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Xeni F, Marangoni C, Jackson MG. Validation of a non-food or water motivated effort-based foraging task as a measure of motivational state in male mice. Neuropsychopharmacology 2024:10.1038/s41386-024-01899-y. [PMID: 38898205 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-024-01899-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2024] [Revised: 05/06/2024] [Accepted: 06/03/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Abstract
Disorders of motivation such as apathy syndrome are highly prevalent across neurological disorders but do not yet have an agreed treatment approach. The use of translational behavioural models can provide a route through which to meaningfully screen novel drug targets. Methods that utilise food deprivation in contrived environments may lack the sensitivity to detect deficits in self-initiated behaviour, and may have limited translation to normal behaviour. Animals monitored in more naturalistic environments may display more ethologically-relevant behaviours of greater translational value. Here, we aimed to validate a novel, non-food or water motivated effort-based foraging task as a measure of motivational state in mice. In this task, the mouse can freely choose to exert effort to forage nesting material and shuttle it back to a safe and enclosed environment. The amount of nesting material foraged is used as a readout of motivational state. Acute dopaminergic modulation with haloperidol, amphetamine and methylphenidate, and two phenotypic models known to induce motivational deficits (healthy ageing and chronic administration of corticosterone) were used to validate this task. Consistent with other effort-based decision-making tasks we find that foraging behaviour is sensitive to acute modulation of dopaminergic transmission. We find that both phenotypic models induce differing deficits in various aspects of foraging behaviour suggesting that the task may be used to parse different behavioural profiles from distinct disease phenotypes. Thus, without requiring extended training periods or physiological deprivation, this task may represent a refined and translational preclinical measure of motivation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Foteini Xeni
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Biomedical Sciences Building, University of Bristol, BS8 1TD, Bristol, UK
| | - Caterina Marangoni
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Biomedical Sciences Building, University of Bristol, BS8 1TD, Bristol, UK
| | - Megan G Jackson
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Biomedical Sciences Building, University of Bristol, BS8 1TD, Bristol, UK.
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Spencer RC, Martin AJ, Devilbiss DM, Berridge CW. Cognition-enhancing and cognition-impairing doses of psychostimulants exert opposing actions on frontostriatal neural coding of delay in working memory. Neuropsychopharmacology 2024; 49:837-844. [PMID: 37741905 PMCID: PMC10948860 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-023-01738-6] [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: 03/14/2023] [Revised: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 09/06/2023] [Indexed: 09/25/2023]
Abstract
The prefrontal cortex (PFC) and extended frontostriatal circuitry play a critical role in executive cognitive processes that guide goal-directed behavior. Dysregulation of frontostriatal-dependent cognition is implicated in a variety of cognitive/behavioral disorders, including addiction and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Psychostimulants exert dose-dependent and opposing actions on frontostriatal cognitive function. Specifically, low and clinically-relevant doses improve, while higher doses associated with abuse and addiction impair, frontostriatal-dependent cognitive function. Frontostriatal cognition is supported by the coordinated activity of neurons across this circuit. To date, the neural coding mechanisms that support the diverse cognitive actions of psychostimulants are unclear. This represents a significant deficit in our understanding of the neurobiology of frontostriatal cognition and limits the development of novel treatments for frontostriatal cognitive impairment. The current studies examined the effects of cognition-enhancing and cognition-impairing doses of methylphenidate (MPH) on the spiking activity of dorsomedial PFC (dmPFC) and dorsomedial striatal (dmSTR) neurons in 17 male rats engaged in a working memory task. Across this frontostriatal circuit, we observed opposing actions of low- and high-dose MPH on the population-based representation of delay: low-dose strengthened, while high-dose weakened, representation of this event. MPH elicited a more complex pattern of actions on reward-related signaling, that were highly dose-, region- and neuron-dependent. These observations provide novel insight into the neurophysiological mechanisms that support the cognitive actions of psychostimulants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert C Spencer
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA.
