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Laing PAF, Vervliet B, Dunsmoor JE, Harrison BJ. Pavlovian safety learning: An integrative theoretical review. Psychon Bull Rev 2024:10.3758/s13423-024-02559-4. [PMID: 39167292 DOI: 10.3758/s13423-024-02559-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/22/2024] [Indexed: 08/23/2024]
Abstract
Safety learning involves associating stimuli with the absence of threats, enabling the inhibition of fear and anxiety. Despite growing interest in psychology, psychiatry, and neuroscience, safety learning lacks a formal consensus definition, leading to inconsistent methodologies and varied results. Conceptualized as a form of inhibitory learning (conditioned inhibition), safety learning can be understood through formal learning theories, such as the Rescorla-Wagner and Pearce-Hall models. This review aims to establish a principled conceptualization of 'Pavlovian safety learning', identifying cognitive mechanisms that generate safety and the boundary conditions that constrain it. Based on these observations, we define Pavlovian safety learning as an active associative process, where surprising threat-omission (safety prediction error) acts as a salient reinforcing event. Instead of producing merely neutral or nonaversive states, safety learning endows stimuli with active positive associations to 'safety'. The resulting stimulus-safety memories counteract the influence of fear memories, promoting fear regulation, positive affect, and relief. We critically analyze traditional criteria of conditioned inhibition for their relevance to safety and propose areas for future innovation. A principled concept of Pavlovian safety learning may reduce methodological inconsistencies, stimulate translational research, and facilitate a comprehensive understanding of an indispensable psychological construct.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick A F Laing
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Dell Medical School, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA.
- Institute for Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA.
| | - Bram Vervliet
- Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Joseph E Dunsmoor
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Dell Medical School, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
- Institute for Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Ben J Harrison
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
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2
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Burwell SC, Yan H, Lim SS, Shields BC, Tadross MR. Natural phasic inhibition of dopamine neurons signals cognitive rigidity. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.09.593320. [PMID: 38766037 PMCID: PMC11100816 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.09.593320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
When animals unexpectedly fail, their dopamine neurons undergo phasic inhibition that canonically drives extinction learning-a cognitive-flexibility mechanism for discarding outdated strategies. However, the existing evidence equates natural and artificial phasic inhibition, despite their spatiotemporal differences. Addressing this gap, we targeted a GABAA-receptor antagonist precisely to dopamine neurons, yielding three unexpected findings. First, this intervention blocked natural phasic inhibition selectively, leaving tonic activity unaffected. Second, blocking natural phasic inhibition accelerated extinction learning-opposite to canonical mechanisms. Third, our approach selectively benefitted perseverative mice, restoring rapid extinction without affecting new reward learning. Our findings reveal that extinction learning is rapid by default and slowed by natural phasic inhibition-challenging foundational learning theories, while delineating a synaptic mechanism and therapeutic target for cognitive rigidity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sasha C.V. Burwell
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University, Durham, NC
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD
| | - Haidun Yan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, NC
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD
| | - Shaun S.X. Lim
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, NC
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD
| | - Brenda C. Shields
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, NC
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD
| | - Michael R. Tadross
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University, Durham, NC
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, NC
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD
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3
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Hauck A, Michael T, Issler TC, Klein S, Lass-Hennemann J, Ferreira de Sá DS. Can glucose facilitate fear exposure? Randomized, placebo-controlled trials on the effects of glucose administration on fear extinction processes. Behav Res Ther 2024; 178:104553. [PMID: 38728832 DOI: 10.1016/j.brat.2024.104553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2023] [Revised: 04/26/2024] [Accepted: 04/27/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024]
Abstract
Previous studies showed that glucose has beneficial effects on memory function and can enhance contextual fear learning. To derive potential therapeutic interventions, further research is needed regarding the effects of glucose on fear extinction. In two experimental studies with healthy participants (Study 1: N = 68, 39 females; Study 2: N = 89, 67 females), we investigated the effects of glucose on fear extinction learning and its consolidation. Participants completed a differential fear conditioning paradigm consisting of acquisition, extinction, and return of fear tests: reinstatement, and extinction recall. US-expectancy ratings, skin conductance response (SCR), and fear potentiated startle (FPS) were collected. Participants were pseudorandomized and double-blinded to one of two groups: They received either a drink containing glucose or saccharine 20 min before (Study 1) or immediately after extinction (Study 2). The glucose group showed a significantly stronger decrease in differential FPS during extinction (Study 1) and extinction recall (Study 2). Additionally, the glucose group showed a significantly lower contextual anxiety at test of reinstatement (Study 2). Our findings provide first evidence that glucose supports the process of fear extinction, and in particular the consolidation of fear extinction memory, and thus has potential as a beneficial adjuvant to extinction-based treatments. Registered through the German Clinical Trials Registry (https://www.bfarm.de/EN/BfArM/Tasks/German-Clinical-Trials-Register/_node.html; Study 1: DRKS00010550; Study 2: DRKS00018933).
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Hauck
- Division of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Department of Psychology, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Tanja Michael
- Division of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Department of Psychology, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Tobias C Issler
- Division of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Department of Psychology, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Steven Klein
- Division of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Department of Psychology, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Johanna Lass-Hennemann
- Division of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Department of Psychology, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Diana S Ferreira de Sá
- Division of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Department of Psychology, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany.
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4
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Song MR, Lee SW. Rethinking dopamine-guided action sequence learning. Eur J Neurosci 2024; 60:3447-3465. [PMID: 38798086 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.16426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2023] [Revised: 04/21/2024] [Accepted: 05/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
As opposed to those requiring a single action for reward acquisition, tasks necessitating action sequences demand that animals learn action elements and their sequential order and sustain the behaviour until the sequence is completed. With repeated learning, animals not only exhibit precise execution of these sequences but also demonstrate enhanced smoothness and efficiency. Previous research has demonstrated that midbrain dopamine and its major projection target, the striatum, play crucial roles in these processes. Recent studies have shown that dopamine from the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) and the ventral tegmental area (VTA) serve distinct functions in action sequence learning. The distinct contributions of dopamine also depend on the striatal subregions, namely the ventral, dorsomedial and dorsolateral striatum. Here, we have reviewed recent findings on the role of striatal dopamine in action sequence learning, with a focus on recent rodent studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minryung R Song
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, KAIST, Daejeon, South Korea
| | - Sang Wan Lee
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, KAIST, Daejeon, South Korea
- Kim Jaechul Graduate School of AI, KAIST, Daejeon, South Korea
- KI for Health Science and Technology, KAIST, Daejeon, South Korea
- Center for Neuroscience-inspired AI, KAIST, Daejeon, South Korea
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5
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Liu Y, Ye S, Li XN, Li WG. Memory Trace for Fear Extinction: Fragile yet Reinforceable. Neurosci Bull 2024; 40:777-794. [PMID: 37812300 PMCID: PMC11178705 DOI: 10.1007/s12264-023-01129-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2023] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Fear extinction is a biological process in which learned fear behavior diminishes without anticipated reinforcement, allowing the organism to re-adapt to ever-changing situations. Based on the behavioral hypothesis that extinction is new learning and forms an extinction memory, this new memory is more readily forgettable than the original fear memory. The brain's cellular and synaptic traces underpinning this inherently fragile yet reinforceable extinction memory remain unclear. Intriguing questions are about the whereabouts of the engram neurons that emerged during extinction learning and how they constitute a dynamically evolving functional construct that works in concert to store and express the extinction memory. In this review, we discuss recent advances in the engram circuits and their neural connectivity plasticity for fear extinction, aiming to establish a conceptual framework for understanding the dynamic competition between fear and extinction memories in adaptive control of conditioned fear responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Liu
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and Ministry of Education Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Huashan Hospital, Institute for Translational Brain Research, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Shuai Ye
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and Ministry of Education Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Huashan Hospital, Institute for Translational Brain Research, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Xin-Ni Li
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and Ministry of Education Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Huashan Hospital, Institute for Translational Brain Research, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Wei-Guang Li
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and Ministry of Education Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Huashan Hospital, Institute for Translational Brain Research, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
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Chaves T, Török B, Fazekas CL, Correia P, Sipos E, Várkonyi D, Tóth ZE, Dóra F, Dobolyi Á, Zelena D. The Dopaminergic Cells in the Median Raphe Region Regulate Social Behavior in Male Mice. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:4315. [PMID: 38673899 PMCID: PMC11050709 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25084315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2024] [Revised: 04/08/2024] [Accepted: 04/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
According to previous studies, the median raphe region (MRR) is known to contribute significantly to social behavior. Besides serotonin, there have also been reports of a small population of dopaminergic neurons in this region. Dopamine is linked to reward and locomotion, but very little is known about its role in the MRR. To address that, we first confirmed the presence of dopaminergic cells in the MRR of mice (immunohistochemistry, RT-PCR), and then also in humans (RT-PCR) using healthy donor samples to prove translational relevance. Next, we used chemogenetic technology in mice containing the Cre enzyme under the promoter of the dopamine transporter. With the help of an adeno-associated virus, designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs (DREADDs) were expressed in the dopaminergic cells of the MRR to manipulate their activity. Four weeks later, we performed an extensive behavioral characterization 30 min after the injection of the artificial ligand (Clozapine-N-Oxide). Stimulation of the dopaminergic cells in the MRR decreased social interest without influencing aggression and with an increase in social discrimination. Additionally, inhibition of the same cells increased the friendly social behavior during social interaction test. No behavioral changes were detected in anxiety, memory or locomotion. All in all, dopaminergic cells were present in both the mouse and human samples from the MRR, and the manipulation of the dopaminergic neurons in the MRR elicited a specific social response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiago Chaves
- Institute of Physiology, Medical School, Centre for Neuroscience, Szentágothai Research Centre, University of Pécs, H7624 Pécs, Hungary; (T.C.); (B.T.); (C.L.F.); (P.C.); (D.V.)
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Stress Studies, Institute of Experimental Medicine, H1083 Budapest, Hungary;
- János Szentágothai School of Neurosciences, Semmelweis University, H1085 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Bibiána Török
- Institute of Physiology, Medical School, Centre for Neuroscience, Szentágothai Research Centre, University of Pécs, H7624 Pécs, Hungary; (T.C.); (B.T.); (C.L.F.); (P.C.); (D.V.)
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Stress Studies, Institute of Experimental Medicine, H1083 Budapest, Hungary;
- János Szentágothai School of Neurosciences, Semmelweis University, H1085 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Csilla Lea Fazekas
- Institute of Physiology, Medical School, Centre for Neuroscience, Szentágothai Research Centre, University of Pécs, H7624 Pécs, Hungary; (T.C.); (B.T.); (C.L.F.); (P.C.); (D.V.)
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Stress Studies, Institute of Experimental Medicine, H1083 Budapest, Hungary;
- János Szentágothai School of Neurosciences, Semmelweis University, H1085 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Pedro Correia
- Institute of Physiology, Medical School, Centre for Neuroscience, Szentágothai Research Centre, University of Pécs, H7624 Pécs, Hungary; (T.C.); (B.T.); (C.L.F.); (P.C.); (D.V.)
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Stress Studies, Institute of Experimental Medicine, H1083 Budapest, Hungary;
- János Szentágothai School of Neurosciences, Semmelweis University, H1085 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Eszter Sipos
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Stress Studies, Institute of Experimental Medicine, H1083 Budapest, Hungary;
| | - Dorottya Várkonyi
- Institute of Physiology, Medical School, Centre for Neuroscience, Szentágothai Research Centre, University of Pécs, H7624 Pécs, Hungary; (T.C.); (B.T.); (C.L.F.); (P.C.); (D.V.)
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Stress Studies, Institute of Experimental Medicine, H1083 Budapest, Hungary;
| | - Zsuzsanna E. Tóth
- Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology and in Situ Hybridization, Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Semmelweis University, H1094 Budapest, Hungary;
| | - Fanni Dóra
- Human Brain Tissue Bank, Laboratory of Neuromorphology, Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Semmelweis University, H1094 Budapest, Hungary;
| | - Árpád Dobolyi
- Laboratory of Molecular and Systems Neurobiology, Department of Physiology and Neurobiology, Eötvös Loránd University, H1117 Budapest, Hungary;
| | - Dóra Zelena
- Institute of Physiology, Medical School, Centre for Neuroscience, Szentágothai Research Centre, University of Pécs, H7624 Pécs, Hungary; (T.C.); (B.T.); (C.L.F.); (P.C.); (D.V.)
