1
|
Gonzalez D, Bensing PC, Dixon KN, Leong KC. Cocaine diminishes consolidation of cued fear memory in female rats through interactions with ventral hippocampal D2 receptors. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2024; 244:173863. [PMID: 39186953 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2024.173863] [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: 05/25/2024] [Revised: 08/21/2024] [Accepted: 08/23/2024] [Indexed: 08/28/2024]
Abstract
In addition to cocaine's addictive properties, cocaine use may lead to heightened risk-taking behavior. The disruptive effects of cocaine on aversive memory formation may underlie this behavior. The present study investigated the effects of cocaine on fear memory using a cued fear conditioning paradigm in female Sprague Dawley rats, and further determined the role of D2 receptors in modulating the effect of cocaine on cued fear expression. Animals received six evenly spaced shocks preceded by a tone. The following day, rats were returned to the fear chamber where tones, but no shocks, were delivered. In Experiment 1, separate or concurrent administrations of cocaine (15 mg/kg; i.p.) and the D2 receptor antagonist eticlopride (0.1 mg/kg; i.p.) were given immediately after conditioning trials. It was determined that cocaine administration during the consolidation period diminished the expression of cued fear during the subsequent test day. Concurrent eticlopride administration attenuated this effect, indicating the involvement of D2 receptors in the deleterious effects of cocaine on fear memory consolidation. In Experiment 2, eticlopride (0.05 μg) was infused directly into the ventral hippocampus (VH) after fear conditioning and before cocaine administration. Cocaine continued to disrupt consolidation of cued and contextual fear memory, and concurrent intra-VH eticlopride blocked this effect, thereby demonstrating that VH D2 receptors mediate cocaine-induced impairment of fear memory consolidation. Overall, the present study provides evidence that acute cocaine administration impairs aversive memory formation and establishes a potential circuit through which cocaine induces its detrimental effects on fear memory consolidation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Gonzalez
- Neuroscience Program, Trinity University, San Antonio, TX, United States of America
| | - Paige C Bensing
- Neuroscience Program, Trinity University, San Antonio, TX, United States of America
| | - Katherine N Dixon
- Neuroscience Program, Trinity University, San Antonio, TX, United States of America
| | - Kah-Chung Leong
- Neuroscience Program, Trinity University, San Antonio, TX, United States of America.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Hamati R, Ahrens J, Shvetz C, Holahan MR, Tuominen L. 65 years of research on dopamine's role in classical fear conditioning and extinction: A systematic review. Eur J Neurosci 2024; 59:1099-1140. [PMID: 37848184 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.16157] [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: 02/14/2023] [Revised: 09/08/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023]
Abstract
Dopamine, a catecholamine neurotransmitter, has historically been associated with the encoding of reward, whereas its role in aversion has received less attention. Here, we systematically gathered the vast evidence of the role of dopamine in the simplest forms of aversive learning: classical fear conditioning and extinction. In the past, crude methods were used to augment or inhibit dopamine to study its relationship with fear conditioning and extinction. More advanced techniques such as conditional genetic, chemogenic and optogenetic approaches now provide causal evidence for dopamine's role in these learning processes. Dopamine neurons encode conditioned stimuli during fear conditioning and extinction and convey the signal via activation of D1-4 receptor sites particularly in the amygdala, prefrontal cortex and striatum. The coordinated activation of dopamine receptors allows for the continuous formation, consolidation, retrieval and updating of fear and extinction memory in a dynamic and reciprocal manner. Based on the reviewed literature, we conclude that dopamine is crucial for the encoding of classical fear conditioning and extinction and contributes in a way that is comparable to its role in encoding reward.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rami Hamati
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- University of Ottawa Institute of Mental Health Research, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jessica Ahrens
- Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Department of Neuroscience, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Cecelia Shvetz
- University of Ottawa Institute of Mental Health Research, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Neuroscience, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Matthew R Holahan
- Department of Neuroscience, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Lauri Tuominen
- University of Ottawa Institute of Mental Health Research, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Neuroscience, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Dinckol O, Wenger NH, Zachry JE, Kutlu MG. Nucleus accumbens core single cell ensembles bidirectionally respond to experienced versus observed aversive events. Sci Rep 2023; 13:22602. [PMID: 38114559 PMCID: PMC10730531 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-49686-x] [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: 07/28/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Fear learning is a critical feature of survival skills among mammals. In rodents, fear learning manifests itself through direct experience of the aversive event or social transmission of aversive stimuli such as observing and acting on conspecifics' distress. The neuronal network underlying the social transmission of information largely overlaps with the brain regions that mediate behavioral responses to aversive and rewarding stimuli. In this study, we recorded single cell activity patterns of nucleus accumbens (NAc) core neurons using in vivo optical imaging of calcium transients via miniature scopes. This cutting-edge imaging methodology not only allows us to record activity patterns of individual neurons but also lets us longitudinally follow these individual neurons across time and different behavioral states. Using this approach, we identified NAc core single cell ensembles that respond to experienced and/or observed aversive stimuli. Our results showed that experienced and observed aversive stimuli evoke NAc core ensemble activity that is largely positive, with a smaller subset of negative responses. The size of the NAc single cell ensemble response was greater for experienced aversive stimuli compared to observed aversive events. Our results also revealed sex differences in the NAc core single cell ensembles responses to experience aversive stimuli, where females showed a greater accumbal response. Importantly, we found a subpopulation within the NAc core single cell ensembles that show a bidirectional response to experienced aversive stimuli versus observed aversive stimuli (i.e., negative response to experienced and positive response to observed). Our results suggest that the NAc plays a role in differentiating somatosensory experience from social observation of aversion at a single cell level. These results have important implications for psychopathologies where social information processing is maladaptive, such as autism spectrum disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Oyku Dinckol
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rowan-Virtua School of Translational Biomedical Engineering and Sciences, Rowan University, Stratford, NJ, 08084, USA
- Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine, Rowan University, Stratford, NJ, 08084, USA
| | - Noah Harris Wenger
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rowan-Virtua School of Translational Biomedical Engineering and Sciences, Rowan University, Stratford, NJ, 08084, USA
- Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine, Rowan University, Stratford, NJ, 08084, USA
| | - Jennifer E Zachry
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
| | - Munir Gunes Kutlu
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rowan-Virtua School of Translational Biomedical Engineering and Sciences, Rowan University, Stratford, NJ, 08084, USA.
- Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine, Rowan University, Stratford, NJ, 08084, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Kutlu MG, Tat J, Christensen BA, Zachry JE, Calipari ES. Dopamine release at the time of a predicted aversive outcome causally controls the trajectory and expression of conditioned behavior. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112948. [PMID: 37543945 PMCID: PMC10528296 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112948] [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: 05/30/2022] [Revised: 04/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) is causally linked to adaptive aversive learning, and its dysregulation is a core phenotype in anxiety and stress disorders. Here, we record NAc core dopamine during a task where mice learn to discriminate between cues signaling two types of outcomes: (1) footshock presentation and (2) footshock omission. We show that dopamine release is evoked by footshock omission. This dopamine response is largest when the omission is unexpected and decreases over learning, and artificially increasing this signal disrupts discrimination learning. Conversely, optogenetic inhibition of dopamine responses to the footshock itself impairs learning. Finally, theory-driven computational modeling suggests that these effects can be explained by dopamine signaling the perceived saliency of predicted aversive events. Together, we elucidate the role of NAc dopamine in aversive learning and offer potential avenues for understanding the neural mechanisms involved in anxiety and stress disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Munir Gunes Kutlu
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Jennifer Tat
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | | | - Jennifer E Zachry
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Erin S Calipari
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Dinckol O, Zachry JE, Kutlu MG. Nucleus accumbens core single cell ensembles bidirectionally respond to experienced versus observed aversive events. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.07.17.549364. [PMID: 37503203 PMCID: PMC10370069 DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.17.549364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
Empathy is the ability to adopt others' sensory and emotional states and is an evolutionarily conserved trait among mammals. In rodents, empathy manifests itself as social modulation of aversive stimuli such as acknowledging and acting on conspecifics' distress. The neuronal network underlying social transmission of information is known to overlap with the brain regions that mediate behavioral responses to aversive and rewarding stimuli. In this study, we recorded single cell activity patterns of nucleus accumbens (NAc) core neurons using in vivo optical imaging of calcium transients via miniature scopes. This cutting-edge imaging methodology not only allows us to record activity patterns of individual neurons but also lets us longitudinally follow these individual neurons across time and different behavioral states. Using this approach, we identified NAc core single cell ensembles that respond to experienced and/or observed aversive stimuli. Our results showed that experienced and observed aversive stimuli evoke NAc core ensemble activity that is largely positive, with a smaller subset of negative responses. The size of the NAc single cell ensemble response was greater for experienced aversive stimuli compared to observed aversive events. Our results also revealed a subpopulation within the NAc core single cell ensembles that show a bidirectional response to experienced aversive stimuli versus observed aversive stimuli (i.e., negative response to experienced and positive response to observed). These results suggest that the NAc plays a role in differentiating somatosensory experience from social observation of aversion at a single cell level. This has important implications for psychopathologies where social information processing is maladaptive, such as autism spectrum disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Munir Gunes Kutlu
