1
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Baumbach JL, Mui CYY, Tuz Zahra F, Martin LJ. A single exposure to the predator odor 2,4,5-trimethylthiazoline causes long-lasting affective behavioral changes in female mice: Modulation by kappa opioid receptor signaling. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2024; 242:173822. [PMID: 38996927 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2024.173822] [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: 05/16/2024] [Revised: 06/27/2024] [Accepted: 07/09/2024] [Indexed: 07/14/2024]
Abstract
The volatile compound 2,4,5-trimethylthiazoline (TMT, a synthetic predator scent) triggers fear, anxiety, and defensive responses in rodents that can outlast the encounter. The receptor systems underlying the development and persistence of TMT-induced behavioral changes remain poorly characterized, especially in females. Kappa opioid receptors regulate threat generalization and fear conditioning and alter basal anxiety, but their role in unconditioned fear responses in females has not been examined. Here, we investigated the effects of the long-lasting kappa opioid receptor antagonist, nor-binalthorphinmine dihydrochloride (nor-BNI; 10 mg/kg), on TMT-induced freezing and conditioned place aversion in female mice. We also measured anxiety-like behavior in the elevated plus maze three days after TMT and freezing behavior when returned to the TMT-paired context ten days after the single exposure. We found that 35μl of 10 % TMT elicited a robust freezing response during a five-minute exposure in female mice. TMT evoked persistent fear as measured by conditioned place aversion, reduced entries into the open arm of the elevated plus maze, and increased general freezing behavior long after TMT exposure. In line with the known role of kappa-opioid receptors in threat generalization, we found that kappa-opioid receptor antagonism increased basal freezing but reduced freezing during TMT presentation. Together, these findings indicate that a single exposure to TMT causes long-lasting changes in fear-related behavioral responses in female mice and highlights the modulatory role of kappa-opioid receptor signaling on fear-related behavioral patterns in females.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Loren J Martin
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Canada; Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Canada.
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2
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Hughes AC, Pittman BG, Xu B, Gammons JW, Webb CM, Nolen HG, Chapman P, Bikoff JB, Schwarz LA. A single-vector intersectional AAV strategy for interrogating cellular diversity and brain function. Nat Neurosci 2024; 27:1400-1410. [PMID: 38802592 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-024-01659-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2023] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
As discovery of cellular diversity in the brain accelerates, so does the need for tools that target cells based on multiple features. Here we developed Conditional Viral Expression by Ribozyme Guided Degradation (ConVERGD), an adeno-associated virus-based, single-construct, intersectional targeting strategy that combines a self-cleaving ribozyme with traditional FLEx switches to deliver molecular cargo to specific neuronal subtypes. ConVERGD offers benefits over existing intersectional expression platforms, such as expanded intersectional targeting with up to five recombinase-based features, accommodation of larger and more complex payloads and a vector that is easy to modify for rapid toolkit expansion. In the present report we employed ConVERGD to characterize an unexplored subpopulation of norepinephrine (NE)-producing neurons within the rodent locus coeruleus that co-express the endogenous opioid gene prodynorphin (Pdyn). These studies showcase ConVERGD as a versatile tool for targeting diverse cell types and reveal Pdyn-expressing NE+ locus coeruleus neurons as a small neuronal subpopulation capable of driving anxiogenic behavioral responses in rodents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex C Hughes
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
- Human Cell Types, Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Brittany G Pittman
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Beisi Xu
- Center for Applied Bioinformatics, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Jesse W Gammons
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Charis M Webb
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Hunter G Nolen
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Phillip Chapman
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Jay B Bikoff
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Lindsay A Schwarz
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA.
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3
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Pan AL, Audrain M, Sakakibara E, Joshi R, Zhu X, Wang Q, Wang M, Beckmann ND, Schadt EE, Gandy S, Zhang B, Ehrlich ME, Salton SR. Dual-specificity protein phosphatase 6 (DUSP6) overexpression reduces amyloid load and improves memory deficits in male 5xFAD mice. Front Aging Neurosci 2024; 16:1400447. [PMID: 39006222 PMCID: PMC11239576 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2024.1400447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2024] [Accepted: 06/14/2024] [Indexed: 07/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Dual specificity protein phosphatase 6 (DUSP6) was recently identified as a key hub gene in a causal VGF gene network that regulates late-onset Alzheimer's disease (AD). Importantly, decreased DUSP6 levels are correlated with an increased clinical dementia rating (CDR) in human subjects, and DUSP6 levels are additionally decreased in the 5xFAD amyloidopathy mouse model. Methods To investigate the role of DUSP6 in AD, we stereotactically injected AAV5-DUSP6 or AAV5-GFP (control) into the dorsal hippocampus (dHc) of both female and male 5xFAD or wild type mice, to induce overexpression of DUSP6 or GFP. Results Barnes maze testing indicated that DUSP6 overexpression in the dHc of 5xFAD mice improved memory deficits and was associated with reduced amyloid plaque load, Aß1-40 and Aß1-42 levels, and amyloid precursor protein processing enzyme BACE1, in male but not in female mice. Microglial activation, which was increased in 5xFAD mice, was significantly reduced by dHc DUSP6 overexpression in both males and females, as was the number of "microglial clusters," which correlated with reduced amyloid plaque size. Transcriptomic profiling of female 5xFAD hippocampus revealed upregulation of inflammatory and extracellular signal-regulated kinase pathways, while dHc DUSP6 overexpression in female 5xFAD mice downregulated a subset of genes in these pathways. Gene ontology analysis of DEGs (p < 0.05) identified a greater number of synaptic pathways that were regulated by DUSP6 overexpression in male compared to female 5xFAD. Discussion In summary, DUSP6 overexpression in dHc reduced amyloid deposition and memory deficits in male but not female 5xFAD mice, whereas reduced neuroinflammation and microglial activation were observed in both males and females, suggesting that DUSP6-induced reduction of microglial activation did not contribute to sex-dependent improvement in memory deficits. The sex-dependent regulation of synaptic pathways by DUSP6 overexpression, however, correlated with the improvement of spatial memory deficits in male but not female 5xFAD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allen L. Pan
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Mickael Audrain
- Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Emmy Sakakibara
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Rajeev Joshi
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Xiaodong Zhu
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Qian Wang
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
- Mount Sinai Center for Transformative Disease Modeling, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Minghui Wang
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
- Mount Sinai Center for Transformative Disease Modeling, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Noam D. Beckmann
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Eric E. Schadt
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Sam Gandy
- Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Psychiatry and Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Bin Zhang
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
- Mount Sinai Center for Transformative Disease Modeling, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Michelle E. Ehrlich
- Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Pediatrics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Stephen R. Salton
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
- Brookdale Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
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4
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Wang H, Flores RJ, Yarur HE, Limoges A, Bravo-Rivera H, Casello SM, Loomba N, Enriquez-Traba J, Arenivar M, Wang Q, Ganley R, Ramakrishnan C, Fenno LE, Kim Y, Deisseroth K, Or G, Dong C, Hoon MA, Tian L, Tejeda HA. Prefrontal cortical dynorphin peptidergic transmission constrains threat-driven behavioral and network states. Neuron 2024; 112:2062-2078.e7. [PMID: 38614102 PMCID: PMC11250624 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2024.03.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2023] [Revised: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/15/2024]
Abstract
Prefrontal cortical (PFC) circuits provide top-down control of threat reactivity. This includes ventromedial PFC (vmPFC) circuitry, which plays a role in suppressing fear-related behavioral states. Dynorphin (Dyn) has been implicated in mediating negative affect and maladaptive behaviors induced by severe threats and is expressed in limbic circuits, including the vmPFC. However, there is a critical knowledge gap in our understanding of how vmPFC Dyn-expressing neurons and Dyn transmission detect threats and regulate expression of defensive behaviors. Here, we demonstrate that Dyn cells are broadly activated by threats and release Dyn locally in the vmPFC to limit passive defensive behaviors. We further demonstrate that vmPFC Dyn-mediated signaling promotes a switch of vmPFC networks to a fear-related state. In conclusion, we reveal a previously unknown role of vmPFC Dyn neurons and Dyn neuropeptidergic transmission in suppressing defensive behaviors in response to threats via state-driven changes in vmPFC networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huikun Wang
- Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration Unit, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Rodolfo J Flores
- Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration Unit, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Hector E Yarur
- Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration Unit, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Aaron Limoges
- Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration Unit, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA; Columbia University - NIH Graduate Partnership Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Hector Bravo-Rivera
- Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration Unit, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Sanne M Casello
- Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration Unit, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Niharika Loomba
- Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration Unit, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Juan Enriquez-Traba
- Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration Unit, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Miguel Arenivar
- Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration Unit, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA; Brown University - NIH Graduate Partnership Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Queenie Wang
- Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration Unit, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Robert Ganley
- Molecular Genetics Section, Laboratory of Sensory Biology, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Charu Ramakrishnan
- Departments of Bioengineering and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Lief E Fenno
- Departments of Bioengineering and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Yoon Kim
- Departments of Bioengineering and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Karl Deisseroth
- Departments of Bioengineering and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Grace Or
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Chunyang Dong
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Mark A Hoon
- Molecular Genetics Section, Laboratory of Sensory Biology, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Lin Tian
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA; Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience, Jupiter, FL, USA
| | - Hugo A Tejeda
- Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration Unit, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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5
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Bienvenu T, Dejean C, Herry C. Tracking defensive states with prefrontal dynorphin-expressing neurons. Neuron 2024; 112:1899-1901. [PMID: 38901400 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2024.05.028] [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: 05/29/2024] [Revised: 05/29/2024] [Accepted: 05/30/2024] [Indexed: 06/22/2024]
Abstract
The dynamic suppression of threat-related behavior as a function of environmental constraint is critical for survival in mammals, yet the neurobiological underpinnings remain largely unknown. In this issue of Neuron, Wang et al.1 identified prefrontal dynorphin-expressing neurons as key elements for tracking threat-related behavioral states and regulating fear suppression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Bienvenu
- University Bordeaux, Neurocentre Magendie, U1215, 146 Rue Léo-Saignat, 33077 Bordeaux, France; INSERM, Neurocentre Magendie, U1215, 146 Rue Léo-Saignat, 33077 Bordeaux, France; Centre de Référence Régional des Pathologies Anxieuses et de la Dépression, Pôle de Psychiatrie Générale et Universitaire, Centre Hospitalier Charles Perrens, Bordeaux, France.
