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Copenhaver AE, LeGates TA. Sex-Specific Mechanisms Underlie Long-Term Potentiation at Hippocampus→Medium Spiny Neuron Synapses in the Medial Shell of the Nucleus Accumbens. J Neurosci 2024; 44:e0100242024. [PMID: 38806250 PMCID: PMC11223474 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0100-24.2024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2024] [Revised: 05/16/2024] [Accepted: 05/21/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Sex differences have complicated our understanding of the neurobiological basis of many behaviors that are key for survival. As such, continued elucidation of the similarities and differences between sexes is necessary to gain insight into brain function and vulnerability. The connection between the hippocampus (Hipp) and nucleus accumbens (NAc) is a crucial site where modulation of neuronal activity mediates reward-related behavior. Our previous work demonstrated that long-term potentiation (LTP) of Hipp→NAc synapses is rewarding, and mice can establish learned associations between LTP of these synapses and the contextual environment in which LTP occurred. Here, we investigated sex differences in the mechanisms underlying Hipp→NAc LTP using whole-cell electrophysiology and pharmacology. We observed similarities in basal synaptic strength between males and females and found that LTP occurs postsynaptically with similar magnitudes in both sexes. However, key sex differences emerged as LTP in males required NMDA receptors (NMDAR), whereas LTP in females utilized an NMDAR-independent mechanism involving L-type voltage-gated Ca2+ channels (VGCCs) and estrogen receptor α (ERα). We also uncovered sex-similar features as LTP in both sexes depended on CaMKII activity and occurred independently of dopamine-1 receptor (D1R) activation. Our results have elucidated sex-specific molecular mechanisms for LTP in an integral pathway that mediates reward-related behaviors, emphasizing the importance of considering sex as a variable in mechanistic studies. Continued characterization of sex-specific mechanisms underlying plasticity will offer novel insight into the neurophysiological basis of behavior, with significant implications for understanding how diverse processes mediate behavior and contribute to vulnerability to developing psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley E Copenhaver
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), Baltimore, Maryland 21250
| | - Tara A LeGates
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), Baltimore, Maryland 21250
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland 21201
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2
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Attaallah B, Petitet P, Zambellas R, Toniolo S, Maio MR, Ganse-Dumrath A, Irani SR, Manohar SG, Husain M. The role of the human hippocampus in decision-making under uncertainty. Nat Hum Behav 2024; 8:1366-1382. [PMID: 38684870 PMCID: PMC11272595 DOI: 10.1038/s41562-024-01855-2] [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: 08/02/2023] [Accepted: 02/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024]
Abstract
The role of the hippocampus in decision-making is beginning to be more understood. Because of its prospective and inferential functions, we hypothesized that it might be required specifically when decisions involve the evaluation of uncertain values. A group of individuals with autoimmune limbic encephalitis-a condition known to focally affect the hippocampus-were tested on how they evaluate reward against uncertainty compared to reward against another key attribute: physical effort. Across four experiments requiring participants to make trade-offs between reward, uncertainty and effort, patients with acute limbic encephalitis demonstrated blunted sensitivity to reward and effort whenever uncertainty was considered, despite demonstrating intact uncertainty sensitivity. By contrast, the valuation of these two attributes (reward and effort) was intact on uncertainty-free tasks. Reduced sensitivity to changes in reward under uncertainty correlated with the severity of hippocampal damage. Together, these findings provide evidence for a context-sensitive role of the hippocampus in value-based decision-making, apparent specifically under conditions of uncertainty.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bahaaeddin Attaallah
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
| | - Pierre Petitet
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Rhea Zambellas
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Sofia Toniolo
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Maria Raquel Maio
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Akke Ganse-Dumrath
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Sarosh R Irani
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Sanjay G Manohar
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Masud Husain
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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3
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Barnstedt O, Mocellin P, Remy S. A hippocampus-accumbens code guides goal-directed appetitive behavior. Nat Commun 2024; 15:3196. [PMID: 38609363 PMCID: PMC11015045 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47361-x] [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: 04/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
The dorsal hippocampus (dHPC) is a key brain region for the expression of spatial memories, such as navigating towards a learned reward location. The nucleus accumbens (NAc) is a prominent projection target of dHPC and implicated in value-based action selection. Yet, the contents of the dHPC→NAc information stream and their acute role in behavior remain largely unknown. Here, we found that optogenetic stimulation of the dHPC→NAc pathway while mice navigated towards a learned reward location was both necessary and sufficient for spatial memory-related appetitive behaviors. To understand the task-relevant coding properties of individual NAc-projecting hippocampal neurons (dHPC→NAc), we used in vivo dual-color two-photon imaging. In contrast to other dHPC neurons, the dHPC→NAc subpopulation contained more place cells, with enriched spatial tuning properties. This subpopulation also showed enhanced coding of non-spatial task-relevant behaviors such as deceleration and appetitive licking. A generalized linear model revealed enhanced conjunctive coding in dHPC→NAc neurons which improved the identification of the reward zone. We propose that dHPC routes specific reward-related spatial and behavioral state information to guide NAc action selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oliver Barnstedt
- Department of Cellular Neuroscience, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, 39118, Magdeburg, Germany.
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), 39120, Magdeburg, Germany.
- Institute for Biology, Otto-von-Guericke University, 39120, Magdeburg, Germany.
| | - Petra Mocellin
- Department of Cellular Neuroscience, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, 39118, Magdeburg, Germany
- International Max Planck Research, School for Brain & Behavior (IMPRS), 53175, Bonn, Germany
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology and Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720-3370, USA
| | - Stefan Remy
- Department of Cellular Neuroscience, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, 39118, Magdeburg, Germany.
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), 39120, Magdeburg, Germany.
- Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences (CBBS), 39106, Magdeburg, Germany.
- German Center for Mental Health (DZGP), partner site Halle-Jena-Magdeburg, 39118, Magdeburg, Germany.
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4
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Valyear MD, Brown A, Deyab G, Villaruel FR, Lahlou S, Caporicci-Dinucci N, Chaudhri N. Augmenting glutamatergic, but not dopaminergic, activity in the nucleus accumbens shell disrupts responding to a discrete alcohol cue in an alcohol context. Eur J Neurosci 2024; 59:1500-1518. [PMID: 38185906 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.16231] [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: 09/08/2023] [Revised: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 12/02/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024]
Abstract
Discrete alcohol cues and contexts are relapse triggers for people with alcohol use disorder exerting particularly powerful control over behaviour when they co-occur. Here, we investigated the neural substrates subserving the capacity for alcohol-associated contexts to elevate responding to an alcohol-predictive conditioned stimulus (CS). Specifically, rats were trained in a distinct 'alcohol context' to respond by entering a fluid port during a discrete auditory CS that predicted the delivery of alcohol and were familiarized with a 'neutral context' wherein alcohol was never available. When conditioned CS responding was tested by presenting the CS without alcohol, we found that augmenting glutamatergic activity in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) shell by microinfusing α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) reduced responding to an alcohol CS in an alcohol, but not neutral, context. Further, AMPA microinfusion robustly affected behaviour, attenuating the number, duration and latency of CS responses selectively in the alcohol context. Although dopaminergic inputs to the NAc shell were previously shown to be necessary for CS responding in an alcohol context, here, chemogenetic excitation of ventral tegmental area (VTA) dopamine neurons and their inputs to the NAc shell did not affect CS responding. Critically, chemogenetic excitation of VTA dopamine neurons affected feeding behaviour and elevated c-fos immunoreactivity in the VTA and NAc shell, validating the chemogenetic approach. These findings enrich our understanding of the substrates underlying Pavlovian responding for alcohol and reveal that the capacity for contexts to modulate responding to discrete alcohol cues is delicately underpinned by the NAc shell.
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Affiliation(s)
- Milan D Valyear
- Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Alexa Brown
- Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Ghislaine Deyab
- Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Franz R Villaruel
- Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Soraya Lahlou
- Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Nina Caporicci-Dinucci
- Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Nadia Chaudhri
- Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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5
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Nguyen R, Sivakumaran S, Lambe EK, Kim JC. Ventral hippocampal cholecystokinin interneurons gate contextual reward memory. iScience 2024; 27:108824. [PMID: 38303709 PMCID: PMC10831933 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.108824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2023] [Revised: 11/06/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 02/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Associating contexts with rewards depends on hippocampal circuits, with local inhibitory interneurons positioned to play an important role in shaping activity. Here, we demonstrate that the encoding of context-reward memory requires a ventral hippocampus (vHPC) to nucleus accumbens (NAc) circuit that is gated by cholecystokinin (CCK) interneurons. In a sucrose conditioned place preference (CPP) task, optogenetically inhibiting vHPC-NAc terminals impaired the acquisition of place preference. Transsynaptic rabies tracing revealed vHPC-NAc neurons were monosynaptically innervated by CCK interneurons. Using intersectional genetic targeting of CCK interneurons, ex vivo optogenetic activation of CCK interneurons increased GABAergic transmission onto vHPC-NAc neurons, while in vivo optogenetic inhibition of CCK interneurons increased cFos in these projection neurons. Notably, CCK interneuron inhibition during sucrose CPP learning increased time spent in the sucrose-associated location, suggesting enhanced place-reward memory. Our findings reveal a previously unknown hippocampal microcircuit crucial for modulating the strength of contextual reward learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robin Nguyen
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | | | - Evelyn K. Lambe
- Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of OBGYN, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Jun Chul Kim
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Cell & Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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6
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Ibrahim KM, Massaly N, Yoon HJ, Sandoval R, Widman AJ, Heuermann RJ, Williams S, Post W, Pathiranage S, Lintz T, Zec A, Park A, Yu W, Kash TL, Gereau RW, Morón JA. Dorsal hippocampus to nucleus accumbens projections drive reinforcement via activation of accumbal dynorphin neurons. Nat Commun 2024; 15:750. [PMID: 38286800 PMCID: PMC10825206 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-44836-9] [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: 08/02/2022] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 01/31/2024] Open
Abstract
The hippocampus is pivotal in integrating emotional processing, learning, memory, and reward-related behaviors. The dorsal hippocampus (dHPC) is particularly crucial for episodic, spatial, and associative memory, and has been shown to be necessary for context- and cue-associated reward behaviors. The nucleus accumbens (NAc), a central structure in the mesolimbic reward pathway, integrates the salience of aversive and rewarding stimuli. Despite extensive research on dHPC→NAc direct projections, their sufficiency in driving reinforcement and reward-related behavior remains to be determined. Our study establishes that activating excitatory neurons in the dHPC is sufficient to induce reinforcing behaviors through its direct projections to the dorso-medial subregion of the NAc shell (dmNAcSh). Notably, dynorphin-containing neurons specifically contribute to dHPC-driven reinforcing behavior, even though both dmNAcSh dynorphin- and enkephalin-containing neurons are activated with dHPC stimulation. Our findings unveil a pathway governing reinforcement, advancing our understanding of the hippocampal circuity's role in reward-seeking behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khairunisa Mohamad Ibrahim
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University Pain Center, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
- Washington University in St. Louis, School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Nicolas Massaly
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University Pain Center, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
- Washington University in St. Louis, School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Hye-Jean Yoon
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University Pain Center, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
- Washington University in St. Louis, School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Rossana Sandoval
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University Pain Center, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
- Washington University in St. Louis, School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Allie J Widman
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University Pain Center, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
- Washington University in St. Louis, School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Robert J Heuermann
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University Pain Center, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
- Washington University in St. Louis, School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
- Department of Neurology, Washington University Pain Center, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Sidney Williams
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University Pain Center, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
- Washington University in St. Louis, School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - William Post
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University Pain Center, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
- Washington University in St. Louis, School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Sulan Pathiranage
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University Pain Center, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
- Washington University in St. Louis, School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Tania Lintz
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University Pain Center, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
- Washington University in St. Louis, School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Azra Zec
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University Pain Center, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
- Washington University in St. Louis, School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Ashley Park
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University Pain Center, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
- Washington University in St. Louis, School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Waylin Yu
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Thomas L Kash
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Robert W Gereau
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University Pain Center, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
- Washington University in St. Louis, School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Jose A Morón
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University Pain Center, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA.
- Washington University in St. Louis, School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA.
- Department of Neuroscience, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA.
