Therefore, we used a differential conditioning paradigm, in which somatic heat pain stimuli and unpleasantness-matched auditory stimuli served as US. Our results show stronger acquisition learning for pain- than tone-predicting cues, which was augmented in participants with relatively higher levels of fear of pain. These behavioral findings were paralleled by activation of brain regions implicated in threat processing (insula, amygdala) and personal significance (ventromedial prefrontal cortex). By contrast, extinction learning seemed to be less dependent on the threat value of the US, both on the behavioral and neural levels. Amygdala activity, however, scaled with pain-related fear during extinction learning. Our findings on faster and stronger (i.e. "preferential") pain learning and the role of fear of pain are consistent with the biological relevance of pain and may be relevant to the development or maintenance of chronic pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarina Forkmann
- Department of Neurology, Center for Translational Neuro- and Behavioural Sciences, University Hospital Essen, University Duisburg Essen, Hufelandstraße 55, Essen 45147, Germany
| | - Katja Wiech
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Headley Way, Oxford OX3 9DU, United Kingdom
| | - Katharina Schmidt
- Department of Neurology, Center for Translational Neuro- and Behavioural Sciences, University Hospital Essen, University Duisburg Essen, Hufelandstraße 55, Essen 45147, Germany
| | - Julia Schmid-Köhler
- Department of Neurology, Center for Translational Neuro- and Behavioural Sciences, University Hospital Essen, University Duisburg Essen, Hufelandstraße 55, Essen 45147, Germany
| | - Ulrike Bingel
- Department of Neurology, Center for Translational Neuro- and Behavioural Sciences, University Hospital Essen, University Duisburg Essen, Hufelandstraße 55, Essen 45147, Germany
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De Beukelaer S, Sokolov AA, Müri RM. Case report: "Proust phenomenon" after right posterior cerebral artery occlusion. Front Neurol 2023; 14:1183265. [PMID: 37521297 PMCID: PMC10374343 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2023.1183265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Odors evoking vivid and intensely felt autobiographical memories are known as the "Proust phenomenon," delineating the particularity of olfaction in being more effective with eliciting emotional memories than other sensory modalities. The phenomenon has been described extensively in healthy participants as well as in patients during pre-epilepsy surgery evaluation after focal stimulation of the amygdalae and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In this study, we provide the inaugural description of aversive odor-evoked autobiographical memories after stroke in the right hippocampal, parahippocampal, and thalamic nuclei. As potential underlying neural signatures of the phenomenon, we discuss the disinhibition of limbic circuits and impaired communication between the major networks, such as saliency, central executive, and default mode network.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie De Beukelaer
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital, Inselspital Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - A. A. Sokolov
- Service de Neuropsychologie et de Neuroréhabilitation, Département des Neurosciences Cliniques, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - R. M. Müri
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital, Inselspital Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Gerontechnology and Rehabilitation Group, ARTORG Center, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
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Coelho A, Lima-Bastos S, Gobira P, Lisboa S. Endocannabinoid signaling and epigenetics modifications in the neurobiology of stress-related disorders. Neuronal Signal 2023; 7:NS20220034. [PMID: 37520658 PMCID: PMC10372471 DOI: 10.1042/ns20220034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2023] [Revised: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 07/07/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Stress exposure is associated with psychiatric conditions, such as depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It is also a vulnerability factor to developing or reinstating substance use disorder. Stress causes several changes in the neuro-immune-endocrine axis, potentially resulting in prolonged dysfunction and diseases. Changes in several transmitters, including serotonin, dopamine, glutamate, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), glucocorticoids, and cytokines, are associated with psychiatric disorders or behavioral alterations in preclinical studies. Complex and interacting mechanisms make it very difficult to understand the physiopathology of psychiatry conditions; therefore, studying regulatory mechanisms that impact these alterations is a good approach. In the last decades, the impact of stress on biology through epigenetic markers, which directly impact gene expression, is under intense investigation; these mechanisms are associated with behavioral alterations in animal models after stress or drug exposure, for example. The endocannabinoid (eCB) system modulates stress response, reward circuits, and other physiological functions, including hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis activation and immune response. eCBs, for example, act retrogradely at presynaptic neurons, limiting the release of neurotransmitters, a mechanism implicated in the antidepressant and anxiolytic effects after stress. Epigenetic mechanisms can impact the expression of eCB system molecules, which in turn can regulate epigenetic mechanisms. This review will present evidence of how the eCB system and epigenetic mechanisms interact and the consequences of this interaction in modulating behavioral changes after stress exposure in preclinical studies or psychiatric conditions. Moreover, evidence that correlates the involvement of the eCB system and epigenetic mechanisms in drug abuse contexts will be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arthur A. Coelho
- Department of Pharmacology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Brazil
- Department of BioMolecular Sciences, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Sávio Lima-Bastos
- Department of Pharmacology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Brazil
- Department of BioMolecular Sciences, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Pedro H. Gobira
- Department of BioMolecular Sciences, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Sabrina F. Lisboa
- Department of BioMolecular Sciences, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Brazil
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El Matine R, Kreutzmann JC, Fendt M. Chronic unilateral inhibition of GABA synthesis in the amygdala increases specificity of conditioned fear in a discriminative fear conditioning paradigm in rats. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2023; 124:110732. [PMID: 36792003 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2023.110732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Revised: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2023]
Abstract
Neural activity in the amygdala is critical for fear learning. In anxiety disorder patients, bilateral hyperactivity of the amygdala can be observed. This hyperactivation is often associated with the facilitation of fear learning and/or over-generalization of conditioned fear. In contrast, hypoactivity of the amygdala, e.g. by pharmacological interventions, attenuates or blocks fear learning. To date, little is known about how neural excitability of the amygdala affects specificity or generalization of fear. Therefore, the present study utilized chronic inhibition of GABA synthesis in the amygdala to increase excitability and investigated the effect on the specificity of fear learning. In rats, unilateral cannulas aiming at the amygdala were implanted. The cannulas were connected to subcutaneously implanted osmotic mini pumps that delivered either the GABA synthesis inhibitor L-allylglycine or its inactive enantiomer D-allylglycine. Following one week of chronic GABA synthesis manipulation, the rats were submitted to a discriminative fear conditioning protocol. In addition, anxiety-like behavior in the light-dark box was measured. Our data show that chronic unilateral L-AG infusions into the amygdala improve the specificity of learned fear, support safety learning, and reduce fear generalization and anxiety. This data demonstrates that moderately increased amygdala excitability can be beneficial for the specificity of fear learning and highlights the potential application for therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rami El Matine
- Institute for Pharmacology and Toxicology, Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Judith C Kreutzmann
- Institute for Pharmacology and Toxicology, Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Markus Fendt
- Institute for Pharmacology and Toxicology, Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany; Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany.
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15
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Chen K, Zhang L, Wang F, Mao H, Tang Q, Shi G, You Y, Yuan Q, Chen B, Fang X. Altered functional connectivity within the brain fear circuit in Parkinson's disease with anxiety: A seed-based functional connectivity study. Heliyon 2023; 9:e15871. [PMID: 37305477 PMCID: PMC10256910 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e15871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2022] [Revised: 04/06/2023] [Accepted: 04/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Objectives Aimed to investigate whether there are abnormal changes in the functional connectivity (FC) between the amygdala with other brain areas, in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients with anxiety. Methods Participants were enrolled prospectively, and the Hamilton Anxiety Rating (HAMA) Scale was used to quantify anxiety disorder. Rest-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) was applied to analyze the amygdala FC patterns among anxious PD patients, non-anxious PD patients, and healthy controls. Results Thirty-three PD patients were recruited, 13 with anxiety, 20 without anxiety, and 19 non-anxious healthy controls. In anxious PD patients, FC between the amygdala with the hippocampus, putamen, intraparietal sulcus, and precuneus showed abnormal alterations compared with non-anxious PD patients and healthy controls. In particular, FC between the amygdala and hippocampus negatively correlated with the HAMA score (r = -0.459, p = 0.007). Conclusion Our results support the role of the fear circuit in emotional regulation in PD with anxiety. Also, the abnormal FC patterns of the amygdala could preliminarily explain the neural mechanisms of anxiety in PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaidong Chen
- Department of Radiology, The Affiliated Wuxi People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, No. 299, Qingyang Road, Liangxi District, Wuxi, 214023, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Li Zhang
- Department of Neurology, The Affiliated Wuxi People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, No. 299, Qingyang Road, Liangxi District, Wuxi, 214023, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Feng Wang
- Department of Neurology, The Affiliated Wuxi People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, No. 299, Qingyang Road, Liangxi District, Wuxi, 214023, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Haixia Mao
- Department of Radiology, The Affiliated Wuxi People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, No. 299, Qingyang Road, Liangxi District, Wuxi, 214023, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Qunfeng Tang
- Department of Neurology, The Affiliated Wuxi People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, No. 299, Qingyang Road, Liangxi District, Wuxi, 214023, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Guofeng Shi
- Department of Neurology, The Affiliated Wuxi People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, No. 299, Qingyang Road, Liangxi District, Wuxi, 214023, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Yiping You
- Department of Neurology, The Affiliated Wuxi People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, No. 299, Qingyang Road, Liangxi District, Wuxi, 214023, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Qingfang Yuan
- Department of Neurology, The Affiliated Wuxi People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, No. 299, Qingyang Road, Liangxi District, Wuxi, 214023, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Bixue Chen
- Department of Radiology, The Affiliated Wuxi People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, No. 299, Qingyang Road, Liangxi District, Wuxi, 214023, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Xiangming Fang
- Department of Radiology, The Affiliated Wuxi People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, No. 299, Qingyang Road, Liangxi District, Wuxi, 214023, Jiangsu Province, China
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Glickert G, Latimer B, Sah P, Nair SS. Reverse engineering information processing in lateral amygdala during auditory tones. INTERNATIONAL IEEE/EMBS CONFERENCE ON NEURAL ENGINEERING : [PROCEEDINGS]. INTERNATIONAL IEEE EMBS CONFERENCE ON NEURAL ENGINEERING 2023; 2023:10.1109/ner52421.2023.10123856. [PMID: 37366393 PMCID: PMC10292606 DOI: 10.1109/ner52421.2023.10123856] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
Learning in the mammalian lateral amygdala (LA) during auditory fear conditioning (tone - foot shock pairing), one form of associative learning, requires N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor-dependent plasticity. Despite this fact being known for more than two decades, the biophysical details related to signal flow and the involvement of the coincidence detector, NMDAR, in this learning, remain unclear. Here we use a 4000-neuron computational model of the LA (containing two types of pyramidal cells, types A and C, and two types of interneurons, fast spiking FSI and low-threshold spiking LTS) to reverse engineer changes in information flow in the amygdala that underpin such learning; with a specific focus on the role of the coincidence detector NMDAR. The model also included a Ca2s based learning rule for synaptic plasticity. The physiologically constrained model provides insights into the underlying mechanisms that implement habituation to the tone, including the role of NMDARs in generating network activity which engenders synaptic plasticity in specific afferent synapses. Specifically, model runs revealed that NMDARs in tone-FSI synapses were more important during the spontaneous state, although LTS cells also played a role. Training trails with tone only also suggested long term depression in tone-PN as well as tone-FSI synapses, providing possible hypothesis related to underlying mechanisms that might implement the phenomenon of habituation.