| | - Cyril Dejean
- University Bordeaux, Neurocentre Magendie, U1215, 146 Rue Léo-Saignat, 33077 Bordeaux, France; INSERM, Neurocentre Magendie, U1215, 146 Rue Léo-Saignat, 33077 Bordeaux, France
| | - Cyril Herry
- University Bordeaux, Neurocentre Magendie, U1215, 146 Rue Léo-Saignat, 33077 Bordeaux, France; INSERM, Neurocentre Magendie, U1215, 146 Rue Léo-Saignat, 33077 Bordeaux, France.
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6
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Wang H, Flores RJ, Yarur HE, Limoges A, Bravo-Rivera H, Casello SM, Loomba N, Enriquez-Traba J, Arenivar M, Wang Q, Ganley R, Ramakrishnan C, Fenno LE, Kim Y, Deisseroth K, Or G, Dong C, Hoon MA, Tian L, Tejeda HA. Prefrontal cortical dynorphin peptidergic transmission constrains threat-driven behavioral and network states. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.08.574700. [PMID: 38283686 PMCID: PMC10822088 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.08.574700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2024]
Abstract
Prefrontal cortical (PFC) circuits provide top-down control of threat reactivity. This includes ventromedial PFC (vmPFC) circuitry, which plays a role in suppressing fear-related behavioral states. Dynorphin (Dyn) has been implicated in mediating negative affect and mal-adaptive behaviors induced by severe threats and is expressed in limbic circuits, including the vmPFC. However, there is a critical knowledge gap in our understanding of how vmPFC Dyn-expressing neurons and Dyn transmission detect threats and regulate expression of defensive behaviors. Here, we demonstrate that Dyn cells are broadly activated by threats and release Dyn locally in the vmPFC to limit passive defensive behaviors. We further demonstrate that vmPFC Dyn-mediated signaling promotes a switch of vmPFC networks to a fear-related state. In conclusion, we reveal a previously unknown role of vmPFC Dyn neurons and Dyn neuropeptidergic transmission in suppressing defensive behaviors in response to threats via state-driven changes in vmPFC networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huikun Wang
- Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration Unit, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Rodolfo J. Flores
- Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration Unit, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Hector E. Yarur
- Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration Unit, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Aaron Limoges
- Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration Unit, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Columbia University - NIH Graduate Partnership Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Hector Bravo-Rivera
- Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration Unit, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Sanne M. Casello
- Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration Unit, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Niharika Loomba
- Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration Unit, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Juan Enriquez-Traba
- Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration Unit, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Miguel Arenivar
- Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration Unit, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Brown University - NIH Graduate Partnership Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Queenie Wang
- Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration Unit, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Robert Ganley
- Molecular Genetics Section, Laboratory of Sensory Biology, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Charu Ramakrishnan
- Departments of Bioengineering and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Lief E Fenno
- Departments of Bioengineering and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Current affiliation: Departments of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, University of Texas, Austin, Dell Medical School, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Yoon Kim
- Departments of Bioengineering and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Karl Deisseroth
- Departments of Bioengineering and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Grace Or
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Chunyang Dong
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Mark A. Hoon
- Molecular Genetics Section, Laboratory of Sensory Biology, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Lin Tian
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
- Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience, Jupiter, FL, USA
| | - Hugo A. Tejeda
- Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration Unit, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
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7
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Hughes AC, Pollard BG, Xu B, Gammons JW, Chapman P, Bikoff JB, Schwarz LA. A Novel Single Vector Intersectional AAV Strategy for Interrogating Cellular Diversity and Brain Function. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.02.07.527312. [PMID: 36798174 PMCID: PMC9934562 DOI: 10.1101/2023.02.07.527312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/11/2023]
Abstract
As the discovery of cellular diversity in the brain accelerates, so does the need for functional tools that target cells based on multiple features, such as gene expression and projection target. By selectively driving recombinase expression in a feature-specific manner, one can utilize intersectional strategies to conditionally promote payload expression only where multiple features overlap. We developed Conditional Viral Expression by Ribozyme Guided Degradation (ConVERGD), a single-construct intersectional targeting strategy that combines a self-cleaving ribozyme with traditional FLEx switches. ConVERGD offers benefits over existing platforms, such as expanded intersectionality, the ability to accommodate larger and more complex payloads, and a vector design that is easily modified to better facilitate rapid toolkit expansion. To demonstrate its utility for interrogating neural circuitry, we employed ConVERGD to target an unexplored subpopulation of norepinephrine (NE)-producing neurons within the rodent locus coeruleus (LC) identified via single-cell transcriptomic profiling to co-express the stress-related endogenous opioid gene prodynorphin (Pdyn). These studies showcase ConVERGD as a versatile tool for targeting diverse cell types and reveal Pdyn-expressing NE+ LC neurons as a small neuronal subpopulation capable of driving anxiogenic behavioral responses in rodents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex C. Hughes
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, 38105
| | - Brittany G. Pollard
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, 38105
| | - Beisi Xu
- Center for Applied Bioinformatics, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, 38105
| | - Jesse W. Gammons
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, 38105
- Present address: Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305
| | - Phillip Chapman
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, 38105
| | - Jay B. Bikoff
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, 38105
| | - Lindsay A. Schwarz
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, 38105
- Lead contact
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8
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Limoges A, Yarur HE, Tejeda HA. Dynorphin/kappa opioid receptor system regulation on amygdaloid circuitry: Implications for neuropsychiatric disorders. Front Syst Neurosci 2022; 16:963691. [PMID: 36276608 PMCID: PMC9579273 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2022.963691] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Amygdaloid circuits are involved in a variety of emotional and motivation-related behaviors and are impacted by stress. The amygdala expresses several neuromodulatory systems, including opioid peptides and their receptors. The Dynorphin (Dyn)/kappa opioid receptor (KOR) system has been implicated in the processing of emotional and stress-related information and is expressed in brain areas involved in stress and motivation. Dysregulation of the Dyn/KOR system has also been implicated in various neuropsychiatric disorders. However, there is limited information about the role of the Dyn/KOR system in regulating amygdala circuitry. Here, we review the literature on the (1) basic anatomy of the amygdala, (2) functional regulation of synaptic transmission by the Dyn/KOR system, (3) anatomical architecture and function of the Dyn/KOR system in the amygdala, (4) regulation of amygdala-dependent behaviors by the Dyn/KOR system, and (5) future directions for the field. Future work investigating how the Dyn/KOR system shapes a wide range of amygdala-related behaviors will be required to increase our understanding of underlying circuitry modulation by the Dyn/KOR system. We anticipate that continued focus on the amygdala Dyn/KOR system will also elucidate novel ways to target the Dyn/KOR system to treat neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron Limoges
- Unit on Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration, Bethesda, MD, United States
- NIH-Columbia University Individual Graduate Partnership Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Hector E. Yarur
- Unit on Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Hugo A. Tejeda
- Unit on Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration, Bethesda, MD, United States
- *Correspondence: Hugo A. Tejeda,
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9
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Leconte C, Mongeau R, Noble F. Traumatic Stress-Induced Vulnerability to Addiction: Critical Role of the Dynorphin/Kappa Opioid Receptor System. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:856672. [PMID: 35571111 PMCID: PMC9091501 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.856672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2022] [Accepted: 04/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Substance use disorders (SUD) may emerge from an individual’s attempt to limit negative affective states and symptoms linked to stress. Indeed, SUD is highly comorbid with chronic stress, traumatic stress, or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and treatments approved for each pathology individually often failed to have a therapeutic efficiency in such comorbid patients. The kappa-opioid receptor (KOR) and its endogenous ligand dynorphin (DYN), seem to play a key role in the occurrence of this comorbidity. The DYN/KOR function is increased either in traumatic stress or during drug use, dependence acquisition and DYN is released during stress. The behavioural effects of stress related to the DYN/KOR system include anxiety, dissociative and depressive symptoms, as well as increased conditioned fear response. Furthermore, the DYN/KOR system is implicated in negative reinforcement after the euphoric effects of a drug of abuse ends. During chronic drug consumption DYN/KOR functions increase and facilitate tolerance and dependence. The drug-seeking behaviour induced by KOR activation can be retrieved either during the development of an addictive behaviour, or during relapse after withdrawal. DYN is known to be one of the most powerful negative modulators of dopamine signalling, notably in brain structures implicated in both reward and fear circuitries. KOR are also acting as inhibitory heteroreceptors on serotonin neurons. Moreover, the DYN/KOR system cross-regulate with corticotropin-releasing factor in the brain. The sexual dimorphism of the DYN/KOR system could be the cause of the gender differences observed in patients with SUD or/and traumatic stress-related pathologies. This review underlies experimental and clinical results emphasizing the DYN/KOR system as common mechanisms shared by SUD or/and traumatic stress-related pathologies, and suggests KOR antagonist as a new pharmacological strategy to treat this comorbidity.