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Stress Studies, Institute of Experimental Medicine, H1083 Budapest, Hungary;
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7
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Bogdańska-Chomczyk E, Równiak M, Huang ACW, Kozłowska A. Parvalbumin interneuron deficiency in the prefrontal and motor cortices of spontaneously hypertensive rats: an attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder animal model insight. Front Psychiatry 2024; 15:1359237. [PMID: 38600979 PMCID: PMC11005678 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1359237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is characterized by impairments in developmental-behavioral inhibition, resulting in impulsivity and hyperactivity. Recent research has underscored cortical inhibition deficiencies in ADHD via the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic system, which is crucial for maintaining excitatory-inhibitory balance in the brain. This study explored postnatal changes in parvalbumin (PV) immunoreactivity, indicating GABAergic interneuron types, in the prefrontal (PFC) and motor (MC) cortices of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs), an ADHD animal model. Methods Examining PV- positive (PV+) cells associated with dopamine D2 receptors (D2) and the impact of dopamine on GABA synthesis, we also investigated changes in the immunoreactivity of D2 and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH). Brain sections from 4- to 10-week-old SHRs and Wistar Kyoto rats (WKYs) were immunohistochemically analyzed, comparing PV+, D2+ cells, and TH+ fiber densities across age-matched SHRs and WKYs in specific PFC/MC regions. Results The results revealed significantly reduced PV+ cell density in SHRs: prelimbic (~20% less), anterior cingulate (~15% less), primary (~15% less), and secondary motor (~17% less) cortices. PV+ deficits coincided with the upregulation of D2 in prepubertal SHRs and the downregulation of TH predominantly in pubertal/postpubertal SHRs. Conclusion Reduced PV+ cells in various PFC regions could contribute to inattention/behavioral alterations in ADHD, while MC deficits could manifest as motor hyperactivity. D2 upregulation and TH deficits may impact GABA synthesis, exacerbating behavioral deficits in ADHD. These findings not only shed new light on ADHD pathophysiology but also pave the way for future research endeavors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ewelina Bogdańska-Chomczyk
- Department of Human Physiology and Pathophysiology, School of Medicine, University of Warmia and Mazury, Olsztyn, Poland
| | - Maciej Równiak
- Department of Animal Anatomy and Physiology, Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Warmia and Mazury, Olsztyn, Poland
| | | | - Anna Kozłowska
- Department of Human Physiology and Pathophysiology, School of Medicine, University of Warmia and Mazury, Olsztyn, Poland
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Hamati R, Ahrens J, Shvetz C, Holahan MR, Tuominen L. 65 years of research on dopamine's role in classical fear conditioning and extinction: A systematic review. Eur J Neurosci 2024; 59:1099-1140. [PMID: 37848184 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.16157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Revised: 09/08/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023]
Abstract
Dopamine, a catecholamine neurotransmitter, has historically been associated with the encoding of reward, whereas its role in aversion has received less attention. Here, we systematically gathered the vast evidence of the role of dopamine in the simplest forms of aversive learning: classical fear conditioning and extinction. In the past, crude methods were used to augment or inhibit dopamine to study its relationship with fear conditioning and extinction. More advanced techniques such as conditional genetic, chemogenic and optogenetic approaches now provide causal evidence for dopamine's role in these learning processes. Dopamine neurons encode conditioned stimuli during fear conditioning and extinction and convey the signal via activation of D1-4 receptor sites particularly in the amygdala, prefrontal cortex and striatum. The coordinated activation of dopamine receptors allows for the continuous formation, consolidation, retrieval and updating of fear and extinction memory in a dynamic and reciprocal manner. Based on the reviewed literature, we conclude that dopamine is crucial for the encoding of classical fear conditioning and extinction and contributes in a way that is comparable to its role in encoding reward.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rami Hamati
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- University of Ottawa Institute of Mental Health Research, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jessica Ahrens
- Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Department of Neuroscience, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Cecelia Shvetz
- University of Ottawa Institute of Mental Health Research, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Neuroscience, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Matthew R Holahan
- Department of Neuroscience, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Lauri Tuominen
- University of Ottawa Institute of Mental Health Research, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Neuroscience, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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9
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Castell L, Le Gall V, Cutando L, Petit CP, Puighermanal E, Makrini-Maleville L, Kim HR, Jercog D, Tarot P, Tassou A, Harrus AG, Rubinstein M, Nouvian R, Rivat C, Besnard A, Trifilieff P, Gangarossa G, Janak PH, Herry C, Valjent E. Dopamine D2 receptors in WFS1-neurons regulate food-seeking and avoidance behaviors. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2024; 129:110883. [PMID: 37858736 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2023.110883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2023] [Revised: 10/09/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023]
Abstract
The selection and optimization of appropriate adaptive responses depends on interoceptive and exteroceptive stimuli as well as on the animal's ability to switch from one behavioral strategy to another. Although growing evidence indicate that dopamine D2R-mediated signaling events ensure the selection of the appropriate strategy for each specific situation, the underlying neural circuits through which they mediate these effects are poorly characterized. Here, we investigated the role of D2R signaling in a mesolimbic neuronal subpopulation expressing the Wolfram syndrome 1 (Wfs1) gene. This subpopulation is located within the nucleus accumbens, the central amygdala, the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, and the tail of the striatum, all brain regions critical for the regulation of emotions and motivated behaviors. Using a mouse model carrying a temporally controlled deletion of D2R in WFS1-neurons, we demonstrate that intact D2R signaling in this neuronal population is necessary to regulate homeostasis-dependent food-seeking behaviors in both male and female mice. In addition, we found that reduced D2R signaling in WFS1-neurons impaired active avoidance learning and innate escape responses. Collectively, these findings identify a yet undocumented role for D2R signaling in WFS1-neurons as a novel effector through which dopamine optimizes appetitive behaviors and regulates defensive behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laia Castell
- IGF, Université, Montpellier, CNRS, Inserm, Montpellier F-34094, France; Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA.
| | - Valentine Le Gall
- Université, Bordeaux, Neurocentre Magendie, U1215, Bordeaux F-33077, France
| | - Laura Cutando
- IGF, Université, Montpellier, CNRS, Inserm, Montpellier F-34094, France
| | - Chloé P Petit
- INM, Université, Montpellier, Inserm, Montpellier F-34000, France
| | - Emma Puighermanal
- IGF, Université, Montpellier, CNRS, Inserm, Montpellier F-34094, France
| | | | - Ha-Rang Kim
- Université, Bordeaux, Neurocentre Magendie, U1215, Bordeaux F-33077, France
| | - Daniel Jercog
- Université, Bordeaux, Neurocentre Magendie, U1215, Bordeaux F-33077, France
| | - Pauline Tarot
- IGF, Université, Montpellier, CNRS, Inserm, Montpellier F-34094, France
| | - Adrien Tassou
- INM, Université, Montpellier, Inserm, Montpellier F-34000, France
| | | | - Marcelo Rubinstein
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular, CONICET; FCEN, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Régis Nouvian
- INM, Université, Montpellier, Inserm, Montpellier F-34000, France
| | - Cyril Rivat
- INM, Université, Montpellier, Inserm, Montpellier F-34000, France
| | - Antoine Besnard
- IGF, Université, Montpellier, CNRS, Inserm, Montpellier F-34094, France
| | - Pierre Trifilieff
- Université, Bordeaux, INRAE, Bordeaux INP, NutriNeuro, Bordeaux F-33000, France
| | - Giuseppe Gangarossa
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Unité de Biologie Fonctionnelle et Adaptative, Paris F-75013, France; Institut Universitaire de France, France
| | - Patricia H Janak
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA; The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Cyril Herry
- Université, Bordeaux, Neurocentre Magendie, U1215, Bordeaux F-33077, France
| | - Emmanuel Valjent
- IGF, Université, Montpellier, CNRS, Inserm, Montpellier F-34094, France.
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10
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Sartori SB, Keil TMV, Kummer KK, Murphy CP, Gunduz-Cinar O, Kress M, Ebner K, Holmes A, Singewald N. Fear extinction rescuing effects of dopamine and L-DOPA in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex. Transl Psychiatry 2024; 14:11. [PMID: 38191458 PMCID: PMC10774374 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-023-02708-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2023] [Revised: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 01/10/2024] Open
Abstract
The ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC; rodent infralimbic cortex (IL)), is posited to be an important locus of fear extinction-facilitating effects of the dopamine (DA) bio-precursor, L-DOPA, but this hypothesis remains to be formally tested. Here, in a model of impaired fear extinction (the 129S1/SvImJ inbred mouse strain; S1), we monitored extracellular DA dynamics via in vivo microdialysis in IL during fear extinction and following L-DOPA administration. Systemic L-DOPA caused sustained elevation of extracellular DA levels in IL and increased neuronal activation in a subpopulation of IL neurons. Systemic L-DOPA enabled extinction learning and promoted extinction retention at one but not ten days after training. Conversely, direct microinfusion of DA into IL produced long-term fear extinction (an effect that was insensitive to ɑ-/ß-adrenoreceptor antagonism). However, intra-IL delivery of a D1-like or D2 receptor agonist did not facilitate extinction. Using ex vivo multi-electrode array IL neuronal recordings, along with ex vivo quantification of immediate early genes and DA receptor signalling markers in mPFC, we found evidence of reduced DA-evoked mPFC network responses in S1 as compared with extinction-competent C57BL/6J mice that were partially driven by D1 receptor activation. Together, our data demonstrate that locally increasing DA in IL is sufficient to produce lasting rescue of impaired extinction. The finding that systemic L-DOPA increased IL DA levels, but had only transient effects on extinction, suggests L-DOPA failed to reach a threshold level of IL DA or produced opposing behavioural effects in other brain regions. Collectively, our findings provide further insight into the neural basis of the extinction-promoting effects of DA and L-DOPA in a clinically relevant animal model, with possible implications for therapeutically targeting the DA system in anxiety and trauma-related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone B Sartori
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Institute of Pharmacy and Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Thomas M V Keil
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Institute of Pharmacy and Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Kai K Kummer
- Institute of Physiology, Department of Physiology and Medical Physics, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Conor P Murphy
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Institute of Pharmacy and Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Ozge Gunduz-Cinar
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Genomic Neuroscience, NIH/NIAAA, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Michaela Kress
- Institute of Physiology, Department of Physiology and Medical Physics, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Karl Ebner
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Institute of Pharmacy and Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Andrew Holmes
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Genomic Neuroscience, NIH/NIAAA, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Nicolas Singewald
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Institute of Pharmacy and Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria.
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11
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Zhang CK, Wang P, Ji YY, Zhao JS, Gu JX, Yan XX, Fan HW, Zhang MM, Qiao Y, Liu XD, Li BJ, Wang MH, Dong HL, Li HH, Huang PC, Li YQ, Hou WG, Li JL, Chen T. Potentiation of the lateral habenula-ventral tegmental area pathway underlines the susceptibility to depression in mice with chronic pain. SCIENCE CHINA. LIFE SCIENCES 2024; 67:67-82. [PMID: 37864083 DOI: 10.1007/s11427-023-2406-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 10/22/2023]
Abstract
Chronic pain often develops severe mood changes such as depression. However, how chronic pain leads to depression remains elusive and the mechanisms determining individuals' responses to depression are largely unexplored. Here we found that depression-like behaviors could only be observed in 67.9% of mice with chronic neuropathic pain, leaving 32.1% of mice with depression resilience. We determined that the spike discharges of the ventral tegmental area (VTA)-projecting lateral habenula (LHb) glutamatergic (Glu) neurons were sequentially increased in sham, resilient and susceptible mice, which consequently inhibited VTA dopaminergic (DA) neurons through a LHbGlu-VTAGABA-VTADA circuit. Furthermore, the LHbGlu-VTADA excitatory inputs were dampened via GABAB receptors in a pre-synaptic manner. Regulation of LHb-VTA pathway largely affected the development of depressive symptoms caused by chronic pain. Our study thus identifies a pivotal role of the LHb-VTA pathway in coupling chronic pain with depression and highlights the activity-dependent contribution of LHbGlu-to-VTADA inhibition in depressive behavioral regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun-Kui Zhang
- Department of Anatomy and K.K. Leung Brain Research Centre, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China
- Beijing Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100850, China
| | - Pan Wang
- Department of Anatomy and K.K. Leung Brain Research Centre, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China
| | - Yuan-Yuan Ji
- Department of Anatomy and K.K. Leung Brain Research Centre, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China
- Key Laboratory of Ministry of Public Health for Forensic Science, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710061, China
| | - Jian-Shuai Zhao
- Department of Anesthesiology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China
| | - Jun-Xiang Gu
- Department of Anatomy and K.K. Leung Brain Research Centre, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China
- Department of Neurosurgery, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Xian Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710004, China
| | - Xian-Xia Yan
- Department of Neurosurgery, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Xian Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710004, China
| | - Hong-Wei Fan
- Department of Anatomy and K.K. Leung Brain Research Centre, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China
| | - Ming-Ming Zhang
- Department of Anatomy and K.K. Leung Brain Research Centre, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China
| | - Yu Qiao
- Department of Anatomy and K.K. Leung Brain Research Centre, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China
| | - Xiao-Die Liu
- Department of Anatomy and K.K. Leung Brain Research Centre, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China
| | - Bao-Juan Li
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China
| | - Ming-Hui Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China
| | - Hai-Long Dong
- Department of Anesthesiology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China
| | - Hao-Hong Li
- Affiliated Mental Health Centre and Hangzhou Seventh People's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310013, China
- The MOE Frontier Research Center of Brain & Brain-machine Integration, Zhejiang University School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Peng-Cheng Huang
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330006, China
| | - Yun-Qing Li
- Department of Anatomy and K.K. Leung Brain Research Centre, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China.
| | - Wu-Gang Hou
- Department of Anesthesiology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China.
| | - Jin-Lian Li
- Department of Anatomy and K.K. Leung Brain Research Centre, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China.
- Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Northwest University, Xi'an, 710069, China.
| | - Tao Chen
- Department of Anatomy and K.K. Leung Brain Research Centre, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China.
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12
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Dong Y, Li Y, Xiang X, Xiao ZC, Hu J, Li Y, Li H, Hu H. Stress relief as a natural resilience mechanism against depression-like behaviors. Neuron 2023; 111:3789-3801.e6. [PMID: 37776853 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2022] [Revised: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/06/2023] [Indexed: 10/02/2023]
Abstract
Relief, the appetitive state after the termination of aversive stimuli, is evolutionarily conserved. Understanding the behavioral role of this well-conserved phenomenon and its underlying neurobiological mechanisms are open and important questions. Here, we discover that the magnitude of relief from physical stress strongly correlates with individual resilience to depression-like behaviors in chronic stressed mice. Notably, blocking stress relief causes vulnerability to depression-like behaviors, whereas natural rewards supplied shortly after stress promotes resilience. Stress relief is mediated by reward-related mesolimbic dopamine neurons, which show minute-long, persistent activation after stress termination. Circuitry-wise, activation or inhibition of circuits downstream of the ventral tegmental area during the transient relief period bi-directionally regulates depression resilience. These results reveal an evolutionary function of stress relief in depression resilience and identify the neural substrate mediating this effect. Importantly, our data suggest a behavioral strategy of augmenting positive valence of stress relief with natural rewards to prevent depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiyan Dong
- Department of Psychiatry and International Institutes of Medicine, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Yiwu 322000, China; Liangzhu Laboratory, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-Machine Integration, State Key Laboratory of Brain-Machine Intelligence, New Cornerstone Science Laboratory, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 311121, China
| | - Yifei Li
- Liangzhu Laboratory, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-Machine Integration, State Key Laboratory of Brain-Machine Intelligence, New Cornerstone Science Laboratory, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 311121, China
| | - Xinkuan Xiang
- Liangzhu Laboratory, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-Machine Integration, State Key Laboratory of Brain-Machine Intelligence, New Cornerstone Science Laboratory, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 311121, China
| | - Zhuo-Cheng Xiao
- Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - Ji Hu
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Yulong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Peking University School of Life Sciences, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Haohong Li
- Liangzhu Laboratory, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-Machine Integration, State Key Laboratory of Brain-Machine Intelligence, New Cornerstone Science Laboratory, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 311121, China
| | - Hailan Hu
- Department of Psychiatry and International Institutes of Medicine, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Yiwu 322000, China; Liangzhu Laboratory, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-Machine Integration, State Key Laboratory of Brain-Machine Intelligence, New Cornerstone Science Laboratory, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 311121, China.
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13
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Salinas-Hernández XI, Zafiri D, Sigurdsson T, Duvarci S. Functional architecture of dopamine neurons driving fear extinction learning. Neuron 2023; 111:3854-3870.e5. [PMID: 37741275 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.08.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 09/25/2023]
Abstract
The ability to extinguish fear responses to stimuli that no longer predict danger is critical for adaptive behavior and increases the likelihood of survival. During fear extinction, dopamine (DA) neurons signal the absence of the expected aversive outcome, and this extinction prediction error (EPE) signal is crucial for initiating and driving extinction learning. However, the neural circuits underlying the EPE signal have remained elusive. Here, we investigate the input-output circuitry of EPE-encoding DA neurons in male mice. By employing projection-specific fiber photometry and optogenetics, we demonstrate that these neurons project to a restricted subregion of the nucleus accumbens. Comprehensive anatomical analyses, as well as projection-specific chemogenetic manipulations combined with recordings of DA biosensors, further uncover the dorsal raphe as one key input structure critical for generating the EPE signal. Together, our results reveal for the first time the functional architecture of EPE-encoding DA neurons crucial for driving fear extinction learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ximena I Salinas-Hernández
- Institute of Neurophysiology, Neuroscience Center, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60590 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Daphne Zafiri
- Institute of Neurophysiology, Neuroscience Center, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60590 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Torfi Sigurdsson
- Institute of Neurophysiology, Neuroscience Center, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60590 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Sevil Duvarci
- Institute of Neurophysiology, Neuroscience Center, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60590 Frankfurt, Germany.
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14
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Chen APF, Chen L, Shi KW, Cheng E, Ge S, Xiong Q. Nigrostriatal dopamine modulates the striatal-amygdala pathway in auditory fear conditioning. Nat Commun 2023; 14:7231. [PMID: 37945595 PMCID: PMC10636191 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43066-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2023] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The auditory striatum, a sensory portion of the dorsal striatum, plays an essential role in learning and memory. In contrast to its roles and underlying mechanisms in operant conditioning, however, little is known about its contribution to classical auditory fear conditioning. Here, we reveal the function of the auditory striatum in auditory-conditioned fear memory. We find that optogenetically inhibiting auditory striatal neurons impairs fear memory formation, which is mediated through the striatal-amygdala pathway. Using calcium imaging in behaving mice, we find that auditory striatal neuronal responses to conditioned tones potentiate across memory acquisition and expression. Furthermore, nigrostriatal dopaminergic projections plays an important role in modulating conditioning-induced striatal potentiation. Together, these findings demonstrate the existence of a nigro-striatal-amygdala circuit for conditioned fear memory formation and expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allen P F Chen
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, SUNY Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, USA
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Renaissance School of Medicine at SUNY Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, USA
| | - Lu Chen
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, SUNY Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, USA
| | - Kaiyo W Shi
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, SUNY Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, USA
| | - Eileen Cheng
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, SUNY Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, USA
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, SUNY Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, USA
| | - Shaoyu Ge
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, SUNY Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, USA
| | - Qiaojie Xiong
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, SUNY Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, USA.
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15
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Gunduz-Cinar O, Castillo LI, Xia M, Van Leer E, Brockway ET, Pollack GA, Yasmin F, Bukalo O, Limoges A, Oreizi-Esfahani S, Kondev V, Báldi R, Dong A, Harvey-White J, Cinar R, Kunos G, Li Y, Zweifel LS, Patel S, Holmes A. A cortico-amygdala neural substrate for endocannabinoid modulation of fear extinction. Neuron 2023; 111:3053-3067.e10. [PMID: 37480845 PMCID: PMC10592324 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.06.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2022] [Revised: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 06/23/2023] [Indexed: 07/24/2023]
Abstract
Preclinical and clinical studies implicate endocannabinoids (eCBs) in fear extinction, but the underlying neural circuit basis of these actions is unclear. Here, we employed in vivo optogenetics, eCB biosensor imaging, ex vivo electrophysiology, and CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing in mice to examine whether basolateral amygdala (BLA)-projecting medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) neurons represent a neural substrate for the effects of eCBs on extinction. We found that photoexcitation of mPFC axons in BLA during extinction mobilizes BLA eCBs. eCB biosensor imaging showed that eCBs exhibit a dynamic stimulus-specific pattern of activity at mPFC→BLA neurons that tracks extinction learning. Furthermore, using CRISPR-Cas9-mediated gene editing, we demonstrated that extinction memory formation involves eCB activity at cannabinoid CB1 receptors expressed at vmPFC→BLA synapses. Our findings reveal the temporal characteristics and a neural circuit basis of eCBs' effects on fear extinction and inform efforts to target the eCB system as a therapeutic approach in extinction-deficient neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ozge Gunduz-Cinar
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Genomic Neuroscience, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
| | - Laura I Castillo
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Genomic Neuroscience, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Maya Xia
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Genomic Neuroscience, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Elise Van Leer
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Genomic Neuroscience, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Emma T Brockway
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Genomic Neuroscience, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Gabrielle A Pollack
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Genomic Neuroscience, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Farhana Yasmin
- Northwestern Center for Psychiatric Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Olena Bukalo
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Genomic Neuroscience, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Aaron Limoges
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Genomic Neuroscience, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Sarvar Oreizi-Esfahani
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Genomic Neuroscience, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Veronika Kondev
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Rita Báldi
- Northwestern Center for Psychiatric Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Ao Dong
- Peking University School of Life Sciences, PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Judy Harvey-White
- Laboratory of Physiologic Studies, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Resat Cinar
- Laboratory of Physiologic Studies, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; Section on Fibrotic Disorders, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - George Kunos
- Laboratory of Physiologic Studies, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Yulong Li
- Peking University School of Life Sciences, PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Larry S Zweifel
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Department of Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Sachin Patel
- Northwestern Center for Psychiatric Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Andrew Holmes
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Genomic Neuroscience, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
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16
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Rouhani N, Niv Y, Frank MJ, Schwabe L. Multiple routes to enhanced memory for emotionally relevant events. Trends Cogn Sci 2023; 27:867-882. [PMID: 37479601 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2023.06.006] [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: 09/29/2022] [Revised: 06/13/2023] [Accepted: 06/15/2023] [Indexed: 07/23/2023]
Abstract
Events associated with aversive or rewarding outcomes are prioritized in memory. This memory boost is commonly attributed to the elicited affective response, closely linked to noradrenergic and dopaminergic modulation of hippocampal plasticity. Herein we review and compare this 'affect' mechanism to an additional, recently discovered, 'prediction' mechanism whereby memories are strengthened by the extent to which outcomes deviate from expectations, that is, by prediction errors (PEs). The mnemonic impact of PEs is separate from the affective outcome itself and has a distinct neural signature. While both routes enhance memory, these mechanisms are linked to different - and sometimes opposing - predictions for memory integration. We discuss new findings that highlight mechanisms by which emotional events strengthen, integrate, and segment memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina Rouhani
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering and Division of Humanities and Social Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Yael Niv
- Department of Psychology and Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Michael J Frank
- Department of Cognitive, Linguistic & Psychological Sciences and Carney Institute for Brain Science, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Lars Schwabe
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, Institute of Psychology, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany.
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17
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Seiger R, Reggente N, Majid DSA, Ly R, Tadayonnejad R, Strober M, Feusner JD. Neural representations of anxiety in adolescents with anorexia nervosa: a multivariate approach. Transl Psychiatry 2023; 13:283. [PMID: 37582758 PMCID: PMC10427677 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-023-02581-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Revised: 08/02/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Anorexia nervosa (AN) is characterized by low body weight, fear of gaining weight, and distorted body image. Anxiety may play a role in the formation and course of the illness, especially related to situations involving food, eating, weight, and body image. To understand distributed patterns and consistency of neural responses related to anxiety, we enrolled 25 female adolescents with AN and 22 non-clinical female adolescents with mild anxiety who underwent two fMRI sessions in which they saw personalized anxiety-provoking word stimuli and neutral words. Consistency in brain response patterns across trials was determined using a multivariate representational similarity analysis (RSA) approach within anxiety circuits and in a whole-brain voxel-wise searchlight analysis. In the AN group there was higher representational similarity for anxiety-provoking compared with neutral stimuli predominantly in prefrontal regions including the frontal pole, medial prefrontal cortex, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, and medial orbitofrontal cortex, although no significant group differences. Severity of anxiety correlated with consistency of brain responses within anxiety circuits and in cortical and subcortical regions including the frontal pole, middle frontal gyrus, orbitofrontal cortex, thalamus, lateral occipital cortex, middle temporal gyrus, and cerebellum. Higher consistency of activation in those with more severe anxiety symptoms suggests the possibility of a greater degree of conditioned brain responses evoked by personally-relevant emotional stimuli. Anxiety elicited by disorder-related stimuli may activate stereotyped, previously-learned neural responses within- and outside of classical anxiety circuits. Results have implications for understanding consistent and automatic responding to environmental stimuli that may play a role in maintenance of AN.
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Affiliation(s)
- René Seiger
- General Adult Psychiatry and Health Systems, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Nicco Reggente
- Institute for Advanced Consciousness Studies, Santa Monica, CA, USA
| | - D S-Adnan Majid
- Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Ronald Ly
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Reza Tadayonnejad
- Division of Neuromodulation, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Division of Humanities and Social Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Michael Strober
- Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Jamie D Feusner
- General Adult Psychiatry and Health Systems, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada.