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7
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Wee RWS, Mishchanchuk K, AlSubaie R, Church TW, Gold MG, MacAskill AF. Internal-state-dependent control of feeding behavior via hippocampal ghrelin signaling. Neuron 2024; 112:288-305.e7. [PMID: 37977151 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.10.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2022] [Revised: 09/13/2023] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
Hunger is an internal state that not only invigorates feeding but also acts as a contextual cue for higher-order control of anticipatory feeding-related behavior. The ventral hippocampus is crucial for differentiating optimal behavior across contexts, but how internal contexts such as hunger influence hippocampal circuitry is unknown. In this study, we investigated the role of the ventral hippocampus during feeding behavior across different states of hunger in mice. We found that activity of a unique subpopulation of neurons that project to the nucleus accumbens (vS-NAc neurons) increased when animals investigated food, and this activity inhibited the transition to begin eating. Increases in the level of the peripheral hunger hormone ghrelin reduced vS-NAc activity during this anticipatory phase of feeding via ghrelin-receptor-dependent increases in postsynaptic inhibition and promoted the initiation of eating. Together, these experiments define a ghrelin-sensitive hippocampal circuit that informs the decision to eat based on internal state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan W S Wee
- Department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology, University College London, Gower St., London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Karyna Mishchanchuk
- Department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology, University College London, Gower St., London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Rawan AlSubaie
- Department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology, University College London, Gower St., London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Timothy W Church
- Department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology, University College London, Gower St., London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Matthew G Gold
- Department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology, University College London, Gower St., London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Andrew F MacAskill
- Department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology, University College London, Gower St., London WC1E 6BT, UK.
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Copenhaver AE, LeGates TA. Sex-specific mechanisms underlie long-term potentiation at hippocampus-nucleus accumbens synapses. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.15.575709. [PMID: 38293132 PMCID: PMC10827060 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.15.575709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
Sex differences have complicated our understanding of the neurobiological basis of many behaviors that are key for survival. As such, continued elucidation of the similarities and differences between sexes is necessary in order to gain insight into brain function and vulnerability. The connection between the hippocampus (Hipp) and nucleus accumbens (NAc) is a crucial site where modulation of neuronal activity mediates reward-related behavior. Our previous work demonstrated that long-term potentiation (LTP) of Hipp-NAc synapses is rewarding, and that mice can make learned associations between LTP of these synapses and the contextual environment in which LTP occurred. Here, we investigate sex differences in the mechanisms underlying Hipp-NAc LTP using whole-cell electrophysiology and pharmacology. We found that males and females display similar magnitudes of Hipp-NAc LTP which occurs postsynaptically. However, LTP in females requires L-type voltage-gated Ca 2+ channels (VGCC) for postsynaptic Ca 2+ influx, while males rely on NMDA receptors (NMDAR). Additionally, females require estrogen receptor α (ERα) activity for LTP while males do not. These differential mechanisms converge as LTP in both sexes depends on CAMKII activity and occurs independently of dopamine-1 receptor (D1R) activation. Our results have elucidated sex-specific molecular mechanisms for LTP in an integral excitatory pathway that mediates reward-related behaviors, emphasizing the importance of considering sex as a variable in mechanistic studies. Continued characterization of sex-specific mechanisms underlying plasticity will offer novel insight into the neurophysiological basis of behavior, with significant implications for understanding how diverse processes mediate behavior and contribute to vulnerability to developing psychiatric disorders. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Strengthening of Hipp-NAc synapses drives reward-related behaviors. Male and female mice have similar magnitudes of long-term potentiation (LTP) and both sexes have a predicted postsynaptic locus of plasticity. Despite these similarities, we illustrate here that sex-specific molecular mechanisms are used to elicit LTP. Given the bidirectional relationship between Hipp-NAc synaptic strength in mediating reward-related behaviors, the use of distinct molecular mechanisms may explain sex differences observed in stress susceptibility or response to rewarding stimuli. Discovery and characterization of convergent sex differences provides mechanistic insight into the sex-specific function of Hipp-NAc circuitry and has widespread implications for circuits mediating learning and reward-related behavior.
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Gaytán-Tocavén L, Aguilar-Moreno A, Ortiz J, Alcauter S, Antonio-Cabrera E, Paredes RG. Identification of neural circuits controlling male sexual behavior and sexual motivation by manganese-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging. Front Behav Neurosci 2023; 17:1301406. [PMID: 38187924 PMCID: PMC10768062 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2023.1301406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Different techniques have been used to identify the brain regions that control sexual motivation and sexual behavior. However, the influence of sexual experience on the activation of these brain regions in the same subject is unknown. Using manganese-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MEMRI), we analyzed the activation of brain regions in the sexual incentive motivation (SIM) and the partner preference PP (tests) on weeks 1, 5, and 10 in male rats tested for 10 weeks. AIM. In experiment 1, we analyzed the possible toxic effects of 16 mg/kg of MnCl2 on male sexual behavior, running wheel, and motor execution. In experiment 2, subjects were tested for SIM and PP using MEMRI. Methods In both experiments, a dose of 16 mg/kg (s.c) of chloride manganese (MnCl2) was administered 24 h before subjects were tested and placed immediately thereafter in a 7-Tesla Bruker scanner. Results In experiment 1, the dose of 16 mg/kg of MnCl2 did not induce behavioral alterations that could interfere with interpreting the imaging data. In experiment 2, we found a clear preference for the female in both the SIM and PP tests. We found a higher signal intensity in the olfactory bulb (OB) in week 1 of the SIM test compared to the control group. We also found increased signal intensity in the socio-sexual behavior and mesolimbic reward circuits in the SIM test in week 1. In the PP test, we found a higher signal intensity in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) in week 10 compared to the control group. In the same test, we found increased signal intensity in the socio-sexual and mesolimbic reward circuits in week 5 compared to the control group. Cohen's d analysis of the whole brain revealed that as the subjects gained sexual experience we observed a higher brain activation in the OB in the SIM group. The PP group showed higher brain activation in the cortex and subcortical structures as they acquired sexual experience. Discussion As the subjects gain sexual experience, more structures of the reward and socio-sexual circuits are recruited, resulting in different, and large brain activations.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Juan Ortiz
- Instituto de Neurobiología, UNAM, Querétaro, Mexico
| | | | | | - Raúl G. Paredes
- Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores, Unidad Juriquilla, UNAM, Querétaro, Mexico
- Instituto de Neurobiología, UNAM, Querétaro, Mexico
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10
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Yang M, Singh A, McDougle M, Décarie-Spain L, Kanoski S, de Lartigue G. Separate orexigenic hippocampal ensembles shape dietary choice by enhancing contextual memory and motivation. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.10.09.561580. [PMID: 37873148 PMCID: PMC10592764 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.09.561580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2023]
Abstract
The hippocampus (HPC), traditionally known for its role in learning and memory, has emerged as a controller of food intake. While prior studies primarily associated the HPC with food intake inhibition, recent research suggests a critical role in appetitive processes. We hypothesized that orexigenic HPC neurons differentially respond to fats and/or sugars, potent natural reinforcers that contribute to obesity development. Results uncover previously-unrecognized, spatially-distinct neuronal ensembles within the dorsal HPC (dHPC) that are responsive to separate nutrient signals originating from the gut. Using activity-dependent genetic capture of nutrient-responsive HPC neurons, we demonstrate a causal role of both populations in promoting nutrient-specific preference through different mechanisms. Sugar-responsive neurons encode an appetitive spatial memory engram for meal location, whereas fat-responsive neurons selectively enhance the preference and motivation for fat intake. Collectively, these findings uncover a neural basis for the exquisite specificity in processing macronutrient signals from a meal that shape dietary choices.
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Li Z, Athwal D, Lee HL, Sah P, Opazo P, Chuang KH. Locating causal hubs of memory consolidation in spontaneous brain network in male mice. Nat Commun 2023; 14:5399. [PMID: 37669938 PMCID: PMC10480429 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-41024-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2023] [Indexed: 09/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Memory consolidation after learning involves spontaneous, brain-wide network reorganization during rest and sleep, but how this is achieved is still poorly understood. Current theory suggests that the hippocampus is pivotal for this reshaping of connectivity. Using fMRI in male mice, we identify that a different set of spontaneous networks and their hubs are instrumental in consolidating memory during post-learning rest. We found that two types of spatial memory training invoke distinct functional connections, but that a network of the sensory cortex and subcortical areas is common for both tasks. Furthermore, learning increased brain-wide network integration, with the prefrontal, striatal and thalamic areas being influential for this network-level reconfiguration. Chemogenetic suppression of each hub identified after learning resulted in retrograde amnesia, confirming the behavioral significance. These results demonstrate the causal and functional roles of resting-state network hubs in memory consolidation and suggest that a distributed network beyond the hippocampus subserves this process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zengmin Li
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Dilsher Athwal
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Hsu-Lei Lee
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Pankaj Sah
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- Joint Center for Neuroscience and Neural Engineering, and Department of Biology, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong, PR China
| | - Patricio Opazo
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- Clem Jones Centre for Ageing Dementia Research, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- UK Dementia Research Institute, Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Kai-Hsiang Chuang
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
- Centre of Advanced Imaging, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
- Australian Research Council Training Centre for Innovation in Biomedical Imaging Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
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Levcik D, Sugi AH, Aguilar-Rivera M, Pochapski JA, Baltazar G, Pulido LN, Villas-Boas CA, Fuentes-Flores R, Nicola SM, Da Cunha C. Nucleus Accumbens Shell Neurons Encode the Kinematics of Reward Approach Locomotion. Neuroscience 2023; 524:181-196. [PMID: 37330195 PMCID: PMC10527230 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2023.06.002] [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: 04/12/2023] [Revised: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
The nucleus accumbens (NAc) is considered an interface between motivation and action, with NAc neurons playing an important role in promoting reward approach. However, the encoding by NAc neurons that contributes to this role remains unknown. We recorded 62 NAc neurons in male Wistar rats (n = 5) running towards rewarded locations in an 8-arm radial maze. Variables related to locomotor approach kinematics were the best predictors of the firing rate for most NAc neurons. Nearly 18% of the recorded neurons were inhibited during the entire approach run (locomotion-off cells), suggesting that reduction in firing of these neurons promotes initiation of locomotor approach. 27% of the neurons presented a peak of activity during acceleration followed by a valley during deceleration (acceleration-on cells). Together, these neurons accounted for most of the speed and acceleration encoding identified in our analysis. In contrast, a further 16% of neurons presented a valley during acceleration followed by a peak just prior to or after reaching reward (deceleration-on cells). These findings suggest that these three classes of NAc neurons influence the time course of speed changes during locomotor approach to reward.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Levcik
- Laboratório de Fisiologia e Farmacologia do Sistema Nervoso Central, Universidade Federal do Paraná, 81531-980 Curitiba, Brazil; Institute of Physiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Videnska 1083, 142 20 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Adam H Sugi
- Laboratório de Fisiologia e Farmacologia do Sistema Nervoso Central, Universidade Federal do Paraná, 81531-980 Curitiba, Brazil; Department of Pharmacology, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil; Department of Biochemistry, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil
| | - Marcelo Aguilar-Rivera
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, 9500 Gilman Drive MC 0412, La Jolla, San Diego 92093, USA
| | - José A Pochapski
- Laboratório de Fisiologia e Farmacologia do Sistema Nervoso Central, Universidade Federal do Paraná, 81531-980 Curitiba, Brazil; Department of Pharmacology, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil
| | - Gabriel Baltazar
- Laboratório de Fisiologia e Farmacologia do Sistema Nervoso Central, Universidade Federal do Paraná, 81531-980 Curitiba, Brazil; Department of Pharmacology, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil; Department of Biochemistry, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil
| | - Laura N Pulido
- Laboratório de Fisiologia e Farmacologia do Sistema Nervoso Central, Universidade Federal do Paraná, 81531-980 Curitiba, Brazil; Department of Pharmacology, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil
| | - Cyrus A Villas-Boas
- Laboratório de Fisiologia e Farmacologia do Sistema Nervoso Central, Universidade Federal do Paraná, 81531-980 Curitiba, Brazil
| | - Romulo Fuentes-Flores
- Departamento de Neurociencia, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Av. Independencia 1027, Independencia 8380453, Santiago, Chile
| | - Saleem M Nicola
- Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 1300 Morris Park Ave, Bronx, NY 10461, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, USA
| | - Claudio Da Cunha
- Laboratório de Fisiologia e Farmacologia do Sistema Nervoso Central, Universidade Federal do Paraná, 81531-980 Curitiba, Brazil; Department of Pharmacology, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil; Department of Biochemistry, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil.