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10
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Fundamentals of the Dynorphins/Kappa Opioid Receptor System: From Distribution to Signaling and Function. Handb Exp Pharmacol 2022; 271:3-21. [PMID: 33754230 PMCID: PMC9013522 DOI: 10.1007/164_2021_433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
This chapter provides a general introduction to the dynorphins (DYNs)/kappa opioid receptor (KOR) system, including DYN peptides, neuroanatomy of the DYNs/KOR system, cellular signaling, and in vivo behavioral effects of KOR activation and inhibition. It is intended to serve as a primer for the book and to provide a basic background for the chapters in the book.
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11
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κ Opioid Receptor-Dynorphin Signaling in the Central Amygdala Regulates Conditioned Threat Discrimination and Anxiety. eNeuro 2021; 8:ENEURO.0370-20.2020. [PMID: 33323398 PMCID: PMC7877472 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0370-20.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2020] [Revised: 10/29/2020] [Accepted: 11/24/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Neuropeptides within the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) potently modulate neuronal excitability and have been shown to regulate conditioned threat discrimination and anxiety. Here, we investigated the role of κ opioid receptor (KOR) and its endogenous ligand dynorphin in the CeA for regulation of conditioned threat discrimination and anxiety-like behavior in mice. We demonstrate that reduced KOR expression through genetic inactivation of the KOR encoding gene, Oprk1, in the CeA results in increased anxiety-like behavior and impaired conditioned threat discrimination. In contrast, reduction of dynorphin through genetic inactivation of the dynorphin encoding gene, Pdyn, in the CeA has no effect on anxiety or conditioned threat discrimination. However, inactivation of Pdyn from multiple sources, intrinsic and extrinsic to the CeA phenocopies Oprk1 inactivation. These findings suggest that dynorphin inputs to the CeA signal through KOR to promote threat discrimination and dampen anxiety.
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12
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Tejeda HA, Wang H, Flores RJ, Yarur HE. Dynorphin/Kappa-Opioid Receptor System Modulation of Cortical Circuitry. Handb Exp Pharmacol 2021; 271:223-253. [PMID: 33580392 DOI: 10.1007/164_2021_440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Cortical circuits control a plethora of behaviors, from sensation to cognition. The cortex is enriched with neuropeptides and receptors that play a role in information processing, including opioid peptides and their cognate receptors. The dynorphin (DYN)/kappa-opioid receptor (KOR) system has been implicated in the processing of sensory and motivationally-charged emotional information and is highly expressed in cortical circuits. This is important as dysregulation of DYN/KOR signaling in limbic and cortical circuits has been implicated in promoting negative affect and cognitive deficits in various neuropsychiatric disorders. However, research investigating the role of this system in controlling cortical circuits and computations therein is limited. Here, we review the (1) basic anatomy of cortical circuits, (2) anatomical architecture of the cortical DYN/KOR system, (3) functional regulation of cortical synaptic transmission and microcircuit function by the DYN/KOR system, (4) regulation of behavior by the cortical DYN/KOR system, (5) implications for the DYN/KOR system for human health and disease, and (6) future directions and unanswered questions for the field. Further work elucidating the role of the DYN/KOR system in controlling cortical information processing and associated behaviors will be of importance to increasing our understanding of principles underlying neuropeptide modulation of cortical circuits, mechanisms underlying sensation and perception, motivated and emotional behavior, and cognition. Increased emphasis in this area of study will also aid in the identification of novel ways to target the DYN/KOR system to treat neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hugo A Tejeda
- Unit on Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
| | - Huikun Wang
- Unit on Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Rodolfo J Flores
- Unit on Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Hector E Yarur
- Unit on Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
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Varlinskaya EI, Johnson JM, Przybysz KR, Deak T, Diaz MR. Adolescent forced swim stress increases social anxiety-like behaviors and alters kappa opioid receptor function in the basolateral amygdala of male rats. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2020; 98:109812. [PMID: 31707090 PMCID: PMC6920550 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2019.109812] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2019] [Revised: 11/05/2019] [Accepted: 11/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Adolescence is a developmental period marked by robust neural alterations and heightened vulnerability to stress, a factor that is highly associated with increased risk for emotional processing deficits, such as anxiety. Stress-induced upregulation of the dynorphin/kappa opioid receptor (DYN/KOP) system is thought to, in part, underlie the negative affect associated with stress. The basolateral amygdala (BLA) is a key structure involved in anxiety, and neuromodulatory systems, such as the DYN/KOP system, can 1) regulate BLA neural activity in an age-dependent manner in stress-naïve animals and 2) underlie stress-induced anxiety in adults. However, the role of the DYN/KOP system in modulating stress-induced anxiety in adolescents is unknown. To test this, we examined the impact of an acute, 2-day forced swim stress (FSS - 10 min each day) on adolescent (~postnatal day (P) 35) and adult Sprague-Dawley rats (~P70), followed by behavioral, molecular and electrophysiological assessment 24 h following FSS. Adolescent males, but not adult males or females of either age, demonstrated social anxiety-like behavioral alterations indexed via significantly reduced social investigation and preference when tested 24 h following FSS. Conversely, adult males exhibited increased social preference. While there were no FSS-induced changes in expression of genes related to the DYN/KOP system in the BLA, these behavioral alterations were associated with alterations in BLA KOP function. Specifically, while GABA transmission in BLA pyramidal neurons from non-stressed adolescent males responded variably (potentiated, suppressed, or was unchanged) to the KOP agonist, U69593, U69593 significantly inhibited BLA GABA transmission in the majority of neurons from stressed adolescent males, consistent with the observed anxiogenic phenotype in stressed adolescent males. This is the first study to demonstrate stress-induced alterations in BLA KOP function that may contribute to stress-induced social anxiety in adolescent males. Importantly, these findings provide evidence for potential KOP-dependent mechanisms that may contribute to pathophysiological interactions with subsequent stress challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- E I Varlinskaya
- Department of Psychology, Center for Development and Behavioral Neuroscience, Developmental Exposure Alcohol Research Center, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY 13902, United States
| | - J M Johnson
- Department of Psychology, Center for Development and Behavioral Neuroscience, Developmental Exposure Alcohol Research Center, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY 13902, United States
| | - K R Przybysz
- Department of Psychology, Center for Development and Behavioral Neuroscience, Developmental Exposure Alcohol Research Center, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY 13902, United States
| | - T Deak
- Department of Psychology, Center for Development and Behavioral Neuroscience, Developmental Exposure Alcohol Research Center, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY 13902, United States
| | - M R Diaz
- Department of Psychology, Center for Development and Behavioral Neuroscience, Developmental Exposure Alcohol Research Center, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY 13902, United States.
