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Yang M, Zhu H, Peng L, Yin T, Sun S, Du Y, Li J, Liu J, Wang S. Neuronal HIPK2-HDAC3 axis regulates mitochondrial fragmentation to participate in stroke injury and post-stroke anxiety like behavior. Exp Neurol 2024; 380:114906. [PMID: 39079624 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2024.114906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2024] [Revised: 07/23/2024] [Accepted: 07/26/2024] [Indexed: 08/04/2024]
Abstract
Post-stroke anxiety (PSA) seriously affects the prognosis of patients, which is an urgent clinical problem to be addressed. However, the pathological mechanism of PSA is largely unclear. Here, we found that neuronal HIPK2 expression was upregulated in the ischemic lesion after stroke. The upregulation of HIPK2 promotes Drp1 oligomerization through the HDAC3-dependent pathway, leading to excessive mitochondrial damage. This subsequently triggers the release of cellular cytokines such as IL-18 from neurons under ischemic stress. Microglia are capable of responding to IL-18, which promotes their activation and enhances their phagocytosis, ultimately resulting in the loss of synapses and neurons, thereby exacerbating the pathological progression of PSA. HIPK2 knockdown or inhibition suppresses excessive pruning of neuronal synapses by activated microglia in the contralateral vCA1 region to compromise inactivated anxiolytic pBLA-vCA1Calb1+ circuit, relieving anxiety-like behavior after stroke. Furthermore, we discovered that early remimazolam administration can remodel HIPK2-HDAC3 axis, ameliorating the progression of PSA. In conclusion, our study revealed that the neuronal HIPK2-HDAC3 axis in the ischemic focus regulates mitochondrial fragmentation to balance inflammation stress reservoir to participate in anxiety susceptibility after stroke.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengmeng Yang
- Department of Anesthesiology, First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230001, China; Wannan Medical College, Wuhu 241002, China
| | - Hongrui Zhu
- Department of Anesthesiology, First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230001, China.
| | - Li Peng
- Department of Anesthesiology, First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230001, China; Core Facility Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC (Anhui Provincial Hospital), Hefei, Anhui 230001, China
| | - Tianyue Yin
- Department of Anesthesiology, First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230001, China; Core Facility Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC (Anhui Provincial Hospital), Hefei, Anhui 230001, China
| | - Shuaijie Sun
- Department of Anesthesiology, First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230001, China; Wannan Medical College, Wuhu 241002, China
| | - Yuhao Du
- Department of Anesthesiology, First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230001, China; Core Facility Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC (Anhui Provincial Hospital), Hefei, Anhui 230001, China
| | - Jun Li
- Department of Anesthesiology, First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230001, China
| | - Jinya Liu
- Department of Anesthesiology, First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230001, China
| | - Sheng Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology, First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230001, China.
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Velazquez-Hernandez G, Miller NW, Curtis VR, Rivera-Pacheco CM, Lowe SM, Moy SS, Zannas AS, Pégard NC, Burgos-Robles A, Rodriguez-Romaguera J. Social threat alters the behavioral structure of social motivation and reshapes functional brain connectivity. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.17.599379. [PMID: 38948883 PMCID: PMC11212885 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.17.599379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/02/2024]
Abstract
Traumatic social experiences redefine socially motivated behaviors to enhance safety and survival. Although many brain regions have been implicated in signaling a social threat, the mechanisms by which global neural networks regulate such motivated behaviors remain unclear. To address this issue, we first combined traditional and modern behavioral tracking techniques in mice to assess both approach and avoidance, as well as sub-second behavioral changes, during a social threat learning task. We were able to identify previously undescribed body and tail movements during social threat learning and recognition that demonstrate unique alterations into the behavioral structure of social motivation. We then utilized inter-regional correlation analysis of brain activity after a mouse recognizes a social threat to explore functional communication amongst brain regions implicated in social motivation. Broad brain activity changes were observed within the nucleus accumbens, the paraventricular thalamus, the ventromedial hypothalamus, and the nucleus of reuniens. Inter-regional correlation analysis revealed a reshaping of the functional connectivity across the brain when mice recognize a social threat. Altogether, these findings suggest that reshaping of functional brain connectivity may be necessary to alter the behavioral structure of social motivation when a social threat is encountered.
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Haller SP, Linke JO, Grassie HL, Jones EL, Pagliaccio D, Harrewijn A, White LK, Naim R, Abend R, Mallidi A, Berman E, Lewis KM, Kircanski K, Fox NA, Silverman WK, Kalin NH, Bar-Haim Y, Brotman MA. Normalization of Fronto-Parietal Activation by Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy in Unmedicated Pediatric Patients With Anxiety Disorders. Am J Psychiatry 2024; 181:201-212. [PMID: 38263879 DOI: 10.1176/appi.ajp.20220449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Anxiety disorders are prevalent among youths and are often highly impairing. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is an effective first-line treatment. The authors investigated the brain mechanisms associated with symptom change following CBT. METHODS Unmedicated youths diagnosed with an anxiety disorder underwent 12 weeks of CBT as part of two randomized clinical trials testing the efficacy of adjunctive computerized cognitive training. Across both trials, participants completed a threat-processing task during functional MRI before and after treatment. Age-matched healthy comparison youths completed two scans over the same time span. The mean age of the samples was 13.20 years (SD=2.68); 41% were male (youths with anxiety disorders, N=69; healthy comparison youths, N=62). An additional sample including youths at temperamental risk for anxiety (N=87; mean age, 10.51 years [SD=0.43]; 41% male) was utilized to test the stability of anxiety-related neural differences in the absence of treatment. Whole-brain regional activation changes (thresholded at p<0.001) were examined using task-based blood-oxygen-level-dependent response. RESULTS Before treatment, patients with an anxiety disorder exhibited altered activation in fronto-parietal attention networks and limbic regions relative to healthy comparison children across all task conditions. Fronto-parietal hyperactivation normalized over the course of treatment, whereas limbic responses remained elevated after treatment. In the at-risk sample, overlapping clusters emerged between regions showing stable associations with anxiety over time and regions showing treatment-related changes. CONCLUSIONS Activation in fronto-parietal networks may normalize after CBT in unmedicated pediatric anxiety patients. Limbic regions may be less amenable to acute CBT effects. Findings from the at-risk sample suggest that treatment-related changes may not be attributed solely to the passage of time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone P Haller
- Emotion and Development Branch, NIMH, Bethesda, Md. (Haller, Grassie, Jones, Mallidi, Berman, Lewis, Kircanski, Brotman); Department of Psychology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany (Linke); Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York (Pagliaccio); Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands (Harrewijn); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia (White); Baruch Ivcher School of Psychology, Reichman University, Herzliya, Israel (Abend); Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology, University of Maryland, College Park (Fox); Yale Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Conn. (Silverman); Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison (Kalin); School of Psychological Sciences (Bar-Heim, Naim) and Sagol School of Neuroscience (Bar-Haim), Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Julia O Linke
- Emotion and Development Branch, NIMH, Bethesda, Md. (Haller, Grassie, Jones, Mallidi, Berman, Lewis, Kircanski, Brotman); Department of Psychology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany (Linke); Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York (Pagliaccio); Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands (Harrewijn); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia (White); Baruch Ivcher School of Psychology, Reichman University, Herzliya, Israel (Abend); Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology, University of Maryland, College Park (Fox); Yale Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Conn. (Silverman); Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison (Kalin); School of Psychological Sciences (Bar-Heim, Naim) and Sagol School of Neuroscience (Bar-Haim), Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Hannah L Grassie
- Emotion and Development Branch, NIMH, Bethesda, Md. (Haller, Grassie, Jones, Mallidi, Berman, Lewis, Kircanski, Brotman); Department of Psychology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany (Linke); Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York (Pagliaccio); Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands (Harrewijn); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia (White); Baruch Ivcher School of Psychology, Reichman University, Herzliya, Israel (Abend); Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology, University of Maryland, College Park (Fox); Yale Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Conn. (Silverman); Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison (Kalin); School of Psychological Sciences (Bar-Heim, Naim) and Sagol School of Neuroscience (Bar-Haim), Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Emily L Jones
- Emotion and Development Branch, NIMH, Bethesda, Md. (Haller, Grassie, Jones, Mallidi, Berman, Lewis, Kircanski, Brotman); Department of Psychology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany (Linke); Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York (Pagliaccio); Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands (Harrewijn); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia (White); Baruch Ivcher School of Psychology, Reichman University, Herzliya, Israel (Abend); Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology, University of Maryland, College Park (Fox); Yale Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Conn. (Silverman); Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison (Kalin); School of Psychological Sciences (Bar-Heim, Naim) and Sagol School of Neuroscience (Bar-Haim), Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - David Pagliaccio
- Emotion and Development Branch, NIMH, Bethesda, Md. (Haller, Grassie, Jones, Mallidi, Berman, Lewis, Kircanski, Brotman); Department of Psychology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany (Linke); Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York (Pagliaccio); Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands (Harrewijn); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia (White); Baruch Ivcher School of Psychology, Reichman University, Herzliya, Israel (Abend); Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology, University of Maryland, College Park (Fox); Yale Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Conn. (Silverman); Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison (Kalin); School of Psychological Sciences (Bar-Heim, Naim) and Sagol School of Neuroscience (Bar-Haim), Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Anita Harrewijn
- Emotion and Development Branch, NIMH, Bethesda, Md. (Haller, Grassie, Jones, Mallidi, Berman, Lewis, Kircanski, Brotman); Department of Psychology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany (Linke); Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York (Pagliaccio); Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands (Harrewijn); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia (White); Baruch Ivcher School of Psychology, Reichman University, Herzliya, Israel (Abend); Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology, University of Maryland, College Park (Fox); Yale Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Conn. (Silverman); Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison (Kalin); School of Psychological Sciences (Bar-Heim, Naim) and Sagol School of Neuroscience (Bar-Haim), Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Lauren K White
- Emotion and Development Branch, NIMH, Bethesda, Md. (Haller, Grassie, Jones, Mallidi, Berman, Lewis, Kircanski, Brotman); Department of Psychology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany (Linke); Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York (Pagliaccio); Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands (Harrewijn); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia (White); Baruch Ivcher School of Psychology, Reichman University, Herzliya, Israel (Abend); Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology, University of Maryland, College Park (Fox); Yale Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Conn. (Silverman); Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison (Kalin); School of Psychological Sciences (Bar-Heim, Naim) and Sagol School of Neuroscience (Bar-Haim), Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Reut Naim
- Emotion and Development Branch, NIMH, Bethesda, Md. (Haller, Grassie, Jones, Mallidi, Berman, Lewis, Kircanski, Brotman); Department of Psychology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany (Linke); Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York (Pagliaccio); Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands (Harrewijn); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia (White); Baruch Ivcher School of Psychology, Reichman University, Herzliya, Israel (Abend); Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology, University of Maryland, College Park (Fox); Yale Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Conn. (Silverman); Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison (Kalin); School of Psychological Sciences (Bar-Heim, Naim) and Sagol School of Neuroscience (Bar-Haim), Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Rany Abend
- Emotion and Development Branch, NIMH, Bethesda, Md. (Haller, Grassie, Jones, Mallidi, Berman, Lewis, Kircanski, Brotman); Department of Psychology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany (Linke); Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York (Pagliaccio); Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands (Harrewijn); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia (White); Baruch Ivcher School of Psychology, Reichman University, Herzliya, Israel (Abend); Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology, University of Maryland, College Park (Fox); Yale Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Conn. (Silverman); Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison (Kalin); School of Psychological Sciences (Bar-Heim, Naim) and Sagol School of Neuroscience (Bar-Haim), Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Ajitha Mallidi
- Emotion and Development Branch, NIMH, Bethesda, Md. (Haller, Grassie, Jones, Mallidi, Berman, Lewis, Kircanski, Brotman); Department of Psychology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany (Linke); Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York (Pagliaccio); Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands (Harrewijn); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia (White); Baruch Ivcher School of Psychology, Reichman University, Herzliya, Israel (Abend); Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology, University of Maryland, College Park (Fox); Yale Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Conn. (Silverman); Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison (Kalin); School of Psychological Sciences (Bar-Heim, Naim) and Sagol School of Neuroscience (Bar-Haim), Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Erin Berman
- Emotion and Development Branch, NIMH, Bethesda, Md. (Haller, Grassie, Jones, Mallidi, Berman, Lewis, Kircanski, Brotman); Department of Psychology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany (Linke); Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York (Pagliaccio); Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands (Harrewijn); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia (White); Baruch Ivcher School of Psychology, Reichman University, Herzliya, Israel (Abend); Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology, University of Maryland, College Park (Fox); Yale Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Conn. (Silverman); Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison (Kalin); School of Psychological Sciences (Bar-Heim, Naim) and Sagol School of Neuroscience (Bar-Haim), Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Krystal M Lewis
- Emotion and Development Branch, NIMH, Bethesda, Md. (Haller, Grassie, Jones, Mallidi, Berman, Lewis, Kircanski, Brotman); Department of Psychology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany (Linke); Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York (Pagliaccio); Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands (Harrewijn); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia (White); Baruch Ivcher School of Psychology, Reichman University, Herzliya, Israel (Abend); Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology, University of Maryland, College Park (Fox); Yale Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Conn. (Silverman); Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison (Kalin); School of Psychological Sciences (Bar-Heim, Naim) and Sagol School of Neuroscience (Bar-Haim), Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Katharina Kircanski
- Emotion and Development Branch, NIMH, Bethesda, Md. (Haller, Grassie, Jones, Mallidi, Berman, Lewis, Kircanski, Brotman); Department of Psychology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany (Linke); Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York (Pagliaccio); Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands (Harrewijn); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia (White); Baruch Ivcher School of Psychology, Reichman University, Herzliya, Israel (Abend); Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology, University of Maryland, College Park (Fox); Yale Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Conn. (Silverman); Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison (Kalin); School of Psychological Sciences (Bar-Heim, Naim) and Sagol School of Neuroscience (Bar-Haim), Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Nathan A Fox
- Emotion and Development Branch, NIMH, Bethesda, Md. (Haller, Grassie, Jones, Mallidi, Berman, Lewis, Kircanski, Brotman); Department of Psychology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany (Linke); Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York (Pagliaccio); Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands (Harrewijn); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia (White); Baruch Ivcher School of Psychology, Reichman University, Herzliya, Israel (Abend); Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology, University of Maryland, College Park (Fox); Yale Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Conn. (Silverman); Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison (Kalin); School of Psychological Sciences (Bar-Heim, Naim) and Sagol School of Neuroscience (Bar-Haim), Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Wendy K Silverman
- Emotion and Development Branch, NIMH, Bethesda, Md. (Haller, Grassie, Jones, Mallidi, Berman, Lewis, Kircanski, Brotman); Department of Psychology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany (Linke); Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York (Pagliaccio); Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands (Harrewijn); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia (White); Baruch Ivcher School of Psychology, Reichman University, Herzliya, Israel (Abend); Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology, University of Maryland, College Park (Fox); Yale Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Conn. (Silverman); Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison (Kalin); School of Psychological Sciences (Bar-Heim, Naim) and Sagol School of Neuroscience (Bar-Haim), Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Ned H Kalin
- Emotion and Development Branch, NIMH, Bethesda, Md. (Haller, Grassie, Jones, Mallidi, Berman, Lewis, Kircanski, Brotman); Department of Psychology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany (Linke); Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York (Pagliaccio); Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands (Harrewijn); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia (White); Baruch Ivcher School of Psychology, Reichman University, Herzliya, Israel (Abend); Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology, University of Maryland, College Park (Fox); Yale Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Conn. (Silverman); Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison (Kalin); School of Psychological Sciences (Bar-Heim, Naim) and Sagol School of Neuroscience (Bar-Haim), Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Yair Bar-Haim