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Hospital, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
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18
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Sierra RO, Pedraza LK, Barcsai L, Pejin A, Li Q, Kozák G, Takeuchi Y, Nagy AJ, Lőrincz ML, Devinsky O, Buzsáki G, Berényi A. Closed-loop brain stimulation augments fear extinction in male rats. Nat Commun 2023; 14:3972. [PMID: 37407557 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39546-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2023] [Accepted: 06/16/2023] [Indexed: 07/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Dysregulated fear reactions can result from maladaptive processing of trauma-related memories. In post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other psychiatric disorders, dysfunctional extinction learning prevents discretization of trauma-related memory engrams and generalizes fear responses. Although PTSD may be viewed as a memory-based disorder, no approved treatments target pathological fear memory processing. Hippocampal sharp wave-ripples (SWRs) and concurrent neocortical oscillations are scaffolds to consolidate contextual memory, but their role during fear processing remains poorly understood. Here, we show that closed-loop, SWR triggered neuromodulation of the medial forebrain bundle (MFB) can enhance fear extinction consolidation in male rats. The modified fear memories became resistant to induced recall (i.e., 'renewal' and 'reinstatement') and did not reemerge spontaneously. These effects were mediated by D2 receptor signaling-induced synaptic remodeling in the basolateral amygdala. Our results demonstrate that SWR-triggered closed-loop stimulation of the MFB reward system enhances extinction of fearful memories and reducing fear expression across different contexts and preventing excessive and persistent fear responses. These findings highlight the potential of neuromodulation to augment extinction learning and provide a new avenue to develop treatments for anxiety disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodrigo Ordoñez Sierra
- MTA-SZTE 'Momentum' Oscillatory Neuronal Networks Research Group, Department of Physiology, University of Szeged, Szeged, 6720, Hungary
| | - Lizeth Katherine Pedraza
- MTA-SZTE 'Momentum' Oscillatory Neuronal Networks Research Group, Department of Physiology, University of Szeged, Szeged, 6720, Hungary
| | - Lívia Barcsai
- MTA-SZTE 'Momentum' Oscillatory Neuronal Networks Research Group, Department of Physiology, University of Szeged, Szeged, 6720, Hungary
- HCEMM-SZTE Magnetotherapeutics Research Group, University of Szeged, Szeged, 6720, Hungary
- Neunos Inc, Boston, MA, 02108, USA
| | - Andrea Pejin
- MTA-SZTE 'Momentum' Oscillatory Neuronal Networks Research Group, Department of Physiology, University of Szeged, Szeged, 6720, Hungary
- HCEMM-SZTE Magnetotherapeutics Research Group, University of Szeged, Szeged, 6720, Hungary
- Neunos Inc, Boston, MA, 02108, USA
| | - Qun Li
- MTA-SZTE 'Momentum' Oscillatory Neuronal Networks Research Group, Department of Physiology, University of Szeged, Szeged, 6720, Hungary
| | - Gábor Kozák
- MTA-SZTE 'Momentum' Oscillatory Neuronal Networks Research Group, Department of Physiology, University of Szeged, Szeged, 6720, Hungary
| | - Yuichi Takeuchi
- MTA-SZTE 'Momentum' Oscillatory Neuronal Networks Research Group, Department of Physiology, University of Szeged, Szeged, 6720, Hungary
- Department of Biopharmaceutical Sciences and Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Anett J Nagy
- MTA-SZTE 'Momentum' Oscillatory Neuronal Networks Research Group, Department of Physiology, University of Szeged, Szeged, 6720, Hungary
- HCEMM-SZTE Magnetotherapeutics Research Group, University of Szeged, Szeged, 6720, Hungary
- Neunos Inc, Boston, MA, 02108, USA
| | - Magor L Lőrincz
- MTA-SZTE 'Momentum' Oscillatory Neuronal Networks Research Group, Department of Physiology, University of Szeged, Szeged, 6720, Hungary
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Neuroscience, Faculty of Sciences University of Szeged, Szeged, 6726, Hungary
- Neuroscience Division, Cardiff University, Museum Avenue, Cardiff, CF10 3AX, UK
| | - Orrin Devinsky
- Department of Neurology, NYU Langone Comprehensive Epilepsy Center, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, 10016, USA
| | - György Buzsáki
- Neuroscience Institute, New York University, New York, NY, 10016, USA
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY, 10016, USA
| | - Antal Berényi
- MTA-SZTE 'Momentum' Oscillatory Neuronal Networks Research Group, Department of Physiology, University of Szeged, Szeged, 6720, Hungary.
- HCEMM-SZTE Magnetotherapeutics Research Group, University of Szeged, Szeged, 6720, Hungary.
- Neunos Inc, Boston, MA, 02108, USA.
- Neuroscience Institute, New York University, New York, NY, 10016, USA.
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19
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Kampa M, Hermann A, Stark R, Klucken T. Neural correlates of immediate versus delayed extinction when simultaneously varying the time of the test in humans. Cereb Cortex 2023:bhad205. [PMID: 37317067 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhad205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2023] [Revised: 05/16/2023] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Anxiety disorders are effectively treated with exposure therapy based on the extinction of Pavlovian fear conditioning. Animal research indicates that both the timing of extinction and test are important factors to reduce the return of fear. However, empirical evidence in humans is incomplete and inconsistent. In this neuroimaging study, we, therefore, tested 103 young, healthy participants in a 2-factorial between-subjects design with the factors extinction group (immediate, delayed) and test group (+1 day and +7 days). Immediate extinction led to greater retention of fear memory at the beginning of extinction training indicated by increased skin conductance responses. A return of fear was observed in both extinction groups, with a trend toward a greater return of fear in immediate extinction. The return of fear was generally higher in groups with an early test. Neuroimaging results show successful cross-group fear acquisition and retention, as well as activation of the left nucleus accumbens during extinction training. Importantly, the delayed extinction group showed a larger bilateral nucleus accumbens activation during test. This nucleus accumbens finding is discussed in terms of salience, contingency, relief, and prediction error processing. It may imply that the delayed extinction group benefits more from the test as a new learning opportunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miriam Kampa
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Siegen, Siegen 57072, Germany
- Bender Institute of Neuroimaging, Justus Liebig University, Giessen 35394, Germany
| | - Andrea Hermann
- Bender Institute of Neuroimaging, Justus Liebig University, Giessen 35394, Germany
- Department of Psychotherapy and Systems Neuroscience, Justus Liebig University, Giessen 35394, Germany
- Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior (CMBB), University of Marburg and Justus Liebig University, Giessen 35394, Germany
| | - Rudolf Stark
- Bender Institute of Neuroimaging, Justus Liebig University, Giessen 35394, Germany
- Department of Psychotherapy and Systems Neuroscience, Justus Liebig University, Giessen 35394, Germany
- Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior (CMBB), University of Marburg and Justus Liebig University, Giessen 35394, Germany
| | - Tim Klucken
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Siegen, Siegen 57072, Germany
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Urrutia Desmaison JD, Sala RW, Ayyaz A, Nondhalee P, Popa D, Léna C. Cerebellar control of fear learning via the cerebellar nuclei-Multiple pathways, multiple mechanisms? Front Syst Neurosci 2023; 17:1176668. [PMID: 37229350 PMCID: PMC10203220 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2023.1176668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Fear learning is mediated by a large network of brain structures and the understanding of their roles and interactions is constantly progressing. There is a multitude of anatomical and behavioral evidence on the interconnection of the cerebellar nuclei to other structures in the fear network. Regarding the cerebellar nuclei, we focus on the coupling of the cerebellar fastigial nucleus to the fear network and the relation of the cerebellar dentate nucleus to the ventral tegmental area. Many of the fear network structures that receive direct projections from the cerebellar nuclei are playing a role in fear expression or in fear learning and fear extinction learning. We propose that the cerebellum, via its projections to the limbic system, acts as a modulator of fear learning and extinction learning, using prediction-error signaling and regulation of fear related thalamo-cortical oscillations.
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21
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Nikbakhtzadeh M, Ashabi G, Saadatyar R, Doostmohammadi J, Nekoonam S, Keshavarz M, Riahi E. Restoring the firing activity of ventral tegmental area neurons by lateral hypothalamic deep brain stimulation following morphine administration in rats: LH DBS and the spiking activity of VTA neurons. Physiol Behav 2023; 267:114209. [PMID: 37105347 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2023.114209] [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: 03/06/2023] [Revised: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 04/24/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023]
Abstract
We have previously shown that high-frequency deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the lateral hypothalamus (LH) compromises morphine-induced addiction-like behavior in rats. The exact mechanism underlying this effect is not known. Here, we investigated the assumption that DBS in the LH influences the firing activity of neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA). To that end, male Wistar rats received morphine (5 mg/kg; s.c.) for three days and underwent extracellular single unit recording under general anesthesia one day later. During the recording, the rats received an intraoperative injection of morphine (5 mg/kg; s.c.) plus DBS in the LH (130 Hz pulse frequency, 150 μA amplitude, and 100 μs pulse width). One group of animals also received preoperative DBS after each morphine injection before the recording. The spiking frequency of VTA neurons was measured at three successive phases: (1) baseline (5-15 min); (2) DBS-on (morphine + DBS for 30 min); and (3) After-DBS (over 30 min after termination of DBS). Results showed that morphine suppressed the firing activity of a large population of non-DA neurons, whereas it activated most DA neurons. Intraoperative DBS reversed morphine suppression of non-DA firing, but did not alter the excitatory effect of morphine on DA neurons firing. With repeated preoperative application of DBS, non-DA neurons returned to the morphine-induced suppressive state, but DA neurons released from the excitatory effect of morphine. It is concluded that the development of morphine reward is associated with a hypoactivity of VTA non-DA neurons and a hyperactivity of DA neurons, and that DBS modulation of the spiking activity may contribute to the blockade of morphine addiction-like behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marjan Nikbakhtzadeh
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ghorbangol Ashabi
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Reza Saadatyar
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Electrical Engineering, Iran University of Science and Technology, Tehran, Iran
| | - Jafar Doostmohammadi
- Department of Neuroscience and Addiction Studies, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Saied Nekoonam
- Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mansoor Keshavarz
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Esmail Riahi
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
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22
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Abstract
The Entangled Brain (Pessoa, L., 2002. MIT Press) promotes the idea that we need to understand the brain as a complex, entangled system. Why does the complex systems perspective, one that entails emergent properties, matter for brain science? In fact, many neuroscientists consider these ideas a distraction. We discuss three principles of brain organization that inform the question of the interactional complexity of the brain: (1) massive combinatorial anatomical connectivity; (2) highly distributed functional coordination; and (3) networks/circuits as functional units. To motivate the challenges of mapping structure and function, we discuss neural circuits illustrating the high anatomical and functional interactional complexity typical in the brain. We discuss potential avenues for testing for network-level properties, including those relying on distributed computations across multiple regions. We discuss implications for brain science, including the need to characterize decentralized and heterarchical anatomical-functional organization. The view advocated has important implications for causation, too, because traditional accounts of causality provide poor candidates for explanation in interactionally complex systems like the brain given the distributed, mutual, and reciprocal nature of the interactions. Ultimately, to make progress understanding how the brain supports complex mental functions, we need to dissolve boundaries within the brain-those suggested to be associated with perception, cognition, action, emotion, motivation-as well as outside the brain, as we bring down the walls between biology, psychology, mathematics, computer science, philosophy, and so on.