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Hosseinzadeh Sahafi O, Sardari M, Alijanpour S, Rezayof A. Shared Mechanisms of GABAergic and Opioidergic Transmission Regulate Corticolimbic Reward Systems and Cognitive Aspects of Motivational Behaviors. Brain Sci 2023; 13:brainsci13050815. [PMID: 37239287 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13050815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2023] [Revised: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The functional interplay between the corticolimbic GABAergic and opioidergic systems plays a crucial role in regulating the reward system and cognitive aspects of motivational behaviors leading to the development of addictive behaviors and disorders. This review provides a summary of the shared mechanisms of GABAergic and opioidergic transmission, which modulate the activity of dopaminergic neurons located in the ventral tegmental area (VTA), the central hub of the reward mechanisms. This review comprehensively covers the neuroanatomical and neurobiological aspects of corticolimbic inhibitory neurons that express opioid receptors, which act as modulators of corticolimbic GABAergic transmission. The presence of opioid and GABA receptors on the same neurons allows for the modulation of the activity of dopaminergic neurons in the ventral tegmental area, which plays a key role in the reward mechanisms of the brain. This colocalization of receptors and their immunochemical markers can provide a comprehensive understanding for clinicians and researchers, revealing the neuronal circuits that contribute to the reward system. Moreover, this review highlights the importance of GABAergic transmission-induced neuroplasticity under the modulation of opioid receptors. It discusses their interactive role in reinforcement learning, network oscillation, aversive behaviors, and local feedback or feedforward inhibitions in reward mechanisms. Understanding the shared mechanisms of these systems may lead to the development of new therapeutic approaches for addiction, reward-related disorders, and drug-induced cognitive impairment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oveis Hosseinzadeh Sahafi
- Department of Animal Biology, School of Biology, College of Science, University of Tehran, Tehran 14155-6465, Iran
- Department of Neurophysiology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Maryam Sardari
- Department of Animal Biology, School of Biology, College of Science, University of Tehran, Tehran 14155-6465, Iran
| | - Sakineh Alijanpour
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Gonbad Kavous University, Gonbad Kavous 4971799151, Iran
| | - Ameneh Rezayof
- Department of Animal Biology, School of Biology, College of Science, University of Tehran, Tehran 14155-6465, Iran
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14
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Hamza EA, Moustafa AA, Tindle R, Karki R, Nalla S, Hamid MS, El Haj M. Effect of APOE4 Allele and Gender on the Rate of Atrophy in the Hippocampus, Entorhinal Cortex, and Fusiform Gyrus in Alzheimer's Disease. Curr Alzheimer Res 2023; 19:CAR-EPUB-130079. [PMID: 36892120 DOI: 10.2174/1567205020666230309113749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2022] [Revised: 02/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/25/2023] [Indexed: 03/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The hippocampus, entorhinal cortex, and fusiform gyrus are brain areas that deteriorate during early-stage Alzheimer's disease (AD). The ApoE4 allele has been identified as a risk factor for AD development, is linked to an increase in the aggregation of amyloid ß (Aß) plaques in the brain, and is responsible for atrophy of the hippocampal area. However, to our knowledge, the rate of deterioration over time in individuals with AD, with or without the ApoE4 allele, has not been investigated. METHOD In this study, we, for the first time, analyze atrophy in these brain structures in AD patients with and without the ApoE4 using the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) dataset. RESULTS It was found that the rate of decrease in the volume of these brain areas over 12 months was related to the presence of ApoE4. Further, we found that neural atrophy was not different for female and male patients, unlike prior studies, suggesting that the presence of ApoE4 is not linked to the gender difference in AD. CONCLUSION Our results confirm and extend previous findings, showing that the ApoE4 allele gradually impacts brain regions impacted by AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eid Abo Hamza
- Faculty of Education, Department of Mental Health, Tanta University, Egypt
- College of Education, Humanities & Social Sciences, Al Ain University, UAE
| | - Ahmed A Moustafa
- School of Psychology, Faculty of Society and Design, Bond University, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
- Department of Human Anatomy and Physiology, the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Richard Tindle
- Department of Psychology, University of the Sunshine Coast, Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia
| | - Rasu Karki
- Department of Psychology, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW, 2214, Australia
| | - Shahed Nalla
- Department of Human Anatomy and Physiology, the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Johannesburg, South Africa
| | | | - Mohamad El Haj
- Laboratoire de Psychologie des Pays de la Loire (LPPL - EA 4638), Nantes Université, Univ. Angers., Nantes, F-44000, France
- Clinical Gerontology Department, CHU Nantes, Bd Jacques Monod,Nantes, F44093, France
- Institut Universitaire de France, Paris, France
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15
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Piromalli Girado D, Miranda M, Giachero M, Weisstaub N, Bekinschtein P. Endocytosis is required for consolidation of pattern-separated memories in the perirhinal cortex. Front Syst Neurosci 2023; 17:1043664. [PMID: 36911226 PMCID: PMC9995888 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2023.1043664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2022] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction The ability to separate similar experiences into differentiated representations is proposed to be based on a computational process called pattern separation, and it is one of the key characteristics of episodic memory. Although pattern separation has been mainly studied in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus, this cognitive function if thought to take place also in other regions of the brain. The perirhinal cortex is important for the acquisition and storage of object memories, and in particular for object memory differentiation. The present study was devoted to investigating the importance of the cellular mechanism of endocytosis for object memory differentiation in the perirhinal cortex and its association with brain-derived neurotrophic factor, which was previously shown to be critical for the pattern separation mechanism in this structure. Methods We used a modified version of the object recognition memory task and intracerebral delivery of a peptide (Tat-P4) into the perirhinal cortex to block endocytosis. Results We found that endocytosis is necessary for pattern separation in the perirhinal cortex. We also provide evidence from a molecular disconnection experiment that BDNF and endocytosis-related mechanisms interact for memory discrimination in both male and female rats. Discussion Our experiments suggest that BDNF and endocytosis are essential for consolidation of separate object memories and a part of a time-restricted, protein synthesis-dependent mechanism of memory stabilization in Prh during storage of object representations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dinka Piromalli Girado
- Laboratory of Memory and Molecular Cognition, Instituto de Neurociencia Cognitiva y Traslacional (Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas-Fundación INECO-Universidad Favaloro), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Magdalena Miranda
- Laboratory of Memory and Molecular Cognition, Instituto de Neurociencia Cognitiva y Traslacional (Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas-Fundación INECO-Universidad Favaloro), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Marcelo Giachero
- Laboratory of Memory and Molecular Cognition, Instituto de Neurociencia Cognitiva y Traslacional (Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas-Fundación INECO-Universidad Favaloro), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Noelia Weisstaub
- Laboratory of Memory and Molecular Cognition, Instituto de Neurociencia Cognitiva y Traslacional (Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas-Fundación INECO-Universidad Favaloro), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Pedro Bekinschtein
- Laboratory of Memory and Molecular Cognition, Instituto de Neurociencia Cognitiva y Traslacional (Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas-Fundación INECO-Universidad Favaloro), Buenos Aires, Argentina
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16
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Sun Y, Giocomo LM. Neural circuit dynamics of drug-context associative learning in the mouse hippocampus. Nat Commun 2022; 13:6721. [PMID: 36344498 PMCID: PMC9640587 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-34114-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Accepted: 10/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The environmental context associated with previous drug consumption is a potent trigger for drug relapse. However, the mechanism by which neural representations of context are modified to incorporate information associated with drugs of abuse remains unknown. Using longitudinal calcium imaging in freely behaving mice, we find that unlike the associative learning of natural reward, drug-context associations for psychostimulants and opioids are encoded in a specific subset of hippocampal neurons. After drug conditioning, these neurons weakened their spatial coding for the non-drug paired context, resulting in an orthogonal representation for the drug versus non-drug context that was predictive of drug-seeking behavior. Furthermore, these neurons were selected based on drug-spatial experience and were exclusively tuned to animals' allocentric position. Together, this work reveals how drugs of abuse alter the hippocampal circuit to encode drug-context associations and points to the possibility of targeting drug-associated memory in the hippocampus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanjun Sun
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
| | - Lisa M Giocomo
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
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17
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Ca 2+-modulated photoactivatable imaging reveals neuron-astrocyte glutamatergic circuitries within the nucleus accumbens. Nat Commun 2022; 13:5272. [PMID: 36071061 PMCID: PMC9452556 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-33020-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2021] [Accepted: 08/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Astrocytes are key elements of brain circuits that are involved in different aspects of the neuronal physiology relevant to brain functions. Although much effort is being made to understand how the biology of astrocytes affects brain circuits, astrocytic network heterogeneity and plasticity is still poorly defined. Here, we have combined structural and functional imaging of astrocyte activity recorded in mice using the Ca2+-modulated photoactivatable ratiometric integrator and specific optostimulation of glutamatergic pathways to map the functional neuron-astrocyte circuitries in the nucleus accumbens (NAc). We showed pathway-specific astrocytic responses induced by selective optostimulation of main inputs from the prefrontal cortex, basolateral amygdala, and ventral hippocampus. Furthermore, co-stimulation of glutamatergic pathways induced non-linear Ca2+-signaling integration, revealing integrative properties of NAc astrocytes. All these results demonstrate the existence of specific neuron-astrocyte circuits in the NAc, providing an insight to the understanding of how the NAc integrates information. Neuron-astrocyte communication is fundamental for brain physiology, yet the heterogeneity in the functional interaction between these two elements remains poorly understood. Here we show how different neuron-astrocyte networks integrate information from distinct glutamatergic inputs.
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18
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Brito V, Montalban E, Sancho-Balsells A, Pupak A, Flotta F, Masana M, Ginés S, Alberch J, Martin C, Girault JA, Giralt A. Hippocampal Egr1-Dependent Neuronal Ensembles Negatively Regulate Motor Learning. J Neurosci 2022; 42:5346-5360. [PMID: 35610044 PMCID: PMC9270920 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2258-21.2022] [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: 11/11/2021] [Revised: 04/09/2022] [Accepted: 05/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Motor skills learning is classically associated with brain regions including cerebral and cerebellar cortices and basal ganglia nuclei. Less is known about the role of the hippocampus in the acquisition and storage of motor skills. Here, we show that mice receiving a long-term training in the accelerating rotarod display marked hippocampal transcriptional changes and reduced pyramidal neurons activity in the CA1 region when compared with naive mice. Then, we use mice in which neural ensembles are permanently labeled in an Egr1 activity-dependent fashion. Using these mice, we identify a subpopulation of Egr1-expressing pyramidal neurons in CA1 activated in short-term (STT) and long-term (LTT) trained mice in the rotarod task. When Egr1 is downregulated in the CA1 or these neuronal ensembles are depleted, motor learning is improved whereas their chemogenetic stimulation impairs motor learning performance. Thus, Egr1 organizes specific CA1 neuronal ensembles during the accelerating rotarod task that limit motor learning. These evidences highlight the role of the hippocampus in the control of this type of learning and we provide a possible underlying mechanism.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT It is a major topic in neurosciences the deciphering of the specific circuits underlying memory systems during the encoding of new information. However, the potential role of the hippocampus in the control of motor learning and the underlying mechanisms has been poorly addressed. In the present work we show how the hippocampus responds to motor learning and how the Egr1 molecule is one of the major responsible for such phenomenon controlling the rate of motor coordination performances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Verónica Brito
- Departament de Biomedicina, Facultat de Medicina, Institut de Neurociències, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona 08036, Spain
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona 08036, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Spain, 28029 Madrid
| | - Enrica Montalban
- Biologie Fonctionnelle et Adaptative, Unité Mixte de Recherche 8251, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université de Paris, Paris F-75014, France
| | - Anna Sancho-Balsells
- Departament de Biomedicina, Facultat de Medicina, Institut de Neurociències, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona 08036, Spain
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona 08036, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Spain, 28029 Madrid
| | - Anika Pupak
- Departament de Biomedicina, Facultat de Medicina, Institut de Neurociències, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona 08036, Spain
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona 08036, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Spain, 28029 Madrid
| | - Francesca Flotta
- Departament de Biomedicina, Facultat de Medicina, Institut de Neurociències, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona 08036, Spain
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona 08036, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Spain, 28029 Madrid
| | - Mercè Masana
- Departament de Biomedicina, Facultat de Medicina, Institut de Neurociències, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona 08036, Spain
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona 08036, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Spain, 28029 Madrid
| | - Silvia Ginés
- Departament de Biomedicina, Facultat de Medicina, Institut de Neurociències, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona 08036, Spain
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona 08036, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Spain, 28029 Madrid
| | - Jordi Alberch
- Departament de Biomedicina, Facultat de Medicina, Institut de Neurociències, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona 08036, Spain
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona 08036, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Spain, 28029 Madrid
- Production and Validation Center of Advanced Therapies (Creatio), Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, University of Barcelona, Barcelona 08036, Spain
| | - Claire Martin
- Biologie Fonctionnelle et Adaptative, Unité Mixte de Recherche 8251, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université de Paris, Paris F-75014, France
| | - Jean-Antoine Girault
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale Unité Mixte de Recherche -S 1270, Paris 75005, France
- Science and Engineering Faculty, Sorbonne Université, Paris 75005, France
- Institut du Fer a Moulin, Paris 75005, France
| | - Albert Giralt
- Departament de Biomedicina, Facultat de Medicina, Institut de Neurociències, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona 08036, Spain
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona 08036, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Spain, 28029 Madrid
- Production and Validation Center of Advanced Therapies (Creatio), Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, University of Barcelona, Barcelona 08036, Spain
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The effects of ninjin'yoeito on the electrophysiological properties of dopamine neurons in the ventral tegmental area/substantia nigra pars compacta and medium spiny neurons in the nucleus accumbens. Aging (Albany NY) 2022; 14:4634-4652. [PMID: 35660668 PMCID: PMC9217710 DOI: 10.18632/aging.204109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2021] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The ventral tegmental area (VTA), substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc) and nucleus accumbens (NAc) are involved in the regulation of appetite and motivational behaviors. A traditional Japanese (Kampo) medicine, ninjin'yoeito (NYT), has been reported to improve decreased motivation and anorexia in patients with Alzheimer's disease and apathy-like model mice. Thus, NYT may affect the activities of neurons in the VTA, SNpc and NAc. However, little is known about the underlying mechanisms of NYT. Here, we investigated the effects of NYT on the electrophysiological properties of dopaminergic neurons in the VTA and SNpc, as well as on those of medium spiny neurons (MSNs) in the NAc (core and shell subregions), by applying the patch-clamp technique in the brain slices. NYT reduced the resting membrane potential of VTA and SNpc dopaminergic neurons. In contrast, NYT increased the firing frequency of NAc MSNs accompanied by shortened first spike latency and interspike interval. Furthermore, NYT attenuated the inward rectification and sustained outward currents. In conclusion, NYT may directly influence the excitability of dopaminergic neurons in the VTA and SNpc, as well as MSNs in the NAc (core and shell). NYT may modulate dopamine signals in appetite and motivational behaviors.
