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Norris MR, Kuo CC, Kim JR, Dunn SS, Borges G, Thang LV, McCall JG. Endogenous opioids gate the locus coeruleus pain generator. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.10.20.562785. [PMID: 37961541 PMCID: PMC10634678 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.20.562785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
The locus coeruleus (LC) plays a paradoxical role in chronic pain. Although largely known as a potent source of endogenous analgesia, increasing evidence suggests injury can transform the LC into a chronic pain generator. We sought to clarify the role of this system in pain. Here, we show optogenetic inhibition of LC activity is acutely antinociceptive. Following long-term spared nerve injury, the same LC inhibition is analgesic - further supporting its pain generator function. To identify inhibitory substrates that may naturally serve this function, we turned to endogenous LC mu opioid receptors (LC-MOR). These receptors provide powerful LC inhibition and exogenous activation of LC-MOR is antinociceptive. We therefore hypothesized that endogenous LC-MOR-mediated inhibition is critical to how the LC modulates pain. Using cell type-selective conditional knockout and rescue of LC-MOR receptor signaling, we show these receptors bidirectionally regulate thermal and mechanical hyperalgesia - providing a functional gate on the LC pain generator.
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Affiliation(s)
- Makenzie R. Norris
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA; Department of Pharmaceutical and Administrative Sciences, St. Louis College of Pharmacy, St. Louis, MO, USA; Center for Clinical Pharmacology, St. Louis College of Pharmacy and Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA; Washington University Pain Center, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
- Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Chao-Cheng Kuo
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA; Department of Pharmaceutical and Administrative Sciences, St. Louis College of Pharmacy, St. Louis, MO, USA; Center for Clinical Pharmacology, St. Louis College of Pharmacy and Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA; Washington University Pain Center, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Jenny R. Kim
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA; Department of Pharmaceutical and Administrative Sciences, St. Louis College of Pharmacy, St. Louis, MO, USA; Center for Clinical Pharmacology, St. Louis College of Pharmacy and Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA; Washington University Pain Center, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Samantha S. Dunn
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA; Department of Pharmaceutical and Administrative Sciences, St. Louis College of Pharmacy, St. Louis, MO, USA; Center for Clinical Pharmacology, St. Louis College of Pharmacy and Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA; Washington University Pain Center, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Gustavo Borges
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA; Department of Pharmaceutical and Administrative Sciences, St. Louis College of Pharmacy, St. Louis, MO, USA; Center for Clinical Pharmacology, St. Louis College of Pharmacy and Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA; Washington University Pain Center, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Loc V. Thang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA; Department of Pharmaceutical and Administrative Sciences, St. Louis College of Pharmacy, St. Louis, MO, USA; Center for Clinical Pharmacology, St. Louis College of Pharmacy and Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA; Washington University Pain Center, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Jordan G. McCall
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA; Department of Pharmaceutical and Administrative Sciences, St. Louis College of Pharmacy, St. Louis, MO, USA; Center for Clinical Pharmacology, St. Louis College of Pharmacy and Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA; Washington University Pain Center, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
- Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
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2
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Sepahvand T, Power KD, Qin T, Yuan Q. The Basolateral Amygdala: The Core of a Network for Threat Conditioning, Extinction, and Second-Order Threat Conditioning. BIOLOGY 2023; 12:1274. [PMID: 37886984 PMCID: PMC10604397 DOI: 10.3390/biology12101274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2023] [Revised: 09/14/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023]
Abstract
Threat conditioning, extinction, and second-order threat conditioning studied in animal models provide insight into the brain-based mechanisms of fear- and anxiety-related disorders and their treatment. Much attention has been paid to the role of the basolateral amygdala (BLA) in such processes, an overview of which is presented in this review. More recent evidence suggests that the BLA serves as the core of a greater network of structures in these forms of learning, including associative and sensory cortices. The BLA is importantly regulated by hippocampal and prefrontal inputs, as well as by the catecholaminergic neuromodulators, norepinephrine and dopamine, that may provide important prediction-error or learning signals for these forms of learning. The sensory cortices may be required for the long-term storage of threat memories. As such, future research may further investigate the potential of the sensory cortices for the long-term storage of extinction and second-order conditioning memories.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Qi Yuan
- Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University, St John’s, NL A1B 3V6, Canada; (T.S.); (K.D.P.); (T.Q.)
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3
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Iwamoto M, Yonekura S, Atsumi N, Hirabayashi S, Kanazawa H, Kuniyoshi Y. Respiratory entrainment of the locus coeruleus modulates arousal level to avoid physical risks from external vibration. Sci Rep 2023; 13:7069. [PMID: 37127727 PMCID: PMC10151378 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-32995-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Slow rocking chairs can easily put people to sleep, while violent shaking, such as during earthquakes, may lead to rapid awakening. However, the influence of external body vibrations on arousal remains unclear. Herein, a computational model of a locus coeruleus (LC)-norepinephrine (NE) system and cardio-respiratory system were used to show that respiratory entrainment of the LC modulates arousal levels, which is an adaptation to avoid physical risks from external vibration. External vibrations of sinusoidal waves with different frequencies ranging from 0.1 to 20 [Hz] were applied to the LC based on the results of previous studies. We found that respiratory entrainment of the LC decreased the breathing rate (BR) and heart rate (HR) to maintain the HR within its normal range. Furthermore, 1:1 phase locking enhanced arousal level while phase-amplitude coupling decreased it for larger vibration stimuli. These findings suggest that respiratory entrainment of the LC might automatically modulate cardio-respiratory system homeostasis and arousal levels for performance readiness (fight/flight or freeze) to avoid physical risks from larger external vibrations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masami Iwamoto
- Human Science Research-Domain, Toyota Central R &D Labs., Inc., 41-1 Yokomichi, Nagakute, Aichi, 480-1192, Japan.
| | - Shogo Yonekura
- Intelligent Systems and Informatics Laboratory, Mechano-Informatics Department of Graduate School of Information Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8656, Japan
| | - Noritoshi Atsumi
- Human Science Research-Domain, Toyota Central R &D Labs., Inc., 41-1 Yokomichi, Nagakute, Aichi, 480-1192, Japan
| | - Satoko Hirabayashi
- Human Science Research-Domain, Toyota Central R &D Labs., Inc., 41-1 Yokomichi, Nagakute, Aichi, 480-1192, Japan
| | - Hoshinori Kanazawa
- Intelligent Systems and Informatics Laboratory, Mechano-Informatics Department of Graduate School of Information Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8656, Japan
| | - Yasuo Kuniyoshi
- Intelligent Systems and Informatics Laboratory, Mechano-Informatics Department of Graduate School of Information Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8656, Japan.