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23
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Kang SW, Christensen KD, Kidd Jr MT, Orlowski SK, Clark J. Effects of a variable light intensity lighting program on the welfare and performance of commercial broiler chickens. Front Physiol 2023; 14:1059055. [PMID: 36909223 PMCID: PMC9998933 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2023.1059055,] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 12/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Our previous variable-light intensity lighting program studies indicate the light intensity preference behavior of broilers for their daily activity including eating and resting. To evaluate the effects of variable-light intensity lighting program on performance and welfare of broilers, four commercial trials were conducted for looking at behaviors, mortality, leg-health, performance, and brain welfare indicator genes including tryptophan hydroxylase 2 and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), glucocorticoid receptor (GR), brain-derived neurotropic factor (BDNF), and melanopsin (Opn4) gene expression. One-day-old broilers were housed in four commercial broiler houses. Each quadrant (section) of the house was placed with 4,800 chicks. A total of four lighting programs began on day 7 with 5 lux (lx), 20 lx, natural light (NL, 480 lx), and variable light (2-5/40 lx) using LED lights on a 16L:8D photoperiod. In the variable-light house, the number of dustbathing holes was significantly higher than that in natural-light houses and 5-lx and 20-lx houses. Daily physical activities, footpad condition, fear response to novel objects, body weight, feed conversion ratio, and the number of leg-problem induced culled birds were affected by the variable-light intensity lighting program. Expression of tryptophan hydroxylase 2 in the DRN and VTA of variable-light treated birds was lower than that of 5-lx- and 20-lx-treated birds on day 42 (p < 0.05). Higher expression of VTA-TH in 5-lx-treated birds than that in 20-lx-, NL-, and variable-light-treated birds suggests the high stress-susceptibility of 5-lx treated birds. Lower VTA-GR expression in 20-lx- and variable-light-treated birds indicates lower stress than that in NL- and 5-lx-treated birds (p < 0.05). The VTA-BDNF expression of NL-treated birds was 2.5 fold higher than that of 5-lx-, 20-lx-, and variable-light-treated birds (p < 0.05), and variable-light-treated birds showed the lowest level of BDNF expression (p < 0.05), suggesting the chronic social defeat stress in NL-treated birds. The result of VTA-Opn4 expression on day 42 suggests the possible role of VTA-Opn4 in broiler welfare through central light perception. Taken together, the variable-light intensity lighting program increased volunteer natural behaviors and physical activity, which may improve footpad condition and leg health of birds, consequently. Performance data including the increased daily weight gain and the lowered feed conversion ratio and results of brain welfare indicator gene expression showed the beneficial effect of the variable-light intensity lighting program on the performance and welfare of commercial broilers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seong W. Kang
- Department of Poultry Science, Center of Excellence for Poultry Science, University of AR, Fayetteville, AR, United States
| | | | - Michael T. Kidd Jr
- Department of Poultry Science, Center of Excellence for Poultry Science, University of AR, Fayetteville, AR, United States
| | - Sara K. Orlowski
- Department of Poultry Science, Center of Excellence for Poultry Science, University of AR, Fayetteville, AR, United States
| | - James Clark
- Tyson Foods, Inc, Springdale, AR, United States
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24
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Doubliez A, Nio E, Senovilla-Sanz F, Spatharioti V, Apps R, Timmann D, Lawrenson CL. The cerebellum and fear extinction: evidence from rodent and human studies. Front Syst Neurosci 2023; 17:1166166. [PMID: 37152612 PMCID: PMC10160380 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2023.1166166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Accepted: 03/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The role of the cerebellum in emotional control has gained increasing interest, with studies showing it is involved in fear learning and memory in both humans and rodents. This review will focus on the contributions of the cerebellum to the extinction of learned fear responses. Extinction of fearful memories is critical for adaptive behaviour, and is clinically relevant to anxiety disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder, in which deficits in extinction processes are thought to occur. We present evidence that supports cerebellar involvement in fear extinction, from rodent studies that investigate molecular mechanisms and functional connectivity with other brain regions of the known fear extinction network, to fMRI studies in humans. This evidence is considered in relation to the theoretical framework that the cerebellum is involved in the formation and updating of internal models of the inner and outer world by detecting errors between predicted and actual outcomes. In the case of fear conditioning, these internal models are thought to predict the occurrence of an aversive unconditioned stimulus (US), and when the aversive US is unexpectedly omitted during extinction learning the cerebellum uses prediction errors to update the internal model. Differences between human and rodent studies are highlighted to help inform future work.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Doubliez
- Department of Neurology, Center for Translational Neuro- and Behavioral Sciences (C-TNBS), Essen University Hospital, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Enzo Nio
- Department of Neurology, Center for Translational Neuro- and Behavioral Sciences (C-TNBS), Essen University Hospital, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Fernando Senovilla-Sanz
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Vasiliki Spatharioti
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Richard Apps
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Dagmar Timmann
- Department of Neurology, Center for Translational Neuro- and Behavioral Sciences (C-TNBS), Essen University Hospital, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Charlotte L. Lawrenson
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
- *Correspondence: Charlotte L. Lawrenson,
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25
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Age-Related Changes in Risky Decision Making and Associated Neural Circuitry in a Rat Model. eNeuro 2023; 10:ENEURO.0385-22.2022. [PMID: 36596593 PMCID: PMC9840382 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0385-22.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2022] [Revised: 12/07/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Altered decision making at advanced ages can have a significant impact on an individual's quality of life and the ability to maintain personal independence. Relative to young adults, older adults make less impulsive and less risky choices; although these changes in decision making could be considered beneficial, they can also lead to choices with potentially negative consequences (e.g., avoidance of medical procedures). Rodent models of decision making have been invaluable for dissecting cognitive and neurobiological mechanisms that contribute to age-related changes in decision making, but they have predominantly used costs related to timing or probability of reward delivery and have not considered other equally important costs, such as the risk of adverse consequences. The current study therefore used a rat model of decision making involving risk of explicit punishment to examine age-related changes in this form of choice behavior in male rats, and to identify potential cognitive and neurobiological mechanisms that contribute to these changes. Relative to young rats, aged rats displayed greater risk aversion, which was not attributable to reduced motivation for food, changes in shock sensitivity, or impaired cognitive flexibility. Functional MRI analyses revealed that, overall, functional connectivity was greater in aged rats compared with young rats, particularly among brain regions implicated in risky decision making such as basolateral amygdala, orbitofrontal cortex, and ventral tegmental area. Collectively, these findings are consistent with greater risk aversion found in older humans, and reveal age-related changes in brain connectivity.
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26
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Kang SW, Christensen KD, Kidd MT, Orlowski SK, Clark J. Effects of a variable light intensity lighting program on the welfare and performance of commercial broiler chickens. Front Physiol 2023; 14:1059055. [PMID: 36909223 PMCID: PMC9998933 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2023.1059055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 03/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Our previous variable-light intensity lighting program studies indicate the light intensity preference behavior of broilers for their daily activity including eating and resting. To evaluate the effects of variable-light intensity lighting program on performance and welfare of broilers, four commercial trials were conducted for looking at behaviors, mortality, leg-health, performance, and brain welfare indicator genes including tryptophan hydroxylase 2 and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), glucocorticoid receptor (GR), brain-derived neurotropic factor (BDNF), and melanopsin (Opn4) gene expression. One-day-old broilers were housed in four commercial broiler houses. Each quadrant (section) of the house was placed with 4,800 chicks. A total of four lighting programs began on day 7 with 5 lux (lx), 20 lx, natural light (NL, 480 lx), and variable light (2-5/40 lx) using LED lights on a 16L:8D photoperiod. In the variable-light house, the number of dustbathing holes was significantly higher than that in natural-light houses and 5-lx and 20-lx houses. Daily physical activities, footpad condition, fear response to novel objects, body weight, feed conversion ratio, and the number of leg-problem induced culled birds were affected by the variable-light intensity lighting program. Expression of tryptophan hydroxylase 2 in the DRN and VTA of variable-light treated birds was lower than that of 5-lx- and 20-lx-treated birds on day 42 (p < 0.05). Higher expression of VTA-TH in 5-lx-treated birds than that in 20-lx-, NL-, and variable-light-treated birds suggests the high stress-susceptibility of 5-lx treated birds. Lower VTA-GR expression in 20-lx- and variable-light-treated birds indicates lower stress than that in NL- and 5-lx-treated birds (p < 0.05). The VTA-BDNF expression of NL-treated birds was 2.5 fold higher than that of 5-lx-, 20-lx-, and variable-light-treated birds (p < 0.05), and variable-light-treated birds showed the lowest level of BDNF expression (p < 0.05), suggesting the chronic social defeat stress in NL-treated birds. The result of VTA-Opn4 expression on day 42 suggests the possible role of VTA-Opn4 in broiler welfare through central light perception. Taken together, the variable-light intensity lighting program increased volunteer natural behaviors and physical activity, which may improve footpad condition and leg health of birds, consequently. Performance data including the increased daily weight gain and the lowered feed conversion ratio and results of brain welfare indicator gene expression showed the beneficial effect of the variable-light intensity lighting program on the performance and welfare of commercial broilers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seong W Kang
- Department of Poultry Science, Center of Excellence for Poultry Science, University of AR, Fayetteville, AR, United States
| | | | - Michael T Kidd
- Department of Poultry Science, Center of Excellence for Poultry Science, University of AR, Fayetteville, AR, United States
| | - Sara K Orlowski
- Department of Poultry Science, Center of Excellence for Poultry Science, University of AR, Fayetteville, AR, United States
| | - James Clark
- Tyson Foods, Inc, Springdale, AR, United States
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27
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Webler RD, Oathes DJ, van Rooij SJH, Gewirtz JC, Nahas Z, Lissek SM, Widge AS. Causally mapping human threat extinction relevant circuits with depolarizing brain stimulation methods. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 144:105005. [PMID: 36549377 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.105005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2022] [Revised: 11/17/2022] [Accepted: 12/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Laboratory threat extinction paradigms and exposure-based therapy both involve repeated, safe confrontation with stimuli previously experienced as threatening. This fundamental procedural overlap supports laboratory threat extinction as a compelling analogue of exposure-based therapy. Threat extinction impairments have been detected in clinical anxiety and may contribute to exposure-based therapy non-response and relapse. However, efforts to improve exposure outcomes using techniques that boost extinction - primarily rodent extinction - have largely failed to date, potentially due to fundamental differences between rodent and human neurobiology. In this review, we articulate a comprehensive pre-clinical human research agenda designed to overcome these failures. We describe how connectivity guided depolarizing brain stimulation methods (i.e., TMS and DBS) can be applied concurrently with threat extinction and dual threat reconsolidation-extinction paradigms to causally map human extinction relevant circuits and inform the optimal integration of these methods with exposure-based therapy. We highlight candidate targets including the amygdala, hippocampus, ventromedial prefrontal cortex, dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, and mesolimbic structures, and propose hypotheses about how stimulation delivered at specific learning phases could strengthen threat extinction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan D Webler
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
| | - Desmond J Oathes
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Sanne J H van Rooij
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Jonathan C Gewirtz
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA; Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, AZ, USA
| | - Ziad Nahas
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, AZ, USA
| | - Shmuel M Lissek
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Alik S Widge
- Department of Psychiatry and Medical Discovery Team on Addictions, University of Minnesota Medical School, MN, USA
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28
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Neuropeptide S facilitates extinction of fear via modulation of mesolimbic dopaminergic circuitry. Neuropharmacology 2022; 221:109274. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2022.109274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2022] [Revised: 09/12/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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29
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Leng L, Beckers T, Vervliet B. No joy - why bother? Higher anhedonia relates to reduced pleasure from and motivation for threat avoidance. Behav Res Ther 2022; 159:104227. [PMID: 36423413 DOI: 10.1016/j.brat.2022.104227] [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: 07/15/2022] [Revised: 11/01/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Abstract
Anhedonia impairs various components of the pleasure cycle, including wanting, liking, and the learning of pleasure-related associations. While successfully controlling threats might be inherently pleasurable, it remains unclear whether anhedonia affects this form of pleasure as well. With aversive pictures as threats, we conducted an online study ( N = 200) to investigate the role of anhedonia during active avoidance learning process. Participants first learned cue-threat associations for different cues (threat vs. safety cues). In a subsequent avoidance learning phase, these cues signaled either avoidable, unavoidable, or no threat; participants could perform avoidance responses to prevent the upcoming threats during those cue presentations. Subjective relief pleasantness was measured after each threat omission. We found that higher trait anticipatory and consummatory anhedonia were both associated with lower relief pleasantness. Higher trait anticipatory anhedonia was also associated with fewer avoidance attempts. Since reduced threat-controlling behavior is reminiscent of a learned-helplessness state, the current results contribute to a better understanding of the connections between anhedonia and learned helplessness that have mostly been studied separately in the context of mood disturbance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu Leng
- Center for the Psychology of Learning and Experimental Psychopathology, KU Leuven, Belgium; Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Tom Beckers
- Center for the Psychology of Learning and Experimental Psychopathology, KU Leuven, Belgium; Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Belgium
| | - Bram Vervliet
- Laboratory of Biological Psychology, KU Leuven, Belgium; Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Belgium
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30
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Goedhoop JN, van den Boom BJG, Robke R, Veen F, Fellinger L, van Elzelingen W, Arbab T, Willuhn I. Nucleus accumbens dopamine tracks aversive stimulus duration and prediction but not value or prediction error. eLife 2022; 11:82711. [PMID: 36366962 PMCID: PMC9651945 DOI: 10.7554/elife.82711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
There is active debate on the role of dopamine in processing aversive stimuli, where inferred roles range from no involvement at all, to signaling an aversive prediction error (APE). Here, we systematically investigate dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens core (NAC), which is closely linked to reward prediction errors, in rats exposed to white noise (WN, a versatile, underutilized, aversive stimulus) and its predictive cues. Both induced a negative dopamine ramp, followed by slow signal recovery upon stimulus cessation. In contrast to reward conditioning, this dopamine signal was unaffected by WN value, context valence, or probabilistic contingencies, and the WN dopamine response shifted only partially toward its predictive cue. However, unpredicted WN provoked slower post-stimulus signal recovery than predicted WN. Despite differing signal qualities, dopamine responses to simultaneous presentation of rewarding and aversive stimuli were additive. Together, our findings demonstrate that instead of an APE, NAC dopamine primarily tracks prediction and duration of aversive events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica N Goedhoop
- Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam
| | - Bastijn JG van den Boom
- Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam
| | - Rhiannon Robke
- Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam
| | - Felice Veen
- Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam
| | - Lizz Fellinger
- Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam
| | - Wouter van Elzelingen
- Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam
| | - Tara Arbab
- Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam
| | - Ingo Willuhn
- Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam
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31
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Dynamic tripartite construct of interregional engram circuits underlies forgetting of extinction memory. Mol Psychiatry 2022; 27:4077-4091. [PMID: 35804093 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-022-01684-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2022] [Revised: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Fear extinction allows for adaptive control of learned fear responses but often fails, resulting in a renewal or spontaneous recovery of the extinguished fear, i.e., forgetting of the extinction memory readily occurs. Using an activity-dependent neuronal labeling strategy, we demonstrate that engram neurons for fear extinction memory are dynamically positioned in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), basolateral amygdala (BLA), and ventral hippocampus (vHPC), which constitute an engram construct in the term of directional engram synaptic connectivity from the BLA or vHPC to mPFC, but not that in the opposite direction, for retrieval of extinction memory. Fear renewal or spontaneous recovery switches the extinction engram construct from an accessible to inaccessible state, whereas additional extinction learning or optogenetic induction of long-term potentiation restores the directional engram connectivity and prevents the return of fear. Thus, the plasticity of engram construct underlies forgetting of extinction memory.