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20
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Ye Q, Nunez J, Zhang X. Oxytocin Receptor-Expressing Neurons in the Paraventricular Thalamus Regulate Feeding Motivation through Excitatory Projections to the Nucleus Accumbens Core. J Neurosci 2022; 42:3949-3964. [PMID: 35387870 PMCID: PMC9097779 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2042-21.2022] [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: 10/11/2021] [Revised: 03/27/2022] [Accepted: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Oxytocin receptors (OTR) have been found in the paraventricular thalamus (PVT) for the regulation of feeding and maternal behaviors. However, the functional projections of OTR-expressing PVT neurons remain largely unknown. Here, we used chemogenetic and optogenetic tools to test the role of OTR-expressing PVT neurons and their projections in the regulation of food intake in both male and female OTR-Cre mice. We found chemogenetic activation of OTR-expressing PVT neurons promoted food seeking under trials with a progressive ratio schedule of reinforcement. Using Feeding Experimentation Devices for real-time meal measurements, we found chemogenetic activation of OTR-expressing PVT neurons increased meal frequency but not cumulative food intake because of a compensatory decrease in meal sizes. In combination with anterograde neural tracing and slice patch-clamp recordings, we found optogenetic stimulation of PVT OTR terminals excited neurons in the posterior basolateral amygdala (pBLA) and nucleus accumbens core (NAcC) as well as local PVT neurons through monosynaptic glutamatergic transmissions. Photostimulation of OTR-expressing PVT-NAcC projections promoted food-seeking, whereas selective activation of PVT-pBLA projections produced little effect on feeding. In contrast to selective activation of OTR terminals, photostimulation of a broader population of glutamatergic PVT terminals exerted direct excitation followed by indirect lateral inhibition on neurons in both NAcC and anterior basolateral amygdala. Together, these results suggest that OTR-expressing PVT neurons are a distinct population of PVT glutamate neurons that regulate feeding motivation through projections to NAcC.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The paraventricular thalamus plays an important role in the regulation of feeding motivation. However, because of the diversity of paraventricular thalamic neurons, the specific neuron types promoting food motivation remain elusive. In this study, we provide evidence that oxytocin receptor-expressing neurons are a specific group of glutamate neurons that primarily project to the nucleus accumbens core and posterior amygdala. We found that activation of these neurons promotes the motivation for food reward and increases meal frequency through projections to the nucleus accumbens core but not the posterior amygdala. As a result, we postulate that oxytocin receptor-expressing neurons in the paraventricular thalamus and their projections to the nucleus accumbens core mainly regulate feeding motivation but not food consumption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiying Ye
- Department of Psychology and Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida 32306
| | - Jeremiah Nunez
- Department of Psychology and Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida 32306
| | - Xiaobing Zhang
- Department of Psychology and Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida 32306
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21
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Model-based learning retrospectively updates model-free values. Sci Rep 2022; 12:2358. [PMID: 35149713 PMCID: PMC8837618 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-05567-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2021] [Accepted: 12/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Reinforcement learning (RL) is widely regarded as divisible into two distinct computational strategies. Model-free learning is a simple RL process in which a value is associated with actions, whereas model-based learning relies on the formation of internal models of the environment to maximise reward. Recently, theoretical and animal work has suggested that such models might be used to train model-free behaviour, reducing the burden of costly forward planning. Here we devised a way to probe this possibility in human behaviour. We adapted a two-stage decision task and found evidence that model-based processes at the time of learning can alter model-free valuation in healthy individuals. We asked people to rate subjective value of an irrelevant feature that was seen at the time a model-based decision would have been made. These irrelevant feature value ratings were updated by rewards, but in a way that accounted for whether the selected action retrospectively ought to have been taken. This model-based influence on model-free value ratings was best accounted for by a reward prediction error that was calculated relative to the decision path that would most likely have led to the reward. This effect occurred independently of attention and was not present when participants were not explicitly told about the structure of the environment. These findings suggest that current conceptions of model-based and model-free learning require updating in favour of a more integrated approach. Our task provides an empirical handle for further study of the dialogue between these two learning systems in the future.
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Nukitram J, Cheaha D, Sengnon N, Wungsintaweekul J, Limsuwanchote S, Kumarnsit E. Ameliorative effects of alkaloid extract from Mitragyna speciosa (Korth.) Havil. Leaves on methamphetamine conditioned place preference in mice. JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY 2022; 284:114824. [PMID: 34763040 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2021.114824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2021] [Revised: 09/21/2021] [Accepted: 11/05/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE Mitragyna speciosa (Korth.) Havil., popularly known as Kratom (KT), is a medicinal plant used for pain suppression in Southeast Asia. It has been claimed to assist drug users withdraw from methamphetamine (METH) dependence. However, its use was controversial and not approved yet. AIM OF THE STUDY This study was conducted to characterize local field potential (LFP) patterns in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) and the hippocampus (HP) in mice with METH conditioned place preference (CPP) that were treated with KT alkaloid extract. MATERIALS AND METHODS Male Swiss albino ICR mice were implanted with intracraneal electrodes into the NAc and HP. To induce METH CPP, animals were injected intraperitoneally once a day with METH (1 mg/kg) and saline (0.9% w/v) alternately and put into METH/saline compartments to experience the associations between drug/saline injection and the unique environmental contexts for 10 sessions. Control group received saline injection paired with both saline/saline compartments. On post-conditioning day, effects of 40 (KT40), 80 (KT80) mg/kg KT alkaloid extract and 20 mg/kg bupropion (BP) on CPP scores and LFP powers and NAc-HP coherence were tested. RESULTS Two-way ANOVA revealed significant induction of CPP by METH sessions (P < 0.01). Multiple comparisons indicated that METH CPP was completely abolished by KT80 (P < 0.001). NAc gamma I (30.0-44.9 Hz) and HP delta (1.0-3.9 Hz) powers were significantly increased in mice with METH CPP (P < 0.01). The elevated NAc gamma I was significantly suppressed by KT80 (P < 0.05) and the increased HP delta was significantly reversed by KT40 (P < 0.01) and KT80 (P < 0.001). In addition, NAc-HP coherence was also significantly increased in gamma I (30.0-44.9 Hz) frequency range (P < 0.05) but it was reversed by KT80 (P < 0.05). Treatment with BP did not produce significant effect on these parameters. CONCLUSIONS These findings demonstrated that KT alkaloid extract significantly reversed CPP scores and LFP patterns induced by METH administration. The ameliorative effects of the extract might be beneficial for treatment of METH craving and addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jakkrit Nukitram
- Physiology Program, Division of Health and Applied Sciences, Faculty of Science, Prince of Songkla University, Hatyai Campus, Hatyai, Songkhla, 90112, Thailand; Biosignal Research Center for Health, Faculty of Science, Prince of Songkla University, Hatyai Campus, Hatyai, Songkhla, 90112, Thailand
| | - Dania Cheaha
- Biology Program, Division of Biological Science, Faculty of Science, Prince of Songkla University, Hatyai Campus, Hatyai, Songkhla, 90112, Thailand; Biosignal Research Center for Health, Faculty of Science, Prince of Songkla University, Hatyai Campus, Hatyai, Songkhla, 90112, Thailand
| | - Narumon Sengnon
- Department of Pharmacognosy and Pharmaceutical Botany, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Prince of Songkla University, Hatyai Campus, Hatyai, Songkhla, 90112, Thailand
| | - Juraithip Wungsintaweekul
- Department of Pharmacognosy and Pharmaceutical Botany, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Prince of Songkla University, Hatyai Campus, Hatyai, Songkhla, 90112, Thailand
| | - Supattra Limsuwanchote
- Pharmacology Program, Division of Health and Applied Sciences, Faculty of Science, Prince of Songkla University, Hatyai Campus, Hatyai, Songkhla, 90112, Thailand
| | - Ekkasit Kumarnsit
- Physiology Program, Division of Health and Applied Sciences, Faculty of Science, Prince of Songkla University, Hatyai Campus, Hatyai, Songkhla, 90112, Thailand; Biosignal Research Center for Health, Faculty of Science, Prince of Songkla University, Hatyai Campus, Hatyai, Songkhla, 90112, Thailand.
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Eördegh G, Tót K, Kelemen A, Kiss Á, Bodosi B, Hegedűs A, Lazsádi A, Hertelendy Á, Kéri S, Nagy A. The influence of stimulus complexity on the effectiveness of visual associative learning. Neuroscience 2022; 487:26-34. [PMID: 35122873 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2022.01.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2021] [Revised: 01/26/2022] [Accepted: 01/27/2022] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Visually guided equivalence learning is a special type of associative learning, which can be evaluated using the Rutgers Acquired Equivalence Test (RAET) among other tests. RAET applies complex stimuli (faces and colored fish) between which the test subjects build associations. The complexity of these stimuli offers the test subject several clues that might ease association learning. To reduce the number of such clues, we developed an equivalence learning test (Polygon), which is structured as RAET but uses simple grayscale geometric shapes instead of faces and colored fish. In this study, we compared the psychophysical performances of the same healthy volunteers in both RAET and Polygon test. Equivalence learning, which is a basal ganglia-associated form of learning, appears to be strongly influenced by the complexity of the visual stimuli. The simple geometric shapes were associated with poor performance as compared to faces and fish. However, the difference in stimulus complexity did not affect performance in the retrieval and transfer parts of the test phase, which are assumed to be mediated by the hippocampi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriella Eördegh
- Faculty of Health Sciences and Social Studies, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Kálmán Tót
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - András Kelemen
- Department of Applied Informatics, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Ádám Kiss
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Balázs Bodosi
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - András Hegedűs
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Anna Lazsádi
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Ábel Hertelendy
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Szabolcs Kéri
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Attila Nagy
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary.
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24
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Different encoding of reward location in dorsal and intermediate hippocampus. Curr Biol 2022; 32:834-841.e5. [PMID: 35016008 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.12.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2021] [Revised: 11/05/2021] [Accepted: 12/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Hippocampal place cells fire at specific locations in the environment. They form a cognitive map that encodes spatial relations in the environment, including reward locations.1 As part of this encoding, dorsal CA1 (dCA1) place cells accumulate at reward.2-5 The encoding of learned reward location could vary between the dorsal and intermediate hippocampus, which differ in gene expression and cortical and subcortical connectivity.6 While the dorsal hippocampus is critical for spatial navigation, the involvement of intermediate CA1 (iCA1) in spatial navigation might depend on task complexity7 and learning phase.8-10 The intermediate-to-ventral hippocampus regulates reward-seeking,11-15 but little is known about the involvement in reward-directed navigation. Here, we compared the encoding of learned reward locations in dCA1 and iCA1 during spatial navigation. We used calcium imaging with a head-mounted microscope to track the activity of CA1 cells over multiple days during which mice learned different reward locations. In dCA1, the fraction of active place cells increased in anticipation of reward, but the pool of active cells changed with the reward location. In iCA1, the same cells anticipated multiple reward locations. Our results support a model in which the dCA1 cognitive map incorporates a changing population of cells that encodes reward proximity through increased population activity, while iCA1 provides a reward-predictive code through a dedicated subpopulation. Both of these location-invariant codes persisted over time, and together they provide a dual hippocampal reward location code, assisting goal-directed navigation.16,17.