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4
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Binette AN, Totty MS, Maren S. Sex differences in the immediate extinction deficit and renewal of extinguished fear in rats. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0264797. [PMID: 35687598 PMCID: PMC9187087 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0264797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2022] [Accepted: 05/31/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Extinction learning is central to exposure-based behavioral therapies for reducing fear and anxiety in humans. However, patients with fear and anxiety disorders are often resistant to extinction. Moreover, trauma and stress-related disorders are highly prone to relapse and are twice as likely to occur in females compared to males, suggesting that females may be more susceptible to extinction deficits and fear relapse phenomena. In this report, we tested this hypothesis by examining sex differences in a stress-induced extinction learning impairment, the immediate extinction deficit (IED), and renewal, a common form of fear relapse. In contrast to our hypothesis, there were no sex differences in the magnitude of the immediate extinction deficit in two different rat strains (Long-Evans and Wistar). However, we did observe a sex difference in the renewal of fear when the extinguished conditioned stimulus was presented outside the extinction context. Male Wistar rats exhibited significantly greater renewal than female rats, a sex difference that has previously been reported after appetitive extinction. Collectively, these data reveal that stress-induced extinction impairments are similar in male and female rats, though the context-dependence of extinction is more pronounced in males.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annalise N. Binette
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences and Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
| | - Michael S. Totty
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences and Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
| | - Stephen Maren
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences and Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Palamarchuk IS, Vaillancourt T. Mental Resilience and Coping With Stress: A Comprehensive, Multi-level Model of Cognitive Processing, Decision Making, and Behavior. Front Behav Neurosci 2021; 15:719674. [PMID: 34421556 PMCID: PMC8377204 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.719674] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2021] [Accepted: 07/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Aversive events can evoke strong emotions that trigger cerebral neuroactivity to facilitate behavioral and cognitive shifts to secure physiological stability. However, upon intense and/or chronic exposure to such events, the neural coping processes can be maladaptive and disrupt mental well-being. This maladaptation denotes a pivotal point when psychological stress occurs, which can trigger subconscious, "automatic" neuroreactivity as a defence mechanism to protect the individual from potential danger including overwhelming unpleasant feelings and disturbing or threatening thoughts.The outcomes of maladaptive neural activity are cognitive dysfunctions such as altered memory, decision making, and behavior that impose a risk for mental disorders. Although the neurocognitive phenomena associated with psychological stress are well documented, the complex neural activity and pathways related to stressor detection and stress coping have not been outlined in detail. Accordingly, we define acute and chronic stress-induced pathways, phases, and stages in relation to novel/unpredicted, uncontrollable, and ambiguous stressors. We offer a comprehensive model of the stress-induced alterations associated with multifaceted pathophysiology related to cognitive appraisal and executive functioning in stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iryna S Palamarchuk
- Counselling Psychology, Faculty of Education, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Tracy Vaillancourt
- Counselling Psychology, Faculty of Education, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada.,School of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
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6
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Yang B, Sanches-Padilla J, Kondapalli J, Morison SL, Delpire E, Awatramani R, Surmeier DJ. Locus coeruleus anchors a trisynaptic circuit controlling fear-induced suppression of feeding. Neuron 2021; 109:823-838.e6. [PMID: 33476548 PMCID: PMC9272546 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2020.12.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2020] [Revised: 11/17/2020] [Accepted: 12/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The circuit mechanisms underlying fear-induced suppression of feeding are poorly understood. To help fill this gap, mice were fear conditioned, and the resulting changes in synaptic connectivity among the locus coeruleus (LC), the parabrachial nucleus (PBN), and the central nucleus of amygdala (CeA)-all of which are implicated in fear and feeding-were studied. LC neurons co-released noradrenaline and glutamate to excite PBN neurons and suppress feeding. LC neurons also suppressed inhibitory input to PBN neurons by inducing heterosynaptic, endocannabinoid-dependent, long-term depression of CeA synapses. Blocking or knocking down endocannabinoid receptors in CeA neurons prevented fear-induced depression of CeA synaptic transmission and fear-induced suppression of feeding. Altogether, these studies demonstrate that LC neurons play a pivotal role in modulating the circuitry that underlies fear-induced suppression of feeding, pointing to new ways of alleviating stress-induced eating disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ben Yang
- Department of Physiology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA.
| | - Javier Sanches-Padilla
- Department of Physiology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Jyothisri Kondapalli
- Department of Physiology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Sage L Morison
- Department of Neurology and Center for Genetic Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Eric Delpire
- Department of Anesthesiology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Rajeshwar Awatramani
- Department of Neurology and Center for Genetic Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - D James Surmeier
- Department of Physiology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA.
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7
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Joshi N, McAree M, Chandler D. Corticotropin releasing factor modulates excitatory synaptic transmission. VITAMINS AND HORMONES 2020; 114:53-69. [PMID: 32723550 DOI: 10.1016/bs.vh.2020.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/16/2023]
Abstract
The mammalian brain contains many regions which synthesize and release the hormone and transmitter corticotropin releasing factor. This peptide is a key player in the function of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and has major role in mediating the endocrine limb of the stress response. However, there are several regions outside of the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus which synthesize this peptide in which it has a role more akin to a classical neurotransmitter. A significant body of literature exists in which its role as a transmitter and its cellular effects in many brain regions, as well as how it affects various forms of behavior, is described. However, the receptors which corticotropin releasing factor interacts with in the brain are G-protein coupled receptors, and therefore their activation promotes a multitude of cellular effects. Despite this, comparatively little research has been done to investigate how this peptide affects excitatory synaptic transmission in the brain. This is important because both excitatory and inhibitory regulation of physiology are important extrinsic factors in the operation of neurons which occur in conjunction with their intrinsic properties. By not taking into account how corticotropin releasing factor affects these processes, a complete picture of this peptide's role in brain function is not available. In this chapter, the limited body of research which has explicitly investigated how corticotropin releasing factor affects excitatory synaptic transmission in various brain regions will be explored.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neal Joshi
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine, Stratford, NJ, United States
| | - Michael McAree
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine, Stratford, NJ, United States
| | - Daniel Chandler
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine, Stratford, NJ, United States.
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8
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Kuo CC, Hsieh JC, Tsai HC, Kuo YS, Yau HJ, Chen CC, Chen RF, Yang HW, Min MY. Inhibitory interneurons regulate phasic activity of noradrenergic neurons in the mouse locus coeruleus and functional implications. J Physiol 2020; 598:4003-4029. [PMID: 32598024 DOI: 10.1113/jp279557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2020] [Accepted: 06/25/2020] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
KEY POINTS The locus coeruleus (LC) contains noradrenergic (NA) neurons that respond to novel stimuli in the environment with phasic activation to initiate an orienting response; phasic LC activation is also triggered by stimuli, representing the outcome of task-related decision processes, to facilitate ensuing behaviours and help optimize task performance. Here, we report that LC-NA neurons exhibit bursts of action potentials in vitro resembling phasic LC activation in vivo, and the activity is gated by inhibitory interneurons (I-INs) located in the peri-LC. We also observe that inhibition of peri-LC I-INs enhances prepulse inhibition and axons from cortical areas that play important roles in evaluating the cost/reward of a stimulus synapse on both peri-LC I-INs and LC-NA neurons. The results help us understand the cellular mechanisms underlying the generation and regulation of phasic LC activation with a focus on the role of peri-LC I-INs. ABSTRACT Noradrenergic (NA) neurons in the locus coeruleus (LC) have global axonal projection to the brain. These neurons discharge action potentials phasically in response to either novel stimuli in the environment to initiate an orienting behaviour or stimuli representing the outcome of task-related decision processes to facilitate ensuing behaviours and help optimize task performance. Nevertheless, the cellular mechanisms underlying the generation and regulation of phasic LC activation remain unknown. We report here that LC-NA neurons recorded in brain slices exhibit bursts of action potentials that resembled the phasic activation-pause profile observed in animals. The activity was referred to as phasic-like activity (PLA) and was suppressed and enhanced by blocking excitatory and inhibitory synaptic transmissions, respectively. These results suggest the existence of a local circuit to drive PLA, and the activity could be regulated by the excitatory-inhibitory balance of the circuit. In support of this notion, we located a population of inhibitory interneurons (I-INs) in the medial part of the peri-LC that exerted feedforward inhibition of LC-NA neurons through GABAergic and glycinergic transmissions. Selective inhibition of peri-LC I-INs with chemogenetic methods could enhance PLA in brain slices and increase prepulse inhibition in animals. Moreover, axons from the orbitofrontal and prelimbic cortices, which play important roles in evaluating the cost/reward of a stimulus, synapse on both peri-LC I-INs and LC-NA neurons. These observations demonstrate functional roles of peri-LC I-INs in integrating inputs of the frontal cortex onto LC-NA neurons and gating the phasic LC output.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao-Cheng Kuo
- Department of Life Science, College of Life Science, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan
| | - Jung-Chien Hsieh
- Department of Life Science, College of Life Science, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan
| | - Hsing-Chun Tsai
- Department of Life Science, College of Life Science, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Shan Kuo
- Department of Life Science, College of Life Science, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan.,Departments of Biomedical Sciences and Medical Research, Chung-Shan Medical University and Chung-Shan Medical University Hospital, Taichung, 40201, Taiwan
