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Bayer H, Hassell JE, Oleksiak CR, Garcia GM, Vaughan HL, Juliano VAL, Maren S. Pharmacological stimulation of infralimbic cortex after fear conditioning facilitates subsequent fear extinction. Neuropsychopharmacology 2024:10.1038/s41386-024-01961-9. [PMID: 39138373 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-024-01961-9] [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: 03/22/2024] [Revised: 07/29/2024] [Accepted: 08/05/2024] [Indexed: 08/15/2024]
Abstract
The infralimbic (IL) division of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) is a crucial site for the extinction of conditioned fear memories in rodents. Recent work suggests that neuronal plasticity in the IL that occurs during (or soon after) fear conditioning enables subsequent IL-dependent extinction learning. We therefore hypothesized that pharmacological activation of the IL after fear conditioning would promote the extinction of conditioned fear. To test this hypothesis, we characterized the effects of post-conditioning infusions of the GABAA receptor antagonist, picrotoxin, into the IL on the extinction of auditory conditioned freezing in male and female rats. In four experiments, we found that picrotoxin injections performed immediately, 24 h, or 13 days after fear conditioning reduced conditioned freezing to the auditory conditioned stimulus (CS) during both extinction training and extinction retrieval; this effect was observed up to two weeks after picrotoxin infusions. Interestingly, inhibiting protein synthesis inhibition in the IL immediately after fear conditioning prevented the inhibition of freezing by picrotoxin injected 24 h later. Our data suggest that the IL encodes an inhibitory memory during the consolidation of fear conditioning that is necessary for future fear suppression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hugo Bayer
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, USA
| | - James E Hassell
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, USA
| | - Cecily R Oleksiak
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, USA
| | - Gabriela M Garcia
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, USA
| | - Hollis L Vaughan
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, USA
| | - Vitor A L Juliano
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, São Paulo University, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Stephen Maren
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, USA.
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2
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Blanchard DC, Canteras NS. Uncertainty and anxiety: Evolution and neurobiology. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2024; 162:105732. [PMID: 38797459 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2024] [Revised: 04/30/2024] [Accepted: 05/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
Anxiety is a complex phenomenon: Its eliciting stimuli and circumstances, component behaviors, and functional consequences are only slowly coming to be understood. Here, we examine defense systems from field studies; laboratory studies focusing on experimental analyses of behavior; and, the fear conditioning literature, with a focus on the role of uncertainty in promoting an anxiety pattern that involves high rates of stimulus generalization and resistance to extinction. Respectively, these different areas provide information on evolved elicitors of defense (field studies); outline a defense system focused on obtaining information about uncertain threat (ethoexperimental analyses); and, provide a simple, well-researched, easily measured paradigm for analysis of nonassociative stress-enhanced fear conditioning (the SEFL). Results suggest that all of these-each of which is responsive to uncertainty-play multiple and interactive roles in anxiety. Brain system findings for some relevant models are reviewed, with suggestions that further analyses of current models may be capable of providing a great deal of additional information about these complex interactions and their underlying biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Caroline Blanchard
- Pacific Bioscience Research Institute, University of Hawaii, Manoa, USA; Department of Anatomy, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP 05508-000, Brazil.
| | - Newton S Canteras
- Department of Anatomy, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP 05508-000, Brazil
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3
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Zangen E, Hadar S, Lawrence C, Obeid M, Rasras H, Hanzin E, Aslan O, Zur E, Schulcz N, Cohen-Hatab D, Samama Y, Nir S, Li Y, Dobrotvorskia I, Sabbah S. Prefrontal cortex neurons encode ambient light intensity differentially across regions and layers. Nat Commun 2024; 15:5501. [PMID: 38951486 PMCID: PMC11217280 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49794-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2024] [Indexed: 07/03/2024] Open
Abstract
While light can affect emotional and cognitive processes of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), no light-encoding was hitherto identified in this region. Here, extracellular recordings in awake mice revealed that over half of studied mPFC neurons showed photosensitivity, that was diminished by inhibition of intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs), or of the upstream thalamic perihabenular nucleus (PHb). In 15% of mPFC photosensitive neurons, firing rate changed monotonically along light-intensity steps and gradients. These light-intensity-encoding neurons comprised four types, two enhancing and two suppressing their firing rate with increased light intensity. Similar types were identified in the PHb, where they exhibited shorter latency and increased sensitivity. Light suppressed prelimbic activity but boosted infralimbic activity, mirroring the regions' contrasting roles in fear-conditioning, drug-seeking, and anxiety. We posit that prefrontal photosensitivity represents a substrate of light-susceptible, mPFC-mediated functions, which could be ultimately studied as a therapeutical target in psychiatric and addiction disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elyashiv Zangen
- Department of Medical Neurobiology, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 9112102, Israel
| | - Shira Hadar
- Department of Medical Neurobiology, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 9112102, Israel
| | - Christopher Lawrence
- Department of Medical Neurobiology, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 9112102, Israel
| | - Mustafa Obeid
- Department of Medical Neurobiology, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 9112102, Israel
| | - Hala Rasras
- Department of Medical Neurobiology, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 9112102, Israel
| | - Ella Hanzin
- Department of Medical Neurobiology, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 9112102, Israel
| | - Ori Aslan
- Department of Medical Neurobiology, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 9112102, Israel
| | - Eyal Zur
- Department of Medical Neurobiology, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 9112102, Israel
| | - Nadav Schulcz
- Department of Medical Neurobiology, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 9112102, Israel
| | - Daniel Cohen-Hatab
- Department of Medical Neurobiology, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 9112102, Israel
| | - Yona Samama
- Department of Medical Neurobiology, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 9112102, Israel
| | - Sarah Nir
- Department of Medical Neurobiology, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 9112102, Israel
| | - Yi Li
- Department of Medical Neurobiology, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 9112102, Israel
| | - Irina Dobrotvorskia
- Department of Medical Neurobiology, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 9112102, Israel
| | - Shai Sabbah
- Department of Medical Neurobiology, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 9112102, Israel.
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4
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Diniz CRAF, Crestani AP, Casarotto PC, Biojone C, Cannarozzo C, Winkel F, Prozorov MA, Kot EF, Goncharuk SA, Benette Marques D, Rakauskas Zacharias L, Autio H, Sahu MP, Borges-Assis AB, Leite JP, Mineev KS, Castrén E, Resstel LBM. Fluoxetine and Ketamine Enhance Extinction Memory and Brain Plasticity by Triggering the p75 Neurotrophin Receptor Proteolytic Pathway. Biol Psychiatry 2024:S0006-3223(24)01425-2. [PMID: 38945387 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2024.06.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2024] [Revised: 06/08/2024] [Accepted: 06/24/2024] [Indexed: 07/02/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Diverse antidepressants were recently described to bind to TrkB (tyrosine kinase B) and drive a positive allosteric modulation of endogenous BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor). Although neurotrophins such as BDNF can bind to p75NTR (p75 neurotrophin receptor), their precursors are the high-affinity p75NTR ligands. While part of an unrelated receptor family capable of inducing completely opposite physiological changes, TrkB and p75NTR feature a crosslike conformation dimer and carry a cholesterol-recognition amino acid consensus in the transmembrane domain. As such qualities were found to be crucial for antidepressants to bind to TrkB and drive behavioral and neuroplasticity effects, we hypothesized that their effects might also depend on p75NTR. METHODS Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay-based binding and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy were performed to assess whether antidepressants would bind to p75NTR. HEK293T cells and a variety of in vitro assays were used to investigate whether fluoxetine (FLX) or ketamine (KET) would trigger any α- and γ-secretase-dependent p75NTR proteolysis and lead to p75NTR nuclear localization. Ocular dominance shift was performed with male and female p75NTR knockout mice to study the effects of KET and FLX on brain plasticity, in addition to pharmacological interventions to verify how p75NTR signaling is important for the effects of KET and FLX in enhancing extinction memory in male wild-type mice and rats. RESULTS Antidepressants were found to bind to p75NTR. FLX and KET triggered the p75NTR proteolytic pathway and induced p75NTR-dependent behavioral/neuroplasticity changes. CONCLUSIONS We hypothesize that antidepressants co-opt both BDNF/TrkB and proBDNF/p75NTR systems to induce a more efficient activity-dependent synaptic competition, thereby boosting the brain's ability for remodeling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cassiano Ricardo Alves Faria Diniz
- Department of Pharmacology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil; Neuroscience Center, Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland; Center for Neuroscience, University of California, Davis, Davis, California.
| | - Ana Paula Crestani
- Center for Neuroscience, University of California, Davis, Davis, California; Department of Neuroscience and Behavioral Sciences, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Plinio Cabrera Casarotto
- Neuroscience Center, Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Caroline Biojone
- Neuroscience Center, Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland; Department of Biomedicine and Translational Neuropsychiatry Unit-Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Cecilia Cannarozzo
- Neuroscience Center, Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Frederike Winkel
- Neuroscience Center, Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Mikhail A Prozorov
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia; Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
| | - Erik F Kot
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia; Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Dolgoprudny, Russia
| | - Sergey A Goncharuk
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia; Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Dolgoprudny, Russia
| | - Danilo Benette Marques
- Department of Neuroscience and Behavioral Sciences, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Leonardo Rakauskas Zacharias
- Department of Neuroscience and Behavioral Sciences, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Henri Autio
- Neuroscience Center, Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | | | - Anna Bárbara Borges-Assis
- Department of Pharmacology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - João Pereira Leite
- Department of Neuroscience and Behavioral Sciences, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Konstantin S Mineev
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Eero Castrén
- Neuroscience Center, Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
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Wang H, Flores RJ, Yarur HE, Limoges A, Bravo-Rivera H, Casello SM, Loomba N, Enriquez-Traba J, Arenivar M, Wang Q, Ganley R, Ramakrishnan C, Fenno LE, Kim Y, Deisseroth K, Or G, Dong C, Hoon MA, Tian L, Tejeda HA. Prefrontal cortical dynorphin peptidergic transmission constrains threat-driven behavioral and network states. Neuron 2024; 112:2062-2078.e7. [PMID: 38614102 PMCID: PMC11250624 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2024.03.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2023] [Revised: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/15/2024]
Abstract
Prefrontal cortical (PFC) circuits provide top-down control of threat reactivity. This includes ventromedial PFC (vmPFC) circuitry, which plays a role in suppressing fear-related behavioral states. Dynorphin (Dyn) has been implicated in mediating negative affect and maladaptive behaviors induced by severe threats and is expressed in limbic circuits, including the vmPFC. However, there is a critical knowledge gap in our understanding of how vmPFC Dyn-expressing neurons and Dyn transmission detect threats and regulate expression of defensive behaviors. Here, we demonstrate that Dyn cells are broadly activated by threats and release Dyn locally in the vmPFC to limit passive defensive behaviors. We further demonstrate that vmPFC Dyn-mediated signaling promotes a switch of vmPFC networks to a fear-related state. In conclusion, we reveal a previously unknown role of vmPFC Dyn neurons and Dyn neuropeptidergic transmission in suppressing defensive behaviors in response to threats via state-driven changes in vmPFC networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huikun Wang
- Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration Unit, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Rodolfo J Flores
- Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration Unit, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Hector E Yarur
- Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration Unit, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Aaron Limoges
- Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration Unit, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA; Columbia University - NIH Graduate Partnership Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Hector Bravo-Rivera
- Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration Unit, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Sanne M Casello
- Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration Unit, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Niharika Loomba
- Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration Unit, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Juan Enriquez-Traba
- Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration Unit, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Miguel Arenivar
- Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration Unit, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA; Brown University - NIH Graduate Partnership Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Queenie Wang
- Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration Unit, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Robert Ganley
- Molecular Genetics Section, Laboratory of Sensory Biology, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Charu Ramakrishnan
- Departments of Bioengineering and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Lief E Fenno
- Departments of Bioengineering and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Yoon Kim
- Departments of Bioengineering and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Karl Deisseroth
- Departments of Bioengineering and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Grace Or
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Chunyang Dong
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Mark A Hoon
- Molecular Genetics Section, Laboratory of Sensory Biology, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Lin Tian
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA; Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience, Jupiter, FL, USA
| | - Hugo A Tejeda
- Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration Unit, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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6
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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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Zamorina TA, Ivashkina OI, Toropova KA, Anokhin KV. Inhibition of Protein Synthesis Attenuates Formation of Traumatic Memory and Normalizes Fear-Induced c-Fos Expression in a Mouse Model of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:6544. [PMID: 38928250 PMCID: PMC11204086 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25126544] [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: 04/16/2024] [Revised: 05/24/2024] [Accepted: 06/11/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a debilitating psychosomatic condition characterized by impairment of brain fear circuits and persistence of exceptionally strong associative memories resistant to extinction. In this study, we investigated the neural and behavioral consequences of inhibiting protein synthesis, a process known to suppress the formation of conventional aversive memories, in an established PTSD animal model based on contextual fear conditioning in mice. Control animals were subjected to the conventional fear conditioning task. Utilizing c-Fos neural activity mapping, we found that the retrieval of PTSD and normal aversive memories produced activation of an overlapping set of brain structures. However, several specific areas, such as the infralimbic cortex and the paraventricular thalamic nucleus, showed an increase in the PTSD group compared to the normal aversive memory group. Administration of protein synthesis inhibitor before PTSD induction disrupted the formation of traumatic memories, resulting in behavior that matched the behavior of mice with usual aversive memory. Concomitant with this behavioral shift was a normalization of brain c-Fos activation pattern matching the one observed in usual fear memory. Our findings demonstrate that inhibiting protein synthesis during traumatic experiences significantly impairs the development of PTSD in a mouse model. These data provide insights into the neural underpinnings of protein synthesis-dependent traumatic memory formation and open prospects for the development of new therapeutic strategies for PTSD prevention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatyana A. Zamorina
- Institute for Advanced Brain Studies, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119991 Moscow, Russia; (T.A.Z.); (O.I.I.); (K.A.T.)