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32
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Insular cortical circuits as an executive gateway to decipher threat or extinction memory via distinct subcortical pathways. Nat Commun 2022; 13:5540. [PMID: 36130959 PMCID: PMC9492683 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-33241-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2021] [Accepted: 09/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Threat and extinction memories are crucial for organisms’ survival in changing environments. These memories are believed to be encoded by separate ensembles of neurons in the brain, but their whereabouts remain elusive. Using an auditory fear-conditioning and extinction paradigm in male mice, here we discovered that two distinct projection neuron subpopulations in physical proximity within the insular cortex (IC), targeting the central amygdala (CeA) and nucleus accumbens (NAc), respectively, to encode fear and extinction memories. Reciprocal intracortical inhibition of these two IC subpopulations gates the emergence of either fear or extinction memory. Using rabies-virus-assisted tracing, we found IC-NAc projection neurons to be preferentially innervated by intercortical inputs from the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), specifically enhancing extinction to override fear memory. These results demonstrate that IC serves as an operation node harboring distinct projection neurons that decipher fear or extinction memory under the top-down executive control from OFC. Ensembles of fear and extinction memories compete and interact to drive opposing behaviors. Here the authors identified insular cortical circuits as an executive gateway that decipher between fear and extinction memories via distinct subcortical pathways.
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Ryan JD, Tse N, Huang C, Yang R, Lee FS. The role of BDNF in mediating the prophylactic effects of (R,S)-ketamine on fear generalization and extinction. Transl Psychiatry 2022; 12:346. [PMID: 36008382 PMCID: PMC9411535 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-022-02116-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2021] [Revised: 08/09/2022] [Accepted: 08/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Fear generalization is a conserved survival mechanism that can become maladaptive in the face of traumatic situations, a feature central to certain anxiety disorders including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, the neural circuitry and molecular mechanisms underlying fear generalization remain unclear. Recent studies have shown that prophylactic treatment with (R,S)-ketamine confers protective effects in stress-induced depressive behaviors and enhances contextual fear discrimination, but the extent to which these effects extend to fear generalization after auditory fear conditioning remains unclear. Here, we build on this work by using a behavioral model of fear generalization in mice involving foot shocks with differential intensity levels during auditory fear conditioning. We find that prophylactic (R,S)-ketamine treatment exerts protective effects that results in enhanced fear discrimination in wild type mice. As the growth factor, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), has been shown to mediate the rapid antidepressant actions of (R,S)-ketamine, we used a loss-of-function BDNF mouse line (BDNF Val66Met) to determine whether BDNF is involved in (R,S)-ketamine's prophylactic effects on fear generalization. We found that BDNF Val66Met mice were resistant to the protective effects of prophylactic (R,S)-ketamine administration on fear generalization and extinction. We then used fiber photometry to parse out underlying neural activity and found that in the ventral hippocampus there were significant fear generalization-dependent patterns of activity for wild type and BDNF Val66Met mice that were altered by prophylactic (R,S)-ketamine treatment. Overall, these findings indicate a role for the ventral hippocampus and BDNF signaling in modulating the mitigating effects of prophylactic (R,S)-ketamine treatment on generalized fear.
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Affiliation(s)
- James D Ryan
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10065, USA
- Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Nathaniel Tse
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10065, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Chienchun Huang
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Ruirong Yang
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Francis S Lee
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10065, USA.
- Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10065, USA.
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10065, USA.
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34
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Ojala KE, Tzovara A, Poser BA, Lutti A, Bach DR. Asymmetric representation of aversive prediction errors in Pavlovian threat conditioning. Neuroimage 2022; 263:119579. [PMID: 35995374 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.119579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2022] [Revised: 08/16/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Survival in biological environments requires learning associations between predictive sensory cues and threatening outcomes. Such aversive learning may be implemented through reinforcement learning algorithms that are driven by the signed difference between expected and encountered outcomes, termed prediction errors (PEs). While PE-based learning is well established for reward learning, the role of putative PE signals in aversive learning is less clear. Here, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging in humans (21 healthy men and women) to investigate the neural representation of PEs during maintenance of learned aversive associations. Four visual cues, each with a different probability (0, 33, 66, 100%) of being followed by an aversive outcome (electric shock), were repeatedly presented to participants. We found that neural activity at omission (US-) but not occurrence of the aversive outcome (US+) encoded PEs in the medial prefrontal cortex. More expected omission of aversive outcome was associated with lower neural activity. No neural signals fulfilled axiomatic criteria, which specify necessary and sufficient components of PE signals, for signed PE representation in a whole-brain search or in a-priori regions of interest. Our results might suggest that, different from reward learning, aversive learning does not involve signed PE signals that are represented within the same brain region for all conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karita E Ojala
- Computational Psychiatry Research, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zurich, Lenggstrasse 31, Zurich 8032, Switzerland; Neuroscience Centre Zurich, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, Zürich 8057, Switzerland.
| | - Athina Tzovara
- Computational Psychiatry Research, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zurich, Lenggstrasse 31, Zurich 8032, Switzerland; Neuroscience Centre Zurich, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, Zürich 8057, Switzerland; Institute of Computer Science, University of Bern, Neubrückstrasse 10, Bern 3012, Switzerland
| | - Benedikt A Poser
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Oxfordlaan 55 EV 6299, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Antoine Lutti
- Laboratory for Research in Neuroimaging, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Chemin de Mont-Paisible 16, Lausanne 1011, Switzerland
| | - Dominik R Bach
- Computational Psychiatry Research, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zurich, Lenggstrasse 31, Zurich 8032, Switzerland; Neuroscience Centre Zurich, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, Zürich 8057, Switzerland; Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging and Max-Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, University College London, 10-12 Russell Square, London WC1B 5EH, United Kingdom.
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35
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Papalini S, Neefs L, Beckers T, Oudenhove LV, Vervliet B. Overnight fasting affects avoidance learning and relief. Nutr Neurosci 2022:1-14. [PMID: 35943328 DOI: 10.1080/1028415x.2022.2103068] [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: 10/15/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES prolonged fasting influences threat and reward processing, two fundamental systems underpinning adaptive behaviors. In animals, overnight fasting sensitizes the mesolimbic-dopaminergic activity governing avoidance, reward, and fearextinction learning. Despite evidence that overnight fasting may also affect reward and fear learning in humans, effects on human avoidance learning have not been studied yet. Here, we examined the effects of 16 h-overnight fasting on instrumental avoidance and relief from threat omission. METHODS to this end, 50 healthy women were randomly assigned to a Fasting (N = 25) or a Re-feeding group (N = 25) and performed an Avoidance-Relief Task. RESULTS we found that fasting decreases unnecessary avoidance during signaled safety; this effect was mediated via a reduction in relief pleasantness during signaled absence of threat. A fasting-induced reduction in relief was also found during fear extinction learning. DISCUSSION we conclude that fasting optimizes avoidance and safety learning. Future studies should test whether these effects also hold for anxious individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Papalini
- Laboratory of Biological Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Laura Neefs
- Laboratory of Biological Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Tom Beckers
- Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Centre for the Psychology of Learning and Experimental Psychopathology, Faculty of Psychology & Educational Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Lukas Van Oudenhove
- Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Laboratory for Brain-Gut Axis Studies, Translational Research Center for Gastrointestinal Disorders, Department of Chronic Diseases and Metabolism, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Cognitive & Affective Neuroscience Lab, Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA
| | - Bram Vervliet
- Laboratory of Biological Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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36
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de Jong JW, Fraser KM, Lammel S. Mesoaccumbal Dopamine Heterogeneity: What Do Dopamine Firing and Release Have to Do with It? Annu Rev Neurosci 2022; 45:109-129. [PMID: 35226827 PMCID: PMC9271543 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-neuro-110920-011929] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Ventral tegmental area (VTA) dopamine (DA) neurons are often thought to uniformly encode reward prediction errors. Conversely, DA release in the nucleus accumbens (NAc), the prominent projection target of these neurons, has been implicated in reinforcement learning, motivation, aversion, and incentive salience. This contrast between heterogeneous functions of DA release versus a homogeneous role for DA neuron activity raises numerous questions regarding how VTA DA activity translates into NAc DA release. Further complicating this issue is increasing evidence that distinct VTA DA projections into defined NAc subregions mediate diverse behavioral functions. Here, we evaluate evidence for heterogeneity within the mesoaccumbal DA system and argue that frameworks of DA function must incorporate the precise topographic organization of VTA DA neurons to clarify their contribution to health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johannes W de Jong
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology and Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA;
| | - Kurt M Fraser
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology and Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA;
| | - Stephan Lammel
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology and Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA;
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37
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Obliviate! Reviewing Neural Fundamentals of Intentional Forgetting from a Meta-Analytic Perspective. Biomedicines 2022; 10:biomedicines10071555. [PMID: 35884860 PMCID: PMC9313188 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10071555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2022] [Revised: 06/04/2022] [Accepted: 06/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Intentional forgetting (IF) is an important adaptive mechanism necessary for correct memory functioning, optimal psychological wellbeing, and appropriate daily performance. Due to its complexity, the neuropsychological processes that give birth to successful intentional forgetting are not yet clearly known. In this study, we used two different meta-analytic algorithms, Activation Likelihood Estimation (ALE) & Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) to quantitatively assess the neural correlates of IF and to evaluate the degree of compatibility between the proposed neurobiological models and the existing brain imaging data. We found that IF involves the interaction of two networks, the main “core regions” consisting of a primarily right-lateralized frontal-parietal circuit that is activated irrespective of the paradigm used and sample characteristics and a second less constrained “supportive network” that involves frontal-hippocampal interactions when IF takes place. Additionally, our results support the validity of the inhibitory or thought suppression hypothesis. The presence of a neural signature of IF that is stable regardless of experimental paradigms is a promising finding that may open new venues for the development of effective clinical interventions.