| | - Hau-Jie Yau
- Graduate Institute of Brain and Mind Sciences, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10051, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Cheng Chen
- Institute of Biomedical Science, Academia Sinica, Taipei, 11529, Taiwan
| | - Ruei-Feng Chen
- Department of Life Science, College of Life Science, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan
| | - Hsiu-Wen Yang
- Departments of Biomedical Sciences and Medical Research, Chung-Shan Medical University and Chung-Shan Medical University Hospital, Taichung, 40201, Taiwan
| | - Ming-Yuan Min
- Department of Life Science, College of Life Science, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan
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9
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Jacobs HI, Priovoulos N, Poser BA, Pagen LH, Ivanov D, Verhey FR, Uludağ K. Dynamic behavior of the locus coeruleus during arousal-related memory processing in a multi-modal 7T fMRI paradigm. eLife 2020; 9:52059. [PMID: 32579109 PMCID: PMC7343392 DOI: 10.7554/elife.52059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2019] [Accepted: 06/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
A body of animal and human evidence points to the norepinephrine (NE) locus coeruleus (LC) system in modulating memory for arousing experiences, but whether the LC would recast its role along memory stages remains unknown. Sedation precluded examination of LC dynamics during memory processing in animals. Here, we addressed the contribution of the LC during arousal-associated memory processing through a unique combination of dedicated ultra-high-field LC-imaging methods, a well-established emotional memory task, online physiological and saliva alpha-amylase measurements in young adults. Arousal-related LC activation followed amygdala engagement during encoding. During consolidation and recollection, activation transitioned to hippocampal involvement, reflecting learning and model updating. NE-LC activation is dynamic, plays an arousal-controlling role, and is not sufficient but requires interactions with the amygdala to form adaptive memories of emotional experiences. These findings have implications for understanding contributions of LC dysregulation to disruptions in emotional memory formation, observed in psychiatric and neurocognitive disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heidi Il Jacobs
- Gordon Center for Medical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Boston, United States.,Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Alzheimer Centre Limburg, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands.,Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Nikos Priovoulos
- Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Alzheimer Centre Limburg, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Benedikt A Poser
- Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Linda Hg Pagen
- Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Alzheimer Centre Limburg, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Dimo Ivanov
- Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Frans Rj Verhey
- Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Alzheimer Centre Limburg, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Kâmil Uludağ
- Center for Neuroscience Imaging Research, Institute for Basic Science and Department of Biomedical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, Republic of Korea.,Techna Institute & Koerner Scientist in MR Imaging, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada
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10
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Stevens L, Vonck K, Larsen LE, Van Lysebettens W, Germonpré C, Baekelandt V, Van den Haute C, Carrette E, Wadman WJ, Boon P, Raedt R. A Feasibility Study to Investigate Chemogenetic Modulation of the Locus Coeruleus by Means of Single Unit Activity. Front Neurosci 2020; 14:162. [PMID: 32210746 PMCID: PMC7067893 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2020.00162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2019] [Accepted: 02/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Aim Selective chemogenetic modulation of locus coeruleus (LC) neurons would allow dedicated investigation of the role of the LC-NA pathway in brain excitability and disorders such as epilepsy. This study investigated the feasibility of an experimental set-up where chemogenetic modification of the brainstem locus coeruleus NA neurons is aimed at and followed by LC unit activity recording in response to clozapine. Methods The LC of male Sprague-Dawley rats was injected with 10 nl of adeno-associated viral vector AAV2/7-PRSx8-hM3Dq-mCherry (n = 19, DREADD group) or AAV2/7-PRSx8-eGFP (n = 13, Controls). Three weeks later, LC unit recordings were performed in anesthetized rats. We investigated whether clozapine, a drug known to bind to modified neurons expressing hM3Dq receptors, was able to increase the LC firing rate. Baseline unit activity was recorded followed by subsequent administration of 0.01 and 0.1 mg/kg of clozapine in all rats. hM3Dq-mcherry expression levels were investigated using immunofluorescence staining of brainstem slices at the end of the experiment. Results Unit recordings could be performed in 12 rats and in a total of 12 neurons (DREADDs: n = 7, controls: n = 5). Clozapine 0.01 mg/kg did not affect the mean firing rate of recorded LC-neurons; 0.1 mg/kg induced an increased firing rate, irrespective whether neurons were recorded from DREADD or control rats (p = 0.006). Co-labeling of LC neurons and mCherry-tag showed that 20.6 ± 2.3% LC neurons expressed the hM3Dq receptor. Aspecific expression of hM3Dq-mCherry was also observed in non-LC neurons (26.0 ± 4.1%). Conclusion LC unit recording is feasible in an experimental set-up following manipulations for DREADD induction. A relatively low transduction efficiency of the used AAV was found. In view of this finding, the effect of injected clozapine on LC-NA could not be investigated as a reliable outcome parameter for activation of chemogenetically modified LC neurons. The use of AAV2/7, a vector previously applied successfully to target dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra, leads to insufficient chemogenetic modification of the LC compared to transduction with AAV2/9.
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Affiliation(s)
- Latoya Stevens
- 4BRAIN, Institute for Neuroscience, Department of Neurology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Kristl Vonck
- 4BRAIN, Institute for Neuroscience, Department of Neurology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Lars Emil Larsen
- 4BRAIN, Institute for Neuroscience, Department of Neurology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Wouter Van Lysebettens
- 4BRAIN, Institute for Neuroscience, Department of Neurology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Charlotte Germonpré
- 4BRAIN, Institute for Neuroscience, Department of Neurology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Veerle Baekelandt
- Laboratory for Neurobiology and Gene Therapy, Center for Molecular Medicine, Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Chris Van den Haute
- Laboratory for Neurobiology and Gene Therapy, Center for Molecular Medicine, Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Leuven Viral Vector Core, Centre for Molecular Medicine, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Evelien Carrette
- 4BRAIN, Institute for Neuroscience, Department of Neurology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Wytse Jan Wadman
- 4BRAIN, Institute for Neuroscience, Department of Neurology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Paul Boon
- 4BRAIN, Institute for Neuroscience, Department of Neurology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Robrecht Raedt
- 4BRAIN, Institute for Neuroscience, Department of Neurology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
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11
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Jagiello R, Pomper U, Yoneya M, Zhao S, Chait M. Rapid Brain Responses to Familiar vs. Unfamiliar Music - an EEG and Pupillometry study. Sci Rep 2019; 9:15570. [PMID: 31666553 PMCID: PMC6821741 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-51759-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2019] [Accepted: 10/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Human listeners exhibit marked sensitivity to familiar music, perhaps most readily revealed by popular “name that tune” games, in which listeners often succeed in recognizing a familiar song based on extremely brief presentation. In this work, we used electroencephalography (EEG) and pupillometry to reveal the temporal signatures of the brain processes that allow differentiation between a familiar, well liked, and unfamiliar piece of music. In contrast to previous work, which has quantified gradual changes in pupil diameter (the so-called “pupil dilation response”), here we focus on the occurrence of pupil dilation events. This approach is substantially more sensitive in the temporal domain and allowed us to tap early activity with the putative salience network. Participants (N = 10) passively listened to snippets (750 ms) of a familiar, personally relevant and, an acoustically matched, unfamiliar song, presented in random order. A group of control participants (N = 12), who were unfamiliar with all of the songs, was also tested. We reveal a rapid differentiation between snippets from familiar and unfamiliar songs: Pupil responses showed greater dilation rate to familiar music from 100–300 ms post-stimulus-onset, consistent with a faster activation of the autonomic salience network. Brain responses measured with EEG showed a later differentiation between familiar and unfamiliar music from 350 ms post onset. Remarkably, the cluster pattern identified in the EEG response is very similar to that commonly found in the classic old/new memory retrieval paradigms, suggesting that the recognition of brief, randomly presented, music snippets, draws on similar processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Jagiello
- Ear Institute, University College London, London, UK.,Institute of Cognitive and Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Ulrich Pomper
- Ear Institute, University College London, London, UK. .,Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
| | - Makoto Yoneya
- NTT Communication Science Laboratories, NTT Corporation, Atsugi, 243-0198, Japan
| | - Sijia Zhao
- Ear Institute, University College London, London, UK
| | - Maria Chait
- Ear Institute, University College London, London, UK.
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12
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Cheng C, Kaldy Z, Blaser E. Focused attention predicts visual working memory performance in 13-month-old infants: A pupillometric study. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2019; 36:100616. [PMID: 30769261 PMCID: PMC6555424 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2019.100616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2018] [Revised: 01/15/2019] [Accepted: 01/15/2019] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Attention turns looking, into seeing. Yet, little developmental research has examined the interface of attention and visual working memory (VWM), where what is seen is maintained for use in ongoing visual tasks. Using the task-evoked pupil response - a sensitive, real-time, involuntary measure of focused attention that has been shown to correlate with VWM performance in adults and older children - we examined the relationship between focused attention and VWM in 13-month-olds. We used a Delayed Match Retrieval paradigm, to test infants' VWM for object-location bindings - what went where - while recording anticipatory gaze responses and pupil dilation. We found that infants with greater focused attention during memory encoding showed significantly better memory performance. As well, trials that ended in a correct response had significantly greater pupil response during memory encoding than incorrect trials. Taken together, this shows that pupillometry can be used as a measure of focused attention in infants, and a means to identify those individuals, or moments, where cognitive effort is maximized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Cheng
- University of Massachusetts Boston, United States
| | - Zsuzsa Kaldy
- University of Massachusetts Boston, United States
| | - Erik Blaser
- University of Massachusetts Boston, United States.