- Faculty of Biology, Department of Higher Nervous Activity, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119234 Moscow, Russia
| | - Olga I. Ivashkina
- Institute for Advanced Brain Studies, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119991 Moscow, Russia; (T.A.Z.); (O.I.I.); (K.A.T.)
- Laboratory of Neuronal Intelligence, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119991 Moscow, Russia
| | - Ksenia A. Toropova
- Institute for Advanced Brain Studies, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119991 Moscow, Russia; (T.A.Z.); (O.I.I.); (K.A.T.)
- Laboratory of Neuronal Intelligence, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119991 Moscow, Russia
| | - Konstantin V. Anokhin
- Institute for Advanced Brain Studies, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119991 Moscow, Russia; (T.A.Z.); (O.I.I.); (K.A.T.)
- Laboratory of Neuronal Intelligence, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119991 Moscow, Russia
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8
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Werle I, Nascimento LMM, Dos Santos ALA, Soares LA, Dos Santos RG, Hallak JEC, Bertoglio LJ. Ayahuasca-enhanced extinction of fear behaviour: Role of infralimbic cortex 5-HT 2A and 5-HT 1A receptors. Br J Pharmacol 2024; 181:1671-1689. [PMID: 38320596 DOI: 10.1111/bph.16315] [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: 07/07/2023] [Revised: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 02/08/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Ayahuasca (AYA) is a botanical psychedelic with promising results in observational and small clinical trials for depression, trauma and drug use disorders. Its psychoactive effects primarily stem from N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT). However, there is a lack of research on how and where AYA acts in the brain. This study addressed these questions by examining the extinction of aversive memories in AYA-treated rats. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH We focused on the 5-HT1A and 5-HT2A receptors, as DMT exhibits a high affinity for both of them, along with the infralimbic cortex in which activity and plasticity play crucial roles in regulating the mnemonic process under analysis. KEY RESULTS A single oral treatment with AYA containing 0.3 mg·kg-1 of DMT increased the within-session extinction of contextual freezing behaviour without affecting its recall. This protocol, when repeated twice on consecutive days, enhanced extinction recall. These effects were consistent for both 1- and 21-day-old memories in males and females. AYA effects on fear extinction were independent of changes in anxiety and general exploratory activity: AYA- and vehicle-treated animals showed no differences when tested in the elevated plus-maze. The 5-HT2A receptor antagonist MDL-11,939 and the 5-HT1A receptor antagonist WAY-100635 infused into the infralimbic cortex respectively blocked within- and between-session fear extinction effects resulting from repeated oral administration of AYA. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS Our findings highlight complementary mechanisms by which AYA facilitates the behavioural suppression of aversive memories in the rat infralimbic cortex. These results suggest potential beneficial effects of AYA or DMT in stress-related disorders.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Fear/drug effects
- Fear/physiology
- Male
- Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT1A/metabolism
- Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT1A/drug effects
- Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT2A/metabolism
- Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT2A/drug effects
- Extinction, Psychological/drug effects
- Rats
- Banisteriopsis/chemistry
- Hallucinogens/pharmacology
- Hallucinogens/administration & dosage
- Rats, Sprague-Dawley
- Behavior, Animal/drug effects
- Pyridines/pharmacology
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel Werle
- Departamento de Farmacologia, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil
| | - Laura M M Nascimento
- Departamento de Farmacologia, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil
| | - Aymee L A Dos Santos
- Departamento de Farmacologia, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil
| | - Luciane A Soares
- Departamento de Farmacologia, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil
| | - Rafael G Dos Santos
- Departamento de Neurociências e Comportamento, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
- National Institute of Science and Technology-Translational Medicine, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Jaime E C Hallak
- Departamento de Neurociências e Comportamento, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
- National Institute of Science and Technology-Translational Medicine, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Leandro J Bertoglio
- Departamento de Farmacologia, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil
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9
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Greiner EM, Petrovich GD. Recruitment of hippocampal and thalamic pathways to the central amygdala in the control of feeding behavior under novelty. Brain Struct Funct 2024; 229:1179-1191. [PMID: 38625554 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-024-02791-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024]
Abstract
It is adaptive to restrict eating under uncertainty, such as during habituation to novel foods and unfamiliar environments. However, sustained restrictive eating can become maladaptive. Currently, the neural substrates of restrictive eating are poorly understood. Using a model of feeding avoidance under novelty, our recent study identified forebrain activation patterns and found evidence that the central nucleus of the amygdala (CEA) is a core integrating node. The current study analyzed the activity of CEA inputs in male and female rats to determine if specific pathways are recruited during feeding under novelty. Recruitment of direct inputs from the paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus (PVT), the infralimbic cortex (ILA), the agranular insular cortex (AI), the hippocampal ventral field CA1, and the bed nucleus of the stria terminals (BST) was assessed with combined retrograde tract tracing and Fos induction analysis. The study found that during consumption of a novel food in a novel environment, larger number of neurons within the PVTp and the CA1 that send monosynaptic inputs to the CEA were recruited compared to controls that consumed familiar food in a familiar environment. The ILA, AI, and BST inputs to the CEA were similarly recruited across conditions. There were no sex differences in activation of any of the pathways analyzed. These results suggest that the PVTp-CEA and CA1-CEA pathways underlie feeding inhibition during novelty and could be potential sites of malfunction in excessive food avoidance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eliza M Greiner
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, 02467, USA
| | - Gorica D Petrovich
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, 02467, USA.
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10
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Dugan BJ, Fraigne JJ, Peever J. REM sleep: Out-dreaming fear. Curr Biol 2024; 34:R510-R512. [PMID: 38772341 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.04.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/23/2024]
Abstract
The ability to forget fear-inducing situations is essential for adapting to our environment, but the neural mechanisms underlying 'fear forgetting' remain unclear. Novel findings reveal that the activity of the infralimbic cortex - specifically during REM sleep - contributes to the extinction of fear memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brittany J Dugan
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto ON, Canada
| | - Jimmy J Fraigne
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto ON, Canada
| | - John Peever
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto ON, Canada.
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11
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Hong J, Choi K, Fuccillo MV, Chung S, Weber F. Infralimbic activity during REM sleep facilitates fear extinction memory. Curr Biol 2024; 34:2247-2255.e5. [PMID: 38714199 PMCID: PMC11111341 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.04.018] [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: 02/06/2024] [Revised: 04/03/2024] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/09/2024]
Abstract
Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep is known to facilitate fear extinction and play a protective role against fearful memories.1,2 Consequently, disruption of REM sleep after a traumatic event may increase the risk for developing PTSD.3,4 However, the underlying mechanisms by which REM sleep promotes extinction of aversive memories remain largely unknown. The infralimbic cortex (IL) is a key brain structure for the consolidation of extinction memory.5 Using calcium imaging, we found in mice that most IL pyramidal neurons are intensively activated during REM sleep. Optogenetically suppressing the IL specifically during REM sleep within a 4-h window after auditory-cued fear conditioning impaired extinction memory consolidation. In contrast, REM-specific IL inhibition after extinction learning did not affect the extinction memory. Whole-cell patch-clamp recordings demonstrated that inactivating IL neurons during REM sleep depresses their excitability. Together, our findings suggest that REM sleep after fear conditioning facilitates fear extinction by enhancing IL excitability and highlight the importance of REM sleep in the aftermath of traumatic events for protecting against traumatic memories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiso Hong
- Department of Neuroscience, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Chronobiology and Sleep Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Kyuhyun Choi
- Department of Neuroscience, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Marc V Fuccillo
- Department of Neuroscience, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Shinjae Chung
- Department of Neuroscience, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Chronobiology and Sleep Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Franz Weber
- Department of Neuroscience, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Chronobiology and Sleep Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
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12
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Ahlbrand R, Wilson A, Woller P, Sachdeva Y, Lai J, Davis N, Wiggins J, Sah R. Sex-specific threat responding and neuronal engagement in carbon dioxide associated fear and extinction: Noradrenergic involvement in female mice. Neurobiol Stress 2024; 30:100617. [PMID: 38433995 PMCID: PMC10907837 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2024.100617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2023] [Revised: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Difficulty in appropriately responding to threats is a key feature of psychiatric disorders, especially fear-related conditions such as panic disorder (PD) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Most prior work on threat and fear regulation involves exposure to external threatful cues. However, fear can also be triggered by aversive, within-the-body, sensations. This interoceptive signaling of fear is highly relevant to PD and PTSD but is not well understood, especially in the context of sex. Using female and male mice, the current study investigated fear-associated spontaneous and conditioned behaviors to carbon dioxide (CO2) inhalation, a potent interoceptive threat that induces fear and panic. We also investigated whether behavioral sensitivity to CO2 is associated with delayed PTSD-relevant behaviors. CO2 evoked heterogenous freezing behaviors in both male and female animals. However, active, rearing behavior was significantly reduced in CO2-exposed male but not female mice. Interestingly, behavioral sensitivity to CO2 was associated with compromised fear extinction, independent of sex. However, in comparison to CO2-exposed males, females elicited less freezing and higher rearing during extinction suggesting an engagement of active versus passive defensive coping. Persistent neuronal activation marker ΔFosB immuno-mapping revealed attenuated engagement of infralimbic-prefrontal areas in both sexes but higher activation of brain stem locus coeruleus (LC) area in females. Inter-regional co-activation mapping revealed sex-independent disruptions in the infralimbic-amygdala associations but altered LC associations only in CO2-exposed female mice. Lastly, dopamine β hydroxylase positive (DβH + ve) noradrenergic neuronal cell counts in the LC correlated with freezing and rearing behaviors during CO2 inhalation and extinction only in female but not male mice. Collectively, these data provide evidence for higher active defensive responding to interoceptive threat CO2-associated fear in females that may stem from increased recruitment of the brainstem noradrenergic system. Our findings reveal distinct contributory mechanisms that may promote sex differences in fear and panic associated pathologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Ahlbrand
- Department of Pharmacology and Systems Physiology, University of Cincinnati, USA
- Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Allison Wilson
- Neuroscience Undergraduate Program, University of Cincinnati, USA
| | - Patrick Woller
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Cincinnati, USA
| | - Yuv Sachdeva
- Department of Pharmacology and Systems Physiology, University of Cincinnati, USA
| | - Jayden Lai
- Department of Pharmacology and Systems Physiology, University of Cincinnati, USA
| | - Nikki Davis
- Neuroscience Undergraduate Program, University of Cincinnati, USA
| | - James Wiggins
- Neuroscience Undergraduate Program, University of Cincinnati, USA
| | - Renu Sah
- Department of Pharmacology and Systems Physiology, University of Cincinnati, USA
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Cincinnati, USA
- Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
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13
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Laine MA, Greiner EM, Shansky RM. Sex differences in the rodent medial prefrontal cortex - What Do and Don't we know? Neuropharmacology 2024; 248:109867. [PMID: 38387553 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2024.109867] [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: 11/30/2023] [Revised: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
The prefrontal cortex, particularly its medial subregions (mPFC), mediates critical functions such as executive control, behavioral inhibition, and memory formation, with relevance for everyday functioning and psychopathology. Despite broad characterization of the mPFC in multiple model organisms, the extent to which mPFC structure and function vary according to an individual's sex is unclear - a knowledge gap that can be attributed to a historical bias for male subjects in neuroscience research. Recent efforts to consider sex as a biological variable in basic science highlight the great need to close this gap. Here we review the knowns and unknowns about how rodents categorized as male or female compare in mPFC neuroanatomy, pharmacology, as well as in aversive, appetitive, and goal- or habit-directed behaviors that recruit the mPFC. We propose that long-standing dogmatic concepts of mPFC structure and function may not remain supported when we move beyond male-only studies, and that empirical challenges to these dogmas are warranted. Additionally, we note some common pitfalls in this work. Most preclinical studies operationalize sex as a binary categorization, and while this approach has furthered the inclusion of non-male rodents it is not as such generalizable to what we know of sex as a multidimensional, dynamic variable. Exploration of sex variability may uncover both sex differences and sex similarities, but care must be taken in their interpretation. Including females in preclinical research needs to go beyond the investigation of sex differences, improving our knowledge of how this brain region and its subregions mediate behavior and health. This article is part of the Special Issue on "PFC circuit function in psychiatric disease and relevant models".