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine, Stratford, NJ, USA
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine, Stratford, NJ, USA
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Zhang M, Luo Y, Wang J, Sun Y, Xie B, Zhang L, Cong B, Ma C, Wen D. Roles of nucleus accumbens shell small-conductance calcium-activated potassium channels in the conditioned fear freezing. J Psychiatr Res 2023; 163:180-194. [PMID: 37216772 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2023.05.057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2022] [Revised: 04/27/2023] [Accepted: 05/15/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a psychiatric disorder caused by stressful events, is characterized by long-lasting fear memory. The nucleus accumbens shell (NAcS) is a key brain region that regulates fear-associated behavior. Small-conductance calcium-activated potassium channels (SK channels) play a key role in regulating the excitability of NAcS medium spiny neurons (MSNs) but their mechanisms of action in fear freezing are unclear. METHOD We established an animal model of traumatic memory using conditioned fear freezing paradigm, and investigated the alterations in SK channels of NAc MSNs subsequent to fear conditioning in mice. We then utilized an adeno-associated virus (AAV) transfection system to overexpress the SK3 subunit and explore the function of the NAcS MSNs SK3 channel in conditioned fear freezing. RESULTS Fear conditioning activated NAcS MSNs with enhanced excitability and reduced the SK channel-mediated medium after-hyperpolarization (mAHP) amplitude. The expression of NAcS SK3 were also reduced time-dependently. The overexpression of NAcS SK3 impaired conditioned fear consolidation without affecting conditioned fear expression, and blocked fear conditioning-induced alterations in NAcS MSNs excitability and mAHP amplitude. Additionally, the amplitudes of mEPSC, AMPAR/NMDAR ratio, and membrane surface GluA1/A2 expression in NAcS MSNs was increased by fear conditioning and returned to normal levels upon SK3 overexpression, indicating that fear conditioning-induced decrease of SK3 expression caused postsynaptic excitation by facilitating AMPAR transmission to the membrane. CONCLUSION These findings show that the NAcS MSNs SK3 channel plays a critical role in conditioned fear consolidation and that it may influence PTSD pathogenesis, making it a potential therapeutic target against PTSD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Minglong Zhang
- College of Forensic Medicine, Hebei Medical University, Hebei Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, Collaborative Innovation Center of Forensic Medical Molecular Identification, Research Unit of Digestive Tract Microecosystem Pharmacology and Toxicology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Hebei Province, Shijiazhuang, 050017, PR China
| | - Yixiao Luo
- Hunan Province People's Hospital, The First-Affiliated Hospital of Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, PR China
| | - Jian Wang
- College of Forensic Medicine, Hebei Medical University, Hebei Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, Collaborative Innovation Center of Forensic Medical Molecular Identification, Research Unit of Digestive Tract Microecosystem Pharmacology and Toxicology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Hebei Province, Shijiazhuang, 050017, PR China
| | - Yufei Sun
- College of Forensic Medicine, Hebei Medical University, Hebei Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, Collaborative Innovation Center of Forensic Medical Molecular Identification, Research Unit of Digestive Tract Microecosystem Pharmacology and Toxicology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Hebei Province, Shijiazhuang, 050017, PR China
| | - Bing Xie
- College of Forensic Medicine, Hebei Medical University, Hebei Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, Collaborative Innovation Center of Forensic Medical Molecular Identification, Research Unit of Digestive Tract Microecosystem Pharmacology and Toxicology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Hebei Province, Shijiazhuang, 050017, PR China
| | - Ludi Zhang
- College of Forensic Medicine, Hebei Medical University, Hebei Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, Collaborative Innovation Center of Forensic Medical Molecular Identification, Research Unit of Digestive Tract Microecosystem Pharmacology and Toxicology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Hebei Province, Shijiazhuang, 050017, PR China
| | - Bin Cong
- College of Forensic Medicine, Hebei Medical University, Hebei Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, Collaborative Innovation Center of Forensic Medical Molecular Identification, Research Unit of Digestive Tract Microecosystem Pharmacology and Toxicology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Hebei Province, Shijiazhuang, 050017, PR China
| | - Chunling Ma
- College of Forensic Medicine, Hebei Medical University, Hebei Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, Collaborative Innovation Center of Forensic Medical Molecular Identification, Research Unit of Digestive Tract Microecosystem Pharmacology and Toxicology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Hebei Province, Shijiazhuang, 050017, PR China.
| | - Di Wen
- College of Forensic Medicine, Hebei Medical University, Hebei Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, Collaborative Innovation Center of Forensic Medical Molecular Identification, Research Unit of Digestive Tract Microecosystem Pharmacology and Toxicology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Hebei Province, Shijiazhuang, 050017, PR China.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Perisse E, Miranda M, Trouche S. Modulation of aversive value coding in the vertebrate and invertebrate brain. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2023; 79:102696. [PMID: 36871400 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2023.102696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2022] [Revised: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023]
Abstract
Avoiding potentially dangerous situations is key for the survival of any organism. Throughout life, animals learn to avoid environments, stimuli or actions that can lead to bodily harm. While the neural bases for appetitive learning, evaluation and value-based decision-making have received much attention, recent studies have revealed more complex computations for aversive signals during learning and decision-making than previously thought. Furthermore, previous experience, internal state and systems level appetitive-aversive interactions seem crucial for learning specific aversive value signals and making appropriate choices. The emergence of novel methodologies (computation analysis coupled with large-scale neuronal recordings, neuronal manipulations at unprecedented resolution offered by genetics, viral strategies and connectomics) has helped to provide novel circuit-based models for aversive (and appetitive) valuation. In this review, we focus on recent vertebrate and invertebrate studies yielding strong evidence that aversive value information can be computed by a multitude of interacting brain regions, and that past experience can modulate future aversive learning and therefore influence value-based decisions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuel Perisse
- Institute of Functional Genomics, University of Montpellier, CNRS, Inserm, 141 rue de la Cardonille, 34094 Montpellier Cedex 5, France.
| | - Magdalena Miranda
- Institute of Functional Genomics, University of Montpellier, CNRS, Inserm, 141 rue de la Cardonille, 34094 Montpellier Cedex 5, France
| | - Stéphanie Trouche
- Institute of Functional Genomics, University of Montpellier, CNRS, Inserm, 141 rue de la Cardonille, 34094 Montpellier Cedex 5, France.
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Abstract
The midbrain dopamine (mDA) system is composed of molecularly and functionally distinct neuron subtypes that mediate specific behaviours and are linked to various brain diseases. Considerable progress has been made in identifying mDA neuron subtypes, and recent work has begun to unveil how these neuronal subtypes develop and organize into functional brain structures. This progress is important for further understanding the disparate physiological functions of mDA neurons and their selective vulnerability in disease, and will ultimately accelerate therapy development. This Review discusses recent advances in our understanding of molecularly defined mDA neuron subtypes and their circuits, ranging from early developmental events, such as neuron migration and axon guidance, to their wiring and function, and future implications for therapeutic strategies.
Collapse
|
9
|
Mood and behavior regulation: interaction of lithium and dopaminergic system. NAUNYN-SCHMIEDEBERG'S ARCHIVES OF PHARMACOLOGY 2023:10.1007/s00210-023-02437-1. [PMID: 36843130 DOI: 10.1007/s00210-023-02437-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2022] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/28/2023]
Abstract
Lithium is one of the most effect mood-stabilizing drugs prescribed especially for bipolar disorder. Lithium has wide range effects on different molecular factors and neural transmission including dopaminergic signaling. On the other hand, mesolimbic and mesocortical dopaminergic signaling is significantly involved in the pathophysiology of neuropsychiatric disorders. This review article aims to study lithium therapeutic mechanisms, dopaminergic signaling, and the interaction of lithium and dopamine. We concluded that acute and chronic lithium treatments often reduce dopamine synthesis and level in the brain. However, some studies have reported conflicting results following lithium treatment, especially chronic treatment. The dosage, duration, and type of lithium administration, and the brain region selected for measuring dopamine level were not significant differences in different chronic treatments used in previous studies. It was suggested that lithium has various mechanisms affecting dopaminergic signaling and mood, and that many molecular factors can be involved, including brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB), β-catenin, protein kinase B (Akt), and glycogen synthase kinase-3 beta (GSK-3β). Thus, molecular effects of lithium can be the most important mechanisms of lithium that also alter neural transmissions including dopaminergic signaling in mesolimbic and mesocortical pathways.
Collapse
|
10
|
Effects of Intra-BLA Administration of PPAR Antagonists on Formalin-Evoked Nociceptive Behaviour, Fear-Conditioned Analgesia, and Conditioned Fear in the Presence or Absence of Nociceptive Tone in Rats. MOLECULES (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 27:molecules27062021. [PMID: 35335382 PMCID: PMC8949000 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27062021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2022] [Revised: 03/02/2022] [Accepted: 03/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
There is evidence for the involvement of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) in pain, cognition, and anxiety. However, their role in pain–fear interactions is unknown. The amygdala plays a key role in pain, conditioned fear, and fear-conditioned analgesia (FCA). We investigated the effects of intra-basolateral amygdala (BLA) administration of PPARα, PPARβ/δ, and PPARγ antagonists on nociceptive behaviour, FCA, and conditioned fear in the presence or absence of nociceptive tone. Male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats received footshock (FC) or no footshock (NFC) in a conditioning arena. Twenty-three and a half hours later, rats received an intraplantar injection of formalin or saline and, 15 min later, intra-BLA microinjections of vehicle, PPARα (GW6471) PPARβ/δ (GSK0660), or PPARγ (GW9662) antagonists before arena re-exposure. Pain and fear-related behaviour were assessed, and neurotransmitters/endocannabinoids measured post-mortem. Intra-BLA administration of PPARα or PPARγ antagonists potentiated freezing in the presence of nociceptive tone. Blockade of all PPAR subtypes in the BLA increased freezing and BLA dopamine levels in NFC rats in the absence of nociceptive tone. Administration of intra-BLA PPARα and PPARγ antagonists increased levels of dopamine in the BLA compared with the vehicle-treated counterparts. In conclusion, PPARα and PPARγ in the BLA play a role in the expression or extinction of conditioned fear in the presence or absence of nociceptive tone.
