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Joyce MKP, Uchendu S, Arnsten AFT. Stress and inflammation target dorsolateral prefrontal cortex function: Neural mechanisms underlying weakened cognitive control. Biol Psychiatry 2024:S0006-3223(24)01420-3. [PMID: 38944141 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2024.06.016] [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: 02/05/2024] [Revised: 06/15/2024] [Accepted: 06/22/2024] [Indexed: 07/01/2024]
Abstract
Most mental disorders involve dysfunction of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC), a recently evolved brain region that subserves working memory, abstraction and the thoughtful regulation of attention, action and emotion. For example, schizophrenia, depression, long-COVID and Alzheimer's disease are all associated with dlPFC dysfunction, with neuropathology often focused in layer III. The dlPFC has extensive top-down projections: e.g. to the posterior association cortices to regulate attention, and the subgenual cingulate cortex via the rostral and medial PFC to regulate emotional responses. However, the dlPFC is particularly dependent on arousal state, and is very vulnerable to stress and inflammation, which are etiological and/or exacerbating factors in most mental disorders. The cellular mechanisms by which stress and inflammation impact the dlPFC are a topic of current research, and are summarized in this review. For example, the layer III dlPFC circuits generating working memory-related neuronal firing have unusual neurotransmission, depending on NMDAR and nicotinic-α7R actions that are blocked under inflammatory conditions by kynurenic acid. These circuits also have unusual neuromodulation, with the molecular machinery to magnify calcium signaling in spines needed to support persistent firing, which must be tightly regulated to prevent toxic calcium actions. Stress rapidly weakens layer III connectivity by driving feedforward calcium-cAMP opening of potassium channels on spines. This is regulated by postsynaptic noradrenergic α2A-AR and mGluR3 signaling, but dysregulated by inflammation and/or chronic stress exposure, contributing to spine loss. Treatments that strengthen dlPFC, via pharmacological (the α2A-AR agonist, guanfacine) or rTMS manipulation, provide a rational basis for therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary Kate P Joyce
- Dept Neuroscience, Yale Medical School, 333 Cedar St., New Haven, CT USA 06510
| | - Stacy Uchendu
- Dept Neuroscience, Yale Medical School, 333 Cedar St., New Haven, CT USA 06510
| | - Amy F T Arnsten
- Dept Neuroscience, Yale Medical School, 333 Cedar St., New Haven, CT USA 06510.
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2
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Loock K, Schwabe L. Cognitive training prevents stress-induced working memory deficits. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY. COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2024:S2451-9022(24)00164-2. [PMID: 38909897 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2024.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2024] [Revised: 06/10/2024] [Accepted: 06/14/2024] [Indexed: 06/25/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Working memory is a fundamental cognitive process that is critically involved in planning, comprehension, reasoning, or problem-solving. Acute stress has been shown to impair working memory. This stress-induced working memory deficit has profound implications for our cognitive functioning in everyday life as well as for stress-related mental disorders. Here, we tested whether a cognitive training intervention can make working memory more resistant to disruptive effects of acute stress. METHODS In a pre-registered, fully-crossed between-subjects design with the factors stress (vs. control) and cognitive training (vs. sham), one hundred twenty-three healthy men and women (aged 18-35 years) completed a daily cognitive training program targeting working memory-related processes or a sham training over a period of six weeks. After this six-week training intervention, participants underwent a standardized stress or control manipulation shortly before their working memory performance was tested. RESULTS As expected, the exposure to acute stress led to a significant working memory impairment in the sham training group. Critically, although the subjective, autonomic, and endocrine stress responses were comparable in the two training groups, this stress-induced working memory impairment was abolished in the intervention training group. CONCLUSIONS These results are the first to show that a cognitive training intervention directed at prefrontal and hippocampal functioning can prevent the detrimental effects of stressful events on working memory performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaja Loock
- Institute of Psychology, University of Hamburg
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3
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Abstract
Over 2.6 million adults over the age of 65 develop delirium each year in the United States (US). Delirium is associated with a significant increase in mortality and the US health care costs associated with delirium are estimated at over $164 billion annually. Despite the prevalence of the condition, the molecular pathophysiology of delirium remains unexplained, limiting the development of pharmacotherapies. Delirious patients can be identified by prominent impairments in attention and working memory (WM), two cognitive domains that localize to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC). The dlPFC is also a key site for Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology, and given the high risk of delirium in AD patients, suggests that efforts at understanding delirium might focus on the dlPFC as a final common endpoint for cognitive changes. Preclinical studies of the dlPFC reproduce many of the pharmacological observations made of delirious patients, including sensitivity to anticholinergics and an 'inverted U' pattern of dependence on monoaminergic input, with diminished performance outside a narrow range of signaling. Medications like guanfacine, which influence the dlPFC in the context of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), have emerged as therapies for delirium and motivate a detailed understanding of the influence of α-2 agonists on WM. In this review, I will discuss the neural circuitry and molecular mechanisms underlying WM and the function of the dlPFC. Localizing the cognitive deficits that are commonly seen in delirious patients may help identify new molecular targets for this highly prevalent disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyle A. Lyman
- Department of Neurology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
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4
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Causse M, Mouratille D, Rouillard Y, El Yagoubi R, Matton N, Hidalgo-Muñoz A. How a pilot's brain copes with stress and mental load? Insights from the executive control network. Behav Brain Res 2024; 456:114698. [PMID: 37797721 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2023.114698] [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: 03/15/2023] [Revised: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 10/07/2023]
Abstract
In aviation, mental workload and stress are two major factors that can considerably impact a pilot's flight performance and decisions. Their consequences can be even more dramatic in single-pilot aircraft or with the forthcoming single-pilot operations where the pilot will fly alone and will not be able to be assisted in case of difficulty. An accurate and automatic monitoring of the pilot's mental state could help to prevent the potentially dangerous effects of an excess mental workload and stress. For example, some tasks could be allocated to automation or to a ground-based flight crew if a mental overload or significant stress is detected. In the current study, the brain activity of 20 private pilots was recorded with a fNIRS device during two realistic flight simulator scenarios. The mental workload was manipulated with the added difficulty of a secondary task and stress was induced by a social stressor. Our results confirmed the sensitivity of the fNIRS readings to variations in the mental workload, with increased HbO2 concentration in regions of the executive control network (ECN), in particular in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and in lateral parietal regions, when the difficulty of the secondary task was high. The social stressor also triggered an HbO2 increase in the ECN, especially when it was combined with high mental workload. This latter result suggests that mental workload and stress together can have cumulative effects, and coping with both factors is possible at the expense of an extra recruitment of the ECN. Finally, results also revealed a time-on-task effect, with a progressive reduction of the HbO2 signal in the ECN during the flight scenario, suggesting that these regions are sensitive to short term habituation to the tasks. Overall, fNIRS efficiently indexed mental load, stress, and practice effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mickaël Causse
- ISAE-SUPAERO, 10 avenue Edouard Belin, Toulouse, France.
| | - Damien Mouratille
- ISAE-SUPAERO, 10 avenue Edouard Belin, Toulouse, France; CLLE, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, Toulouse, France; ENAC, Université de Toulouse, France
| | | | | | - Nadine Matton
- CLLE, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, Toulouse, France; ENAC, Université de Toulouse, France
| | - Antonio Hidalgo-Muñoz
- CLLE, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, Toulouse, France; ENAC, Université de Toulouse, France; Instituto de Neurosciencias de Castilla y León (INCYL), University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
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5
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Quinn ME, Shields GS. The Insidious Influence of Stress: An Integrated Model of Stress, Executive Control, and Psychopathology. Clin Psychol Sci 2023; 11:773-800. [PMID: 37701497 PMCID: PMC10497220 DOI: 10.1177/21677026221149736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/14/2023]
Abstract
Although exposure to acute stress undoubtedly contributes to psychopathology, most individuals do not develop psychopathology following stress exposure. To explain this, biological, emotional, and cognitive responses to stress have been implicated, but individual differences in executive control (i.e., top-down control of cognition and behavior) measured in response to stress has only recently emerged as a potential factor contributing to psychopathology. In this review, we introduce a model-the integrated model of stress, executive control, and psychopathology-positing how the impairing effects of acute stress on executive control can contribute to psychopathology. We link to research on biological, emotional, and cognitive processes, all of which can be impacted by executive control, to propose a framework for how poorer executive control under conditions of acute stress can contribute to psychopathology. This integrated model is intended to further our understanding of who is more susceptible to the negative consequences of stress.
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6
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Arnsten AFT, Joyce MKP, Roberts AC. The Aversive Lens: Stress effects on the prefrontal-cingulate cortical pathways that regulate emotion. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 145:105000. [PMID: 36529312 PMCID: PMC9898199 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.105000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2022] [Revised: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 12/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
ARNSTEN, A.F.T., M.K.P. Joyce and A.C. Roberts. The Aversive Lens: Stress effects on the prefrontal-cingulate cortical pathways that regulate emotion. NEUROSCI BIOBEHAV REV XXX-XXX, 2022. The symptoms of major-depressive-disorder include psychic pain and anhedonia, i.e. seeing the world through an "aversive lens". The neurobiology underlying this shift in worldview is emerging. Here these data are reviewed, focusing on how activation of subgenual cingulate (BA25) induces an "aversive lens", and how higher prefrontal cortical (PFC) areas (BA46/10/32) provide top-down regulation of BA25 but are weakened by excessive dopamine and norepinephrine release during stress exposure, and dendritic spine loss with chronic stress exposure. These changes may generate an attractor state, which maintains the brain under the control of BA25, requiring medication or neuromodulatory treatments to return connectivity to a more flexible state. In line with this hypothesis, effective anti-depressant treatments reduce the activity of BA25 and restore top-down regulation by higher circuits, e.g. as seen with SSRI medications, ketamine, deep brain stimulation of BA25, or rTMS to strengthen dorsolateral PFC. This research has special relevance in an era of chronic stress caused by the COVID19 pandemic, political unrest and threat of climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy F T Arnsten
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA.
| | - Mary Kate P Joyce
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA.
| | - Angela C Roberts
- Department Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, and Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3DY, UK.