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Affiliation(s)
- M A Laine
- Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - E M Greiner
- Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - R M Shansky
- Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
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14
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Campos-Cardoso R, Desa ZR, Fitzgerald BL, Moore AG, Duhon JL, Landar VA, Clem RL, Cummings KA. The mouse dorsal peduncular cortex encodes fear memory. Cell Rep 2024; 43:114097. [PMID: 38613783 PMCID: PMC11135038 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.114097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2023] [Revised: 01/26/2024] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/15/2024] Open
Abstract
The rodent medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) is functionally organized across the dorsoventral axis, where dorsal and ventral subregions promote and suppress fear, respectively. As the ventral-most subregion, the dorsal peduncular cortex (DP) is hypothesized to function in fear suppression. However, this role has not been explicitly tested. Here, we demonstrate that the DP paradoxically functions as a fear-encoding brain region and plays a minimal role in fear suppression. By using multimodal analyses, we demonstrate that DP neurons exhibit fear-learning-related plasticity and acquire cue-associated activity across learning and memory retrieval and that DP neurons activated by fear memory acquisition are preferentially reactivated upon fear memory retrieval. Further, optogenetic activation and silencing of DP fear-related neural ensembles drive the promotion and suppression of freezing, respectively. Overall, our results suggest that the DP plays a role in fear memory encoding. Moreover, our findings redefine our understanding of the functional organization of the rodent mPFC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodrigo Campos-Cardoso
- Department of Neurobiology, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35233, USA
| | - Zephyr R Desa
- Department of Neurobiology, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35233, USA; Graduate Biomedical Sciences Program, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35233, USA
| | - Brianna L Fitzgerald
- Department of Neurobiology, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35233, USA; Graduate Biomedical Sciences Program, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35233, USA
| | - Alana G Moore
- Department of Neurobiology, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35233, USA
| | - Jace L Duhon
- Department of Neurobiology, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35233, USA
| | - Victoria A Landar
- Department of Neurobiology, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35233, USA
| | - Roger L Clem
- Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Kirstie A Cummings
- Department of Neurobiology, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35233, USA.
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15
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Negrón-Oyarzo I, Dib T, Chacana-Véliz L, López-Quilodrán N, Urrutia-Piñones J. Large-scale coupling of prefrontal activity patterns as a mechanism for cognitive control in health and disease: evidence from rodent models. Front Neural Circuits 2024; 18:1286111. [PMID: 38638163 PMCID: PMC11024307 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2024.1286111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Cognitive control of behavior is crucial for well-being, as allows subject to adapt to changing environments in a goal-directed way. Changes in cognitive control of behavior is observed during cognitive decline in elderly and in pathological mental conditions. Therefore, the recovery of cognitive control may provide a reliable preventive and therapeutic strategy. However, its neural basis is not completely understood. Cognitive control is supported by the prefrontal cortex, structure that integrates relevant information for the appropriate organization of behavior. At neurophysiological level, it is suggested that cognitive control is supported by local and large-scale synchronization of oscillatory activity patterns and neural spiking activity between the prefrontal cortex and distributed neural networks. In this review, we focus mainly on rodent models approaching the neuronal origin of these prefrontal patterns, and the cognitive and behavioral relevance of its coordination with distributed brain systems. We also examine the relationship between cognitive control and neural activity patterns in the prefrontal cortex, and its role in normal cognitive decline and pathological mental conditions. Finally, based on these body of evidence, we propose a common mechanism that may underlie the impaired cognitive control of behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ignacio Negrón-Oyarzo
- Instituto de Fisiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Tatiana Dib
- Instituto de Fisiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Lorena Chacana-Véliz
- Instituto de Fisiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
- Programa de Doctorado en Ciencias Mención en Neurociencia, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Nélida López-Quilodrán
- Instituto de Fisiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
- Programa de Doctorado en Ciencias Mención en Neurociencia, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Jocelyn Urrutia-Piñones
- Instituto de Fisiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
- Programa de Doctorado en Ciencias Mención en Neurociencia, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
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16
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Bayer H, Hassell JE, Oleksiak CR, Garcia GM, Vaughan HL, Juliano VAL, Maren S. Pharmacological stimulation of infralimbic cortex after fear conditioning facilitates subsequent fear extinction. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.23.586410. [PMID: 38585934 PMCID: PMC10996553 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.23.586410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/09/2024]
Abstract
The infralimbic (IL) division of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) is a crucial site for extinction of conditioned fear memories in rodents. Recent work suggests that neuronal plasticity in the IL that occurs during (or soon after) fear conditioning enables subsequent IL-dependent extinction learning. We therefore hypothesized that pharmacological activation of the IL after fear conditioning would promote the extinction of conditioned fear. To test this hypothesis, we characterized the effects of post-conditioning infusions of the GABAA receptor antagonist, picrotoxin, into the IL on extinction of auditory conditioned freezing in male and female rats. In four experiments, we found that picrotoxin injections performed immediately, 24 hours, or 13 days after fear conditioning reduced conditioned freezing to the auditory conditioned stimulus (CS) during both extinction training and extinction retrieval; this effect was observed up to two weeks after picrotoxin infusions. Interestingly, inhibiting protein synthesis inhibition in the IL immediately after fear conditioning prevented the inhibition of freezing by picrotoxin injected 24 hours later. Our data suggest that the IL encodes an inhibitory memory during the consolidation of fear conditioning that is necessary for future fear suppression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hugo Bayer
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station
| | - James E. Hassell
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station
| | - Cecily R. Oleksiak
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station
| | - Gabriela M. Garcia
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station
| | - Hollis L. Vaughan
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station
| | - Vitor A. L. Juliano
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station
- Department of Pharmacology, São Paulo University, São Paulo
| | - Stephen Maren
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station
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17
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Eyraud N, Bloch S, Brizard B, Pena L, Tharsis A, Surget A, El-Hage W, Belzung C. Influence of Stress Severity on Contextual Fear Extinction and Avoidance in a Posttraumatic-like Mouse Model. Brain Sci 2024; 14:311. [PMID: 38671963 PMCID: PMC11048507 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci14040311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2024] [Revised: 03/18/2024] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a widespread fear-related psychiatric affection associated with fear extinction impairments and important avoidance behaviors. Trauma-related exposure therapy is the current first-hand treatment for PTSD, yet it needs to be improved to shorten the time necessary to reach remission and increase responsiveness. Additional studies to decipher the neurobiological bases of extinction and effects on PTSD-like symptoms could therefore be of use. However, a PTSD-like animal model exhibiting pronounced PTSD-related phenotypes even after an extinction training directly linked to the fearful event is necessary. Thus, using a contextual fear conditioning model of PTSD, we increased the severity of stress during conditioning to search for effects on extinction acquisition and on pre- and post-extinction behaviors. During conditioning, mice received either two or four electrical shocks while a control group was constituted of mice only exposed to the context. Stressed mice exhibited important fear generalization, high fear reaction to the context and selective avoidance of a contextual reminder even after the extinction protocol. Increasing the number of footshocks did not induce major changes on these behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noémie Eyraud
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Imaging Brain & Neuropsychiatry iBraiN U1253, Université de Tours, 37032 Tours, France
| | - Solal Bloch
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Imaging Brain & Neuropsychiatry iBraiN U1253, Université de Tours, 37032 Tours, France
| | - Bruno Brizard
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Imaging Brain & Neuropsychiatry iBraiN U1253, Université de Tours, 37032 Tours, France
| | - Laurane Pena
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Imaging Brain & Neuropsychiatry iBraiN U1253, Université de Tours, 37032 Tours, France
| | - Antoine Tharsis
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Imaging Brain & Neuropsychiatry iBraiN U1253, Université de Tours, 37032 Tours, France
| | - Alexandre Surget
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Imaging Brain & Neuropsychiatry iBraiN U1253, Université de Tours, 37032 Tours, France
| | - Wissam El-Hage
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Imaging Brain & Neuropsychiatry iBraiN U1253, Université de Tours, 37032 Tours, France
- Pôle de Psychiatrie et d’Addictologie, Centre Hospitalier Régional Universitaire de Tours, 37000 Tours, France
| | - Catherine Belzung
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Imaging Brain & Neuropsychiatry iBraiN U1253, Université de Tours, 37032 Tours, France
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18
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Ho YY, Yang Q, Boddu P, Bulkin DA, Warden MR. Infralimbic parvalbumin neural activity facilitates cued threat avoidance. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.08.18.553864. [PMID: 37645876 PMCID: PMC10462114 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.18.553864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
The infralimbic cortex (IL) is essential for flexible behavioral responses to threatening environmental events. Reactive behaviors such as freezing or flight are adaptive in some contexts, but in others a strategic avoidance behavior may be more advantageous. IL has been implicated in avoidance, but the contribution of distinct IL neural subtypes with differing molecular identities and wiring patterns is poorly understood. Here, we study IL parvalbumin (PV) interneurons in mice as they engage in active avoidance behavior, a behavior in which mice must suppress freezing in order to move to safety. We find that activity in inhibitory PV neurons increases during movement to avoid the shock in this behavioral paradigm, and that PV activity during movement emerges after mice have experienced a single shock, prior to learning avoidance. PV neural activity does not change during movement toward cued rewards or during general locomotion in the open field, behavioral paradigms where freezing does not need to be suppressed to enable movement. Optogenetic suppression of PV neurons increases the duration of freezing and delays the onset of avoidance behavior, but does not affect movement toward rewards or general locomotion. These data provide evidence that IL PV neurons support strategic avoidance behavior by suppressing freezing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Yun Ho
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
- Cornell Neurotech, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Qiuwei Yang
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Priyanka Boddu
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - David A. Bulkin
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
- Cornell Neurotech, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Melissa R. Warden
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
- Cornell Neurotech, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
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19
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Lee J, Kim YE, Lim J, Jo Y, Lee HJ, Jo YS, Choi JS. Transcranial focused ultrasound stimulation in the infralimbic cortex facilitates extinction of conditioned fear in rats. Brain Stimul 2024; 17:405-412. [PMID: 38537689 DOI: 10.1016/j.brs.2024.03.013] [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: 12/10/2023] [Revised: 03/04/2024] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Transcranial focused ultrasound (tFUS) neuromodulation emerges as a promising non-invasive approach for improving neurological conditions. Extinction of conditioned fear has served as a prime model for exposure-based therapies for anxiety disorders. We investigated whether tFUS stimulation to a critical brain area, the infralimbic subdivision of the prefrontal cortex (IL), could facilitate fear extinction using rats. In a series of experiments, tFUS was delivered to the IL of a freely-moving rat and compared to sham stimulation (tFUS vs. SHAM). Initially, Fos expression in the IL was measured shortly after the stimulation. The results show that Fos expression was significantly increased in the IL but not in the neighboring regions compared to SHAM. Subsequently, two groups of rats were subjected to fear conditioning, extinction, and retention while receiving stimulation during the extinction. Rats in the tFUS group froze significantly less than SHAM during both extinction and retention tests. Importantly, the reduced freezing in the tFUS group was not attributable to non-specific effect such as auditory noise, as both groups demonstrated a similar level of locomotive activity in an open field regardless of the stimulation condition. Finally, we replicated the procedure with a shortened conditioning-to-extinction interval (15 min) to induce immediate extinction deficit. The tFUS group showed a facilitated reduction in freezing during the extinction, which persisted in the subsequent retention session compared to SHAM. In summary, the current findings suggest that tFUS stimulation in the IL facilitates fear extinction, offering a potential therapeutic regimen for fear-related psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaeyong Lee
- School of Psychology, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Ye Eun Kim
- School of Psychology, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Jihong Lim
- School of Electrical Engineering, KAIST, Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Yehhyun Jo
- School of Electrical Engineering, KAIST, Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyunjoo Jenny Lee
- School of Electrical Engineering, KAIST, Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Yong Sang Jo
- School of Psychology, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - June-Seek Choi
- School of Psychology, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea.