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38
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Jepma M, Roy M, Ramlakhan K, van Velzen M, Dahan A. Different brain systems support learning from received and avoided pain during human pain-avoidance learning. eLife 2022; 11:74149. [PMID: 35731646 PMCID: PMC9217130 DOI: 10.7554/elife.74149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2021] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Both unexpected pain and unexpected pain absence can drive avoidance learning, but whether they do so via shared or separate neural and neurochemical systems is largely unknown. To address this issue, we combined an instrumental pain-avoidance learning task with computational modeling, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), and pharmacological manipulations of the dopaminergic (100 mg levodopa) and opioidergic (50 mg naltrexone) systems (N = 83). Computational modeling provided evidence that untreated participants learned more from received than avoided pain. Our dopamine and opioid manipulations negated this learning asymmetry by selectively increasing learning rates for avoided pain. Furthermore, our fMRI analyses revealed that pain prediction errors were encoded in subcortical and limbic brain regions, whereas no-pain prediction errors were encoded in frontal and parietal cortical regions. However, we found no effects of our pharmacological manipulations on the neural encoding of prediction errors. Together, our results suggest that human pain-avoidance learning is supported by separate threat- and safety-learning systems, and that dopamine and endogenous opioids specifically regulate learning from successfully avoided pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marieke Jepma
- Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands.,Department of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands.,Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Mathieu Roy
- Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.,Alan Edwards Centre for Research on Pain, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Kiran Ramlakhan
- Department of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands.,Department of Research and Statistics, Municipality of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Monique van Velzen
- Department of Anesthesiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Albert Dahan
- Department of Anesthesiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
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39
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Laing PAF, Steward T, Davey CG, Felmingham KL, Fullana MA, Vervliet B, Greaves MD, Moffat B, Glarin RK, Harrison BJ. Cortico-Striatal Activity Characterizes Human Safety Learning via Pavlovian Conditioned Inhibition. J Neurosci 2022; 42:5047-5057. [PMID: 35577553 PMCID: PMC9233447 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2181-21.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2021] [Revised: 05/03/2022] [Accepted: 05/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Safety learning generates associative links between neutral stimuli and the absence of threat, promoting the inhibition of fear and security-seeking behaviors. Precisely how safety learning is mediated at the level of underlying brain systems, particularly in humans, remains unclear. Here, we integrated a novel Pavlovian conditioned inhibition task with ultra-high field (7 Tesla) fMRI to examine the neural basis of safety learning in 49 healthy participants. In our task, participants were conditioned to two safety signals: a conditioned inhibitor that predicted threat omission when paired with a known threat signal (A+/AX-), and a standard safety signal that generally predicted threat omission (BC-). Both safety signals evoked equivalent autonomic and subjective learning responses but diverged strongly in terms of underlying brain activation (PFDR whole-brain corrected). The conditioned inhibitor was characterized by more prominent activation of the dorsal striatum, anterior insular, and dorsolateral PFC compared with the standard safety signal, whereas the latter evoked greater activation of the ventromedial PFC, posterior cingulate, and hippocampus, among other regions. Further analyses of the conditioned inhibitor indicated that its initial learning was characterized by consistent engagement of dorsal striatal, midbrain, thalamic, premotor, and prefrontal subregions. These findings suggest that safety learning via conditioned inhibition involves a distributed cortico-striatal circuitry, separable from broader cortical regions involved with processing standard safety signals (e.g., CS-). This cortico-striatal system could represent a novel neural substrate of safety learning, underlying the initial generation of "stimulus-safety" associations, distinct from wider cortical correlates of safety processing, which facilitate the behavioral outcomes of learning.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Identifying safety is critical for maintaining adaptive levels of anxiety, but the neural mechanisms of human safety learning remain unclear. Using 7 Tesla fMRI, we compared learning-related brain activity for a conditioned inhibitor, which actively predicted threat omission, and a standard safety signal (CS-), which was passively unpaired with threat. The inhibitor engaged an extended circuitry primarily featuring the dorsal striatum, along with thalamic, midbrain, and premotor/PFC regions. The CS- exclusively involved cortical safety-related regions observed in basic safety conditioning, such as the vmPFC. These findings extend current models to include learning-specific mechanisms for encoding stimulus-safety associations, which might be distinguished from expression-related cortical mechanisms. These insights may suggest novel avenues for targeting dysfunctional safety learning in psychopathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick A F Laing
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria 3053, Australia
| | - Trevor Steward
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria 3053, Australia
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Christopher G Davey
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria 3053, Australia
| | - Kim L Felmingham
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Miguel Angel Fullana
- Adult Psychiatry and Psychology Department, Institute of Neurosciences, Hospital Clinic, Barcelona 08001, Spain
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer, Centro de Investigación Biomédia en Red de Salud Mental, Barcelona 08036, Spain
| | - Bram Vervliet
- Laboratory of Biological Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, KU Leuven 3000, Belgium
- Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven 3000, Belgium
| | - Matthew D Greaves
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria 3053, Australia
| | - Bradford Moffat
- The Melbourne Brain Centre Imaging Unit, Department of Radiology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Rebecca K Glarin
- The Melbourne Brain Centre Imaging Unit, Department of Radiology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Ben J Harrison
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria 3053, Australia
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40
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A tissue-like neurotransmitter sensor for the brain and gut. Nature 2022; 606:94-101. [PMID: 35650358 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-04615-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 125] [Impact Index Per Article: 62.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2020] [Accepted: 03/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Neurotransmitters play essential roles in regulating neural circuit dynamics both in the central nervous system as well as at the peripheral, including the gastrointestinal tract1-3. Their real-time monitoring will offer critical information for understanding neural function and diagnosing disease1-3. However, bioelectronic tools to monitor the dynamics of neurotransmitters in vivo, especially in the enteric nervous systems, are underdeveloped. This is mainly owing to the limited availability of biosensing tools that are capable of examining soft, complex and actively moving organs. Here we introduce a tissue-mimicking, stretchable, neurochemical biological interface termed NeuroString, which is prepared by laser patterning of a metal-complexed polyimide into an interconnected graphene/nanoparticle network embedded in an elastomer. NeuroString sensors allow chronic in vivo real-time, multichannel and multiplexed monoamine sensing in the brain of behaving mouse, as well as measuring serotonin dynamics in the gut without undesired stimulations and perturbing peristaltic movements. The described elastic and conformable biosensing interface has broad potential for studying the impact of neurotransmitters on gut microbes, brain-gut communication and may ultimately be extended to biomolecular sensing in other soft organs across the body.
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41
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Yan Y, Aierken A, Wang C, Jin W, Quan Z, Wang Z, Qing H, Ni J, Zhao J. Neuronal Circuits Associated with Fear Memory: Potential Therapeutic Targets for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. Neuroscientist 2022; 29:332-351. [PMID: 35057666 DOI: 10.1177/10738584211069977] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric disorder that is associated with long-lasting memories of traumatic experiences. Extinction and discrimination of fear memory have become therapeutic targets for PTSD. Newly developed optogenetics and advanced in vivo imaging techniques have provided unprecedented spatiotemporal tools to characterize the activity, connectivity, and functionality of specific cell types in complicated neuronal circuits. The use of such tools has offered mechanistic insights into the exquisite organization of the circuitry underlying the extinction and discrimination of fear memory. This review focuses on the acquisition of more detailed, comprehensive, and integrated neural circuits to understand how the brain regulates the extinction and discrimination of fear memory. A future challenge is to translate these researches into effective therapeutic treatment for PTSD from the perspective of precise regulation of the neural circuits associated with the extinction and discrimination of fear memories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Yan
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Biotherapy, School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Ailikemu Aierken
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Biotherapy, School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Chunjian Wang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Biotherapy, School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Wei Jin
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Biotherapy, School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Zhenzhen Quan
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Biotherapy, School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Zhe Wang
- Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
- The National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disease, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Hong Qing
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Biotherapy, School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Junjun Ni
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Biotherapy, School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Juan Zhao
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, China
- Aerospace Medical Center, Aerospace Center Hospital, Beijing, China
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42
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Ryan TJ, Frankland PW. Forgetting as a form of adaptive engram cell plasticity. Nat Rev Neurosci 2022; 23:173-186. [PMID: 35027710 DOI: 10.1038/s41583-021-00548-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
One leading hypothesis suggests that memories are stored in ensembles of neurons (or 'engram cells') and that successful recall involves reactivation of these ensembles. A logical extension of this idea is that forgetting occurs when engram cells cannot be reactivated. Forms of 'natural forgetting' vary considerably in terms of their underlying mechanisms, time course and reversibility. However, we suggest that all forms of forgetting involve circuit remodelling that switches engram cells from an accessible state (where they can be reactivated by natural recall cues) to an inaccessible state (where they cannot). In many cases, forgetting rates are modulated by environmental conditions and we therefore propose that forgetting is a form of neuroplasticity that alters engram cell accessibility in a manner that is sensitive to mismatches between expectations and the environment. Moreover, we hypothesize that disease states associated with forgetting may hijack natural forgetting mechanisms, resulting in reduced engram cell accessibility and memory loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomás J Ryan
- School of Biochemistry and Immunology, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland. .,Trinity College Institute for Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland. .,Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Melbourne Brain Centre, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. .,Child & Brain Development Program, Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR), Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
| | - Paul W Frankland
- Child & Brain Development Program, Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR), Toronto, Ontario, Canada. .,Program in Neurosciences & Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. .,Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. .,Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. .,Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
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43
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Devineni AV, Scaplen KM. Neural Circuits Underlying Behavioral Flexibility: Insights From Drosophila. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 15:821680. [PMID: 35069145 PMCID: PMC8770416 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.821680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2021] [Accepted: 12/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Behavioral flexibility is critical to survival. Animals must adapt their behavioral responses based on changes in the environmental context, internal state, or experience. Studies in Drosophila melanogaster have provided insight into the neural circuit mechanisms underlying behavioral flexibility. Here we discuss how Drosophila behavior is modulated by internal and behavioral state, environmental context, and learning. We describe general principles of neural circuit organization and modulation that underlie behavioral flexibility, principles that are likely to extend to other species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anita V. Devineni
- Department of Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
- Zuckerman Mind Brain Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Kristin M. Scaplen
- Department of Psychology, Bryant University, Smithfield, RI, United States
- Center for Health and Behavioral Studies, Bryant University, Smithfield, RI, United States
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States
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44
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Brougher J, Aziz U, Adari N, Chaturvedi M, Jules A, Shah I, Syed S, Thorn CA. Self-Administration of Right Vagus Nerve Stimulation Activates Midbrain Dopaminergic Nuclei. Front Neurosci 2022; 15:782786. [PMID: 34975384 PMCID: PMC8716493 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.782786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Left cervical vagus nerve stimulation (l-VNS) is an FDA-approved treatment for neurological disorders including epilepsy, major depressive disorder, and stroke, and l-VNS is increasingly under investigation for a range of other neurological indications. Traditional l-VNS is thought to induce therapeutic neuroplasticity in part through the coordinated activation of multiple broadly projecting neuromodulatory systems in the brain. Recently, it has been reported that striking lateralization exists in the anatomical and functional connectivity between the vagus nerves and the dopaminergic midbrain. These emerging findings suggest that VNS-driven activation of this important plasticity-promoting neuromodulatory system may be preferentially driven by targeting the right, rather than the left, cervical nerve. Objective: To compare the effects of right cervical VNS (r-VNS) vs. traditional l-VNS on self-administration behavior and midbrain dopaminergic activation in rats. Methods: Rats were implanted with a stimulating cuff electrode targeting either the right or left cervical vagus nerve. After surgical recovery, rats underwent a VNS self-administration assay in which lever pressing was paired with r-VNS or l-VNS delivery. Self-administration was followed by extinction, cue-only reinstatement, and stimulation reinstatement sessions. Rats were sacrificed 90 min after completion of behavioral training, and brains were removed for immunohistochemical analysis of c-Fos expression in the dopaminergic ventral tegmental area (VTA) and substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc), as well as in the noradrenergic locus coeruleus (LC). Results: Rats in the r-VNS cohort performed significantly more lever presses throughout self-administration and reinstatement sessions than did rats in the l-VNS cohort. Moreover, this appetitive behavioral responding was associated with significantly greater c-Fos expression among neuronal populations within the VTA, SNc, and LC. Differential c-Fos expression following r-VNS vs. l-VNS was particularly prominent within dopaminergic midbrain neurons. Conclusion: Our results support the existence of strong lateralization within vagal-mesencephalic signaling pathways, and suggest that VNS targeted to the right, rather than left, cervical nerve preferentially activates the midbrain dopaminergic system. These findings raise the possibility that r-VNS could provide a promising strategy for enhancing dopamine-dependent neuroplasticity, opening broad avenues for future research into the efficacy and safety of r-VNS in the treatment of neurological disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jackson Brougher
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States
| | - Umaymah Aziz
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States
| | - Nikitha Adari
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States
| | - Muskaan Chaturvedi
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States
| | - Aryela Jules
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States
| | - Iqra Shah
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States
| | - Saba Syed
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States
| | - Catherine A Thorn
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States
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45
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Qing X, Xu YL, Liu H, Liu XS. The influence of anesthesia and surgery on fear extinction. Neurosci Lett 2022; 766:136347. [PMID: 34808271 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2021.136347] [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: 05/07/2021] [Revised: 08/29/2021] [Accepted: 11/09/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Accumulating evidence has demonstrated significant clinical post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms after anesthesia or surgery. Fear extinction dysfunction is a notable feature of PTSD. Although anesthetics and surgery profoundly affect memory processes, their designated effects on fear extinction have not been dissertated. Previous studies have suggested that innate immune system activation disrupts fear extinction, and surgery has been shown to increase the inflammatory response. Thus, in the current study, we examined the effects of propofol, sevoflurane, dexmedetomidine and surgery on fear extinction in adolescent mice, and further tested whether dexmedetomidine could reverse the injury effect of surgery on fear extinction through its anti-inflammatory effects. Our results showed that propofol (200 mg/kg) impaired the acquisition and recall of cued fear extinction, and surgery disrupted cued fear extinction acquisition/recall and consolidation. In contrast to cued fear extinction, contextual fear extinction was not affected by propofol or surgery. Moreover, dexmedetomidine prevented surgery-induced impairment of cued extinction acquisition and recall but not consolidation. Finally, TNF-α and IL-6 levels in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex were not necessary for the dexmedetomidine treatment effect of surgery-induced fear extinction dysfunction. The study results showed that propofol and surgery selective impaired the cued fear extinction stage in adolescent mice, and dexmedetomidine may unleash a protective effect in preventing postoperative PTSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Qing
- Department of Anesthesiology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Anhui Medical University, China
| | - Yuan-Ling Xu
- Department of Anesthesiology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Anhui Medical University, China
| | - Hu Liu
- Department of Anesthesiology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Anhui Medical University, China.
| | - Xue-Sheng Liu
- Department of Anesthesiology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Anhui Medical University, China.