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13
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Age differences in gain- and loss-motivated attention. Brain Cogn 2017; 111:171-181. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2016.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2016] [Revised: 12/10/2016] [Accepted: 12/19/2016] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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14
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Gotink RA, Meijboom R, Vernooij MW, Smits M, Hunink MM. 8-week Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction induces brain changes similar to traditional long-term meditation practice – A systematic review. Brain Cogn 2016; 108:32-41. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2016.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 152] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2015] [Revised: 06/24/2016] [Accepted: 07/05/2016] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
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15
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Sara SJ. Locus Coeruleus in time with the making of memories. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2015; 35:87-94. [DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2015.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2015] [Revised: 07/19/2015] [Accepted: 07/20/2015] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
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16
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McCall JG, Al-Hasani R, Siuda ER, Hong DY, Norris AJ, Ford CP, Bruchas MR. CRH Engagement of the Locus Coeruleus Noradrenergic System Mediates Stress-Induced Anxiety. Neuron 2015; 87:605-20. [PMID: 26212712 PMCID: PMC4529361 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2015.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 386] [Impact Index Per Article: 42.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2015] [Revised: 06/09/2015] [Accepted: 07/01/2015] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
The locus coeruleus noradrenergic (LC-NE) system is one of the first systems engaged following a stressful event. While numerous groups have demonstrated that LC-NE neurons are activated by many different stressors, the underlying neural circuitry and the role of this activity in generating stress-induced anxiety has not been elucidated. Using a combination of in vivo chemogenetics, optogenetics, and retrograde tracing, we determine that increased tonic activity of the LC-NE system is necessary and sufficient for stress-induced anxiety and aversion. Selective inhibition of LC-NE neurons during stress prevents subsequent anxiety-like behavior. Exogenously increasing tonic, but not phasic, activity of LC-NE neurons is alone sufficient for anxiety-like and aversive behavior. Furthermore, endogenous corticotropin-releasing hormone(+) (CRH(+)) LC inputs from the amygdala increase tonic LC activity, inducing anxiety-like behaviors. These studies position the LC-NE system as a critical mediator of acute stress-induced anxiety and offer a potential intervention for preventing stress-related affective disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordan G McCall
- Division of Basic Research, Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Washington University Pain Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Ream Al-Hasani
- Division of Basic Research, Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Washington University Pain Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Edward R Siuda
- Division of Basic Research, Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Washington University Pain Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Daniel Y Hong
- Division of Basic Research, Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Aaron J Norris
- Division of Basic Research, Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Christopher P Ford
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Department of Neurosciences, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Michael R Bruchas
- Division of Basic Research, Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Washington University Pain Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA.
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17
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Norepinephrine ignites local hotspots of neuronal excitation: How arousal amplifies selectivity in perception and memory. Behav Brain Sci 2015; 39:e200. [PMID: 26126507 DOI: 10.1017/s0140525x15000667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 328] [Impact Index Per Article: 36.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Emotional arousal enhances perception and memory of high-priority information but impairs processing of other information. Here, we propose that, under arousal, local glutamate levels signal the current strength of a representation and interact with norepinephrine (NE) to enhance high priority representations and out-compete or suppress lower priority representations. In our "glutamate amplifies noradrenergic effects" (GANE) model, high glutamate at the site of prioritized representations increases local NE release from the locus coeruleus (LC) to generate "NE hotspots." At these NE hotspots, local glutamate and NE release are mutually enhancing and amplify activation of prioritized representations. In contrast, arousal-induced LC activity inhibits less active representations via two mechanisms: 1) Where there are hotspots, lateral inhibition is amplified; 2) Where no hotspots emerge, NE levels are only high enough to activate low-threshold inhibitory adrenoreceptors. Thus, LC activation promotes a few hotspots of excitation in the context of widespread suppression, enhancing high priority representations while suppressing the rest. Hotspots also help synchronize oscillations across neural ensembles transmitting high-priority information. Furthermore, brain structures that detect stimulus priority interact with phasic NE release to preferentially route such information through large-scale functional brain networks. A surge of NE before, during, or after encoding enhances synaptic plasticity at NE hotspots, triggering local protein synthesis processes that enhance selective memory consolidation. Together, these noradrenergic mechanisms promote selective attention and memory under arousal. GANE not only reconciles apparently contradictory findings in the emotion-cognition literature but also extends previous influential theories of LC neuromodulation by proposing specific mechanisms for how LC-NE activity increases neural gain.
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Abstract
The sleep disorder narcolepsy is caused by the loss of orexinergic neurones in the lateral hypothalamus. A troublesome symptom of narcolepsy is cataplexy, the sudden loss of muscle tone in response to strong emotions. It can be alleviated by antidepressants and sodium oxybate (γ-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB)). It is likely that the noradrenergic nucleus locus coeruleus (LC) is involved since it is essential for the maintenance of muscle tone, and ceases to fire during cataplectic attacks. Furthermore, alpha-2 adrenoceptors proliferate in the LC in cataplexy, probably due to 'heterologous denervation supersensitivity' resulting from the loss/weakening of the orexinergic input to the LC. This would lead to the sensitization of the autoinhibition mechanism of LC neurones mediated by inhibitory alpha-2 adrenoceptors ('autoreceptors'). Thus the excitatory input from the amygdala to the LC, activated by an emotional stimulus, would lead to the 'switching off' of LC activity via the supersensitive auto-inhibition mechanism. GHB is an agonist at both γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) GABA (B) and GHB receptors that may be a subtype of an extrasynaptic GABA(A) receptor. GHB may prevent a cataplectic attack by dampening the tone of LC neurones via the stimulation of inhibitory extrasynaptic GABA receptors in the LC, and thus increasing the threshold for autoinhibition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elemer Szabadi
- Developmental Psychiatry, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
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19
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Fiore VG, Mannella F, Mirolli M, Latagliata EC, Valzania A, Cabib S, Dolan RJ, Puglisi-Allegra S, Baldassarre G. Corticolimbic catecholamines in stress: a computational model of the appraisal of controllability. Brain Struct Funct 2014; 220:1339-53. [PMID: 24578177 PMCID: PMC4409646 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-014-0727-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2013] [Accepted: 02/04/2014] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Appraisal of a stressful situation and the possibility to control or avoid it is thought to involve frontal-cortical mechanisms. The precise mechanism underlying this appraisal and its translation into effective stress coping (the regulation of physiological and behavioural responses) are poorly understood. Here, we propose a computational model which involves tuning motivational arousal to the appraised stressing condition. The model provides a causal explanation of the shift from active to passive coping strategies, i.e. from a condition characterised by high motivational arousal, required to deal with a situation appraised as stressful, to a condition characterised by emotional and motivational withdrawal, required when the stressful situation is appraised as uncontrollable/unavoidable. The model is motivated by results acquired via microdialysis recordings in rats and highlights the presence of two competing circuits dominated by different areas of the ventromedial prefrontal cortex: these are shown having opposite effects on several subcortical areas, affecting dopamine outflow in the striatum, and therefore controlling motivation. We start by reviewing published data supporting structure and functioning of the neural model and present the computational model itself with its essential neural mechanisms. Finally, we show the results of a new experiment, involving the condition of repeated inescapable stress, which validate most of the model's predictions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincenzo G. Fiore
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, Institute of Neurology, UCL, 12 Queen Square, London, WC1N 3BG UK
| | - Francesco Mannella
- Laboratory of Computational Embodied Neuroscience, Istituto di Scienze e Tecnologie della Cognizione, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (LOCEN-ISTC-CNR), Via San Martino della Battaglia 44, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Marco Mirolli
- Laboratory of Computational Embodied Neuroscience, Istituto di Scienze e Tecnologie della Cognizione, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (LOCEN-ISTC-CNR), Via San Martino della Battaglia 44, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Emanuele Claudio Latagliata
- Dipartimento di Psicologia and Centro Daniel Bovet, Sapienza Università di Roma, Via dei Marsi 78, 00183 Rome, Italy