- Emotion and Development Branch, NIMH, Bethesda, Md. (Haller, Grassie, Jones, Mallidi, Berman, Lewis, Kircanski, Brotman); Department of Psychology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany (Linke); Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York (Pagliaccio); Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands (Harrewijn); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia (White); Baruch Ivcher School of Psychology, Reichman University, Herzliya, Israel (Abend); Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology, University of Maryland, College Park (Fox); Yale Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Conn. (Silverman); Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison (Kalin); School of Psychological Sciences (Bar-Heim, Naim) and Sagol School of Neuroscience (Bar-Haim), Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Melissa A Brotman
- Emotion and Development Branch, NIMH, Bethesda, Md. (Haller, Grassie, Jones, Mallidi, Berman, Lewis, Kircanski, Brotman); Department of Psychology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany (Linke); Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York (Pagliaccio); Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands (Harrewijn); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia (White); Baruch Ivcher School of Psychology, Reichman University, Herzliya, Israel (Abend); Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology, University of Maryland, College Park (Fox); Yale Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Conn. (Silverman); Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison (Kalin); School of Psychological Sciences (Bar-Heim, Naim) and Sagol School of Neuroscience (Bar-Haim), Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
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Tomasi J, Zai CC, Pouget JG, Tiwari AK, Kennedy JL. Heart rate variability: Evaluating a potential biomarker of anxiety disorders. Psychophysiology 2024; 61:e14481. [PMID: 37990619 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.14481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2023] [Revised: 08/19/2023] [Accepted: 10/20/2023] [Indexed: 11/23/2023]
Abstract
Establishing quantifiable biological markers associated with anxiety will increase the objectivity of phenotyping and enhance genetic research of anxiety disorders. Heart rate variability (HRV) is a physiological measure reflecting the dynamic relationship between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems, and is a promising target for further investigation. This review summarizes evidence evaluating HRV as a potential physiological biomarker of anxiety disorders by highlighting literature related to anxiety and HRV combined with investigations of endophenotypes, neuroimaging, treatment response, and genetics. Deficient HRV shows promise as an endophenotype of pathological anxiety and may serve as a noninvasive index of prefrontal cortical control over the amygdala, and potentially aid with treatment outcome prediction. We propose that the genetics of HRV can be used to enhance the understanding of the genetics of pathological anxiety for etiological investigations and treatment prediction. Given the anxiety-HRV link, strategies are offered to advance genetic analytical approaches, including the use of polygenic methods, wearable devices, and pharmacogenetic study designs. Overall, HRV shows promising support as a physiological biomarker of pathological anxiety, potentially in a transdiagnostic manner, with the heart-brain entwinement providing a novel approach to advance anxiety treatment development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Tomasi
- Molecular Brain Science Department, Tanenbaum Centre for Pharmacogenetics, Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Clement C Zai
- Molecular Brain Science Department, Tanenbaum Centre for Pharmacogenetics, Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Jennie G Pouget
- Molecular Brain Science Department, Tanenbaum Centre for Pharmacogenetics, Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Arun K Tiwari
- Molecular Brain Science Department, Tanenbaum Centre for Pharmacogenetics, Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - James L Kennedy
- Molecular Brain Science Department, Tanenbaum Centre for Pharmacogenetics, Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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5
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Borkar CD, Stelly CE, Fu X, Dorofeikova M, Le QSE, Vutukuri R, Vo C, Walker A, Basavanhalli S, Duong A, Bean E, Resendez A, Parker JG, Tasker JG, Fadok JP. Top-down control of flight by a non-canonical cortico-amygdala pathway. Nature 2024; 625:743-749. [PMID: 38233522 PMCID: PMC10878556 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06912-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
Survival requires the selection of appropriate behaviour in response to threats, and dysregulated defensive reactions are associated with psychiatric illnesses such as post-traumatic stress and panic disorder1. Threat-induced behaviours, including freezing and flight, are controlled by neuronal circuits in the central amygdala (CeA)2; however, the source of neuronal excitation of the CeA that contributes to high-intensity defensive responses is unknown. Here we used a combination of neuroanatomical mapping, in vivo calcium imaging, functional manipulations and electrophysiology to characterize a previously unknown projection from the dorsal peduncular (DP) prefrontal cortex to the CeA. DP-to-CeA neurons are glutamatergic and specifically target the medial CeA, the main amygdalar output nucleus mediating conditioned responses to threat. Using a behavioural paradigm that elicits both conditioned freezing and flight, we found that CeA-projecting DP neurons are activated by high-intensity threats in a context-dependent manner. Functional manipulations revealed that the DP-to-CeA pathway is necessary and sufficient for both avoidance behaviour and flight. Furthermore, we found that DP neurons synapse onto neurons within the medial CeA that project to midbrain flight centres. These results elucidate a non-canonical top-down pathway regulating defensive responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chandrashekhar D Borkar
- Department of Psychology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
- Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Claire E Stelly
- Department of Psychology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
- Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Loyola University, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Xin Fu
- Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
- Neuroscience Program, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Maria Dorofeikova
- Department of Psychology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
- Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Quan-Son Eric Le
- Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
- Neuroscience Program, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Rithvik Vutukuri
- Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
- Neuroscience Program, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Catherine Vo
- Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
- Neuroscience Program, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Alex Walker
- Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
- Neuroscience Program, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Samhita Basavanhalli
- Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
- Neuroscience Program, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Anh Duong
- Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
- Neuroscience Program, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Erin Bean
- Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
- Neuroscience Program, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Alexis Resendez
- Department of Psychology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
- Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Jones G Parker
- Department of Neuroscience, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Jeffrey G Tasker
- Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Jonathan P Fadok
- Department of Psychology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA.
- Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA.
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Jones MJ, Uzuneser TC, Clement T, Wang H, Ojima I, Rushlow WJ, Laviolette SR. Inhibition of fatty acid binding protein-5 in the basolateral amygdala induces anxiolytic effects and accelerates fear memory extinction. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2024; 241:119-138. [PMID: 37747506 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-023-06468-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE The endocannabinoid (eCB) system critically controls anxiety and fear-related behaviours. Anandamide (AEA), a prominent eCB ligand, is a hydrophobic lipid that requires chaperone proteins such as Fatty Acid Binding Proteins (FABPs) for intracellular transport. Intracellular AEA transport is necessary for degradation, so blocking FABP activity increases AEA neurotransmission. OBJECTIVE To investigate the effects of a novel FABP5 inhibitor (SBFI-103) in the basolateral amygdala (BLA) on anxiety and fear memory. METHODS We infused SBFI-103 (0.5 μg-5 μg) to the BLA of adult male Sprague Dawley rats and ran various anxiety and fear memory behavioural assays, neurophysiological recordings, and localized molecular signaling analyses. We also co-infused SBFI-103 with the AEA inhibitor, LEI-401 (3 μg and 10 μg) to investigate the potential role of AEA in these phenomena. RESULTS Acute intra-BLA administration of SBFI-103 produced strong anxiolytic effects across multiple behavioural tests. Furthermore, animals exhibited acute and long-term accelerated associative fear memory extinction following intra-BLA FABP5 inhibition. In addition, BLA FABP5 inhibition induced strong modulatory effects on putative PFC pyramidal neurons along with significantly increased gamma oscillation power. Finally, we observed local BLA changes in the phosphorylation activity of various anxiety- and fear memory-related molecular biomarkers in the PI3K/Akt and MAPK/Erk signaling pathways. At all three levels of analyses, we found the functional effects of SBFI-103 depend on availability of the AEA ligand. CONCLUSIONS These findings demonstrate a novel intra-BLA FABP5 signaling mechanism regulating anxiety and fear memory behaviours, neuronal activity states, local anxiety-related molecular pathways, and functional AEA modulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew J Jones
- Department of Neuroscience, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond St, London, ON, Canada
| | - Taygun C Uzuneser
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond St, London, ON, Canada
| | - Timothy Clement
- Institute of Chemical Biology and Drug Discoveries, Stony Brook University, 100 Nicolls Road, Stony Brook, NY, USA
- Department of Chemistry, Stony Brook University, 100 Nicolls Road, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | - Hehe Wang
- Institute of Chemical Biology and Drug Discoveries, Stony Brook University, 100 Nicolls Road, Stony Brook, NY, USA
- Department of Chemistry, Stony Brook University, 100 Nicolls Road, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | - Iwao Ojima
- Institute of Chemical Biology and Drug Discoveries, Stony Brook University, 100 Nicolls Road, Stony Brook, NY, USA
- Department of Chemistry, Stony Brook University, 100 Nicolls Road, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | - Walter J Rushlow
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond St, London, ON, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond St, London, ON, Canada
| | - Steven R Laviolette
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond St, London, ON, Canada.
- Department of Psychiatry, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond St, London, ON, Canada.
- Lawson Health Research Institute, 268 Grosvenor St, London, ON, Canada.
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Zhao AR, Li J, Wang SQ, Bian LH, Li WJ, Guo JY. Stress can affect mitochondrial energy metabolism and AMPK/SIRT1 signaling pathway in rats. Brain Res Bull 2023; 203:110770. [PMID: 37774988 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2023.110770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2023] [Revised: 09/23/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/01/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTION To investigate the potential link between aberrant mitochondrial energy metabolism mediated by the AMPK/SIRT1 pathway and the etiology of anxiety disorders. METHODS The anxiety rat model was established by uncertain empty water bottle(UEWB)stress. Rats were submitted behavioral tests on the seventh, fourteenth, and twenty-first days and had the prefrontal cortex and amygdala removed for biochemical tests. The morphological alterations of the mitochondria in the medial prefrontal cortex and amygdala were examined by using a transmission electron microscope. Expression levels of AMPK, SIRT1, PGC-1, NRF-1 and NRF-2 were tested by western-blot analysis. ATP, respiratory chain complex and caspase enzyme expressions were tested by neurochemical and biochemical assays. RESULTS Rats showed anxiety-like behavior after being exposed to the uncertain empty water bottle (UEWB) stress model. In model rats, mitochondrial structure is damaged, mitochondrial energy metabolism is decreased, and the expression of proteins associated with AMPK/SIRT1 pathway is significantly reduced in the brain. CONCLUSION The level of mitochondrial energy metabolism correlates with anxiety-like behavior. The main mechanism of anxiety disorder is a disturbance of mitochondrial energy metabolism, which might be related to AMPK/SIRT1 pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- An-Ran Zhao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Jie Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Si-Qi Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Li-Hua Bian
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Wenzhou Institute, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wenzhou 325001, China
| | - Wen-Jing Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Jian-You Guo
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Key Laboratory of Intelligent Education Technology and Application of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua Zhejiang 321004.
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Conring F, Gangl N, Derome M, Wiest R, Federspiel A, Walther S, Stegmayer K. Associations of resting-state perfusion and auditory verbal hallucinations with and without emotional content in schizophrenia. Neuroimage Clin 2023; 40:103527. [PMID: 37871539 PMCID: PMC10598456 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2023.103527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2023] [Revised: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 10/25/2023]
Abstract
Auditory Verbal Hallucinations (AVH) are highly prevalent in patients with schizophrenia. AVH with high emotional content lead to particularly poor functional outcome. Increasing evidence shows that AVH are associated with alterations in structure and function in language and memory related brain regions. However, neural correlates of AVH with emotional content remain unclear. In our study (n = 91), we related resting-state cerebral perfusion to AVH and emotional content, comparing four groups: patients with AVH with emotional content (n = 13), without emotional content (n = 14), without hallucinations (n = 20) and healthy controls (n = 44). Patients with AVH and emotional content presented with increased perfusion within the amygdala and the ventromedial and dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC/ dmPFC) compared to patients with AVH without emotional content. In addition, patients with any AVH showed hyperperfusion within the anterior cingulate gyrus, the vmPFC/dmPFC, the right hippocampus, and the left pre- and postcentral gyrus compared to patients without AVH. Our results indicate metabolic alterations in brain areas critical for the processing of emotions as key for the pathophysiology of AVH with emotional content. Particularly, hyperperfusion of the amygdala may reflect and even trigger emotional content of AVH, while hyperperfusion of the vmPFC/dmPFC cluster may indicate insufficient top-down amygdala regulation in patients with schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frauke Conring
- Translational Research Center, University Hospital of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland; Graduate School for Health Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
| | - Nicole Gangl
- Translational Research Center, University Hospital of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland; Graduate School for Health Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Melodie Derome
- Translational Research Center, University Hospital of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Roland Wiest
- Support Center of Advanced Neuroimaging (SCAN), University Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Inselspital, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Andrea Federspiel
- Translational Research Center, University Hospital of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Sebastian Walther
- Translational Research Center, University Hospital of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Katharina Stegmayer
- Translational Research Center, University Hospital of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
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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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10
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Li X, Hao S, Zou S, Tu X, Kong W, Jiang T, Chen JG. Cortex-restricted deletion of Foxp1 impairs barrel formation and induces aberrant tactile responses in a mouse model of autism. Mol Autism 2023; 14:34. [PMID: 37691105 PMCID: PMC10494400 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-023-00567-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Many children and young people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) display touch defensiveness or avoidance (hypersensitivity), or engage in sensory seeking by touching people or objects (hyposensitivity). Abnormal sensory responses have also been noticed in mice lacking ASD-associated genes. Tactile sensory information is normally processed by the somatosensory system that travels along the thalamus to the primary somatosensory cortex. The neurobiology behind tactile sensory abnormalities, however, is not fully understood. METHODS We employed cortex-specific Foxp1 knockout (Foxp1-cKO) mice as a model of autism in this study. Tactile sensory deficits were measured by the adhesive removal test. The mice's behavior and neural activity were further evaluated by the whisker nuisance test and c-Fos immunofluorescence, respectively. We also studied the dendritic spines and barrel formation in the primary somatosensory cortex by Golgi staining and immunofluorescence. RESULTS Foxp1-cKO mice had a deferred response to the tactile environment. However, the mice exhibited avoidance behavior and hyper-reaction following repeated whisker stimulation, similar to a fight-or-flight response. In contrast to the wild-type, c-Fos was activated in the basolateral amygdala but not in layer IV of the primary somatosensory cortex of the cKO mice. Moreover, Foxp1 deficiency in cortical neurons altered the dendrite development, reduced the number of dendritic spines, and disrupted barrel formation in the somatosensory cortex, suggesting impaired somatosensory processing may underlie the aberrant tactile responses. LIMITATIONS It is still unclear how the defective thalamocortical connection gives rise to the hyper-reactive response. Future experiments with electrophysiological recording are needed to analyze the role of thalamo-cortical-amygdala circuits in the disinhibiting amygdala and enhanced fearful responses in the mouse model of autism. CONCLUSIONS Foxp1-cKO mice have tactile sensory deficits while exhibit hyper-reactivity, which may represent fearful and emotional responses controlled by the amygdala. This study presents anatomical evidence for reduced thalamocortical connectivity in a genetic mouse model of ASD and demonstrates that the cerebral cortex can be the origin of atypical sensory behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue Li
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Optometry and Visual Science, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, 270 Xueyuan Road, Wenzhou, 325027, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325027, People's Republic of China
| | - Shishuai Hao
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Optometry and Visual Science, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, 270 Xueyuan Road, Wenzhou, 325027, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325027, People's Republic of China
| | - Shimin Zou
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Optometry and Visual Science, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, 270 Xueyuan Road, Wenzhou, 325027, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325027, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaomeng Tu
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Optometry and Visual Science, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, 270 Xueyuan Road, Wenzhou, 325027, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325027, People's Republic of China
| | - Weixi Kong
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Optometry and Visual Science, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, 270 Xueyuan Road, Wenzhou, 325027, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325027, People's Republic of China
| | - Tian Jiang
- Research Center for Translational Medicine, The Affiliated Wenling Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenling, 317500, People's Republic of China
| | - Jie-Guang Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Optometry and Visual Science, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, 270 Xueyuan Road, Wenzhou, 325027, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China.