Collapse
|
11
|
Anxiety and cognitive-related effects of Δ 9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) are differentially mediated through distinct GSK-3 vs. Akt-mTOR pathways in the nucleus accumbens of male rats. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2022; 239:509-524. [PMID: 34860284 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-021-06029-w] [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: 07/12/2021] [Accepted: 11/09/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the primary psychoactive compound in cannabis and is responsible for cannabis-related neuropsychiatric side effects, including abnormal affective processing, cognitive and sensory filtering deficits and memory impairments. A critical neural region linked to the psychotropic effects of THC is the nucleus accumbens shell (NASh), an integrative mesocorticolimbic structure that sends and receives inputs from multiple brain areas known to be dysregulated in various disorders, including schizophrenia and anxiety-related disorders. Considerable evidence demonstrates functional differences between posterior vs. anterior NASh sub-regions in the processing of affective and cognitive behaviours influenced by THC. Nevertheless, the neuroanatomical regions and local molecular pathways responsible for these psychotropic effects are not currently understood. OBJECTIVES The objectives of this study were to characterize the effects of intra-accumbens THC in the anterior vs. posterior regions of the NASh during emotional memory formation, sensorimotor gating and anxiety-related behaviours. METHODS We performed an integrative series of translational behavioural pharmacological studies examining anxiety, sensorimotor gating and fear-related associative memory formation combined with regionally specific molecular signalling analyses in male Sprague Dawley rats. RESULTS We report that THC in the posterior NASh causes distortions in emotional salience attribution, impaired sensory filtering and memory retention and heightened anxiety, through a glycogen-synthase-kinase-3 (GSK-3)-β-catenin dependent signalling pathway. In contrast, THC in the anterior NASh produces anxiolytic effects via modulation of protein kinase B (Akt) phosphorylation states. CONCLUSIONS These findings reveal critical new insights into the neuroanatomical and molecular mechanisms associated with the differential neuropsychiatric side effects of THC in dissociable nucleus accumbens sub-regions.
Collapse
|
12
|
Jeon Y, Lim Y, Yeom J, Kim EK. Comparative metabolic profiling of posterior parietal cortex, amygdala, and hippocampus in conditioned fear memory. Mol Brain 2021; 14:153. [PMID: 34615530 PMCID: PMC8493686 DOI: 10.1186/s13041-021-00863-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2021] [Accepted: 09/23/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Fear conditioning and retrieval are suitable models to investigate the biological basis of various mental disorders. Hippocampus and amygdala neurons consolidate conditioned stimulus (CS)-dependent fear memory. Posterior parietal cortex is considered important for the CS-dependent conditioning and retrieval of fear memory. Metabolomic screening among functionally related brain areas provides molecular signatures and biomarkers to improve the treatment of psychopathologies. Herein, we analyzed and compared changes of metabolites in the hippocampus, amygdala, and posterior parietal cortex under the fear retrieval condition. Metabolite profiles of posterior parietal cortex and amygdala were similarly changed after fear memory retrieval. While the retrieval of fear memory perturbed various metabolic pathways, most metabolic pathways that overlapped among the three brain regions had high ranks in the enrichment analysis of posterior parietal cortex. In posterior parietal cortex, the most perturbed pathways were pantothenate and CoA biosynthesis, purine metabolism, glutathione metabolism, and NAD+ dependent signaling. Metabolites of posterior parietal cortex including 4'-phosphopantetheine, xanthine, glutathione, ADP-ribose, ADP-ribose 2'-phosphate, and cyclic ADP-ribose were significantly regulated in these metabolic pathways. These results point to the importance of metabolites of posterior parietal cortex in conditioned fear memory retrieval and may provide potential biomarker candidates for traumatic memory-related mental disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yoonjeong Jeon
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST), Daegu, 42988, Republic of Korea
- Neurometabolomics Research Center, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST), Daegu, 42988, Republic of Korea
| | - Yun Lim
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST), Daegu, 42988, Republic of Korea
| | - Jiwoo Yeom
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST), Daegu, 42988, Republic of Korea
- Neurometabolomics Research Center, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST), Daegu, 42988, Republic of Korea
| | - Eun-Kyoung Kim
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST), Daegu, 42988, Republic of Korea.
- Neurometabolomics Research Center, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST), Daegu, 42988, Republic of Korea.
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
McLaurin KA, Harris M, Madormo V, Harrod SB, Mactutus CF, Booze RM. HIV-Associated Apathy/Depression and Neurocognitive Impairments Reflect Persistent Dopamine Deficits. Cells 2021; 10:2158. [PMID: 34440928 PMCID: PMC8392364 DOI: 10.3390/cells10082158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2021] [Revised: 08/10/2021] [Accepted: 08/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Individuals living with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) are often plagued by debilitating neurocognitive impairments and affective alterations;the pathophysiology underlying these deficits likely includes dopaminergic system dysfunction. The present review utilized four interrelated aims to critically examine the evidence for dopaminergic alterations following HIV-1 viral protein exposure. First, basal dopamine (DA) values are dependent upon both brain region andexperimental approach (i.e., high-performance liquid chromatography, microdialysis or fast-scan cyclic voltammetry). Second, neurochemical measurements overwhelmingly support decreased DA concentrations following chronic HIV-1 viral protein exposure. Neurocognitive impairments, including alterations in pre-attentive processes and attention, as well as apathetic behaviors, provide an additional line of evidence for dopaminergic deficits in HIV-1. Third, to date, there is no compelling evidence that combination antiretroviral therapy (cART), the primary treatment regimen for HIV-1 seropositive individuals, has any direct pharmacological action on the dopaminergic system. Fourth, the infection of microglia by HIV-1 viral proteins may mechanistically underlie the dopamine deficit observed following chronic HIV-1 viral protein exposure. An inclusive and critical evaluation of the literature, therefore, supports the fundamental conclusion that long-term HIV-1 viral protein exposure leads to a decreased dopaminergic state, which continues to persist despite the advent of cART. Thus, effective treatment of HIV-1-associated apathy/depression and neurocognitive impairments must focus on strategies for rectifying decreases in dopamine function.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Rosemarie M. Booze
- Department of Psychology, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, USA; (K.A.M.); (M.H.); (V.M.); (S.B.H.); (C.F.M.)
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Morikawa S, Katori K, Takeuchi H, Ikegaya Y. Brain-wide mapping of presynaptic inputs to basolateral amygdala neurons. J Comp Neurol 2021; 529:3062-3075. [PMID: 33797073 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2020] [Revised: 03/09/2021] [Accepted: 03/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
The basolateral amygdala (BLA), a region critical for emotional processing, is the limbic hub that is connected with various brain regions. BLA neurons are classified into different subtypes that exhibit differential projection patterns and mediate distinct emotional behaviors; however, little is known about their presynaptic input patterns. In this study, we employed projection-specific monosynaptic rabies virus tracing to identify the direct monosynaptic inputs to BLA subtypes. We found that each neuronal subtype receives long-range projection input from specific brain regions. In contrast to their specific axonal projection patterns, all BLA neuronal subtypes exhibited relatively similar input patterns. This anatomical organization supports the idea that the BLA is a central integrator that associates sensory information in different modalities with valence and sends associative information to behaviorally relevant brain regions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shota Morikawa
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kazuki Katori
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Haruki Takeuchi
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.,Social Cooperation Program of Evolutional Chemical Safety Assessment System, LECSAS, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yuji Ikegaya
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.,Center for Information and Neural Networks, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, Suita, Osaka, Japan.,Institute for AI and Beyond, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Boulanger-Bertolus J, Parrot S, Doyère V, Mouly AM. Dorsal striatum and the temporal expectancy of an aversive event in Pavlovian odor fear learning. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2021; 182:107446. [PMID: 33915299 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2021.107446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2021] [Revised: 04/07/2021] [Accepted: 04/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Interval timing, the ability to encode and retrieve the memory of intervals from seconds to minutes, guides fundamental animal behaviors across the phylogenetic tree. In Pavlovian fear conditioning, an initially neutral stimulus (conditioned stimulus, CS) predicts the arrival of an aversive unconditioned stimulus (US, generally a mild foot-shock) at a fixed time interval. Although some studies showed that temporal relations between CS and US events are learned from the outset of conditioning, the question of the memory of time and its underlying neural network in fear conditioning is still poorly understood. The aim of the present study was to investigate the role of the dorsal striatum in timing intervals in odor fear conditioning in male rats. To assess the animal's interval timing ability in this paradigm, we used the respiratory frequency. This enabled us to detect the emergence of temporal patterns related to the odor-shock time interval from the early stage of learning, confirming that rats are able to encode the odor-shock time interval after few training trials. We carried out reversible inactivation of the dorsal striatum before the acquisition session and before a shift in the learned time interval, and measured the effects of this treatment on the temporal pattern of the respiratory rate. In addition, using intracerebral microdialysis, we monitored extracellular dopamine level in the dorsal striatum throughout odor-shock conditioning and in response to a shift of the odor-shock time interval. Contrary to our initial predictions based on the existing literature on interval timing, we found evidence suggesting that transient inactivation of the dorsal striatum may favor a more precocious buildup of the respiratory frequency's temporal pattern during the odor-shock interval in a manner that reflected the duration of the interval. Our data further suggest that the conditioning and the learning of a novel time interval were associated with a decrease in dopamine level in the dorsal striatum, but not in the nucleus accumbens. These findings prompt a reassessment of the role of the striatum and striatal dopamine in interval timing, at least when considering Pavlovian aversive conditioning.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Julie Boulanger-Bertolus
- Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, INSERM U1028, CNRS UMR 5292, University Lyon 1, Lyon 69366, France.