- Fondazione Santa Lucia, IRCCS, Via Ardeatina 306, 00142 Rome, Italy
| | - Alessandro Valzania
- Dipartimento di Psicologia and Centro Daniel Bovet, Sapienza Università di Roma, Via dei Marsi 78, 00183 Rome, Italy
- Fondazione Santa Lucia, IRCCS, Via Ardeatina 306, 00142 Rome, Italy
| | - Simona Cabib
- Dipartimento di Psicologia and Centro Daniel Bovet, Sapienza Università di Roma, Via dei Marsi 78, 00183 Rome, Italy
- Fondazione Santa Lucia, IRCCS, Via Ardeatina 306, 00142 Rome, Italy
| | - Raymond J. Dolan
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, Institute of Neurology, UCL, 12 Queen Square, London, WC1N 3BG UK
| | - Stefano Puglisi-Allegra
- Dipartimento di Psicologia and Centro Daniel Bovet, Sapienza Università di Roma, Via dei Marsi 78, 00183 Rome, Italy
- Fondazione Santa Lucia, IRCCS, Via Ardeatina 306, 00142 Rome, Italy
| | - Gianluca Baldassarre
- Laboratory of Computational Embodied Neuroscience, Istituto di Scienze e Tecnologie della Cognizione, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (LOCEN-ISTC-CNR), Via San Martino della Battaglia 44, 00185 Rome, Italy
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20
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Amemiya S, Noji T, Kubota N, Nishijima T, Kita I. Noradrenergic modulation of vicarious trial-and-error behavior during a spatial decision-making task in rats. Neuroscience 2014; 265:291-301. [PMID: 24480363 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2014.01.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2013] [Revised: 01/17/2014] [Accepted: 01/17/2014] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Deliberation between possible options before making a decision is crucial to responding with an optimal choice. However, the neural mechanisms regulating this deliberative decision-making process are still unclear. Recent studies have proposed that the locus coeruleus-noradrenaline (LC-NA) system plays a role in attention, behavioral flexibility, and exploration, which contribute to the search for an optimal choice under uncertain situations. In the present study, we examined whether the LC-NA system relates to the deliberative process in a T-maze spatial decision-making task in rats. To quantify deliberation in rats, we recorded vicarious trial-and-error behavior (VTE), which is considered to reflect a deliberative process exploring optimal choices. In experiment 1, we manipulated the difficulty of choice by varying the amount of reward pellets between the two maze arms (0 vs. 4, 1 vs. 3, 2 vs. 2). A difficulty-dependent increase in VTE was accompanied by a reduction of choice bias toward the high reward arm and an increase in time required to select one of the two arms in the more difficult manipulation. In addition, the increase of c-Fos-positive NA neurons in the LC depended on the task difficulty and the amount of c-Fos expression in LC-NA neurons positively correlated with the occurrence of VTE. In experiment 2, we inhibited LC-NA activity by injection of clonidine, an agonist of the alpha2 autoreceptor, during a decision-making task (1 vs. 3). The clonidine injection suppressed occurrence of VTE in the early phase of the task and subsequently impaired a valuable choice later in the task. These results suggest that the LC-NA system regulates the deliberative process during decision-making.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Amemiya
- Department of Human Health Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Minamiohsawa, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-0397, Japan; Research Fellow of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, 5-3-1 Kojimachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-0083, Japan
| | - T Noji
- Department of Human Health Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Minamiohsawa, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-0397, Japan
| | - N Kubota
- Department of Human Health Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Minamiohsawa, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-0397, Japan
| | - T Nishijima
- Department of Human Health Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Minamiohsawa, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-0397, Japan
| | - I Kita
- Department of Human Health Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Minamiohsawa, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-0397, Japan.
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21
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Zaldivar A, Krichmar JL. Interactions between the neuromodulatory systems and the amygdala: exploratory survey using the Allen Mouse Brain Atlas. Brain Struct Funct 2013; 218:1513-30. [PMID: 23143393 PMCID: PMC3825589 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-012-0473-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2012] [Accepted: 10/25/2012] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Neuromodulatory systems originate in nuclei localized in the subcortical region of the brain and control fundamental behaviors by interacting with many areas of the central nervous system. An exploratory survey of the cholinergic, dopaminergic, noradrenergic, and serotonergic receptor expression energy in the amygdala, and in the neuromodulatory areas themselves was undertaken using the Allen Mouse Brain Atlas. The amygdala was chosen because of its importance in cognitive behavior and its bidirectional interaction with the neuromodulatory systems. The gene expression data of 38 neuromodulatory receptor subtypes were examined across 13 brain regions. The substantia innominata of the basal forebrain and regions of the amygdala had the highest amount of receptor expression energy for all four neuromodulatory systems examined. The ventral tegmental area also displayed high receptor expression of all four neuromodulators. In contrast, the locus coeruleus displayed low receptor expression energy overall. In general, cholinergic receptor expression was an order of magnitude greater than other neuromodulatory receptors. Since the nuclei of these neuromodulatory systems are thought to be the source of specific neurotransmitters, the projections from these nuclei to target regions may be inferred by receptor expression energy. The comprehensive analysis revealed many connectivity relations and receptor localization that had not been previously reported. The methodology presented here may be applied to other neural systems with similar characteristics, and to other animal models as these brain atlases become available.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Zaldivar
- Department of Cognitive Sciences, University of California, Irvine, USA
| | - Jeffrey L. Krichmar
- Department of Cognitive Sciences, University of California, Irvine, USA
- Department of Computer Science, University of California, Irvine, USA
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Pendyam S, Bravo-Rivera C, Burgos-Robles A, Sotres-Bayon F, Quirk GJ, Nair SS. Fear signaling in the prelimbic-amygdala circuit: a computational modeling and recording study. J Neurophysiol 2013; 110:844-61. [PMID: 23699055 PMCID: PMC3742978 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00961.2012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2012] [Accepted: 05/17/2013] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The acquisition and expression of conditioned fear depends on prefrontal-amygdala circuits. Auditory fear conditioning increases the tone responses of lateral amygdala neurons, but the increase is transient, lasting only a few hundred milliseconds after tone onset. It was recently reported that that the prelimbic (PL) prefrontal cortex transforms transient lateral amygdala input into a sustained PL output, which could drive fear responses via projections to the lateral division of basal amygdala (BL). To explore the possible mechanisms involved in this transformation, we developed a large-scale biophysical model of the BL-PL network, consisting of 850 conductance-based Hodgkin-Huxley-type cells, calcium-based learning, and neuromodulator effects. The model predicts that sustained firing in PL can be derived from BL-induced release of dopamine and norepinephrine that is maintained by PL-BL interconnections. These predictions were confirmed with physiological recordings from PL neurons during fear conditioning with the selective β-blocker propranolol and by inactivation of BL with muscimol. Our model suggests that PL has a higher bandwidth than BL, due to PL's decreased internal inhibition and lower spiking thresholds. It also suggests that variations in specific microcircuits in the PL-BL interconnection can have a significant impact on the expression of fear, possibly explaining individual variability in fear responses. The human homolog of PL could thus be an effective target for anxiety disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandeep Pendyam
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65211, USA
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Sustained impairment of α2A-adrenergic autoreceptor signaling mediates neurochemical and behavioral sensitization to amphetamine. Biol Psychiatry 2013; 74:90-8. [PMID: 23332355 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2012.11.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2012] [Revised: 11/09/2012] [Accepted: 11/29/2012] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In rodents, drugs of abuse induce locomotor hyperactivity, and repeating injections enhance this response. This effect, called behavioral sensitization, persists months after the last administration. It has been shown that behavioral sensitization to amphetamine develops parallel to an increased release of norepinephrine (NE) in the prefrontal cortex (PFC). METHODS Rats and mice were repeatedly treated with amphetamine (1 or 2 mg/kg intraperitoneally, respectively) to obtain sensitized animals. The NE release in the PFC was measured by microdialysis in freely moving mice (n = 55). Activity of locus coeruleus (LC) noradrenergic neurons was determined in anaesthetized rats (n = 15) by in vivo extracellular electrophysiology. The α2A-adrenergic autoreceptor (α2A-AR) expression was assessed by autoradiography on brain slices, and Gαi proteins expression was measured by western blot analysis of LC punches. RESULTS In sensitized rats LC neurons had a higher spontaneous firing rate, and clonidine-an α2A-adrenergic agonist-inhibited LC neuronal firing less efficiently than in control animals. Clonidine also induced lower levels of NE release in the PFC of sensitized mice. This desensitization was maintained by a lower density of Gαi1 and Gαi2 proteins in the LC of sensitized mice rather than weaker α2A-AR expression. Behavioral sensitization was facilitated by α2A-AR antagonist, efaroxan, during amphetamine injections and abolished by clonidine treatment. CONCLUSIONS Our data indicate that noradrenergic inhibitory feedback is impaired for at least 1 month in rats and mice repeatedly treated with amphetamine. This work highlights the key role of noradrenergic autoreceptor signaling in the persistent modifications induced by repeated amphetamine administration.