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7
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Geißler CF, Friehs MA, Frings C, Domes G. Time-dependent effects of acute stress on working memory performance: A systematic review and hypothesis. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2023; 148:105998. [PMID: 36493660 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2022.105998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2022] [Revised: 12/01/2022] [Accepted: 12/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Laboratory procedures such as the Trier Social Stress Test or the (Socially Evaluated) Cold Pressor Test have been used to investigate working memory performance under stress. Researchers so far have reported a diverse spectrum of stress effects (including the lack thereof) on working memory tasks. We conducted a systematic review of the effect acute stress on working memory performance in standardized laboratory procedures. An overview of the existing literature suggests that acute stress affects working memory in a time-dependent manner, presumably due to the differing time scales of the main stress-reactive hormones involved. Based on the empirical evidence, we hypothesize that the immediate stress-induced release of noradrenaline decreases working memory performance within the first 10 min post stress. In addition, rapid cortisol effects impair working memory at a later time-interval beginning about 25 min post stress. We outline future research directions which could further explore the implications of our insights, as for example combined pharmacological and naturalistic stressor interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Maximilian A Friehs
- School of Psychology, University College Dublin, Ireland; Lise-Meitner Research Group Cognition and Plasticity, Max-Planck-Institute for Human and Cognitive Brain Science, Germany
| | - Christian Frings
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, University of Trier, Germany
| | - Gregor Domes
- Department of Biological and Clinical Psychology, University of Trier, Germany; Institute of Psychobiology, University of Trier, Germany.
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8
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Barsegyan A, McGaugh JL, Roozendaal B. Glucocorticoid effects on working memory impairment require l-type calcium channel activity within prefrontal cortex. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2023; 197:107700. [PMID: 36410654 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2022.107700] [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: 07/12/2022] [Revised: 09/28/2022] [Accepted: 11/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Previous findings have indicated that glucocorticoid hormones impair working memory via an interaction with the β-adrenoceptor-cAMP signaling cascade to rapidly increase cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) activity within the prefrontal cortex (PFC). However, it remains elusive how such activation of PKA can affect downstream cellular mechanisms in regulating PFC cognitive function. PKA is known to activate l-type voltage-gated Ca2+ channels (LTCCs) which regulate a broad range of cellular processes, including neuronal excitability and neurotransmitter release. The present experiments examined whether LTCC activity within the PFC is required in mediating glucocorticoid and PKA effects on spatial working memory. Male Sprague Dawley rats received bilateral administration of the LTCC inhibitor diltiazem together with either the glucocorticoid receptor agonist RU 28362 or PKA activator Sp-cAMPS into the PFC before testing on a delayed alternation task in a T-maze. Both RU 28362 and Sp-cAMPS impaired working memory, whereas the LTCC inhibitor diltiazem fully blocked the working memory impairment induced by either RU 28362 or Sp-cAMPS. Conversely, bilateral administration of the LTCC agonist Bay K8644 into the PFC was sufficient to impair working memory. Thus, these findings provide support for the view that glucocorticoids, via an interaction with the β-adrenergic signaling cascade and enhanced PKA activity levels, impair working memory by increasing LTCC activity in the PFC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Areg Barsegyan
- Dept. Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboud university medical center, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, 6525 EN Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - James L McGaugh
- Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, Dept. Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697-3800, USA
| | - Benno Roozendaal
- Dept. Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboud university medical center, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, 6525 EN Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
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9
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Cools R, Arnsten AFT. Neuromodulation of prefrontal cortex cognitive function in primates: the powerful roles of monoamines and acetylcholine. Neuropsychopharmacology 2022; 47:309-328. [PMID: 34312496 PMCID: PMC8617291 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-021-01100-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2021] [Revised: 07/06/2021] [Accepted: 07/06/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The primate prefrontal cortex (PFC) subserves our highest order cognitive operations, and yet is tremendously dependent on a precise neurochemical environment for proper functioning. Depletion of noradrenaline and dopamine, or of acetylcholine from the dorsolateral PFC (dlPFC), is as devastating as removing the cortex itself, and serotonergic influences are also critical to proper functioning of the orbital and medial PFC. Most neuromodulators have a narrow inverted U dose response, which coordinates arousal state with cognitive state, and contributes to cognitive deficits with fatigue or uncontrollable stress. Studies in monkeys have revealed the molecular signaling mechanisms that govern the generation and modulation of mental representations by the dlPFC, allowing dynamic regulation of network strength, a process that requires tight regulation to prevent toxic actions, e.g., as occurs with advanced age. Brain imaging studies in humans have observed drug and genotype influences on a range of cognitive tasks and on PFC circuit functional connectivity, e.g., showing that catecholamines stabilize representations in a baseline-dependent manner. Research in monkeys has already led to new treatments for cognitive disorders in humans, encouraging future research in this important field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roshan Cools
- Department of Psychiatry, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Amy F T Arnsten
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.
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10
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Liu L, Wu J, Geng H, Liu C, Luo Y, Luo J, Qin S. Long-Term Stress and Trait Anxiety Affect Brain Network Balance in Dynamic Cognitive Computations. Cereb Cortex 2021; 32:2957-2971. [PMID: 34875030 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhab393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2021] [Revised: 10/01/2021] [Accepted: 10/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Long-term stress has a profound impact on executive functions. Trait anxiety is recognized as a vulnerable factor accounting for stress-induced adaptive or maladaptive effects. However, the neurocognitive mechanisms underlying long-term stress and trait anxiety interactions remain elusive. Here we investigated how long-term stress and trait anxiety interact to affect dynamic decisions during n-back task performance by altering functional brain network balance. In comparison to controls, participants under long-term stress experienced higher psychological distress and exhibited faster evidence accumulation but had a lower decision-threshold when performing n-back tasks in general. This corresponded with hyper-activation in the anterior insula, less deactivation in the default-mode network, and stronger default-mode network decoupling with the frontoparietal network. Critically, high trait anxiety under long-term stress led to slower evidence accumulation through higher frontoparietal activity during cognitively demanding task, and increased decoupling between the default-mode and frontoparietal networks. Our findings suggest a neurocognitive model of how long-term stress and trait anxiety interplay to affect latent dynamic computations in executive functioning with adaptive and maladaptive changes, and inform personalized assessments and preventions for stress vulnerability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liangying Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Faculty of Psychology at Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China.,Beijing Key Laboratory of Brain Imaging and Connectomics, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Jianhui Wu
- Center for Brain Disorder and Cognitive Science, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518061, China
| | - Haiyang Geng
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Faculty of Psychology at Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China.,Center for Brain Disorder and Cognitive Science, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518061, China
| | - Chao Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Faculty of Psychology at Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China.,Center for Brain Disorder and Cognitive Science, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518061, China
| | - Yuejia Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Faculty of Psychology at Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China.,Center for Brain Disorder and Cognitive Science, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518061, China.,Center for Emotion and Brain, Shenzhen Institute of Neuroscience, Shenzhen 518061, China
| | - Jing Luo
- School of Psychology, Capital Normal University, Beijing 100048, China
| | - Shaozheng Qin
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Faculty of Psychology at Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China.,Beijing Key Laboratory of Brain Imaging and Connectomics, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China.,Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing 102206, China
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11
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Meine LE, Meier J, Meyer B, Wessa M. Don't stress, it's under control: Neural correlates of stressor controllability in humans. Neuroimage 2021; 245:118701. [PMID: 34758383 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2021] [Revised: 10/23/2021] [Accepted: 10/30/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Animal research has repeatedly shown that control is a key variable in the brain's stress response. Uncontrollable stress triggers a release of monoamines, impairing prefrontal functions while enhancing subcortical circuits. Conversely, control over an adverse event involves prefrontally mediated downregulation of monoamine nuclei and is considered protective. However, it remains unclear to what extent these findings translate to humans. During functional magnetic resonance imaging, we subjected participants to controllable and uncontrollable aversive but non-painful electric stimuli, as well as to a control condition without aversive stimulation. In each trial, a symbol signalled whether participants could terminate the stressor through correct performance in a button-matching task or whether the stressor would be randomly terminated, i.e., uncontrollable. Along with neural responses, we assessed participants' accuracy, reaction times, and heart rate. To relate neural activations and subjective experience, we asked participants to rate perceived control, helplessness, and stress. Results were largely in line with our hypotheses. The vmPFC was generally deactivated by aversive stimulation, but this effect was attenuated when participants could terminate the stressor compared to when their responses had no effect. Furthermore, activation in stress-responsive regions, including the bilateral insula, was reduced during controllable trials. Under uncontrollable aversive stimulation, greater vmPFC recruitment was linked to reduced feelings of helplessness. An investigation of condition-dependant differences in vmPFC connectivity yielded no significant results. Our findings further corroborate animal research and emphasise the role of the vmPFC in controllability-dependant regulation of stress responses. Based on the results, we discuss future directions in the context of resilience research and mental health promotion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura E Meine
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Neuropsychology, Institute of Psychology, Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Wallstraße 3, 55122 Mainz, Germany
| | - Jana Meier
- Leibniz Institute for Resilience Research, Research Group Wessa, Wallstraße 7, 55122 Mainz, Germany
| | - Benjamin Meyer
- Leibniz Institute for Resilience Research, Research Group Kalisch, Wallstraße 7, 55122 Mainz, Germany; Neuroimaging Center, Focus Program Translational Neuroscience, University Medical Center, Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Langenbeckstraße 1, 55131 Mainz, Germany
| | - Michèle Wessa
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Neuropsychology, Institute of Psychology, Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Wallstraße 3, 55122 Mainz, Germany; Leibniz Institute for Resilience Research, Research Group Wessa, Wallstraße 7, 55122 Mainz, Germany.