| | - Sandrine Parrot
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Institut des Neurosciences Paris-Saclay, 91190 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Valérie Doyère
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Institut des Neurosciences Paris-Saclay, 91190 Gif-sur-Yvette, France; NYU Child Study Center Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York University Langone School of Medicine, NY, USA
| | - Anne-Marie Mouly
- Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, INSERM U1028, CNRS UMR 5292, University Lyon 1, Lyon 69366, France
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
de Vita VM, Zapparoli HR, Reimer AE, Brandão ML, de Oliveira AR. Dopamine D2 receptors in the expression and extinction of contextual and cued conditioned fear in rats. Exp Brain Res 2021; 239:1963-1974. [PMID: 33885919 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-021-06116-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2020] [Accepted: 04/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Dopamine seems to mediate fear conditioning through its action on D2 receptors in the mesolimbic pathway. Systemic and local injections of dopaminergic agents showed that D2 receptors are preferentially involved in the expression, rather than in the acquisition, of conditioned fear. To further examine this issue, we evaluated the effects of systemic administration of the dopamine D2-like receptor antagonists sulpiride and haloperidol on the expression and extinction of contextual and cued conditioned fear in rats. Rats were trained to a context-CS or a light-CS using footshocks as unconditioned stimuli. After 24 h, rats received injections of sulpiride or haloperidol and were exposed to the context-CS or light-CS for evaluation of freezing expression (test session). After another 24 h, rats were re-exposed to the context-CS or light-CS, to evaluate the extinction recall (retest session). Motor performance was assessed with the open-field and catalepsy tests. Sulpiride, but not haloperidol, significantly reduced the expression of contextual and cued conditioned fear without affecting extinction recall. In contrast, haloperidol, but not sulpiride, had cataleptic and motor-impairing effects. The results reinforce the importance of D2 receptors in fear conditioning and suggest that dopaminergic mechanisms mediated by D2 receptors are mainly involved in the expression rather than in the extinction of conditioned freezing.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Vivian M de Vita
- Department of Psychology, Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar), São Carlos, SP, Brazil
| | - Heloisa R Zapparoli
- Department of Psychology, Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar), São Carlos, SP, Brazil
| | - Adriano E Reimer
- Department of Psychology, Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar), São Carlos, SP, Brazil
- Institute of Neuroscience and Behavior (INeC), Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Marcus L Brandão
- Institute of Neuroscience and Behavior (INeC), Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Amanda R de Oliveira
- Department of Psychology, Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar), São Carlos, SP, Brazil.
- Institute of Neuroscience and Behavior (INeC), Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Ney LJ, Akhurst J, Bruno R, Laing PAF, Matthews A, Felmingham KL. Dopamine, endocannabinoids and their interaction in fear extinction and negative affect in PTSD. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2021; 105:110118. [PMID: 32991952 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2020.110118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2020] [Revised: 09/03/2020] [Accepted: 09/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
There currently exist few frameworks for common neurobiology between reexperiencing and negative cognitions and mood symptoms of PTSD. Adopting a dopaminergic framework for PTSD unites many aspects of unique symptom clusters, and this approach also links PTSD symptomology to common comorbidities with a common neurobiological deficiency. Here we review the dopamine literature and incorporate it with a growing field of research that describes both the contribution of endocannabinoids to fear extinction and PTSD, as well as the interactions between dopaminergic and endocannabinoid systems underlying this disorder. Based on current evidence, we outline an early, preliminary model that links re-experiencing and negative cognitions and mood in PTSD by invoking the interaction between endocannabinoid and dopaminergic signalling in the brain. These interactions between PTSD, dopamine and endocannabinoids may have implications for future therapies for treatment-resistant and comorbid PTSD patients.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Luke J Ney
- School of Psychology, University of Tasmania, Australia.
| | - Jane Akhurst
- School of Psychology, University of Tasmania, Australia
| | | | - Patrick A F Laing
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne & Melbourne Health, Australia
| | | | - Kim L Felmingham
- School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Luyck K, Scheyltjens I, Nuttin B, Arckens L, Luyten L. c-Fos expression following context conditioning and deep brain stimulation in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis in rats. Sci Rep 2020; 10:20529. [PMID: 33239732 PMCID: PMC7688637 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-77603-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2020] [Accepted: 11/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Deep brain stimulation (DBS) in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BST), a region implicated in the expression of anxiety, shows promise in psychiatric patients, but its effects throughout the limbic system are largely unknown. In male Wistar rats, we first evaluated the neural signature of contextual fear (N = 16) and next, of the anxiolytic effects of high-frequency electrical stimulation in the BST (N = 31), by means of c-Fos protein expression. In non-operated animals, we found that the left medial anterior BST displayed increased c-Fos expression in anxious (i.e., context-conditioned) versus control subjects. Moreover, control rats showed asymmetric expression in the basolateral amygdala (BLA) (i.e., higher intensities in the right hemisphere), which was absent in anxious animals. The predominant finding in rats receiving bilateral BST stimulation was a striking increase in c-Fos expression throughout much of the left hemisphere, which was not confined to the predefined regions of interest. To conclude, we found evidence for lateralized c-Fos expression during the expression of contextual fear and anxiolytic high-frequency electrical stimulation of the BST, particularly in the medial anterior BST and BLA. In addition, we observed an extensive and unexpected left-sided c-Fos spread following bilateral stimulation in the BST.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kelly Luyck
- Experimental Neurosurgery and Neuroanatomy, KU Leuven, UZ Herestraat 49, PB 7003, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Isabelle Scheyltjens
- Animal Physiology and Neurobiology, KU Leuven, Naamsestraat, PB 2467, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
- VIB Center for Inflammation Research, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Myeloid Cell Immunology, Pleinlaan 2, 1050, Brussel, Belgium
| | - Bart Nuttin
- Experimental Neurosurgery and Neuroanatomy, KU Leuven, UZ Herestraat 49, PB 7003, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Lutgarde Arckens
- Animal Physiology and Neurobiology, KU Leuven, Naamsestraat, PB 2467, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
- Leuven Brain Institute, Herestraat 49, PB 1021, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Laura Luyten
- Experimental Neurosurgery and Neuroanatomy, KU Leuven, UZ Herestraat 49, PB 7003, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.
- Leuven Brain Institute, Herestraat 49, PB 1021, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.
- Centre for Psychology of Learning and Experimental Psychopathology, KU Leuven, Tiensestraat 102, PB 3712, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Yoshida H, Asami T, Takaishi M, Nakamura R, Yoshimi A, Whitford TJ, Hirayasu Y. Structural abnormalities in nucleus accumbens in patients with panic disorder. J Affect Disord 2020; 271:201-206. [PMID: 32479317 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2020.03.172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2019] [Revised: 02/25/2020] [Accepted: 03/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although the pathogenesis of panic attacks has been well studied in patients with panic disorder (PD), the neurobiological basis of the long-term fear memories and avoidance behavior that are often observed in PD have not been well investigated. Recent animal studies have suggested that nucleus accumbens (NAcc) plays an important role in neurobiological basis of long-term fear memories and avoidance behavior. METHODS Thirty-eight patients with PD and 38 matched healthy control subjects (HC) participated in this study. Differences in relative volumes and shape deformations of NAcc were evaluated between groups. Correlation analyses were conducted to quantify the association between structural abnormalities in the NAcc and trait, state anxiety measured by the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). RESULTS Significant volume reductions were observed in the bilateral NAcc in the patients with PD, relative to the HC. In terms of shape differences, the PD patients demonstrated significant inward deformation of the NAcc bilaterally, compared to the HC. Degree of shape deformation in the right NAcc was associated with higher scores of the STAI-Trait, and STAI-State measures in the PD patients. LIMITATIONS All the patients received medication such as Psychotropic drug. CONCLUSION Patients with PD showed reduced volumes in the NAcc, especially in lateral regions, compared with HC. Furthermore, shape deformation in the right NAcc was associated with trait anxiety and state anxiety, which has been associated with avoidance behavior.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Haruhisa Yoshida
- Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama City University, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Takeshi Asami
- Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama City University, Yokohama, Japan.
| | - Masao Takaishi
- Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama City University, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Ryota Nakamura
- Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama City University, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Asuka Yoshimi
- Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama City University, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Thomas J Whitford
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Yoshio Hirayasu
- Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama City University, Yokohama, Japan; Heian Hospital, Okinawa, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
The Nucleus Accumbens Core is Necessary to Scale Fear to Degree of Threat. J Neurosci 2020; 40:4750-4760. [PMID: 32381486 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0299-20.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2020] [Revised: 04/23/2020] [Accepted: 04/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Fear is adaptive when the level of the response rapidly scales to degree of threat. Using a discrimination procedure consisting of danger, uncertainty, and safety cues, we have found rapid fear scaling (within 2 s of cue presentation) in male rats. Here, we examined a possible role for the nucleus accumbens core (NAcc) in the acquisition and expression of fear scaling. In experiment 1, male Long-Evans rats received bilateral sham or neurotoxic NAcc lesions, recovered, and underwent fear discrimination. NAcc-lesioned rats were generally impaired in scaling fear to degree of threat, and specifically impaired in rapid uncertainty-safety discrimination. In experiment 2, male Long-Evans rats received NAcc transduction with halorhodopsin (Halo) or a control fluorophore. After fear scaling was established, the NAcc was illuminated during cue or control periods. NAcc-Halo rats receiving cue illumination were specifically impaired in rapid uncertainty-safety discrimination. The results reveal a general role for the NAcc in scaling fear to degree of threat, and a specific role in rapid discrimination of uncertain threat and safety.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Rapidly discriminating cues for threat and safety is essential for survival and impaired threat-safety discrimination is a hallmark of stress and anxiety disorders. In two experiments, we induced nucleus accumbens core (NAcc) dysfunction in rats receiving fear discrimination consisting of cues for danger, uncertainty, and safety. Permanent NAcc dysfunction, via neurotoxic lesion, generally disrupted the ability to scale fear to degree of threat, and specifically impaired one component of scaling: rapid discrimination of uncertain threat and safety. Reversible NAcc dysfunction, via optogenetic inhibition, specifically impaired rapid discrimination of uncertain threat and safety. The results reveal that the NAcc is essential to scale fear to degree of threat, and is a plausible source of dysfunction in stress and anxiety disorders.