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14
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Haaker J, Maren S, Andreatta M, Merz CJ, Richter J, Richter SH, Meir Drexler S, Lange MD, Jüngling K, Nees F, Seidenbecher T, Fullana MA, Wotjak CT, Lonsdorf TB. Making translation work: Harmonizing cross-species methodology in the behavioural neuroscience of Pavlovian fear conditioning. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2019; 107:329-345. [PMID: 31521698 PMCID: PMC7822629 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.09.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2019] [Revised: 07/08/2019] [Accepted: 09/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Translational neuroscience bridges insights from specific mechanisms in rodents to complex functions in humans and is key to advance our general understanding of central nervous function. A prime example of translational research is the study of cross-species mechanisms that underlie responding to learned threats, by employing Pavlovian fear conditioning protocols in rodents and humans. Hitherto, evidence for (and critique of) these cross-species comparisons in fear conditioning research was based on theoretical viewpoints. Here, we provide a perspective to substantiate these theoretical concepts with empirical considerations of cross-species methodology. This meta-research perspective is expected to foster cross-species comparability and reproducibility to ultimately facilitate successful transfer of results from basic science into clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Haaker
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
| | - Stephen Maren
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences and Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - Marta Andreatta
- Department of Psychology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany; Department of Psychology, Education & Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Christian J Merz
- Ruhr University Bochum, Faculty of Psychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Cognitive Psychology, Germany
| | - Jan Richter
- Department of Biological and Clinical Psychology/Psychotherapy, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - S Helene Richter
- Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Shira Meir Drexler
- Ruhr University Bochum, Faculty of Psychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Cognitive Psychology, Germany
| | - Maren D Lange
- Institute of Physiology I, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Kay Jüngling
- Institute of Physiology I, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Frauke Nees
- Department of Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | | | - Miquel A Fullana
- Institute of Neurosciences, Hospital Clinic, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Carsten T Wotjak
- Neuronal Plasticity Research Group, Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, 80804, Munich, Germany
| | - Tina B Lonsdorf
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
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15
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Velasco ER, Florido A, Milad MR, Andero R. Sex differences in fear extinction. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2019; 103:81-108. [PMID: 31129235 PMCID: PMC6692252 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.05.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2018] [Revised: 03/08/2019] [Accepted: 05/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Despite the exponential increase in fear research during the last years, few studies have included female subjects in their design. The need to include females arises from the knowledge gap of mechanistic processes underlying the behavioral and neural differences observed in fear extinction. Moreover, the exact contribution of sex and hormones in relation to learning and behavior is still largely unknown. Insights from this field could be beneficial as fear-related disorders are twice as prevalent in women compared to men. Here, we review an up-to-date summary of animal and human studies in adulthood that report sex differences in fear extinction from a structural and functional approach. Furthermore, we describe how these factors could contribute to the observed sex differences in fear extinction during normal and pathological conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- E R Velasco
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain
| | - A Florido
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain
| | - M R Milad
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, USA
| | - R Andero
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain; CIBERSAM, Corporació Sanitaria Parc Taulí, Sabadell, Spain; Department of Psychobiology and Methodology of Health Sciences, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain.
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16
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Concomitant THC and stress adolescent exposure induces impaired fear extinction and related neurobiological changes in adulthood. Neuropharmacology 2019; 144:345-357. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2018.11.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2018] [Revised: 10/17/2018] [Accepted: 11/10/2018] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
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17
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Role of dorsal hippocampus κ opioid receptors in contextual aversive memory consolidation in rats. Neuropharmacology 2018; 135:253-267. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2018.02.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2017] [Revised: 02/23/2018] [Accepted: 02/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
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18
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Fluegge K. Letter to the Editor: Exposure to nitrous oxide and intrusive memory formation in psychological trauma. Psychol Med 2018; 48:874-875. [PMID: 28712366 DOI: 10.1017/s003329171700191x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- K Fluegge
- Institute of Health and Environmental Research,Cleveland,OH,USA
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19
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Kim J, Zhang X, Muralidhar S, LeBlanc SA, Tonegawa S. Basolateral to Central Amygdala Neural Circuits for Appetitive Behaviors. Neuron 2017; 93:1464-1479.e5. [PMID: 28334609 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2017.02.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 268] [Impact Index Per Article: 38.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2016] [Revised: 01/30/2017] [Accepted: 02/15/2017] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Basolateral amygdala (BLA) principal cells are capable of driving and antagonizing behaviors of opposing valence. BLA neurons project to the central amygdala (CeA), which also participates in negative and positive behaviors. However, the CeA has primarily been studied as the site for negative behaviors, and the causal role for CeA circuits underlying appetitive behaviors is poorly understood. Here, we identify several genetically distinct populations of CeA neurons that mediate appetitive behaviors and dissect the BLA-to-CeA circuit for appetitive behaviors. Protein phosphatase 1 regulatory subunit 1B+ BLA pyramidal neurons to dopamine receptor 1+ CeA neurons define a pathway for promoting appetitive behaviors, while R-spondin 2+ BLA pyramidal neurons to dopamine receptor 2+ CeA neurons define a pathway for suppressing appetitive behaviors. These data reveal genetically defined neural circuits in the amygdala that promote and suppress appetitive behaviors analogous to the direct and indirect pathways of the basal ganglia. VIDEO ABSTRACT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua Kim
- RIKEN-MIT Center for Neural Circuit Genetics at The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Biology and Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
| | - Xiangyu Zhang
- RIKEN-MIT Center for Neural Circuit Genetics at The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Biology and Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Shruti Muralidhar
- RIKEN-MIT Center for Neural Circuit Genetics at The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Biology and Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Sarah A LeBlanc
- RIKEN-MIT Center for Neural Circuit Genetics at The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Biology and Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Susumu Tonegawa
- RIKEN-MIT Center for Neural Circuit Genetics at The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Biology and Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Brain Science Institute, RIKEN, Saitama 351-0198, Japan.
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20
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Loh R, Collins S, Galvez R. Neocortical prodynorphin expression is transiently increased with learning: Implications for time- and learning-dependent neocortical kappa opioid receptor activation. Behav Brain Res 2017; 335:145-150. [PMID: 28802836 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2017.08.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2017] [Revised: 07/31/2017] [Accepted: 08/05/2017] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
There are several lines of evidence that indicate a prominent role for the opioid system in the acquisition and consolidation of learned associations. Specifically, kappa opioid receptor (KOR) modulation has been demonstrated to alter various behavioral tasks including whisker trace eyeblink conditioning (WTEB). WTEB is an associative conditioning paradigm in which a neutral conditioned stimulus (CS; Whisker stimulation) is paired following a short stimulus free trace interval with a salient unconditioned stimulus that elicits a blink response (US; Eye shock). Work from our laboratory has shown that WTEB conditioning is dependent upon and induces plasticity in primary somatosensory cortex (S1), a likely site for memory storage. Our subsequent studies have shown that WTEB acquisition or consolidation are impaired when the initial or later phase of KOR activation in S1 is respectively blocked. Interestingly, this mechanism by which KOR is activated in S1 during learning remains unexplored. Dynorphin (DYN), KOR's endogenous ligand, is synthesized from the precursor prodynorphin (PD) that is synthesized from preprodynorphin (PPD). In S1, most PPD is found in inhibitory GABAergic somatostatin interneurons (SOM), suggesting that these SOM interneurons are upstream regulators of learning induced KOR activation. Using immunofluorescence to investigate the expression of PD and SOM, the current study found that PD/SOM expression was transiently increased in S1 during learning. Interestingly, these findings have direct implications towards a time- and learning-dependent role for KOR activation in neocortical mechanisms mediating learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan Loh
- Psychology Department, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 405 N. Mathews Ave., Urbana, IL 61801, USA.
| | - Sean Collins
- Psychology Department, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 405 N. Mathews Ave., Urbana, IL 61801, USA.
| | - Roberto Galvez
- Psychology Department, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 405 N. Mathews Ave., Urbana, IL 61801, USA; Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 405 N. Mathews Ave., Urbana, IL 61801, USA; Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 405 N. Mathews Ave., Urbana, IL 61801, USA.