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325027, People's Republic of China.
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11
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Senba E, Kami K. Exercise therapy for chronic pain: How does exercise change the limbic brain function? NEUROBIOLOGY OF PAIN (CAMBRIDGE, MASS.) 2023; 14:100143. [PMID: 38099274 PMCID: PMC10719519 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynpai.2023.100143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2023] [Revised: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
We are exposed to various external and internal threats which might hurt us. The role of taking flexible and appropriate actions against threats is played by "the limbic system" and at the heart of it there is the ventral tegmental area and nucleus accumbens (brain reward system). Pain-related fear causes excessive excitation of amygdala, which in turn causes the suppression of medial prefrontal cortex, leading to chronification of pain. Since the limbic system of chronic pain patients is functionally impaired, they are maladaptive to their situations, unable to take goal-directed behavior and are easily caught by fear-avoidance thinking. We describe the neural mechanisms how exercise activates the brain reward system and enables chronic pain patients to take goal-directed behavior and overcome fear-avoidance thinking. A key to getting out from chronic pain state is to take advantage of the behavioral switching function of the basal nucleus of amygdala. We show that exercise activates positive neurons in this nucleus which project to the nucleus accumbens and promote reward behavior. We also describe fear conditioning and extinction are affected by exercise. In chronic pain patients, the fear response to pain is enhanced and the extinction of fear memories is impaired, so it is difficult to get out of "fear-avoidance thinking". Prolonged avoidance of movement and physical inactivity exacerbate pain and have detrimental effects on the musculoskeletal and cardiovascular systems. Based on the recent findings on multiple bran networks, we propose a well-balanced exercise prescription considering the adherence and pacing of exercise practice. We conclude that therapies targeting the mesocortico-limbic system, such as exercise therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy, may become promising tools in the fight against chronic pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emiko Senba
- Department of Physical Therapy, Osaka Yukioka College of Health Science, 1-1-41 Sojiji, Ibaraki-City, Osaka 567-0801, Japan
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Wakayama Medical University, 811-1 Kimiidera, Wakayama City, Wakayama 641-8509, Japan
| | - Katsuya Kami
- Department of Rehabilitation, Wakayama Faculty of Health Care Sciences, Takarazuka University of Medical and Health Care, 2252 Nakanoshima, Wakayama City, Wakayama 640-8392, Japan
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Wakayama Medical University, 811-1 Kimiidera, Wakayama City, Wakayama 641-8509, Japan
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Sahi RS, Eisenberger NI, Silvers JA. Peer facilitation of emotion regulation in adolescence. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2023; 62:101262. [PMID: 37302349 PMCID: PMC10276262 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2023.101262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2022] [Revised: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 06/04/2023] [Indexed: 06/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Emotion regulation is particularly important for adolescents as they undergo normative developmental changes in affective systems and experience heightened risk for psychopathology. Despite a high need for emotion regulation during adolescence, commonly studied emotion regulation strategies like cognitive reappraisal are less beneficial for adolescents than adults because they rely on neural regions that are still developing during this period (i.e., lateral prefrontal cortex). However, adolescence is also marked by increased valuation of peer relationships and sensitivity to social information and cues. In the present review, we synthesize research examining emotion regulation and peer influence across development to suggest that sensitivity to peers during adolescence could be leveraged to improve emotion regulation for this population. We first discuss developmental trends related to emotion regulation at the level of behavior and brain in adolescents, using cognitive reappraisal as an exemplar emotion regulation strategy. Next, we discuss social influences on adolescent brain development, describing caregiver influence and increasing susceptibility to peer influence, to describe how adolescent sensitivity to social inputs represents both a window of vulnerability and opportunity. Finally, we conclude by describing the promise of social (i.e., peer-based) interventions for enhancing emotion regulation in adolescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Razia S Sahi
- Department of Psychology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Naomi I Eisenberger
- Department of Psychology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Jennifer A Silvers
- Department of Psychology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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da Costa VF, Ramírez JCC, Ramírez SV, Avalo-Zuluaga JH, Baptista-de-Souza D, Canto-de-Souza L, Planeta CS, Rodríguez JLR, Nunes-de-Souza RL. Emotional- and cognitive-like responses induced by social defeat stress in male mice are modulated by the BNST, amygdala, and hippocampus. Front Integr Neurosci 2023; 17:1168640. [PMID: 37377628 PMCID: PMC10291097 DOI: 10.3389/fnint.2023.1168640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2023] [Accepted: 05/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Chronic exposure to social defeat stress (SDS) has been used to investigate the neurobiology of depressive- and anxiety-like responses and mnemonic processes. We hypothesized that these affective, emotional, and cognitive consequences induced by SDS are regulated via glutamatergic neurons located in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST), amygdaloid complex, and hippocampus in mice. Methods Here, we investigated the influence of chronic SDS on (i) the avoidance behavior assessed in the social interaction test, (ii) the anxiety-like behavior (e.g., elevated plus-maze, and open field tests) (iii) depressive-like behaviors (e.g., coat state, sucrose splash, nesting building, and novel object exploration tests), (iv) the short-term memory (object recognition test), (v) ΔFosB, CaMKII as well as ΔFosB + CaMKII labeling in neurons located in the BNST, amygdaloid complex, dorsal (dHPC) and the ventral (vHPC) hippocampus. Results The main results showed that the exposure of mice to SDS (a) increased defensive and anxiety-like behaviors and led to memory impairment without eliciting clear depressive-like or anhedonic effects; (b) increased ΔFosB + CaMKII labeling in BNST and amygdala, suggesting that both areas are strongly involved in the modulation of this type of stress; and produced opposite effects on neuronal activation in the vHPC and dHPC, i.e., increasing and decreasing, respectively, ΔFosB labeling. The effects of SDS on the hippocampus suggest that the vHPC is likely related to the increase of defensive- and anxiety-related behaviors, whereas the dHPC seems to modulate the memory impairment. Discussion Present findings add to a growing body of evidence indicating the involvement of glutamatergic neurotransmission in the circuits that modulate emotional and cognitive consequences induced by social defeat stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vinícius Fresca da Costa
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University Estadual Paulista, UNESP, Araraquara, Brazil
- Joint Graduate Program in Physiological Sciences (PIPGCF) UFSCar-UNESP, São Carlos, Brazil
| | - Johana Caterin Caipa Ramírez
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University Estadual Paulista, UNESP, Araraquara, Brazil
- Joint Graduate Program in Physiological Sciences (PIPGCF) UFSCar-UNESP, São Carlos, Brazil
| | - Stephany Viatela Ramírez
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University Estadual Paulista, UNESP, Araraquara, Brazil
- Joint Graduate Program in Physiological Sciences (PIPGCF) UFSCar-UNESP, São Carlos, Brazil
| | - Julian Humberto Avalo-Zuluaga
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University Estadual Paulista, UNESP, Araraquara, Brazil
- Joint Graduate Program in Physiological Sciences (PIPGCF) UFSCar-UNESP, São Carlos, Brazil
| | - Daniela Baptista-de-Souza
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University Estadual Paulista, UNESP, Araraquara, Brazil
| | - Lucas Canto-de-Souza
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University Estadual Paulista, UNESP, Araraquara, Brazil
| | - Cleopatra S. Planeta
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University Estadual Paulista, UNESP, Araraquara, Brazil
- Joint Graduate Program in Physiological Sciences (PIPGCF) UFSCar-UNESP, São Carlos, Brazil
| | | | - Ricardo Luiz Nunes-de-Souza
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University Estadual Paulista, UNESP, Araraquara, Brazil
- Joint Graduate Program in Physiological Sciences (PIPGCF) UFSCar-UNESP, São Carlos, Brazil
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Hall NT, Hallquist MN. Dissociation of basolateral and central amygdala effective connectivity predicts the stability of emotion-related impulsivity in adolescents and emerging adults with borderline personality symptoms: a resting-state fMRI study. Psychol Med 2023; 53:3533-3547. [PMID: 35225192 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291722000101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is associated with altered activity in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and amygdala, yet no studies have examined fronto-limbic circuitry in borderline adolescents and emerging adults. Here, we examined the contribution of fronto-limbic effective connectivity (EC) to the longitudinal stability of emotion-related impulsivity, a key feature of BPD, in symptomatic adolescents and young adults. METHODS We compared resting-state EC in 82 adolescents and emerging adults with and without clinically significant borderline symptoms (n BPD = 40, ages 13-30). Group-specific directed networks were estimated amongst fronto-limbic nodes including PFC, ventral striatum (VS), central amygdala (CeN), and basolateral amygdala (BLA). We examined the association of directed centrality metrics with initial levels and rates of change in emotion-related impulsivity symptoms over a one-year follow-up using latent growth curve models (LGCMs). RESULTS In controls, ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) and dorsal ACC had a directed influence on CeN and VS, respectively. In the BPD group, bilateral BLA had a directed influence on CeN, whereas in the healthy group CeN influenced BLA. LGCMs indicated that emotion-related impulsivity was stable across a one-year follow-up in the BPD group. Further, higher EC of R CeN to other regions in controls was associated with stronger within-person decreases in emotion-related impulsivity. CONCLUSIONS Functional inputs from BLA and vmPFC appear to play competing roles in influencing CeN activity. In borderline adolescents and young adults, BLA may predominate over CeN activity, while in controls the ability of CeN to influence BLA activity predicted more rapid reductions in emotion-related impulsivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan T Hall
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Michael N Hallquist
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
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15
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Delavari F, Rafi H, Sandini C, Murray RJ, Latrèche C, Van De Ville D, Eliez S. Amygdala subdivisions exhibit aberrant whole-brain functional connectivity in relation to stress intolerance and psychotic symptoms in 22q11.2DS. Transl Psychiatry 2023; 13:145. [PMID: 37142582 PMCID: PMC10160125 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-023-02458-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2022] [Revised: 04/22/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The amygdala is a key region in emotional regulation, which is often impaired in psychosis. However, it is unclear if amygdala dysfunction directly contributes to psychosis, or whether it contributes to psychosis through symptoms of emotional dysregulation. We studied the functional connectivity of amygdala subdivisions in patients with 22q11.2DS, a known genetic model for psychosis susceptibility. We investigated how dysmaturation of each subdivision's connectivity contributes to positive psychotic symptoms and impaired tolerance to stress in deletion carriers. Longitudinally-repeated MRI scans from 105 patients with 22q11.2DS (64 at high-risk for psychosis and 37 with impaired tolerance to stress) and 120 healthy controls between the ages of 5 to 30 years were included. We calculated seed-based whole-brain functional connectivity for amygdalar subdivisions and employed a longitudinal multivariate approach to evaluate the developmental trajectory of functional connectivity across groups. Patients with 22q11.2DS presented a multivariate pattern of decreased basolateral amygdala (BLA)-frontal connectivity alongside increased BLA-hippocampal connectivity. Moreover, associations between developmental drops in centro-medial amygdala (CMA)-frontal connectivity to both impaired tolerance to stress and positive psychotic symptoms in deletion carriers were detected. Superficial amygdala hyperconnectivity to the striatum was revealed as a specific pattern arising in patients who develop mild to moderate positive psychotic symptoms. Overall, CMA-frontal dysconnectivity was found as a mutual neurobiological substrate in both impaired tolerance to stress and psychosis, suggesting a role in prodromal dysregulation of emotions in psychosis. While BLA dysconnectivity was found to be an early finding in patients with 22q11.2DS, which contributes to impaired tolerance to stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farnaz Delavari
- Developmental Imaging and Psychopathology Laboratory, University of Geneva School of Medicine, Geneva, Switzerland.
