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Giannone F, Ebrahimi C, Endrass T, Hansson AC, Schlagenhauf F, Sommer WH. Bad habits-good goals? Meta-analysis and translation of the habit construct to alcoholism. Transl Psychiatry 2024; 14:298. [PMID: 39030169 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-024-02965-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2023] [Revised: 05/19/2024] [Accepted: 05/24/2024] [Indexed: 07/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Excessive alcohol consumption remains a global public health crisis, with millions suffering from alcohol use disorder (AUD, or simply "alcoholism"), leading to significantly reduced life expectancy. This review examines the interplay between habitual and goal-directed behaviors and the associated neurobiological changes induced by chronic alcohol exposure. Contrary to a strict habit-goal dichotomy, our meta-analysis of the published animal experiments combined with a review of human studies reveals a nuanced transition between these behavioral control systems, emphasizing the need for refined terminology to capture the probabilistic nature of decision biases in individuals with a history of chronic alcohol exposure. Furthermore, we distinguish habitual responding from compulsivity, viewing them as separate entities with diverse roles throughout the stages of the addiction cycle. By addressing species-specific differences and translational challenges in habit research, we provide insights to enhance future investigations and inform strategies for combatting AUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Giannone
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, 68159, Mannheim, Germany
| | - C Ebrahimi
- Faculty of Psychology, Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, 01062, Dresden, Germany
| | - T Endrass
- Faculty of Psychology, Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, 01062, Dresden, Germany
| | - A C Hansson
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, 68159, Mannheim, Germany
| | - F Schlagenhauf
- Department of Psychotherapy, Campus Charité Mitte, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin & St. Hedwig Hospital, 10117, Berlin, Germany
| | - W H Sommer
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, 68159, Mannheim, Germany.
- Bethania Hospital for Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Greifswald, Germany.
- German Center for Mental Health (DZPG), Partner Site Mannheim-Heidelberg-Ulm, 68159, Mannheim, Germany.
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2
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De Plano LM, Saitta A, Oddo S, Caccamo A. Epigenetic Changes in Alzheimer's Disease: DNA Methylation and Histone Modification. Cells 2024; 13:719. [PMID: 38667333 PMCID: PMC11049073 DOI: 10.3390/cells13080719] [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: 03/08/2024] [Revised: 04/10/2024] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a devastating neurodegenerative disorder characterized by progressive cognitive decline and memory loss, imposing a significant burden on affected individuals and their families. Despite the recent promising progress in therapeutic approaches, more needs to be done to understand the intricate molecular mechanisms underlying the development and progression of AD. Growing evidence points to epigenetic changes as playing a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of the disease. The dynamic interplay between genetic and environmental factors influences the epigenetic landscape in AD, altering gene expression patterns associated with key pathological events associated with disease pathogenesis. To this end, epigenetic alterations not only impact the expression of genes implicated in AD pathogenesis but also contribute to the dysregulation of crucial cellular processes, including synaptic plasticity, neuroinflammation, and oxidative stress. Understanding the complex epigenetic mechanisms in AD provides new avenues for therapeutic interventions. This review comprehensively examines the role of DNA methylation and histone modifications in the context of AD. It aims to contribute to a deeper understanding of AD pathogenesis and facilitate the development of targeted therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Maria De Plano
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Viale F. Stagno d’Alcontres 31, 98166 Messina, Italy; (A.S.); (S.O.)
| | | | | | - Antonella Caccamo
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Viale F. Stagno d’Alcontres 31, 98166 Messina, Italy; (A.S.); (S.O.)