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17
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Olivera-Pasilio V, Dabrowska J. Fear-conditioning to unpredictable threats reveals sex differences in rat fear-potentiated startle (FPS). BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.03.06.531430. [PMID: 36945466 PMCID: PMC10028867 DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.06.531430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/12/2023]
Abstract
Fear-potentiated startle (FPS) has been widely used to study fear processing in humans and rodents. Human studies have shown higher startle amplitudes and exaggerated fear reactivity to unpredictable vs. predictable threats in individuals suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Although human FPS studies often use both sexes, a surprisingly limited number of rodent FPS studies use females. Here we investigate the effects of signal-threat contingency, signal-threat order and threat predictability on FPS in both sexes. We use a classic fear-conditioning protocol (100% contingency of cue and shock pairings, with forward conditioning such that the cue co-terminates with the shock) and compare it to modified fear-conditioning protocols (70% contingency; backward conditioning; or cue and shock unpaired). Although there are no sex differences in the startle amplitudes when corrected for body weight, females demonstrate higher shock reactivity during fear-conditioning. Both sexes demonstrate comparable levels of cued, non-cued, and contextual fear in the classic FPS but females show reduced fear discrimination vs. males. Fear-conditioning with 70% contingency or backward order (cue co-starts with shock) induces similar levels of cued, non-cued, and contextual fear in both sexes but they differ in contextual fear extinction. Lastly, a prominent sex difference is uncovered following unpredictable fear-conditioning protocol (cue and shock un-paired), with females showing significantly higher startle overall during the FPS recall, regardless of trial type, and higher contextual fear than males. This striking sex difference in processing unpredictable threats in rodent FPS might help to understand the mechanisms underlying higher incidence of PTSD in women. Highlights Male and female rats have comparable startle amplitudes when corrected for body weightFemale rats show higher foot-shock reactivity than males during fear-conditioningFemale rats show reduced fear discrimination vs. males in the classic FPSReversed signal-threat order increases contextual fear in both sexesExposure to unpredictable threats increases startle in general and contextual fear only in females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Olivera-Pasilio
- Center for the Neurobiology of Stress Resilience and Psychiatric Disorders, Discipline of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, The Chicago Medical School, School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, 3333 Green Bay Road, North Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Joanna Dabrowska
- Center for the Neurobiology of Stress Resilience and Psychiatric Disorders, Discipline of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, The Chicago Medical School, School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, 3333 Green Bay Road, North Chicago, Illinois, USA
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Montanez-Miranda C, Bramlett SN, Hepler JR. RGS14 expression in CA2 hippocampus, amygdala, and basal ganglia: Implications for human brain physiology and disease. Hippocampus 2023; 33:166-181. [PMID: 36541898 PMCID: PMC9974931 DOI: 10.1002/hipo.23492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2022] [Revised: 11/09/2022] [Accepted: 12/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
RGS14 is a multifunctional scaffolding protein that is highly expressed within postsynaptic spines of pyramidal neurons in hippocampal area CA2. Known roles of RGS14 in CA2 include regulating G protein, H-Ras/ERK, and calcium signaling pathways to serve as a natural suppressor of synaptic plasticity and postsynaptic signaling. RGS14 also shows marked postsynaptic expression in major structures of the limbic system and basal ganglia, including the amygdala and both the ventral and dorsal subdivisions of the striatum. In this review, we discuss the signaling functions of RGS14 and its role in postsynaptic strength (long-term potentiation) and spine structural plasticity in CA2 hippocampal neurons, and how RGS14 suppression of plasticity impacts linked behaviors such as spatial learning, object memory, and fear conditioning. We also review RGS14 expression in the limbic system and basal ganglia and speculate on its possible roles in regulating plasticity in these regions, with a focus on behaviors related to emotion and motivation. Finally, we explore the functional implications of RGS14 in various brain circuits and speculate on its possible roles in certain disease states such as hippocampal seizures, addiction, and anxiety disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - John R. Hepler
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, 30322-3090
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Chen K, Zhang L, Mao H, Chen K, Shi Y, Meng X, Wang F, Hu X, Fang X. The impact of iron deposition on the fear circuit of the brain in patients with Parkinson's disease and anxiety. Front Aging Neurosci 2023; 15:1116516. [PMID: 36845658 PMCID: PMC9951615 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2023.1116516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/24/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Objective Anxiety is one of the most common psychiatric symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD), and brain iron deposition is considered to be one of the pathological mechanisms of PD. The objective of this study was to explore alterations in brain iron deposition in PD patients with anxiety compared to PD patients without anxiety, especially in the fear circuit. Methods Sixteen PD patients with anxiety, 23 PD patients without anxiety, and 26 healthy elderly controls were enrolled prospectively. All subjects underwent neuropsychological assessments and brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examinations. Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) was used to study morphological brain differences between the groups. Quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM), an MRI technique capable of quantifying susceptibility changes in brain tissue, was used to compare susceptibility changes in the whole brain among the three groups. The correlations between brain susceptibility changes and anxiety scores quantified using the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAMA) were compared and analyzed. Results PD patients with anxiety had a longer duration of PD and higher HAMA scores than PD patients without anxiety. No morphological brain differences were observed between the groups. In contrast, voxel-based and ROI-based QSM analyses showed that PD patients with anxiety had significantly increased QSM values in the medial prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, hippocampus, precuneus, and angular cortex. Furthermore, the QSM values of some of these brain regions were positively correlated with the HAMA scores (medial prefrontal cortex: r = 0.255, p = 0.04; anterior cingulate cortex: r = 0.381, p < 0.01; hippocampus: r = 0.496, p < 0.01). Conclusion Our findings support the idea that anxiety in PD is associated with iron burden in the brain fear circuit, providing a possible new approach to explaining the potential neural mechanism of anxiety in PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaidong Chen
- Department of Radiology, The Affiliated Wuxi People’s Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi, China
| | - Li Zhang
- Department of Neurology, The Affiliated Wuxi People’s Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi, China
| | - Haixia Mao
- Department of Radiology, The Affiliated Wuxi People’s Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi, China
| | - Kefei Chen
- Department of Neurology, The Affiliated Wuxi People’s Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi, China
| | - Yachen Shi
- Department of Neurology, The Affiliated Wuxi People’s Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi, China
| | - Xiangpan Meng
- Department of Radiology, The Affiliated Wuxi People’s Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi, China
| | - Feng Wang
- Department of Neurology, The Affiliated Wuxi People’s Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi, China,*Correspondence: Xiangming Fang, ✉
| | - Xiaoyun Hu
- Department of Radiology, The Affiliated Wuxi People’s Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi, China,Feng Wang, ✉
| | - Xiangming Fang
- Department of Radiology, The Affiliated Wuxi People’s Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi, China,Xiaoyun Hu, ✉
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20
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Xuan SM, Su YW, Liang YM, Gao ZJ, Liu CY, Fan BF, Shi YW, Wang XG, Zhao H. mGluR5 in amygdala modulates fear memory generalization. Front Behav Neurosci 2023; 17:1072642. [PMID: 36891323 PMCID: PMC9986332 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2023.1072642] [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: 10/17/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 02/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Fear memory generalization is regarded as the core characteristic of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) development. However, the mechanism that contributes to the generalization of conditioned fear memory is still unclear. The generalization is generally considered to be a mismatch that occurs during memory consolidation. Methods Foot shocks and tones were given as unconditioned stress and conditioned stress, respectively for fear conditioning training. Immunofluorescence staining, western blotting and qPCR were performed to determine the expression of different genes in amygdala of mice after fear conditioning training. Cycloheximide was used as a protein synthesis inhibitor and 2-methyl-6-phenylethynyl-pyridine was injected for mGluR5 inhibition. Results Fear conditioning using caused incremental generalization, which was clearly observed during training. The density of c-Fos+ cells or the synaptic p-NMDAR expression did not differ with stress intensities. Strong-shock fear conditioning could induce significant mGluR5 de novo synthesis in the amygdala, which was not observed in the weak-shock group. Inhibition of mGluR5 impaired fear memory generalization induced by strong-shock fear conditioning, but the generalization level induced by weak-shock training was enhanced. Discussion These results indicated that mGluR5 in the amygdala is critical to the function of inappropriate fear memory generalization and suggested that this may be a potential target for the treatment of PTSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shou-Min Xuan
- Guangdong Province Translational Forensic Medicine Engineering Technology Research Center, Faculty of Forensic Medicine, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Ya-Wen Su
- Guangdong Province Translational Forensic Medicine Engineering Technology Research Center, Faculty of Forensic Medicine, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Yi-Meng Liang
- Guangdong Province Translational Forensic Medicine Engineering Technology Research Center, Faculty of Forensic Medicine, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Zhen-Jie Gao
- Guangdong Province Translational Forensic Medicine Engineering Technology Research Center, Faculty of Forensic Medicine, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Chun-Yan Liu
- Guangdong Province Translational Forensic Medicine Engineering Technology Research Center, Faculty of Forensic Medicine, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Bu-Fang Fan
- Guangdong Province Translational Forensic Medicine Engineering Technology Research Center, Faculty of Forensic Medicine, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Yan-Wei Shi
- Guangdong Province Translational Forensic Medicine Engineering Technology Research Center, Faculty of Forensic Medicine, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.,Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Xiao-Guang Wang
- Guangdong Province Translational Forensic Medicine Engineering Technology Research Center, Faculty of Forensic Medicine, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.,Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Hu Zhao
- Guangdong Province Translational Forensic Medicine Engineering Technology Research Center, Faculty of Forensic Medicine, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.,Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