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21
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Hadziselimovic F, Gegenschatz-Schmid K, Verkauskas G, Demougin P, Bilius V, Dasevicius D, Stadler MB. Genes Involved in Long-Term Memory Are Expressed in Testis of Cryptorchid Boys and Respond to GnRHa Treatment. Cytogenet Genome Res 2017; 152:9-15. [PMID: 28700985 DOI: 10.1159/000477522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
It has been known for many years that boys with unilateral or bilateral undescended testis (cryptorchidism) tend to have a low IQ, and those who belong to the high infertility risk (HIR) group perform less well at school than low infertility risk (LIR) patients. However, the molecular biological processes underlying this phenomenon are not understood. In this study, we report the outcome of testicular RNA profiling for genes involved in long-term memory formation. We analyzed the histology and the transcriptome of testicular biopsies from bilateral HIR cryptorchid boys, comparing those who received GnRHa treatment for 6 months after the first surgery with those who did not receive GnRHa before the second surgery. We found that GnRHa treatment alters the testicular mRNA levels of neuronal genes that are involved in long-term memory and testosterone synthesis. These data highlight a possible molecular link between cryptorchidism, impaired mini-puberty, and diminished cognitive functions. Our results are consistent with the hypothesis that hypogonadotropic hypogonadism in cryptorchid boys with altered mini-puberty may affect neuronal genes important for memory and learning, which could help explaining the negative correlation between cryptorchidism and intellectual abilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Faruk Hadziselimovic
- Cryptorchidism Research Institute, Kindermedizinisches Zentrum Liestal, Liestal, Switzerland
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22
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Waller L, Walter H, Kruschwitz JD, Reuter L, Müller S, Erk S, Veer IM. Evaluating the replicability, specificity, and generalizability of connectome fingerprints. Neuroimage 2017; 158:371-377. [PMID: 28710040 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2017.07.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2017] [Revised: 07/04/2017] [Accepted: 07/10/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Establishing reliable, robust, and unique brain signatures from neuroimaging data is a prerequisite for precision psychiatry, and therefore a highly sought-after goal in contemporary neuroscience. Recently, the procedure of connectome fingerprinting, using brain functional connectivity profiles as such signatures, was shown to be able to accurately identify individuals from a group of 126 subjects from the Human Connectome Project (HCP). However, the specificity and generalizability of this procedure were not tested. In this replication study, we show both for the original and an extended HCP data set (n = 900 subjects), as well as for an additional data set of more commonly acquired imaging quality (n = 84) that (i) although the high accuracy can be replicated for the larger HCP 900 data set, accuracy is (ii) lower for standard neuroimaging data, and, that (iii) connectome fingerprinting may not be specific enough to distinguish between individuals. In addition, both accuracy and specificity are projected to drop considerably as the size of a data set increases. Although the moderate-to-high accuracies do suggest there is a portion of unique variance, our results suggest that connectomes may actually be quite similar across individuals. This outcome may be relevant to how precision psychiatry could benefit from inferences based on functional connectomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lea Waller
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy CCM, Berlin, Germany
| | - Henrik Walter
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy CCM, Berlin, Germany
| | - Johann D Kruschwitz
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy CCM, Berlin, Germany
| | - Lucia Reuter
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy CCM, Berlin, Germany
| | - Sabine Müller
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy CCM, Berlin, Germany
| | - Susanne Erk
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy CCM, Berlin, Germany
| | - Ilya M Veer
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy CCM, Berlin, Germany.
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23
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Baczkowski BM, Johnstone T, Walter H, Erk S, Veer IM. Sliding-window analysis tracks fluctuations in amygdala functional connectivity associated with physiological arousal and vigilance during fear conditioning. Neuroimage 2017; 153:168-178. [PMID: 28300639 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2017.03.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2016] [Revised: 03/08/2017] [Accepted: 03/11/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
We evaluated whether sliding-window analysis can reveal functionally relevant brain network dynamics during a well-established fear conditioning paradigm. To this end, we tested if fMRI fluctuations in amygdala functional connectivity (FC) can be related to task-induced changes in physiological arousal and vigilance, as reflected in the skin conductance level (SCL). Thirty-two healthy individuals participated in the study. For the sliding-window analysis we used windows that were shifted by one volume at a time. Amygdala FC was calculated for each of these windows. Simultaneously acquired SCL time series were averaged over time frames that corresponded to the sliding-window FC analysis, which were subsequently regressed against the whole-brain seed-based amygdala sliding-window FC using the GLM. Surrogate time series were generated to test whether connectivity dynamics could have occurred by chance. In addition, results were contrasted against static amygdala FC and sliding-window FC of the primary visual cortex, which was chosen as a control seed, while a physio-physiological interaction (PPI) was performed as cross-validation. During periods of increased SCL, the left amygdala became more strongly coupled with the bilateral insula and anterior cingulate cortex, core areas of the salience network. The sliding-window analysis yielded a connectivity pattern that was unlikely to have occurred by chance, was spatially distinct from static amygdala FC and from sliding-window FC of the primary visual cortex, but was highly comparable to that of the PPI analysis. We conclude that sliding-window analysis can reveal functionally relevant fluctuations in connectivity in the context of an externally cued task.
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Affiliation(s)
- Blazej M Baczkowski
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Mitte, Berlin, Germany; Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Max Planck Research Group for Neuroanatomy & Connectivity, Leipzig, Germany; Department of Psychology, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany; International Max Planck Research School NeuroCom, Leipzig, Germany.
| | - Tom Johnstone
- Centre for Integrative Neuroscience and Neurodynamics, Department of Psychology, University of Reading, Reading, United Kingdom
| | - Henrik Walter
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Mitte, Berlin, Germany
| | - Susanne Erk
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Mitte, Berlin, Germany
| | - Ilya M Veer
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Mitte, Berlin, Germany.
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24
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Ontogeny of memory: An update on 40 years of work on infantile amnesia. Behav Brain Res 2016; 298:4-14. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2015.07.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2015] [Revised: 07/08/2015] [Accepted: 07/08/2015] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
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25
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Furlong TM, Richardson R, McNally GP. Habituation and extinction of fear recruit overlapping forebrain structures. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2016; 128:7-16. [DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2015.11.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2015] [Revised: 11/11/2015] [Accepted: 11/18/2015] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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26
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Stockhorst U, Antov MI. Modulation of Fear Extinction by Stress, Stress Hormones and Estradiol: A Review. Front Behav Neurosci 2016; 9:359. [PMID: 26858616 PMCID: PMC4726806 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2015.00359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2015] [Accepted: 12/14/2015] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Fear acquisition and extinction are valid models for the etiology and treatment of anxiety, trauma- and stressor-related disorders. These disorders are assumed to involve aversive learning under acute and/or chronic stress. Importantly, fear conditioning and stress share common neuronal circuits. The stress response involves multiple changes interacting in a time-dependent manner: (a) the fast first-wave stress response [with central actions of noradrenaline, dopamine, serotonin, corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), plus increased sympathetic tone and peripheral catecholamine release] and (b) the second-wave stress response [with peripheral release of glucocorticoids (GCs) after activation of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis]. Control of fear during extinction is also sensitive to these stress-response mediators. In the present review, we will thus examine current animal and human data, addressing the role of stress and single stress-response mediators for successful acquisition, consolidation and recall of fear extinction. We report studies using pharmacological manipulations targeting a number of stress-related neurotransmitters and neuromodulators [monoamines, opioids, endocannabinoids (eCBs), neuropeptide Y, oxytocin, GCs] and behavioral stress induction. As anxiety, trauma- and stressor-related disorders are more common in women, recent research focuses on female sex hormones and identifies a potential role for estradiol in fear extinction. We will thus summarize animal and human data on the role of estradiol and explore possible interactions with stress or stress-response mediators in extinction. This also aims at identifying time-windows of enhanced (or reduced) sensitivity for fear extinction, and thus also for successful exposure therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ursula Stockhorst
- Experimental Psychology II and Biological Psychology, Institute of Psychology, University of OsnabrückOsnabrück, Germany
| | - Martin I. Antov
- Experimental Psychology II and Biological Psychology, Institute of Psychology, University of OsnabrückOsnabrück, Germany
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Sumner JA, Powers A, Jovanovic T, Koenen KC. Genetic influences on the neural and physiological bases of acute threat: A research domain criteria (RDoC) perspective. Am J Med Genet B Neuropsychiatr Genet 2016; 171B:44-64. [PMID: 26377804 PMCID: PMC4715467 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.b.32384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2015] [Accepted: 09/01/2015] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
The NIMH Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) initiative aims to describe key dimensional constructs underlying mental function across multiple units of analysis-from genes to observable behaviors-in order to better understand psychopathology. The acute threat ("fear") construct of the RDoC Negative Valence System has been studied extensively from a translational perspective, and is highly pertinent to numerous psychiatric conditions, including anxiety and trauma-related disorders. We examined genetic contributions to the construct of acute threat at two units of analysis within the RDoC framework: (1) neural circuits and (2) physiology. Specifically, we focused on genetic influences on activation patterns of frontolimbic neural circuitry and on startle, skin conductance, and heart rate responses. Research on the heritability of activation in threat-related frontolimbic neural circuitry is lacking, but physiological indicators of acute threat have been found to be moderately heritable (35-50%). Genetic studies of the neural circuitry and physiology of acute threat have almost exclusively relied on the candidate gene method and, as in the broader psychiatric genetics literature, most findings have failed to replicate. The most robust support has been demonstrated for associations between variation in the serotonin transporter (SLC6A4) and catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) genes with threat-related neural activation and physiological responses. However, unbiased genome-wide approaches using very large samples are needed for gene discovery, and these can be accomplished with collaborative consortium-based research efforts, such as those of the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium (PGC) and Enhancing Neuro Imaging Genetics through Meta-Analysis (ENIGMA) Consortium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer A Sumner