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25
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Zinsmaier AK, Dong Y, Huang YH. Cocaine-induced projection-specific and cell type-specific adaptations in the nucleus accumbens. Mol Psychiatry 2022; 27:669-686. [PMID: 33963288 PMCID: PMC8691189 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-021-01112-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2020] [Revised: 03/29/2021] [Accepted: 04/09/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Cocaine craving, seeking, and relapse are mediated, in part, by cocaine-induced adaptive changes in the brain reward circuits. The nucleus accumbens (NAc) integrates and prioritizes different emotional and motivational inputs to the reward system by processing convergent glutamatergic projections from the medial prefrontal cortex, basolateral amygdala, ventral hippocampus, and other limbic and paralimbic brain regions. Medium spiny neurons (MSNs) are the principal projection neurons in the NAc, which can be divided into two major subpopulations, namely dopamine receptor D1- versus D2-expressing MSNs, with complementing roles in reward-associated behaviors. After cocaine experience, NAc MSNs exhibit complex and differential adaptations dependent on cocaine regimen, withdrawal time, cell type, location (NAc core versus shell), and related input and output projections, or any combination of these factors. Detailed characterization of these cellular adaptations has been greatly facilitated by the recent development of optogenetic/chemogenetic techniques combined with transgenic tools. In this review, we discuss such cell type- and projection-specific adaptations induced by cocaine experience. Specifically, (1) D1 and D2 NAc MSNs frequently exhibit differential adaptations in spinogenesis, glutamatergic receptor trafficking, and intrinsic membrane excitability, (2) cocaine experience differentially changes the synaptic transmission at different afferent projections onto NAc MSNs, (3) cocaine-induced NAc adaptations exhibit output specificity, e.g., being different at NAc-ventral pallidum versus NAc-ventral tegmental area synapses, and (4) the input, output, subregion, and D1/D2 cell type may together determine cocaine-induced circuit plasticity in the NAc. In light of the projection- and cell-type specificity, we also briefly discuss ensemble and circuit mechanisms contributing to cocaine craving and relapse after drug withdrawal.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yan Dong
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15219,Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15219
| | - Yanhua H. Huang
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15219
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26
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Bennett MS. What Behavioral Abilities Emerged at Key Milestones in Human Brain Evolution? 13 Hypotheses on the 600-Million-Year Phylogenetic History of Human Intelligence. Front Psychol 2021; 12:685853. [PMID: 34393912 PMCID: PMC8358274 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.685853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2021] [Accepted: 06/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
This paper presents 13 hypotheses regarding the specific behavioral abilities that emerged at key milestones during the 600-million-year phylogenetic history from early bilaterians to extant humans. The behavioral, intellectual, and cognitive faculties of humans are complex and varied: we have abilities as diverse as map-based navigation, theory of mind, counterfactual learning, episodic memory, and language. But these faculties, which emerge from the complex human brain, are likely to have evolved from simpler prototypes in the simpler brains of our ancestors. Understanding the order in which behavioral abilities evolved can shed light on how and why our brains evolved. To propose these hypotheses, I review the available data from comparative psychology and evolutionary neuroscience.
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27
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Korz V, Kremslehner C, Maliković J, Hussein A, Feyissa DD, Nagelreiter IM, Smidak R, Plasenzotti R, Gruber F, Lubec G. Striatal Transcriptome Reveals Differences Between Cognitively Impaired and Unimpaired Aged Male Rats. Front Aging Neurosci 2021; 12:611572. [PMID: 33488384 PMCID: PMC7820756 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2020.611572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2020] [Accepted: 12/09/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Cognitive processes require striatal activity. The underlying molecular mechanisms are widely unknown. For this reason the striatal transcriptome of young (YM), aged cognitively impaired (OMB), and unimpaired (OMG) male rats was analyzed. The global comparison of transcripts reveal a higher number of differences between OMG and YM as compared to OMB and YM. Hierarchical clustering detects differences in up- and down-regulated gene clusters in OMG and OMB when compared to YM. In OMG we found more single genes to be specifically regulated in this group than in OMB when compared to young. These genes were considered as cognition specific, whereas genes shared in OMG and OMB were considered as age specific. OMB specific up-regulated genes are related to negative control of cell differentiation and transcription (Hopx), to phagocytosis (Cd202) and cell adhesion (Pcdhb21), whereas down-regulated genes are related to associative learning, behavioral fear response and synaptic transmission (Gabra5). OMG specific up-regulated genes are in the context of maintenance of transcription and estrogen receptor signaling (Padi2, Anxa3), signal transduction [Rassf4, Dock8)], sterol regulation (Srebf1), and complement activity (C4a, C4b). Down-regulated genes are related to lipid oxidation reduction processes (Far2) and positive regulation of axon extension (Islr2). These relations were supported by pathway analysis, which reveals cholesterol metabolism processes in both aged group and cholesterol biosynthesis specifically in OMG; adipogenesis and focal adhesion in OMB. In OMG glucuronidation, estrogen metabolism, inflammatory responses and TGF beta signaling where detected as specific for this group. Signal transduction of the sphingosine-1-phospate-receptor (S1P) receptor was the main pathway difference in the comparison of OMB and OMG with downregulated genes in the first group. This difference could also be observed in the OMB vs. YM comparison but not in the OMG vs. YM analysis. Thus, an up-regulation of cognition related genes could be observed in OMG compared to OMB rats. The S1P pathway discriminated between OMB and OMG as well as between OMB and OMG. Since this pathway has been described as essential for cognitive processes in the striatum of mice, it may, among steroid hormone signaling, significantly contribute to the maintenance of cognitive processes in OMG.
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Affiliation(s)
- Volker Korz
- Proteomics Programme, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
| | | | - Jovana Maliković
- Proteomics Programme, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Ahmed Hussein
- Proteomics Programme, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
| | | | - Ionela-Mariana Nagelreiter
- Department of Dermatology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.,Center for Brain Research, Department of Molecular Neurosciences, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Roman Smidak
- Proteomics Programme, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
| | | | - Florian Gruber
- Department of Dermatology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Gert Lubec
- Proteomics Programme, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
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28
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Bryant KG, Barker JM. Arbitration of Approach-Avoidance Conflict by Ventral Hippocampus. Front Neurosci 2020; 14:615337. [PMID: 33390895 PMCID: PMC7773818 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2020.615337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2020] [Accepted: 11/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
When environmental cues or stimuli that represent both rewarding and aversive outcomes are presented, complex computations must be made in order to determine whether approach or avoidance is the better behavioral strategy. In many neuropsychiatric illnesses these computations can be skewed. In some instances, circumstances that may normally warrant avoidance instead promote approach, thus producing compulsive-like behavioral strategies that are inflexible in response to new or conflicting information. Alternatively, high sensitivity to aversion or low sensitivity to reward can result in the failure to achieve goals and loss of resilience that characterizes depressive disorders. Increases in compulsive-like behavior have been found to be associated with disrupted signaling in regions that regulate response to conflicting stimuli, including the hippocampus. Classic behavioral inhibition theories of hippocampus function in anxiety suggest that the hippocampus blocks aberrant behavior in response to anxiety related cues or stimuli. The hippocampus may act to block approach in the face of conflicting stimuli. Dysregulations of hippocampal function, as may be present in neuropsychiatric disorders, may therefore promote aberrant approach behavior. The ventral hippocampus (vHPC) subregion is key for coordinating this approach/avoidance conflict resolution, likely through its participation with cortico-striatal and mesolimbic circuits. We revisit Gray's behavioral inhibition theory of HPC function, first posited in the 1980s, and interpret in the context of new knowledge on vHPC function gained through modern technology. Taken together with the extant, classical literature on hippocampal function, we propose that these new findings suggest that vHPC circuits balance behavioral response to conflicting stimuli in a manner that is both state- and context-dependent and, further, that disruption of specific vHPC circuits tips the balance in favor of biased approach or avoidance behavioral strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen G Bryant
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Jacqueline M Barker
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
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29
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Wright WJ, Dong Y. Psychostimulant-Induced Adaptations in Nucleus Accumbens Glutamatergic Transmission. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med 2020; 10:cshperspect.a039255. [PMID: 31964644 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a039255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Carrying different aspects of emotional and motivational signals, glutamatergic synaptic projections from multiple limbic and paralimbic brain regions converge to the nucleus accumbens (NAc), in which these arousing signals are processed and prioritized for behavioral output. In animal models of drug addiction, some key drug-induced alterations at NAc glutamatergic synapses underlie important cellular and circuit mechanisms that promote subsequent drug taking, seeking, and relapse. With the focus of cocaine, we review changes at NAc glutamatergic synapses that occur after different drug procedures and abstinence durations, and the behavioral impact of these changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- William J Wright
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15260, USA
| | - Yan Dong
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15260, USA
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30
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31
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Ikekubo Y, Ide S, Hagino Y, Ikeda K. Absence of methamphetamine-induced conditioned place preference in weaver mutant mice. Neuropsychopharmacol Rep 2020; 40:324-331. [PMID: 32812711 PMCID: PMC7722684 DOI: 10.1002/npr2.12130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2020] [Revised: 07/14/2020] [Accepted: 07/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Aims G protein‐activated inwardly rectifying potassium (GIRK) channels are related to rewarding effects of addictive drugs. The GIRK2 subunit is thought to play key roles in the reward system. Weaver mutant mice exhibit abnormal GIRK2 function and different behaviors that are caused by several addictive substances compared with wild‐type mice. However, mechanisms of reward‐related alterations in weaver mutant mice remain unclear. The present study investigated changes in the rewarding effects of methamphetamine (METH) in weaver mutant mice. Methods The rewarding effects of METH (4.0 mg/kg) were investigated using the conditioned place preference (CPP) paradigm. Extracellular dopamine level in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) was measured by in vivo microdialysis. To identify brain regions that were associated with these changes in rewarding effects, METH‐induced alterations of Fos expression were investigated by immunohistochemical analysis. Results Weaver mutant mice exhibited a significant decrease in METH‐induced CPP and dopamine release in the NAc. Methamphetamine significantly increased Fos expression in the posterior NAc (pNAc) shell in wild‐type but not in weaver mutant mice. Conclusions Methamphetamine did not induce rewarding effects in weaver mutant mice. The pNAc shell exhibited a significant difference in neuronal activity between wild‐type and weaver mutant mice. The present results suggest that the absence of METH‐induced CPP in weaver mutant mice is probably related to an innate reduction of dopamine and decreased neural activity in the pNAc shell that is partially attributable to the change of GIRK channel function. GIRK channels, especially those containing the GIRK2 subunit, appear to be involved in METH dependence. Methamphetamine did not induce rewarding effects in weaver mutant mice that possess a mutation in the GIRK2 subunit. The posterior nucleus accumbens shell exhibited a significant difference in neuronal activity between wild‐type and weaver mutant mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuiko Ikekubo
- Addictive Substance Project, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo, Japan.,Molecular and Cellular Medicine, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan
| | - Soichiro Ide
- Addictive Substance Project, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yoko Hagino
- Addictive Substance Project, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kazutaka Ikeda
- Addictive Substance Project, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo, Japan.,Molecular and Cellular Medicine, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan
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32
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Valyear MD, Glovaci I, Zaari A, Lahlou S, Trujillo-Pisanty I, Andrew Chapman C, Chaudhri N. Dissociable mesolimbic dopamine circuits control responding triggered by alcohol-predictive discrete cues and contexts. Nat Commun 2020; 11:3764. [PMID: 32724058 PMCID: PMC7534644 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-17543-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2019] [Accepted: 07/06/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Context can influence reactions to environmental cues and this elemental process has implications for substance use disorder. Using an animal model, we show that an alcohol-associated context elevates entry into a fluid port triggered by a conditioned stimulus (CS) that predicted alcohol (CS-triggered alcohol-seeking). This effect persists across multiple sessions and, after it diminishes in extinction, the alcohol context retains the capacity to augment reinstatement. Systemically administered eticlopride and chemogenetic inhibition of ventral tegmental area (VTA) dopamine neurons reduce CS-triggered alcohol-seeking. Chemogenetically silencing VTA dopamine terminals in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) core reduces CS-triggered alcohol-seeking, irrespective of context, whereas silencing VTA dopamine terminals in the NAc shell selectively reduces the elevation of CS-triggered alcohol-seeking in an alcohol context. This dissociation reveals new roles for divergent mesolimbic dopamine circuits in the control of responding to a discrete cue for alcohol and in the amplification of this behaviour in an alcohol context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Milan D Valyear
- Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Iulia Glovaci
- Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Audrey Zaari
- Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Soraya Lahlou
- Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Ivan Trujillo-Pisanty
- Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - C Andrew Chapman
- Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Nadia Chaudhri
- Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
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33
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ErbB4 Null Mice Display Altered Mesocorticolimbic and Nigrostriatal Dopamine Levels as well as Deficits in Cognitive and Motivational Behaviors. eNeuro 2020; 7:ENEURO.0395-19.2020. [PMID: 32354758 PMCID: PMC7242816 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0395-19.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2019] [Revised: 02/26/2020] [Accepted: 02/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Natural genetic variants of Neuregulin1 (NRG1) and its cognate receptor ErbB4 are associated with a risk for schizophrenia. Whereas most studies on NRG1-ErbB4 signaling have focused on GABAergic interneurons, ErbB4 is also expressed by midbrain dopaminergic neurons where it modulates extracellular dopamine (DA) levels. Here, we report that extracellular steady-state levels of DA are reduced in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC; −65%), hippocampus (−53%) and nucleus accumbens (NAc; −35%), but are elevated in the dorsal striatum (+25%) of ErbB4 knock-out mice (ErbB4 KOs) relative to wild-type controls. This pattern of DA imbalance recapitulates the reported prefrontal cortical reduction and striatal increase of DA levels in schizophrenia patients. Next, we report on a battery of behavioral tasks used to evaluate locomotor, cognitive and motivational behaviors in ErbB4 KOs relative to controls. We found that ErbB4 KOs are hyperactive in a novel open field but not in their familiar home cage, are more sensitive to amphetamine, perform poorly in the T-maze and novel object recognition (NOR) tasks, exhibit reduced spatial learning and memory on the Barnes maze, and perform markedly worse in conditioned place preference (CPP) tasks when associating cued-reward palatable food with location. However, we found that the poor performance of ErbB4 KOs in CPP are likely due to deficits in spatial memory, instead of reward seeking, as ErbB4 KOs are more motivated to work for palatable food rewards. Our findings indicate that ErbB4 signaling affects tonic DA levels and modulates a wide array of behavioral deficits relevant to psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia.