Collapse
|
21
|
Guo L, Zhu Z, Wang G, Cui S, Shen M, Song Z, Wang JH. microRNA-15b contributes to depression-like behavior in mice by affecting synaptic protein levels and function in the nucleus accumbens. J Biol Chem 2020; 295:6831-6848. [PMID: 32209659 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra119.012047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2019] [Revised: 03/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Major depression is a prevalent affective disorder characterized by recurrent low mood. It presumably results from stress-induced deteriorations of molecular networks and synaptic functions in brain reward circuits of genetically-susceptible individuals through epigenetic processes. Epigenetic regulator microRNA-15b inhibits neuronal progenitor proliferation and is up-regulated in the medial prefrontal cortex of mice that demonstrate depression-like behavior, indicating the contribution of microRNA-15 to major depression. Using a mouse model of major depression induced by chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS), here we examined the effects of microRNA-15b on synapses and synaptic proteins in the nucleus accumbens of these mice. The application of a microRNA-15b antagomir into the nucleus accumbens significantly reduced the incidence of CUMS-induced depression and reversed the attenuations of excitatory synapse and syntaxin-binding protein 3 (STXBP3A)/vesicle-associated protein 1 (VAMP1) expression. In contrast, the injection of a microRNA-15b analog into the nucleus accumbens induced depression-like behavior as well as attenuated excitatory synapses and STXBP3A/VAMP1 expression similar to the down-regulation of these processes induced by the CUMS. We conclude that microRNA-15b-5p may play a critical role in chronic stress-induced depression by decreasing synaptic proteins, innervations, and activities in the nucleus accumbens. We propose that the treatment of anti-microRNA-15b-5p may convert stress-induced depression into resilience.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Li Guo
- Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Zhaoming Zhu
- School of Pharmacy, Qingdao University, Qingdao Shandong 266021, China
| | - Guangyan Wang
- School of Pharmacy, Qingdao University, Qingdao Shandong 266021, China
| | - Shan Cui
- Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Meng Shen
- School of Pharmacy, Qingdao University, Qingdao Shandong 266021, China
| | - Zhenhua Song
- School of Pharmacy, Qingdao University, Qingdao Shandong 266021, China
| | - Jin-Hui Wang
- Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China .,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Lavoie A, Liu BH. Canine Adenovirus 2: A Natural Choice for Brain Circuit Dissection. Front Mol Neurosci 2020; 13:9. [PMID: 32174812 PMCID: PMC7056889 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2020.00009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2019] [Accepted: 01/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Canine adenovirus-2 (CAV) is a canine pathogen that has been used in a variety of applications, from vaccines against more infectious strains of CAV to treatments for neurological disorders. With recent engineering, CAV has become a natural choice for neuroscientists dissecting the connectivity and function of brain circuits. Specifically, as a reliable genetic vector with minimal immunogenic and cytotoxic reactivity, CAV has been used for the retrograde transduction of various types of projection neurons. Consequently, CAV is particularly useful when studying the anatomy and functions of long-range projections. Moreover, combining CAV with conditional expression and transsynaptic tracing results in the ability to study circuits with cell- and/or projection-type specificity. Lastly, with the well-documented knowledge of viral transduction, new innovations have been developed to increase the transduction efficiency of CAV and circumvent its tropism, expanding the potential of CAV for circuit analysis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andréanne Lavoie
- Department of Biology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON, Canada.,Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Bao-Hua Liu
- Department of Biology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON, Canada.,Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Matt SM, Gaskill PJ. Where Is Dopamine and how do Immune Cells See it?: Dopamine-Mediated Immune Cell Function in Health and Disease. J Neuroimmune Pharmacol 2020; 15:114-164. [PMID: 31077015 PMCID: PMC6842680 DOI: 10.1007/s11481-019-09851-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 132] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2019] [Accepted: 04/07/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Dopamine is well recognized as a neurotransmitter in the brain, and regulates critical functions in a variety of peripheral systems. Growing research has also shown that dopamine acts as an important regulator of immune function. Many immune cells express dopamine receptors and other dopamine related proteins, enabling them to actively respond to dopamine and suggesting that dopaminergic immunoregulation is an important part of proper immune function. A detailed understanding of the physiological concentrations of dopamine in specific regions of the human body, particularly in peripheral systems, is critical to the development of hypotheses and experiments examining the effects of physiologically relevant dopamine concentrations on immune cells. Unfortunately, the dopamine concentrations to which these immune cells would be exposed in different anatomical regions are not clear. To address this issue, this comprehensive review details the current information regarding concentrations of dopamine found in both the central nervous system and in many regions of the periphery. In addition, we discuss the immune cells present in each region, and how these could interact with dopamine in each compartment described. Finally, the review briefly addresses how changes in these dopamine concentrations could influence immune cell dysfunction in several disease states including Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, as well as the collection of pathologies, cognitive and motor symptoms associated with HIV infection in the central nervous system, known as NeuroHIV. These data will improve our understanding of the interactions between the dopaminergic and immune systems during both homeostatic function and in disease, clarify the effects of existing dopaminergic drugs and promote the creation of new therapeutic strategies based on manipulating immune function through dopaminergic signaling. Graphical Abstract.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- S M Matt
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19102, USA
| | - P J Gaskill
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19102, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Sampedro-Piquero P, J. Santín L, Castilla-Ortega E. Aberrant Brain Neuroplasticity and Function in Drug Addiction: A Focus on Learning-Related Brain Regions. Behav Neurosci 2019. [DOI: 10.5772/intechopen.85280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
|
25
|
Milton AL. Fear not: recent advances in understanding the neural basis of fear memories and implications for treatment development. F1000Res 2019; 8:F1000 Faculty Rev-1948. [PMID: 31824654 PMCID: PMC6880271 DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.20053.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/13/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Fear is a highly adaptive emotion that has evolved to promote survival and reproductive fitness. However, maladaptive expression of fear can lead to debilitating stressor-related and anxiety disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder. Although the neural basis of fear has been extensively researched for several decades, recent technological advances in pharmacogenetics and optogenetics have allowed greater resolution in understanding the neural circuits that underlie fear. Alongside conceptual advances in the understanding of fear memory, this increased knowledge has clarified mechanisms for some currently available therapies for post-traumatic stress disorder and has identified new potential treatment targets.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amy L. Milton
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Du K, Lu W, Sun Y, Feng J, Wang JH. mRNA and miRNA profiles in the nucleus accumbens are related to fear memory and anxiety induced by physical or psychological stress. J Psychiatr Res 2019; 118:44-65. [PMID: 31493709 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2019.08.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2019] [Revised: 08/07/2019] [Accepted: 08/26/2019] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Anxiety is presumably driven by fear memory. The nucleus accumbens involves emotional regulation. Molecular profiles in the nucleus accumbens related to stress-induced fear memory remain elucidated. Fear memory in mice was induced by a paradigm of social defeat. Physical and psychological stress was delivered to an intruder that was attacked by an aggressive resident. Meanwhile, an observer experienced psychological stress by seeing aggressor attacks. The nucleus accumbens tissues from intruder and observer mice that appear fear memory and anxiety as well as control mice were harvested for analyses of mRNA and miRNA profiles by high throughput sequencing. In the nucleus accumbens of intruders and observers with fear memory and anxiety, genes encoding AdrRα, AChRM2/3, GluRM2/8, HrR1, SSR, BDNF and AC are upregulated, while genes encoding DR3/5, PR2, GPγ8 and P450 are downregulated. Physical and/or psychological stress leads to fear memory and anxiety likely by molecules relevant to certain synapses. Moreover, there are differential expressions in genes that encode GABARA, 5-HTR1/5, CREB3, AChRM2, RyR, Wnt and GPγ13 in the nucleus accumbens from intruders versus observers. GABAergic, serotonergic and cholinergic synapses as well as calcium, Wnt and CREB signaling molecules may be involved in fear memory differently induced by psychological stress and physical/psychological stress. The data from analyzing mRNA and miRNA profiles are consistent. Some molecules are validated by qRT-PCR and dual luciferase reporter assay. Fear memory and anxiety induced by the mixture of physical and psychological stress or psychological stress appear influenced by complicated molecular mechanisms in the nucleus accumbens.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kaixin Du
- Qingdao University, School of Pharmacy, Qingdao, Shandong, 266021, China
| | - Wei Lu
- Qingdao University, School of Pharmacy, Qingdao, Shandong, 266021, China.
| | - Yan Sun
- Qingdao University, School of Pharmacy, Qingdao, Shandong, 266021, China
| | - Jing Feng
- Qingdao University, School of Pharmacy, Qingdao, Shandong, 266021, China
| | - Jin-Hui Wang
- Qingdao University, School of Pharmacy, Qingdao, Shandong, 266021, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China; Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Neuromodulators and Long-Term Synaptic Plasticity in Learning and Memory: A Steered-Glutamatergic Perspective. Brain Sci 2019; 9:brainsci9110300. [PMID: 31683595 PMCID: PMC6896105 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci9110300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2019] [Revised: 10/24/2019] [Accepted: 10/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The molecular pathways underlying the induction and maintenance of long-term synaptic plasticity have been extensively investigated revealing various mechanisms by which neurons control their synaptic strength. The dynamic nature of neuronal connections combined with plasticity-mediated long-lasting structural and functional alterations provide valuable insights into neuronal encoding processes as molecular substrates of not only learning and memory but potentially other sensory, motor and behavioural functions that reflect previous experience. However, one key element receiving little attention in the study of synaptic plasticity is the role of neuromodulators, which are known to orchestrate neuronal activity on brain-wide, network and synaptic scales. We aim to review current evidence on the mechanisms by which certain modulators, namely dopamine, acetylcholine, noradrenaline and serotonin, control synaptic plasticity induction through corresponding metabotropic receptors in a pathway-specific manner. Lastly, we propose that neuromodulators control plasticity outcomes through steering glutamatergic transmission, thereby gating its induction and maintenance.