- Center for Behavioral Cardiovascular Health, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Abigail Powers
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Tanja Jovanovic
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Karestan C Koenen
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
- Psychiatric and Neurodevelopmental Genetics Unit and Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
- The Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts
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Thomas SA. Neuromodulatory signaling in hippocampus-dependent memory retrieval. Hippocampus 2015; 25:415-31. [PMID: 25475876 DOI: 10.1002/hipo.22394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/24/2014] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Considerable advances have been made toward understanding the molecular signaling events that underlie memory acquisition and consolidation. In contrast, less is known about memory retrieval, despite its necessity for utilizing learned information. This review focuses on neuromodulatory and intracellular signaling events that underlie memory retrieval mediated by the hippocampus, for which the most information is currently available. Among neuromodulators, adrenergic signaling is required for the retrieval of various types of hippocampus-dependent memory. Although they contribute to acquisition and/or consolidation, cholinergic and dopaminergic signaling are generally not required for retrieval. Interestingly, while not required for retrieval, serotonergic and opioid signaling may actually constrain memory retrieval. Roles for histamine and non-opioid neuropeptides are currently unclear but possible. A critical effector of adrenergic signaling in retrieval is reduction of the slow afterhyperpolarization mediated by β1 receptors, cyclic AMP, protein kinase A, Epac, and possibly ERK. In contrast, stress and glucocorticoids impair retrieval by decreasing cyclic AMP, mediated in part by the activation of β2 -adrenergic receptors. Clinically, alterations in neuromodulatory signaling and in memory retrieval occur in Alzheimer's disease, Down syndrome, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder, and recent evidence has begun to link changes in neuromodulatory signaling with effects on memory retrieval.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven A Thomas
- Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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29
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Crowley NA, Kash TL. Kappa opioid receptor signaling in the brain: Circuitry and implications for treatment. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2015; 62:51-60. [PMID: 25592680 PMCID: PMC4465498 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2015.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2014] [Revised: 12/20/2014] [Accepted: 01/04/2015] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Kappa opioid receptors (KORs) in the central nervous system have been known to be important regulators of a variety of psychiatry illnesses, including anxiety and addiction, but their precise involvement in these disorders is complex and has yet to be fully elucidated. Here, we briefly review the pharmacology of KORs in the brain, including KOR's involvement in anxiety, depression, and drug addiction. We also review the known neuronal circuitry impacted by KOR signaling, and interactions with corticotrophin-releasing factor (CRF), another key peptide in anxiety-related illnesses, as well as the role of glucocorticoids. We suggest that KORs are a promising therapeutic target for a host of neuropsychiatric conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole A. Crowley
- Neurobiology Curriculum, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA,Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Thomas L. Kash
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA,Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
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Flores Á, Saravia R, Maldonado R, Berrendero F. Orexins and fear: implications for the treatment of anxiety disorders. Trends Neurosci 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2015.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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Szklarczyk K, Korostynski M, Cieslak PE, Wawrzczak-Bargiela A, Przewlocki R. Opioid-dependent regulation of high and low fear responses in two inbred mouse strains. Behav Brain Res 2015; 292:95-101. [PMID: 26051817 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2015.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2015] [Revised: 05/18/2015] [Accepted: 06/01/2015] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
The molecular mechanisms underlying the susceptibility or resilience to trauma-related disorders remain incompletely understood. Opioids modulate emotional learning, but the roles of specific receptors are unclear. Here, we aimed to analyze the contribution of the opioid system to fear responses in two inbred mouse strains exhibiting distinct behavioral phenotypes. SWR/J and C57BL/6J mice were subjected to five consecutive electric footshocks (1mA each), and the contextual freezing time was measured. Stress-induced alterations in gene expression were analyzed in the amygdala and the hippocampus. In both strains, the fear response was modulated using pharmacological tools. SWR/J mice did not develop conditioned fear but exhibited increased transcriptional expression of Pdyn and Penk in the amygdala region. Blocking opioid receptors prior to the footshocks using naltrexone (2 mg/kg) or naltrindole (5 mg/kg) increased the freezing responses in these animals. The C57BL/6J strain displayed high conditioned fear, although no alteration in the mRNA abundance of genes encoding opioid precursors was observed. Double-injection of morphine (20 mg/kg) following stress and upon context re-exposure prevented the enhancement of freezing. Moreover, selective delta and kappa agonists caused a reduction in conditioned fear responses. To summarize, the increased expression of the Pdyn and Penk genes corresponded to reduced intensity of fear responses. Blockade of the endogenous opioid system restored freezing behavior in stress-resistant animals. The pharmacological stimulation of the kappa and delta opioid receptors in stress-susceptible individuals may alleviate fear. Thus, subtype-selective opioid receptor agonists may protect against the development of trauma-related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Klaudia Szklarczyk
- Department of Molecular Neuropharmacology, Institute of Pharmacology PAS, Krakow, Poland
| | - Michal Korostynski
- Department of Molecular Neuropharmacology, Institute of Pharmacology PAS, Krakow, Poland
| | - Przemyslaw Eligiusz Cieslak
- Department of Molecular Neuropharmacology, Institute of Pharmacology PAS, Krakow, Poland; Institute of Applied Psychology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
| | | | - Ryszard Przewlocki
- Department of Molecular Neuropharmacology, Institute of Pharmacology PAS, Krakow, Poland.
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Antov MI, Melicherová U, Stockhorst U. Cold pressor test improves fear extinction in healthy men. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2015; 54:54-9. [PMID: 25681735 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2015.01.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2014] [Revised: 01/12/2015] [Accepted: 01/12/2015] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Fear extinction is an important paradigm to study the neural basis of anxiety and trauma- and stressor-related disorders and for modeling features of extinction learning and exposure-based psychotherapy. To date the effects of acute stress on extinction learning in humans are not well understood. Models of stress effects on emotional memory suggest that learning during the so-called first wave of the stress response will be enhanced. The first wave includes (among others) increases of noradrenaline in the brain and increased sympathetic tone, adrenaline and noradrenaline in the periphery while the second wave includes genomic glucocorticoid-actions. The cold pressor test (CPT) is a valid way to induce the first wave of the stress response. We thus hypothesized that the CPT will facilitate extinction. In a 2-day fear-conditioning procedure with 40 healthy men, using differential skin conductance responses as a measure of conditioned fear, we placed the CPT versus a control procedure prior to extinction training on Day 1. We tested for extinction learning on Day 1 and extinction retrieval on Day 2. During extinction training (Day 1) only the CPT-group showed a significant reduction in differential responding. This was still evident on Day 2, where the CPT group had less differential responding during early trials (retrieval) and a higher extinction retention index. This is the first human study to show that a simple procedure, triggering the first-wave stress response--the CPT--can effectively enhance fear extinction in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin I Antov
- University of Osnabrück, Institute of Psychology, Experimental Psychology II and Biological Psychology, Seminarstraße 20, D-49074 Osnabrück, Germany.
| | - Ursula Melicherová
- University of Osnabrück, Institute of Psychology, Experimental Psychology II and Biological Psychology, Seminarstraße 20, D-49074 Osnabrück, Germany
| | - Ursula Stockhorst
- University of Osnabrück, Institute of Psychology, Experimental Psychology II and Biological Psychology, Seminarstraße 20, D-49074 Osnabrück, Germany
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33
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Vick JS, Askwith CC. ASICs and neuropeptides. Neuropharmacology 2015; 94:36-41. [PMID: 25592215 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2014.12.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2014] [Revised: 12/04/2014] [Accepted: 12/08/2014] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The acid sensing ion channels (ASICs) are proton-gated cation channels expressed throughout the nervous system. ASICs are activated during acidic pH fluctuations, and recent work suggests that they are involved in excitatory synaptic transmission. ASICs can also induce neuronal degeneration and death during pathological extracellular acidosis caused by ischemia, autoimmune inflammation, and traumatic injury. Many endogenous neuromodulators target ASICs to affect their biophysical characteristics and contributions to neuronal activity. One of the most unconventional types of modulation occurs with the interaction of ASICs and neuropeptides. Collectively, FMRFamide-related peptides and dynorphins potentiate ASIC activity by decreasing the proton-sensitivity of steady state desensitization independent of G protein-coupled receptor activation. By decreasing the proton-sensitivity of steady state desensitization, the FMRFamide-related peptides and dynorphins permit ASICs to remain active at more acidic basal pH. Unlike the dynorphins, some FMRFamide-related peptides also potentiate ASIC activity by slowing inactivation and increasing the sustained current. Through mechanistic studies, the modulation of ASICs by FMRFamide-related peptides and dynorphins appears to be through distinct interactions with the extracellular domain of ASICs. Dynorphins are expressed throughout the nervous system and can increase neuronal death during prolonged extracellular acidosis, suggesting that the interaction between dynorphins and ASICs may have important consequences for the prevention of neurological injury. The overlap in expression of FMRFamide-related peptides with ASICs in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord suggests that their interaction may have important consequences for the treatment of pain during injury and inflammation. This article is part of the Special Issue entitled 'Acid-Sensing Ion Channels in the Nervous System'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan S Vick
- The Department of Neuroscience, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, United States
| | - Candice C Askwith
- The Department of Neuroscience, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, United States.