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Waldron MA, Jones HE, Rhinehart EM, Grisel JE. Sensitivity to the initial rewarding effects of alcohol: Influence of age, sex, and β-endorphin. ALCOHOL, CLINICAL & EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 48:667-679. [PMID: 38426214 DOI: 10.1111/acer.15281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2023] [Revised: 01/27/2024] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alcohol use disorders (AUDs) are widespread, devastating and complex. About 20% of people who consume alcohol develop problem use, accounting for over 5% of worldwide deaths. While numerous animal models have facilitated understanding of the consequences of excessive drinking, translational models allow for experimental manipulation of factors thought to contribute to AUD liability. METHODS We employ a single-exposure conditioned place preference assay (SE-CPP) to investigate the influence of age, sex and the opioid peptide β-endorphin (bE) on the initial rewarding effects of ethanol, a strong predictor of AUDs. Adolescent (PND28-35) and adult (PND70-90) male and female, control C57BL/6J and bE-deficient mice were tested following a single injection of 1.5 g/kg of ethanol. Following the SE-CPP test, animals were deeply anesthetized, sacrificed, and perfused, and the brains were subsequently sectioned at 40 microns and processed for immunohistochemical localization of c-fos. One-sample, two-tailed t-tests were used to assess drug preference or aversion and the locomotor effects of alcohol. RESULTS In general, adults were more sensitive to the effects of alcohol than adolescents, and outcomes depended on sex and bE. For example, among females, adolescents were stimulated by the drug, but insensitive to locomotor effects as adults, while among males, adolescents were insensitive and adults sedated. Wild-type adolescents of both sexes failed to evince initial subjective reward from the drug, but bE-deficient adolescents, and all adult subjects, preferred a context once associated with ethanol over one that had been paired with saline. c-fos immunoreactivity in multiple brain regions was attenuated in bE-deficient animals, though influences of both sex and bE grew stronger with age. CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrates the utility of the SE-CPP paradigm for elucidating factors that contribute to the liability for AUDs, and supports the growing body of research that shows that sensitivity to the rewarding effects of alcohol changes during the course of development. Our results also suggest that developmental contributions are sex-dependent, and may also depend on the influence of endogenous opioid signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madison A Waldron
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience Program, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Holly E Jones
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience Program, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Erin M Rhinehart
- Department of Biology, Susquehanna University, Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Judith E Grisel
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience Program, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, USA
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Walder-Christensen K, Abdelaal K, Klein H, Thomas GE, Gallagher NM, Talbot A, Adamson E, Rawls A, Hughes D, Mague SD, Dzirasa K, Carlson DE. Electome network factors: Capturing emotional brain networks related to health and disease. CELL REPORTS METHODS 2024; 4:100691. [PMID: 38215761 PMCID: PMC10832286 DOI: 10.1016/j.crmeth.2023.100691] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2023] [Revised: 10/17/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/14/2024]
Abstract
Therapeutic development for mental disorders has been slow despite the high worldwide prevalence of illness. Unfortunately, cellular and circuit insights into disease etiology have largely failed to generalize across individuals that carry the same diagnosis, reflecting an unmet need to identify convergent mechanisms that would facilitate optimal treatment. Here, we discuss how mesoscale networks can encode affect and other cognitive processes. These networks can be discovered through electrical functional connectome (electome) analysis, a method built upon explainable machine learning models for analyzing and interpreting mesoscale brain-wide signals in a behavioral context. We also outline best practices for identifying these generalizable, interpretable, and biologically relevant networks. Looking forward, translational electome analysis can span species and various moods, cognitive processes, or other brain states, supporting translational medicine. Thus, we argue that electome analysis provides potential translational biomarkers for developing next-generation therapeutics that exhibit high efficacy across heterogeneous disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn Walder-Christensen
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA
| | - Karim Abdelaal
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA
| | - Hunter Klein
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Gwenaëlle E Thomas
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA
| | - Neil M Gallagher
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medical Center, New York City, NY 10065, USA
| | - Austin Talbot
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA
| | - Elise Adamson
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Ashleigh Rawls
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA
| | - Dalton Hughes
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA
| | - Stephen D Mague
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA
| | - Kafui Dzirasa
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA; Department of Neurobiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA; Department of Neurosurgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA.
| | - David E Carlson
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA; Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA.
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Doyle MA, Taylor A, Winder DG. Neural Circuitries and Alcohol Use Disorder: Cutting Corners in the Cycle. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2023. [PMID: 38082108 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2023_454] [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] [Indexed: 02/19/2024]
Abstract
An implicit tenet of the alcohol use disorder (AUD) research field is that knowledge of how alcohol interacts with the brain is critical to the development of an understanding of vulnerability to AUD and treatment approaches. Gaining this understanding requires the mapping of brain function critical to specific components of this heterogeneous disorder. Early approaches in humans and animal models focused on the determination of specific brain regions sensitive to alcohol action and their participation in AUD-relevant behaviors. Broadly speaking, this research has focused on three domains, Binge/Intoxication, Negative Affect/Withdrawal, and Preoccupation/Anticipation, with a number of regions identified as participating in each. With the generational advances in technologies that the field of neuroscience has undergone over the last two decades, this focus has shifted to a circuit-based analysis. A wealth of new data has sharpened the field's focus on the specific roles of the interconnectivity of multiple brain regions in AUD and AUD-relevant behaviors, as well as demonstrating that the three major domains described above have much fuzzier edges than originally thought.In this chapter, we very briefly review brain regions previously implicated in aspects of AUD-relevant behavior from animal model research. Next, we move to a more in-depth overview of circuit-based approaches, and the utilization of these approaches in current AUD research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie A Doyle
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Anne Taylor
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Danny G Winder
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA.
- Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA.
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA.