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12
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Woo E, Sansing LH, Arnsten AFT, Datta D. Chronic Stress Weakens Connectivity in the Prefrontal Cortex: Architectural and Molecular Changes. CHRONIC STRESS 2021; 5:24705470211029254. [PMID: 34485797 PMCID: PMC8408896 DOI: 10.1177/24705470211029254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2021] [Accepted: 06/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Chronic exposure to uncontrollable stress causes loss of spines and dendrites in the prefrontal cortex (PFC), a recently evolved brain region that provides top-down regulation of thought, action, and emotion. PFC neurons generate top-down goals through recurrent excitatory connections on spines. This persistent firing is the foundation for higher cognition, including working memory, and abstract thought. However, exposure to acute uncontrollable stress drives high levels of catecholamine release in the PFC, which activates feedforward calcium-cAMP signaling pathways to open nearby potassium channels, rapidly weakening synaptic connectivity to reduce persistent firing. Chronic stress exposures can further exacerbate these signaling events leading to loss of spines and resulting in marked cognitive impairment. In this review, we discuss how stress signaling mechanisms can lead to spine loss, including changes to BDNF-mTORC1 signaling, calcium homeostasis, actin dynamics, and mitochondrial actions that engage glial removal of spines through inflammatory signaling. Stress signaling events may be amplified in PFC spines due to cAMP magnification of internal calcium release. As PFC dendritic spine loss is a feature of many cognitive disorders, understanding how stress affects the structure and function of the PFC will help to inform strategies for treatment and prevention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Woo
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale Medical School, New Haven, CT, USA.,Department of Neurology, Yale Medical School, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Lauren H Sansing
- Department of Neurology, Yale Medical School, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Amy F T Arnsten
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale Medical School, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Dibyadeep Datta
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale Medical School, New Haven, CT, USA
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13
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Xiong B, Chen C, Tian Y, Zhang S, Liu C, Evans TM, Fernández G, Wu J, Qin S. Brain preparedness: The proactive role of the cortisol awakening response in hippocampal-prefrontal functional interactions. Prog Neurobiol 2021; 205:102127. [PMID: 34343631 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2021.102127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2021] [Revised: 06/23/2021] [Accepted: 07/29/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Upon awakening from nighttime sleep, the stress hormone cortisol in humans exhibits a robust rise within thirty to forty-five minutes. This cortisol awakening response (CAR), a crucial point of reference within the healthy cortisol circadian rhythm, has been linked to various psychological, psychiatric and health-related conditions. The CAR is thought to prepare the brain for anticipated challenges of the upcoming day to maintain one's homeostasis and promote adaptive responses. Using brain imaging with a prospective design and pharmacological manipulation, we investigate the neurobiological mechanisms underlying this preparation function of the CAR across two studies. In Study 1, a robust CAR is predictive of less hippocampal and prefrontal activity, though enhanced functional coupling between those regions during a demanding task hours later in the afternoon. Reduced prefrontal activity is in turn linked to better working memory performance, implicating that the CAR proactively promotes brain preparedness based on improved neurocognitive efficiency. In Study 2, pharmacologically suppressed CAR using Dexamethasone mirrors this proactive effect, which further causes a selective reduction of prefrontal top-down functional modulation over hippocampal activity. These findings establish a causal link between the CAR and its proactive role in optimizing functional brain networks involved in neuroendocrine control, executive function and memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bingsen Xiong
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Changming Chen
- School of Education, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, 401331, China
| | - Yanqiu Tian
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Shouwen Zhang
- West Essence Clinic, Beijing Institute of Functional Neurosurgery & Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100053, China
| | - Chao Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Tanya M Evans
- School of Education and Human Development, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22904, USA
| | - Guillén Fernández
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour & Department for Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, 6525 EN, the Netherlands
| | - Jianhui Wu
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Affective and Social Cognitive Science, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China
| | - Shaozheng Qin
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China; Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, 100069, China.
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14
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Yang S, Seo H, Wang M, Arnsten AFT. NMDAR Neurotransmission Needed for Persistent Neuronal Firing: Potential Roles in Mental Disorders. Front Psychiatry 2021; 12:654322. [PMID: 33897503 PMCID: PMC8064413 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.654322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2021] [Accepted: 02/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) generates the mental representations that are the foundation of abstract thought, and provides top-down regulation of emotion through projections to the medial PFC and cingulate cortices. Physiological recordings from dlPFC Delay cells have shown that the generation of mental representations during working memory relies on NMDAR neurotransmission, with surprisingly little contribution from AMPAR. Systemic administration of low "antidepressant" doses of the NMDAR antagonist, ketamine, erodes these representations and reduces dlPFC Delay cell firing. In contrast to the dlPFC, V1 neuronal firing to visual stimuli depends on AMPAR, with much less contribution from NMDAR. Similarly, neurons in the dlPFC that respond to sensory events (cue cells, response feedback cells) rely on AMPAR, and systemic ketamine increases their firing. Insults to NMDAR transmission, and the impaired ability for dlPFC to generate mental representations, may contribute to cognitive deficits in schizophrenia, e.g., from genetic insults that weaken NMDAR transmission, or from blockade of NMDAR by kynurenic acid. Elevated levels of kynurenic acid in dlPFC may also contribute to cognitive deficits in other disorders with pronounced neuroinflammation (e.g., Alzheimer's disease), or peripheral infections where kynurenine can enter brain (e.g., delirium from sepsis, "brain fog" in COVID19). Much less is known about NMDAR actions in the primate cingulate cortices. However, NMDAR neurotransmission appears to process the affective and visceral responses to pain and other aversive experiences mediated by the cingulate cortices, which may contribute to sustained alterations in mood state. We hypothesize that the very rapid, antidepressant effects of intranasal ketamine may involve the disruption of NMDAR-generated aversive mood states by the anterior and subgenual cingulate cortices, providing a "foot in the door" to allow the subsequent return of top-down regulation by higher PFC areas. Thus, the detrimental vs. therapeutic effects of NMDAR blockade may be circuit dependent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shengtao Yang
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Hyojung Seo
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Min Wang
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Amy F. T. Arnsten
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
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15
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Arnsten AFT. Guanfacine's mechanism of action in treating prefrontal cortical disorders: Successful translation across species. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2020; 176:107327. [PMID: 33075480 PMCID: PMC7567669 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2020.107327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2020] [Accepted: 10/13/2020] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
The selective norepinephrine (NE) α2A-adrenoceptor (α2A-AR) agonist, guanfacine (Intuniv™), is FDA-approved for treating Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) based on research in animals, a translational success story. Guanfacine is also widely used off-label in additional mental disorders that involve impaired functioning of the prefrontal cortex (PFC), including stress-related disorders such as substance abuse, schizotypic cognitive deficits, and traumatic brain injury. The PFC subserves high order cognitive and executive functions including working memory, abstract reasoning, insight and judgment, and top-down control of attention, action and emotion. These abilities arise from PFC microcircuits with extensive recurrent excitation through NMDAR synapses. There is powerful modulation of these synapses, where cAMP-PKA opening of nearby potassium (K+) channels can rapidly and dynamically alter synaptic strength to coordinate arousal state with cognitive state, e.g. to take PFC "offline" during uncontrollable stress. A variety of evidence shows that guanfacine acts within the PFC via post-synaptic α2A-AR on dendritic spines to inhibit cAMP-PKA-K+ channel signaling, thus strengthening network connectivity, enhancing PFC neuronal firing, and improving PFC cognitive functions. Although guanfacine's beneficial effects are present in rodent, they are especially evident in primates, where the PFC greatly expands and differentiates. In addition to therapeutic actions in PFC, stress-related disorders may also benefit from additional α2-AR actions, such as weakening plasticity in the amygdala, reducing NE release, and anti-inflammatory actions by deactivating microglia. Altogether, these NE α2-AR actions optimize top-down control by PFC networks, which may explain guanfacine's benefits in a variety of mental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy F T Arnsten
- Dept. Neuroscience, Yale Medical School, 333 Cedar St., New Haven, CT 06510, USA.