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Kéri S. Trauma and Remembering: From Neuronal Circuits to Molecules. Life (Basel) 2022; 12:1707. [PMID: 36362862 PMCID: PMC9699199 DOI: 10.3390/life12111707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2022] [Revised: 10/23/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 08/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Individuals with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) experience intrusions of vivid traumatic memories, heightened arousal, and display avoidance behavior. Disorders in identity, emotion regulation, and interpersonal relationships are also common. The cornerstone of PTSD is altered learning, memory, and remembering, regulated by a complex neuronal and molecular network. We propose that the essential feature of successful treatment is the modification of engrams in their unstable state during retrieval. During psychedelic psychotherapy, engrams may show a pronounced instability, which enhances modification. In this narrative review, we outline the clinical characteristics of PTSD, its multifaceted neuroanatomy, and the molecular pathways that regulate memory destabilization and reconsolidation. We propose that psychedelics, acting by serotonin-glutamate interactions, destabilize trauma-related engrams and open the door to change them during psychotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Szabolcs Kéri
- Department of Cognitive Science, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, 1111 Budapest, Hungary; ; Tel.: +36-1463-1273
- National Institute of Mental Health, Neurology, and Neurosurgery, 1145 Budapest, Hungary
- Department of Physiology, Albert Szent-Györgyi Medical School, University of Szeged, 6720 Szeged, Hungary
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22
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Sadeghi MA, Hemmati S, Nassireslami E, Yousefi Zoshk M, Hosseini Y, Abbasian K, Chamanara M. Targeting neuronal nitric oxide synthase and the nitrergic system in post-traumatic stress disorder. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2022; 239:3057-3082. [PMID: 36029333 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-022-06212-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2022] [Accepted: 08/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Current pharmacological approaches to treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) lack adequate effectiveness. As a result, identifying new molecular targets for drug development is necessary. Furthermore, fear learning and memory in PTSD can undergo different phases, such as fear acquisition, consolidation, and extinction. Each phase may involve different cellular pathways and brain regions. As a result, effective management of PTSD requires mindfulness of the timing of drug administration. One of the molecular targets currently under intense investigation is the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)-type glutamate receptor (NMDAR). However, despite the therapeutic efficacy of drugs targeting NMDAR, their translation into clinical use has been challenging due to their various side effects. One possible solution to this problem is to target signaling proteins downstream to NMDAR to improve targeting specificity. One of these proteins is the neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS), which is activated following calcium influx through the NMDAR. OBJECTIVE In this paper, we review the literature on the pharmacological modulation of nNOS in animal models of PTSD to evaluate its therapeutic potential. Furthermore, we attempt to decipher the inconsistencies observed between the findings of these studies based on the specific phase of fear learning which they had targeted. RESULTS Inhibition of nNOS may inhibit fear acquisition and recall, while not having a significant effect on fear consolidation and extinction. However, it may improve extinction consolidation or reconsolidation blockade. CONCLUSIONS Modulation of nNOS has therapeutic potential against PTSD and warrants further development for use in the clinical setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Amin Sadeghi
- Toxicology Research Center, AJA University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.,Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, AJA University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Sara Hemmati
- School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ehsan Nassireslami
- Toxicology Research Center, AJA University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.,Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, AJA University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Yasaman Hosseini
- Cognitive Neuroscience Center, School of Medicine, AJA University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Kourosh Abbasian
- Management and Health Economics Department, AJA University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohsen Chamanara
- Toxicology Research Center, AJA University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. .,Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, AJA University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
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Infection, Learning, and Memory: Focus on Immune Activation and Aversive Conditioning. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 142:104898. [PMID: 36183862 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2022] [Revised: 09/19/2022] [Accepted: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Here we review the effects of immune activation primarily via lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a cell wall component of Gram-negative bacteria, on hippocampal and non-hippocampal-dependent learning and memory. Rodent studies have found that LPS alters both the acquisition and consolidation of aversive learning and memory, such as those evoking evolutionarily adaptive responses like fear and disgust. The inhibitory effects of LPS on the acquisition and consolidation of contextual fear memory are discussed. LPS-induced alterations in the acquisition of taste and place-related conditioned disgust memory within bottle preference tasks and taste reactivity tests (taste-related), in addition to conditioned context avoidance tasks and the anticipatory nausea paradigm (place-related), are highlighted. Further, conditioned disgust memory consolidation may also be influenced by LPS-induced effects. Growing evidence suggests a central role of immune activation, especially pro-inflammatory cytokine activity, in eliciting the effects described here. Understanding how infection-induced immune activation alters learning and memory is increasingly important as bacterial and viral infections are found to present a risk of learning and memory impairment.
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Nishimura KJ, Poulos A, Drew MR, Rajbhandari AK. Know thy SEFL: Fear sensitization and its relevance to stressor-related disorders. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 142:104884. [PMID: 36174795 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2022] [Revised: 09/07/2022] [Accepted: 09/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Extreme stress can cause long-lasting changes in affective behavior manifesting in conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Understanding the biological mechanisms that govern trauma-induced behavioral dysregulation requires reliable and rigorous pre-clinical models that recapitulate multiple facets of this complex disease. For decades, Pavlovian fear conditioning has been a dominant paradigm for studying the effects of trauma through an associative learning framework. However, severe stress also causes long-lasting nonassociative fear sensitization, which is often overlooked in Pavlovian fear conditioning studies. This paper synthesizes recent research on the stress-enhanced fear learning (SEFL) paradigm, a valuable rodent model that can dissociate associative and nonassociative effects of stress. We discuss evidence that the SEFL paradigm produces nonassociative fear sensitization that is distinguishable from Pavlovian fear conditioning. We also discuss key biological variables, such as age and sex, neural circuit mechanisms, and crucial gaps in knowledge. We argue that nonassociative fear sensitization deserves more attention within current PTSD models and that SEFL provides a valuable complement to Pavlovian conditioning research on trauma-related pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenji J Nishimura
- Center for Learning and Memory, Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA, 78712
| | - Andrew Poulos
- Department of Psychology and Center for Neuroscience Research, State University of New York at Albany, Albany, USA, 12222
| | - Michael R Drew
- Center for Learning and Memory, Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA, 78712
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25
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Sun CF, Chang CH. Aberrant orbitofrontal cortical activation interferes with encoding of Pavlovian fear conditioning. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:981041. [PMID: 36072088 PMCID: PMC9442050 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.981041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2022] [Accepted: 08/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) patients were usually found with the hyper-activation of the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and a deficit in fear extinction learning. The OFC can be subdivided into the lateral OFC (lOFC) and the medial OFC (mOFC). Previous studies have suggested that both subregions are involved in the modulation of negative emotions. However, how aberrant activation of the OFC interacts with the encoding of Pavlovian fear remains unknown. In this study, the lOFC or the mOFC was pharmacologically activated or inactivated before the fear conditioning on Day 1, followed by a context test on Day 2 and a tone test on Day 3 in male Long-Evans rats. We found that for the animals that underwent fear conditioning under aberrant activation of either the lOFC or the mOFC, they showed normal within-session fear expression. However, the acquisition/consolidation of contextual fear was impaired under mOFC activation, while the acquisition/consolidation of cued fear was impaired under either the lOFC or the mOFC activation, in that these animals showed lower freezing compared to controls during the retrieval test. On the other hand, for the animals that underwent fear conditioning under inactivation of either the lOFC or the mOFC, they showed normal within-session fear expression, as well as intact encoding of both the contextual and cued fear. Together, our results suggested that the OFC was not actively engaged in the acquisition of Pavlovian fear conditioning, but aberrant activation of the OFC impaired fear learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chung-Fu Sun
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Chun-hui Chang
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
- Brain Research Center, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
- *Correspondence: Chun-hui Chang,
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Ma X, Yu W, Yao P, Zhu Y, Dai J, He X, Liu B, Xu C, Shao X, Fang J, Shen Z. Afferent and efferent projections of the rostral anterior cingulate cortex in young and middle-aged mice. Front Aging Neurosci 2022; 14:960868. [PMID: 36062147 PMCID: PMC9428471 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.960868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2022] [Accepted: 07/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Research shows that across life, the incidence of mental illness is highest in the young. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, mental health issues of the young in particular have received global attention. The rostral anterior cingulate cortex (rACC) plays an important role in psychiatric disorders and chronic pain-psychiatric comorbidities. However, it remains unknown whether or how the afferent and efferent circuits of the rACC change with aging. In this study, we microinjected a retrograde tracer virus and an anterograde trans-monosynaptic virus into the rACC of young and middle-aged mice (both male and female), and systematically and quantitatively analyzed the whole-brain afferent and efferent connections of rACC at different ages and sexes. Notably, in young and middle-aged mice, afferents of the rACC belong to four groups of brain structures arising mainly from the amygdala [mainly basolateral amygdaloid nucleus (BLA)] and cerebral cortex (mainly orbital cortex), with a small part originating from the basal forebrain and thalamus. In contrast, efferents of the rACC belong to four groups of brain structures mainly projecting to the thalamus (mainly ventral anterior-lateral/ventromedial thalamic nucleus (VAL/VM)], with a very small part projecting to the amygdala, basal forebrain, and cerebral cortex. Compared with young mice, the BLA-rACC circuit in middle-aged mice (male and female) did not change significantly, while the rACC-VAL/VM circuit in middle-aged mice (male and female) decreased significantly. In conclusion, this study comprehensively analyzed the input-output neural projections of rACC in mice of different ages and sexes and provided preliminary evidence for further targeted research.