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34
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Contreras JA, Aslanyan V, Sweeney MD, Sanders LMJ, Sagare AP, Zlokovic BV, Toga AW, Han SD, Morris JC, Fagan A, Massoumzadeh P, Benzinger TL, Pa J. Functional connectivity among brain regions affected in Alzheimer's disease is associated with CSF TNF-α in APOE4 carriers. Neurobiol Aging 2020; 86:112-122. [PMID: 31870643 PMCID: PMC7205323 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2019.10.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2019] [Revised: 09/20/2019] [Accepted: 10/22/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
It is now recognized that understanding how neuroinflammation affects brain function may provide new insights into Alzheimer's pathophysiology. Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, an inflammatory cytokine marker, has been implicated in Alzheimer's disease (AD), as it can impair neuronal function through suppression of long-term potentiation. Our study investigated the relationship between cerebrospinal fluid TNF-α and functional connectivity (FC) in a cohort of 64 older adults (μ age = 69.76 years; 30 cognitively normal, 34 mild AD). Higher cerebrospinal fluid TNF-α levels were associated with lower FC among brain regions important for high-level decision-making, inhibitory control, and memory. This effect was moderated by apolipoprotein E-ε4 (APOE4) status. Graph theory metrics revealed there were significant differences between APOE4 carriers at the node level, and by diagnosis at the network level suggesting global brain network dysfunction in participants with AD. These findings suggest proinflammatory mechanisms may contribute to reduced FC in regions important for high-level cognition. Future studies are needed to understand the role of inflammation on brain function and clinical progression, especially in APOE4 carriers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joey Annette Contreras
- Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Vahan Aslanyan
- Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Melanie D Sweeney
- Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Lianne M J Sanders
- Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department of Human Movement Sciences, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Abhay P Sagare
- Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Berislav V Zlokovic
- Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Arthur W Toga
- Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - S Duke Han
- Family Medicine, Neurology, Psychology, and Gerontology, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - John C Morris
- Knight Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, USA; Department of Neurology, Washington University, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Anne Fagan
- Knight Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, USA; Department of Neurology, Washington University, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Parinaz Massoumzadeh
- Knight Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Tammie L Benzinger
- Knight Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, USA; Department of Radiology and Neurological Surgery, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Judy Pa
- Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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Giesen CG, Schmidt JR, Rothermund K. The Law of Recency: An Episodic Stimulus-Response Retrieval Account of Habit Acquisition. Front Psychol 2020; 10:2927. [PMID: 32010017 PMCID: PMC6974578 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2019] [Accepted: 12/11/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
A habit is a regularity in automatic responding to a specific situation. Classical learning psychology explains the emergence of habits by an extended learning history during which the response becomes associated to the situation (learning of stimulus-response associations) as a function of practice ("law of exercise") and/or reinforcement ("law of effect"). In this paper, we propose the "law of recency" as another route to habit acquisition that draws on episodic memory models of automatic response regulation. According to this account, habitual responding results from (a) storing stimulus-response episodes in memory, and (b) retrieving these episodes when encountering the stimulus again. This leads to a reactivation of the response that was bound to the stimulus (c) even in the absence of extended practice and reinforcement. As a measure of habit formation, we used a modified color-word contingency learning (CL) paradigm, in which irrelevant stimulus features (i.e., word meaning) were predictive of the to-be-executed color categorization response. The paradigm we developed allowed us to assess effects of global CL and of an instance-based episodic response retrieval simultaneously within the same experiment. Two experiments revealed robust CL as well as episodic response retrieval effects. Importantly, these effects were not independent: Controlling for response retrieval effects eliminated effects of CL, which supports the claim that habit formation can be mediated by episodic retrieval processes, and that short-term binding effects are not fundamentally separate from long-term learning processes. Our findings have theoretical and practical implications regarding (a) models of long-term learning, and (b) the emergence and change of habitual responding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carina G. Giesen
- Department of Psychology, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - James R. Schmidt
- Department of Psychology, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Dijon, France
| | - Klaus Rothermund
- Department of Psychology, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany
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36
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Van Looveren K, Van Boxelaere M, Callaerts-Vegh Z, Libert C. Cognitive dysfunction in mice lacking proper glucocorticoid receptor dimerization. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0226753. [PMID: 31869387 PMCID: PMC6927629 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0226753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2019] [Accepted: 12/03/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Stress is a major risk factor for depression and anxiety. One of the effects of stress is the (over-) activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and the release of stress hormones such as glucocorticoids (GCs). Chronically increased stress hormone levels have been shown to have detrimental effects on neuronal networks by inhibiting neurotrophic processes particularly in the hippocampus proper. Centrally, GCs modulate metabolic as well as behavioural processes by activating two classes of corticoid receptors, high-affinity mineralocorticoid receptors (MR) and low-affinity glucocorticoid receptors (GR). Upon activation, GR can modulate gene transcription either as a monomeric protein, or as a dimer interacting directly with DNA. GR can also modulate cellular processes via non-genomic mechanisms, for example via a GPCR-protein interaction. We evaluated the behavioral phenotype in mice with a targeted mutation in the GR in a FVB/NJ background. In GRdim/dim mice, GR proteins form poor homodimers, while the GR monomer remains intact. We evaluated the effect of poor GR dimerization on hippocampus-dependent cognition as well as on exploration and emotional behavior under baseline and chronically increased stress hormone levels. We found that GRdim/dim mice did not behave differently from GRwt/wt littermates under baseline conditions. However, after chronic elevation of stress hormone levels, GRdim/dim mice displayed a significant impairment in hippocampus-dependent memory compared to GRwt/wt mice, which correlated with differential expression of hippocampal Bdnf/TrkB and Fkbp5.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly Van Looveren
- Center for Inflammation Research, VIB, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | | | - Zsuzsanna Callaerts-Vegh
- Laboratory of Biological Psychology, KULeuven, Leuven Belgium
- Leuven Research Institute for Neuroscience & Disease (LIND), Leuven, Belgium
- mINT Mouse Behavioural Core Facility, KULeuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Claude Libert
- Center for Inflammation Research, VIB, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- * E-mail:
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37
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Sosa M, Joo HR, Frank LM. Dorsal and Ventral Hippocampal Sharp-Wave Ripples Activate Distinct Nucleus Accumbens Networks. Neuron 2019; 105:725-741.e8. [PMID: 31864947 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2019.11.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2019] [Revised: 10/08/2019] [Accepted: 11/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Memories of positive experiences link places, events, and reward outcomes. These memories recruit interactions between the hippocampus and nucleus accumbens (NAc). Both dorsal and ventral hippocampus (dH and vH) project to the NAc, but it remains unknown whether dH and vH act in concert or separately to engage NAc representations related to space and reward. We recorded simultaneously from the dH, vH, and NAc of rats during an appetitive spatial task and focused on hippocampal sharp-wave ripples (SWRs) to identify times of memory reactivation across brain regions. Here, we show that dH and vH awake SWRs occur asynchronously and activate distinct and opposing patterns of NAc spiking. Only NAc neurons activated during dH SWRs were tuned to task- and reward-related information. These temporally and anatomically separable hippocampal-NAc interactions point to distinct channels of mnemonic processing in the NAc, with the dH-NAc channel specialized for spatial task and reward information. VIDEO ABSTRACT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marielena Sosa
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, and Department of Physiology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Hannah R Joo
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, and Department of Physiology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Loren M Frank
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, and Department of Physiology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA.
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38
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Offline ventral subiculum-ventral striatum serial communication is required for spatial memory consolidation. Nat Commun 2019; 10:5721. [PMID: 31844154 PMCID: PMC6915753 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-13703-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2018] [Accepted: 11/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The hippocampal formation is considered essential for spatial navigation. In particular, subicular projections have been suggested to carry spatial information from the hippocampus to the ventral striatum. However, possible cross-structural communication between these two brain regions in memory formation has thus far been unknown. By selectively silencing the subiculum-ventral striatum pathway we found that its activity after learning is crucial for spatial memory consolidation and learning-induced plasticity. These results provide new insight into the neural circuits underlying memory consolidation and establish a critical role for off-line cross-regional communication between hippocampus and ventral striatum to promote the storage of complex information.
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39
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Cell-Type- and Endocannabinoid-Specific Synapse Connectivity in the Adult Nucleus Accumbens Core. J Neurosci 2019; 40:1028-1041. [PMID: 31831522 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1100-19.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2019] [Revised: 12/04/2019] [Accepted: 12/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The nucleus accumbens (NAc) is a mesocorticolimbic structure that integrates cognitive, emotional and motor functions. Although its role in psychiatric disorders is widely acknowledged, the understanding of its circuitry is not complete. Here, we combined optogenetic and whole-cell recordings to draw a functional portrait of excitatory disambiguated synapses onto D1 and D2 medium spiny neurons (MSNs) in the adult male mouse NAc core. Comparing synaptic properties of ventral hippocampus (vHipp), basolateral amygdala (BLA) and prefrontal cortex (PFC) inputs revealed a hierarchy of synaptic inputs that depends on the identity of the postsynaptic target MSN. Thus, the BLA is the dominant excitatory pathway onto D1 MSNs (BLA > PFC = vHipp) while PFC inputs dominate D2 MSNs (PFC > vHipp > BLA). We also tested the hypothesis that endocannabinoids endow excitatory circuits with pathway- and cell-specific plasticity. Thus, whereas CB1 receptors (CB1R) uniformly depress excitatory pathways regardless of MSNs identity, TRPV1 receptors (TRPV1R) bidirectionally control inputs onto the NAc core in a pathway-specific manner. Finally, we show that the interplay of TRPV1R/CB1R shapes plasticity at BLA-NAc synapses. Together these data shed new light on synapse and circuit specificity in the adult NAc core and illustrate how endocannabinoids contribute to pathway-specific synaptic plasticity.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT We examined the impact of connections from the ventral hippocampus (vHipp,) basolateral amygdala (BLA) and prefrontal cortex (PFC) onto identified medium spiny neurons (MSNs) in the adult accumbens core. We found BLA inputs were strongest at D1 MSNs while PFC inputs dominate D2 MSNs. Pathway- and cell-specific circuit control was also facilitated by endocannabinoids that endow bidirectional synaptic plasticity at identified BLA-NAc synapses. These data provide mechanistic insights on synapse and circuit specificity in the adult NAc core.