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16
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Tian T, Li J, Zhang G, Wang J, Liu D, Wan C, Fang J, Wu D, Zhou Y, Zhu W. Effects of childhood trauma experience and COMT Val158Met polymorphism on brain connectivity in a multimodal MRI study. Brain Behav 2020; 10:e01858. [PMID: 32997444 PMCID: PMC7749512 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.1858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2020] [Revised: 09/08/2020] [Accepted: 09/09/2020] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Childhood adversity may act as a stressor to produce a cascade of neurobiological effects that irreversibly alter neural development, setting the stage for developing psychopathology in adulthood. The catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) Val158Met polymorphism has received much attention as a candidate gene associated with environmental adversity, modifying risk for psychopathology. In this study, we aim to see how gene × brain × environment models give a more integrative understanding of brain modifications that contribute to predicting psychopathology related to childhood adversity. A large nonclinical sample of young adults completed Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), behavioral scores, multimodal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, and genotyping. We utilized graph-based connectivity analysis in morphometric similarity mapping and resting-state functional MRI to investigate brain alterations. Relationships among COMT genotypes, CTQ score, imaging phenotypes, and behavioral scores were identified by multiple regression and mediation effect analysis. Significant main effect of CTQ score was found in anatomic connectivity of orbitofrontal cortex that was an outstanding mediator supporting the relationship between CTQ score and anxiety/harm-avoiding personality. We also noted the main effect of childhood trauma on reorganization of functional connectivity within the language network. Additionally, we found genotype × CTQ score interactions on functional connectivity of the right frontoparietal network as well as anatomic connectivity of motor and limbic regions. Our data demonstrate childhood adversity and COMT genotypes are associated with abnormal brain connectivity, structurally and functionally. Early identification of individuals at risk, assessment of brain abnormality, and cognitive interventions may help to prevent or limit negative outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tian Tian
- Department of Radiology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Jia Li
- Department of Radiology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Guiling Zhang
- Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Jian Wang
- Department of Radiology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Dong Liu
- Department of Radiology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Changhua Wan
- Department of Radiology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Jicheng Fang
- Department of Radiology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Di Wu
- Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Yiran Zhou
- Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Wenzhen Zhu
- Department of Radiology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
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17
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Zareyan S, Zhang H, Wang J, Song W, Hampson E, Abbott D, Diamond A. First Demonstration of Double Dissociation between COMT-Met158 and COMT-Val158 Cognitive Performance When Stressed and When Calmer. Cereb Cortex 2020; 31:1411-1426. [PMID: 33124661 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhaa276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2020] [Revised: 08/27/2020] [Accepted: 08/27/2020] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
We present here the first evidence of the much-predicted double dissociation between the effect of stress on cognitive skills [executive functions (EFs)] dependent on prefrontal cortex (PFC) by catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) genotype. The COMT gene polymorphism with methionine (Met) at codon 158 results in more dopamine (DA) in PFC and generally better EFs, while with valine (Val) at codon 158 the result is less PFC DA and generally poorer EFs. Many have predicted that mild stress, by raising PFC DA levels should aid EFs of COMT-Vals (bringing their PFC DA levels up, closer to optimal) and impair EFs of COMT-Mets (raising their PFC DA levels past optimal). We tested 140 men and women in a within-subject crossover design using extremely mild social evaluative stress. On trials requiring EFs (incongruent trials) of the Flanker/Reverse Flanker task, COMT-Val158 homozygotes performed better when mildly stressed than when calmer, while COMT-Met158 carriers performed worse when mildly stressed. Two other teams previously tried to obtain this, but only found stress impairing EFs of COMT-Mets, not improving EFs of COMT-Vals. Perhaps we found both because we used a much milder stressor. Evidently, the bandwidth for stress having a facilitative effect on EFs is exceedingly narrow.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shahab Zareyan
- Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 2A1, Canada
| | - Haolu Zhang
- Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 2A1, Canada
| | - Juelu Wang
- Basic Neurosciences Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 2A1, Canada
| | - Weihong Song
- Basic Neurosciences Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 2A1, Canada
| | - Elizabeth Hampson
- Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, Department of Psychology, Western University, London, ON N6A 5C2, Canada
| | - David Abbott
- Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 2A1, Canada
| | - Adele Diamond
- Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 2A1, Canada
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18
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Greater activation of the response inhibition network in females compared to males during stop signal task performance. Behav Brain Res 2020; 386:112586. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2020.112586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2019] [Revised: 02/25/2020] [Accepted: 02/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
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19
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Effects of stress on functional connectivity during verbal processing. Brain Imaging Behav 2019; 14:2708-2723. [PMID: 31833016 DOI: 10.1007/s11682-019-00221-5] [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: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Effects of stress on functional connectivity (FC) in specific language processing regions of the brain during verbal fluency tasks were explored. Roles of gender and serotonin transporter gene polymorphisms (5-HTTLPR), associated with stress susceptibility, were also examined to understand their effect. Forty-five healthy volunteers (Mean age: 19.6 ± 1.6 years; 28 females) participated. Functional magnetic resonance imaging was carried out while participants performed letter and category fluency tasks. These tasks were interposed with the Montreal Imaging Stress Test to induce stress or a no-stress control task. Buccal swabs collected were used to genotype for the presence of polymorphisms on the SLC6A4 gene known to contribute to atypical stress responses. Significant variations in strength of FC were noted between several ROIs, including left inferior frontal gyrus and left middle temporal gyrus. Overall, males showed regional increases in FC strength over long and short distances during task under stress. Additionally, variability in effects of stress on task performance was associated with effects of stress on FC. Results suggest that long distance FC may be strengthened to compensate for additional cognitive load of the stressor but that specific short distance functional connections may be strengthened in a gender specific manner. Additionally, FC may serve as a marker for effects of stress on performance. This is the first study exploring stress effects on language tasks with imaging markers. Future studies will need to explore stress susceptible populations and establish the role of FC as a marker, with implications for targeted therapeutic interventions.
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20
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Datta D, Arnsten AFT. Loss of Prefrontal Cortical Higher Cognition with Uncontrollable Stress: Molecular Mechanisms, Changes with Age, and Relevance to Treatment. Brain Sci 2019; 9:brainsci9050113. [PMID: 31108855 PMCID: PMC6562841 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci9050113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2019] [Revised: 05/13/2019] [Accepted: 05/13/2019] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The newly evolved prefrontal cortex (PFC) generates goals for "top-down" control of behavior, thought, and emotion. However, these circuits are especially vulnerable to uncontrollable stress, with powerful, intracellular mechanisms that rapidly take the PFC "off-line." High levels of norepinephrine and dopamine released during stress engage α1-AR and D1R, which activate feedforward calcium-cAMP signaling pathways that open nearby potassium channels to weaken connectivity and reduce PFC cell firing. Sustained weakening with chronic stress leads to atrophy of dendrites and spines. Understanding these signaling events helps to explain the increased susceptibility of the PFC to stress pathology during adolescence, when dopamine expression is increased in the PFC, and with advanced age, when the molecular "brakes" on stress signaling are diminished by loss of phosphodiesterases. These mechanisms have also led to pharmacological treatments for stress-related disorders, including guanfacine treatment of childhood trauma, and prazosin treatment of veterans and civilians with post-traumatic stress disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dibyadeep Datta
- Department Neuroscience, Yale Medical School, New Haven, CT 06510, USA.
| | - Amy F T Arnsten
- Department Neuroscience, Yale Medical School, New Haven, CT 06510, USA.
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21
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Cui L, Wang F, Chang M, Yin Z, Fan G, Song Y, Wei Y, Xu Y, Zhang Y, Tang Y, Gong X, Xu K. Spontaneous Regional Brain Activity in Healthy Individuals is Nonlinearly Modulated by the Interaction of ZNF804A rs1344706 and COMT rs4680 Polymorphisms. Neurosci Bull 2019; 35:735-742. [PMID: 30852803 DOI: 10.1007/s12264-019-00357-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2018] [Accepted: 11/12/2018] [Indexed: 10/27/2022] Open
Abstract
ZNF804A rs1344706 has been identified as one of the risk genes for schizophrenia. However, the neural mechanisms underlying this association are unknown. Given that ZNF804A upregulates the expression of COMT, we hypothesized that ZNF804A may influence brain activity by interacting with COMT. Here, we genotyped ZNF804A rs1344706 and COMT rs4680 in 218 healthy Chinese participants. Amplitudes of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFFs) were applied to analyze the main and interaction effects of ZNF804A rs1344706 and COMT rs4680. The ALFFs of the bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex showed a significant ZNF804A rs1344706 × COMT rs4680 interaction, manifesting as a U-shaped modulation, presumably by dopamine signaling. Significant main effects were also found. These findings suggest that ZNF804A affects the resting-state functional activation by interacting with COMT, and may improve our understanding of the neurobiological effects of ZNF804A and its association with schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingling Cui
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001, China.,State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering and Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Contemporary Anthropology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Fei Wang
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001, China.,Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001, China.,Brain Function Research Section, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001, China
| | - Miao Chang
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001, China.,Brain Function Research Section, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001, China
| | - Zhiyang Yin
- Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001, China.,Brain Function Research Section, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001, China
| | - Guoguang Fan
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001, China
| | - Yanzhuo Song
- Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001, China.,Brain Function Research Section, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001, China
| | - Yange Wei
- Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001, China.,Brain Function Research Section, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001, China
| | - Yixiao Xu
- Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001, China.,Brain Function Research Section, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001, China
| | - Yifan Zhang
- Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001, China.,Brain Function Research Section, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001, China
| | - Yanqing Tang
- Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001, China. .,Brain Function Research Section, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001, China. .,Department of Geriatrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001, China.
| | - Xiaohong Gong
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering and Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Contemporary Anthropology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, China.
| | - Ke Xu
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001, China.