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27
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Tian X, Zhang Y, Li X, Xiong Y, Wu T, Ai HW. A luciferase prosubstrate and a red bioluminescent calcium indicator for imaging neuronal activity in mice. Nat Commun 2022; 13:3967. [PMID: 35803917 PMCID: PMC9270435 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-31673-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Although fluorescent indicators have been broadly utilized for monitoring bioactivities, fluorescence imaging, when applied to mammals, is limited to superficial targets or requires invasive surgical procedures. Thus, there is emerging interest in developing bioluminescent indicators for noninvasive mammalian imaging. Bioluminescence imaging (BLI) of neuronal activity is highly desired but hindered by insufficient photons needed to digitalize fast brain activities. In this work, we develop a luciferase prosubstrate deliverable at an increased dose and activated in vivo by nonspecific esterase. We further engineer a bright, bioluminescent indicator with robust responsiveness to calcium ions (Ca2+) and appreciable emission above 600 nm. Integration of these advantageous components enables the imaging of the activity of neuronal ensembles in awake mice minimally invasively with excellent signal-to-background and subsecond temporal resolution. This study thus establishes a paradigm for studying brain function in health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaodong Tian
- grid.27755.320000 0000 9136 933XDepartment of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22908 USA ,grid.27755.320000 0000 9136 933XCenter for Membrane and Cell Physiology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22908 USA
| | - Yiyu Zhang
- grid.27755.320000 0000 9136 933XDepartment of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22908 USA ,grid.27755.320000 0000 9136 933XCenter for Membrane and Cell Physiology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22908 USA
| | - Xinyu Li
- grid.27755.320000 0000 9136 933XDepartment of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22908 USA ,grid.27755.320000 0000 9136 933XCenter for Membrane and Cell Physiology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22908 USA ,grid.411643.50000 0004 1761 0411Present Address: State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Regulation and Breeding of Grassland Livestock, School of Life Sciences, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, China
| | - Ying Xiong
- grid.27755.320000 0000 9136 933XDepartment of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22908 USA ,grid.27755.320000 0000 9136 933XCenter for Membrane and Cell Physiology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22908 USA
| | - Tianchen Wu
- grid.27755.320000 0000 9136 933XDepartment of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22908 USA ,grid.27755.320000 0000 9136 933XCenter for Membrane and Cell Physiology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22908 USA
| | - Hui-Wang Ai
- grid.27755.320000 0000 9136 933XDepartment of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22908 USA ,grid.27755.320000 0000 9136 933XCenter for Membrane and Cell Physiology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22908 USA ,grid.27755.320000 0000 9136 933XThe UVA Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22908 USA
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Deji C, Yan P, Ji Y, Yan X, Feng Y, Liu J, Liu Y, Wei S, Zhu Y, Lai J. The Basolateral Amygdala to Ventral Hippocampus Circuit Controls Anxiety-Like Behaviors Induced by Morphine Withdrawal. Front Cell Neurosci 2022; 16:894886. [PMID: 35726232 PMCID: PMC9205755 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2022.894886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2022] [Accepted: 04/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Anxiety is one of the most common comorbid conditions reported in people with opioid dependence. The basolateral amygdala (BLA) and ventral hippocampus (vHip) are critical brain regions for fear and anxiety. The kappa opioid receptor (KOR) is present in the mesolimbic regions involved in emotions and addiction. However, the precise circuits and molecular basis underlying anxiety associated with chronic opioid use are poorly understood. Using a mouse model, we demonstrated that anxiety-like behaviors appeared in the first 2 weeks after morphine withdrawal. Furthermore, the BLA and vHip were activated in mice experiencing anxiety after morphine withdrawal (Mor-A). KORs in the BLA to vHip projections were significantly increased in the Mor-A group. Optogenetic/chemogenetic inhibition of BLA inputs ameliorated anxiety-like behaviors and facilitated conditioned place preference (CPP) extinction in Mor-A mice. Knockdown of the BLA to vHip circuit KOR alleviated the anxiety-like behaviors but did not affect CPP extinction or reinstatement. Furthermore, combined treatment of inhibition of the BLA to vHip circuit and KOR antagonists mitigated anxiety-like behaviors and prevented stress-induced CPP reinstatement after morphine withdrawal. These results revealed a previously unknown circuit associated with the emotional component of opioid withdrawal and indicated that restoration of synaptic deficits with KOR antagonists might be effective in the treatment of anxiety associated with morphine withdrawal.
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Vantrease JE, Avonts B, Padival M, DeJoseph MR, Urban JH, Rosenkranz JA. Sex Differences in the Activity of Basolateral Amygdalar Neurons That Project to the Bed Nucleus of the Stria Terminalis and Their Role in Anticipatory Anxiety. J Neurosci 2022; 42:4488-4504. [PMID: 35477901 PMCID: PMC9172066 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1499-21.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2021] [Revised: 03/22/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Abnormal fear and anxiety can manifest as psychiatric disorders. The bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) is implicated in sustained responding to, or anticipation of, an aversive event which can be expressed as anticipatory anxiety. The BLA is also active during anticipatory anxiety and sends projections to the BNST. However, little is known about the role for BLA neurons that project to BNST (BLA-BNST) in anticipatory anxiety in rodents. To address this, we tested whether chemogenetic inactivation of the BLA-BNST pathway attenuates sustained conditioned responses produced by anticipation of an aversive stimulus. For comparison, we also assessed BLA-BNST inactivation during social interaction, which is sensitive to unlearned anxiety. We found that BLA-BNST inactivation reduced conditioned sustained freezing and increased social behaviors, but surprisingly, only in males. To determine whether sex differences in BLA-BNST neuronal activity contribute to the differences in behavior, we used in vivo and ex vivo electrophysiological approaches. In males, BLA-BNST projection neurons were more active and excitable, which coincided with a smaller after-hyperpolarization current (I AHP) compared with other BLA neurons; whereas in females, BLA-BNST neurons were less excitable and had larger I AHP compared with other BLA neurons. These findings demonstrate that activity of BLA-BNST neurons mediates conditioned anticipatory anxiety-like behavior in males. The lack of a role of BLA-BNST in females in this behavior, possibly because of low excitability of these neurons, also highlights the need for caution when generalizing the role of specific neurocircuits in fear and anxiety.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Anxiety disorders disproportionately affect women. This hints toward sex differences within anxiety neurocircuitry, yet most of our understanding is derived from male rodents. Furthermore, debilitating anticipation of adverse events is among the most severe anxiety symptoms, but little is known about anticipatory anxiety neurocircuitry. Here we demonstrated that BLA-BNST activity is required for anticipatory anxiety to a prolonged aversive cue, but only in males. Moreover, BLA-BNST neurons are hypoactive and less excitable in females. These results uncover BLA-BNST as a key component of anticipatory anxiety circuitry, and cellular differences may explain the sex-dependent role of this circuit. Uncovering this disparity provides evidence that the assumed basic circuitry of an anxiety behavior might not readily transpose from males to females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaime E Vantrease
- Discipline of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, Illinois 60064
- Center for the Neurobiology of Stress Resilience and Psychiatric Disorders, Rosalind Franklin University, North Chicago, Illinois 60064
| | - Brittany Avonts
- Discipline of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, Illinois 60064
| | - Mallika Padival
- Discipline of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, Illinois 60064
- Center for the Neurobiology of Stress Resilience and Psychiatric Disorders, Rosalind Franklin University, North Chicago, Illinois 60064
| | - M Regina DeJoseph
- Discipline of Physiology and Biophysics, Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, Illinois 60064
- Center for the Neurobiology of Stress Resilience and Psychiatric Disorders, Rosalind Franklin University, North Chicago, Illinois 60064
| | - Janice H Urban
- Discipline of Physiology and Biophysics, Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, Illinois 60064
- Center for the Neurobiology of Stress Resilience and Psychiatric Disorders, Rosalind Franklin University, North Chicago, Illinois 60064
| | - J Amiel Rosenkranz
- Discipline of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, Illinois 60064
- Center for the Neurobiology of Stress Resilience and Psychiatric Disorders, Rosalind Franklin University, North Chicago, Illinois 60064
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30
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Du J, Diao H, Zhou X, Zhang C, Chen Y, Gao Y, Wang Y. Post-traumatic stress disorder: a psychiatric disorder requiring urgent attention. MEDICAL REVIEW (BERLIN, GERMANY) 2022; 2:219-243. [PMID: 37724188 PMCID: PMC10388753 DOI: 10.1515/mr-2022-0012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2022] [Accepted: 06/21/2022] [Indexed: 09/20/2023]
Abstract
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a severe and heterogenous psychiatric disorder that was first defined as a mental disorder in 1980. Currently, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fifth Edition (DSM-5) and the International Classification of Diseases 11th Edition (ICD-11) offer the most widely accepted diagnostic guidelines for PTSD. In both diagnostic categories, experiencing a traumatic event (TE) is the necessary criterion for diagnosing PTSD. The TEs described in the DSM-5 include actual or threatened death, serious injury, sexual violence, and other extreme stressors, either directly or indirectly. More than 70% of adults worldwide are exposed to a TE at least once in their lifetime, and approximately 10% of individuals develop PTSD after experiencing a TE. The important features of PTSD are intrusion or re-experiencing fear memories, pervasive sense of threat, active avoidance, hyperarousal symptoms, and negative alterations of cognition and mood. Individuals with PTSD have high comorbidities with other psychiatric diseases, including major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and substance use disorder. Multiple lines of evidence suggest that the pathophysiology of PTSD is complex, involving abnormal neural circuits, molecular mechanisms, and genetic mechanisms. A combination of both psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy is used to treat PTSD, but has limited efficacy in patients with refractory PTSD. Because of the high prevalence, heavy burden, and limited treatments, PTSD is a psychiatric disorder that requires urgent attention. In this review, we summarize and discuss the diagnosis, prevalence, TEs, pathophysiology, and treatments of PTSD and draw attention to its prevention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Du
- The Brain Science Center, Beijing Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Huapeng Diao
- The Brain Science Center, Beijing Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaojuan Zhou
- The Brain Science Center, Beijing Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Chunkui Zhang
- The Brain Science Center, Beijing Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yifei Chen
- The Brain Science Center, Beijing Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yan Gao
- The Brain Science Center, Beijing Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yizheng Wang
- The Brain Science Center, Beijing Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
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Kovács LÁ, Füredi N, Ujvári B, Golgol A, Gaszner B. Age-Dependent FOSB/ΔFOSB Response to Acute and Chronic Stress in the Extended Amygdala, Hypothalamic Paraventricular, Habenular, Centrally-Projecting Edinger-Westphal, and Dorsal Raphe Nuclei in Male Rats. Front Aging Neurosci 2022; 14:862098. [PMID: 35592695 PMCID: PMC9110804 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.862098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2022] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
FOS proteins are early-responding gene products that contribute to the formation of activator protein-1. Several acute and chronic stimuli lead to Fos gene expression, accompanied by an increase of nuclear FOS, which appears to decline with aging. FOSB is another marker to detect acute cellular response, while ΔFOSB mirrors long-lasting changes in neuronal activity upon chronic stress. The notion that the occurrence of stress-related mood disorders shows some age dependence suggests that the brain's stress sensitivity is also a function of age. To study age-dependent stress vulnerability at the immediate-early gene level, we aimed to describe how the course of aging affects the neural responses of FOSB/ΔFOSB in the acute restraint stress (ARS), and chronic variable mild stress (CVMS) in male rats. Fourteen brain areas [central, medial, basolateral (BLA) amygdala; dorsolateral- (BNSTdl), oval- (BNSTov), dorsomedial-, ventral- (BNSTv), and fusiform- (BNSTfu) divisions of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis; medial and lateral habenula, hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN), centrally-projecting Edinger-Westphal nucleus, dorsal raphe nucleus, barrel field of somatosensory cortex (S1)] were examined in the course of aging. Eight age groups [1-month-old (M), 1.5 M, 2 M, 3 M, 6 M, 12 M, 18 M, and 24 M] of rats were exposed to a single ARS vs. controls. In addition, rats in six age groups (2, 3, 6, 12, 18, and 24 M) were subjected to CVMS. The FOSB/ΔFOSB immunoreactivity (IR) was a function of age in both controls, ARS- and CVMS-exposed rats. ARS increased the FOSB/ΔFOSB in all nuclei (except in BLA), but only BNSTfu, BNSTv, and PVN reacted throughout the examined lifespan. The CVMS did not increase the FOSB/ΔFOSB in BLA, BNSTov, BNSTdl, and S1. PVN showed a constantly maintained FOSB/ΔFOSB IR during the examined life period. The maximum stress-evoked FOSB/ΔFOSB signal was detected at 2-3 M periods in the ARS- and at 6 M, 18 M in CVMS- model. Corresponding to our previous observations on FOS, the FOSB/ΔFOSB response to stress decreased with age in most of the examined nuclei. Only the PVN exerted a sustained age-independent FOSB/ΔFOSB, which may reflect the long-lasting adaptation response and plasticity of neurons that maintain the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis response throughout the lifespan.