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40
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Shin H, Lee SY, Cho HU, Oh Y, Kim IY, Lee KH, Jang DP, Min HK. Fornix Stimulation Induces Metabolic Activity and Dopaminergic Response in the Nucleus Accumbens. Front Neurosci 2019; 13:1109. [PMID: 31708723 PMCID: PMC6821687 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2019.01109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2018] [Accepted: 10/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The Papez circuit, including the fornix white matter bundle, is a well-known neural network that is involved in multiple limbic functions such as memory and emotional expression. We previously reported a large-animal study of deep brain stimulation (DBS) in the fornix that found stimulation-induced hemodynamic responses in both the medial limbic and corticolimbic circuits on functional resonance imaging (fMRI) and evoked dopamine responses in the nucleus accumbens (NAc), as measured by fast-scan cyclic voltammetry (FSCV). The effects of DBS on the fornix are challenging to analyze, given its structural complexity and connection to multiple neuronal networks. In this study, we extend our earlier work to a rodent model wherein we characterize regional brain activity changes resulting from fornix stimulation using fludeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) micro positron emission tomography (PET) and monitor neurochemical changes using FSCV with pharmacological confirmation. Both global functional changes and local changes were measured in a rodent model of fornix DBS. Functional brain activity was measured by micro-PET, and the neurochemical changes in local areas were monitored by FSCV. Micro-PET images revealed increased glucose metabolism within the medial limbic and corticolimbic circuits. Neurotransmitter efflux induced by fornix DBS was monitored at NAc by FSCV and identified by specific neurotransmitter reuptake inhibitors. We found a significant increase in the metabolic activity in several key regions of the medial limbic circuits and dopamine efflux in the NAc following fornix stimulation. These results suggest that electrical stimulation of the fornix modulates the activity of brain memory circuits, including the hippocampus and NAc within the dopaminergic pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hojin Shin
- Graduate School of Biomedical Science & Engineering, Hanyang University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Sang-Yoon Lee
- Department of Neuroscience, College of Medicine, Gachon University, Incheon, South Korea
| | - Hyun-U Cho
- Graduate School of Biomedical Science & Engineering, Hanyang University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Yoonbae Oh
- Department of Neurologic Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States
| | - In Young Kim
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Hanyang University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Kendall H Lee
- Department of Neurologic Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States.,Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States
| | - Dong Pyo Jang
- Graduate School of Biomedical Science & Engineering, Hanyang University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Hoon-Ki Min
- Department of Neurologic Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States.,Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States
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41
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Alshammari TK, Alghamdi H, Green TA, Niazy A, Alkahdar L, Alrasheed N, Alhosaini K, Alswayyed M, Elango R, Laezza F, Alshammari MA, Yacoub H. Assessing the role of toll-like receptor in isolated, standard and enriched housing conditions. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0222818. [PMID: 31647818 PMCID: PMC6812767 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0222818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2019] [Accepted: 09/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Depression is a common psychiatric disorder that has been poorly understood. Consequently, current antidepressant agents have clinical limitations. Until today, most have exhibited the slow onset of therapeutic action and, more importantly, their effect on remission has been minimal. Thus, the need to find new forms of therapeutic intervention is urgent. The inflammation hypothesis of depression is widely acknowledged and is one that theories the relationship between the function of the immune system and its contribution to the neurobiology of depression. In this research, we utilized an environmental isolation (EI) approach as a valid animal model of depression, employing biochemical, molecular, and behavioral studies. The aim was to investigate the anti-inflammatory effect of etanercept, a tumor necrosis factor-α inhibitor on a toll-like receptor 7 (TLR 7) signaling pathway in a depressive rat model, and compare these actions to fluoxetine, a standard antidepressant agent. The behavioral analysis indicates that depression-related symptoms are reduced after acute administration of fluoxetine and, to a lesser extent, etanercept, and are prevented by enriched environment (EE) housing conditions. Experimental studies were conducted by evaluating immobility time in the force swim test and pleasant feeling in the sucrose preference test. The mRNA expression of the TLR 7 pathway in the hippocampus showed that TLR 7, MYD88, and TRAF6 were elevated in isolated rats compared to the standard group, and that acute treatment with an antidepressant and anti-inflammatory drugs reversed these effects. This research indicates that stressful events have an impact on behavioral well-being, TLR7 gene expression, and the TLR7 pathway. We also found that peripheral administration of etanercept reduces depressive-like behaviour in isolated rats: this could be due to the indirect modulation of the TLR7 pathway and other TLRs in the brain. Furthermore, fluoxetine treatment reversed depressive-like behaviour and molecularly modulated the expression of TLR7, suggesting that fluoxetine exerts antidepressant effects partially by modulating the TLR7 signaling pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tahani K. Alshammari
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Pharmacy College, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- * E-mail:
| | - Hajar Alghamdi
- Pharmacology & Toxicology Graduate Program, Pharmacy College, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Thomas A. Green
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, United States of America
| | - Abdurahman Niazy
- Prince Naïf Bin Abdul-Aziz Health Research Center, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Lama Alkahdar
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Pharmacy College, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Nouf Alrasheed
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Pharmacy College, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Khalid Alhosaini
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Pharmacy College, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohammed Alswayyed
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, College of Medicine, King Saud University Medical City, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ramesh Elango
- Stem Cell Unit, Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Fernanda Laezza
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, United States of America
| | - Musaad A. Alshammari
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Pharmacy College, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Hazar Yacoub
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Pharmacy College, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
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42
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Rusu SI, Pennartz CMA. Learning, memory and consolidation mechanisms for behavioral control in hierarchically organized cortico-basal ganglia systems. Hippocampus 2019; 30:73-98. [PMID: 31617622 PMCID: PMC6972576 DOI: 10.1002/hipo.23167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2018] [Revised: 09/09/2019] [Accepted: 09/11/2019] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
This article aims to provide a synthesis on the question how brain structures cooperate to accomplish hierarchically organized behaviors, characterized by low‐level, habitual routines nested in larger sequences of planned, goal‐directed behavior. The functioning of a connected set of brain structures—prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, striatum, and dopaminergic mesencephalon—is reviewed in relation to two important distinctions: (a) goal‐directed as opposed to habitual behavior and (b) model‐based and model‐free learning. Recent evidence indicates that the orbitomedial prefrontal cortices not only subserve goal‐directed behavior and model‐based learning, but also code the “landscape” (task space) of behaviorally relevant variables. While the hippocampus stands out for its role in coding and memorizing world state representations, it is argued to function in model‐based learning but is not required for coding of action–outcome contingencies, illustrating that goal‐directed behavior is not congruent with model‐based learning. While the dorsolateral and dorsomedial striatum largely conform to the dichotomy between habitual versus goal‐directed behavior, ventral striatal functions go beyond this distinction. Next, we contextualize findings on coding of reward‐prediction errors by ventral tegmental dopamine neurons to suggest a broader role of mesencephalic dopamine cells, viz. in behavioral reactivity and signaling unexpected sensory changes. We hypothesize that goal‐directed behavior is hierarchically organized in interconnected cortico‐basal ganglia loops, where a limbic‐affective prefrontal‐ventral striatal loop controls action selection in a dorsomedial prefrontal–striatal loop, which in turn regulates activity in sensorimotor‐dorsolateral striatal circuits. This structure for behavioral organization requires alignment with mechanisms for memory formation and consolidation. We propose that frontal corticothalamic circuits form a high‐level loop for memory processing that initiates and temporally organizes nested activities in lower‐level loops, including the hippocampus and the ripple‐associated replay it generates. The evidence on hierarchically organized behavior converges with that on consolidation mechanisms in suggesting a frontal‐to‐caudal directionality in processing control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silviu I Rusu
- Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Research Priority Program Brain and Cognition, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Cyriel M A Pennartz
- Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Research Priority Program Brain and Cognition, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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43
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Bretas RV, Matsumoto J, Nishimaru H, Takamura Y, Hori E, Ono T, Nishijo H. Neural Representation of Overlapping Path Segments and Reward Acquisitions in the Monkey Hippocampus. Front Syst Neurosci 2019; 13:48. [PMID: 31572133 PMCID: PMC6751269 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2019.00048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2019] [Accepted: 08/29/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Disambiguation of overlapping events is thought to be the hallmark of episodic memory. Recent rodent studies have reported that when navigating overlapping path segments in the different routes place cell activity in the same overlapping path segments were remapped according to different goal locations in different routes. However, it is unknown how hippocampal neurons disambiguate reward delivery in overlapping path segments in different routes. In the present study, we recorded monkey hippocampal neurons during performance of three virtual navigation (VN) tasks in which a monkey alternately navigated two different routes that included overlapping path segments (common central hallway) and acquired rewards in the same locations in overlapping path segments by manipulating a joystick. The results indicated that out of 106 hippocampal neurons, 57 displayed place-related activity (place-related neurons), and 18 neurons showed route-dependent activity in the overlapping path segments, consistent with a hippocampal role in the disambiguation of overlapping path segments. Moreover, 75 neurons showed neural correlates to reward delivery (reward-related neurons), whereas 56 of these 75 reward-related neurons showed route-dependent reward-related activity in the overlapping path segments. The ensemble activity of reward-related neurons represented reward delivery, locations, and routes in the overlapping path segments. In addition, ensemble activity patterns of hippocampal neurons more distinctly represented overlapping path segments than non-overlapping path segments. The present results provide neurophysiological evidence of disambiguation in the monkey hippocampus, consistent with a hippocampal role in episodic memory, and support a recent computational model of "neural differentiation," in which overlapping items are better represented by repeated retrieval with competitive learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafael Vieira Bretas
- System Emotional Science, Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical University, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
- Symbolic Cognitive Development, Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, RIKEN, Kobe, Japan
| | - Jumpei Matsumoto
- System Emotional Science, Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical University, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Nishimaru
- System Emotional Science, Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical University, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
| | - Yusaku Takamura
- System Emotional Science, Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical University, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
| | - Etsuro Hori
- System Emotional Science, Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical University, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
| | - Taketoshi Ono
- System Emotional Science, Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical University, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
| | - Hisao Nishijo
- System Emotional Science, Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical University, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
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Shi X, Barr JL, von Weltin E, Wolsh C, Unterwald EM. Differential Roles of Accumbal GSK3 β in Cocaine versus Morphine-Induced Place Preference, U50,488H-Induced Place Aversion, and Object Memory. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 2019; 371:339-347. [PMID: 31420527 DOI: 10.1124/jpet.119.259283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2019] [Accepted: 07/31/2019] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous research has demonstrated that activity of glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK3) is necessary for the rewarding effects of cocaine. In the present study, a conditional GSK3β gene knockdown model was used to determine if GSK3β activity specifically in the nucleus accumbens is important for cocaine conditioned reward. The roles of accumbal GSK3β in morphine conditioned reward, trans-(±)-3,4-dichloro-N-methyl-N-[2-(1-pyrrolidinyl)cyclohexyl]benzeneacetamide methanesulfonate salt (U50,488H)-induced conditioned place aversion, and cognitive function were also studied. Adult male and female GSK3β-floxed or wild-type mice were injected with adeno-associated virus/Cre into the nucleus accumbens to reduce expression of GSK3β and underwent behavioral testing 4 weeks later. The development of cocaine-induced conditioned place preference was significantly attenuated in mice with reduced levels of GSK3β in the nucleus accumbens, whereas the development of morphine-induced place preference remained intact. Conditional knockdown of GSK3β in the accumbens prevented the development of conditioned aversion produced by U50,488H, a κ-opioid receptor agonist. Cognitive memory tests revealed deficits in object location memory, but not novel object recognition in mice with accumbal GSK3β knockdown. These data demonstrate that GSK3β in the nucleus accumbens is required for cocaine conditioned place preference and U50,488H conditioned place aversion, as well as spatial memory in object location task, indicating differential roles of GSK3β in the psychostimulant and opiate reward process, as well as in memory for spatial locations and object identity. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: Knockdown of GSK3β in the nucleus accumbens attenuated the development of cocaine-induced place preference, as well as conditioned place aversion to U50,488H, a κ-opioid receptor agonist. In contrast, the development of morphine place preference was not altered by GSK3β knockdown. GSK3β knockdown in nucleus accumbens impaired performance in the object location task, but not the novel object recognition task. These results elucidate different physiological roles of accumbal GSKβ in conditioned reward, aversion, and memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiangdang Shi
- Center for Substance Abuse Research and Department of Pharmacology, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Jeffrey L Barr
- Center for Substance Abuse Research and Department of Pharmacology, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Eva von Weltin
- Center for Substance Abuse Research and Department of Pharmacology, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Cassandra Wolsh
- Center for Substance Abuse Research and Department of Pharmacology, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Ellen M Unterwald
- Center for Substance Abuse Research and Department of Pharmacology, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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45
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Marshall HJ, Pezze MA, Fone KCF, Cassaday HJ. Age-related differences in appetitive trace conditioning and novel object recognition procedures. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2019; 164:107041. [PMID: 31351120 PMCID: PMC6857625 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2019.107041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2019] [Revised: 05/31/2019] [Accepted: 07/10/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Longitudinal study of middle age in the rat with matched younger control cohort. Appetitive trace conditioning and novel object recognition tests of working memory. Transient between-groups working memory impairments aged 12 compared with 2 months. Object exploration reduced with age but working memory recovered. Object exploration and ITI nosepoking showed some correlation with 5-HIAA/5-HT.