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22
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Datta D, Arnsten AF. Unique Molecular Regulation of Higher-Order Prefrontal Cortical Circuits: Insights into the Neurobiology of Schizophrenia. ACS Chem Neurosci 2018; 9:2127-2145. [PMID: 29470055 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.7b00505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Schizophrenia is associated with core deficits in cognitive abilities and impaired functioning of the newly evolved prefrontal association cortex (PFC). In particular, neuropathological studies of schizophrenia have found selective atrophy of the pyramidal cell microcircuits in deep layer III of the dorsolateral PFC (dlPFC) and compensatory weakening of related GABAergic interneurons. Studies in monkeys have shown that recurrent excitation in these layer III microcircuits generates the precisely patterned, persistent firing needed for working memory and abstract thought. Importantly, excitatory synapses on layer III spines are uniquely regulated at the molecular level in ways that may render them particularly vulnerable to genetic and/or environmental insults. Glutamate actions are remarkably dependent on cholinergic stimulation, and there are inherent mechanisms to rapidly weaken connectivity, e.g. during stress. In particular, feedforward cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP)-calcium signaling rapidly weakens network connectivity and neuronal firing by opening nearby potassium channels. Many mechanisms that regulate this process are altered in schizophrenia and/or associated with genetic insults. Current data suggest that there are "dual hits" to layer III dlPFC circuits: initial insults to connectivity during the perinatal period due to genetic errors and/or inflammatory insults that predispose the cortex to atrophy, followed by a second wave of cortical loss during adolescence, e.g. driven by stress, at the descent into illness. The unique molecular regulation of layer III circuits may provide a nexus where inflammation disinhibits the neuronal response to stress. Understanding these mechanisms may help to illuminate dlPFC susceptibility in schizophrenia and provide insights for novel therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dibyadeep Datta
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06510, United States
| | - Amy F.T. Arnsten
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06510, United States
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23
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Wang Y, Zhu Y, Chen P, Yan F, Chen S, Li G, Hu X, Wang L, Yang Z. Neuroticism is associated with altered resting-state functional connectivity of amygdala following acute stress exposure. Behav Brain Res 2018; 347:272-280. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2018.03.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2017] [Revised: 03/07/2018] [Accepted: 03/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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24
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Nanni M, Martínez-Soto J, Gonzalez-Santos L, Barrios FA. Neural correlates of the natural observation of an emotionally loaded video. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0198731. [PMID: 29883494 PMCID: PMC5993250 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0198731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2017] [Accepted: 05/24/2018] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Studies based on a paradigm of free or natural viewing have revealed characteristics that allow us to know how the brain processes stimuli within a natural environment. This method has been little used to study brain function. With a connectivity approach, we examine the processing of emotions using an exploratory method to analyze functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data. This research describes our approach to modeling stress paradigms suitable for neuroimaging environments. We showed a short film (4.54 minutes) with high negative emotional valence and high arousal content to 24 healthy male subjects (36.42 years old; SD = 12.14) during fMRI. Independent component analysis (ICA) was used to identify networks based on spatial statistical independence. Through this analysis we identified the sensorimotor system and its influence on the dorsal attention and default-mode networks, which in turn have reciprocal activity and modulate networks described as emotional.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melanni Nanni
- Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Instituto de Neurobiología, Querétaro, México
| | - Joel Martínez-Soto
- Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Instituto de Neurobiología, Querétaro, México
- Department of Psychology, Universidad de Guanajuato, León, Guanajuato, México
| | | | - Fernando A. Barrios
- Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Instituto de Neurobiología, Querétaro, México
- * E-mail:
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25
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Sympathetic arousal, but not disturbed executive functioning, mediates the impairment of cognitive flexibility under stress. Cognition 2018; 174:94-102. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2018.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2017] [Revised: 01/31/2018] [Accepted: 02/06/2018] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
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26
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Crum AJ, Akinola M, Turnwald BP, Kaptchuk TJ, Hall KT. Catechol-O-Methyltransferase moderates effect of stress mindset on affect and cognition. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0195883. [PMID: 29677196 PMCID: PMC5909917 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0195883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2017] [Accepted: 03/30/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
There is evidence that altering stress mindset-the belief that stress is enhancing vs. debilitating-can change cognitive, affective and physiological responses to stress. However individual differences in responsiveness to stress mindset manipulations have not been explored. Given the previously established role of catecholamines in both placebo effects and stress, we hypothesized that genetic variation in catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT), an enzyme that metabolizes catecholamines, would moderate responses to an intervention intended to alter participants' mindsets about stress. Participants (N = 107) were exposed to a stress mindset manipulation (videos highlighting either the enhancing or debilitating effects of stress) prior to engaging in a Trier Social Stress task and subsequent cognitive tasks. The associations of the COMT rs4680 polymorphism with the effect of stress mindset video manipulations on cognitive and affective responses were examined. Genetic variation at rs4680 modified the effects of stress mindset on affective and cognitive responses to stress. Individuals homozygous for rs4680 low-activity allele (met/met) were responsive to the stress-is-enhancing mindset manipulation as indicated by greater increases in positive affect, improved cognitive functioning, and happiness bias in response to stress. Conversely, individuals homozygous for the high-activity allele (val/val) were not as responsive to the stress mindset manipulation. These results suggest that responses to stress mindset intervention may vary with COMT genotype. These findings contribute to the understanding of gene by environment interactions for mindset interventions and stress reactivity and therefore warrant further investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alia J. Crum
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States of America
| | - Modupe Akinola
- Columbia Business School, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Bradley P. Turnwald
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States of America
| | - Ted J. Kaptchuk
- Division of General Medicine and Primary Care, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States of America
- Program in Placebo Studies, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Kathryn T. Hall
- Program in Placebo Studies, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States of America
- Division of Preventive Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States of America
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27
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Multilocus genetic profile in dopaminergic pathway modulates the striatum and working memory. Sci Rep 2018; 8:5372. [PMID: 29599495 PMCID: PMC5876382 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-23191-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2017] [Accepted: 03/06/2018] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Dopamine is critical in pathophysiology and therapy of schizophrenia. Many studies have reported altered dopaminergic activity in the dorsal but not ventral striatum in schizophrenia. Based on the largest genome-wide association study of schizophrenia to date, we calculated the polygenic risk score (PGRS) of each subject in a healthy general group, including all variations in the set of functionally related genes involved in dopamine neurotransmitter system. We aimed to test whether the genetic variations in the dopaminergic pathway that have been identified as associated with schizophrenia are related to the function of the striatum and to working memory. We found that a higher PGRS was significantly associated with impairment in working memory. Moreover, resting-state functional connectivity analysis revealed that as the polygenic risk score increased, the connections between left putamen and caudate and the default mode network grew stronger, while the connections with the fronto-parietal network grew weaker. Our findings may shed light on the biological mechanism underlying the “dopamine hypothesis” of schizophrenia and provide some implications regarding the polygenic effects on the dopaminergic activity in the risk for schizophrenia.
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28
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Solianik R, Sujeta A. Two-day fasting evokes stress, but does not affect mood, brain activity, cognitive, psychomotor, and motor performance in overweight women. Behav Brain Res 2018; 338:166-172. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2017.10.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2017] [Revised: 10/07/2017] [Accepted: 10/24/2017] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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29
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Hernaus D, Quaedflieg CWEM, Offermann JS, Casales Santa MM, van Amelsvoort T. Neuroendocrine stress responses predict catecholamine-dependent working memory-related dorsolateral prefrontal cortex activity. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2018; 13:114-123. [PMID: 29087511 PMCID: PMC5793733 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsx122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2017] [Revised: 08/28/2017] [Accepted: 10/16/2017] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
It is generally thought that the effect of acute stress on higher-order functions such as working memory is, for an important part, mediated by central catecholamine activity. However, little is known about the association between neuroendocrine stress responses and catecholamine-dependent working memory-related brain function in the absence of stress. Here, we investigate for the first time in healthy humans (n = 18) how neuroendocrine responses to stress (cortisol and alpha-amylase) relate to fronto-parietal working memory activity changes in response to atomoxetine, a noradrenaline transporter inhibitor that selectively increases extracellular cortical dopamine and noradrenaline. We observed positive correlations between stress-induced cortisol (Pearson's r = 0.75, P < 0.001) and alpha amylase (r = 0.69, P = 0.02) increases and catecholamine-dependent working memory-related activity in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Stress-induced cortisol increases furthermore correlated with supramarginal gyrus working memory-related activity (r = 0.79, P < 0.001). Comparing high vs low stress responders revealed that these correlations were driven by decreased working memory activity on placebo and greater working memory activity increases following atomoxetine in high stress responders. These results further corroborate the notion that neuroendocrine responses to stress are an informative proxy of catecholamine function relevant to higher order functions and provide novel hints on the complex relationship between acute stress, catecholamine function and working memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dennis Hernaus
- Department of Psychiatry, Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Conny W E M Quaedflieg
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, Institute for Psychology, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Jan Stefan Offermann
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, South Limburg Mental Health Research and Teaching Network, EURON, School for Mental Health and NeuroScience MHeNS Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Marta M Casales Santa
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, South Limburg Mental Health Research and Teaching Network, EURON, School for Mental Health and NeuroScience MHeNS Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Thérèse van Amelsvoort
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, South Limburg Mental Health Research and Teaching Network, EURON, School for Mental Health and NeuroScience MHeNS Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
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30
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Dynamic Shifts in Large-Scale Brain Network Balance As a Function of Arousal. J Neurosci 2017; 37:281-290. [PMID: 28077708 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1759-16.2016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2016] [Revised: 09/13/2016] [Accepted: 09/16/2016] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability to temporarily prioritize rapid and vigilant reactions over slower higher-order cognitive functions is essential for adaptive responding to threat. This reprioritization is believed to reflect shifts in resource allocation between large-scale brain networks that support these cognitive functions, including the salience and executive control networks. However, how changes in communication within and between such networks dynamically unfold as a function of threat-related arousal remains unknown. To address this issue, we collected functional MRI data and continuously assessed the heart rate from 120 healthy human adults as they viewed emotionally arousing and ecologically valid cinematographic material. We then developed an analysis method that tracks dynamic changes in large-scale network cohesion by quantifying the level of within-network and between-network interaction. We found a monotonically increasing relationship between heart rate, a physiological index of arousal, and within-network cohesion in the salience network, indicating that coordination of activity within the salience network dynamically tracks arousal. Strikingly, salience-executive control between-network cohesion peaked at moderate arousal. These findings indicate that at moderate arousal, which has been associated with optimal noradrenergic signaling, the salience network is optimally able to engage the executive control network to coordinate cognitive activity, but is unable to do so at tonically elevated noradrenergic levels associated with acute stress. Our findings extend neurophysiological models of the effects of stress-related neuromodulatory signaling at the cellular level to large-scale neural systems, and thereby explain shifts in cognitive functioning during acute stress, which may play an important role in the development and maintenance of stress-related mental disorders. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT How does brain functioning change in arousing or stressful situations? Extant literature suggests that through global projections, arousal-related neuromodulatory changes can rapidly alter coordination of neural activity across brain-wide neural systems or large-scale networks. Since it is unknown how such processes unfold, we developed a method to dynamically track levels of within-network and between-network interaction. We applied this technique to human neuroimaging data acquired while participants watched realistic and emotionally arousing cinematographic material. Results demonstrate that cohesion within the salience network monotonically increases with arousal, while cohesion of this network with the executive control network peaks at moderate arousal. Our findings explain how cognitive performance shifts as a function of arousal, and provide new insights into vulnerability for stress-related psychopathology.