Collapse
|
28
|
Robinson JE, Coughlin GM, Hori AM, Cho JR, Mackey ED, Turan Z, Patriarchi T, Tian L, Gradinaru V. Optical dopamine monitoring with dLight1 reveals mesolimbic phenotypes in a mouse model of neurofibromatosis type 1. eLife 2019; 8:e48983. [PMID: 31545171 PMCID: PMC6819083 DOI: 10.7554/elife.48983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2019] [Accepted: 09/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is an autosomal dominant disorder whose neurodevelopmental symptoms include impaired executive function, attention, and spatial learning and could be due to perturbed mesolimbic dopaminergic circuitry. However, these circuits have never been directly assayed in vivo. We employed the genetically encoded optical dopamine sensor dLight1 to monitor dopaminergic neurotransmission in the ventral striatum of NF1 mice during motivated behavior. Additionally, we developed novel systemic AAV vectors to facilitate morphological reconstruction of dopaminergic populations in cleared tissue. We found that NF1 mice exhibit reduced spontaneous dopaminergic neurotransmission that was associated with excitation/inhibition imbalance in the ventral tegmental area and abnormal neuronal morphology. NF1 mice also had more robust dopaminergic and behavioral responses to salient visual stimuli, which were independent of learning, and rescued by optogenetic inhibition of non-dopaminergic neurons in the VTA. Overall, these studies provide a first in vivo characterization of dopaminergic circuit function in the context of NF1 and reveal novel pathophysiological mechanisms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- J Elliott Robinson
- Division of Biology and Biological EngineeringCalifornia Institute of TechnologyPasadenaUnited States
| | - Gerard M Coughlin
- Division of Biology and Biological EngineeringCalifornia Institute of TechnologyPasadenaUnited States
| | - Acacia M Hori
- Division of Biology and Biological EngineeringCalifornia Institute of TechnologyPasadenaUnited States
| | - Jounhong Ryan Cho
- Division of Biology and Biological EngineeringCalifornia Institute of TechnologyPasadenaUnited States
| | - Elisha D Mackey
- Division of Biology and Biological EngineeringCalifornia Institute of TechnologyPasadenaUnited States
| | - Zeynep Turan
- Division of Biology and Biological EngineeringCalifornia Institute of TechnologyPasadenaUnited States
| | - Tommaso Patriarchi
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular MedicineUniversity of California, DavisDavisUnited States
| | - Lin Tian
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular MedicineUniversity of California, DavisDavisUnited States
| | - Viviana Gradinaru
- Division of Biology and Biological EngineeringCalifornia Institute of TechnologyPasadenaUnited States
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Kim ES, Lattal KM. Context-Dependent and Context-Independent Effects of D1 Receptor Antagonism in the Basolateral and Central Amygdala during Cocaine Self-Administration. eNeuro 2019; 6:ENEURO.0203-19.2019. [PMID: 31358512 PMCID: PMC6712201 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0203-19.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2019] [Revised: 07/01/2019] [Accepted: 07/09/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
One way that drugs of abuse perturb the dopamine system is by triggering large amounts of extracellular dopamine to efflux into limbic regions. The basolateral (BLA) and central (CeA) nuclei of the amygdala have been shown to play distinct roles in value representation of primary and conditioned reward. However, the precise role of dopaminergic receptors in the BLA and the CeA during reward-related behaviors remains to be determined. Here we investigate the effects of dopamine D1 receptor blockade in the BLA and the CeA during asymptotic performance of cocaine self-administration and in a novel application of contextual renewal under continued access conditions. After more than three weeks of chained seek-take self-administration of cocaine, male Long Evans rats were given a bilateral intra-BLA or intra-CeA infusion of the D1 antagonist SCH-23390 (2 µg/0.3 µl) for multiple days. Intra-BLA D1 receptor blockade before, but not after the self-administration session, gradually suppressed drug seeking and taking responses and persisted with a change in context with continued D1 blockade. In contrast, intra-CeA D1 receptor blockade caused a rapid reduction in self-administration that showed renewal with a change in context with continued D1 blockade. Further, conditioned place aversion developed with intra-BLA but not intra-CeA infusions. Collectively, these results demonstrate that dopamine D1 receptors in the BLA and CeA both contribute to drug seeking and taking, but may do so through distinct mechanisms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Earnest S Kim
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239-3098
| | - K Matthew Lattal
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239-3098
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Jo YS, Heymann G, Zweifel LS. Dopamine Neurons Reflect the Uncertainty in Fear Generalization. Neuron 2018; 100:916-925.e3. [PMID: 30318411 PMCID: PMC6226002 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2018.09.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2018] [Revised: 08/13/2018] [Accepted: 09/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Generalized fear is a maladaptive behavior in which non-threatening stimuli elicit a fearful response. Here, we demonstrate that discrimination between predictive and non-predictive threat stimuli is highly sensitive to probabilistic discounting and increasing threat intensity in mice. We find that dopamine neurons of the ventral tegmental area (VTA) encode both the negative valence of threat-predictive cues and the certainty of threat prediction. As fear generalization emerges, the dopamine neurons that are activated by a threat predictive cue (CS+) decrease the amplitude of activation and an equivalent signal emerges to a non-predictive cue (CS-). Temporally precise enhancement of dopamine neurons during threat conditioning to high threat levels or uncertain threats can prevent generalization. Moreover, phasic enhancement of genetically captured dopamine neurons activated by threat cues can reverse fear generalization. These findings demonstrate the dopamine neurons reflect the certainty of threat prediction that can be used to inform and update the fear engram.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yong S Jo
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Gabriel Heymann
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Larry S Zweifel
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Department of Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Muraoka H, Oshibuchi H, Kawano M, Kawano T, Tsutsumi T, Yamada M, Ishigooka J, Nishimura K, Inada K. Escitalopram attenuates fear stress-induced increase in amygdalar dopamine following methamphetamine-induced sensitisation: Implications of fine-tuning action of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors on emotional processing. Eur J Pharmacol 2018; 834:1-9. [PMID: 29981749 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2018.06.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2017] [Revised: 06/11/2018] [Accepted: 06/25/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Serotonin reuptake inhibitors modulate the serotonergic pathways of the nervous system and are widely used for treating psychiatric conditions such as anxiety and depression. The dopaminergic system is related to the development of these conditions. Previous studies on methamphetamine-sensitised rats (behavioural models of stress vulnerability) have shown increased release of dopamine in response to conditioned stress in the amygdala. This biochemical abnormality was proposed to underlie the pathophysiology of stress vulnerability. However, the effect of serotonin reuptake inhibitors on dopamine levels and its consequent impact on emotional processing is unclear. Here we examined the acute effect of escitalopram, a highly selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, on fear-related behaviour, baseline dopamine release and dopamine release in response to conditioned fear stress in the amygdala of model rats. Male Sprague-Dawley rats received 2 mg/kg/day, s.c. of methamphetamine for 10 days to sensitise them to the drug, and a fear conditioning paradigm was instituted to model psychological stress. Dopamine changes in the amygdala in response to systemic administration of escitalopram followed by conditioned fear stress were measured using microdialysis and high-performance liquid chromatography. Baseline dopamine release in the amygdala was increased by escitalopram in non-sensitised rats but not in methamphetamine-sensitised rats. Escitalopram attenuated dopamine release in response to the fear-conditioned stimulus in both sensitised and non-sensitised rats. The extent of suppression in methamphetamine-sensitised rats (- 90%) was greater than that in non-sensitised rats (- 48%). These findings suggest that serotonin reuptake inhibitors indirectly stabilise the dopaminergic pathway and modulate emotional processing in the amygdala.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hiroyuki Muraoka
- Department of Psychiatry, Tokyo Women's Medical University, Kawada-cho 8-1, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8666, Japan
| | - Hidehiro Oshibuchi
- Department of Psychiatry, Tokyo Women's Medical University, Kawada-cho 8-1, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8666, Japan.
| | - Masahiko Kawano
- Department of Psychiatry, Tokyo Women's Medical University, Kawada-cho 8-1, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8666, Japan
| | - Takaaki Kawano
- Department of Psychiatry, Tokyo Women's Medical University, Kawada-cho 8-1, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8666, Japan
| | - Takahiro Tsutsumi
- Department of Psychiatry, Tokyo Women's Medical University, Kawada-cho 8-1, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8666, Japan
| | - Makiko Yamada
- Department of Psychiatry, Tokyo Women's Medical University, Kawada-cho 8-1, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8666, Japan
| | - Jun Ishigooka
- CNS Pharmacological Research Institute, 4-26-11, Sendagaya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 151-0051, Japan
| | - Katsuji Nishimura
- Department of Psychiatry, Tokyo Women's Medical University, Kawada-cho 8-1, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8666, Japan
| | - Ken Inada
- Department of Psychiatry, Tokyo Women's Medical University, Kawada-cho 8-1, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8666, Japan.