- Neuro-X Institute, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Geneva, Switzerland.
| | - Halima Rafi
- Developmental Imaging and Psychopathology Laboratory, University of Geneva School of Medicine, Geneva, Switzerland
- Developmental Clinical Psychology Research Unit, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Corrado Sandini
- Developmental Imaging and Psychopathology Laboratory, University of Geneva School of Medicine, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Ryan J Murray
- Psychiatry Department, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- Swiss Center for Affective Sciences, University of Geneva, Campus Biotech, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Caren Latrèche
- Developmental Imaging and Psychopathology Laboratory, University of Geneva School of Medicine, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Dimitri Van De Ville
- Neuro-X Institute, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Geneva, Switzerland
- Department of Radiology and Medical Informatics, University of Geneva (UNIGE), Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Stephan Eliez
- Developmental Imaging and Psychopathology Laboratory, University of Geneva School of Medicine, Geneva, Switzerland
- Department of Genetic Medicine and Development, University of Geneva School of Medicine, Geneva, Switzerland
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Han S, Zheng R, Li S, Liu L, Wang C, Jiang Y, Wen M, Zhou B, Wei Y, Pang J, Li H, Zhang Y, Chen Y, Cheng J. Progressive brain structural abnormality in depression assessed with MR imaging by using causal network analysis. Psychol Med 2023; 53:2146-2155. [PMID: 34583785 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291721003986] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND As a neuroprogressive illness, depression is accompanied by brain structural abnormality that extends to many brain regions. However, the progressive structural alteration pattern remains unknown. METHODS To elaborate the progressive structural alteration of depression according to illness duration, we recruited 195 never-treated first-episode patients with depression and 130 healthy controls (HCs) undergoing T1-weighted MRI scans. Voxel-based morphometry method was adopted to measure gray matter volume (GMV) for each participant. Patients were first divided into three stages according to the length of illness duration, then we explored stage-specific GMV alterations and the causal effect relationship between them using causal structural covariance network (CaSCN) analysis. RESULTS Overall, patients with depression presented stage-specific GMV alterations compared with HCs. Regions including the hippocampus, the thalamus and the ventral medial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) presented GMV alteration at onset of illness. Then as the illness advanced, others regions began to present GMV alterations. These results suggested that GMV alteration originated from the hippocampus, the thalamus and vmPFC then expanded to other brain regions. The results of CaSCN analysis revealed that the hippocampus and the vmPFC corporately exerted causal effect on regions such as nucleus accumbens, the precuneus and the cerebellum. In addition, GMV alteration in the hippocampus was also potentially causally related to that in the dorsolateral frontal gyrus. CONCLUSIONS Consistent with the neuroprogressive hypothesis, our results reveal progressive morphological alteration originating from the vmPFC and the hippocampus and further elucidate possible details about disease progression of depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaoqiang Han
- Department of Magnetic Resonance Imaging, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- Key Laboratory for Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Molecular Imaging of Henan Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- Engineering Technology Research Center for Detection and Application of Brain Function of Henan Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- Engineering Research Center of Medical Imaging Intelligent Diagnosis and Treatment of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Brain Function of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Cognitive Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Zhengzhou, Zhengzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Imaging Intelligence Research Medicine of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Ruiping Zheng
- Department of Magnetic Resonance Imaging, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- Key Laboratory for Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Molecular Imaging of Henan Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- Engineering Technology Research Center for Detection and Application of Brain Function of Henan Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- Engineering Research Center of Medical Imaging Intelligent Diagnosis and Treatment of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Brain Function of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Cognitive Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Zhengzhou, Zhengzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Imaging Intelligence Research Medicine of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Shuying Li
- Department of Psychiatry, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Liang Liu
- Department of Magnetic Resonance Imaging, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- Key Laboratory for Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Molecular Imaging of Henan Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- Engineering Technology Research Center for Detection and Application of Brain Function of Henan Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- Engineering Research Center of Medical Imaging Intelligent Diagnosis and Treatment of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Brain Function of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Cognitive Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Zhengzhou, Zhengzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Imaging Intelligence Research Medicine of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Caihong Wang
- Department of Magnetic Resonance Imaging, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- Key Laboratory for Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Molecular Imaging of Henan Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- Engineering Technology Research Center for Detection and Application of Brain Function of Henan Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- Engineering Research Center of Medical Imaging Intelligent Diagnosis and Treatment of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Brain Function of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Cognitive Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Zhengzhou, Zhengzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Imaging Intelligence Research Medicine of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Yu Jiang
- Department of Magnetic Resonance Imaging, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- Key Laboratory for Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Molecular Imaging of Henan Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- Engineering Technology Research Center for Detection and Application of Brain Function of Henan Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- Engineering Research Center of Medical Imaging Intelligent Diagnosis and Treatment of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Brain Function of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Cognitive Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Zhengzhou, Zhengzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Imaging Intelligence Research Medicine of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Mengmeng Wen
- Department of Magnetic Resonance Imaging, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- Key Laboratory for Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Molecular Imaging of Henan Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- Engineering Technology Research Center for Detection and Application of Brain Function of Henan Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- Engineering Research Center of Medical Imaging Intelligent Diagnosis and Treatment of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Brain Function of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Cognitive Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Zhengzhou, Zhengzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Imaging Intelligence Research Medicine of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Bingqian Zhou
- Department of Magnetic Resonance Imaging, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- Key Laboratory for Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Molecular Imaging of Henan Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- Engineering Technology Research Center for Detection and Application of Brain Function of Henan Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- Engineering Research Center of Medical Imaging Intelligent Diagnosis and Treatment of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Brain Function of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Cognitive Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Zhengzhou, Zhengzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Imaging Intelligence Research Medicine of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Yarui Wei
- Department of Magnetic Resonance Imaging, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- Key Laboratory for Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Molecular Imaging of Henan Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- Engineering Technology Research Center for Detection and Application of Brain Function of Henan Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- Engineering Research Center of Medical Imaging Intelligent Diagnosis and Treatment of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Brain Function of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Cognitive Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Zhengzhou, Zhengzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Imaging Intelligence Research Medicine of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Jianyue Pang
- Department of Psychiatry, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Hengfen Li
- Department of Psychiatry, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Yong Zhang
- Department of Magnetic Resonance Imaging, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- Key Laboratory for Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Molecular Imaging of Henan Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- Engineering Technology Research Center for Detection and Application of Brain Function of Henan Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- Engineering Research Center of Medical Imaging Intelligent Diagnosis and Treatment of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Brain Function of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Cognitive Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Zhengzhou, Zhengzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Imaging Intelligence Research Medicine of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Yuan Chen
- Department of Magnetic Resonance Imaging, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- Key Laboratory for Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Molecular Imaging of Henan Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- Engineering Technology Research Center for Detection and Application of Brain Function of Henan Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- Engineering Research Center of Medical Imaging Intelligent Diagnosis and Treatment of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Brain Function of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Cognitive Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Zhengzhou, Zhengzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Imaging Intelligence Research Medicine of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Jingliang Cheng
- Department of Magnetic Resonance Imaging, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- Key Laboratory for Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Molecular Imaging of Henan Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- Engineering Technology Research Center for Detection and Application of Brain Function of Henan Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- Engineering Research Center of Medical Imaging Intelligent Diagnosis and Treatment of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Brain Function of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Cognitive Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Zhengzhou, Zhengzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Imaging Intelligence Research Medicine of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, China
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Ladouceur CD, Henry T, Ojha A, Shirtcliff EA, Silk JS. Fronto-amygdala resting state functional connectivity is associated with anxiety symptoms among adolescent girls more advanced in pubertal maturation. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2023; 60:101236. [PMID: 36996571 PMCID: PMC10063408 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2023.101236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2022] [Revised: 02/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Early adolescence, with the onset of puberty, is an important period when sex differences in anxiety emerge, with girls reporting significantly higher anxiety symptoms than boys. This study examined the role of puberty on fronto-amygdala functional connectivity and risk of anxiety symptoms in 70 girls (age 11-13) who completed a resting state fMRI scan, self-report measures of anxiety symptoms and pubertal status, and provided basal testosterone levels (64 girls). Resting state fMRI data were preprocessed using fMRIPrep and connectivity indices were extracted from ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) and amygdala regions-of-interest. We tested moderated mediation models and hypothesized that vmPFC-amygdala would mediate the relation between three indices of puberty (testosterone and adrenarcheal/gonadarcheal development) and anxiety, with puberty moderating the relation between connectivity and anxiety. Results showed a significant moderation effect of testosterone and adrenarcheal development in the right amygdala and a rostral/dorsal area of the vmPFC and of gonadarcheal development in the left amygdala and a medial area of the vmPFC on anxiety symptoms. Simple slope analyses showed that vmPFC-amygdala connectivity was negatively associated with anxiety only in girls more advanced in puberty suggesting that sensitivity to the effects of puberty on fronto-amygdala function could contribute to risk for anxiety disorders among adolescent girls.
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18
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Meamar M, Rashidy-Pour A, Vafaei AA, Raise-Abdullahi P. β-adrenoceptors of the infra-limbic cortex mediate corticosterone-induced enhancement of acquisition and consolidation of fear memory extinction in rats. Behav Brain Res 2023; 442:114310. [PMID: 36706807 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2023.114310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2022] [Revised: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
The extinction of auditory fear conditioning (AFC) refers to reducing the fear responses induced following repeated presentation of a conditioned stimulus (tone) in the absence of an unconditioned stimulus (electric foot shock). Glucocorticoid receptors (GRs) play an important role in extinction, but the underlying neurobiological mechanisms are unclear. This study aimed to investigate the interaction between glucocorticoids and β-adrenoceptors of the infra-limbic cortex (IL) in regulating the acquisition and consolidation of fear memory extinction in rats. Male rats were trained to AFC and received three trial tones (30 s, 4 kHz, 80 dB) co-terminated with a footshock (0.8 mA, 1 s; unconditioned stimulus). Extinction trials were conducted over 3 days after training (Ext 1-3). In experiment 1, rats received clenbuterol (0.25 mg/kg/2 ml, IP) as a β2-adrenoceptor agonist or propranolol (2.5 mg/kg/2 ml, IP) as a β-adrenoceptors antagonist before Ext 1 and immediately after Ext 1 and Ext 2 followed by systemic injection of corticosterone (3 mg/kg/2 ml, IP). In Experiment 2, separate groups of rats received a bilateral intra-IL injection of clenbuterol (50 ng/0.5 µl/side) or propranolol (500 ng/0.5 µl/side) followed by a systemic injection of corticosterone (3 mg/kg/2 ml) before Ext 1 and immediately after Ext 1 and Ext 2. Results indicated that systemic and intra-IL injections of clenbuterol and propranolol inhibited and increased the facilitative effects of corticosterone on fear memory extinction, respectively. These findings show that activating β-adrenergic receptors in the IL mediates glucocorticoid effects on the acquisition and consolidation of auditory-conditioned fear memory extinction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morvarid Meamar
- Research Center of Physiology, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran
| | - Ali Rashidy-Pour
- Research Center of Physiology, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran; Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran
| | - Abbas Ali Vafaei
- Research Center of Physiology, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran; Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran.
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Zhou Y, He Y, Jin Y, Zeidman P, Gao L, Rong B, Huang H, Feng Y, Cui J, Zhang S, Wang Y, Wang G, Xiang YT, Wang H. Amygdala connectivity related to subsequent stress responses during the COVID-19 outbreak. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:999934. [PMID: 36911118 PMCID: PMC9996006 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.999934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2022] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction The amygdala plays an important role in stress responses and stress-related psychiatric disorders. It is possible that amygdala connectivity may be a neurobiological vulnerability marker for stress responses or stress-related psychiatric disorders and will be useful to precisely identify the vulnerable individuals before stress happens. However, little is known about the relationship between amygdala connectivity and subsequent stress responses. The current study investigated whether amygdala connectivity measured before experiencing stress is a predisposing neural feature of subsequent stress responses while individuals face an emergent and unexpected event like the COVID-19 outbreak. Methods Data collected before the COVID-19 pandemic from an established fMRI cohort who lived in the pandemic center in China (Hubei) during the COVID-19 outbreak were used to investigate the relationship between amygdala connectivity and stress responses during and after the pandemic in 2020. The amygdala connectivity was measured with resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) and effective connectivity. Results We found the rsFC of the right amygdala with the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC) was negatively correlated with the stress responses at the first survey during the COVID-19 outbreak, and the rsFC between the right amygdala and bilateral superior frontal gyri (partially overlapped with the dmPFC) was correlated with SBSC at the second survey. Dynamic causal modeling suggested that the self-connection of the right amygdala was negatively correlated with stress responses during the pandemic. Discussion Our findings expand our understanding about the role of amygdala in stress responses and stress-related psychiatric disorders and suggest that amygdala connectivity is a predisposing neural feature of subsequent stress responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Zhou
- CAS Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Beijing, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- The National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders and Beijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Yuwen He
- CAS Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Beijing, China
- Centre for Cognitive and Brain Sciences, University of Macau, Macau, Macao SAR, China
| | - Yuening Jin
- CAS Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Beijing, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Peter Zeidman
- The Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Lianlu Gao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Beijing, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Bei Rong
- Department of Psychiatry, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Huan Huang
- Department of Psychiatry, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yuan Feng
- The National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders and Beijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Jian Cui
- The National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders and Beijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Shudong Zhang
- The National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders and Beijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Yun Wang
- The National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders and Beijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Gang Wang
- The National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders and Beijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Yu-Tao Xiang
- Centre for Cognitive and Brain Sciences, University of Macau, Macau, Macao SAR, China
- Unit of Psychiatry, Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Public Health and Medicinal Administration, Institute of Translational Medicine, University of Macau, Macao, Macao SAR, China
| | - Huiling Wang
- Department of Psychiatry, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Developmentally Originated Disease, Wuhan, China
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Zhang L, Li Q, Du Y, Gao Y, Bai T, Ji GJ, Tian Y, Wang K. Effect of high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation on improving depression and modulating functional activity in emotion-related cortical-subcortical regions in bipolar depression. J Affect Disord 2023; 323:570-580. [PMID: 36503046 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2022.12.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Revised: 11/09/2022] [Accepted: 12/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Preliminary studies have suggested that transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is effective for bipolar depression, However, brain correlates of the depression alleviating are unclear. To determine the efficacy and safety of tDCS as an add-on treatment for patients with bipolar depression and further to identify the effect of tDCS on the resting-state brain activities, we recruited fifty patients with bipolar depression to complete the double-blind, sham-controlled and randomized clinical trial. Fourteen sessions of tDCS were performed once a day for 14 days. The anode was placed over F3 with return electrodes placed at FP1, FZ, C3 and F7. Regional homogeneity (ReHo) was examined on 50 patients with bipolar depression before and after 14-day active or sham tDCS. Patients in the active group showed significantly superior alleviating the depression symptoms compared with those receiving sham. The active group after 14-day active tDCS showed increased ReHo values in the orbitofrontal cortex and middle frontal gyrus and decreased ReHo values in subcortical structures including hippocampus, parahippocampa gyrus, amygdala, putamen and lentiform nucleus. The reduction of depression severity showed positive correlation of increased ReHo values in the orbitofrontal cortex and middle frontal gyrus and negative correlation of altered ReHo values in the putamen and lentiform. TDCS was an effective and safe add-on intervention for this small bipolar depression sample. The reduction of depression induced by tDCS is associated with a modulation of neural synchronization in the cortical and subcortical structures (ReHo values) within an emotion-related brain network.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Zhang
- Affiliated Psychological Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui Province, China; Anhui Mental Health Center, Hefei, Anhui Province, China; Brain Disorders and Neuromodulation Research Centre, Anhui Mental Health Center, Hefei, Anhui Province, China; Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Cognition and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Hefei 230022, China
| | - Qun Li
- Affiliated Psychological Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui Province, China; Anhui Mental Health Center, Hefei, Anhui Province, China; Brain Disorders and Neuromodulation Research Centre, Anhui Mental Health Center, Hefei, Anhui Province, China
| | - Yuan Du
- Affiliated Psychological Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui Province, China; Anhui Mental Health Center, Hefei, Anhui Province, China; Brain Disorders and Neuromodulation Research Centre, Anhui Mental Health Center, Hefei, Anhui Province, China
| | - Yue Gao
- Affiliated Psychological Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui Province, China; Anhui Mental Health Center, Hefei, Anhui Province, China; Brain Disorders and Neuromodulation Research Centre, Anhui Mental Health Center, Hefei, Anhui Province, China
| | - Tongjian Bai
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Cognition and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Hefei 230022, China; Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230022, China; Collaborative Innovation Center of Neuropsychiatric Disorders and Mental Health, Hefei 230022, China
| | - Gong-Jun Ji
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Cognition and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Hefei 230022, China; Collaborative Innovation Center of Neuropsychiatric Disorders and Mental Health, Hefei 230022, China; Department of Medical Psychology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230022, China
| | - Yanghua Tian
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Cognition and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Hefei 230022, China; Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230022, China; Collaborative Innovation Center of Neuropsychiatric Disorders and Mental Health, Hefei 230022, China; Department of Neurology, First Hospital of Anhui Medical University, 218 Jixi Road, Hefei, Anhui Province, China.
| | - Kai Wang
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Cognition and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Hefei 230022, China; Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230022, China; Collaborative Innovation Center of Neuropsychiatric Disorders and Mental Health, Hefei 230022, China; Department of Medical Psychology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230022, China; Department of Neurology, First Hospital of Anhui Medical University, 218 Jixi Road, Hefei, Anhui Province, China.