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20
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Hockley A, Malmierca MS. Auditory processing control by the medial prefrontal cortex: A review of the rodent functional organisation. Hear Res 2024; 443:108954. [PMID: 38271895 DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2024.108954] [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: 12/04/2023] [Revised: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 01/27/2024]
Abstract
Afferent inputs from the cochlea transmit auditory information to the central nervous system, where information is processed and passed up the hierarchy, ending in the auditory cortex. Through these brain pathways, spectral and temporal features of sounds are processed and sent to the cortex for perception. There are also many mechanisms in place for modulation of these inputs, with a major source of modulation being based in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). Neurons of the rodent mPFC receive input from the auditory cortex and other regions such as thalamus, hippocampus and basal forebrain, allowing them to encode high-order information about sounds such as context, predictability and valence. The mPFC then exerts control over auditory perception via top-down modulation of the central auditory pathway, altering perception of and responses to sounds. The result is a higher-order control of auditory processing that produces such characteristics as deviance detection, attention, avoidance and fear conditioning. This review summarises connections between mPFC and the primary auditory pathway, responses of mPFC neurons to auditory stimuli, how mPFC outputs shape the perception of sounds, and how changes to these systems during hearing loss and tinnitus may contribute to these conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Hockley
- Cognitive and Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory, Institute of Neuroscience of Castilla y León, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain; Department of Cell Biology and Pathology, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain; Institute for Biomedical Research of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain.
| | - M S Malmierca
- Cognitive and Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory, Institute of Neuroscience of Castilla y León, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain; Department of Cell Biology and Pathology, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain; Institute for Biomedical Research of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
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21
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Plas SL, Tuna T, Bayer H, Juliano VAL, Sweck SO, Arellano Perez AD, Hassell JE, Maren S. Neural circuits for the adaptive regulation of fear and extinction memory. Front Behav Neurosci 2024; 18:1352797. [PMID: 38370858 PMCID: PMC10869525 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2024.1352797] [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: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/20/2024] Open
Abstract
The regulation of fear memories is critical for adaptive behaviors and dysregulation of these processes is implicated in trauma- and stress-related disorders. Treatments for these disorders include pharmacological interventions as well as exposure-based therapies, which rely upon extinction learning. Considerable attention has been directed toward elucidating the neural mechanisms underlying fear and extinction learning. In this review, we will discuss historic discoveries and emerging evidence on the neural mechanisms of the adaptive regulation of fear and extinction memories. We will focus on neural circuits regulating the acquisition and extinction of Pavlovian fear conditioning in rodent models, particularly the role of the medial prefrontal cortex and hippocampus in the contextual control of extinguished fear memories. We will also consider new work revealing an important role for the thalamic nucleus reuniens in the modulation of prefrontal-hippocampal interactions in extinction learning and memory. Finally, we will explore the effects of stress on this circuit and the clinical implications of these findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha L. Plas
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
- Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
| | - Tuğçe Tuna
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
- Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
| | - Hugo Bayer
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
- Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
| | - Vitor A. L. Juliano
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Samantha O. Sweck
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
- Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
| | - Angel D. Arellano Perez
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
| | - James E. Hassell
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
| | - Stephen Maren
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
- Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
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22
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Rosas-Vidal LE, Naskar S, Mayo LM, Perini I, Altemus M, Engelbrektsson H, Jagasia P, Heilig M, Patel S. PREFRONTAL CORRELATES OF FEAR GENERALIZATION DURING ENDOCANNABINOID DEPLETION. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.30.577847. [PMID: 38352388 PMCID: PMC10862899 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.30.577847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/23/2024]
Abstract
Maladaptive fear generalization is one of the hallmarks of trauma-related disorders. The endocannabinoid 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) is crucial for modulating anxiety, fear, and stress adaptation but its role in balancing fear discrimination versus generalization is not known. To address this, we used a combination of plasma endocannabinoid measurement and neuroimaging from a childhood maltreatment exposed and non-exposed mixed population combined with human and rodent fear conditioning models. Here we show that 2-AG levels are inversely associated with fear generalization at the behavioral level in both mice and humans. In mice, 2-AG depletion increases the proportion of neurons, and the similarity between neuronal representations, of threat-predictive and neutral stimuli within prelimbic prefrontal cortex ensembles. In humans, increased dorsolateral prefrontal cortical-amygdala resting state connectivity is inversely correlated with fear generalization. These data provide convergent cross-species evidence that 2-AG is a key regulator of fear generalization and suggest 2-AG deficiency could represent a trauma-related disorder susceptibility endophenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis E Rosas-Vidal
- Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Chicago, IL
| | - Saptarnab Naskar
- Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Chicago, IL
| | - Leah M Mayo
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute and Mathison Centre for Mental Health Research and Education, Department of Psychiatry, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Linköping University, Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Irene Perini
- Linköping University, Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Megan Altemus
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Nashville, TN
| | - Hilda Engelbrektsson
- Linköping University, Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Puja Jagasia
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Nashville, TN
| | - Markus Heilig
- Linköping University, Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Sachin Patel
- Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Chicago, IL
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23
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Cardoso RC, Desa ZR, Fitzgerald BL, Moore A, Duhon J, Landar VA, Clem RL, Cummings KA. The mouse dorsal peduncular cortex encodes fear memory. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.07.24.550408. [PMID: 37546717 PMCID: PMC10402043 DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.24.550408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/08/2023]
Abstract
The rodent medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) is a locus for both the promotion and suppression (e.g. extinction) of fear and is composed of four anatomically distinct subregions, including anterior cingulate 1 (Cg1), prelimbic (PL), infralimbic (IL), and the dorsal peduncular (DP) cortex. A vast majority of studies have focused on Cg1, PL, and IL. The Cg1 and PL have been implicated in the promotion of fear, while the IL has been linked to a role in the suppression, or extinction, of fear. Due to its anatomical location ventral to IL, the DP has been hypothesized to function as a fear-suppressing brain region however, no studies have explicitly tested its role in this function or in the regulation of memory generally. Moreover, some studies have pointed towards a dichotomous role for ventral mPFC in the dual suppression and promotion of fear, but the mechanisms underlying these opposing observations remains unclear. Here, we provide evidence that the DP paradoxically functions as a cued fear-encoding brain region and plays little to no role in fear memory extinction. By using a combination of cFos immunohistochemistry, whole-cell brain slice electrophysiology, fiber photometry, and activity-dependent neural tagging, we demonstrate that DP neurons exhibit learning-related plasticity, acquire cue-associated activity across learning and memory retrieval, and that DP neurons activated by learning are preferentially reactivated upon fear memory retrieval. Further, optogenetic activation and silencing of fear learning-related DP neural ensembles drives the promotion and suppression of freezing, respectively. Overall, these data suggest that the DP plays an unexpected role in fear memory encoding. More broadly, our results reveal new principles of organization across the dorsoventral axis of the mPFC.
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24
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Wang H, Flores RJ, Yarur HE, Limoges A, Bravo-Rivera H, Casello SM, Loomba N, Enriquez-Traba J, Arenivar M, Wang Q, Ganley R, Ramakrishnan C, Fenno LE, Kim Y, Deisseroth K, Or G, Dong C, Hoon MA, Tian L, Tejeda HA. Prefrontal cortical dynorphin peptidergic transmission constrains threat-driven behavioral and network states. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.08.574700. [PMID: 38283686 PMCID: PMC10822088 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.08.574700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2024]
Abstract
Prefrontal cortical (PFC) circuits provide top-down control of threat reactivity. This includes ventromedial PFC (vmPFC) circuitry, which plays a role in suppressing fear-related behavioral states. Dynorphin (Dyn) has been implicated in mediating negative affect and mal-adaptive behaviors induced by severe threats and is expressed in limbic circuits, including the vmPFC. However, there is a critical knowledge gap in our understanding of how vmPFC Dyn-expressing neurons and Dyn transmission detect threats and regulate expression of defensive behaviors. Here, we demonstrate that Dyn cells are broadly activated by threats and release Dyn locally in the vmPFC to limit passive defensive behaviors. We further demonstrate that vmPFC Dyn-mediated signaling promotes a switch of vmPFC networks to a fear-related state. In conclusion, we reveal a previously unknown role of vmPFC Dyn neurons and Dyn neuropeptidergic transmission in suppressing defensive behaviors in response to threats via state-driven changes in vmPFC networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huikun Wang
- Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration Unit, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Rodolfo J. Flores
- Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration Unit, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Hector E. Yarur
- Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration Unit, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Aaron Limoges
- Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration Unit, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Columbia University - NIH Graduate Partnership Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Hector Bravo-Rivera
- Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration Unit, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Sanne M. Casello
- Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration Unit, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Niharika Loomba
- Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration Unit, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Juan Enriquez-Traba
- Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration Unit, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Miguel Arenivar
- Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration Unit, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Brown University - NIH Graduate Partnership Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Queenie Wang
- Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration Unit, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Robert Ganley
- Molecular Genetics Section, Laboratory of Sensory Biology, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Charu Ramakrishnan
- Departments of Bioengineering and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Lief E Fenno
- Departments of Bioengineering and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Current affiliation: Departments of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, University of Texas, Austin, Dell Medical School, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Yoon Kim
- Departments of Bioengineering and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Karl Deisseroth
- Departments of Bioengineering and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Grace Or
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Chunyang Dong
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Mark A. Hoon
- Molecular Genetics Section, Laboratory of Sensory Biology, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Lin Tian
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
- Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience, Jupiter, FL, USA
| | - Hugo A. Tejeda
- Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration Unit, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
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25
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Sartori SB, Keil TMV, Kummer KK, Murphy CP, Gunduz-Cinar O, Kress M, Ebner K, Holmes A, Singewald N. Fear extinction rescuing effects of dopamine and L-DOPA in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex. Transl Psychiatry 2024; 14:11. [PMID: 38191458 PMCID: PMC10774374 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-023-02708-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2023] [Revised: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 01/10/2024] Open
Abstract
The ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC; rodent infralimbic cortex (IL)), is posited to be an important locus of fear extinction-facilitating effects of the dopamine (DA) bio-precursor, L-DOPA, but this hypothesis remains to be formally tested. Here, in a model of impaired fear extinction (the 129S1/SvImJ inbred mouse strain; S1), we monitored extracellular DA dynamics via in vivo microdialysis in IL during fear extinction and following L-DOPA administration. Systemic L-DOPA caused sustained elevation of extracellular DA levels in IL and increased neuronal activation in a subpopulation of IL neurons. Systemic L-DOPA enabled extinction learning and promoted extinction retention at one but not ten days after training. Conversely, direct microinfusion of DA into IL produced long-term fear extinction (an effect that was insensitive to ɑ-/ß-adrenoreceptor antagonism). However, intra-IL delivery of a D1-like or D2 receptor agonist did not facilitate extinction. Using ex vivo multi-electrode array IL neuronal recordings, along with ex vivo quantification of immediate early genes and DA receptor signalling markers in mPFC, we found evidence of reduced DA-evoked mPFC network responses in S1 as compared with extinction-competent C57BL/6J mice that were partially driven by D1 receptor activation. Together, our data demonstrate that locally increasing DA in IL is sufficient to produce lasting rescue of impaired extinction. The finding that systemic L-DOPA increased IL DA levels, but had only transient effects on extinction, suggests L-DOPA failed to reach a threshold level of IL DA or produced opposing behavioural effects in other brain regions. Collectively, our findings provide further insight into the neural basis of the extinction-promoting effects of DA and L-DOPA in a clinically relevant animal model, with possible implications for therapeutically targeting the DA system in anxiety and trauma-related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone B Sartori
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Institute of Pharmacy and Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Thomas M V Keil
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Institute of Pharmacy and Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Kai K Kummer
- Institute of Physiology, Department of Physiology and Medical Physics, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Conor P Murphy
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Institute of Pharmacy and Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Ozge Gunduz-Cinar
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Genomic Neuroscience, NIH/NIAAA, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Michaela Kress
- Institute of Physiology, Department of Physiology and Medical Physics, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Karl Ebner
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Institute of Pharmacy and Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Andrew Holmes
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Genomic Neuroscience, NIH/NIAAA, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Nicolas Singewald
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Institute of Pharmacy and Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria.