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Stefaniuk M, Pawłowska M, Barański M, Nowicka K, Zieliński Z, Bijoch Ł, Legutko D, Majka P, Bednarek S, Jermakow N, Wójcik D, Kaczmarek L. Global brain c-Fos profiling reveals major functional brain networks rearrangements after alcohol reexposure. Neurobiol Dis 2023; 178:106006. [PMID: 36682503 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2023.106006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2022] [Revised: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Many fundamental questions on alcohol use disorder (AUD) are frequently difficult to address by examining a single brain structure, but should be viewed from the whole brain perspective. c-Fos is a marker of neuronal activation. Global brain c-Fos profiling in rodents represents a promising platform to study brain functional networks rearrangements in AUD. We used a mouse model of alcohol drinking in IntelliCage. We trained mice to voluntarily drink alcohol, next subjected them to withdrawal and alcohol reexposure. We have developed a dedicated image computational workflow to identify c-Fos-positive cells in three-dimensional images obtained after whole-brain optical clearing and imaging in the light-sheet microscope. We provide a complete list of 169 brain structures with annotated c-Fos expression. We analyzed functional networks, brain modularity and engram index. Brain c-Fos levels in animals reexposed to alcohol were different from both control and binge drinking animals. Structures involved in reward processing, decision making and characteristic for addictive behaviors, such as precommissural nucleus, nucleus Raphe, parts of colliculus and tecta stood out particularly. Alcohol reexposure leads to a massive change of brain modularity including a formation of numerous smaller functional modules grouping structures involved in addiction development. Binge drinking can lead to substantial functional remodeling in the brain. We provide a list of structures that can be used as a target in pharmacotherapy but also point to the networks and modules that can hold therapeutic potential demonstrated by a clinical trial in patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marzena Stefaniuk
- Laboratory of Neurobiology, Nencki Institute, BRAINCITY, Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Monika Pawłowska
- Laboratory of Neurobiology, Nencki Institute, BRAINCITY, Warsaw, Poland; Institute of Experimental Physics, Section of Optics, Warsaw University, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Marcin Barański
- Laboratory of Neurobiology, Nencki Institute, BRAINCITY, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Klaudia Nowicka
- Laboratory of Neurobiology, Nencki Institute, BRAINCITY, Warsaw, Poland
| | | | - Łukasz Bijoch
- Laboratory of Neurobiology, Nencki Institute, BRAINCITY, Warsaw, Poland; Laboratory of Neuronal Plasticity, Nencki Institute, BRAINCITY, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Diana Legutko
- Laboratory of Neurobiology, Nencki Institute, BRAINCITY, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Piotr Majka
- Laboratory of Neuroinformatics, Nencki Institute, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Sylwia Bednarek
- Laboratory of Neuroinformatics, Nencki Institute, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Natalia Jermakow
- Laboratory of Neuroinformatics, Nencki Institute, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Daniel Wójcik
- Laboratory of Neuroinformatics, Nencki Institute, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Leszek Kaczmarek
- Laboratory of Neurobiology, Nencki Institute, BRAINCITY, Warsaw, Poland
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Domi E, Barchiesi R, Barbier E. Epigenetic Dysregulation in Alcohol-Associated Behaviors: Preclinical and Clinical Evidence. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2023. [PMID: 36717533 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2022_410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is characterized by loss of control over intake and drinking despite harmful consequences. At a molecular level, AUD is associated with long-term neuroadaptations in key brain regions that are involved in reward processing and decision-making. Over the last decades, a great effort has been made to understand the neurobiological basis underlying AUD. Epigenetic mechanisms have emerged as an important mechanism in the regulation of long-term alcohol-induced gene expression changes. Here, we review the literature supporting a role for epigenetic processes in AUD. We particularly focused on the three most studied epigenetic mechanisms: DNA methylation, Histone modification and non-coding RNAs. Clinical studies indicate an association between AUD and DNA methylation both at the gene and global levels. Using behavioral paradigms that mimic some of the characteristics of AUD, preclinical studies demonstrate that changes in epigenetic mechanisms can functionally impact alcohol-associated behaviors. While many studies support a therapeutic potential for targeting epigenetic enzymes, more research is needed to fully understand their role in AUD. Identification of brain circuits underlying alcohol-associated behaviors has made major advances in recent years. However, there are very few studies that investigate how epigenetic mechanisms can affect these circuits or impact the neuronal ensembles that promote alcohol-associated behaviors. Studies that focus on the role of circuit-specific and cell-specific epigenetic changes for clinically relevant alcohol behaviors may provide new insights on the functional role of epigenetic processes in AUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esi Domi
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
- School of Pharmacy, Pharmacology Unit, Center for Neuroscience, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy
| | - Riccardo Barchiesi
- Department of Neuroscience, Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Alcohol Addiction Research, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Estelle Barbier
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden.
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