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Moses TE, Gray E, Mischel N, Greenwald MK. Effects of neuromodulation on cognitive and emotional responses to psychosocial stressors in healthy humans. Neurobiol Stress 2023; 22:100515. [PMID: 36691646 PMCID: PMC9860364 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2023.100515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2022] [Revised: 12/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Physiological and psychological stressors can exert wide-ranging effects on the human brain and behavior. Research has improved understanding of how the sympatho-adreno-medullary (SAM) and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axes respond to stressors and the differential responses that occur depending on stressor type. Although the physiological function of SAM and HPA responses is to promote survival and safety, exaggerated psychobiological reactivity can occur in psychiatric disorders. Exaggerated reactivity may occur more for certain types of stressors, specifically, psychosocial stressors. Understanding stressor effects and how the body regulates these responses can provide insight into ways that psychobiological reactivity can be modulated. Non-invasive neuromodulation is one way that responding to stressors may be altered; research into these interventions may provide further insights into the brain circuits that modulate stress reactivity. This review focuses on the effects of acute psychosocial stressors and how neuromodulation might be effective in altering stress reactivity. Although considerable research into stress interventions focuses on treating pathology, it is imperative to first understand these mechanisms in non-clinical populations; therefore, this review will emphasize populations with no known pathology and consider how these results may translate to those with psychiatric pathologies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Mark K. Greenwald
- Corresponding author. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Tolan Park Medical Building, 3901 Chrysler Service Drive, Suite 2A, Detroit, MI, 48201, USA.
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22
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Bouras NN, Mack NR, Gao WJ. Prefrontal modulation of anxiety through a lens of noradrenergic signaling. Front Syst Neurosci 2023; 17:1173326. [PMID: 37139472 PMCID: PMC10149815 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2023.1173326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2023] [Accepted: 03/30/2023] [Indexed: 05/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Anxiety disorders are the most common class of mental illness in the U.S., affecting 40 million individuals annually. Anxiety is an adaptive response to a stressful or unpredictable life event. Though evolutionarily thought to aid in survival, excess intensity or duration of anxiogenic response can lead to a plethora of adverse symptoms and cognitive dysfunction. A wealth of data has implicated the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) in the regulation of anxiety. Norepinephrine (NE) is a crucial neuromodulator of arousal and vigilance believed to be responsible for many of the symptoms of anxiety disorders. NE is synthesized in the locus coeruleus (LC), which sends major noradrenergic inputs to the mPFC. Given the unique properties of LC-mPFC connections and the heterogeneous subpopulation of prefrontal neurons known to be involved in regulating anxiety-like behaviors, NE likely modulates PFC function in a cell-type and circuit-specific manner. In working memory and stress response, NE follows an inverted-U model, where an overly high or low release of NE is associated with sub-optimal neural functioning. In contrast, based on current literature review of the individual contributions of NE and the PFC in anxiety disorders, we propose a model of NE level- and adrenergic receptor-dependent, circuit-specific NE-PFC modulation of anxiety disorders. Further, the advent of new techniques to measure NE in the PFC with unprecedented spatial and temporal resolution will significantly help us understand how NE modulates PFC function in anxiety disorders.
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23
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Hilz EN, Lee HJ. Estradiol and progesterone in female reward-learning, addiction, and therapeutic interventions. Front Neuroendocrinol 2023; 68:101043. [PMID: 36356909 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2022.101043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2022] [Revised: 09/24/2022] [Accepted: 10/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Sex steroid hormones like estradiol (E2) and progesterone (P4) guide the sexual organization and activation of the developing brain and control female reproductive behavior throughout the lifecycle; importantly, these hormones modulate functional activity of not just the endocrine system, but most of the nervous system including the brain reward system. The effects of E2 and P4 can be seen in the processing of and memory for rewarding stimuli and in the development of compulsive reward-seeking behaviors like those seen in substance use disorders. Women are at increased risk of developing substance use disorders; however, the origins of this sex difference are not well understood and therapeutic interventions targeting ovarian hormones have produced conflicting results. This article reviews the contribution of the E2 and P4 in females to functional modulation of the brain reward system, their possible roles in origins of addiction vulnerability, and the development and treatment of compulsive reward-seeking behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily N Hilz
- The University of Texas at Austin, Department of Pharmacology, USA.
| | - Hongjoo J Lee
- The University of Texas at Austin, Department of Psychology, USA; The University of Texas at Austin, Institute for Neuroscience, USA
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24
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Repova K, Baka T, Krajcirovicova K, Stanko P, Aziriova S, Reiter RJ, Simko F. Melatonin as a Potential Approach to Anxiety Treatment. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232416187. [PMID: 36555831 PMCID: PMC9788115 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232416187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Revised: 12/02/2022] [Accepted: 12/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Anxiety disorders are the most common mental diseases. Anxiety and the associated physical symptoms may disturb social and occupational life and increase the risk of somatic diseases. The pathophysiology of anxiety development is complex and involves alterations in stress hormone production, neurosignaling pathways or free radical production. The various manifestations of anxiety, its complex pathophysiological background and the side effects of available treatments underlie the quest for constantly seeking therapies for these conditions. Melatonin, an indolamine produced in the pineal gland and released into the blood on a nightly basis, has been demonstrated to exert anxiolytic action in animal experiments and different clinical conditions. This hormone influences a number of physiological actions either via specific melatonin receptors or by receptor-independent pleiotropic effects. The underlying pathomechanism of melatonin's benefit in anxiety may reside in its sympatholytic action, interaction with the renin-angiotensin and glucocorticoid systems, modulation of interneuronal signaling and its extraordinary antioxidant and radical scavenging nature. Of importance, the concentration of this indolamine is significantly higher in cerebrospinal fluid than in the blood. Thus, ensuring sufficient melatonin production by reducing light pollution, which suppresses melatonin levels, may represent an endogenous neuroprotective and anxiolytic treatment. Since melatonin is freely available, economically undemanding and has limited side effects, it may be considered an additional or alternative treatment for various conditions associated with anxiety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristina Repova
- Institute of Pathophysiology, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University, Sasinkova 4, 81108 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Tomas Baka
- Institute of Pathophysiology, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University, Sasinkova 4, 81108 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Kristina Krajcirovicova
- Institute of Pathophysiology, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University, Sasinkova 4, 81108 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Peter Stanko
- Institute of Pathophysiology, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University, Sasinkova 4, 81108 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Silvia Aziriova
- Institute of Pathophysiology, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University, Sasinkova 4, 81108 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Russel J. Reiter
- Department of Cell Systems and Anatomy, UT Health San Antonio, Long School of Medicine, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Fedor Simko
- Institute of Pathophysiology, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University, Sasinkova 4, 81108 Bratislava, Slovakia
- 3rd Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University, 83305 Bratislava, Slovakia
- Institute of Experimental Endocrinology, Biomedical Research Center, Slovak Academy of Sciences, 84505 Bratislava, Slovakia
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +421-(0)2-59357276
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25
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Sonkusare S, Qiong D, Zhao Y, Liu W, Yang R, Mandali A, Manssuer L, Zhang C, Cao C, Sun B, Zhan S, Voon V. Frequency dependent emotion differentiation and directional coupling in amygdala, orbitofrontal and medial prefrontal cortex network with intracranial recordings. Mol Psychiatry 2022; 28:1636-1646. [PMID: 36460724 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-022-01883-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2022] [Revised: 11/04/2022] [Accepted: 11/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
The amygdala, orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) form a crucial part of the emotion circuit, yet their emotion induced responses and interactions have been poorly investigated with direct intracranial recordings. Such high-fidelity signals can uncover precise spectral dynamics and frequency differences in valence processing allowing novel insights on neuromodulation. Here, leveraging the unique spatio-temporal advantages of intracranial electroencephalography (iEEG) from a cohort of 35 patients with intractable epilepsy (with 71 contacts in amygdala, 31 in OFC and 43 in mPFC), we assessed the spectral dynamics and interactions between the amygdala, OFC and mPFC during an emotional picture viewing task. Task induced activity showed greater broadband gamma activity in the negative condition compared to positive condition in all the three regions. Similarly, beta activity was increased in the negative condition in the amygdala and OFC while decreased in mPFC. Furthermore, beta activity of amygdala showed significant negative association with valence ratings. Critically, model-based computational analyses revealed unidirectional connectivity from mPFC to the amygdala and bidirectional communication between OFC-amygdala and OFC-mPFC. Our findings provide direct neurophysiological evidence for a much-posited model of top-down influence of mPFC over amygdala and a bidirectional influence between OFC and the amygdala. Altogether, in a relatively large sample size with human intracranial neuronal recordings, we highlight valence-dependent spectral dynamics and dyadic coupling within the amygdala-mPFC-OFC network with implications for potential targeted neuromodulation in emotion processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saurabh Sonkusare
- Department of Neurosurgery, Centre for Functional Neurosurgery, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.,Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ding Qiong
- Department of Neurosurgery, Centre for Functional Neurosurgery, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.,Key Laboratory of Computational Neuroscience and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Ministry of Education, Shanghai, China
| | - Yijie Zhao
- Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Key Laboratory of Computational Neuroscience and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Ministry of Education, Shanghai, China
| | - Wei Liu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Centre for Functional Neurosurgery, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Ruoqi Yang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Centre for Functional Neurosurgery, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Alekhya Mandali
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.,Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.,MRC Brain Network Dynamics Unit, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Luis Manssuer
- Department of Neurosurgery, Centre for Functional Neurosurgery, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.,Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Chencheng Zhang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Centre for Functional Neurosurgery, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Chunyan Cao
- Department of Neurosurgery, Centre for Functional Neurosurgery, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Bomin Sun
- Department of Neurosurgery, Centre for Functional Neurosurgery, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Shikun Zhan
- Department of Neurosurgery, Centre for Functional Neurosurgery, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
| | - Valerie Voon
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK. .,Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
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26
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Hamani C, Davidson B, Corchs F, Abrahao A, Nestor SM, Rabin JS, Nyman AJ, Phung L, Goubran M, Levitt A, Talakoub O, Giacobbe P, Lipsman N. Deep brain stimulation of the subgenual cingulum and uncinate fasciculus for the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eadc9970. [PMID: 36459550 PMCID: PMC10936049 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adc9970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2022] [Accepted: 10/17/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Deep brain stimulation (DBS) has been investigated for neuropsychiatric disorders. In this phase 1 trial, we treated four posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) patients with DBS delivered to the subgenual cingulum and the uncinate fasciculus. In addition to validated clinical scales, patients underwent neuroimaging studies and psychophysiological assessments of fear conditioning, extinction, and recall. We show that the procedure is safe and potentially effective (55% reduction in Clinical Administered PTSD Scale scores). Posttreatment imaging data revealed metabolic activity changes in PTSD neurocircuits. During psychophysiological assessments, patients with PTSD had higher skin conductance responses when tested for recall compared to healthy controls. After DBS, this objectively measured variable was significantly reduced. Last, we found that a ratio between recall of extinguished and nonextinguished conditioned responses had a strong correlation with clinical outcome. As this variable was recorded at baseline, it may comprise a potential biomarker of treatment response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clement Hamani
- Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, ON M4N3M5, Canada
- Harquail Centre for Neuromodulation, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, Canada
- Division of Neurosurgery, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, Canada
| | - Benjamin Davidson
- Harquail Centre for Neuromodulation, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, Canada
- Division of Neurosurgery, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, Canada
| | - Felipe Corchs
- Department of Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, University of São Paulo, SP 05403-903, Brazil
| | - Agessandro Abrahao
- Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, ON M4N3M5, Canada
- Harquail Centre for Neuromodulation, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, Canada
- Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, University of Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, Canada
| | - Sean M. Nestor
- Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, ON M4N3M5, Canada
- Harquail Centre for Neuromodulation, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, Canada
| | - Jennifer S. Rabin
- Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, ON M4N3M5, Canada
- Harquail Centre for Neuromodulation, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, Canada
- Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, University of Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, Canada
- Rehabilitation Sciences Institute, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 1V7, Canada
| | - Alexander J. Nyman
- Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, ON M4N3M5, Canada
- Harquail Centre for Neuromodulation, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, Canada
| | - Liane Phung
- Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, ON M4N3M5, Canada
- Harquail Centre for Neuromodulation, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, Canada
| | - Maged Goubran
- Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, ON M4N3M5, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Anthony Levitt
- Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, ON M4N3M5, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, Canada
| | - Omid Talakoub
- Harquail Centre for Neuromodulation, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, Canada
| | - Peter Giacobbe
- Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, ON M4N3M5, Canada
- Harquail Centre for Neuromodulation, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, Canada
| | - Nir Lipsman
- Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, ON M4N3M5, Canada
- Harquail Centre for Neuromodulation, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, Canada
- Division of Neurosurgery, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, Canada
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27
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Knowles KA, Tolin DF. Mechanisms of Action in Exposure Therapy. Curr Psychiatry Rep 2022; 24:861-869. [PMID: 36399234 DOI: 10.1007/s11920-022-01391-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Exposure therapy is an effective treatment for anxiety-related disorders, but many individuals do not achieve full symptom relief, and return of fear is a common occurrence. Understanding how exposure therapy works enables further development of strategies to improve its effectiveness. RECENT FINDINGS Recent studies have examined mechanisms of exposure-based interventions across multiple levels of analysis, from cognitive and behavioral changes that occur during treatment to the neurobiological mechanisms underlying fear extinction. Belief change and reductions in safety behaviors and avoidance mediate symptom improvements during exposure therapy, suggesting plausible cognitive and behavioral mechanisms. On the neural level, increased activation of prefrontal regions during extinction learning is a likely mechanism of exposure. Improved understanding of the biological mechanisms of exposure have led to exciting developments in clinical research, including pharmacological augmentation, though clinical translation of basic research has produced mixed results. Though still in development, such translational research is a promising future direction for exposure-based interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly A Knowles
- Anxiety Disorders Center, The Institute of Living/Hartford Hospital, 200 Retreat Avenue, Hartford, CT, 06106, USA
| | - David F Tolin
- Anxiety Disorders Center, The Institute of Living/Hartford Hospital, 200 Retreat Avenue, Hartford, CT, 06106, USA. .,Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar St, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA.