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Affiliation(s)
- László Ákos Kovács
- Department of Anatomy, Research Group for Mood Disorders, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
- Center for Neuroscience & Szentagothai Research Center, Pécs University, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Nóra Füredi
- Department of Anatomy, Research Group for Mood Disorders, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
- Center for Neuroscience & Szentagothai Research Center, Pécs University, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Balázs Ujvári
- Department of Anatomy, Research Group for Mood Disorders, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Abolfazl Golgol
- Department of Anatomy, Research Group for Mood Disorders, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Balázs Gaszner
- Department of Anatomy, Research Group for Mood Disorders, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
- Center for Neuroscience & Szentagothai Research Center, Pécs University, Pécs, Hungary
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Neuroscientific evidence for pain being a classically conditioned response to trauma- and pain-related cues in humans. Pain 2022; 163:2118-2137. [PMID: 35239544 DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000002621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2021] [Accepted: 12/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
ABSTRACT Psychological trauma is typically accompanied by physical pain, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) often co-occurs with chronic pain. Clinical reports suggest that pain after trauma may be part of a re-experiencing symptomatology. Classical conditioning can underlie visual re-experiencing since intrusions can occur as conditioned responses (CRs) to trauma-related cues. If individuals also experience pain to cues previously paired with, but not anymore inflicting nociceptive stimulation (CSs), conditioning could also explain re-experiencing of pain. Sixty-five participants underwent classical conditioning, where painful electrocutaneous stimulation and aversive film-clips served as unconditioned stimuli (USs) in a 2(pain/no pain)×2(aversive/neutral film) design. CSs were neutral pictures depicting contextual details from the films. One day later, participants were re-exposed to CSs during a memory-triggering-task (MTT). We assessed pain-CRs by self-report and an fMRI-based marker of nociceptive pain, the neurologic pain signature (NPS); and recorded spontaneous daily-life pain-intrusions with an e-diary. During conditioning, pain-signaling CSs elicited more self-reported-pain and NPS-responses than no-pain-signaling CSs. Possibly because the aversive-film masked differences in participants' responses to pain-signaling vs. no-pain-signaling CSs, pain-CRs during acquisition only emerged within the neutral-film condition. When participants were re-exposed to CSs during MTT, self-reported-pain-CRs during the neutral-film condition and, though more uncertain, NPS-CRs during the aversive-film condition persisted. Importantly, participants with stronger pain-CRs showed a greater probability and severity of experiencing spontaneous pain intrusions during daily-life. Our data support that pain can emerge as a CR with emotional and sensory components. Classical conditioning presents a possible mechanism explaining pain-intrusions, and more broadly, pain experienced without nociceptive input.
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Mayneris-Perxachs J, Castells-Nobau A, Arnoriaga-Rodríguez M, Garre-Olmo J, Puig J, Ramos R, Martínez-Hernández F, Burokas A, Coll C, Moreno-Navarrete JM, Zapata-Tona C, Pedraza S, Pérez-Brocal V, Ramió-Torrentà L, Ricart W, Moya A, Martínez-García M, Maldonado R, Fernández-Real JM. Caudovirales bacteriophages are associated with improved executive function and memory in flies, mice, and humans. Cell Host Microbe 2022; 30:340-356.e8. [PMID: 35176247 DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2022.01.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2021] [Revised: 11/12/2021] [Accepted: 01/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Growing evidence implicates the gut microbiome in cognition. Viruses, the most abundant life entities on the planet, are a commonly overlooked component of the gut virome, dominated by the Caudovirales and Microviridae bacteriophages. Here, we show in a discovery (n = 114) and a validation cohort (n = 942) that subjects with increased Caudovirales and Siphoviridae levels in the gut microbiome had better performance in executive processes and verbal memory. Conversely, increased Microviridae levels were linked to a greater impairment in executive abilities. Microbiota transplantation from human donors with increased specific Caudovirales (>90% from the Siphoviridae family) levels led to increased scores in the novel object recognition test in mice and up-regulated memory-promoting immediate early genes in the prefrontal cortex. Supplementation of the Drosophila diet with the 936 group of lactococcal Siphoviridae bacteriophages resulted in increased memory scores and upregulation of memory-involved brain genes. Thus, bacteriophages warrant consideration as novel actors in the microbiome-brain axis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordi Mayneris-Perxachs
- Department of Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Nutrition, Dr. Josep Trueta University Hospital, Girona, Spain; Nutrition, Eumetabolism, and Health Group, Girona Biomedical Research Institute (IdibGi), Girona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBEROBN), Madrid, Spain.
| | - Anna Castells-Nobau
- Department of Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Nutrition, Dr. Josep Trueta University Hospital, Girona, Spain; Nutrition, Eumetabolism, and Health Group, Girona Biomedical Research Institute (IdibGi), Girona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBEROBN), Madrid, Spain
| | - María Arnoriaga-Rodríguez
- Department of Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Nutrition, Dr. Josep Trueta University Hospital, Girona, Spain; Nutrition, Eumetabolism, and Health Group, Girona Biomedical Research Institute (IdibGi), Girona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBEROBN), Madrid, Spain; Department of Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Girona, Girona, Spain
| | - Josep Garre-Olmo
- Research Group on Aging, Disability, and Health, Girona Biomedical Research Institute (IdibGi), Girona, Spain; Serra-Hunter Fellow. Department of Nursing, University of Girona, Girona, Spain
| | - Josep Puig
- Department of Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Girona, Girona, Spain; Institute of Diagnostic Imaging (IDI)-Research Unit (IDIR), Parc Sanitari Pere Virgili, Barcelona, Spain; Medical Imaging, Girona Biomedical Research Institute (IdibGi), Girona, Spain; Department of Radiology (IDI), Dr. Josep Trueta University Hospital, Girona, Spain
| | - Rafael Ramos
- Department of Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Girona, Girona, Spain; Vascular Health Research Group of Girona (ISV-Girona), Jordi Gol Institute for Primary Care Research, (Institut Universitari per a la Recerca en Atenció Primària Jordi Gol I Gorina-IDIAPJGol), Girona Biomedical Research Institute, (IDIBGI), Dr. Josep Trueta University Hospital, Catalonia, Spain; Girona Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBGI), Dr. Josep Trueta University Hospital, Catalonia, Spain
| | | | - Aurelijus Burokas
- Laboratory of Neuropharmacology, Department of Experimental and Health Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain; Department of Biological Models, Institute of Biochemistry, Life Sciences Center, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Clàudia Coll
- Neuroimmunology and Multiple Sclerosis Unit, Department of Neurology, Dr. Josep Trueta University Hospital, Girona, Spain
| | - José Maria Moreno-Navarrete
- Department of Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Nutrition, Dr. Josep Trueta University Hospital, Girona, Spain; Nutrition, Eumetabolism, and Health Group, Girona Biomedical Research Institute (IdibGi), Girona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBEROBN), Madrid, Spain; Department of Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Girona, Girona, Spain
| | - Cristina Zapata-Tona
- Department of Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Nutrition, Dr. Josep Trueta University Hospital, Girona, Spain; Nutrition, Eumetabolism, and Health Group, Girona Biomedical Research Institute (IdibGi), Girona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBEROBN), Madrid, Spain; Department of Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Girona, Girona, Spain
| | - Salvador Pedraza
- Department of Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Girona, Girona, Spain; Medical Imaging, Girona Biomedical Research Institute (IdibGi), Girona, Spain; Department of Radiology (IDI), Dr. Josep Trueta University Hospital, Girona, Spain
| | - Vicente Pérez-Brocal
- Area of Genomics and Health, Foundation for the Promotion of Sanitary and Biomedical Research of Valencia Region (FISABIO-Public Health), Valencia, Spain; Biomedical Research Networking Center for Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - Lluís Ramió-Torrentà
- Department of Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Girona, Girona, Spain; Neuroimmunology and Multiple Sclerosis Unit, Department of Neurology, Dr. Josep Trueta University Hospital, Girona, Spain; Neurodegeneration and Neuroinflammation research group. Girona Biomedical Research Institute (IdibGi), Girona, Spain
| | - Wifredo Ricart
- Department of Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Nutrition, Dr. Josep Trueta University Hospital, Girona, Spain; Nutrition, Eumetabolism, and Health Group, Girona Biomedical Research Institute (IdibGi), Girona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBEROBN), Madrid, Spain; Department of Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Girona, Girona, Spain
| | - Andrés Moya
- Area of Genomics and Health, Foundation for the Promotion of Sanitary and Biomedical Research of Valencia Region (FISABIO-Public Health), Valencia, Spain; Biomedical Research Networking Center for Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain; Institute for Integrative Systems Biology (I2SysBio), University of Valencia and Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Valencia, Spain
| | - Manuel Martínez-García
- Department of Physiology, Genetics, and Microbiology, University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain
| | - Rafael Maldonado
- Laboratory of Neuropharmacology, Department of Experimental and Health Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain; Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM), Barcelona, Spain.
| | - José-Manuel Fernández-Real
- Department of Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Nutrition, Dr. Josep Trueta University Hospital, Girona, Spain; Nutrition, Eumetabolism, and Health Group, Girona Biomedical Research Institute (IdibGi), Girona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBEROBN), Madrid, Spain; Department of Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Girona, Girona, Spain.