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Kawano T, Oshibuchi H, Kawano M, Muraoka H, Tsutsumi T, Yamada M, Ishigooka J, Nishimura K, Inada K. Diazepam suppresses the stress-induced dopaminergic release in the amygdala of methamphetamine-sensitized rat. Eur J Pharmacol 2018; 833:247-254. [PMID: 29885289 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2018.05.048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2017] [Revised: 05/31/2018] [Accepted: 05/31/2018] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
Abstract
Although the benzodiazepine class of drugs has proven useful in treating anxiety symptoms, recent studies yield no consistent empirical support for their use in treating psychiatric disorders. However, animal studies using a fear conditioning paradigm have suggested that benzodiazepines facilitate fear memory extinction, dependent on treatment timing and subject conditions. However, we have no data on the effect of subject conditions. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the effect of benzodiazepines depends on hypersensitivity to fear-memory processing. We examined the effect of diazepam, a benzodiazepine, on the extracellular dopamine level in the left amygdala of methamphetamine-sensitized, fear-conditioned model rats, using microdialysis and high-performance liquid chromatography. In this model, the dopamine level in the amygdala excessively increases in response to a fear-conditioned stimulus; the phenomenon has been proposed as a biological marker for hypersensitivity to fear-memory processing. Diazepam inhibited this excessive increase. The extent of the inhibitory effect was greater in the sensitized condition. Diazepam alone increased amygdalar dopamine levels under physiological conditions but not under sensitized conditions. Diazepam did not shorten freezing time in any group. These results suggest that diazepam modulates amygdala dopamine with state dependence and that amygdalar dopamine fine-tuning accounts for part of the therapeutic effect of benzodiazepines on fear memory processing. Further investigation is required to identify patients suitable for treatment with benzodiazepines. This is the first report on the pharmacodynamic effects of benzodiazepine on the amygdalar dopamine basal level and on fear memory processing.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Takaaki Kawano
- Department of Psychiatry, Tokyo Women's Medical University, Kawada-cho 8-1, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8666, Japan.
| | - Hidehiro Oshibuchi
- Department of Psychiatry, Tokyo Women's Medical University, Kawada-cho 8-1, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8666, Japan.
| | - Masahiko Kawano
- Department of Psychiatry, Tokyo Women's Medical University, Kawada-cho 8-1, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8666, Japan.
| | - Hiroyuki Muraoka
- Department of Psychiatry, Tokyo Women's Medical University, Kawada-cho 8-1, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8666, Japan.
| | - Takahiro Tsutsumi
- Department of Psychiatry, Tokyo Women's Medical University, Kawada-cho 8-1, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8666, Japan.
| | - Makiko Yamada
- Department of Psychiatry, Tokyo Women's Medical University, Kawada-cho 8-1, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8666, Japan.
| | - Jun Ishigooka
- CNS Pharmacological Research Institute, 4-26-11, Sendagaya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 151-0051, Japan.
| | - Katsuji Nishimura
- Department of Psychiatry, Tokyo Women's Medical University, Kawada-cho 8-1, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8666, Japan.
| | - Ken Inada
- Department of Psychiatry, Tokyo Women's Medical University, Kawada-cho 8-1, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8666, Japan.
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Castillo Díaz F, Kramar CP, Hernandez MA, Medina JH. Activation of D1/5 Dopamine Receptors in the Dorsal Medial Prefrontal Cortex Promotes Incubated-Like Aversive Responses. Front Behav Neurosci 2017; 11:209. [PMID: 29163081 PMCID: PMC5674926 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2017.00209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2017] [Accepted: 10/13/2017] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
It is well established that neurons of the mammalian medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) modulate different behavioral outputs, including several memory types. This behavioral modulation is, at least in part, under the control of the D1-like Dopamine (DA) receptor (D1/5R) which comprises D1 and D5-specific subtypes (D1R and D5R, respectively). Here, combining a set of behavioral assays with pharmacology, we determined whether the activation of D1/5R in the mPFC during almost neutral or weak negative-valence experiences induces aversive behaviors. The intra mPFC bilateral infusion of the D1/5R agonist SKF 38393 (6.25 μg/side) immediately after exposing rats to the white compartment of a place conditioning apparatus promotes a incubated-like aversive memory when tested 7 days thereafter, but it was not seen 24 h after conditioning. No signs of fear or changes in the anxiety state were observed after the exposure to the white compartment. This aversive response is observed only when the experience paired with the mPFC D1/5R activation has a context component involved. By using specific agonists for D1R or D5R subtypes we suggest that D5R mediate the induction of the aversive behavior. No aversive effects were observed when the D1/5R agonist was infused into the dorsal hippocampus (HP), the nucleus accumbens (NAcc) or the basolateral amygdala (BLA) of rats exposed to the white compartment. Taken together, our present findings endorse the idea that activation of mPFC D1/5R is sufficient to induce incubated-like aversive memories after exposing rats to an apparent neutral or weak negative-valence environment and that mPFC might be considered a key brain region involved in providing adaptive emotional behaviors in response to an ever-changing environment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fernando Castillo Díaz
- Instituto de Biología Celular y Neurociencias, Facultad de Medicina, University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Cecilia P Kramar
- Instituto de Biología Celular y Neurociencias, Facultad de Medicina, University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Micaela A Hernandez
- Instituto de Biología Celular y Neurociencias, Facultad de Medicina, University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Jorge H Medina
- Instituto de Biología Celular y Neurociencias, Facultad de Medicina, University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Departamento de Fisiología Facultad de Medicina, University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
In vivo estimation of normal amygdala volume from structural MRI scans with anatomical-based segmentation. Surg Radiol Anat 2017; 40:145-157. [DOI: 10.1007/s00276-017-1915-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2017] [Accepted: 08/23/2017] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
|
35
|
|
36
|
Pignatelli M, Umanah GKE, Ribeiro SP, Chen R, Karuppagounder SS, Yau HJ, Eacker S, Dawson VL, Dawson TM, Bonci A. Synaptic Plasticity onto Dopamine Neurons Shapes Fear Learning. Neuron 2017; 93:425-440. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2016.12.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2016] [Revised: 08/17/2016] [Accepted: 12/13/2016] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
|
37
|
Dopamine D2 receptors gate generalization of conditioned threat responses through mTORC1 signaling in the extended amygdala. Mol Psychiatry 2016; 21:1545-1553. [PMID: 26782052 PMCID: PMC5101541 DOI: 10.1038/mp.2015.210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2015] [Revised: 10/28/2015] [Accepted: 11/19/2015] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Overgeneralization of conditioned threat responses is a robust clinical marker of anxiety disorders. In overgeneralization, responses that are appropriate to threat-predicting cues are evoked by perceptually similar safety-predicting cues. Inappropriate learning of conditioned threat responses may thus form an etiological basis for anxiety disorders. The role of dopamine (DA) in memory encoding is well established. Indeed by signaling salience and valence, DA is thought to facilitate discriminative learning between stimuli representing safety or threat. However, the neuroanatomical and biochemical substrates through which DA modulates overgeneralization of threat responses remain poorly understood. Here we report that the modulation of DA D2 receptor (D2R) signaling bidirectionally regulates the consolidation of fear responses. While the blockade of D2R induces generalized threat responses, its stimulation facilitates discriminative learning between stimuli representing safety or threat. Moreover, we show that controlled threat generalization requires the coordinated activation of D2R in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis and the central amygdala. Finally, we identify the mTORC1 cascade activation as an important molecular event by which D2R mediates its effects. These data reveal that D2R signaling in the extended amygdala constitutes an important checkpoint through which DA participates in the control of threat processing and the emergence of overgeneralized threat responses.
Collapse
|
38
|
Park BY, Wilson G, Berger J, Christman M, Reina B, Bishop F, Klam WP, Doan AP. Is Internet Pornography Causing Sexual Dysfunctions? A Review with Clinical Reports. Behav Sci (Basel) 2016; 6:E17. [PMID: 27527226 PMCID: PMC5039517 DOI: 10.3390/bs6030017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2016] [Revised: 07/29/2016] [Accepted: 08/02/2016] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Traditional factors that once explained men's sexual difficulties appear insufficient to account for the sharp rise in erectile dysfunction, delayed ejaculation, decreased sexual satisfaction, and diminished libido during partnered sex in men under 40. This review (1) considers data from multiple domains, e.g., clinical, biological (addiction/urology), psychological (sexual conditioning), sociological; and (2) presents a series of clinical reports, all with the aim of proposing a possible direction for future research of this phenomenon. Alterations to the brain's motivational system are explored as a possible etiology underlying pornography-related sexual dysfunctions. This review also considers evidence that Internet pornography's unique properties (limitless novelty, potential for easy escalation to more extreme material, video format, etc.) may be potent enough to condition sexual arousal to aspects of Internet pornography use that do not readily transition to real-life partners, such that sex with desired partners may not register as meeting expectations and arousal declines. Clinical reports suggest that terminating Internet pornography use is sometimes sufficient to reverse negative effects, underscoring the need for extensive investigation using methodologies that have subjects remove the variable of Internet pornography use. In the interim, a simple diagnostic protocol for assessing patients with porn-induced sexual dysfunction is put forth.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Brian Y Park
- Flight Surgeon, Fleet Logistics Support Squadron 40, Norfolk, VA 34800 Bob Wilson Drive, San Diego, CA 92592, USA.
| | - Gary Wilson
- The Reward Foundation, 5 Rose Street, Edinburgh EH2 2PR, Scotland, UK.
| | - Jonathan Berger
- Department of Urology, Naval Medical Center San Diego, 34800 Bob Wilson Drive, San Diego, CA 92592, USA.
| | - Matthew Christman
- Department of Urology, Naval Medical Center San Diego, 34800 Bob Wilson Drive, San Diego, CA 92592, USA.
| | - Bryn Reina
- Department of Mental Health, Naval Medical Center San Diego, 34800 Bob Wilson Drive, San Diego, CA 92592, USA.
| | - Frank Bishop
- Department of Ophthalmology, Naval Medical Center San Diego, 34800 Bob Wilson Drive, San Diego, CA 92592, USA.
| | - Warren P Klam
- Department of Mental Health, Naval Medical Center San Diego, 34800 Bob Wilson Drive, San Diego, CA 92592, USA.
| | - Andrew P Doan
- Department of Mental Health, Naval Medical Center San Diego, 34800 Bob Wilson Drive, San Diego, CA 92592, USA.