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28
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Busceti CL, Bucci D, Scioli M, Di Pietro P, Nicoletti F, Puglisi-Allegra S, Ferrucci M, Fornai F. Chronic treatment with corticosterone increases the number of tyrosine hydroxylase-expressing cells within specific nuclei of the brainstem reticular formation. Front Neuroanat 2022; 16:976714. [DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2022.976714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2022] [Accepted: 10/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Cushing's syndrome is due to increased glucocorticoid levels in the body, and it is characterized by several clinical alterations which concern both vegetative and behavioral functions. The anatomical correlates of these effects remain largely unknown. Apart from peripheral effects induced by corticosteroids as counter-insular hormones, only a few reports are available concerning the neurobiology of glucocorticoid-induced vegetative and behavioral alterations. In the present study, C57 Black mice were administered daily a chronic treatment with corticosterone in drinking water. This treatment produces a significant and selective increase of TH-positive neurons within two nuclei placed in the lateral column of the brainstem reticular formation. These alterations significantly correlate with selective domains of Cushing's syndrome. Specifically, the increase of TH neurons within area postrema significantly correlates with the development of glucose intolerance, which is in line with the selective control by area postrema of vagal neurons innervating the pancreas. The other nucleus corresponds to the retrorubral field, which is involved in the behavioral activity. In detail, the retrorubral field is likely to modulate anxiety and mood disorders, which frequently occur following chronic exposure to glucocorticoids. To our knowledge, this is the first study that provides the neuroanatomical basis underlying specific symptoms occurring in Cushing's syndrome.
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29
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Sadeghi MA, Hemmati S, Nassireslami E, Yousefi Zoshk M, Hosseini Y, Abbasian K, Chamanara M. Targeting neuronal nitric oxide synthase and the nitrergic system in post-traumatic stress disorder. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2022; 239:3057-3082. [PMID: 36029333 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-022-06212-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2022] [Accepted: 08/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Current pharmacological approaches to treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) lack adequate effectiveness. As a result, identifying new molecular targets for drug development is necessary. Furthermore, fear learning and memory in PTSD can undergo different phases, such as fear acquisition, consolidation, and extinction. Each phase may involve different cellular pathways and brain regions. As a result, effective management of PTSD requires mindfulness of the timing of drug administration. One of the molecular targets currently under intense investigation is the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)-type glutamate receptor (NMDAR). However, despite the therapeutic efficacy of drugs targeting NMDAR, their translation into clinical use has been challenging due to their various side effects. One possible solution to this problem is to target signaling proteins downstream to NMDAR to improve targeting specificity. One of these proteins is the neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS), which is activated following calcium influx through the NMDAR. OBJECTIVE In this paper, we review the literature on the pharmacological modulation of nNOS in animal models of PTSD to evaluate its therapeutic potential. Furthermore, we attempt to decipher the inconsistencies observed between the findings of these studies based on the specific phase of fear learning which they had targeted. RESULTS Inhibition of nNOS may inhibit fear acquisition and recall, while not having a significant effect on fear consolidation and extinction. However, it may improve extinction consolidation or reconsolidation blockade. CONCLUSIONS Modulation of nNOS has therapeutic potential against PTSD and warrants further development for use in the clinical setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Amin Sadeghi
- Toxicology Research Center, AJA University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.,Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, AJA University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Sara Hemmati
- School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ehsan Nassireslami
- Toxicology Research Center, AJA University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.,Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, AJA University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Yasaman Hosseini
- Cognitive Neuroscience Center, School of Medicine, AJA University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Kourosh Abbasian
- Management and Health Economics Department, AJA University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohsen Chamanara
- Toxicology Research Center, AJA University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. .,Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, AJA University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
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30
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Nishimura KJ, Poulos A, Drew MR, Rajbhandari AK. Know thy SEFL: Fear sensitization and its relevance to stressor-related disorders. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 142:104884. [PMID: 36174795 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2022] [Revised: 09/07/2022] [Accepted: 09/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Extreme stress can cause long-lasting changes in affective behavior manifesting in conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Understanding the biological mechanisms that govern trauma-induced behavioral dysregulation requires reliable and rigorous pre-clinical models that recapitulate multiple facets of this complex disease. For decades, Pavlovian fear conditioning has been a dominant paradigm for studying the effects of trauma through an associative learning framework. However, severe stress also causes long-lasting nonassociative fear sensitization, which is often overlooked in Pavlovian fear conditioning studies. This paper synthesizes recent research on the stress-enhanced fear learning (SEFL) paradigm, a valuable rodent model that can dissociate associative and nonassociative effects of stress. We discuss evidence that the SEFL paradigm produces nonassociative fear sensitization that is distinguishable from Pavlovian fear conditioning. We also discuss key biological variables, such as age and sex, neural circuit mechanisms, and crucial gaps in knowledge. We argue that nonassociative fear sensitization deserves more attention within current PTSD models and that SEFL provides a valuable complement to Pavlovian conditioning research on trauma-related pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenji J Nishimura
- Center for Learning and Memory, Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA, 78712
| | - Andrew Poulos
- Department of Psychology and Center for Neuroscience Research, State University of New York at Albany, Albany, USA, 12222
| | - Michael R Drew
- Center for Learning and Memory, Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA, 78712
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31
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Mohammadi-Farani A, Fakhri S, Jalili C, Samimi Z. Intra-mPFC injection of sodium butyrate promotes BDNF expression and ameliorates extinction recall impairment in an experimental paradigm of post-traumatic stress disorder. IRANIAN JOURNAL OF BASIC MEDICAL SCIENCES 2022; 25:1150-1158. [PMID: 36246060 PMCID: PMC9526891 DOI: 10.22038/ijbms.2022.65000.14312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2022] [Accepted: 08/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Objectives Therapeutic strategies that facilitate extinction are promising in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) has a crucial role in neural plasticity, a process needed for the retention of fear extinction. In this study, we investigated the effects of local administration of a histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor, sodium butyrate (NaBu), on BDNF transcription and behavioral markers of extinction in the single prolonged stress (SPS) model of PTSD. Materials and Methods NaBu was infused into the infralimbic (IL) subregion of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) of male rats. The freezing response was recorded as the criterion to assess fear strength on the day of extinction as well as 24 hr later in the retention test. Other behavioral tests were also measured to evaluate the anxiety level, locomotor activity, and working memory on the retention day. HDAC activity and BDNF mRNA expression were evaluated after the behavioral experiments. Results NaBu facilitated the recall of fear extinction in SPS rats (P<0.0001). SPS rats had higher HDAC activity (P<0.0001) and lower BDNF expression (P<0.05) than non-SPS animals. Also, anxiety was higher in the SPS group (P<0.0001), but locomotor activity (P=0.61) and working memory (P=0.36) were not different between SPS and Non-SPS groups. Conclusion Our findings provide evidence that the mechanism of action of NaBu in the improvement of extinction recall is mediated, in part, by enhancing histone acetylation and reviving BDNF expression in IL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmad Mohammadi-Farani
- Medical Plants Research Center, Basic Health Sciences Institute, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, School of medicine, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran,Corresponding author: Ahmad Mohammadi-Farani. Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, School of medicine, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran. Tel: +98-38-33333057;
| | - Sajad Fakhri
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center, Health Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Cyrus Jalili
- Medical Biology Research Center, Health Technology Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Zahra Samimi
- Department of Immunology, School of medicine, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
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32
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Prefrontal cortical circuits in anxiety and fear: an overview. Front Med 2022; 16:518-539. [PMID: 35943704 DOI: 10.1007/s11684-022-0941-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2021] [Accepted: 06/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Pathological anxiety is among the most difficult neuropsychiatric diseases to treat pharmacologically, and it represents a major societal problem. Studies have implicated structural changes within the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and functional changes in the communication of the PFC with distal brain structures in anxiety disorders. Treatments that affect the activity of the PFC, including cognitive therapies and transcranial magnetic stimulation, reverse anxiety- and fear-associated circuit abnormalities through mechanisms that remain largely unclear. While the subjective experience of a rodent cannot be precisely determined, rodent models hold great promise in dissecting well-conserved circuits. Newly developed genetic and viral tools and optogenetic and chemogenetic techniques have revealed the intricacies of neural circuits underlying anxiety and fear by allowing direct examination of hypotheses drawn from existing psychological concepts. This review focuses on studies that have used these circuit-based approaches to gain a more detailed, more comprehensive, and more integrated view on how the PFC governs anxiety and fear and orchestrates adaptive defensive behaviors to hopefully provide a roadmap for the future development of therapies for pathological anxiety.
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Moscarello JM, Penzo MA. The central nucleus of the amygdala and the construction of defensive modes across the threat-imminence continuum. Nat Neurosci 2022; 25:999-1008. [PMID: 35915178 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-022-01130-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2021] [Accepted: 06/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
In nature, animals display defensive behaviors that reflect the spatiotemporal distance of threats. Laboratory-based paradigms that elicit specific defensive responses in rodents have provided valuable insight into the brain mechanisms that mediate the construction of defensive modes with varying degrees of threat imminence. In this Review, we discuss accumulating evidence that the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) plays a key role in this process. Specifically, we propose that the mutually inhibitory circuits of the CeA use a winner-takes-all strategy that supports transitioning across defensive modes and the execution of specific defensive behaviors to previously formed threat associations. Our proposal provides a conceptual framework in which seemingly divergent observations regarding CeA function can be interpreted and identifies various areas of priority for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin M Moscarello
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA.
| | - Mario A Penzo
- Unit on the Neurobiology of Affective Memory, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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Cai M, Park HR, Yang EJ. Nutraceutical Interventions for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Animal Models: A Focus on the Hypothalamic–Pituitary–Adrenal Axis. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2022; 15:ph15070898. [PMID: 35890196 PMCID: PMC9324528 DOI: 10.3390/ph15070898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2022] [Revised: 07/12/2022] [Accepted: 07/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) occurs after exposure to traumatic events and is characterized by overwhelming fear and anxiety. Disturbances in the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis are involved in the pathogenesis of mood disorders, including anxiety, PTSD, and major depressive disorders. Studies have demonstrated the relationship between the HPA axis response and stress vulnerability, indicating that the HPA axis regulates the immune system, fear memory, and neurotransmission. The selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), sertraline and paroxetine, are the only drugs that have been approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of PTSD. However, SSRIs require long treatment times and are associated with lower response and remission rates; therefore, additional pharmacological interventions are required. Complementary and alternative medicine therapies ameliorate HPA axis disturbances through regulation of gut dysbiosis, insomnia, chronic stress, and depression. We have described the cellular and molecular mechanisms through which the HPA axis is involved in PTSD pathogenesis and have evaluated the potential of herbal medicines for PTSD treatment. Herbal medicines could comprise a good therapeutic strategy for HPA axis regulation and can simultaneously improve PTSD-related symptoms. Finally, herbal medicines may lead to novel biologically driven approaches for the treatment and prevention of PTSD.