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Keith RE, Ogoe RH, Dumas TC. Behind the scenes: Are latent memories supported by calcium independent plasticity? Hippocampus 2022; 32:73-88. [PMID: 33905147 PMCID: PMC8548406 DOI: 10.1002/hipo.23332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2020] [Revised: 04/08/2021] [Accepted: 04/11/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDARs) can be considered to be the de facto "plasticity" receptors in the brain due to their central role in the activity-dependent modification of neuronal morphology and synaptic transmission. Since the 1980s, research on NMDARs has focused on the second messenger properties of calcium and the downstream signaling pathways that mediate alterations in neural form and function. Recently, NMDARs were shown to drive activity-dependent synaptic plasticity without calcium influx. How this "nonionotropic" plasticity occurs in vitro is becoming clearer, but research on its involvement in behavior and cognition is in its infancy. There is a partial overlap in the downstream signaling molecules that are involved in ionotropic and nonionotropic NMDAR-dependent plasticity. Given this, and prior studies of the cognitive impacts of ionotropic NMDAR plasticity, a preliminary model explaining how NMDAR nonionotropic plasticity affects learning and memory can be established. We hypothesize that nonionotropic NMDAR plasticity takes part in latent memory encoding in immature rodents through nonassociative depression of synaptic efficacy, and possibly shrinking of dendritic spines. Further, the late postnatal alteration in NMDAR composition in the hippocampus appears to reduce nonionotropic signaling and remove a restriction on memory retrieval. This framework substantially alters the canonical model of NMDAR involvement in spatial cognition and hippocampal maturation and provides novel and exciting inroads for future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel E. Keith
- Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience, College of Science, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia
| | - Richard H. Ogoe
- Department of Psychology, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia
| | - Theodore C. Dumas
- Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience, College of Science, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia,Department of Psychology, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia
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DiFazio LE, Fanselow M, Sharpe MJ. The effect of stress and reward on encoding future fear memories. Behav Brain Res 2022; 417:113587. [PMID: 34543677 PMCID: PMC11164563 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2021.113587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2021] [Revised: 09/09/2021] [Accepted: 09/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Prior experience changes the way we learn about our environment. Stress predisposes individuals to developing psychological disorders, just as positive experiences protect from this eventuality (Kirkpatrick & Heller, 2014; Koenigs & Grafman, 2009; Pechtel & Pizzagalli, 2011). Yet current models of how the brain processes information often do not consider a role for prior experience. The considerable literature that examines how stress impacts the brain is an exception to this. This research demonstrates that stress can bias the interpretation of ambiguous events towards being aversive in nature, owed to changes in amygdala physiology (Holmes et al., 2013; Perusini et al., 2016; Rau et al., 2005; Shors et al., 1992). This is thought to be an important model for how people develop anxiety disorders, like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD; Rau et al., 2005). However, more recent evidence suggests that experience with reward learning can also change the neural circuits that are involved in learning about fear (Sharpe et al., 2021). Specifically, the lateral hypothalamus, a region typically restricted to modulating feeding and reward behavior, can be recruited to encode fear memories after experience with reward learning. This review discusses the literature on how stress and reward change the way we acquire and encode memories for aversive events, offering a testable model of how these regions may interact to promote either adaptive or maladaptive fear memories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren E DiFazio
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| | - Michael Fanselow
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Staglin Center for Brain and Behavioral Health, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Melissa J Sharpe
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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36
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Sottile RJ, Vida T. A proposed mechanism for the MDMA-mediated extinction of traumatic memories in PTSD patients treated with MDMA-assisted therapy. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:991753. [PMID: 36311515 PMCID: PMC9596814 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.991753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 08/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a devastating psychiatric disorder afflicting millions of people around the world. Characterized by severe anxiety, intrusive thoughts, pervasive nightmares, an assortment of somatic symptoms, associations with severe long-term health problems, and an elevated risk of suicide, as much as 40-70% of patients suffer from refractory disease. 3,4-Methylenedioxy-methamphetamine (MDMA), like classic psychedelics such as psilocybin, have been used to enhance the efficacy of psychotherapy almost since their discovery, but due to their perceived potential for abuse and inclusion on USFDA (United States Food and Drug Administration) schedule 1, research into the mechanism by which they produce improvements in PTSD symptomology has been limited. Nevertheless, several compelling rationales have been explored, with the pro-social effects of MDMA thought to enhance therapeutic alliance and thus facilitate therapist-assisted trauma processing. This may be insufficient to fully explain the efficacy of MDMA in the treatment of psychiatric illness. Molecular mechanisms such as the MDMA mediated increase of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) availability in the fear memory learning pathways combined with MDMA's pro-social effects may provide a more nuanced explanation for the therapeutic actions of MDMA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert J Sottile
- Department of Medical Education, Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV, University of Nevada Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV, United States
| | - Thomas Vida
- Department of Medical Education, Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV, University of Nevada Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV, United States
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37
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Chiba S, Okawara T, Kawakami K, Ohta R, Kawaguchi M. Alterations between high and low-avoidance lines of Hatano rats in learning behaviors, ultrasonic vocalizations, and histological characteristics in hippocampus and amygdala. Physiol Behav 2021; 245:113670. [PMID: 34890592 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2021.113670] [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: 07/05/2021] [Revised: 11/27/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Growing evidence supports interactions between anxiety and cognitive function. The primary object of this study was to elucidate whether high-avoidance (HAA) and low-avoidance (LAA) strains of Hatano rats are suitable for the analysis of interactions between the formation of long-term memory and emotional reactivity. The learning/memory ability of Hatano rats and their Sprague-Dawley (SD) ancestors was evaluated using contextual fear conditioning, Y-maze, and Barnes maze tests from 8 weeks of age. Ultrasonic vocalizations were recorded and analyzed during contextual fear conditioning. In a separate experiment, rat brains were sampled 90 min after the first context test and subjected to Nissl staining and c-fos immunostaining. The duration of freezing and number of 22 kHz ultrasonic vocalizations were decreased in LAA compared with HAA and SD rats during the first and second context tests of contextual fear conditioning. The HAA rats did not show preferences for quadrants during the Barnes maze probe test, whereas the SD and LAA rats spent significantly more time in the quadrant where the goals had been placed. There was no difference among the strains in short-term spatial memory as shown by the Y-maze test. Decreases were found in the number of c-fos+ cells as well as the volume of some hippocampal regions in the HAA rats compared to SD and LAA rats. By contrast, the volume of the basolateral amygdala was bigger in the HAA than the other strains. On the basis of the 22 kHz ultrasonic calls and literature regarding Syracuse rats, the possibility that emotional reactivity influences contextual memory in Hatano strains was discussed. This emotional difference may be derived from structural and/or functional divergence in the hippocampus and amygdala between the strains. The cause of strain-related differences in long-term spatial learning was difficult to elucidate because there are several possible explanations, including differences in memory and/or the interference of hyperactivity during the Barnes maze test.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuichi Chiba
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Okayama University of Science, 1-3 Ikoino-Oka, Imabari, Ehime 794-8555, Japan
| | - Toru Okawara
- School of Agriculture, Meiji University, 1-1-1 Higashimita, Tama-ku, Kawasaki, Kanagawa 214-8571, Japan
| | - Kotaro Kawakami
- School of Agriculture, Meiji University, 1-1-1 Higashimita, Tama-ku, Kawasaki, Kanagawa 214-8571, Japan
| | - Ryo Ohta
- Hatano Research Institute, Food and Drug Safety Center, 729-5 Ochiai, Hadano,Kanagawa 257-8523, Japan
| | - Maiko Kawaguchi
- School of Agriculture, Meiji University, 1-1-1 Higashimita, Tama-ku, Kawasaki, Kanagawa 214-8571, Japan.
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38
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Hoang IB, Sharpe MJ. The basolateral amygdala and lateral hypothalamus bias learning towards motivationally significant events. Curr Opin Behav Sci 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cobeha.2021.04.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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Lages YV, Maisonnette SS, Marinho B, Rosseti FP, Krahe TE, Landeira-Fernandez J. Behavioral effects of chronic stress in Carioca high- and low-conditioned freezing rats. Stress 2021; 24:602-611. [PMID: 34030584 DOI: 10.1080/10253890.2021.1934445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) is a widely used model to study stress-coping strategies in rodents. Different factors have been shown to influence whether animals adopt passive or active coping responses to CUMS. Individual adaptation and susceptibility to the environment seem to play a critical role in this process. To further investigate this relationship, we examined the effects of CUMS on Carioca high- and low-conditioned freezing rats (CHF and CLF, respectively), bidirectional lines of animals selected for high and low freezing in response to contextual cues that were previously associated with footshocks. For this purpose, the behavior of CHF and CLF animals was evaluated in the contextual fear conditioning, open field, elevated T maze, and forced swimming tests before and after 21 days of CUMS. For all tests, CHF rats were more susceptible to the effects of CUMS compared to CLF. CHF animals exposed to CUMS displayed a reduction in freezing behavior, decreased number of entries and time spent in the center of the open field, greater latencies to become immobile, and increased avoidance and escaping behaviors in the elevated T maze. Overall, these findings support the hypothesis that a heightened susceptibility to the environment exerts a strong influence on coping responses to chronic stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yury V Lages
- Department of Psychology, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Silvia S Maisonnette
- Department of Psychology, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Beatriz Marinho
- Department of Psychology, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Flávia P Rosseti
- Department of Psychology, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Thomas E Krahe
- Department of Psychology, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - J Landeira-Fernandez
- Department of Psychology, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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40
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Cummings KA, Lacagnina AF, Clem RL. GABAergic microcircuitry of fear memory encoding. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2021; 184:107504. [PMID: 34425220 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2021.107504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2021] [Revised: 08/12/2021] [Accepted: 08/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
The paradigm of fear conditioning is largely responsible for our current understanding of how memories are encoded at the cellular level. Its most fundamental underlying mechanism is considered to be plasticity of synaptic connections between excitatory projection neurons (PNs). However, recent studies suggest that while PNs execute critical memory functions, their activity at key stages of learning and recall is extensively orchestrated by a diverse array of GABAergic interneurons (INs). Here we review the contributions of genetically-defined INs to processing of threat-related stimuli in fear conditioning, with a particular focus on how synaptic interactions within interconnected networks of INs modulates PN activity through both inhibition and disinhibition. Furthermore, we discuss accumulating evidence that GABAergic microcircuits are an important locus for synaptic plasticity during fear learning and therefore a viable substrate for long-term memory. These findings suggest that further investigation of INs could unlock unique conceptual insights into the organization and function of fear memory networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirstie A Cummings
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, United States; Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, United States; Department of Neurobiology, University of Alabama Birmingham School of Medicine, Birmingham, AL 35294, United States
| | - Anthony F Lacagnina
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, United States; Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, United States
| | - Roger L Clem
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, United States; Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, United States.