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26
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Shen XY, Zhang J, Huang HZ, Li SD, Zhou L, Wu SP, Tang C, Huang X, Liu ZQ, Guo ZY, Li X, Man HY, Lu YM, Zhu LQ, Liu D. The interaction of Synapsin 2a and Synaptogyrin-3 regulates fear extinction in mice. J Clin Invest 2024; 134:e172802. [PMID: 38175724 PMCID: PMC10866652 DOI: 10.1172/jci172802] [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: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
The mechanisms behind a lack of efficient fear extinction in some individuals are unclear. Here, by employing a principal components analysis-based approach, we differentiated the mice into extinction-resistant and susceptible groups. We determined that elevated synapsin 2a (Syn2a) in the infralimbic cortex (IL) to basolateral amygdala (BLA) circuit disrupted presynaptic orchestration, leading to an excitatory/inhibitory imbalance in the BLA region and causing extinction resistance. Overexpression or silencing of Syn2a levels in IL neurons replicated or alleviated behavioral, electrophysiological, and biochemical phenotypes in resistant mice. We further identified that the proline-rich domain H in the C-terminus of Syn2a was indispensable for the interaction with synaptogyrin-3 (Syngr3) and demonstrated that disrupting this interaction restored extinction impairments. Molecular docking revealed that ritonavir, an FDA-approved HIV drug, could disrupt Syn2a-Syngr3 binding and rescue fear extinction behavior in Syn2a-elevated mice. In summary, the aberrant elevation of Syn2a expression and its interaction with Syngr3 at the presynaptic site were crucial in fear extinction resistance, suggesting a potential therapeutic avenue for related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xi-Ya Shen
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Juan Zhang
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - He-Zhou Huang
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Shao-Dan Li
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Ling Zhou
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Shi-Ping Wu
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Cheng Tang
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Xian Huang
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Zhi-Qiang Liu
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Zi-Yuan Guo
- Center for Stem Cell and Organoid Medicine (CuSTOM), Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Xiang Li
- Department of Neurosurgery and
- Brain Research Center, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- Medical Research Institute, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Heng-Ye Man
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - You-Ming Lu
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Ling-Qiang Zhu
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Dan Liu
- Department of Medical Genetics, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
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27
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Zhang XO, Zhang Y, Cho CE, Engelke DS, Smolen P, Byrne JH, Do-Monte FH. Enhancing Associative Learning in Rats With a Computationally Designed Training Protocol. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY GLOBAL OPEN SCIENCE 2024; 4:165-181. [PMID: 38298784 PMCID: PMC10829654 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsgos.2023.07.006] [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: 06/02/2023] [Revised: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Learning requires the activation of protein kinases with distinct temporal dynamics. In Aplysia, nonassociative learning can be enhanced by a computationally designed learning protocol with intertrial intervals (ITIs) that maximize the interaction between fast-activated PKA (protein kinase A) and slow-activated ERK (extracellular signal-regulated kinase). Whether a similar strategy can enhance associative learning in mammals is unknown. Methods We simulated 1000 training protocols with varying ITIs to predict an optimal protocol based on empirical data for PKA and ERK dynamics in rat hippocampus. Adult male rats received the optimal protocol or control protocols in auditory fear conditioning and fear extinction experiments. Immunohistochemistry was performed to evaluate pCREB (phosphorylated cAMP response element binding)\protein levels in brain regions that have been implicated in fear acquisition. Results Rats exposed to the optimal conditioning protocol with irregular ITIs exhibited impaired extinction memory acquisition within the session using a standard footshock intensity, and stronger fear memory retrieval and spontaneous recovery with a weaker footshock intensity, compared with rats that received massed or spaced conditioning protocols with fixed ITIs. Rats exposed to the optimal extinction protocol displayed improved extinction of contextual fear memory and reduced spontaneous recovery compared with rats that received standard extinction protocols. Moreover, the optimal conditioning protocol increased pCREB levels in the dentate gyrus of the dorsal hippocampus, suggesting enhanced induction of long-term potentiation. Conclusions These findings demonstrate that a computational model-driven behavioral intervention can enhance associative learning in mammals and may provide insight into strategies to improve cognition in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xu O. Zhang
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas
| | - Yili Zhang
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas
| | - Claire E. Cho
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas
| | - Douglas S. Engelke
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas
| | - Paul Smolen
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas
| | - John H. Byrne
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas
| | - Fabricio H. Do-Monte
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas
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28
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Douton JE, Carelli RM. Unraveling Sex Differences in Affect Processing: Unique Oscillatory Signaling Dynamics in the Infralimbic Cortex and Nucleus Accumbens Shell. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY GLOBAL OPEN SCIENCE 2024; 4:354-362. [PMID: 38298775 PMCID: PMC10829636 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsgos.2023.08.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2023] [Revised: 08/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/19/2023] [Indexed: 02/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Negative affect is prevalent in psychiatric diseases such as depression and addiction. Projections from the infralimbic cortex (IL) to the nucleus accumbens shell (NAcSh) are causally linked to learned negative affect as 20 Hz optogenetic stimulation of this circuit reduces conditioned taste aversion (CTA) in male but not female rats. However, the prior study did not provide insight into how innate versus learned negative affect are processed in these areas across sex. Methods To address this issue, local field potential activity was simultaneously recorded in the IL and NAcSh in response to intraoral infusion of rewarding (saccharin) and aversive (quinine) tastants and following induction of a CTA in male and female Sprague Dawley rats. Results Local field potential oscillatory activity within each brain region to saccharin varied across sex. In males, CTA increased IL resting-state power, which was correlated with the strength of the learned aversion, and reduced beta power and IL-NAcSh coherence. In females, CTA increased gamma power in the NAcSh. Similar effects were observed in males and females after CTA in theta-low gamma phase-amplitude coupling. Finally, while quinine produced similar effects in oscillatory power across sex, females showed differences in phase-amplitude coupling within the NAcSh that may be linked to aversion resistance. Conclusions We revealed sex-specific hedonic processing in the IL and NAcSh and how oscillatory signaling is disrupted in learned negative affect, revealing translationally relevant insight into potential treatment strategies that can help to reduce the deleterious effects of learned negative affect in psychiatric illnesses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joaquin E. Douton
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Regina M. Carelli
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
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29
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Ng K, Pollock M, Escobedo A, Bachman B, Miyazaki N, Bartlett EL, Sangha S. Suppressing fear in the presence of a safety cue requires infralimbic cortical signaling to central amygdala. Neuropsychopharmacology 2024; 49:359-367. [PMID: 37188848 PMCID: PMC10724163 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-023-01598-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2023] [Revised: 04/23/2023] [Accepted: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Stressful events can have lasting and impactful effects on behavior, especially by disrupting normal regulation of fear and reward processing. Accurate discrimination among environmental cues predicting threat, safety or reward adaptively guides behavior. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) represents a condition in which maladaptive fear persists in response to explicit safety-predictive cues that coincide with previously learned threat cues, but without threat being present. Since both the infralimbic cortex (IL) and amygdala have each been shown to be important for fear regulation to safety cues, we tested the necessity of specific IL projections to the basolateral amygdala (BLA) or central amygdala (CeA) during safety recall. Male Long Evans rats were used since prior work showed female Long Evans rats did not acquire the safety discrimination task used in this study. Here, we show the infralimbic projection to the central amygdala was necessary for suppressing fear cue-induced freezing in the presence of a learned safety cue, and the projection to the basolateral amygdala was not. The loss of discriminative fear regulation seen specifically during IL->CeA inhibition is similar to the behavioral disruption seen in PTSD individuals that fail to regulate fear in the presence of a safety cue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ka Ng
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Michael Pollock
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Abraham Escobedo
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Brent Bachman
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Nanami Miyazaki
- Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Edward L Bartlett
- Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
- Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Susan Sangha
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA.