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Blair C, Berry DJ. Moderate within-person variability in cortisol is related to executive function in early childhood. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2017; 81:88-95. [PMID: 28433801 PMCID: PMC5502684 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2017.03.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2017] [Revised: 03/23/2017] [Accepted: 03/29/2017] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Lab-based experimental studies with humans and in animal models demonstrate that the relation between glucocorticoid (GC) levels and performance on measures of higher-order cognitive ability such as executive function (EF) is best described by an inverted U-shape curve. Moderate levels of GCs (cortisol/corticosterone) are associated with comparatively better performance relative to GC levels that are particularly high or low. Although findings from experimental studies are definitive and have high internal validity, the external validity of this association as an aspect of children's development is unknown. Here we analyze data from the Family Life Project (N=1292), a prospective longitudinal sample of children and families in predominantly low-income and rural communities followed longitudinally from infancy through age 60 months. Consistent with the prior experimental literature, we found evidence of an inverted-U relation. For children with relatively low cortisol levels, on average, between the ages 7, 15, 24, and 48 months, those illustrating moderate fluctuations in their cortisol levels over this span tended to show subsequently better EF performance at 60 months, than did children with either highly stable or highly variable temporal profiles. This curvilinear function did not extend to children whose cortisol levels were high, on average. These children tended to show lower EF performance, irrespective the stability of their cortisol levels over time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clancy Blair
- Department of Applied Psychology, New York University, 246 Greene Street, Kimball Hall, New York, NY, 10012, United States.
| | - Daniel J Berry
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, 51 E River Road, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, United States
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32
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Gong L, He C, Yin Y, Ye Q, Bai F, Yuan Y, Zhang H, Lv L, Zhang H, Zhang Z, Xie C. Nonlinear modulation of interacting between COMT and depression on brain function. Eur Psychiatry 2017; 45:6-13. [PMID: 28728097 DOI: 10.1016/j.eurpsy.2017.05.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2017] [Revised: 04/27/2017] [Accepted: 05/20/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene is related to dopamine degradation and has been suggested to be involved in the pathogenesis of major depressive disorder (MDD). However, how this gene affects brain function properties in MDD is still unclear. METHODS Fifty patients with MDD and 35 cognitively normal participants underwent a resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging scan. A voxelwise and data-drive global functional connectivity density (gFCD) analysis was used to investigate the main effects and the interactions of disease states and COMT rs4680 gene polymorphism on brain function. RESULTS We found significant group differences of the gFCD in bilateral fusiform area (FFA), post-central and pre-central cortex, left superior temporal gyrus (STG), rectal and superior temporal gyrus and right ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (vlPFC); abnormal gFCDs in left STG were positively correlated with severity of depression in MDD group. Significant disease×COMT interaction effects were found in the bilateral calcarine gyrus, right vlPFC, hippocampus and thalamus, and left SFG and FFA. Further post-hoc tests showed a nonlinear modulation effect of COMT on gFCD in the development of MDD. Interestingly, an inverted U-shaped modulation was found in the prefrontal cortex (control system) but U-shaped modulations were found in the hippocampus, thalamus and occipital cortex (processing system). CONCLUSION Our study demonstrated nonlinear modulation of the interaction between COMT and depression on brain function. These findings expand our understanding of the COMT effect underlying the pathophysiology of MDD.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Gong
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated ZhongDa Hospital, School of Medicine, Southeast University, No. 87, DingJiaQiao Road, Nanjing, 210009 Jiangsu, PR China
| | - C He
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated ZhongDa Hospital, School of Medicine, Southeast University, No. 87, DingJiaQiao Road, Nanjing, 210009 Jiangsu, PR China
| | - Y Yin
- Department of Psychology, Affiliated ZhongDa Hospital, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009 Jiangsu, China
| | - Q Ye
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated ZhongDa Hospital, School of Medicine, Southeast University, No. 87, DingJiaQiao Road, Nanjing, 210009 Jiangsu, PR China
| | - F Bai
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated ZhongDa Hospital, School of Medicine, Southeast University, No. 87, DingJiaQiao Road, Nanjing, 210009 Jiangsu, PR China; Neuropsychiatric Institute, Affiliated ZhongDa Hospital, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009 Jiangsu, China
| | - Y Yuan
- Department of Psychology, Affiliated ZhongDa Hospital, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009 Jiangsu, China; Neuropsychiatric Institute, Affiliated ZhongDa Hospital, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009 Jiangsu, China
| | - H Zhang
- Department of Psychiatry, Henan Mental Hospital, the Second Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, 453002 Henan, China
| | - L Lv
- Department of Psychiatry, Henan Mental Hospital, the Second Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, 453002 Henan, China
| | - H Zhang
- Department of Psychiatry, Henan Mental Hospital, the Second Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, 453002 Henan, China
| | - Z Zhang
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated ZhongDa Hospital, School of Medicine, Southeast University, No. 87, DingJiaQiao Road, Nanjing, 210009 Jiangsu, PR China; Neuropsychiatric Institute, Affiliated ZhongDa Hospital, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009 Jiangsu, China
| | - C Xie
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated ZhongDa Hospital, School of Medicine, Southeast University, No. 87, DingJiaQiao Road, Nanjing, 210009 Jiangsu, PR China; Neuropsychiatric Institute, Affiliated ZhongDa Hospital, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009 Jiangsu, China.
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33
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Porcelli AJ, Delgado MR. Stress and Decision Making: Effects on Valuation, Learning, and Risk-taking. Curr Opin Behav Sci 2017; 14:33-39. [PMID: 28044144 PMCID: PMC5201132 DOI: 10.1016/j.cobeha.2016.11.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
A wide range of stressful experiences can influence human decision making in complex ways beyond the simple predictions of a fight-or-flight model. Recent advances may provide insight into this complicated interaction, potentially in directions that could result in translational applications. Early research suggests that stress exposure influences basic neural circuits involved in reward processing and learning, while also biasing decisions towards habit and modulating our propensity to engage in risk-taking. That said, a substantial array of theoretical and methodological considerations in research on the topic challenge strong cross study comparisons necessary for the field to move forward. In this review we examine the multifaceted stress construct in the context of human decision making, emphasizing stress' effect on valuation, learning, and risk-taking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony J Porcelli
- Department of Psychology, Marquette University, PO, BOX 1881, Milwaukee, WI 53201
| | - Mauricio R Delgado
- Department of Psychology, Rutgers University, 101 Warren Street, Smith Hall -Room 340, Newark, NJ 07102
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34
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Archer JA, Lee A, Qiu A, Annabel Chen SH. Functional connectivity of resting-state, working memory and inhibition networks in perceived stress. Neurobiol Stress 2017; 8:186-201. [PMID: 29888313 PMCID: PMC5991324 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2017.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2015] [Revised: 09/26/2016] [Accepted: 01/25/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Experimental imaging studies on the effects of acute stress have revealed functional changes in the amygdalae, hippocampi and medial frontal cortices. However, much less is known about the association between perceived stress and neurological function which may have implications for the development of stress related disorders. Participants completed a working-memory task and an inhibition task whilst undergoing a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scan. Task related and resting-state fMRI data from 22 women and 24 men were analysed to investigate changes in task activations and functional connectivity associated with perceived stress over the past month. Analyses were stratified by gender due to gender differences in the stress response. Stress was associated with faster working memory response time in women, but not men. Stress was not associated with any differences in task activations in either gender. There were many significant associations between stress and connectivity: findings in women were consistent with increased emotional regulation; men exhibited decreases in connectivity between affective processing areas during the tasks and showed no relation between perceived stress and resting-state connectivity; very few of the within gender differences were significantly different between gender. Dysregulated connectivity between areas involved in the neural stress response and self-referential thoughts (e.g. the default mode network) suggests that perceived stress may have a subtle impact on cognitive processing and neural correlates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jo A Archer
- Division of Psychology, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Annie Lee
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Anqi Qiu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.,Clinical Imaging Research Centre, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.,Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, The Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Shen-Hsing Annabel Chen
- Division of Psychology, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore.,Centre for Research and Development in Learning, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore.,Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine (LKCMedicine), Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
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35
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ZNF804A rs1344706 interacts with COMT rs4680 to affect prefrontal volume in healthy adults. Brain Imaging Behav 2017; 12:13-19. [DOI: 10.1007/s11682-016-9671-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
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36
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Howes OD, McCutcheon R, Owen MJ, Murray RM. The Role of Genes, Stress, and Dopamine in the Development of Schizophrenia. Biol Psychiatry 2017; 81:9-20. [PMID: 27720198 PMCID: PMC5675052 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2016.07.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 326] [Impact Index Per Article: 46.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2015] [Revised: 07/08/2016] [Accepted: 07/10/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The dopamine hypothesis is the longest standing pathoetiologic theory of schizophrenia. Because it was initially based on indirect evidence and findings in patients with established schizophrenia, it was unclear what role dopamine played in the onset of the disorder. However, recent studies in people at risk of schizophrenia have found elevated striatal dopamine synthesis capacity and increased dopamine release to stress. Furthermore, striatal dopamine changes have been linked to altered cortical function during cognitive tasks, in line with preclinical evidence that a circuit involving cortical projections to the striatum and midbrain may underlie the striatal dopamine changes. Other studies have shown that a number of environmental risk factors for schizophrenia, such as social isolation and childhood trauma, also affect presynaptic dopaminergic function. Advances in preclinical work and genetics have begun to unravel the molecular architecture linking dopamine, psychosis, and psychosocial stress. Included among the many genes associated with risk of schizophrenia are the gene encoding the dopamine D2 receptor and those involved in the upstream regulation of dopaminergic synthesis, through glutamatergic and gamma-aminobutyric acidergic pathways. A number of these pathways are also linked to the stress response. We review these new lines of evidence and present a model of how genes and environmental factors may sensitize the dopamine system so that it is vulnerable to acute stress, leading to progressive dysregulation and the onset of psychosis. Finally, we consider the implications for rational drug development, in particular regionally selective dopaminergic modulation, and the potential of genetic factors to stratify patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oliver D Howes
- Psychosis Studies, King's College London, London, United Kingdom; MRC Clinical Sciences Centre, Imperial College Hammersmith Hospital, London, United Kingdom.