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Orienting and reorienting: the locus coeruleus mediates cognition through arousal. Neuron 2012; 76:130-41. [PMID: 23040811 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2012.09.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 586] [Impact Index Per Article: 48.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/10/2012] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Mood, motivation, attention, and arousal are behavioral states having a profound impact on cognition. Behavioral states are mediated though the peripheral nervous system and neuromodulatory systems in the brainstem. The noradrenergic nucleus locus coeruleus is activated in parallel with the autonomic system in response to biological imperatives. These responses can be spontaneous, to unexpected salient or threatening stimuli, or they can be conditioned responses to awaited behaviorally relevant stimuli. Noradrenaline, released in forebrain structures, will facilitate sensory processing, enhance cognitive flexibility and executive function in the frontal cortex, and promote offline memory consolidation in limbic structures. Central activation of neuromodulatory neurons and peripheral arousal, together, prepare the organism for a reorientation or reset of cortical networks and an adaptive behavioral response.
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Abstract
The measurement of pupil diameter in psychology (in short, “pupillometry”) has just celebrated 50 years. The method established itself after the appearance of three seminal studies ( Hess & Polt, 1960 , 1964 ; Kahneman & Beatty, 1966 ). Since then, the method has continued to play a significant role within the field, and pupillary responses have been successfully used to provide an estimate of the “intensity” of mental activity and of changes in mental states, particularly changes in the allocation of attention and the consolidation of perception. Remarkably, pupillary responses provide a continuous measure regardless of whether the participant is aware of such changes. More recently, research in neuroscience has revealed a tight correlation between the activity of the locus coeruleus (i.e., the “hub” of the noradrenergic system) and pupillary dilation. As we discuss in this short review, these neurophysiological findings provide new important insights to the meaning of pupillary responses for mental activity. Finally, given that pupillary responses can be easily measured in a noninvasive manner, occur from birth, and can occur in the absence of voluntary, conscious processes, they constitute a very promising tool for the study of preverbal (e.g., infants) or nonverbal participants (e.g., animals, neurological patients).
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruno Laeng
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo
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26
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Osorio I. Mesial temporal seizures may enhance complex reaction time test performance. Epilepsy Behav 2011; 22:490-4. [PMID: 21885349 DOI: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2011.07.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2011] [Revised: 07/19/2011] [Accepted: 07/21/2011] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Probing of cognitive functions during seizures is an underdeveloped area of clinical epileptology. Transient cognitive impairment occurs sometime after electrographic onset in certain localization-related epilepsies, but precisely when and what alterations ensue are unknown. Answers to these questions were sought in the context of assessment of feasibility of automated seizure warning. METHODS Subjects undergoing evaluation for invasive epilepsy surgery were administered a complex reaction time test triggered automatically by the detection of seizures. Performance during seizures was compared during randomly chosen interictal periods, using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. RESULTS Statistically significant improvement in the performance of certain test metrics was observed in 3 of 14 subjects during seizures of mesial temporal lobe origin. CONCLUSION Based on these data, it is plausible that activation of central noradrenergic and dopaminergic networks by ictal activity originating from mesial temporal structures may, under particular conditions, optimize certain complex reaction time responses. If reproduced, these findings would a force a revision of the binary tenet that seizures either degrade or spare cognitive functions and open unsuspected research vistas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivan Osorio
- University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, USA.
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Ronan PJ, Summers CH. Molecular Signaling and Translational Significance of the Corticotropin Releasing Factor System. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2011; 98:235-92. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-385506-0.00006-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
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Liu X, Yang L, Wellman LL, Tang X, Sanford LD. GABAergic antagonism of the central nucleus of the amygdala attenuates reductions in rapid eye movement sleep after inescapable footshock stress. Sleep 2009; 32:888-96. [PMID: 19639751 DOI: 10.1093/sleep/32.7.888] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
STUDY OBJECTIVES Rapid eye movement sleep (REM) appears to be especially susceptible to the effects of stress; inescapable footshock stress (IS) can produce reductions in REM that can occur without recovery sleep. The amygdala has well-established roles in stress and emotion; the central nucleus of the amygdala (CNA) projects to REM regulatory regions in the brainstem and has been found to play a key role in the regulation of REM. The objective of this study was to determine whether the reduction in REM induced by IS could be regulated by CNA and brainstem regions. DESIGN The GABAergic agonist muscimol (MUS) and GABAergic antagonist bicuculline (BIC) were microinjected into CNA before IS, and sleep was recorded for 20 h. In a second experiment using the same manipulations, sleep was recorded for 2 h, after which the rats were killed to evaluate Fos expression (a marker of neuronal activity) in the locus coeruleus (LC), a brainstem REM regulatory region. SETTING NA. PATIENTS OR PARTICIPANTS The subjects were male, outbred Wistar rats. INTERVENTIONS The rats were surgically implanted with standard electrodes or with telemetry transmitters for determining arousal state. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS IS preceded by control or MUS microinjections selectively reduced REM and increased Fos expression in LC. By comparison, microinjection of BIC into CNA prior to IS attenuated both the reduction in REM and Fos expression in LC to levels seen in non-shocked controls. CONCLUSIONS The results suggest that the effects of IS on REM may involve local GABAergic inhibition in CNA and activation of LC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xianling Liu
- Sleep Research Laboratory, Department of Pathology and Anatomy, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, VA 23507, USA
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Buffalari DM, Grace AA. Anxiogenic modulation of spontaneous and evoked neuronal activity in the basolateral amygdala. Neuroscience 2009; 163:1069-77. [PMID: 19589368 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2009.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2009] [Revised: 07/01/2009] [Accepted: 07/02/2009] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
The amygdala has a well-established role in stress, anxiety, and aversive learning, and anxiolytic and anxiogenic agents are thought to exert their behavioral actions via the amygdala. However, despite extensive behavioral data, the effects of noradrenergic anxiogenic drugs on neuronal activity within the amygdala have not been examined. The present experiments examined how administration of the anxiogenic drug yohimbine affects spontaneous and evoked neuronal activity in the basolateral amygdala (BLA) of rats. Yohimbine produced both excitatory and inhibitory effects on neurons of the BLA, with an increase in spontaneous activity being the predominant response in the lateral and basomedial nuclei of the BLA. Furthermore, yohimbine tended to facilitate neuronal responses evoked by electrical stimulation of the entorhinal cortex, with this facilitation seen more often in lateral and basomedial nuclei of the BLA. These data are the first to examine the effects of the anxiogenic agent yohimbine on BLA neuronal activity, and suggest that neurons in specific subnuclei of the amygdala exhibit unique responses to administration of such pharmacological agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- D M Buffalari
- Departments of Neuroscience, Psychiatry, and Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