- Department of Ophthalmology, Naval Medical Center San Diego, 34800 Bob Wilson Drive, San Diego, CA 92592, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Kawano M, Oshibuchi H, Kawano T, Muraoka H, Tsutsumi T, Yamada M, Inada K, Ishigooka J. Dopamine dynamics during emotional cognitive processing: Implications of the specific actions of clozapine compared with haloperidol. Eur J Pharmacol 2016; 781:148-56. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2016.04.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2015] [Revised: 04/06/2016] [Accepted: 04/08/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
|
40
|
André MAE, Manahan-Vaughan D. Involvement of Dopamine D1/D5 and D2 Receptors in Context-Dependent Extinction Learning and Memory Reinstatement. Front Behav Neurosci 2016; 9:372. [PMID: 26834599 PMCID: PMC4720788 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2015.00372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2015] [Accepted: 12/24/2015] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Dopamine contributes to the regulation of higher order information processing and executive control. It is important for memory consolidation processes, and for the adaptation of learned responses based on experience. In line with this, under aversive learning conditions, application of dopamine receptor antagonists prior to extinction result in enhanced memory reinstatement. Here, we investigated the contribution of the dopaminergic system to extinction and memory reinstatement (renewal) of an appetitive spatial learning task in rodents. Rats were trained for 3 days in a T-maze (context "A") to associate a goal arm with a food reward, despite low reward probability (acquisition phase). On day 4, extinction learning (unrewarded) occurred, that was reinforced by a context change ("B"). On day 5, re-exposure to the (unrewarded) "A" context took place (renewal of context "A", followed by extinction of context "A"). In control animals, significant extinction occurred on day 4, that was followed by an initial memory reinstatement (renewal) on day 5, that was, in turn, succeeded by extinction of renewal. Intracerebral treatment with a D1/D5-receptor antagonist prior to the extinction trials, elicited a potent enhancement of extinction in context "B". By contrast, a D1/D5-agonist impaired renewal in context "A". Extinction in the "A" context on day 5 was unaffected by the D1/D5-ligands. Treatment with a D2-receptor antagonist prior to extinction had no overall effect on extinction in context "B" or renewal in context "A", although extinction of the renewal effect was impaired on day 5, compared to controls. Taken together, these data suggest that dopamine acting on the D1/D5-receptor modulates both acquisition and consolidation of context-dependent extinction. By contrast, the D2-receptor may contribute to context-independent aspects of this kind of extinction learning.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marion Agnès Emma André
- Medical Faculty, Department of Neurophysiology, Ruhr University BochumBochum, Germany; International Graduate School for Neuroscience, Ruhr University BochumBochum, Germany
| | - Denise Manahan-Vaughan
- Medical Faculty, Department of Neurophysiology, Ruhr University BochumBochum, Germany; International Graduate School for Neuroscience, Ruhr University BochumBochum, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Memory Systems of the Basal Ganglia. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-802206-1.00035-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register]
|
42
|
Yildirim BO, Derksen JJL. Mesocorticolimbic dopamine functioning in primary psychopathy: A source of within-group heterogeneity. Psychiatry Res 2015; 229:633-77. [PMID: 26277034 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2015.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2014] [Revised: 04/08/2015] [Accepted: 07/05/2015] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Despite similar emotional deficiencies, primary psychopathic individuals can be situated on a continuum that spans from controlled to disinhibited. The constructs on which primary psychopaths are found to diverge, such as self-control, cognitive flexibility, and executive functioning, are crucially regulated by dopamine (DA). As such, the goal of this review is to examine which specific alterations in the meso-cortico-limbic DA system and corresponding genes (e.g., TH, DAT, COMT, DRD2, DRD4) might bias development towards a more controlled or disinhibited expression of primary psychopathy. Based on empirical data, it is argued that primary psychopathy is generally related to a higher tonic and population activity of striatal DA neurons and lower levels of D2-type DA receptors in meso-cortico-limbic projections, which may boost motivational drive towards incentive-laden goals, dampen punishment sensitivity, and increase future reward-expectancy. However, increasingly higher levels of DA activity in the striatum (moderate versus pathological elevations), lower levels of DA functionality in the prefrontal cortex, and higher D1-to-D2-type receptor ratios in meso-cortico-limbic projections may lead to increasingly disinhibited and impetuous phenotypes of primary psychopathy. Finally, in order to provide a more coherent view on etiological mechanisms, we discuss interactions between DA and serotonin that are relevant for primary psychopathy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bariş O Yildirim
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Radboud University Nijmegen, De Kluyskamp 1002, 6545 JD Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
| | - Jan J L Derksen
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Room: A.07.04B, Radboud University Nijmegen, Montessorilaan 3, 6525 HR Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Haaker J, Lonsdorf TB, Kalisch R. Effects of post-extinction l-DOPA administration on the spontaneous recovery and reinstatement of fear in a human fMRI study. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2015; 25:1544-55. [PMID: 26238968 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2015.07.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2015] [Revised: 04/29/2015] [Accepted: 07/14/2015] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Relapse is a pertinent problem in the treatment of anxiety disorders. In the laboratory, relapse is modeled as return of conditioned fear responses after successful fear extinction and is explained by insufficient retrieval and/or expression of the fear-inhibitory extinction memory that is generated during extinction learning. We have shown in mice and humans that return of fear can be prevented by administration of a single dose of the dopamine precursor l-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (l-DOPA) immediately after extinction. In mice, this effect could be attributed to an enhancement of extinction memory consolidation. In our human study, we could not exclude that l-DOPA might have acted by interfering with the consolidation of the original fear memory. In the present study, we therefore used a combined differential cue and context conditioning paradigm where initial fear conditioning and extinction were conducted one day apart, in analogy to previous mouse studies. l-DOPA (N=21) or placebo (N=19) were administered after extinction, precluding any action on fear memory consolidation. In the return-of-fear test conducted one week later, drug effects on conditioned skin conductance responses were absent. However, we found evidence indicative of reduced neural activity, measured with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), in the l-DOPA group in areas related to conditioned fear and return of fear (amygdala, posterior hippocampus) and enhanced activity in a key area of extinction retrieval/expression (ventromedial prefrontal cortex), relative to placebo controls. These findings require further corroboration in additional experiments. Implications for further investigations on the role of the dopamine system in extinction and on the neuropharmacological augmentation of extinction-based therapies are discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jan Haaker
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany; Karolinska Institutet, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Tina B Lonsdorf
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Raffael Kalisch
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany; Neuroimaging Center (NIC), Focus Program Translational Neuroscience, Johannes Gutenberg University Medical Center Mainz, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Pignatelli M, Bonci A. Role of Dopamine Neurons in Reward and Aversion: A Synaptic Plasticity Perspective. Neuron 2015; 86:1145-57. [PMID: 26050034 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2015.04.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 172] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
The brain is wired to predict future outcomes. Experience-dependent plasticity at excitatory synapses within dopamine neurons of the ventral tegmental area, a key region for a broad range of motivated behaviors, is thought to be a fundamental cellular mechanism that enables adaptation to a dynamic environment. Thus, depending on the circumstances, dopamine neurons are capable of processing both positive and negative reinforcement learning strategies. In this review, we will discuss how changes in synaptic plasticity of dopamine neurons may affect dopamine release, as well as behavioral adaptations to different environmental conditions falling at opposite ends of a saliency spectrum ranging from reward to aversion.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marco Pignatelli
- Intramural Research Program, Synaptic Plasticity Section, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Antonello Bonci
- Intramural Research Program, Synaptic Plasticity Section, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA; Solomon H. Snyder Neuroscience Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Practical emotional neural networks. Neural Netw 2014; 59:61-72. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neunet.2014.06.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2013] [Revised: 05/25/2014] [Accepted: 06/30/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
|
46
|
Lotfi E, Keshavarz A. Gene expression microarray classification using PCA–BEL. Comput Biol Med 2014; 54:180-7. [DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiomed.2014.09.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2014] [Revised: 09/13/2014] [Accepted: 09/16/2014] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
|
47
|
Walsh JJ, Han MH. The heterogeneity of ventral tegmental area neurons: Projection functions in a mood-related context. Neuroscience 2014; 282:101-8. [PMID: 24931766 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2014.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2014] [Revised: 06/04/2014] [Accepted: 06/05/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
The ventral tegmental area (VTA) in the brain's reward circuitry is composed of a heterogeneous population of dopamine, GABA, and glutamate neurons that play important roles in mediating mood-related functions including depression. These neurons project to different brain regions, including the nucleus accumbens (NAc), the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), and the amygdala. The functional understanding of these projection pathways has been improved since the extensive use of advanced techniques such as viral-mediated gene transfer, cell-type-specific neurophysiology and circuit-probing optogenetics. In this article, we will discuss the recent progress in understanding these VTA projection-specific functions, focusing on mood-related disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- J J Walsh
- Department of Pharmacology and Systems Therapeutics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Neuroscience Program, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
| | - M H Han
- Department of Pharmacology and Systems Therapeutics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| |
Collapse
|
48
|
Miyagi J, Oshibuchi H, Kasai A, Inada K, Ishigooka J. Valproic acid inhibits excess dopamine release in response to a fear-conditioned stimulus in the basolateral complex of the amygdala of methamphetamine-sensitized rats. Eur J Pharmacol 2014; 730:20-5. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2014.01.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2013] [Revised: 12/27/2013] [Accepted: 01/13/2014] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
|
49
|
Adaptive brain emotional decayed learning for online prediction of geomagnetic activity indices. Neurocomputing 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neucom.2013.02.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
|
50
|
Agren T. Human reconsolidation: a reactivation and update. Brain Res Bull 2014; 105:70-82. [PMID: 24397965 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2013.12.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2013] [Revised: 12/21/2013] [Accepted: 12/24/2013] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
The reconsolidation hypothesis states that memories, when reactivated, enter a transient, labile state followed by a re-stabilization termed reconsolidation. By affecting the reconsolidation process, memory persistence can be influenced, leading to memory enhancement or decrement. This is a time-dependent process and the result of modulating reconsolidation is present only after the reconsolidation process is completed. Historically, reconsolidation research has been performed on non-human animals, since the methods originally used for reconsolidation disruption are not safe. However, there now exist several techniques safe for humans, and consequently, in recent years, papers on human reconsolidation have emerged. Here, the existing literature on human reconsolidation is reviewed and discussed, including studies on fear memories, appetitive memories, procedural memories, and declarative memories. Methods of memory reactivation are compared between studies, and the consistency and lack of consistency in results over reactivation methods and memory types are discussed. These results provide future challenges, both experimental and clinical, in defining the boundary conditions and mechanisms governing the reconsolidation phenomenon. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled 'Memory Enhancement'.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Agren
- Department of Psychology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
| |
Collapse
|