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34
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Ménard C, Gaudreau P, Quirion R. Signaling pathways relevant to cognition-enhancing drug targets. Handb Exp Pharmacol 2015; 228:59-98. [PMID: 25977080 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-16522-6_3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Aging is generally associated with a certain cognitive decline. However, individual differences exist. While age-related memory deficits can be observed in humans and rodents in the absence of pathological conditions, some individuals maintain intact cognitive functions up to an advanced age. The mechanisms underlying learning and memory processes involve the recruitment of multiple signaling pathways and gene expression, leading to adaptative neuronal plasticity and long-lasting changes in brain circuitry. This chapter summarizes the current understanding of how these signaling cascades could be modulated by cognition-enhancing agents favoring memory formation and successful aging. It focuses on data obtained in rodents, particularly in the rat as it is the most common animal model studied in this field. First, we will discuss the role of the excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate and its receptors, downstream signaling effectors [e.g., calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII), protein kinase C (PKC), extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK), mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB)], associated immediate early gene (e.g., Homer 1a, Arc and Zif268), and growth factors [insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)] in synaptic plasticity and memory formation. Second, the impact of the cholinergic system and related modulators on memory will be briefly reviewed. Finally, since dynorphin neuropeptides have recently been associated with memory impairments in aging, it is proposed as an attractive target to develop novel cognition-enhancing agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Ménard
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute, McGill University, Perry Pavilion, 6875 LaSalle Boulevard, Montreal, QC, Canada, H4H 1R3
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Singewald N, Schmuckermair C, Whittle N, Holmes A, Ressler KJ. Pharmacology of cognitive enhancers for exposure-based therapy of fear, anxiety and trauma-related disorders. Pharmacol Ther 2014; 149:150-90. [PMID: 25550231 PMCID: PMC4380664 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2014.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 275] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2014] [Accepted: 12/24/2014] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Pathological fear and anxiety are highly debilitating and, despite considerable advances in psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy they remain insufficiently treated in many patients with PTSD, phobias, panic and other anxiety disorders. Increasing preclinical and clinical evidence indicates that pharmacological treatments including cognitive enhancers, when given as adjuncts to psychotherapeutic approaches [cognitive behavioral therapy including extinction-based exposure therapy] enhance treatment efficacy, while using anxiolytics such as benzodiazepines as adjuncts can undermine long-term treatment success. The purpose of this review is to outline the literature showing how pharmacological interventions targeting neurotransmitter systems including serotonin, dopamine, noradrenaline, histamine, glutamate, GABA, cannabinoids, neuropeptides (oxytocin, neuropeptides Y and S, opioids) and other targets (neurotrophins BDNF and FGF2, glucocorticoids, L-type-calcium channels, epigenetic modifications) as well as their downstream signaling pathways, can augment fear extinction and strengthen extinction memory persistently in preclinical models. Particularly promising approaches are discussed in regard to their effects on specific aspects of fear extinction namely, acquisition, consolidation and retrieval, including long-term protection from return of fear (relapse) phenomena like spontaneous recovery, reinstatement and renewal of fear. We also highlight the promising translational value of the preclinial research and the clinical potential of targeting certain neurochemical systems with, for example d-cycloserine, yohimbine, cortisol, and L-DOPA. The current body of research reveals important new insights into the neurobiology and neurochemistry of fear extinction and holds significant promise for pharmacologically-augmented psychotherapy as an improved approach to treat trauma and anxiety-related disorders in a more efficient and persistent way promoting enhanced symptom remission and recovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Singewald
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Institute of Pharmacy and CMBI, Leopold-Franzens University of Innsbruck, Innrain 80-82, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria.
| | - C Schmuckermair
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Institute of Pharmacy and CMBI, Leopold-Franzens University of Innsbruck, Innrain 80-82, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - N Whittle
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Institute of Pharmacy and CMBI, Leopold-Franzens University of Innsbruck, Innrain 80-82, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - A Holmes
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Genomic Neuroscience, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - K J Ressler
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
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The hypocretin/orexin system mediates the extinction of fear memories. Neuropsychopharmacology 2014; 39:2732-41. [PMID: 24930888 PMCID: PMC4200503 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2014.146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2014] [Revised: 05/15/2014] [Accepted: 06/09/2014] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Anxiety disorders are often associated with an inability to extinguish learned fear responses. The hypocretin/orexin system is involved in the regulation of emotional states and could also participate in the consolidation and extinction of aversive memories. Using hypocretin receptor-1 and hypocretin receptor-2 antagonists, hypocretin-1 and hypocretin-2 peptides, and hypocretin receptor-1 knockout mice, we investigated the role of the hypocretin system in cue- and context-dependent fear conditioning and extinction. Hypocretins were crucial for the consolidation of fear conditioning, and this effect was mainly observed in memories with a high emotional component. Notably, after the acquisition of fear memory, hypocretin receptor-1 blockade facilitated fear extinction, whereas hypocretin-1 administration impaired this extinction process. The extinction-facilitating effects of the hypocretin receptor-1 antagonist SB334867 were associated with increased expression of cFos in the basolateral amygdala and the infralimbic cortex. Intra-amygdala, but neither intra-infralimbic prefrontal cortex nor intra-dorsohippocampal infusion of SB334867 enhanced fear extinction. These results reveal a key role for hypocretins in the extinction of aversive memories and suggest that hypocretin receptor-1 blockade could represent a novel therapeutic target for the treatment of diseases associated with inappropriate retention of fear, such as post-traumatic stress disorder and phobias.
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Bukalo O, Pinard CR, Holmes A. Mechanisms to medicines: elucidating neural and molecular substrates of fear extinction to identify novel treatments for anxiety disorders. Br J Pharmacol 2014; 171:4690-718. [PMID: 24835117 DOI: 10.1111/bph.12779] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2014] [Revised: 04/28/2014] [Accepted: 05/04/2014] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The burden of anxiety disorders is growing, but the efficacy of available anxiolytic treatments remains inadequate. Cognitive behavioural therapy for anxiety disorders focuses on identifying and modifying maladaptive patterns of thinking and behaving, and has a testable analogue in rodents in the form of fear extinction. A large preclinical literature has amassed in recent years describing the neural and molecular basis of fear extinction in rodents. In this review, we discuss how this work is being harnessed to foster translational research on anxiety disorders and facilitate the search for new anxiolytic treatments. We begin by summarizing the anatomical and functional connectivity of a medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC)-amygdala circuit that subserves fear extinction, including new insights from optogenetics. We then cover some of the approaches that have been taken to model impaired fear extinction and associated impairments with mPFC-amygdala dysfunction. The principal goal of the review is to evaluate evidence that various neurotransmitter and neuromodulator systems mediate fear extinction by modulating the mPFC-amygdala circuitry. To that end, we describe studies that have tested how fear extinction is impaired or facilitated by pharmacological manipulations of dopamine, noradrenaline, 5-HT, GABA, glutamate, neuropeptides, endocannabinoids and various other systems, which either directly target the mPFC-amygdala circuit, or produce behavioural effects that are coincident with functional changes in the circuit. We conclude that there are good grounds to be optimistic that the progress in defining the molecular substrates of mPFC-amygdala circuit function can be effectively leveraged to identify plausible candidates for extinction-promoting therapies for anxiety disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olena Bukalo
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Genomic Neuroscience, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, MD, USA
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38
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Ménard C, Quirion R, Bouchard S, Ferland G, Gaudreau P. Glutamatergic signaling and low prodynorphin expression are associated with intact memory and reduced anxiety in rat models of healthy aging. Front Aging Neurosci 2014; 6:81. [PMID: 24847259 PMCID: PMC4019859 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2014.00081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2014] [Accepted: 04/16/2014] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The LOU/C/Jall (LOU) rat strain is considered a model of healthy aging due to its increased longevity, maintenance of stable body weight (BW) throughout life and low incidence of age-related diseases. However, aging LOU rat cognitive and anxiety status has yet to be investigated. In the present study, male and female LOU rat cognitive performances (6-42 months) were assessed using novel object recognition and Morris Water Maze tasks. Recognition memory remained intact in all LOU rats up to 42 months of age. As for spatial memory, old LOU rat performed similarly as young animals for learning acquisition, reversal learning, and retention. While LOU rat BW remained stable despite aging, 20-month-old ad-libitum-fed (OAL) male Sprague Dawley rats become obese. We determined if long-term caloric restriction (LTCR) prevents age-related BW increase and cognitive deficits in this rat strain, as observed in the obesity-resistant LOU rats. Compared to young animals, recognition memory was impaired in OAL but intact in 20-month-old calorie-restricted (OCR) rats. Similarly, OAL spatial learning acquisition was impaired but LTCR prevented the deficits. Exacerbated stress responses may favor age-related cognitive decline. In the elevated plus maze and open field tasks, LOU and OCR rats exhibited high levels of exploratory activity whereas OAL rats displayed anxious behaviors. Expression of prodynorphin (Pdyn), an endogenous peptide involved in stress-related memory impairments, was increased in the hippocampus of OAL rats. Group 1 metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 and immediate early genes Homer 1a and Arc expression, both associated with successful cognitive aging, were unaltered in aging LOU rats but lower in OAL than OCR rats. Altogether, our results, supported by principal component analysis and correlation matrix, suggest that intact memory and low anxiety are associated with glutamatergic signaling and low Pdyn expression in the hippocampus of non-obese aging rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Ménard