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Bouret S, Richmond BJ. Relation of locus coeruleus neurons in monkeys to Pavlovian and operant behaviors. J Neurophysiol 2008; 101:898-911. [PMID: 19091919 DOI: 10.1152/jn.91048.2008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Noradrenaline is released throughout the forebrain from locus coeruleus (LC) projections in close temporal proximity to emotional and goal-directed events. To examine interactive influences of these processes on LC neuronal activity, we used a task where Pavlovian and operant processes vary and can be easily identified. We recorded 69 single LC neurons from two monkeys performing a task where cues indicate the progression through schedules of one, two, or three operant trials. Pavlovian responses and phasic LC activations occur following the appearance of conditioned visual cues (54/69 neurons), especially those at the beginning of new schedules, whether the current trial will be rewarded (single trial schedule) or not (2 or 3 trial schedules), and after visual imperative signals eliciting the operant response (64/69 neurons), whether the current trial will be rewarded or not. The modulation of LC responses seems to be relatively independent of attention or motivation, because the responses do not covary with operant performance in the task. The magnitude of LC responses across the schedules varied in close relation to the intensity of Pavlovian behavior but these responses were also modulated by operant processes. Our conclusion is that LC activation occurs when task-relevant stimuli evoke a conditioned instinctive (Pavlovian) response, with the strength of the activation also being modulated by goal-directed processes. Thus locus coeruleus neurons broadcast information about stimulus-elicited primitive and goal-directed behaviors to forebrain structures important for executive functions and emotions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastien Bouret
- Laboratory of Neuropsychology, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Bldg. 49, Rm. 1B80, Bethesda, MD 20892-4415, USA
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Althaus M, Groen Y, Wijers AA, Mulder LJM, Minderaa RB, Kema IP, Dijck JDA, Hartman CA, Hoekstra PJ. Differential effects of 5-HTTLPR and DRD2/ANKK1 polymorphisms on electrocortical measures of error and feedback processing in children. Clin Neurophysiol 2008; 120:93-107. [PMID: 19046929 DOI: 10.1016/j.clinph.2008.10.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2008] [Revised: 10/08/2008] [Accepted: 10/11/2008] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Applying a probabilistic learning task we examined the influence of functional polymorphisms of the serotonin transporter gene (5-HTTLPR) and the D2 dopamine receptor gene (DRD2/ANKK1) on error and feedback processing by measuring electrocortical event-related potentials (ERPs) in 10- to 12-year-old children. METHODS Three pairwise group comparisons were conducted on four distinguishable ERP components, two of which were response-related, the other two feedback-related. RESULTS Our ERP data revealed that children carrying the short (S) variant of the 5-HTTLPR gene process their errors more intensively while exhibiting less habituation to negative feedback with task progression compared to children who are homozygous for the 5-HTTLPR long (L) variant. Children possessing the Taq1 A variant of the DRD2 gene showed greater sensitivity to negative feedback and, as opposed to Taq1 A non-carriers, a diminishing sensitivity to positive feedback with task progression. Regarding error processing, children possessing both the S variant of the 5-HTTLPR and the Taq1 A allele of the DRD2 gene showed a picture quite similar to that of the 5-HTTLPR S carriers and regarding feedback processing quite similar to that of the DRD2 Taq1 A carriers. CONCLUSIONS Our findings support the hypotheses that the 5-HTTLPR S allele may predispose to (performance) anxiety, while DRD2 Taq1 A allele may predispose to the reward deficiency syndrome. SIGNIFICANCE The results may further enhance our understanding of known associations between these polymorphisms and psychopathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monika Althaus
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, 9713 GZ Groningen, The Netherlands.
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Memory systems in the chick: regional and temporal control by noradrenaline. Brain Res Bull 2008; 76:170-82. [PMID: 18498929 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2008.02.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2007] [Revised: 12/21/2007] [Accepted: 02/11/2008] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Learning starts with the information about a situation or experience delivered to different brain areas in terms of visual, olfactory, auditory and tactile inputs. Memory processing occurs in different brain locations in a well-defined temporal sequence of physiologically based stages and biochemical cascades. Using neuropharmacological techniques in one species and a robust bead discrimination task, we have been able to chart the passage of memory from acquisition to consolidation in the chick and to dissect out the multiple roles for noradrenaline in consolidating this memory. Fortunately only a small fraction of sensory input is remembered and it is clear that modulatory neurotransmitters play a key role in determining what is remembered. We have identified roles for noradrenaline in the mesopallium or 'avian cortex', the hippocampus, medial striatum or basal ganglia and teased out the different effects of noradrenaline in each of these areas based on the receptor subtypes activated by the transmitter and the stages on which they act. Noradrenergic input from the locus coeruleus controls memory processing at two critical times after training-acquisition (0-2.5 min after training) and consolidation (25-30 min after training). We have also elucidated some of the cellular mechanisms whereby noradrenaline achieves memory modulation and finds that it has actions on both neurones and astrocytes with particularly important effects on energy metabolism in astrocytes. The memory system of the chick is very similar to that of mammals in terms of brain regions recruited in memory processing and in the ways memory is modulated by noradrenaline.
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Dunn AJ, Swiergiel AH. The role of corticotropin-releasing factor and noradrenaline in stress-related responses, and the inter-relationships between the two systems. Eur J Pharmacol 2008; 583:186-93. [PMID: 18281033 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2007.11.069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2007] [Revised: 11/19/2007] [Accepted: 11/29/2007] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Substantial evidence indicates that brain neurons containing and secreting noradrenaline and corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) are activated during stress, and that physiological and behavioural responses observed during stress can be induced by exogenous administration of CRF and adrenoceptor agonists. This review focusses on the evidence for the involvement of these two factors in stress-related responses, and the inter-relationships between them. The possible abnormalities of these two systems in depressive illness are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrian J Dunn
- Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Neuroscience, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Shreveport, Louisiana, USA.
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Chapter 5.5 Stress hormones and anxiety disorders. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2008. [DOI: 10.1016/s1569-7339(07)00021-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register]
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Dayan P, Yu AJ. Phasic norepinephrine: a neural interrupt signal for unexpected events. NETWORK (BRISTOL, ENGLAND) 2006; 17:335-50. [PMID: 17162459 DOI: 10.1080/09548980601004024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 188] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Extensive animal studies indicate that the neuromodulator norepinephrine plays an important role in specific aspects of vigilance, attention and learning, putatively serving as a neural interrupt or reset function. The activity of norepinephrine-releasing neurons in the locus coeruleus during attentional tasks is modulated not only by the animal's level of engagement and the sensory inputs, but also by temporally rich aspects of internal decision-making processes. Here, we propose that it is unexpected changes in the world within the context of a task that activate the noradrenergic interrupt signal. We quantify this idea in a Bayesian model of a well-studied visual discrimination task, demonstrating that the model captures a rich repertoire of noradrenergic responses at the sub-second temporal resolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Dayan
- Gatsby Computational Neuroscience Unit, University College London, London, UK.
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Chen FJ, Sara SJ. Locus coeruleus activation by foot shock or electrical stimulation inhibits amygdala neurons. Neuroscience 2006; 144:472-81. [PMID: 17097235 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2006.09.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2006] [Revised: 09/21/2006] [Accepted: 09/21/2006] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The noradrenergic nucleus locus coeruleus (LC) has a direct projection to the basal lateral amygdala (BLA). Behavioral, lesion and pharmacological studies suggest that this pathway has an important role in mediating responses to emotional stimuli and in the formation of long term memory. The effect of LC activation on the activity of BLA neurons in vivo is not known. Therefore, in the present experiments, simultaneous extracellular unit recordings were made in the two regions while the anesthetized rat received electrical stimulation of the paw to simulate a real-life acute stressor, commonly used as an aversive reinforcer in conditioning experiments. All LC neurons exhibited a multiphasic excitatory response followed by prolonged inhibition. Responses of BLA cells were more heterogeneous, but predominantly inhibitory, with a release from inhibition during the refractory phase of LC. Direct electrical stimulation of the LC with a single pulse also elicited an inhibitory response in BLA. BLA response to both footshock and LC stimulation was partially blocked by the beta adrenergic receptor antagonist, timolol, infused into the BLA. These experiments are the first to report in vivo effects of activation of the noradrenergic system on neuronal activity in the BLA.