| | - Robert McCutcheon
- Psychosis Studies, King's College London, London, United Kingdom; MRC Clinical Sciences Centre, Imperial College Hammersmith Hospital, London, United Kingdom
| | - Michael J Owen
- MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, and Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, Cardiff University, Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom
| | - Robin M Murray
- Psychosis Studies, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
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37
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Schwabe L. Memory under stress: from single systems to network changes. Eur J Neurosci 2016; 45:478-489. [PMID: 27862513 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.13478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2016] [Revised: 11/07/2016] [Accepted: 11/07/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Stressful events have profound effects on learning and memory. These effects are mainly mediated by catecholamines and glucocorticoid hormones released from the adrenals during stressful encounters. It has been known for long that both catecholamines and glucocorticoids influence the functioning of the hippocampus, a critical hub for episodic memory. However, areas implicated in other forms of memory, such as the insula or the dorsal striatum, can be affected by stress as well. Beyond changes in single memory systems, acute stress triggers the reconfiguration of large scale neural networks which sets the stage for a shift from thoughtful, 'cognitive' control of learning and memory toward more reflexive, 'habitual' processes. Stress-related alterations in amygdala connectivity with the hippocampus, dorsal striatum, and prefrontal cortex seem to play a key role in this shift. The bias toward systems proficient in threat processing and the implementation of well-established routines may facilitate coping with an acute stressor. Overreliance on these reflexive systems or the inability to shift flexibly between them, however, may represent a risk factor for psychopathology in the long-run.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lars Schwabe
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, Institute of Psychology, University of Hamburg, Von-Melle-Park 5, 20146, Hamburg, Germany
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38
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Xu J, Qin W, Li Q, Li W, Liu F, Liu B, Jiang T, Yu C. Prefrontal Volume Mediates Effect ofCOMTPolymorphism on Interference Resolution Capacity in Healthy Male Adults. Cereb Cortex 2016; 27:5211-5221. [DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhw301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2016] [Accepted: 09/07/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
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39
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Shields GS, Sazma MA, Yonelinas AP. The effects of acute stress on core executive functions: A meta-analysis and comparison with cortisol. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2016; 68:651-668. [PMID: 27371161 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016.06.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 384] [Impact Index Per Article: 48.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2016] [Revised: 06/07/2016] [Accepted: 06/26/2016] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Core executive functions such as working memory, inhibition, and cognitive flexibility are integral to daily life. A growing body of research has suggested that acute stress may impair core executive functions. However, there are a number of inconsistencies in the literature, leading to uncertainty about how or even if acute stress influences core executive functions. We addressed this by conducting a meta-analysis of acute stress effects on working memory, inhibition, and cognitive flexibility. We found that stress impaired working memory and cognitive flexibility, whereas it had nuanced effects on inhibition. Many of these effects were moderated by other variables, such as sex. In addition, we compared effects of acute stress on core executive functions to effects of cortisol administration and found some striking differences. Our findings indicate that stress works through mechanisms aside from or in addition to cortisol to produce a state characterized by more reactive processing of salient stimuli but greater control over actions. We conclude by highlighting some important future directions for stress and executive function research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grant S Shields
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, USA.
| | - Matthew A Sazma
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, USA
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40
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Arnsten AFT, Wang M, Paspalas CD. Dopamine's Actions in Primate Prefrontal Cortex: Challenges for Treating Cognitive Disorders. Pharmacol Rev 2016; 67:681-96. [PMID: 26106146 DOI: 10.1124/pr.115.010512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 106] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The prefrontal cortex (PFC) elaborates and differentiates in primates, and there is a corresponding elaboration in cortical dopamine (DA). DA cells that fire to both aversive and rewarding stimuli likely project to the dorsolateral PFC (dlPFC), signaling a salient event. Since 1979, we have known that DA has an essential influence on dlPFC working memory functions. DA has differing effects via D1 (D1R) versus D2 receptor (D2R) families. D1R are concentrated on dendritic spines, and D1/5R stimulation produces an inverted U-shaped dose response on visuospatial working memory performance and Delay cell firing, the neurons that generate representations of visual space. Optimal levels of D1R stimulation gate out "noise," whereas higher levels, e.g., during stress, suppress Delay cell firing. These effects likely involve hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated channel opening, activation of GABA interneurons, and reduced glutamate release. Dysregulation of D1R has been related to cognitive deficits in schizophrenia, and there is a need for new, lower-affinity D1R agonists that may better mimic endogenous DA to enhance mental representations and improve cognition. In contrast to D1R, D2R are primarily localized on layer V pyramidal cell dendrites, and D2/3R stimulation speeds and magnifies the firing of Response cells, including Response Feedback cells. Altered firing of Feedback neurons may relate to positive symptoms in schizophrenia. Emerging research suggests that DA may have similar effects in the ventrolateral PFC and frontal eye fields. Research on the orbital PFC in monkeys is just beginning and could be a key area for future discoveries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy F T Arnsten
- Department of Neurobiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Min Wang
- Department of Neurobiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
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41
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Bogdan R, Pagliaccio D, Baranger DAA, Hariri AR. Genetic Moderation of Stress Effects on Corticolimbic Circuitry. Neuropsychopharmacology 2016; 41:275-96. [PMID: 26189450 PMCID: PMC4677127 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2015.216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2015] [Revised: 07/09/2015] [Accepted: 07/11/2015] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Stress exposure is associated with individual differences in corticolimbic structure and function that often mirror patterns observed in psychopathology. Gene x environment interaction research suggests that genetic variation moderates the impact of stress on risk for psychopathology. On the basis of these findings, imaging genetics, which attempts to link variability in DNA sequence and structure to neural phenotypes, has begun to incorporate measures of the environment. This research paradigm, known as imaging gene x environment interaction (iGxE), is beginning to contribute to our understanding of the neural mechanisms through which genetic variation and stress increase psychopathology risk. Although awaiting replication, evidence suggests that genetic variation within the canonical neuroendocrine stress hormone system, the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, contributes to variability in stress-related corticolimbic structure and function, which, in turn, confers risk for psychopathology. For iGxE research to reach its full potential it will have to address many challenges, of which we discuss: (i) small effects, (ii) measuring the environment and neural phenotypes, (iii) the absence of detailed mechanisms, and (iv) incorporating development. By actively addressing these challenges, iGxE research is poised to help identify the neural mechanisms underlying genetic and environmental associations with psychopathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan Bogdan
- Department of Psychology, BRAIN Lab, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
- Neurosciences Program, Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - David Pagliaccio
- Neurosciences Program, Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - David AA Baranger
- Department of Psychology, BRAIN Lab, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
- Neurosciences Program, Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Ahmad R Hariri
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Laboratory of NeuroGenetics, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
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Nickl-Jockschat T, Janouschek H, Eickhoff SB, Eickhoff CR. Lack of meta-analytic evidence for an impact of COMT Val158Met genotype on brain activation during working memory tasks. Biol Psychiatry 2015; 78:e43-6. [PMID: 25861704 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2015.02.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2014] [Revised: 02/20/2015] [Accepted: 02/23/2015] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Nickl-Jockschat
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, and Psychosomatics, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany; Juelich-Aachen Research Alliance Brain, Juelich/Aachen, Germany.
| | | | - Simon B Eickhoff
- Department of Neuroscience und Medicine, INM-1, Research Center Jülich, Germany; Institute of Clinical Neuroscience and Medical Psychology, Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Claudia R Eickhoff
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, and Psychosomatics, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany; Department of Neuroscience und Medicine, INM-1, Research Center Jülich, Germany
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43
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Blair C, Sulik M, Willoughby M, Mills-Koonce R, Petrill S, Bartlett C, Greenberg M. Catechol-O-methyltransferase Val158met polymorphism interacts with early experience to predict executive functions in early childhood. Dev Psychobiol 2015; 57:833-41. [PMID: 26251232 PMCID: PMC5241672 DOI: 10.1002/dev.21332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2015] [Accepted: 06/26/2015] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Numerous studies demonstrate that the Methionine variant of the catechol-O-methyltransferase Val158Met polymorphism, which confers less efficient catabolism of catecholamines, is associated with increased focal activation of prefrontal cortex (PFC) and higher levels of executive function abilities. By and large, however, studies of COMT Val158Met have been conducted with adult samples and do not account for the context in which development is occurring. Effects of early adversity on stress response physiology and the inverted U shape relating catecholamine levels to neural activity in PFC indicate the need to take into account early experience when considering relations between genes such as COMT and executive cognitive ability. Consistent with this neurobiology, we find in a prospective longitudinal sample of children and families (N = 1292) that COMT Val158Met interacts with early experience to predict executive function abilities in early childhood. Specifically, the Valine variant of the COMT Val158Met polymorphism, which confers more rather than less efficient catabolism of catecholamines is associated with higher executive function abilities at child ages 48 and 60 months and with faster growth of executive function for children experiencing early adversity, as indexed by cumulative risk factors in the home at child ages 7, 15, 24, and 36 months. Findings indicate the importance of the early environment for the relation between catecholamine genes and developmental outcomes and demonstrate that the genetic moderation of environmental risk is detectable in early childhood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clancy Blair
- Department of Applied Psychology, NYU, 246 Greene St, Kimball Hall, 8th floor, New York, NY 10003.