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Kou J, Zhang Y, Zhou F, Gao Z, Yao S, Zhao W, Li H, Lei Y, Gao S, Kendrick KM, Becker B. Anxiolytic Effects of Chronic Intranasal Oxytocin on Neural Responses to Threat Are Dose-Frequency Dependent. PSYCHOTHERAPY AND PSYCHOSOMATICS 2022; 91:253-264. [PMID: 35086102 DOI: 10.1159/000521348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Anxiety disorders are prevalent mental conditions characterized by exaggerated anxious arousal and threat reactivity. Animal and human studies suggest an anxiolytic potential of the neuropeptide oxytocin (OT), yet, while a clinical application will require chronic administration protocols, previous human studies have exclusively focused on single-dose (acute) intranasal OT effects. OBJECTIVE To facilitate the translation of the potential anxiolytic mechanism of OT into clinical application, we determined whether the anxiolytic effects of OT are maintained with repeated (chronic) administration or are influenced by dose frequency and trait anxiety. METHODS In a pre-registered double-blind randomized placebo-controlled pharmaco-fMRI trial the acute (single dose) as well as chronic effects of two different dose frequencies of OT (OT administered daily for 5 days or every other day) on emotional reactivity were assessed in n = 147 individuals with high versus low trait anxiety (ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT03085654). RESULTS OT produced valence, dose frequency, and trait anxiety-specific effects, such that the low-frequency (intermittent) chronic dosage specifically attenuated a neural reactivity increase in amygdala-insula-prefrontal circuits observed in the high anxious placebo-treated subjects in response to threatening but not positive stimuli. CONCLUSIONS The present trial provides the first evidence that low-dose frequency chronic intranasal OT has the potential to alleviate exaggerated neural threat reactivity in subjects with elevated anxiety levels, suggesting a treatment potential for anxiety disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Kou
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.,Institute of Brain and Psychological Sciences, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yingying Zhang
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.,Department of Molecular Psychology, Institute of Psychology and Education, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Feng Zhou
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Zhao Gao
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Shuxia Yao
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Weihua Zhao
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Hong Li
- Institute of Brain and Psychological Sciences, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yi Lei
- Institute of Brain and Psychological Sciences, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, China
| | - Shan Gao
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Keith M Kendrick
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Benjamin Becker
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
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Tracy GC, Wilton AR, Rhodes JS, Chung HJ. Heterozygous Deletion of Epilepsy Gene KCNQ2 Has Negligible Effects on Learning and Memory. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:930216. [PMID: 35928789 PMCID: PMC9344800 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.930216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2022] [Accepted: 06/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuronal Kv7/Potassium Voltage-Gated Channel Subfamily Q (KCNQ) potassium channels underlie M-current that potently suppresses repetitive and burst firing of action potentials (APs). They are mostly heterotetramers of Kv7.2 and Kv7.3 subunits in the hippocampus and cortex, the brain regions important for cognition and behavior. Underscoring their critical roles in inhibiting neuronal excitability, autosomal dominantly inherited mutations in Potassium Voltage-Gated Channel Subfamily Q Member 2 (KCNQ2) and Potassium Voltage-Gated Channel Subfamily Q Member 3 (KCNQ3) genes are associated with benign familial neonatal epilepsy (BFNE) in which most seizures spontaneously remit within months without cognitive deficits. De novo mutations in KCNQ2 also cause epileptic encephalopathy (EE), which is characterized by persistent seizures that are often drug refractory, neurodevelopmental delay, and intellectual disability. Heterozygous expression of EE variants of KCNQ2 is recently shown to induce spontaneous seizures and cognitive deficit in mice, although it is unclear whether this cognitive deficit is caused directly by Kv7 disruption or by persistent seizures in the developing brain as a consequence of Kv7 disruption. In this study, we examined the role of Kv7 channels in learning and memory by behavioral phenotyping of the KCNQ2+/- mice, which lack a single copy of KCNQ2 but dos not display spontaneous seizures. We found that both KCNQ2+/- and wild-type (WT) mice showed comparable nociception in the tail-flick assay and fear-induced learning and memory during a passive inhibitory avoidance (IA) test and contextual fear conditioning (CFC). Both genotypes displayed similar object location and recognition memory. These findings together provide evidence that heterozygous loss of KCNQ2 has minimal effects on learning or memory in mice in the absence of spontaneous seizures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory C. Tracy
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
| | - Angelina R. Wilton
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
| | - Justin S. Rhodes
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
- Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
- Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
| | - Hee Jung Chung
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
- Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
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Corbett BF, Luz S, Arner J, Vigderman A, Urban K, Bhatnagar S. Arc-Mediated Plasticity in the Paraventricular Thalamic Nucleus Promotes Habituation to Stress. Biol Psychiatry 2022; 92:116-126. [PMID: 35527070 PMCID: PMC9246972 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2022.02.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2021] [Revised: 02/01/2022] [Accepted: 02/02/2022] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Habituation is defined as a progressive decline in response to repeated exposure to a familiar and predictable stimulus and is highly conserved across species. Disrupted habituation is a signature of posttraumatic stress disorder. In rodents, habituation is observed in neural, neuroendocrine, and behavioral responses to repeated exposure to predictable and moderately intense stress or restraint. We previously demonstrated that lesioning the posterior paraventricular thalamic nucleus (pPVT) impairs habituation. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms and specific neural connections among the pPVT and other brain regions that underlie habituation are unknown. METHODS Behavioral and neuroendocrine habituation was assessed in adult male Sprague Dawley rats using the repeated restraint paradigm. Pan-neuronal and Cre-dependent DREADDs (designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs) were used to chemogenetically inhibit the pPVT and the subpopulation of pPVT neurons that project to the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), respectively. Activity-regulated cytoskeleton-associated protein (Arc) expression was knocked down in the pPVT using small interfering RNA. Structural plasticity of pPVT neurons was assessed using Golgi staining. Local field potential recordings were used to assess coherent neural activity between the pPVT and mPFC. The attentional set shifting task was used to assess mPFC-dependent behavior. RESULTS Here, we show that Arc promotes habituation by increasing stress-induced spinogenesis in the pPVT, increasing coherent neural activity with the mPFC, and improving mPFC-mediated cognitive flexibility. CONCLUSIONS Our results demonstrate that Arc induction in the pPVT regulates habituation and mPFC function. Therapies that improve synaptic plasticity during posttraumatic stress disorder therapy may enhance habituation and the efficacy of posttraumatic stress disorder treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian F. Corbett
- Center for Stress Neurobiology, Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Sandra Luz
- Center for Stress Neurobiology, Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Jay Arner
- Center for Stress Neurobiology, Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Abigail Vigderman
- Center for Stress Neurobiology, Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Kimberly Urban
- Center for Stress Neurobiology, Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Seema Bhatnagar
- Center for Stress Neurobiology, Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
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Developmental complex trauma induces the dysfunction of the amygdala-mPFC circuit in the serotonergic and dopaminergic systems. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2022; 605:104-110. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2022.03.069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2022] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
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Hodges TE, Lee GY, Noh SH, Galea LA. Sex and age differences in cognitive bias and neural activation in response to cognitive bias testing. Neurobiol Stress 2022; 18:100458. [PMID: 35586750 PMCID: PMC9109184 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2022.100458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2022] [Revised: 03/28/2022] [Accepted: 05/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Cognitive symptoms of depression, including negative cognitive bias, are more severe in women than in men. Current treatments to reduce negative cognitive bias are not effective and sex differences in the neural activity underlying cognitive bias may play a role. Here we examined sex and age differences in cognitive bias and functional connectivity in a novel paradigm. Male and female rats underwent an 18-day cognitive bias procedure, in which they learned to discriminate between two contexts (shock paired context A, no-shock paired context B), during either adolescence (postnatal day (PD 40)), young adulthood (PD 100), or middle-age (PD 210). Cognitive bias was measured as freezing behaviour in response to an ambiguous context (context C), with freezing levels akin to the shock paired context coded as negative bias. All animals learned to discriminate between the two contexts, regardless of sex or age. However, adults (young adults, middle-aged) displayed a greater negative cognitive bias compared to adolescents, and middle-aged males had a greater negative cognitive bias than middle-aged females. Females had greater neural activation of the nucleus accumbens, amygdala, and hippocampal regions to the ambiguous context compared to males, and young rats (adolescent, young adults) had greater neural activation in these regions compared to middle-aged rats. Functional connectivity between regions involved in cognitive bias differed by age and sex, and only adult males had negative correlations between the frontal regions and hippocampal regions. These findings highlight the importance of examining age and sex when investigating the underpinnings of negative cognitive bias and lay the groundwork for determining what age- and sex-specific regions to target in future cognitive bias studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Travis E. Hodges
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Canada
| | - Grace Y. Lee
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Canada
| | - Sophia H. Noh
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Canada
| | - Liisa A.M. Galea
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Canada
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of British Columbia, Canada
- Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Canada
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Howland JG, Ito R, Lapish CC, Villaruel FR. The rodent medial prefrontal cortex and associated circuits in orchestrating adaptive behavior under variable demands. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 135:104569. [PMID: 35131398 PMCID: PMC9248379 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2021] [Revised: 12/17/2021] [Accepted: 02/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Emerging evidence implicates rodent medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) in tasks requiring adaptation of behavior to changing information from external and internal sources. However, the computations within mPFC and subsequent outputs that determine behavior are incompletely understood. We review the involvement of mPFC subregions, and their projections to the striatum and amygdala in two broad types of tasks in rodents: 1) appetitive and aversive Pavlovian and operant conditioning tasks that engage mPFC-striatum and mPFC-amygdala circuits, and 2) foraging-based tasks that require decision making to optimize reward. We find support for region-specific function of the mPFC, with dorsal mPFC and its projections to the dorsomedial striatum supporting action control with higher cognitive demands, and ventral mPFC engagement in translating affective signals into behavior via discrete projections to the ventral striatum and amygdala. However, we also propose that defined mPFC subdivisions operate as a functional continuum rather than segregated functional units, with crosstalk that allows distinct subregion-specific inputs (e.g., internal, affective) to influence adaptive behavior supported by other subregions.
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Affiliation(s)
- John G Howland
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology, and Pharmacology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada.
| | - Rutsuko Ito
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto-Scarborough, Toronto, ON, Canada.
| | - Christopher C Lapish
- Department of Psychology, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN, USA.
| | - Franz R Villaruel
- Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
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Wang Z, Cao Q, Bai W, Zheng X, Liu T. Decreased Phase-Amplitude Coupling Between the mPFC and BLA During Exploratory Behaviour in Chronic Unpredictable Mild Stress-Induced Depression Model of Rats. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 15:799556. [PMID: 34975430 PMCID: PMC8716490 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.799556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2021] [Accepted: 11/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Depression is a common neuropsychiatric illness observed worldwide, and reduced interest in exploration is one of its symptoms. The control of dysregulated medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) over the basolateral amygdala (BLA) is related to depression. However, the oscillation interaction in the mPFC-BLA circuit has remained elusive. Therefore, this study used phase-amplitude coupling (PAC), which provides complicated forms of information transmission by the phase of low-frequency rhythm, modulating the amplitude of high-frequency rhythm, and has a potential application for the treatment of neurological disease. The chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) was used to prepare the rat models of depression. Moreover, multichannel in vivo recording was applied to obtain the local field potentials (LFPs) of the mPFC, the BLA in rats in control, and CUMS groups, while they explored the open field. The results showed prominent coupling between the phase of theta oscillation (4-12 Hz) in the mPFC and the amplitude of high-gamma oscillation (70-120 Hz) in the BLA. Compared to the control group, this theta-gamma PAC was significantly decreased in the CUMS group, which was accompanied by the diminished exploratory behaviour. The results indicate that the coupling between the phase of theta in the mPFC and the amplitude of gamma in the BLA is involved in exploratory behaviour, and this decreased coupling may inhibit exploratory behaviour of rats exposed to CUMS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zihe Wang
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Qingying Cao
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Wenwen Bai
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Xuyuan Zheng
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Tiaotiao Liu
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
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Meisner OC, Nair A, Chang SWC. Amygdala connectivity and implications for social cognition and disorders. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2022; 187:381-403. [PMID: 35964984 PMCID: PMC9436700 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-823493-8.00017-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The amygdala is a hub of subcortical region that is crucial in a wide array of affective and motivation-related behaviors. While early research contributed significantly to our understanding of this region's extensive connections to other subcortical and cortical regions, recent methodological advances have enabled researchers to better understand the details of these circuits and their behavioral contributions. Much of this work has focused specifically on investigating the role of amygdala circuits in social cognition. In this chapter, we review both long-standing knowledge and novel research on the amygdala's structure, function, and involvement in social cognition. We focus specifically on the amygdala's circuits with the medial prefrontal cortex, the orbitofrontal cortex, and the hippocampus, as these regions share extensive anatomic and functional connections with the amygdala. Furthermore, we discuss how dysfunction in the amygdala may contribute to social deficits in clinical disorders including autism spectrum disorder, social anxiety disorder, and Williams syndrome. We conclude that social functions mediated by the amygdala are orchestrated through multiple intricate interactions between the amygdala and its interconnected brain regions, endorsing the importance of understanding the amygdala from network perspectives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivia C Meisner
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States; Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Amrita Nair
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Steve W C Chang
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States; Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States.
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Lerman I, Klaming R, Spadoni A, Baker DG, Simmons AN. Non-invasive cervical vagus nerve stimulation effects on reaction time and valence image anticipation response. Brain Stimul 2022; 15:946-956. [PMID: 35738468 PMCID: PMC9721369 DOI: 10.1016/j.brs.2022.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2022] [Revised: 05/28/2022] [Accepted: 06/10/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Norepinephrine (NE) driven noninvasive vagus nerve stimulation (nVNS), which improves attention and reduces reaction time, augments learning. Equally important, endogenous NE mediated arousal is highly dependent on the valence (positive or negative) of the exogenous stimulus. But to date, no study has measured valence specific effects of nVNS on both functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) anticipation task response and reaction time in healthy individuals. Therefore, the aim of this pilot study was to assess whether nVNS vs sham modulates valence cortical anticipation task response and reaction time in a normative sample. METHODS Participants received right sided transcutaneous cervical nVNS (N = 12) or sham (N = 12) stimulation during a 3T fMRI scan. Subjects first performed a continuous performance task (CPT) and then a cued anticipation task to images of positively and negatively valenced events during fMRI. Reaction times to cues and Blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) response were examined over phase to identify effects of nVNS/sham over time. RESULTS nVNS reduced reaction time for all valenced image anticipation trials. With the fMRI anticipation task, we observed a valence-specific effect; nVNS increased responsivity to images with negative valence and decreased responsivity to images with positive valence, whereas sham showed an inverse valence response. CONCLUSIONS nVNS was linked to reduced reaction time during the anticipation task. In tandem, nVNS consistently enhanced responsivity to negatively valenced images and diminished responsivity to positively valenced images, suggesting specific nVNS driven endogenous neurotransmitter signaling may contribute.
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Affiliation(s)
- Imanuel Lerman
- VA Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health, VA San Diego Healthcare System, La Jolla, CA, United States; Department of Anesthesiology, Center for Pain Medicine, University of California San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA, United States; Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States.
| | - Ruth Klaming
- VA Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health, VA San Diego Healthcare System, La Jolla, CA, United States; Department of Psychiatry University of California San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Andrea Spadoni
- VA Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health, VA San Diego Healthcare System, La Jolla, CA, United States; Department of Psychiatry University of California San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Dewleen G Baker
- VA Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health, VA San Diego Healthcare System, La Jolla, CA, United States; Department of Psychiatry University of California San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Alan N Simmons
- VA Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health, VA San Diego Healthcare System, La Jolla, CA, United States; Department of Psychiatry University of California San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA, United States
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Kanel D, Vanes LD, Ball G, Hadaya L, Falconer S, Counsell SJ, Edwards AD, Nosarti C. OUP accepted manuscript. Brain Commun 2022; 4:fcac009. [PMID: 35178519 PMCID: PMC8846580 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcac009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2021] [Revised: 11/04/2021] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Very preterm children are more likely to exhibit difficulties in socio-emotional processing than their term-born peers. Emerging socio-emotional problems may be partly due to alterations in limbic system development associated with infants’ early transition to extrauterine life. The amygdala is a key structure in this system and plays a critical role in various aspects of socio-emotional development, including emotion regulation. The current study tested the hypothesis that amygdala resting-state functional connectivity at term-equivalent age would be associated with socio-emotional outcomes in childhood. Participants were 129 very preterm infants (<33 weeks' gestation) who underwent resting-state functional MRI at term and received a neurodevelopmental assessment at 4–7 years (median = 4.64). Using the left and right amygdalae as seed regions, we investigated associations between whole-brain seed-based functional connectivity and three socio-emotional outcome factors which were derived using exploratory factor analysis (Emotion Moderation, Social Function and Empathy), controlling for sex, neonatal sickness, post-menstrual age at scan and social risk. Childhood Emotion Moderation scores were significantly associated with neonatal resting-state functional connectivity of the right amygdala with right parahippocampal gyrus and right middle occipital gyrus, as well as with functional connectivity of the left amygdala with the right thalamus. No significant associations were found between amygdalar resting-state functional connectivity and either Social Function or Empathy scores. The current findings show that amygdalar functional connectivity assessed at term is associated with later socio-emotional outcomes in very preterm children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dana Kanel
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Imaging Sciences & Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, London, UK
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - Lucy D. Vanes
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Imaging Sciences & Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, London, UK
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - Gareth Ball
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Imaging Sciences & Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, London, UK
- Developmental Imaging, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Laila Hadaya
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Imaging Sciences & Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, London, UK
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - Shona Falconer
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Imaging Sciences & Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - Serena J. Counsell
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Imaging Sciences & Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, London, UK
| | | | - Chiara Nosarti
- Correspondence to: Chiara Nosarti Centre for the Developing Brain School of Bioengineering and Imaging Sciences King’s College London and Evelina Children’s Hospital London SE1 7EH, UK E-mail:
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45
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Attenuated link between the medial prefrontal cortex and the amygdala in children with autism spectrum disorder: Evidence from effective connectivity within the "social brain". Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2021; 111:110147. [PMID: 33096157 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2020.110147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2020] [Revised: 09/21/2020] [Accepted: 10/16/2020] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Although accumulating neuroimaging studies have reported that social behavior deficits in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are commonly attributed to the dysfunction of social brain regions underlying social cognition, the dynamic interaction within the social brain network and its association with social deficits remain unclear. Here, resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data obtained from Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange (I and II) were analyzed in 105 children with ASD and 102 demographically matched typically developing controls (TDCs) (age range: 7-12 years old). Term-based meta-analysis combined the prior reference and anatomical labeling were used to define the regions of interests of the social brain network, and multivariate Granger causality analysis with blind deconvolution was employed to assess the effective connectivity within the social brain network in the ASD and TDC groups. Between-group comparison revealed significantly attenuated effective connectivity from the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) to the bilateral amygdala in children with the ASD group compared with TDC group. In addition, raw values of the effective connectivity from the mPFC to the bilateral amygdala were used to predict social deficits in ASD. Our findings indicate the impaired mPFC-amygdala pathway and its association with social deficits in children with ASD and provide a new perspective into the neuropathology of the developing autistic brain.