Appetitive trace conditioning (TC) was examined over 6 months in younger-adult (2–8 months) and middle-aged (12–18 months) male Wistar RccHan rats, to test for early age-related impairment in working memory. Novel object recognition (NOR) was included as a comparison task, to provide a positive control in the event that the expected impairment in TC was not demonstrated. The results showed that TC improved at both ages at the 2 s but not at the 10 s trace interval. There was, however, evidence for reduced improvement from one day to the next in the middle-aged cohort tested with the 2 s trace conditioned stimulus. Moreover, within the 10 s trace, responding progressively distributed later in the trace interval, in the younger-adult but not the middle-aged cohort. Middle-aged rats showed NOR discriminative impairment at a 24 h but not at a 10 min retention interval. Object exploration was overall reduced in middle-aged rats and further reduced longitudinally. At the end of the study, assessing neurochemistry by HPLC-ED showed reduced 5-HIAA/5-HT in the dorsal striatum of the middle-aged rats and some correlations between striatal 5-HIAA/5-HT and activity parameters. Overall the results suggest that, taken in isolation, age-related impairments may be overcome by experience. This recovery in performance was seen despite the drop in activity levels in older animals, which might be expected to contribute to cognitive decline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hayley J Marshall
- University of Nottingham, Psychology, University Park, Nottingham NG72RD, United Kingdom
| | - Marie A Pezze
- University of Nottingham, Psychology, University Park, Nottingham NG72RD, United Kingdom
| | - Kevin C F Fone
- University of Nottingham, Psychology, University Park, Nottingham NG72RD, United Kingdom
| | - Helen J Cassaday
- University of Nottingham, Psychology, University Park, Nottingham NG72RD, United Kingdom.
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46
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Formation of a morphine-conditioned place preference does not change the size of evoked potentials in the ventral hippocampus-nucleus accumbens projection. Sci Rep 2019; 9:5206. [PMID: 30914714 PMCID: PMC6435809 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-41568-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2019] [Accepted: 02/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
In opioid addiction, cues and contexts associated with drug reward can be powerful triggers for drug craving and relapse. The synapses linking ventral hippocampal outputs to medium spiny neurons of the accumbens may be key sites for the formation and storage of associations between place or context and reward, both drug-related and natural. To assess this, we implanted rats with electrodes in the accumbens shell to record synaptic potentials evoked by electrical stimulation of the ventral hippocampus, as well as continuous local-field-potential activity. Rats then underwent morphine-induced (10 mg/kg) conditioned-place-preference training, followed by extinction. Morphine caused an acute increase in the slope and amplitude of accumbens evoked responses, but no long-term changes were evident after conditioning or extinction of the place preference, suggesting that the formation of this type of memory does not lead to a net change in synaptic strength in the ventral hippocampal output to the accumbens. However, analysis of the local field potential revealed a marked sensitization of theta- and high-gamma-frequency activity with repeated morphine administration. This phenomenon may be linked to the behavioral changes—such as psychomotor sensitization and the development of drug craving—that are associated with chronic use of addictive drugs.
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47
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Eördegh G, Őze A, Bodosi B, Puszta A, Pertich Á, Rosu A, Godó G, Nagy A. Multisensory guided associative learning in healthy humans. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0213094. [PMID: 30861023 PMCID: PMC6413907 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0213094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2018] [Accepted: 02/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Associative learning is a basic cognitive function by which discrete and often different percepts are linked together. The Rutgers Acquired Equivalence Test investigates a specific kind of associative learning, visually guided equivalence learning. The test consists of an acquisition (pair learning) and a test (rule transfer) phase, which are associated primarily with the function of the basal ganglia and the hippocampi, respectively. Earlier studies described that both fundamentally-involved brain structures in the visual associative learning, the basal ganglia and the hippocampi, receive not only visual but also multisensory information. However, no study has investigated whether there is a priority for multisensory guided equivalence learning compared to unimodal ones. Thus we had no data about the modality-dependence or independence of the equivalence learning. In the present study, we have therefore introduced the auditory- and multisensory (audiovisual)-guided equivalence learning paradigms and investigated the performance of 151 healthy volunteers in the visual as well as in the auditory and multisensory paradigms. Our results indicated that visual, auditory and multisensory guided associative learning is similarly effective in healthy humans, which suggest that the acquisition phase is fairly independent from the modality of the stimuli. On the other hand, in the test phase, where participants were presented with acquisitions that were learned earlier and associations that were until then not seen or heard but predictable, the multisensory stimuli elicited the best performance. The test phase, especially its generalization part, seems to be a harder cognitive task, where the multisensory information processing could improve the performance of the participants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriella Eördegh
- Department of Operative and Esthetic Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Attila Őze
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Balázs Bodosi
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - András Puszta
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Ákos Pertich
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Anett Rosu
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - György Godó
- Csongrád County Health Care Center, Psychiatric Outpatient Care, Hódmezővásárhely, Hungary
| | - Attila Nagy
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
- * E-mail:
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48
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Hippocampal pattern separation supports reinforcement learning. Nat Commun 2019; 10:1073. [PMID: 30842581 PMCID: PMC6403348 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-08998-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2018] [Accepted: 02/13/2019] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Animals rely on learned associations to make decisions. Associations can be based on relationships between object features (e.g., the three leaflets of poison ivy leaves) and outcomes (e.g., rash). More often, outcomes are linked to multidimensional states (e.g., poison ivy is green in summer but red in spring). Feature-based reinforcement learning fails when the values of individual features depend on the other features present. One solution is to assign value to multi-featural conjunctive representations. Here, we test if the hippocampus forms separable conjunctive representations that enables the learning of response contingencies for stimuli of the form: AB+, B-, AC-, C+. Pattern analyses on functional MRI data show the hippocampus forms conjunctive representations that are dissociable from feature components and that these representations, along with those of cortex, influence striatal prediction errors. Our results establish a novel role for hippocampal pattern separation and conjunctive representation in reinforcement learning.
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49
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Park YS, Sammartino F, Young NA, Corrigan J, Krishna V, Rezai AR. Anatomic Review of the Ventral Capsule/Ventral Striatum and the Nucleus Accumbens to Guide Target Selection for Deep Brain Stimulation for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. World Neurosurg 2019; 126:1-10. [PMID: 30790738 DOI: 10.1016/j.wneu.2019.01.254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2018] [Revised: 01/23/2019] [Accepted: 01/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Disturbances in the reward network of the brain underlie addiction, depression, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. The ventral capsule/ventral striatum and nucleus accumbens (NAc) region is a clinically approved target for deep brain stimulation for obsessive-compulsive disorder. METHODS We performed a comprehensive literature review to define clinically relevant anatomy and connectivity of the ventral capsule/ventral striatum and NAc region to guide target selection for deep brain stimulation. RESULTS Architecturally and functionally, the NAc is divided into the core and the shell, with each area having different connections. The shell primarily receives limbic information, and the core typically receives information from the motor system. In general, afferents from the prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, and amygdala are excitatory. The dopaminergic projections to the NAc from the ventral tegmental area modulate the balance of these excitatory inputs. Several important inputs to the NAc converge at the junction of the internal capsule (IC) and the anterior commissure (AC): the ventral amygdalofugal pathways that run parallel to and underneath the AC, the precommissural fornical fibers that run anterior to the AC, axons from the ventral prefrontal cortex and medial orbitofrontal cortex that occupy the most ventral part of the IC and embedding within the NAc and AC, and the superolateral branch of the medial forebrain bundle located parallel to the anterior thalamic radiation in the IC. CONCLUSIONS The caudal part of the NAc passing through the IC-AC junction may be an effective target for deep brain stimulation to improve behavioral symptoms associated with obsessive-compulsive disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong-Sook Park
- Department of Neurosurgery, Chung-Ang University Hospital, Seoul, Korea
| | | | - Nicole A Young
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - John Corrigan
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Vibhor Krishna
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA.
| | - Ali R Rezai
- Department of Neurosurgery, West Virginia University Hospital, Morgantown, West Virginia, USA
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50
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Trouche S, Koren V, Doig NM, Ellender TJ, El-Gaby M, Lopes-Dos-Santos V, Reeve HM, Perestenko PV, Garas FN, Magill PJ, Sharott A, Dupret D. A Hippocampus-Accumbens Tripartite Neuronal Motif Guides Appetitive Memory in Space. Cell 2019; 176:1393-1406.e16. [PMID: 30773318 PMCID: PMC6424821 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2018.12.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2018] [Revised: 10/17/2018] [Accepted: 12/20/2018] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Retrieving and acting on memories of food-predicting environments are fundamental processes for animal survival. Hippocampal pyramidal cells (PYRs) of the mammalian brain provide mnemonic representations of space. Yet the substrates by which these hippocampal representations support memory-guided behavior remain unknown. Here, we uncover a direct connection from dorsal CA1 (dCA1) hippocampus to nucleus accumbens (NAc) that enables the behavioral manifestation of place-reward memories. By monitoring neuronal ensembles in mouse dCA1→NAc pathway, combined with cell-type selective optogenetic manipulations of input-defined postsynaptic neurons, we show that dCA1 PYRs drive NAc medium spiny neurons and orchestrate their spiking activity using feedforward inhibition mediated by dCA1-connected parvalbumin-expressing fast-spiking interneurons. This tripartite cross-circuit motif supports spatial appetitive memory and associated NAc assemblies, being independent of dorsal subiculum and dispensable for both spatial novelty detection and reward seeking. Our findings demonstrate that the dCA1→NAc pathway instantiates a limbic-motor interface for neuronal representations of space to promote effective appetitive behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stéphanie Trouche
- Medical Research Council Brain Network Dynamics Unit, Department of Pharmacology, University of Oxford, OX1 3TH Oxford, UK.
| | - Vadim Koren
- Medical Research Council Brain Network Dynamics Unit, Department of Pharmacology, University of Oxford, OX1 3TH Oxford, UK
| | - Natalie M Doig
- Medical Research Council Brain Network Dynamics Unit, Department of Pharmacology, University of Oxford, OX1 3TH Oxford, UK
| | - Tommas J Ellender
- Medical Research Council Brain Network Dynamics Unit, Department of Pharmacology, University of Oxford, OX1 3TH Oxford, UK
| | - Mohamady El-Gaby
- Medical Research Council Brain Network Dynamics Unit, Department of Pharmacology, University of Oxford, OX1 3TH Oxford, UK
| | - Vítor Lopes-Dos-Santos
- Medical Research Council Brain Network Dynamics Unit, Department of Pharmacology, University of Oxford, OX1 3TH Oxford, UK
| | - Hayley M Reeve
- Medical Research Council Brain Network Dynamics Unit, Department of Pharmacology, University of Oxford, OX1 3TH Oxford, UK
| | - Pavel V Perestenko
- Medical Research Council Brain Network Dynamics Unit, Department of Pharmacology, University of Oxford, OX1 3TH Oxford, UK
| | - Farid N Garas
- Medical Research Council Brain Network Dynamics Unit, Department of Pharmacology, University of Oxford, OX1 3TH Oxford, UK
| | - Peter J Magill
- Medical Research Council Brain Network Dynamics Unit, Department of Pharmacology, University of Oxford, OX1 3TH Oxford, UK
| | - Andrew Sharott
- Medical Research Council Brain Network Dynamics Unit, Department of Pharmacology, University of Oxford, OX1 3TH Oxford, UK
| | - David Dupret
- Medical Research Council Brain Network Dynamics Unit, Department of Pharmacology, University of Oxford, OX1 3TH Oxford, UK.
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