| | - Michael Sulik
- Department of Applied Psychology, NYU, 246 Greene St, Kimball Hall, 8th floor, New York, NY 10003
| | - Michael Willoughby
- Frank Porter Graham Child Development Center, 521 S. Greensboro Street, CB 8185, NC 27599
| | - Roger Mills-Koonce
- Frank Porter Graham Child Development Center, 521 S. Greensboro Street, CB 8185, NC 27599
| | - Stephen Petrill
- Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University, 1835 Neil Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210
| | - Christopher Bartlett
- The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital & The Ohio State University, 575 Children's Crossroad WB5149, Columbus, OH 43215
| | - Mark Greenberg
- Department of HDFS, 110 Henderson South, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802
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Arnsten AFT. Stress weakens prefrontal networks: molecular insults to higher cognition. Nat Neurosci 2015; 18:1376-85. [PMID: 26404712 DOI: 10.1038/nn.4087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 418] [Impact Index Per Article: 46.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2015] [Accepted: 07/15/2015] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
A variety of cognitive disorders are worsened by stress exposure and involve dysfunction of the newly evolved prefrontal cortex (PFC). Exposure to acute, uncontrollable stress increases catecholamine release in PFC, reducing neuronal firing and impairing cognitive abilities. High levels of noradrenergic α1-adrenoceptor and dopaminergic D1 receptor stimulation activate feedforward calcium-protein kinase C and cyclic AMP-protein kinase A signaling, which open potassium channels to weaken synaptic efficacy in spines. In contrast, high levels of catecholamines strengthen the primary sensory cortices, amygdala and striatum, rapidly flipping the brain from reflective to reflexive control of behavior. These mechanisms are exaggerated by chronic stress exposure, where architectural changes lead to persistent loss of PFC function. Understanding these mechanisms has led to the successful translation of prazosin and guanfacine for treating stress-related disorders. Dysregulation of stress signaling pathways by genetic insults likely contributes to PFC deficits in schizophrenia, while age-related insults initiate interacting vicious cycles that increase vulnerability to Alzheimer's degeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy F T Arnsten
- Department of Neurobiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
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Israel M, Klein M, Pruessner J, Thaler L, Spilka M, Efanov S, Ouellette AS, Berlim M, Ali N, Beaudry T, Van den Eynde F, Walker CD, Steiger H. n-back task performance and corresponding brain-activation patterns in women with restrictive and bulimic eating-disorder variants: preliminary findings. Psychiatry Res 2015; 232:84-91. [PMID: 25707581 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2015.01.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2014] [Revised: 09/28/2014] [Accepted: 01/27/2015] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Eating disorder (ED) variants characterized by "binge-eating/purging" symptoms differ from "restricting-only" variants along diverse clinical dimensions, but few studies have compared people with these different eating-disorder phenotypes on measures of neurocognitive function and brain activation. We tested the performances of 19 women with "restricting-only" eating syndromes and 27 with "binge-eating/purging" variants on a modified n-back task, and used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to examine task-induced brain activations in frontal regions of interest. When compared with "binge-eating/purging" participants, "restricting-only" participants showed superior performance. Furthermore, in an intermediate-demand condition, "binge-eating/purging" participants showed significantly less event-related activation than did "restricting-only" participants in a right posterior prefrontal region spanning Brodmann areas 6-8-a region that has been linked to planning of motor responses, working memory for sequential information, and management of uncertainty. Our findings suggest that working memory is poorer in eating-disordered individuals with binge-eating/purging behaviors than in those who solely restrict food intake, and that observed performance differences coincide with interpretable group-based activation differences in a frontal region thought to subserve planning and decision making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mimi Israel
- Eating Disorders Program, Douglas University Institute, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; McGill University, Psychiatry Department, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Research Centre, Douglas University Institute, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
| | - Michael Klein
- McGill University, Department of Psychology, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Montreal Neurological Institute, Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Jens Pruessner
- McGill University, Psychiatry Department, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Research Centre, Douglas University Institute, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Lea Thaler
- Eating Disorders Program, Douglas University Institute, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; McGill University, Psychiatry Department, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Research Centre, Douglas University Institute, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Michael Spilka
- Eating Disorders Program, Douglas University Institute, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Research Centre, Douglas University Institute, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Simona Efanov
- Eating Disorders Program, Douglas University Institute, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Research Centre, Douglas University Institute, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Anne-Sophie Ouellette
- Eating Disorders Program, Douglas University Institute, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Research Centre, Douglas University Institute, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Marcelo Berlim
- Eating Disorders Program, Douglas University Institute, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; McGill University, Psychiatry Department, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Research Centre, Douglas University Institute, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Nida Ali
- McGill University, Psychiatry Department, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Research Centre, Douglas University Institute, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Thomas Beaudry
- McGill University, Psychiatry Department, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Research Centre, Douglas University Institute, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Frederique Van den Eynde
- Eating Disorders Program, Douglas University Institute, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; McGill University, Psychiatry Department, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Research Centre, Douglas University Institute, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Claire-Dominique Walker
- McGill University, Psychiatry Department, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Research Centre, Douglas University Institute, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Howard Steiger
- Eating Disorders Program, Douglas University Institute, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; McGill University, Psychiatry Department, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Research Centre, Douglas University Institute, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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The Effects of Stress Exposure on Prefrontal Cortex: Translating Basic Research into Successful Treatments for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Neurobiol Stress 2015; 1:89-99. [PMID: 25436222 PMCID: PMC4244027 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2014.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 188] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Research on the neurobiology of the stress response in animals has led to successful new treatments for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in humans. Basic research has found that high levels of catecholamine release during stress rapidly impair the top-down cognitive functions of the prefrontal cortex (PFC), while strengthening the emotional and habitual responses of the amygdala and basal ganglia. Chronic stress exposure leads to dendritic atrophy in PFC, dendritic extension in the amygdala, and strengthening of the noradrenergic (NE) system. High levels of NE release during stress engage low affinity alpha-1 adrenoceptors, (and likely beta-1 adrenoceptors), which rapidly reduce the firing of PFC neurons, but strengthen amygdala function. In contrast, moderate levels of NE release during nonstress conditions engage higher affinity alpha-2A receptors, which strengthen PFC, weaken amygdala, and regulate NE cell firing. Thus, either alpha-1 receptor blockade or alpha-2A receptor stimulation can protect PFC function during stress. Patients with PTSD have signs of PFC dysfunction. Clinical studies have found that blocking alpha-1 receptors with prazosin, or stimulating alpha-2A receptors with guanfacine or clonidine can be useful in reducing the symptoms of PTSD. Placebo-controlled trials have shown that prazosin is helpful in veterans, active duty soldiers and civilians with PTSD, including improvement of PFC symptoms such as impaired concentration and impulse control. Open label studies suggest that guanfacine may be especially helpful in treating children and adolescents who have experienced trauma. Thus, understanding the neurobiology of the stress response has begun to help patients with stress disorders. Research in animals has revealed how prefrontal cortex goes “off-line” during stress. Prefrontal cortical function is protected by α2A-, but impaired by α1-adrenoceptors. Based on this research, α1 blockers and α2A agonists are now in use to treat PTSD.
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Dolcos F, Wang L, Mather M. Current research and emerging directions in emotion-cognition interactions. Front Integr Neurosci 2014; 8:83. [PMID: 25426034 PMCID: PMC4227476 DOI: 10.3389/fnint.2014.00083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2014] [Accepted: 10/06/2014] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Florin Dolcos
- Psychology Department, Neuroscience Program, and Beckman Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Lihong Wang
- Brain Imaging and Analysis Center, Duke University Durham, NC, USA
| | - Mara Mather
- Davis School of Gerontology and Department of Psychology, University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Oda M, Yoshino K, Tanaka T, Shiiba S, Makihara E, Miyamoto I, Nogami S, Kito S, Wakasugi-Sato N, Matsumoto-Takeda S, Nishimura S, Murakami K, Koga M, Kawagishi S, Yoshioka I, Masumi SI, Kimura M, Morimoto Y. Identification and adjustment of experimental occlusal interference using functional magnetic resonance imaging. BMC Oral Health 2014; 14:124. [PMID: 25304016 PMCID: PMC4200220 DOI: 10.1186/1472-6831-14-124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2014] [Accepted: 10/01/2014] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The purpose of this study was to use functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to quantify changes in brain activity during experimental occlusal interference. METHODS Fourteen healthy volunteers performed a rhythmical tapping occlusion task with experimental occlusal interference of the right molar tooth at 0 mm (no occlusion), 0.5 mm, and 0.75 mm. The blood-oxygen-level dependent (BOLD) signal was quantified using statistical parametric mapping and compared between rest periods and task periods. RESULTS In tapping tasks with experimental occlusal interference of 0.75 mm or 0.5 mm, there was clear activation of the contralateral teeth-related primary sensory cortex and Brodmann's area 46. At 0 and 30 minutes after removal of the experimental occlusal interference, the activation clearly appeared in the bilateral teeth-related primary sensory cortices and Brodmann's area 46. At 60 minutes after the removal of the experimental occlusal interference, the activation of Brodmann's area 46 had disappeared, and only the bilateral teeth-related primary sensory cortices were active. CONCLUSIONS The present results suggest that adjustments for experimental occlusal interference can be objectively evaluated using fMRI. We expect that this method of evaluating adjustments in occlusal interference, combined with fMRI and the tapping task, could be applied clinically in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Yasuhiro Morimoto
- Division of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, Kyushu Dental University, Kitakyushu, Japan.
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Hermans EJ, Henckens MJ, Joëls M, Fernández G. Dynamic adaptation of large-scale brain networks in response to acute stressors. Trends Neurosci 2014; 37:304-14. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2014.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 419] [Impact Index Per Article: 41.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2013] [Revised: 03/14/2014] [Accepted: 03/20/2014] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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50
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Rominger C, Weiss EM, Nagl S, Niederstätter H, Parson W, Papousek I. Carriers of the COMT Met/Met allele have higher degrees of hypnotizability, provided that they have good attentional control: a case of gene-trait interaction. Int J Clin Exp Hypn 2014; 62:455-82. [PMID: 25084618 DOI: 10.1080/00207144.2014.931177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Genetic factors may explain part of the interindividual variability in hypnotizability. A new avenue that may provide more comprehensive understanding of the phenotypic effects of genetic variations is the study of gene-trait interaction. In this study, the authors investigate the relationship of the dopamine-related COMT and the serotonin-related 5-HTTLPR polymorphisms to hypnotizability by taking individual differences in executive attention into account. Homozygosity for the COMT Met allele, putatively linked to the capability or proneness to dissociate from reality, was associated with high hypnotizability only if paired with high-attention ability. The finding can be integrated into hypnosis theory and represents a case of gene-trait interaction suggesting that investigating the effects of a gene in the context of relevant psychological traits may further elucidate gene-brain-behavior relationships.
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