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46
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Dorsal Raphe 5-HT Neurons Utilize, But Do Not Generate, Negative Aversive Prediction Errors. eNeuro 2022; 9:ENEURO.0132-21.2022. [PMID: 35078807 PMCID: PMC8868025 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0132-21.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2021] [Revised: 12/29/2021] [Accepted: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) contains the largest population of serotonin (5-HT) neurons in the central nervous system. 5-HT, synthesized via tryptophan hydroxylase 2 (Tph2), is a widely functioning neuromodulator implicated in fear learning. Here, we sought to investigate whether DRN 5-HT is necessary to reduce fear via negative prediction error (–PE). Using male and female TPH2-cre rats, DRNtph2+ cells were selectively deleted via cre-caspase (rAAV5-Flex-taCasp3-TEVp) in experiment 1. Rats then underwent fear discrimination during which three cues were associated with unique foot shock probabilities: safety p = 0.00, uncertainty p = 0.375, and danger p = 1.00. Rats then received selective extinction to the uncertainty cue, a behavioral manipulation designed to probe –PE. Deleting DRNtph2+ cells had no impact on initial discrimination but slowed selective extinction. In experiment 2, we used a within-subjects optogenetic inhibition design to causally implicate DRNtph2+ cells in prediction error signaling. Male and female TPH2-cre rats received intra-DRN infusions of cre-dependent halorhodopsin (rAAV5-Ef1a-DIO-eNpHR3.0-eYFP) or cre-YFP. DRNtph2+ cells were inhibited specifically during the time of prediction error or a control period. Illumination during either positive prediction error (+PE) or control periods had no impact on fear to the uncertainty cue. Inhibition of DRNtph2+ cells at the time of –PE did not impact immediate fear, but facilitated selective extinction in postillumination sessions. Together, these results demonstrate a role for DRNtph2+ cells in using, but not generating, –PE to weaken cue-shock associations.
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47
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Rosenberg BM, Taschereau-Dumouchel V, Lau H, Young KS, Nusslock R, Zinbarg RE, Craske MG. A Multivoxel Pattern Analysis of Anhedonia During Fear Extinction: Implications for Safety Learning. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY. COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2021; 8:417-425. [PMID: 34954395 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2021.12.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2021] [Revised: 12/01/2021] [Accepted: 12/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pavlovian learning processes are central to the etiology and treatment of anxiety disorders. Anhedonia and related perturbations in reward processes have been implicated in Pavlovian learning. Associations between anhedonia symptoms and neural indices of Pavlovian learning can inform transdiagnostic associations among depressive and anxiety disorders. METHODS Participants ages 18 to 19 years (67% female) completed a fear extinction (n = 254) and recall (n = 249) paradigm during functional magnetic resonance imaging. Symptom dimensions of general distress (common to anxiety and depression), fears (more specific to anxiety), and anhedonia-apprehension (more specific to depression) were evaluated. We trained whole-brain multivoxel pattern decoders for anhedonia-apprehension during extinction and extinction recall and tested the decoders' ability to predict anhedonia-apprehension in an external validation sample. Specificity analyses examined effects covarying for general distress and fears. Decoding was repeated within canonical brain networks to highlight candidate neurocircuitry underlying whole-brain effects. RESULTS Whole-brain decoder training succeeded during both tasks. Prediction of anhedonia-apprehension in the external validation sample was successful for extinction (R2 = 0.047; r = 0.276, p = .002) but not extinction recall (R2 < 0.001, r = -0.063, p = .492). The extinction decoder remained significantly associated with anhedonia-apprehension covarying for fears and general distress (t121 = 3.209, p = .002). Exploratory results highlighted activity in the cognitive control, default mode, limbic, salience, and visual networks related to these effects. CONCLUSIONS Results suggest that patterns of brain activity during extinction, particularly in the cognitive control, default mode, limbic, salience, and visual networks, can be predictive of anhedonia symptoms. Future research should examine associations between anhedonia and extinction, including studies of exposure therapy or positive affect treatments among anhedonic individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin M Rosenberg
- Department of Psychology, College of Life Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California.
| | - Vincent Taschereau-Dumouchel
- Department of Psychiatry and Addictology, University of Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Centre de Recherche de l'Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Hakwan Lau
- RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Saitama, Japan
| | - Katherine S Young
- Social, Genetic and Development Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychology, Psychiatry and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom; National Institute for Health Research Maudsley Biomedical Research Centre, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Robin Nusslock
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois; Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois
| | - Richard E Zinbarg
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois; Family Institute at Northwestern University, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois
| | - Michelle G Craske
- Department of Psychology, College of Life Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California; Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
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48
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Bisby MA, Stylianakis AA, Baker KD, Richardson R. Fear extinction learning and retention during adolescence in rats and mice: A systematic review. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 131:1264-1274. [PMID: 34740753 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.10.044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2021] [Revised: 10/20/2021] [Accepted: 10/29/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Despite exposure-based treatments being recommended for anxiety disorders, these treatments are ineffective for over half of all adolescents who receive them. The limited efficacy of exposure during adolescence may be driven by a deficit in extinction. Although indications of diminished extinction learning during adolescence were first reported over 10 years ago, these findings have yet to be reviewed and compared. This review (k = 34) found a stark inter-species difference in extinction performance: studies of adolescent mice reported deficits in extinction learning and retention of both cued and context fear. In contrast, studies of adolescent rats only reported poor extinction retention specific to cued fear. Adolescent mice and rats appeared to have only one behavioral outcome in common, being poor extinction retention of cued fear. These findings suggest that different behavioral phenotypes are present across rodent species in adolescence and highlight that preclinical work in rats and mice is not interchangeable. Further investigation of these differences offers the opportunity to better understand the etiology, maintenance, and treatment of fear-based disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madelyne A Bisby
- School of Psychology, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, 2052, NSW, Australia; eCentreClinic, School of Psychological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Macquarie University, Sydney, 2109, NSW, Australia.
| | | | - Kathryn D Baker
- School of Psychology, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, 2052, NSW, Australia
| | - Rick Richardson
- School of Psychology, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, 2052, NSW, Australia
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49
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Esser R, Korn CW, Ganzer F, Haaker J. L-DOPA modulates activity in the vmPFC, nucleus accumbens, and VTA during threat extinction learning in humans. eLife 2021; 10:65280. [PMID: 34473055 PMCID: PMC8443250 DOI: 10.7554/elife.65280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Accepted: 09/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Learning to be safe is central for adaptive behaviour when threats are no longer present. Detecting the absence of an expected threat is key for threat extinction learning and an essential process for the behavioural treatment of anxiety-related disorders. One possible mechanism underlying extinction learning is a dopaminergic mismatch signal that encodes the absence of an expected threat. Here we show that such a dopamine-related pathway underlies extinction learning in humans. Dopaminergic enhancement via administration of L-DOPA (vs. Placebo) was associated with reduced retention of differential psychophysiological threat responses at later test, which was mediated by activity in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex that was specific to extinction learning. L-DOPA administration enhanced signals at the time-point of an expected, but omitted threat in extinction learning within the nucleus accumbens, which were functionally coupled with the ventral tegmental area and the amygdala. Computational modelling of threat expectancies further revealed prediction error encoding in nucleus accumbens that was reduced when L-DOPA was administered. Our results thereby provide evidence that extinction learning is influenced by L-DOPA and provide a mechanistic perspective to augment extinction learning by dopaminergic enhancement in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roland Esser
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Christoph W Korn
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.,Section Social Neuroscience, Department of General Psychiatry, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Florian Ganzer
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.,German Center for Addiction Research in Childhood and Adolescence, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Jan Haaker
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
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50
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Venkataraman A, Hunter SC, Dhinojwala M, Ghebrezadik D, Guo J, Inoue K, Young LJ, Dias BG. Incerto-thalamic modulation of fear via GABA and dopamine. Neuropsychopharmacology 2021; 46:1658-1668. [PMID: 33864008 PMCID: PMC8280196 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-021-01006-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2020] [Revised: 03/22/2021] [Accepted: 03/24/2021] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Fear generalization and deficits in extinction learning are debilitating dimensions of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Most understanding of the neurobiology underlying these dimensions comes from studies of cortical and limbic brain regions. While thalamic and subthalamic regions have been implicated in modulating fear, the potential for incerto-thalamic pathways to suppress fear generalization and rescue deficits in extinction recall remains unexplored. We first used patch-clamp electrophysiology to examine functional connections between the subthalamic zona incerta and thalamic reuniens (RE). Optogenetic stimulation of GABAergic ZI → RE cell terminals in vitro induced inhibitory post-synaptic currents (IPSCs) in the RE. We then combined high-intensity discriminative auditory fear conditioning with cell-type-specific and projection-specific optogenetics in mice to assess functional roles of GABAergic ZI → RE cell projections in modulating fear generalization and extinction recall. In addition, we used a similar approach to test the possibility of fear generalization and extinction recall being modulated by a smaller subset of GABAergic ZI → RE cells, the A13 dopaminergic cell population. Optogenetic stimulation of GABAergic ZI → RE cell terminals attenuated fear generalization and enhanced extinction recall. In contrast, optogenetic stimulation of dopaminergic ZI → RE cell terminals had no effect on fear generalization but enhanced extinction recall in a dopamine receptor D1-dependent manner. Our findings shed new light on the neuroanatomy and neurochemistry of ZI-located cells that contribute to adaptive fear by increasing the precision and extinction of learned associations. In so doing, these data reveal novel neuroanatomical substrates that could be therapeutically targeted for treatment of PTSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Archana Venkataraman
- grid.189967.80000 0001 0941 6502Emory University Neuroscience Graduate Program, Atlanta, GA USA ,grid.189967.80000 0001 0941 6502Division of Behavioral Neuroscience and Psychiatric Disorders, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, GA USA
| | - Sarah C. Hunter
- grid.189967.80000 0001 0941 6502Emory University Neuroscience & Behavioral Biology Undergraduate Program, Atlanta, GA USA
| | - Maria Dhinojwala
- grid.189967.80000 0001 0941 6502Emory University Neuroscience & Behavioral Biology Undergraduate Program, Atlanta, GA USA
| | - Diana Ghebrezadik
- grid.251844.e0000 0001 2226 7265Agnes Scott College, Decatur, GA USA
| | - JiDong Guo
- grid.189967.80000 0001 0941 6502Division of Behavioral Neuroscience and Psychiatric Disorders, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, GA USA
| | - Kiyoshi Inoue
- grid.189967.80000 0001 0941 6502Silvio O. Conte Center for Oxytocin and Social Cognition, Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, GA USA
| | - Larry J. Young
- grid.189967.80000 0001 0941 6502Emory University Neuroscience Graduate Program, Atlanta, GA USA ,grid.189967.80000 0001 0941 6502Division of Behavioral Neuroscience and Psychiatric Disorders, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, GA USA ,grid.189967.80000 0001 0941 6502Silvio O. Conte Center for Oxytocin and Social Cognition, Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, GA USA ,grid.189967.80000 0001 0941 6502Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA USA
| | - Brian George Dias
- Emory University Neuroscience Graduate Program, Atlanta, GA, USA. .,Division of Behavioral Neuroscience and Psychiatric Disorders, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, GA, USA. .,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA. .,Department of Pediatrics, Keck School of Medicine of USC, Los Angeles, CA, USA. .,Division of Research on Children, Youth & Families, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA. .,Developmental Neuroscience and Neurogenetics Program, The Saban Research Institute, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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