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Affiliation(s)
- F-J Chen
- Neuromodulation, Neural Plasticity and Cognition, CNRS UMR 7102, Université Pierre et Marie Curie-Paris6, 9 Quai Saint-Bernard, Batiment B 5eme etage, Paris, France
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Muntoni AL, Pillolla G, Melis M, Perra S, Gessa GL, Pistis M. Cannabinoids modulate spontaneous neuronal activity and evoked inhibition of locus coeruleus noradrenergic neurons. Eur J Neurosci 2006; 23:2385-94. [PMID: 16706846 DOI: 10.1111/j.1460-9568.2006.04759.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The noradrenergic pathway arising from the locus coeruleus (LC) is involved in the regulation of attention, arousal, cognitive processes and sleep. These physiological activities are affected by Cannabis exposure - both in humans and laboratory animals. In addition, exogenous cannabinoids, as well as pharmacological and genetic manipulation of the endocannabinoid system, are known to influence emotional states (e.g. anxiety) for which a contributory role of the LC-noradrenergic system has long been postulated. However, whether cannabinoid administration would affect the LC neuronal activity in vivo is still unknown. To this end, single-unit extracellular recordings were performed from LC noradrenergic cells in anaesthetized rats. Intravenous injection of both the synthetic cannabinoid agonist, WIN55212-2, and the main psychoactive principle of Cannabis, Delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol, dose-dependently increased the firing rate of LC noradrenergic neurons, with WIN55212-2 being the most efficacious. Similar results were obtained by the administration of these drugs into a lateral ventricle. Cannabinoid-induced stimulation of LC noradrenergic neuronal activity was counteracted by SR141716A, a cannabinoid receptor antagonist/reverse agonist, which by itself slightly reduced LC discharge rate. Moreover, WIN55212-2 suppressed the inhibition of noradrenergic cells produced by stimulation of the major gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic afferent to the LC, the nucleus prepositus hypoglossi. Altogether, these findings suggest the involvement of noradrenergic pathways in some consequences of Cannabis intake (e.g. cognitive and attention deficits, anxiety reactions), as well as a role for cannabinoid receptors in basic brain activities sustaining arousal and emotional states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Lisa Muntoni
- Institute of Neuroscience C.N.R., c/o University of Cagliari, Cittadella Universitaria, 09042 Monserrato (CA), Italy.
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Bunzeck N, Düzel E. Absolute coding of stimulus novelty in the human substantia nigra/VTA. Neuron 2006; 51:369-79. [PMID: 16880131 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2006.06.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 282] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2005] [Revised: 05/11/2006] [Accepted: 06/21/2006] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Novelty exploration can enhance hippocampal plasticity in animals through dopaminergic neuromodulation arising in the substantia nigra/ventral tegmental area (SN/VTA). This enhancement can outlast the exploration phase by several minutes. Currently, little is known about dopaminergic novelty processing and its relationship to hippocampal function in humans. In two functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies, SN/VTA activations in humans were indeed driven by stimulus novelty rather than other forms of stimulus salience such as rareness, negative emotional valence, or targetness of familiar stimuli, whereas hippocampal responses were less selective. SN/VTA novelty responses were scaled according to absolute rather than relative novelty in a given context, unlike adaptive SN/VTA responses recently reported for reward outcome in animal studies. Finally, novelty enhanced learning and perirhinal/parahippocampal processing of familiar items presented in the same context. Thus, the human SN/VTA can code absolute stimulus novelty and might contribute to enhancing learning in the context of novelty.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nico Bunzeck
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, 17 Queen Square, London, WC1N 3AR, United Kingdom
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Abstract
The prefrontal cortex exerts a potent regulatory influence over subcortical systems that are involved in the regulation of affective states. In particular, the amygdala is a region that is known to play a prominent role in the expression of emotions, and this function is believed to be disrupted in affective disorders and drug abuse. In addition, dysfunction of the prefrontal cortex is believed to be a common element in many psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia. Using electrophysiological recordings in rodents, we examined the interactions of the prefrontal cortex with the amygdala. Our studies showed that these areas are strongly interdependent, with the prefrontal cortex showing conditioned responses that depend on amygdala inputs, and in turn exerting a potent attenuation of activity within the amygdala. In particular, the ability of the prefrontal cortex to modulate amygdala activity is likely to play an important role in our ability to cope with stressors. We propose that a dysfunction within the prefrontal cortex disrupts the ability of this region to effectively modulate the amygdala, leaving the organism susceptible to detrimental effects of stressors. This would appear to be a common underlying process that may leave the individual susceptible to drug abuse and to the onset or exacerbation of psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia and depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- A A Grace
- Departments of Neuroscience, Psychiatry and Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA.
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Bouret S, Sara SJ. Network reset: a simplified overarching theory of locus coeruleus noradrenaline function. Trends Neurosci 2005; 28:574-82. [PMID: 16165227 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2005.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 520] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2005] [Revised: 08/10/2005] [Accepted: 09/05/2005] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Unraveling the functional role of neuromodulatory systems has been a major challenge for cognitive neuroscience, giving rise to theories ranging from a simple role in vigilance to complex models concerning decision making, prediction errors or unexpected uncertainty. A new, simplified and overarching theory of noradrenaline function is inspired by an invertebrate model: neuromodulators in crustacea abruptly interrupt activity in neural networks and reorganize the elements into new functional networks determining the behavioral output. Analogously in mammals, phasic activation of noradrenergic neurons of the locus coeruleus in time with cognitive shifts could provoke or facilitate dynamic reorganization of target neural networks, permitting rapid behavioral adaptation to changing environmental imperatives. Detailed analysis and discussion of extensive electrophysiological data from the locus coeruleus of rats and monkeys in controlled behavioral situations is provided here to support this view. This simplified 'new look' at locus coeruleus noradrenaline function redirects the challenge of understanding neuromodulatory systems towards their target networks, particularly to the dynamics of their interactions and how they organize adaptive behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastien Bouret
- Neuromodulation, Plasticité Neuronale et Cognition, CNRS UMR 7102, Université Pierre & Marie Curie, 9 Quai Saint Bernard, 75005 Paris, France
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Strange BA, Dolan RJ. Beta-adrenergic modulation of emotional memory-evoked human amygdala and hippocampal responses. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2004; 101:11454-8. [PMID: 15269349 PMCID: PMC509222 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0404282101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 226] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2004] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Human emotional experience is typically associated with enhanced episodic memory. We have used functional magnetic resonance imaging to demonstrate that successful encoding of emotional, compared to neutral, verbal stimuli evokes increased human amygdala responses. Items that evoke amygdala activation at encoding evoke greater hippocampal responses at retrieval compared to neutral items. Administration of the beta-adrenergic antagonist propranolol at encoding abolishes the enhanced amygdala encoding and hippocampal retrieval effects, despite propranolol being no longer present at retrieval. Thus, memory-related amygdala responses at encoding and hippocampal responses at recognition for emotional items depend on beta-adrenergic engagement at encoding. Our results suggest that human emotional memory is associated with a beta-adrenergic-dependent modulation of amygdala-hippocampal interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- B A Strange
- Wellcome Department of Imaging Neuroscience, Institute of Neurology, University College London, 12 Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, United Kingdom.
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Dunn AJ, Swiergiel AH, Palamarchouk V. Brain Circuits Involved in Corticotropin-Releasing Factor-Norepinephrine Interactions during Stress. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2004; 1018:25-34. [PMID: 15240349 DOI: 10.1196/annals.1296.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 128] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF)- and norepinephrine (NE)-containing neurons in the brain are activated during stress, and both have been implicated in the behavioral responses. NE neurons in the brain stem can stimulate CRF neurons in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) to activate the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical axis and may affect other CRF neurons. CRF-containing neurons in the PVN, the amygdala, and other brain areas project to the area of the locus coeruleus (LC), and CRF injected into the LC alters the electrophysiologic activity of LC-NE neurons. Neurochemical studies have indicated that CRF applied intracerebroventricularly or locally activates the LC-NE system, and microdialysis and chronoamperometric measurements indicate increased NE release in LC-NE terminal fields. However, chronoamperometric studies indicated a significant delay in the increase in NE release, suggesting that the CRF input to LC-NE neurons is indirect. The reciprocal interactions between cerebral NE and CRF systems have been proposed to create a "feed-forward" loop. It has been postulated that a sensitization of such a feed-forward loop may underlie clinical depression. However, in the majority of studies, repeated or chronic stress has been shown to decrease the behavioral and the neurochemical responsivity to acute stressors. Repeated stress also seems to decrease the responsivity of LC neurons to CRF. These results do not provide support for a feed-forward hypothesis. However, a few studies using certain tasks have indicated sensitization, and some other studies have suggested that the effect of CRF may be dose dependent. Further investigations are necessary to establish the validity or otherwise of the feed-forward hypothesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- A J Dunn
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, P.O. Box 33932, Shreveport, LA 71130-3932, USA.
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