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30
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Iqbal J, Huang GD, Xue YX, Yang M, Jia XJ. The neural circuits and molecular mechanisms underlying fear dysregulation in posttraumatic stress disorder. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1281401. [PMID: 38116070 PMCID: PMC10728304 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1281401] [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: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a stress-associated complex and debilitating psychiatric disorder due to an imbalance of neurotransmitters in response to traumatic events or fear. PTSD is characterized by re-experiencing, avoidance behavior, hyperarousal, negative emotions, insomnia, personality changes, and memory problems following exposure to severe trauma. However, the biological mechanisms and symptomatology underlying this disorder are still largely unknown or poorly understood. Considerable evidence shows that PTSD results from a dysfunction in highly conserved brain systems involved in regulating stress, anxiety, fear, and reward circuitry. This review provides a contemporary update about PTSD, including new data from the clinical and preclinical literature on stress, PTSD, and fear memory consolidation and extinction processes. First, we present an overview of well-established laboratory models of PTSD and discuss their clinical translational value for finding various treatments for PTSD. We then highlight the research progress on the neural circuits of fear and extinction-related behavior, including the prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, and amygdala. We further describe different molecular mechanisms, including GABAergic, glutamatergic, cholinergic, and neurotropic signaling, responsible for the structural and functional changes during fear acquisition and fear extinction processes in PTSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javed Iqbal
- Shenzhen Graduate School, Peking University Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
- Department of Addiction Medicine, Shenzhen Engineering Research Center for Precision Psychiatric Technology, Shenzhen Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Shenzhen Kangning Hospital and Shenzhen Mental Health Center; Clinical College of Mental Health, Shenzhen University Health Science Center; Affiliated Mental Health Center, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Geng-Di Huang
- Shenzhen Graduate School, Peking University Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
- Department of Addiction Medicine, Shenzhen Engineering Research Center for Precision Psychiatric Technology, Shenzhen Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Shenzhen Kangning Hospital and Shenzhen Mental Health Center; Clinical College of Mental Health, Shenzhen University Health Science Center; Affiliated Mental Health Center, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Yan-Xue Xue
- National Institute on Drug Dependence and Beijing Key Laboratory of Drug Dependence, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Mei Yang
- Department of Addiction Medicine, Shenzhen Engineering Research Center for Precision Psychiatric Technology, Shenzhen Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Shenzhen Kangning Hospital and Shenzhen Mental Health Center; Clinical College of Mental Health, Shenzhen University Health Science Center; Affiliated Mental Health Center, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Xiao-Jian Jia
- Department of Addiction Medicine, Shenzhen Engineering Research Center for Precision Psychiatric Technology, Shenzhen Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Shenzhen Kangning Hospital and Shenzhen Mental Health Center; Clinical College of Mental Health, Shenzhen University Health Science Center; Affiliated Mental Health Center, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
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31
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Haubrich J, Nader K. Network-level changes in the brain underlie fear memory strength. eLife 2023; 12:RP88172. [PMID: 38047914 PMCID: PMC10695559 DOI: 10.7554/elife.88172] [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] [Indexed: 12/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The strength of a fear memory significantly influences whether it drives adaptive or maladaptive behavior in the future. Yet, how mild and strong fear memories differ in underlying biology is not well understood. We hypothesized that this distinction may not be exclusively the result of changes within specific brain regions, but rather the outcome of collective changes in connectivity across multiple regions within the neural network. To test this, rats were fear conditioned in protocols of varying intensities to generate mild or strong memories. Neuronal activation driven by recall was measured using c-fos immunohistochemistry in 12 brain regions implicated in fear learning and memory. The interregional coordinated brain activity was computed and graph-based functional networks were generated to compare how mild and strong fear memories differ at the systems level. Our results show that mild fear recall is supported by a well-connected brain network with small-world properties in which the amygdala is well-positioned to be modulated by other regions. In contrast, this connectivity is disrupted in strong fear memories and the amygdala is isolated from other regions. These findings indicate that the neural systems underlying mild and strong fear memories differ, with implications for understanding and treating disorders of fear dysregulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josue Haubrich
- Department of Psychology, McGill UniversityMontréalCanada
- Department of Neurophysiology, Ruhr-University BochumBochumGermany
| | - Karim Nader
- Department of Psychology, McGill UniversityMontréalCanada
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32
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Zimmermann KS, Richardson R, Baker KD. Developmental changes in functional connectivity between the prefrontal cortex and amygdala following fear extinction. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2023; 205:107847. [PMID: 37865263 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2023.107847] [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: 04/12/2023] [Revised: 09/13/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/23/2023]
Abstract
The amygdala and prefrontal cortex (PFC) undergo dramatic changes in structure, function, and regional connectivity in early life, ultimately stabilizing in early adulthood. Pathways between these two structures underlie many forms of emotional learning, including the extinction of conditioned fear. Here we sought to characterize changes in extinction-related medial PFC (mPFC) → amygdala functional connectivity across development that might explain adolescent impairments in extinction. The retrograde tracer Fluorogold was infused into the amygdala of postnatal day (P)22-23 (juvenile), P31-32 (adolescent), or ≥ P69 (adult) rats, which were then exposed to fear conditioning and extinction training. Brains were collected following extinction or context exposure and processed for expression of pMAPK (as a marker of learning-dependent plasticity) in prelimbic (PL) and infralimbic (IL) amygdala-projecting neurons. Consistent with previous findings, amygdala-projecting mPFC neurons were located primarily in layers (L)II/III and V of the mPFC. We noted that mPFC LII/III projected predominantly to the ipsilateral basolateral amygdala, whereas LV projected bilaterally and targeted multiple amygdalar nuclei. Extinction was not associated with changes in extinction-related plasticity in the PL-amygdala pathways in any age group. No changes were seen in LII/III of the IL, but extinction-related plasticity in LV amygdala-projecting IL neurons decreased linearly across development. These findings suggest that extinction-related functional connectivity between the IL and the amygdala undergoes fundamental changes across development that may contribute to alterations in fear suppression across development.
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Affiliation(s)
- K S Zimmermann
- School of Psychology, UNSW Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia
| | - R Richardson
- School of Psychology, UNSW Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia
| | - K D Baker
- School of Psychology, UNSW Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia.
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Brockway ET, Simon S, Drew MR. Ventral hippocampal projections to infralimbic cortex and basolateral amygdala are differentially activated by contextual fear and extinction recall. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2023; 205:107832. [PMID: 37757953 PMCID: PMC10919432 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2023.107832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2023] [Revised: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 09/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023]
Abstract
Fear and extinction learning are thought to generate distinct and competing memory representations in the hippocampus. How these memory representations modulate the expression of appropriate behavioral responses remains unclear. To investigate this question, we used cholera toxin B subunit to retrolabel ventral hippocampal (vHPC) neurons projecting to the infralimbic cortex (IL) and basolateral amygdala (BLA) and then quantified c-Fos immediate early gene activity within these populations following expression of either contextual fear recall or contextual fear extinction recall. Fear recall was associated with increased c-Fos expression in vHPC projections to the BLA, whereas extinction recall was associated with increased activity in vHPC projections to IL. A control experiment was performed to confirm that the apparent shift in projection neuron activity was associated with extinction learning rather than mere context exposure. Overall, results indicate that hippocampal contextual fear and extinction memory representations differentially activate vHPC projections to IL and BLA. These findings suggest that hippocampal memory representations orchestrate appropriate behavioral responses through selective activation of projection pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma T Brockway
- Center for Learning and Memory, Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Sarah Simon
- Center for Learning and Memory, Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Michael R Drew
- Center for Learning and Memory, Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA.
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34
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Gunduz-Cinar O, Castillo LI, Xia M, Van Leer E, Brockway ET, Pollack GA, Yasmin F, Bukalo O, Limoges A, Oreizi-Esfahani S, Kondev V, Báldi R, Dong A, Harvey-White J, Cinar R, Kunos G, Li Y, Zweifel LS, Patel S, Holmes A. A cortico-amygdala neural substrate for endocannabinoid modulation of fear extinction. Neuron 2023; 111:3053-3067.e10. [PMID: 37480845 PMCID: PMC10592324 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.06.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2022] [Revised: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 06/23/2023] [Indexed: 07/24/2023]
Abstract
Preclinical and clinical studies implicate endocannabinoids (eCBs) in fear extinction, but the underlying neural circuit basis of these actions is unclear. Here, we employed in vivo optogenetics, eCB biosensor imaging, ex vivo electrophysiology, and CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing in mice to examine whether basolateral amygdala (BLA)-projecting medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) neurons represent a neural substrate for the effects of eCBs on extinction. We found that photoexcitation of mPFC axons in BLA during extinction mobilizes BLA eCBs. eCB biosensor imaging showed that eCBs exhibit a dynamic stimulus-specific pattern of activity at mPFC→BLA neurons that tracks extinction learning. Furthermore, using CRISPR-Cas9-mediated gene editing, we demonstrated that extinction memory formation involves eCB activity at cannabinoid CB1 receptors expressed at vmPFC→BLA synapses. Our findings reveal the temporal characteristics and a neural circuit basis of eCBs' effects on fear extinction and inform efforts to target the eCB system as a therapeutic approach in extinction-deficient neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ozge Gunduz-Cinar
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Genomic Neuroscience, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
| | - Laura I Castillo
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Genomic Neuroscience, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Maya Xia
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Genomic Neuroscience, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Elise Van Leer
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Genomic Neuroscience, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Emma T Brockway
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Genomic Neuroscience, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Gabrielle A Pollack
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Genomic Neuroscience, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Farhana Yasmin
- Northwestern Center for Psychiatric Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Olena Bukalo
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Genomic Neuroscience, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Aaron Limoges
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Genomic Neuroscience, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Sarvar Oreizi-Esfahani
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Genomic Neuroscience, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Veronika Kondev
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Rita Báldi
- Northwestern Center for Psychiatric Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Ao Dong
- Peking University School of Life Sciences, PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Judy Harvey-White
- Laboratory of Physiologic Studies, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Resat Cinar
- Laboratory of Physiologic Studies, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; Section on Fibrotic Disorders, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - George Kunos
- Laboratory of Physiologic Studies, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Yulong Li
- Peking University School of Life Sciences, PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Larry S Zweifel
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Department of Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Sachin Patel
- Northwestern Center for Psychiatric Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Andrew Holmes
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Genomic Neuroscience, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
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Laricchiuta D, Gimenez J, Sciamanna G, Termine A, Fabrizio C, Della Valle F, Caioli S, Saba L, De Bardi M, Balsamo F, Panuccio A, Passarello N, Mattioni A, Bisicchia E, Zona C, Orlando V, Petrosini L. Synaptic and transcriptomic features of cortical and amygdala pyramidal neurons predict inefficient fear extinction. Cell Rep 2023; 42:113066. [PMID: 37656620 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2022] [Revised: 04/08/2023] [Accepted: 08/17/2023] [Indexed: 09/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Fear-related disorders arise from inefficient fear extinction and have immeasurable social and economic costs. Here, we characterize mouse phenotypes that spontaneously show fear-independent behavioral traits predicting adaptive or maladaptive fear extinction. We find that, already before fear conditioning, specific morphological, electrophysiological, and transcriptomic patterns of cortical and amygdala pyramidal neurons predispose to fear-related disorders. Finally, by using an optogenetic approach, we show the possibility to rescue inefficient fear extinction by activating infralimbic pyramidal neurons and to impair fear extinction by activating prelimbic pyramidal neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Giuseppe Sciamanna
- IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, 00143 Rome, Italy; Saint Camillus International University of Health and Medical Sciences, 00131 Rome, Italy
| | | | | | - Francesco Della Valle
- King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Biological Environmental Science and Engineering Division, KAUST Environmental Epigenetics Program, Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Silvia Caioli
- Unit of Neurology, IRCCS Neuromed, 86077 Pozzilli, Isernia, Italy
| | - Luana Saba
- University of Campus Biomedico, 00128 Rome, Italy
| | | | - Francesca Balsamo
- IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, 00143 Rome, Italy; Department of Human Sciences, Guglielmo Marconi University, 00166 Rome, Italy
| | - Anna Panuccio
- IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, 00143 Rome, Italy; Department of Psychology, University Sapienza of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Noemi Passarello
- IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, 00143 Rome, Italy; Department of Humanities, Federico II University of Naples, 80138 Naples, Italy
| | | | | | - Cristina Zona
- Department of Systems Medicine, Tor Vergata University of Rome, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Valerio Orlando
- King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Biological Environmental Science and Engineering Division, KAUST Environmental Epigenetics Program, Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia.
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36
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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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37
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Hisey E, Purkey A, Gao Y, Hossain K, Soderling SH, Ressler KJ. A Ventromedial Prefrontal-to-Lateral Entorhinal Cortex Pathway Modulates the Gain of Behavioral Responding During Threat. Biol Psychiatry 2023; 94:239-248. [PMID: 36925415 PMCID: PMC10354215 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2023.01.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2022] [Revised: 01/11/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The ability to correctly associate cues and contexts with threat is critical for survival, and the inability to do so can result in threat-related disorders such as posttraumatic stress disorder. The prefrontal cortex (PFC) and hippocampus are well known to play critical roles in cued and contextual threat memory processing. However, the circuits that mediate prefrontal-hippocampal modulation of context discrimination during cued threat processing are less understood. Here, we demonstrate the role of a previously unexplored projection from the ventromedial region of PFC (vmPFC) to the lateral entorhinal cortex (LEC) in modulating the gain of behavior in response to contextual information during threat retrieval and encoding. METHODS We used optogenetics followed by in vivo calcium imaging in male C57/B6J mice to manipulate and monitor vmPFC-LEC activity in response to threat-associated cues in different contexts. We then investigated the inputs to, and outputs from, vmPFC-LEC cells using Rabies tracing and channelrhodopsin-assisted electrophysiology. RESULTS vmPFC-LEC cells flexibly and bidirectionally shaped behavior during threat expression, shaping sensitivity to contextual information to increase or decrease the gain of behavioral output in response to a threatening or neutral context, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Glutamatergic vmPFC-LEC cells are key players in behavioral gain control in response to contextual information during threat processing and may provide a future target for intervention in threat-based disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin Hisey
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina; Department of Psychiatry, McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Belmont, Massachusetts
| | - Alicia Purkey
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Yudong Gao
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Kazi Hossain
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Scott H Soderling
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Kerry J Ressler
- Department of Psychiatry, McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Belmont, Massachusetts.