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46
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Craeghs L, Callaerts-Vegh Z, Verslegers M, Van der Jeugd A, Govaerts K, Dresselaers T, Wogensen E, Verreet T, Moons L, Benotmane MA, Himmelreich U, D'Hooge R. Prenatal Radiation Exposure Leads to Higher-Order Telencephalic Dysfunctions in Adult Mice That Coincide with Reduced Synaptic Plasticity and Cerebral Hypersynchrony. Cereb Cortex 2021; 32:3525-3541. [PMID: 34902856 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhab431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2021] [Revised: 10/25/2021] [Accepted: 10/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Higher-order telencephalic circuitry has been suggested to be especially vulnerable to irradiation or other developmentally toxic impact. This report details the adult effects of prenatal irradiation at a sensitive time point on clinically relevant brain functions controlled by telencephalic regions, hippocampus (HPC), and prefrontal cortex (PFC). Pregnant C57Bl6/J mice were whole-body irradiated at embryonic day 11 (start of neurogenesis) with X-ray intensities of 0.0, 0.5, or 1.0 Gy. Female offspring completed a broad test battery of HPC-/PFC-controlled tasks that included cognitive performance, fear extinction, exploratory, and depression-like behaviors. We examined neural functions that are mechanistically related to these behavioral and cognitive changes, such as hippocampal field potentials and long-term potentiation, functional brain connectivity (by resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging), and expression of HPC vesicular neurotransmitter transporters (by immunohistochemical quantification). Prenatally exposed mice displayed several higher-order dysfunctions, such as decreased nychthemeral activity, working memory defects, delayed extinction of threat-evoked response suppression as well as indications of perseverative behavior. Electrophysiological examination indicated impaired hippocampal synaptic plasticity. Prenatal irradiation also induced cerebral hypersynchrony and increased the number of glutamatergic HPC terminals. These changes in brain connectivity and plasticity could mechanistically underlie the irradiation-induced defects in higher telencephalic functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Livine Craeghs
- Department of Brain & Cognition, Research Group Biological Psychology, University of Leuven (KU Leuven), Leuven 3000, Belgium
| | - Zsuzsanna Callaerts-Vegh
- Department of Brain & Cognition, Research Group Biological Psychology, University of Leuven (KU Leuven), Leuven 3000, Belgium
| | - Mieke Verslegers
- Department of Radiobiology, Institute for Environmental Health and Safety, Nuclear Research Center (SCK CEN), Mol 2400, Belgium
| | - Ann Van der Jeugd
- Department of Brain & Cognition, Research Group Biological Psychology, University of Leuven (KU Leuven), Leuven 3000, Belgium
| | - Kristof Govaerts
- Department of Imaging & Pathology, Research Group Biomedical MRI, University of Leuven (KU Leuven), Leuven 3000, Belgium
| | - Tom Dresselaers
- Department of Imaging & Pathology, Research Group Biomedical MRI, University of Leuven (KU Leuven), Leuven 3000, Belgium
| | - Elise Wogensen
- Department of Brain & Cognition, Research Group Biological Psychology, University of Leuven (KU Leuven), Leuven 3000, Belgium
| | - Tine Verreet
- Department of Radiobiology, Institute for Environmental Health and Safety, Nuclear Research Center (SCK CEN), Mol 2400, Belgium
| | - Lieve Moons
- Department of Biology, Research Group Neural Circuit Development and Regeneration, University of Leuven (KU Leuven), Leuven 3000, Belgium
| | - Mohammed A Benotmane
- Department of Radiobiology, Institute for Environmental Health and Safety, Nuclear Research Center (SCK CEN), Mol 2400, Belgium
| | - Uwe Himmelreich
- Department of Imaging & Pathology, Research Group Biomedical MRI, University of Leuven (KU Leuven), Leuven 3000, Belgium
| | - Rudi D'Hooge
- Department of Brain & Cognition, Research Group Biological Psychology, University of Leuven (KU Leuven), Leuven 3000, Belgium
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47
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Abstract
Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) is a common but poorly understood phenomenon in adolescents. This study examined the Sustained Threat domain in female adolescents with a continuum of NSSI severity (N = 142). Across NSSI lifetime frequency and NSSI severity groups (No + Mild NSSI, Moderate NSSI, Severe NSSI), we examined physiological, self-reported and observed stress during the Trier Social Stress Test; amygdala volume; amygdala responses to threat stimuli; and resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) between amygdala and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). Severe NSSI showed a blunted pattern of cortisol response, despite elevated reported and observed stress during TSST. Severe NSSI showed lower amygdala-mPFC RSFC; follow-up analyses suggested that this was more pronounced in those with a history of suicide attempt for both moderate and severe NSSI. Moderate NSSI showed elevated right amygdala activation to threat; multiple regressions showed that, when considered together with low amygdala-mPFC RSFC, higher right but lower left amygdala activation predicted NSSI severity. Patterns of interrelationships among Sustained Threat measures varied substantially across NSSI severity groups, and further by suicide attempt history. Study limitations include the cross-sectional design, missing data, and sampling biases. Our findings highlight the value of multilevel approaches in understanding the complexity of neurobiological mechanisms in adolescent NSSI.
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48
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Merino E, Raya-Salom D, Teruel-Martí V, Adell A, Cervera-Ferri A, Martínez-Ricós J. Effects of Acute Stress on the Oscillatory Activity of the Hippocampus-Amygdala-Prefrontal Cortex Network. Neuroscience 2021; 476:72-89. [PMID: 34543675 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2021.09.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2021] [Revised: 09/08/2021] [Accepted: 09/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Displaying a stress response to threatening stimuli is essential for survival. These reactions must be adjusted to be adaptive. Otherwise, even mental illnesses may develop. Describing the physiological stress response may contribute to distinguishing the abnormal responses that accompany the pathology, which may help to improve the development of both diagnoses and treatments. Recent advances have elucidated many of the processes and structures involved in stress response management; however, there is still much to unravel regarding this phenomenon. The main aim of the present research is to characterize the response of three brain areas deeply involved in the stress response (i.e., to an acute stressful experience). Specifically, the electrophysiological activity of the infralimbic division of the medial prefrontal cortex (IL), the basolateral nucleus of the amygdala (BLA), and the dorsal hippocampus (dHPC) was recorded after the infusion of 0.5 µl of corticosterone-releasing factor into the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN), a procedure which has been validated as a paradigm to cause acute stress. This procedure induced a delayed reduction in slow waves in the three structures, and an increase in faster oscillations, such as those in theta, beta, and gamma bands. The mutual information at low theta frequencies between the BLA and the IL increased, and the delta and slow wave mutual information decreased. The low theta-mid gamma phase-amplitude coupling increased within BLA, as well as between BLA and IL. This electrical pattern may facilitate the activation of these structures, in response to the stressor, and memory consolidation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esteban Merino
- Neuronal Circuits Laboratory, Department of Human Anatomy and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine and Odontology, University of Valencia, Valencia 46010, Spain
| | - Danae Raya-Salom
- Neuronal Circuits Laboratory, Department of Human Anatomy and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine and Odontology, University of Valencia, Valencia 46010, Spain
| | - Vicent Teruel-Martí
- Neuronal Circuits Laboratory, Department of Human Anatomy and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine and Odontology, University of Valencia, Valencia 46010, Spain
| | - Albert Adell
- Institute of Biomedicine and Biotechnology of Cantabria, IBBTEC (CSIC, Universidad de Cantabria), Santander 39011, Spain; Biomedical Research Networking Centre for Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Santander, Spain
| | - Ana Cervera-Ferri
- Neuronal Circuits Laboratory, Department of Human Anatomy and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine and Odontology, University of Valencia, Valencia 46010, Spain.
| | - Joana Martínez-Ricós
- Neuronal Circuits Laboratory, Department of Human Anatomy and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine and Odontology, University of Valencia, Valencia 46010, Spain.
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49
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Xu J, Hao L, Chen M, He Y, Jiang M, Tian T, Wang H, Wang Y, Wang D, Han ZR, Tan S, Men W, Gao J, He Y, Tao S, Dong Q, Qin S. Developmental Sex Differences in Negative Emotion Decision-Making Dynamics: Computational Evidence and Amygdala-Prefrontal Pathways. Cereb Cortex 2021; 32:2478-2491. [PMID: 34643680 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhab359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2021] [Revised: 09/02/2021] [Accepted: 09/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Sex differences in human emotion and related decision-making behaviors are recognized, which can be traced back early in development. However, our understanding of their underlying neurodevelopmental mechanisms remains elusive. Using developmental functional magnetic resonance imaging and computational approach, we investigated developmental sex differences in latent decision-making dynamics during negative emotion processing and related neurocognitive pathways in 243 school-aged children and 78 young adults. Behaviorally, girls exhibit higher response caution and more effective evidence accumulation, whereas boys show more impulsive response to negative facial expression stimuli. These effects parallel sex differences in emotion-related brain maturity linking to evidence accumulation, along with age-related decrease in emotional response in the basolateral amygdala and medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) in girls and an increase in the centromedial amygdala (CMA) in boys. Moreover, girls exhibit age-related decreases in BLA-MPFC coupling linked to evidence accumulation, but boys exhibit increases in CMA-insula coupling associated with response caution. Our findings highlight the neurocomputational accounts for developmental sex differences in emotion and emotion-related behaviors and provide important implications into the neurodevelopmental mechanisms of sex differences in latent emotional decision-making dynamics. This informs the emergence of sex differences in typical and atypical neurodevelopment of children's emotion and related functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiahua Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China.,Key Laboratory of Beijing Key Laboratory of Brain Imaging and Connectomics, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Lei Hao
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China.,Key Laboratory of Beijing Key Laboratory of Brain Imaging and Connectomics, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Menglu Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China.,Key Laboratory of Beijing Key Laboratory of Brain Imaging and Connectomics, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Ying He
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China.,Key Laboratory of Beijing Key Laboratory of Brain Imaging and Connectomics, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Min Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China.,Key Laboratory of Beijing Key Laboratory of Brain Imaging and Connectomics, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Ting Tian
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China.,Key Laboratory of Beijing Key Laboratory of Brain Imaging and Connectomics, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Hui Wang
- Faculty of Psychology, School of Artificial Intelligence, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Yanpei Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Daoyang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China.,Department of Psychology, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, 311121, China
| | - Zhuo Rachel Han
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China.,Key Laboratory of Beijing Key Laboratory of Brain Imaging and Connectomics, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Shuping Tan
- Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital, Peking University, Beijing, 100096, China
| | - Weiwei Men
- Center for MRI Research, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies & McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Jiahong Gao
- Center for MRI Research, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies & McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Yong He
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China.,Key Laboratory of Beijing Key Laboratory of Brain Imaging and Connectomics, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Sha Tao
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Qi Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Shaozheng Qin
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China.,Key Laboratory of Beijing Key Laboratory of Brain Imaging and Connectomics, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China.,Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, 102206, China
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50
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Baldi E, Costa A, Rani B, Passani MB, Blandina P, Romano A, Provensi G. Oxytocin and Fear Memory Extinction: Possible Implications for the Therapy of Fear Disorders? Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:10000. [PMID: 34576161 PMCID: PMC8467761 DOI: 10.3390/ijms221810000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2021] [Revised: 09/07/2021] [Accepted: 09/10/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Several psychiatric conditions such as phobias, generalized anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are characterized by pathological fear and anxiety. The main therapeutic approach used in the management of these disorders is exposure-based therapy, which is conceptually based upon fear extinction with the formation of a new safe memory association, allowing the reduction in behavioral conditioned fear responses. Nevertheless, this approach is only partially resolutive, since many patients have difficulty following the demanding and long process, and relapses are frequently observed over time. One strategy to improve the efficacy of the cognitive therapy is the combination with pharmacological agents. Therefore, the identification of compounds able to strengthen the formation and persistence of the inhibitory associations is a key goal. Recently, growing interest has been aroused by the neuropeptide oxytocin (OXT), which has been shown to have anxiolytic effects. Furthermore, OXT receptors and binding sites have been found in the critical brain structures involved in fear extinction. In this review, the recent literature addressing the complex effects of OXT on fear extinction at preclinical and clinical levels is discussed. These studies suggest that the OXT roles in fear behavior are due to its local effects in several brain regions, most notably, distinct amygdaloid regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabetta Baldi
- Section of Physiological Sciences, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, 50134 Florence, Italy;
| | - Alessia Costa
- Section of Clinical Pharmacology and Oncology, Department of Health Sciences (DSS), University of Florence, 50139 Florence, Italy; (A.C.); (B.R.); (M.B.P.)
| | - Barbara Rani
- Section of Clinical Pharmacology and Oncology, Department of Health Sciences (DSS), University of Florence, 50139 Florence, Italy; (A.C.); (B.R.); (M.B.P.)
| | - Maria Beatrice Passani
- Section of Clinical Pharmacology and Oncology, Department of Health Sciences (DSS), University of Florence, 50139 Florence, Italy; (A.C.); (B.R.); (M.B.P.)
| | - Patrizio Blandina
- Section of Pharmacology of Toxicology, Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health (NEUROFARBA), University of Florence, 50139 Florence, Italy;
| | - Adele Romano
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology ‘V. Erspamer’, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy;
| | - Gustavo Provensi
- Section of Pharmacology of Toxicology, Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health (NEUROFARBA), University of Florence, 50139 Florence, Italy;
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