- Neuroscience Division, Douglas Mental Health University Institute Research Center Montreal, QC, Canada ; Department of Psychiatry, McGill University Montreal, QC, Canada ; Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology of Aging, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal Research Center Montreal, QC, Canada ; Department of Medicine, University of Montreal Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Rémi Quirion
- Neuroscience Division, Douglas Mental Health University Institute Research Center Montreal, QC, Canada ; Department of Psychiatry, McGill University Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Sylvain Bouchard
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Montreal Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Guylaine Ferland
- Hôpital du Sacré-Coeur de Montréal Research Center Montreal, QC, Canada ; Department of Nutrition, University of Montreal Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Pierrette Gaudreau
- Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology of Aging, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal Research Center Montreal, QC, Canada ; Department of Medicine, University of Montreal Montreal, QC, Canada
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Bilkei-Gorzo A, Mauer D, Michel K, Zimmer A. Dynorphins regulate the strength of social memory. Neuropharmacology 2014; 77:406-13. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2013.10.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2013] [Revised: 09/30/2013] [Accepted: 10/15/2013] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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40
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Borbély E, Scheich B, Helyes Z. Neuropeptides in learning and memory. Neuropeptides 2013; 47:439-50. [PMID: 24210137 DOI: 10.1016/j.npep.2013.10.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 108] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2013] [Revised: 10/14/2013] [Accepted: 10/14/2013] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Dementia conditions and memory deficits of different origins (vascular, metabolic and primary neurodegenerative such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases) are getting more common and greater clinical problems recently in the aging population. Since the presently available cognitive enhancers have very limited therapeutical applications, there is an emerging need to elucidate the complex pathophysiological mechanisms, identify key mediators and novel targets for future drug development. Neuropeptides are widely distributed in brain regions responsible for learning and memory processes with special emphasis on the hippocampus, amygdala and the basal forebrain. They form networks with each other, and also have complex interactions with the cholinergic, glutamatergic, dopaminergic and GABA-ergic pathways. This review summarizes the extensive experimental data in the well-established rat and mouse models, as well as the few clinical results regarding the expression and the roles of the tachykinin system, somatostatin and the closely related cortistatin, vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) and pituitary adenylate-cyclase activating polypeptide (PACAP), calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), neuropeptide Y (NPY), opioid peptides and galanin. Furthermore, the main receptorial targets, mechanisms and interactions are described in order to highlight the possible therapeutical potentials. Agents not only symptomatically improving the functional impairments, but also inhibiting the progression of the neurodegenerative processes would be breakthroughs in this area. The most promising mechanisms determined at the level of exploratory investigations in animal models of cognitive disfunctions are somatostatin sst4, NPY Y2, PACAP-VIP VPAC1, tachykinin NK3 and galanin GALR2 receptor agonisms, as well as delta opioid receptor antagonism. Potent and selective non-peptide ligands with good CNS penetration are needed for further characterization of these molecular pathways to complete the preclinical studies and decide if any of the above described targets could be appropriate for clinical investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Borbély
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Pécs, Szigeti u. 12, H-7624 Pécs, Hungary; Molecular Pharmacology Research Group, János Szentágothai Research Center, University of Pécs, Ifjúság útja 20, H-7624 Pécs, Hungary
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Abstract
This paper is the thirty-fifth consecutive installment of the annual review of research concerning the endogenous opioid system. It summarizes papers published during 2012 that studied the behavioral effects of molecular, pharmacological and genetic manipulation of opioid peptides, opioid receptors, opioid agonists and opioid antagonists. The particular topics that continue to be covered include the molecular-biochemical effects and neurochemical localization studies of endogenous opioids and their receptors related to behavior (Section 2), and the roles of these opioid peptides and receptors in pain and analgesia (Section 3); stress and social status (Section 4); tolerance and dependence (Section 5); learning and memory (Section 6); eating and drinking (Section 7); alcohol and drugs of abuse (Section 8); sexual activity and hormones, pregnancy, development and endocrinology (Section 9); mental illness and mood (Section 10); seizures and neurologic disorders (Section 11); electrical-related activity and neurophysiology (Section 12); general activity and locomotion (Section 13); gastrointestinal, renal and hepatic functions (Section 14); cardiovascular responses (Section 15); respiration and thermoregulation (Section 16); and immunological responses (Section 17).
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard J Bodnar
- Department of Psychology and Neuropsychology Doctoral Sub-Program, Queens College, City University of New York, Flushing, NY 11367, United States.
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Ventral hippocampal kappa opioid receptors mediate the renewal of fear following extinction in the rat. PLoS One 2013; 8:e58701. [PMID: 23675405 PMCID: PMC3651202 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0058701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2012] [Accepted: 02/05/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The hippocampus is part of a neural network which regulates the renewal of fear following extinction. Both the ventral (VH) and dorsal (DH) hippocampus have been shown to be necessary for renewal, however the critical receptors and neurotransmitters mediating these contributions are poorly understood. One candidate mechanism is the kappa opioid receptor (KOR) system, which has been implicated in fear learning and anxiety. Here we examined the effect of the KOR antagonist norbinaltorphamine hydrochloride (norBNI), infused into either the VH or DH, on the renewal of extinguished fear. We found that an infusion of norBNI into the VH significantly reduced the relapse of fear on test compared to that seen in saline controls (Experiment 1), while similar infusions of norBNI into the DH had no effect on renewal (Experiment 2). These findings show that hippocampal KORs are involved in fear renewal and also identify a dissociation in the contribution of VH and DH KORs to the expression of renewed fear.
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Kang-Park M, Kieffer BL, Roberts AJ, Siggins GR, Moore SD. κ-Opioid receptors in the central amygdala regulate ethanol actions at presynaptic GABAergic sites. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 2013; 346:130-7. [PMID: 23587526 DOI: 10.1124/jpet.112.202903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Human and animal studies indicate that κ-opioid receptors (KORs) are involved in ethanol drinking and dependence (Xuei et al., 2006; Walker and Koob, 2008; Walker et al., 2011). Using in vitro single-cell recording techniques in mouse brain slices, we examined the physiologic effects of KOR activation in the central amygdala (CeA) on GABAergic neurotransmission and its interaction with acute ethanol. A selective KOR agonist (U69593, 1 μM) diminished evoked GABAergic inhibitory postsynaptic currents (IPSCs) by 18% (n = 10), whereas blockade of KORs with a selective antagonist (nor-binaltorphimine, 1 μM) augmented the baseline evoked GABAergic IPSCs by 14% (P < 0.01; n = 34), suggesting that the KOR system contributes to tonic inhibition of GABAergic neurotransmission in the CeA. In addition, the enhancement by acute ethanol of GABAergic IPSC amplitudes was further augmented by pharmacologic blockade of KORs, from 14% (n = 36) to 27% (n = 26; P < 0.01), or by genetic deletion of KORs, from 14% in wild-type mice (n = 19) to 34% in KOR knockout mice (n = 13; P < 0.01). Subsequent experiments using tetrodotoxin to block activity-dependent neurotransmission suggest that KORs regulate GABA release at presynaptic sites. Our data support the idea that KORs modulate GABAergic synaptic responses and ethanol effects as one of multiple opioid system-dependent actions of ethanol in the CeA, possibly in a circuit-specific manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maenghee Kang-Park
- Department of Psychiatry, Duke University Medical Center, and Research Service, Veterans Administration Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27705, USA
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44
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Holmes A, Singewald N. Individual differences in recovery from traumatic fear. Trends Neurosci 2013; 36:23-31. [PMID: 23260015 PMCID: PMC3787595 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2012.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2012] [Revised: 10/02/2012] [Accepted: 11/07/2012] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Although exposure to major psychological trauma is unfortunately common, risk for related neuropsychiatric conditions, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), varies greatly among individuals. Fear extinction offers a tractable and translatable behavioral readout of individual differences in learned recovery from trauma. Studies in rodent substrains and subpopulations are providing new insights into neural system dysfunctions associated with impaired fear extinction. Rapid progress is also being made in identifying key molecular circuits, epigenetic mechanisms, and gene variants associated with differences in fear extinction. Here, we discuss how this research is informing understanding of the etiology and pathophysiology of individual differences in risk for trauma-related anxiety disorders, and how future work can help identify novel diagnostic biomarkers and pharmacotherapeutics for these disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Holmes
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Genomic Neuroscience, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), National Institute of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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