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41
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Šimić G, Tkalčić M, Vukić V, Mulc D, Španić E, Šagud M, Olucha-Bordonau FE, Vukšić M, R. Hof P. Understanding Emotions: Origins and Roles of the Amygdala. Biomolecules 2021; 11:biom11060823. [PMID: 34072960 PMCID: PMC8228195 DOI: 10.3390/biom11060823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2021] [Revised: 05/24/2021] [Accepted: 05/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Emotions arise from activations of specialized neuronal populations in several parts of the cerebral cortex, notably the anterior cingulate, insula, ventromedial prefrontal, and subcortical structures, such as the amygdala, ventral striatum, putamen, caudate nucleus, and ventral tegmental area. Feelings are conscious, emotional experiences of these activations that contribute to neuronal networks mediating thoughts, language, and behavior, thus enhancing the ability to predict, learn, and reappraise stimuli and situations in the environment based on previous experiences. Contemporary theories of emotion converge around the key role of the amygdala as the central subcortical emotional brain structure that constantly evaluates and integrates a variety of sensory information from the surroundings and assigns them appropriate values of emotional dimensions, such as valence, intensity, and approachability. The amygdala participates in the regulation of autonomic and endocrine functions, decision-making and adaptations of instinctive and motivational behaviors to changes in the environment through implicit associative learning, changes in short- and long-term synaptic plasticity, and activation of the fight-or-flight response via efferent projections from its central nucleus to cortical and subcortical structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Goran Šimić
- Department of Neuroscience, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, University of Zagreb Medical School, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia; (V.V.); (E.Š.); (M.V.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Mladenka Tkalčić
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Rijeka, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia;
| | - Vana Vukić
- Department of Neuroscience, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, University of Zagreb Medical School, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia; (V.V.); (E.Š.); (M.V.)
| | - Damir Mulc
- University Psychiatric Hospital Vrapče, 10090 Zagreb, Croatia;
| | - Ena Španić
- Department of Neuroscience, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, University of Zagreb Medical School, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia; (V.V.); (E.Š.); (M.V.)
| | - Marina Šagud
- Department of Psychiatry, Clinical Hospital Center Zagreb and University of Zagreb School of Medicine, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia;
| | | | - Mario Vukšić
- Department of Neuroscience, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, University of Zagreb Medical School, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia; (V.V.); (E.Š.); (M.V.)
| | - Patrick R. Hof
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 07305, USA;
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Perumal MB, Sah P. Inhibitory Circuits in the Basolateral Amygdala in Aversive Learning and Memory. Front Neural Circuits 2021; 15:633235. [PMID: 33994955 PMCID: PMC8120102 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2021.633235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2020] [Accepted: 03/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Neural circuits in the basolateral amygdala (BLA) play a pivotal role in the learning and memory formation, and processing of emotionally salient experiences, particularly aversive ones. A diverse population of GABAergic neurons present in the BLA orchestrate local circuits to mediate emotional memory functions. Targeted manipulation of GABAergic neuronal subtypes has shed light on cell-type specific functional roles in the fear learning and memory, revealing organizing principles for the operation of inhibitory circuit motifs in the BLA.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Pankaj Sah
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.,Joint Center for Neuroscience and Neural Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China.,Department of Biology, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
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43
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Stanley AT, Lippiello P, Sulzer D, Miniaci MC. Roles for the Dorsal Striatum in Aversive Behavior. Front Cell Neurosci 2021; 15:634493. [PMID: 33664651 PMCID: PMC7920955 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2021.634493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2020] [Accepted: 01/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability to identify and avoid environmental stimuli that signal danger is essential to survival. Our understanding of how the brain encodes aversive behaviors has been primarily focused on roles for the amygdala, hippocampus (HIPP), prefrontal cortex, ventral midbrain, and ventral striatum. Relatively little attention has been paid to contributions from the dorsal striatum (DS) to aversive learning, despite its well-established role in stimulus-response learning. Here, we review studies exploring the role of DS in aversive learning, including different roles for the dorsomedial and dorsolateral striatum in Pavlovian fear conditioning as well as innate and inhibitory avoidance (IA) behaviors. We outline how future investigation might determine specific contributions from DS subregions, cell types, and connections that contribute to aversive behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrien T Stanley
- Departments of Biology and Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Pellegrino Lippiello
- Department of Pharmacy, School of Medicine, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - David Sulzer
- Departments of Psychiatry, Neurology, and Pharmacology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, United States.,Division of Molecular Therapeutics, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, United States
| | - Maria Concetta Miniaci
- Department of Pharmacy, School of Medicine, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
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44
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Saha R, Kriebel M, Anunu R, Volkmer H, Richter-Levin G. Intra-amygdala metaplasticity modulation of fear extinction learning. Eur J Neurosci 2020; 55:2455-2463. [PMID: 33305403 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2020] [Revised: 12/03/2020] [Accepted: 12/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The amygdala is a key brain region involved in emotional memory formation. It is also responsible for memory modulation in other brain areas. Under extreme conditions, amygdala modulation may lead to the generation of abnormal plasticity and trauma-related psychopathologies. However, the amygdala itself is a dynamic brain region, which is amenable to long-term plasticity and is affected by emotional experiences. These alterations may modify the way the amygdala modulates activity and plasticity in other related brain regions, which in turn may alter the animal's response to subsequent challenges in what could be termed as "Behavioral metaplasticity."Because of the reciprocal interactions between the amygdala and other emotion processing regions, such as the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) or the hippocampus, experience-induced intra-amygdala metaplasticity could lead to alterations in mPFC-dependent or hippocampus-dependent behaviors. While initiated by alterations within the basolateral amygdala (BLA), such alterations in other brain regions may come to be independent of BLA modulation, thus establishing what may be termed "Trans-regional metaplasticity." In this article, we review evidence supporting the notions of intra-BLA metaplasticity and how this may develop into "Trans-regional metaplasticity." Future research is needed to understand how such dynamic metaplastic alterations contribute to developing psychopathologies, and how this knowledge may be translated into promoting novel interventions in psychopathologies associated with fear, stress, and trauma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rinki Saha
- Sagol Department of Neurobiology, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Martin Kriebel
- NMI Natural and Medical Sciences Institute at the University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Rachel Anunu
- Sagol Department of Neurobiology, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Hansjuergen Volkmer
- NMI Natural and Medical Sciences Institute at the University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Gal Richter-Levin
- Sagol Department of Neurobiology, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel.,Department of Psychology, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel.,The Integrated Brain and Behavior Research Center (IBBRC), University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
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45
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Carlson HN, Weiner JL. The neural, behavioral, and epidemiological underpinnings of comorbid alcohol use disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF NEUROBIOLOGY 2020; 157:69-142. [PMID: 33648676 DOI: 10.1016/bs.irn.2020.09.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) and (PTSD) frequently co-occur and individuals suffering from this dual diagnosis often exhibit increased symptom severity and poorer treatment outcomes than those with only one of these diseases. Although there have been significant advances in our understanding of the neurobiological mechanisms underlying each of these disorders, the neural underpinnings of the comorbid condition remain poorly understood. This chapter summarizes recent epidemiological findings on comorbid AUD and PTSD, with a focus on vulnerable populations, the temporal relationship between these disorders, and the clinical consequences associated with the dual diagnosis. We then review animal models of the comorbid condition and emerging human and non-human animal research that is beginning to identify maladaptive neural changes common to both disorders, primarily involving functional changes in brain reward and stress networks. We end by proposing a neural framework, based on the emerging field of affective valence encoding, that may better explain the epidemiological and neural findings on AUD and PTSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah N Carlson
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, United States
| | - Jeff L Weiner
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, United States.