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38
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Nguyen R, Koukoutselos K, Forro T, Ciocchi S. Fear extinction relies on ventral hippocampal safety codes shaped by the amygdala. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadg4881. [PMID: 37256958 PMCID: PMC10413664 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adg4881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2022] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Extinction memory retrieval is influenced by spatial contextual information that determines responding to conditioned stimuli (CS). However, it is poorly understood whether contextual representations are imbued with emotional values to support memory selection. Here, we performed activity-dependent engram tagging and in vivo single-unit electrophysiological recordings from the ventral hippocampus (vH) while optogenetically manipulating basolateral amygdala (BLA) inputs during the formation of cued fear extinction memory. During fear extinction when CS acquire safety properties, we found that CS-related activity in the vH reactivated during sleep consolidation and was strengthened upon memory retrieval. Moreover, fear extinction memory was facilitated when the extinction context exhibited precise coding of its affective zones. Last, these activity patterns along with the retrieval of the fear extinction memory were dependent on glutamatergic transmission from the BLA during extinction learning. Thus, fear extinction memory relies on the formation of contextual and stimulus safety representations in the vH instructed by the BLA.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Thomas Forro
- Laboratory of Systems Neuroscience, Department of Physiology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
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39
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Martínez-Rivera FJ, Pérez-Torres J, Velázquez-Díaz CD, Sánchez-Navarro MJ, Huertas-Pérez CI, Diehl MM, Phillips ML, Haber SN, Quirk GJ. A Novel Insular/Orbital-Prelimbic Circuit That Prevents Persistent Avoidance in a Rodent Model of Compulsive Behavior. Biol Psychiatry 2023; 93:1000-1009. [PMID: 35491274 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2022.02.008] [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] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2021] [Revised: 01/24/2022] [Accepted: 02/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND A common symptom of obsessive-compulsive disorder is the persistent avoidance of cues incorrectly associated with negative outcomes. This maladaptation becomes increasingly evident as subjects fail to respond to extinction-based treatments such as exposure-with-response prevention therapy. While previous studies have highlighted the role of the insular-orbital cortex in fine-tuning avoidance-based decisions, little is known about the projections from this area that might modulate compulsive-like avoidance. METHODS Here, we used anatomical tract-tracing, single-unit recording, and optogenetics to characterize the projections from the insular-orbital cortex. To model exposure-with-response prevention and persistent avoidance in rats, we used the platform-mediated avoidance task followed by extinction-with-response prevention training. RESULTS Using tract-tracing and unit recording, we found that projections from the agranular insular/lateral orbital (AI/LO) cortex to the prefrontal cortex predominantly target the rostral portion of the prelimbic (rPL) cortex and excite rPL neurons. Photoinhibiting this projection induced persistent avoidance after extinction-with-response prevention training, an effect that was still present 1 week later. Consistent with this, photoexcitation of this projection prevented persistent avoidance in overtrained rats. This projection to rPL appears to be key for AI/LO's effects, considering that there was no effect of photoinhibiting AI/LO projections to the ventral striatum or basolateral amygdala. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that projections from the AI/LO to the rPL decreases the likelihood of avoidance behavior following extinction. In humans, this connectivity may share some homology of projections from lateral prefrontal cortices (i.e., ventrolateral prefrontal cortex, orbitofrontal cortex, and insula) to other prefrontal areas and the anterior cingulate cortex, suggesting that reduced activity in these pathways may contribute to obsessive-compulsive disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Freddyson J Martínez-Rivera
- Departments of Psychiatry and Anatomy & Neurobiology, School of Medicine, Medical Sciences Campus, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico.
| | - José Pérez-Torres
- Departments of Psychiatry and Anatomy & Neurobiology, School of Medicine, Medical Sciences Campus, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
| | - Coraly D Velázquez-Díaz
- Departments of Psychiatry and Anatomy & Neurobiology, School of Medicine, Medical Sciences Campus, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
| | - Marcos J Sánchez-Navarro
- Departments of Psychiatry and Anatomy & Neurobiology, School of Medicine, Medical Sciences Campus, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
| | - Carlos I Huertas-Pérez
- Departments of Psychiatry and Anatomy & Neurobiology, School of Medicine, Medical Sciences Campus, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
| | - Maria M Diehl
- Departments of Psychiatry and Anatomy & Neurobiology, School of Medicine, Medical Sciences Campus, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
| | - Mary L Phillips
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Suzanne N Haber
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, University of Rochester School of Medicine, Rochester, New York; McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Belmont, Massachusetts
| | - Gregory J Quirk
- Departments of Psychiatry and Anatomy & Neurobiology, School of Medicine, Medical Sciences Campus, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
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40
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Binette AN, Liu J, Bayer H, Crayton KL, Melissari L, Sweck SO, Maren S. Parvalbumin-Positive Interneurons in the Medial Prefrontal Cortex Regulate Stress-Induced Fear Extinction Impairments in Male and Female Rats. J Neurosci 2023; 43:4162-4173. [PMID: 37127359 PMCID: PMC10255009 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1442-22.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2022] [Revised: 04/19/2023] [Accepted: 04/22/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Stress has profound effects on fear extinction, a form of learning that is essential to behavioral therapies for trauma-related and stressor-related disorders. Recent work reveals that acute footshock stress reduces medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) activity that is critical for extinction learning. Reductions in mPFC activity may be mediated by parvalbumin (PV)-containing interneurons via feedforward inhibition imposed by amygdala afferents. To test this hypothesis, footshock stress-induced Fos expression was characterized in PV+ and PV- neurons in the prelimbic (PL) and infralimbic (IL) cortices. Footshock stress increased the proportion of PV+ cells expressing Fos in both male and female rats; this effect was more pronounced in IL compared with PL. To determine whether PV+ interneurons in the mPFC mediate stress-induced extinction impairments, we chemogenetically silenced these neurons before an immediate extinction procedure in PV-Cre rats. Clozapine-N-oxide (CNO) did not affect conditioned freezing during the extinction procedure. However, CNO exacerbated extinction retrieval in both male and female rats with relatively high PL expression of designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs (DREADD). In contrast, in rats with relatively high IL DREADD expression, CNO produced a modest facilitation of extinction in the earliest retrieval trials, but in male rats only. Conversely, excitation of IL PV interneurons was sufficient to impair delayed extinction in both male and female rats. Finally, chemogenetic inhibition of IL-projecting amygdala neurons reduced the immediate extinction deficit in male, but not female rats. These results reveal that PV interneurons regulate extinction learning under stress in a sex-dependent manner, and this effect is mediated by amygdaloprefrontal projections.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Stress significantly impairs the memory of fear extinction, a type of learning that is central to behavioral therapies for trauma-based and anxiety-based disorders (e.g., post-traumatic stress disorder). Here we show that acute footshock stress recruits parvalbumin (PV) interneurons in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) of male and female rats. Silencing mPFC PV interneurons or mPFC-projecting amygdala neurons during immediate extinction influenced extinction retrieval in a sex-dependent manner. This work highlights the role for PV-containing mPFC interneurons in stress-induced impairments in extinction learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annalise N Binette
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, and Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843-3474
| | - Jianfeng Liu
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, and Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843-3474
| | - Hugo Bayer
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, and Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843-3474
| | - Kennedi L Crayton
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, and Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843-3474
| | - Laila Melissari
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, and Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843-3474
| | - Samantha O Sweck
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, and Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843-3474
| | - Stephen Maren
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, and Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843-3474
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41
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Peeters LD, Wills LJ, Cuozzo AM, Ivanich KL, Brown RW. Reinstatement of nicotine conditioned place preference in a transgenerational model of drug abuse vulnerability in psychosis: Impact of BDNF on the saliency of drug associations. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2023:10.1007/s00213-023-06379-7. [PMID: 37160431 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-023-06379-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2023] [Accepted: 05/01/2023] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia are often accompanied by high rates of cigarette smoking, reduced quit success, and high relapse rates, negatively affecting patient outcomes. However, the mechanisms underlying altered relapse-like behaviors in psychosis are poorly understood. OBJECTIVES The present study analyzed changes in extinction and reinstatement of nicotine conditioned place preference (CPP) and resulting changes in brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in a novel heritable rodent model of psychosis, demonstrating increased dopamine D2 receptor sensitivity, to explore mechanisms contributing to changes in relapse-like behaviors. METHODS Male and female offspring of two neonatal quinpirole-treated (1 mg/kg quinpirole from postnatal day (P)1-21; QQ) and two neonatal saline-treated (SS) Sprague-Dawley rats (F1 generation) were tested on an extended CPP paradigm to analyze extinction and nicotine-primed reinstatement. Brain tissue was analyzed 60 min after the last nicotine injection for BDNF response in the ventral tegmental area (VTA), the infralimbic (IfL) and prelimbic (PrL) cortices. RESULTS F1 generation QQ offspring demonstrated delayed extinction and more robust reinstatement compared to SS control animals. In addition, QQ animals demonstrated an enhanced BDNF response to nicotine in the VTA, IfL and Prl cortices compared to SS offspring. CONCLUSIONS This study is the first to demonstrate altered relapse-like behavior in a heritable rodent model with relevance to comorbid drug abuse and psychosis. This altered pattern of behavior is hypothesized to be related to elevated activity-dependent BDNF in brain areas associated with drug reinforcement during conditioning that persists through the extinction phase, rendering aberrantly salient drug associations resistant to extinction and enhancing relapse vulnerability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Loren D Peeters
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, James H. Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN, 37614, USA
| | - Liza J Wills
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, James H. Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN, 37614, USA
| | - Anthony M Cuozzo
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, James H. Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN, 37614, USA
| | - Kira L Ivanich
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, James H. Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN, 37614, USA
| | - Russell W Brown
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, James H. Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN, 37614, USA.
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42
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Chudoba R, Dabrowska J. Distinct populations of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) neurons mediate divergent yet complementary defensive behaviors in response to a threat. Neuropharmacology 2023; 228:109461. [PMID: 36775096 PMCID: PMC10055972 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2023.109461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Revised: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2023]
Abstract
Defensive behaviors in response to a threat are shared across the animal kingdom. Active (fleeing, sheltering) or passive (freezing, avoiding) defensive responses are adaptive and facilitate survival. Selecting appropriate defensive strategy depends on intensity, proximity, temporal threat threshold, and past experiences. Hypothalamic corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) is a major driver of an acute stress response, whereas extrahypothalamic CRF mediates stress-related affective behaviors. In this review, we shift the focus from a monolithic role of CRF as an anxiogenic peptide to comprehensively dissecting contributions of distinct populations of CRF neurons in mediating defensive behaviors. Direct interrogation of CRF neurons of the central amygdala (CeA) or the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) show they drive unconditioned defensive responses, such as vigilance and avoidance of open spaces. Although both populations also contribute to learned fear responses in familiar, threatening contexts, CeA-CRF neurons are particularly attuned to the ever-changing environment. Depending on threat intensities, they facilitate discrimination of salient stimuli predicting manageable threats, and prevent their generalization. Finally, hypothalamic CRF neurons mediate initial threat assessment and active defense such as escape to shelter. Overall, these three major populations of CRF neurons demonstrate divergent, yet complementary contributions to the versatile defense system: heightened vigilance, discriminating salient threats, and active escape, representing three legs of the defense tripod. Despite the 'CRF exhaustion' in the field of affective neuroscience, understanding contributions of specific CRF neurons during adaptive defensive behaviors is needed in order to understand the implications of their dysregulation in fear- and anxiety-related psychiatric disorders. This article is part of the Special Issue on "Fear, Anxiety and PTSD".
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Chudoba
- Center for the Neurobiology of Stress Resilience and Psychiatric Disorders, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, United States; Discipline of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, United States; School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Joanna Dabrowska
- Center for the Neurobiology of Stress Resilience and Psychiatric Disorders, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, United States; Discipline of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, United States; School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, United States.
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43
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Ng KH, Sangha S. Encoding of conditioned inhibitors of fear in the infralimbic cortex. Cereb Cortex 2023; 33:5658-5670. [PMID: 36411540 PMCID: PMC10152082 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhac450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2022] [Revised: 10/17/2022] [Accepted: 10/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Cues in the environment signaling the absence of threat, i.e. safety, can influence both fear and reward-seeking behaviors. Heightened and maladaptive fear is associated with reduced activity in the medial prefrontal cortex. We have previously shown in male rats that the infralimbic (IL) prefrontal cortex is necessary for suppressing fear during a safety cue. The objective of the present study was to determine if there was safety cue-specific neural activity within the IL using a Pavlovian conditioning paradigm, where a fear cue was paired with shock, a safety cue was paired with no shock, and a reward cue was paired with sucrose. To investigate how safety cues can suppress fear, the fear and safety cues were presented together as a compound fear + safety cue. Single-unit activity showed a large proportion of neurons with excitatory responses to the fear + safety cue specifically, a separate group of neurons with excitatory responses to both the reward and fear + safety cues, and bidirectional neurons with excitation to the fear + safety cue and inhibition to the fear cue. Neural activity was also found to be negatively correlated with freezing during the fear + safety cue. Together, these data implicate the IL in encoding specific aspects of conditioned inhibitors when fear is being actively suppressed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ka H Ng
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, United States
| | - Susan Sangha
- Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, United States
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44
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Meamar M, Rashidy-Pour A, Rahmani M, Vafaei AA, Raise-Abdullahi P. Glucocorticoid- β-adrenoceptors interactions in the infralimbic cortex in acquisition and consolidation of auditory fear memory extinction in rats. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2023; 225:173560. [PMID: 37094708 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2023.173560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 04/26/2023]
Abstract
This study investigated the interactive effect of glucocorticoid and β-adrenoceptors in the infralimbic (IL) cortex on the acquisition and consolidation of fear extinction in rats' auditory fear conditioning (AFC) task. On day 1, rats underwent habituation for 9 min (12 tonnes, 10 s, 4 kHz, 80 dB, without footshock). On day 2 (conditioning), rats received 3 mild electrical footshocks (US; 2 s, 0.5 mA) paired with the auditory-conditioned stimulus (CS; tone: 30 s, 4 kHz, 80 dB). On days 3-5 (Ext 1-3), rats received 15 tonnes with no footshock in the test box. Intra-IL injection of corticosterone (CORT, 20 ng/0.5 μl per side) before Ext 1 and after Ext 1-2, respectively, facilitated the acquisition and consolidation of fear memory extinction. Intra-IL injection of the β2-adrenoceptor agonist clenbuterol (CLEN, 50 ng/0.5 μl per side) inhibited, but the β-adrenoceptor antagonist propranolol (PROP, 500 ng/0.5 μl per side) enhanced the facilitatory effects of CORT on fear memory extinction. CORT injection before the acquisition of fear extinction increased p-ERK levels in the IL. Co-injection of CORT with CLEN increased, but PROP decreased p-ERK activities. CORT injection after the consolidation of fear extinction increased p-CREB in the IL. Co-injection of CORT with CLEN increased, but PROP reduced p-CREB activities. Our findings show that corticosterone facilitates the acquisition and consolidation of fear memory extinction. GRs and β-adrenoceptors in the IL jointly regulate fear memory extinction via ERK and CREB signaling pathways. This pre-clinical animal study may highlight the effect of GRs and β-adrenoceptors of the IL cortex in regulating fear memory processes in fear-related disorders such as PTSD.
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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
| | - Mehrnoush Rahmani
- Research Center of Physiology, 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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45
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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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46
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Printz Y, Patil P, Mahn M, Benjamin A, Litvin A, Levy R, Bringmann M, Yizhar O. Determinants of functional synaptic connectivity among amygdala-projecting prefrontal cortical neurons in male mice. Nat Commun 2023; 14:1667. [PMID: 36966143 PMCID: PMC10039875 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-37318-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2021] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) mediates a variety of complex cognitive functions via its vast and diverse connections with cortical and subcortical structures. Understanding the patterns of synaptic connectivity that comprise the mPFC local network is crucial for deciphering how this circuit processes information and relays it to downstream structures. To elucidate the synaptic organization of the mPFC, we developed a high-throughput optogenetic method for mapping large-scale functional synaptic connectivity in acute brain slices. We show that in male mice, mPFC neurons that project to the basolateral amygdala (BLA) display unique spatial patterns of local-circuit synaptic connectivity, which distinguish them from the general mPFC cell population. When considering synaptic connections between pairs of mPFC neurons, the intrinsic properties of the postsynaptic cell and the anatomical positions of both cells jointly account for ~7.5% of the variation in the probability of connection. Moreover, anatomical distance and laminar position explain most of this fraction in variation. Our findings reveal the factors determining connectivity in the mPFC and delineate the architecture of synaptic connections in the BLA-projecting subnetwork.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoav Printz
- Department of Brain Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 76100, Israel
| | - Pritish Patil
- Department of Brain Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 76100, Israel
| | - Mathias Mahn
- Department of Brain Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 76100, Israel
| | - Asaf Benjamin
- Department of Brain Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 76100, Israel
| | - Anna Litvin
- Department of Brain Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 76100, Israel
| | - Rivka Levy
- Department of Brain Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 76100, Israel
| | - Max Bringmann
- Department of Brain Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 76100, Israel
| | - Ofer Yizhar
- Department of Brain Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 76100, Israel.
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47
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Battaglia S, Di Fazio C, Vicario CM, Avenanti A. Neuropharmacological Modulation of N-methyl-D-aspartate, Noradrenaline and Endocannabinoid Receptors in Fear Extinction Learning: Synaptic Transmission and Plasticity. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24065926. [PMID: 36983000 PMCID: PMC10053024 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24065926] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2022] [Revised: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Learning to recognize and respond to potential threats is crucial for survival. Pavlovian threat conditioning represents a key paradigm for investigating the neurobiological mechanisms of fear learning. In this review, we address the role of specific neuropharmacological adjuvants that act on neurochemical synaptic transmission, as well as on brain plasticity processes implicated in fear memory. We focus on novel neuropharmacological manipulations targeting glutamatergic, noradrenergic, and endocannabinoid systems, and address how the modulation of these neurobiological systems affects fear extinction learning in humans. We show that the administration of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) agonists and modulation of the endocannabinoid system by fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) inhibition can boost extinction learning through the stabilization and regulation of the receptor concentration. On the other hand, elevated noradrenaline levels dynamically modulate fear learning, hindering long-term extinction processes. These pharmacological interventions could provide novel targeted treatments and prevention strategies for fear-based and anxiety-related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Battaglia
- Center for Studies and Research in Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Psychology "Renzo Canestrari", Cesena Campus, Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna, 47521 Cesena, Italy
- Department of Psychology, University of Turin, 10124 Turin, Italy
| | - Chiara Di Fazio
- Center for Studies and Research in Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Psychology "Renzo Canestrari", Cesena Campus, Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna, 47521 Cesena, Italy
| | - Carmelo M Vicario
- Dipartimento di Scienze Cognitive, Psicologiche, Pedagogiche e Degli Studi Culturali, Università Degli Studi di Messina, 98122 Messina, Italy
| | - Alessio Avenanti
- Center for Studies and Research in Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Psychology "Renzo Canestrari", Cesena Campus, Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna, 47521 Cesena, Italy
- Neuropsicology and Cognitive Neuroscience Research Center (CINPSI Neurocog), Universidad Católica del Maule, Talca 3460000, Chile
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48
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Omoumi S, Rashidy-Pour A, Seyedinia SA, Tarahomi P, Vafaei AA, Raise-Abdullahi P. Corticosterone injection into the infralimbic prefrontal cortex enhances fear memory extinction: Involvement of GABA receptors and the extracellular signal-regulated kinase. Physiol Behav 2023; 265:114156. [PMID: 36918107 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2023.114156] [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: 01/29/2023] [Revised: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 03/09/2023] [Indexed: 03/13/2023]
Abstract
This study investigated the interactive effect of glucocorticoid and Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptors in the Infralimbic (IL) cortex on fear extinction in rats' auditory fear conditioning task (AFC). Animals received 3 conditioning trial tones (conditioned stimulus, 30 s, 4 kHz, 80 dB) co-terminated with a footshock (unconditioned stimulus, 0.8 mA, 1 s). Extinction testing was conducted over 3 days (Ext 1-3) after conditioning. Intra-IL injection of corticosterone (CORT, 20 ng/0.3 µl/side) was performed 15 min before the first extinction trial (Ext 1) which attenuated auditory fear expression in subsequent extinction trials (Ext 1-3), demonstrating fear memory extinction enhancement. Co-injection of the GABAA agonist muscimol (250 ng/0.3 µl/side) or the GABAB agonist baclofen (250 ng/0.3 µl/side) 15 min before corticosterone, did not significantly affect the facilitative effects of corticosterone on fear extinction. However, co-injection of the GABAA antagonist bicuculline (BIC, 100 ng/0.3 µl/side) or the GABAB antagonist CGP35348 (CGP, 100 ng/0.3 µl/side) 15 min before corticosterone, blocked the facilitative effects of corticosterone on fear extinction. Moreover, extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and cAMP response element-binding (CREB) in the IL were examined by Western blotting analysis after the first extinction trial (Ext 1) in some groups. Intra-IL injection of corticosterone increased the ERK activity but not CREB. Co-injection of the bicuculline or CGP35348 blocked the enhancing effect of corticosterone on ERK expression in the IL. Glucocorticoid receptors (GRs) activation in the IL cortex by corticosterone increased ERK activity and facilitated fear extinction. GABAA or GABAB antagonists decreased ERK activity and inhibited corticosterone's effect. GRs and GABA receptors in the IL cortex jointly modulate the fear extinction processes via the ERK pathway. This pre-clinical animal study may highlight GRs and GABA interactions in the IL cortex modulating fear memory processes in fear-related disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
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Affiliation(s)
- Samira Omoumi
- Research Center of Physiology, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran; Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, 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
| | - Seyed Ali Seyedinia
- Research Center of Physiology, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran; Student Research Committee, School of Medicine, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran
| | - Parnia Tarahomi
- Research Center of Physiology, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran; Student Research Committee, 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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49
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Ferrara NC, Kwapis JL, Trask S. Memory retrieval, reconsolidation, and extinction: Exploring the boundary conditions of post-conditioning cue exposure. Front Synaptic Neurosci 2023; 15:1146665. [PMID: 36937567 PMCID: PMC10017482 DOI: 10.3389/fnsyn.2023.1146665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 02/17/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Following fear conditioning, behavior can be reduced by giving many CS-alone presentations in a process known as extinction or by presenting a few CS-alone presentations and interfering with subsequent memory reconsolidation. While the two share procedural similarities, both the behavioral outcomes and the neurobiological underpinnings are distinct. Here we review the neural and behavioral mechanisms that produce these separate behavioral reductions, as well as some factors that determine whether or not a retrieval-dependent reconsolidation process or an extinction process will be in effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole C. Ferrara
- Discipline of Physiology and Biophysics, Rosalind Franklin University, North Chicago, IL, United States
- Center for Neurobiology of Stress Resilience and Psychiatric Disorders, Rosalind Franklin University, North Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Janine L. Kwapis
- Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
| | - Sydney Trask
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States
- Purdue Institute for Integrative Neuroscience, West Lafayette, IN, United States
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50
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Valyear MD, Britt JP. A new circuit underlying the renewal of appetitive Pavlovian responses: Commentary on Brown and Chaudhri (2022). Eur J Neurosci 2023; 57:780-783. [PMID: 36700576 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Milan D Valyear
- Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada.,Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Concordia University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Jonathan Philip Britt
- Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada.,Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Concordia University, Montréal, QC, Canada
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