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Arnoriaga-Rodríguez M, Mayneris-Perxachs J, Burokas A, Contreras-Rodríguez O, Blasco G, Coll C, Biarnés C, Miranda-Olivos R, Latorre J, Moreno-Navarrete JM, Castells-Nobau A, Sabater M, Palomo-Buitrago ME, Puig J, Pedraza S, Gich J, Pérez-Brocal V, Ricart W, Moya A, Fernández-Real X, Ramió-Torrentà L, Pamplona R, Sol J, Jové M, Portero-Otin M, Maldonado R, Fernández-Real JM. Obesity Impairs Short-Term and Working Memory through Gut Microbial Metabolism of Aromatic Amino Acids. Cell Metab 2020; 32:548-560.e7. [PMID: 33027674 DOI: 10.1016/j.cmet.2020.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2020] [Revised: 05/12/2020] [Accepted: 08/31/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The gut microbiome has been linked to fear extinction learning in animal models. Here, we aimed to explore the gut microbiome and memory domains according to obesity status. A specific microbiome profile associated with short-term memory, working memory, and the volume of the hippocampus and frontal regions of the brain differentially in human subjects with and without obesity. Plasma and fecal levels of aromatic amino acids, their catabolites, and vegetable-derived compounds were longitudinally associated with short-term and working memory. Functionally, microbiota transplantation from human subjects with obesity led to decreased memory scores in mice, aligning this trait from humans with that of recipient mice. RNA sequencing of the medial prefrontal cortex of mice revealed that short-term memory associated with aromatic amino acid pathways, inflammatory genes, and clusters of bacterial species. These results highlight the potential therapeutic value of targeting the gut microbiota for memory impairment, specifically in subjects with obesity.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Arnoriaga-Rodríguez
- Department of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Nutrition, Dr. Josep Trueta University Hospital, Girona, Spain; Nutrition, Eumetabolism and Health Group, Girona Biomedical Research Institute (IdibGi), Girona, Spain; Biomedical Research Networking Center for Physiopathology of Obesity and Nutrition (CIBEROBN), Madrid, Spain; Department of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Girona University, Girona, Spain
| | - Jordi Mayneris-Perxachs
- Department of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Nutrition, Dr. Josep Trueta University Hospital, Girona, Spain; Nutrition, Eumetabolism and Health Group, Girona Biomedical Research Institute (IdibGi), Girona, Spain; Biomedical Research Networking Center for Physiopathology of Obesity and Nutrition (CIBEROBN), Madrid, Spain
| | - Aurelijus Burokas
- Laboratory of Neuropharmacology, Department of Experimental and Health Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Oren Contreras-Rodríguez
- Nutrition, Eumetabolism and Health Group, Girona Biomedical Research Institute (IdibGi), Girona, Spain; Psychiatry Department, Bellvitge University Hospital, Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL) and CIBERSAM, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Gerard Blasco
- Institute of Diagnostic Imaging (IDI)-Research Unit (IDIR), Parc Sanitari Pere Virgili, Barcelona, Spain; Medical Imaging, Girona Biomedical Research Institute (IdibGi), Girona, Spain
| | - Clàudia Coll
- Neuroimmunology and Multiple Sclerosis Unit, Department of Neurology, Dr. Josep Trueta University Hospital, Girona, Spain
| | - Carles Biarnés
- Institute of Diagnostic Imaging (IDI)-Research Unit (IDIR), Parc Sanitari Pere Virgili, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Romina Miranda-Olivos
- Nutrition, Eumetabolism and Health Group, Girona Biomedical Research Institute (IdibGi), Girona, Spain; Psychiatry Department, Bellvitge University Hospital, Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL) and CIBERSAM, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jèssica Latorre
- Department of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Nutrition, Dr. Josep Trueta University Hospital, Girona, Spain; Nutrition, Eumetabolism and Health Group, Girona Biomedical Research Institute (IdibGi), Girona, Spain; Biomedical Research Networking Center for Physiopathology of Obesity and Nutrition (CIBEROBN), Madrid, Spain
| | - José-Maria Moreno-Navarrete
- Department of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Nutrition, Dr. Josep Trueta University Hospital, Girona, Spain; Nutrition, Eumetabolism and Health Group, Girona Biomedical Research Institute (IdibGi), Girona, Spain; Biomedical Research Networking Center for Physiopathology of Obesity and Nutrition (CIBEROBN), Madrid, Spain; Department of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Girona University, Girona, Spain
| | - Anna Castells-Nobau
- Department of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Nutrition, Dr. Josep Trueta University Hospital, Girona, Spain; Nutrition, Eumetabolism and Health Group, Girona Biomedical Research Institute (IdibGi), Girona, Spain; Biomedical Research Networking Center for Physiopathology of Obesity and Nutrition (CIBEROBN), Madrid, Spain
| | - Mònica Sabater
- Department of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Nutrition, Dr. Josep Trueta University Hospital, Girona, Spain; Nutrition, Eumetabolism and Health Group, Girona Biomedical Research Institute (IdibGi), Girona, Spain; Biomedical Research Networking Center for Physiopathology of Obesity and Nutrition (CIBEROBN), Madrid, Spain
| | - María Encarnación Palomo-Buitrago
- Department of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Nutrition, Dr. Josep Trueta University Hospital, Girona, Spain; Nutrition, Eumetabolism and Health Group, Girona Biomedical Research Institute (IdibGi), Girona, Spain
| | - Josep Puig
- Department of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Girona University, Girona, Spain; Institute of Diagnostic Imaging (IDI)-Research Unit (IDIR), Parc Sanitari Pere Virgili, Barcelona, Spain; Medical Imaging, Girona Biomedical Research Institute (IdibGi), Girona, Spain
| | - Salvador Pedraza
- Department of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Girona University, Girona, Spain; Medical Imaging, Girona Biomedical Research Institute (IdibGi), Girona, Spain; Department of Radiology, Dr. Josep Trueta University Hospital, Girona, Spain
| | - Jordi Gich
- Department of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Girona University, Girona, Spain; Girona Neurodegeneration and Neuroinflammation Group, Girona Biomedical Research Institute (IdibGi), Girona, Spain
| | - Vicente Pérez-Brocal
- Department of Genomics and Health, Foundation for the Promotion of Health and Biomedical Research of Valencia Region (FISABIO-Public Health), Valencia, Spain; Biomedical Research Networking Center for Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - Wifredo Ricart
- Department of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Nutrition, Dr. Josep Trueta University Hospital, Girona, Spain; Nutrition, Eumetabolism and Health Group, Girona Biomedical Research Institute (IdibGi), Girona, Spain; Biomedical Research Networking Center for Physiopathology of Obesity and Nutrition (CIBEROBN), Madrid, Spain; Department of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Girona University, Girona, Spain
| | - Andrés Moya
- Department of Genomics and Health, Foundation for the Promotion of Health and Biomedical Research of Valencia Region (FISABIO-Public Health), Valencia, Spain; Biomedical Research Networking Center for Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain; Institute for Integrative Systems Biology (I2SysBio), University of Valencia and Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Valencia, Spain
| | - Xavier Fernández-Real
- Institute of Mathematics, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Lluís Ramió-Torrentà
- Department of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Girona University, Girona, Spain; Neuroimmunology and Multiple Sclerosis Unit, Department of Neurology, Dr. Josep Trueta University Hospital, Girona, Spain; Girona Neurodegeneration and Neuroinflammation Group, Girona Biomedical Research Institute (IdibGi), Girona, Spain
| | - Reinald Pamplona
- Metabolic Pathophysiology Research Group, Lleida Biomedical Research Institute (IRBLleida)-Universitat de Lleida, Lleida, Spain
| | - Joaquim Sol
- Metabolic Pathophysiology Research Group, Lleida Biomedical Research Institute (IRBLleida)-Universitat de Lleida, Lleida, Spain
| | - Mariona Jové
- Metabolic Pathophysiology Research Group, Lleida Biomedical Research Institute (IRBLleida)-Universitat de Lleida, Lleida, Spain
| | - Manuel Portero-Otin
- Metabolic Pathophysiology Research Group, Lleida Biomedical Research Institute (IRBLleida)-Universitat de Lleida, Lleida, Spain
| | - Rafael Maldonado
- Laboratory of Neuropharmacology, Department of Experimental and Health Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain; Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM), Barcelona, Spain.
| | - José Manuel Fernández-Real
- Department of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Nutrition, Dr. Josep Trueta University Hospital, Girona, Spain; Nutrition, Eumetabolism and Health Group, Girona Biomedical Research Institute (IdibGi), Girona, Spain; Biomedical Research Networking Center for Physiopathology of Obesity and Nutrition (CIBEROBN), Madrid, Spain; Department of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Girona University, Girona, Spain.
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Olivera-Pasilio V, Dabrowska J. Oxytocin Promotes Accurate Fear Discrimination and Adaptive Defensive Behaviors. Front Neurosci 2020; 14:583878. [PMID: 33071751 PMCID: PMC7538630 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2020.583878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2020] [Accepted: 08/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The nonapeptide, oxytocin (OT), known for its role in social bonding and attachment formation, has demonstrated anxiolytic properties in animal models and human studies. However, its role in the regulation of fear responses appears more complex, brain site-specific, sex-specific, and dependent on a prior stress history. Studies have shown that OT neurons in the hypothalamus are activated during cued and contextual fear conditioning and during fear recall, highlighting the recruitment of endogenous oxytocin system in fear learning. OT is released into the extended amygdala, which contains the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) and the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST), both critical for the regulation of fear and anxiety-like behaviors. Behavioral studies report that OT in the CeA reduces contextual fear responses; whereas in the BNST, OT receptor (OTR) neurotransmission facilitates cued fear and reduces fear responses to un-signaled, diffuse threats. These ostensibly contrasting behavioral effects support growing evidence that OT works to promote fear discrimination by reducing contextual fear or fear of diffuse threats, yet strengthening fear responses to imminent and predictable threats. Recent studies from the basolateral nucleus of the amygdala (BLA) support this notion and show that activation of OTR in the BLA facilitates fear discrimination by increasing fear responses to discrete cues. Also, OTR transmission in the CeA has been shown to mediate a switch from passive freezing to active escape behaviors in confrontation with an imminent, yet escapable threat but reduce reactivity to distant threats. Therefore, OT appears to increase the salience of relevant threat-signaling cues yet reduce fear responses to un-signaled, distant, or diffuse threats. Lastly, OTR signaling has been shown to underlie emotional discrimination between conspecifics during time of distress, social transmission of fear, and social buffering of fear. As OT has been shown to enhance salience of both positive and negative social experiences, it can also serve as a warning system against potential threats in social networks. Here, we extend the social salience hypothesis by proposing that OT enhances the salience of relevant environmental cues also in non-social contexts, and as such promotes active defensive behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Olivera-Pasilio
- Center for the Neurobiology of Stress Resilience and Psychiatric Disorders, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, United States.,Discipline of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, United States.,School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Joanna Dabrowska
- Center for the Neurobiology of Stress Resilience and Psychiatric Disorders, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, United States.,Discipline of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, United States.,School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, United States
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Neurotrophin signalling in amygdala-dependent cued fear learning. Cell Tissue Res 2020; 382:161-172. [PMID: 32845430 PMCID: PMC7529623 DOI: 10.1007/s00441-020-03260-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2020] [Accepted: 07/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The amygdala is a central hub for fear learning assessed by Pavlovian fear conditioning. Indeed, the prevailing hypothesis that learning and memory are mediated by changes in synaptic strength was shown most convincingly at thalamic and cortical afferents to the lateral amygdala. The neurotrophin brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is known to regulate synaptic plasticity and memory formation in many areas of the mammalian brain including the amygdala, where BDNF signalling via tropomyosin-related kinase B (TrkB) receptors is prominently involved in fear learning. This review updates the current understanding of BDNF/TrkB signalling in the amygdala related to fear learning and extinction. In addition, actions of proBDNF/p75NTR and NGF/TrkA as well as NT-3/TrkC signalling in the amygdala are introduced.
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