| | - Andrea J Martin
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
| | - David M Devilbiss
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rowan University, 2 Medical Center Drive, SC220, Stratford, NJ, 08084, USA
| | - Craig W Berridge
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
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Verhein JR, Vyas S, Shenoy KV. Methylphenidate modulates motor cortical dynamics and behavior. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.10.15.562405. [PMID: 37905157 PMCID: PMC10614820 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.15.562405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2023]
Abstract
Methylphenidate (MPH, brand: Ritalin) is a common stimulant used both medically and non-medically. Though typically prescribed for its cognitive effects, MPH also affects movement. While it is known that MPH noncompetitively blocks the reuptake of catecholamines through inhibition of dopamine and norepinephrine transporters, a critical step in exploring how it affects behavior is to understand how MPH directly affects neural activity. This would establish an electrophysiological mechanism of action for MPH. Since we now have biologically-grounded network-level hypotheses regarding how populations of motor cortical neurons plan and execute movements, there is a unique opportunity to make testable predictions regarding how systemic MPH administration - a pharmacological perturbation - might affect neural activity in motor cortex. To that end, we administered clinically-relevant doses of MPH to Rhesus monkeys as they performed an instructed-delay reaching task. Concomitantly, we measured neural activity from dorsal premotor and primary motor cortex. Consistent with our predictions, we found dose-dependent and significant effects on reaction time, trial-by-trial variability, and movement speed. We confirmed our hypotheses that changes in reaction time and variability were accompanied by previously established population-level changes in motor cortical preparatory activity and the condition-independent signal that precedes movements. We expected changes in speed to be a result of changes in the amplitude of motor cortical dynamics and/or a translation of those dynamics in activity space. Instead, our data are consistent with a mechanism whereby the neuromodulatory effect of MPH is to increase the gain and/or the signal-to-noise of motor cortical dynamics during reaching. Continued work in this domain to better understand the brain-wide electrophysiological mechanism of action of MPH and other psychoactive drugs could facilitate more targeted treatments for a host of cognitive-motor disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica R Verhein
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA
- Neurosciences Graduate Program, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA
- Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA
- Current affiliations: Psychiatry Research Residency Training Program, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
| | - Saurabh Vyas
- Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA
- Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY
| | - Krishna V Shenoy
- Neurosciences Graduate Program, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA
- Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute at Stanford University, Stanford, CA
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA
- Bio-X Program, Stanford University, Stanford, CA
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Agapoff JA, Chong Z, Meek M, van Schalkwyk GI. Pharmacologic and Non-Pharmacologic Interventions for Emotional Lability: A Meta-Analysis. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 149:105184. [PMID: 37085024 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105184] [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: 12/14/2022] [Revised: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 04/16/2023] [Indexed: 04/23/2023]
Abstract
Emotional Lability (EL) is a common symptom dimension in a variety of psychiatric disorders. However, as it is not typically a diagnosis in its own right, it lacks a consistently applied clinical definition and treatment approach. Therefore, in this review we performed a meta-analysis to determine the effect size for treatments of EL across diagnostic categories. We then conducted subgroup analyses to compare effect sizes for pharmacologic (MED) and behavioral (BEH) treatments, according to underlying diagnosis, and according to medication class. We found that pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic treatments are effective for EL, and that the effect sizes were similar - a finding with implications for clinical practice. Our finding also supports future research which approaches EL as an important construct independent of underlying diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jame A Agapoff
- Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, John A Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawai'i, 1356 Lusitana St. 4(th) Fl, Honolulu, HI, 96813.
| | - Zhang Chong
- Division of Epidemiology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Utah School of Health Sciences, Salt Lake City, UT 84113.
| | - Matthew Meek
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Utah, and Intermountain Healthcare. Mario Capecchi Dr., Salt Lake City, UT 84113.
| | - Gerrit I van Schalkwyk
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Utah, and Intermountain Healthcare. Mario Capecchi Dr., Salt Lake City, UT 84113.
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Morningstar MD, Barnett WH, Goodlett CR, Kuznetsov A, Lapish CC. Understanding ethanol's acute effects on medial prefrontal cortex neural activity using state-space approaches. Neuropharmacology 2021; 198:108780. [PMID: 34480911 PMCID: PMC8488975 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2021.108780] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2021] [Revised: 08/10/2021] [Accepted: 08/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Acute ethanol (EtOH) intoxication results in several maladaptive behaviors that may be attributable, in part, to the effects of EtOH on neural activity in medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). The acute effects of EtOH on mPFC function have been largely described as inhibitory. However, translating these observations on function into a mechanism capable of delineating acute EtOH's effects on behavior has proven difficult. This review highlights the role of acute EtOH on electrophysiological measurements of mPFC function and proposes that interpreting these changes through the lens of dynamical systems theory is critical to understand the mechanisms that mediate the effects of EtOH intoxication on behavior. Specifically, the present review posits that the effects of EtOH on mPFC N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptors are critical for the expression of impaired behavior following EtOH consumption. This hypothesis is based on the observation that recurrent activity in cortical networks is supported by NMDA receptors, and, when disrupted, may lead to impairments in cognitive function. To evaluate this hypothesis, we discuss the representation of mPFC neural activity in low-dimensional, dynamic state spaces. This approach has proven useful for identifying the underlying computations necessary for the production of behavior. Ultimately, we hypothesize that EtOH-related alterations to NMDA receptor function produces alterations that can be effectively conceptualized as impairments in attractor dynamics and provides insight into how acute EtOH disrupts forms of cognition that rely on mPFC function. This article is part of the special Issue on 'Neurocircuitry Modulating Drug and Alcohol Abuse'.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - William H Barnett
- Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, Department of Psychology, USA
| | - Charles R Goodlett
- Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, Department of Psychology, USA; Indiana University School of Medicine, Stark Neurosciences, USA
| | - Alexey Kuznetsov
- Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, Department of Mathematics, USA; Indiana University School of Medicine, Stark Neurosciences, USA
| | - Christopher C Lapish
- Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, Department of Psychology, USA; Indiana University School of Medicine, Stark Neurosciences, USA
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Cai X, Padoa-Schioppa C. Neuronal activity in dorsal anterior cingulate cortex during economic choices under variable action costs. eLife 2021; 10:71695. [PMID: 34643179 PMCID: PMC8555982 DOI: 10.7554/elife.71695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Accepted: 10/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The role of the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (ACCd) in decision making has often been discussed but remains somewhat unclear. On the one hand, numerous studies implicated this area in decisions driven by effort or action cost. On the other hand, work on economic choices between goods (under fixed action costs) found that neurons in ACCd encoded only post-decision variables. To advance our understanding of the role played by this area in decision making, we trained monkeys to choose between different goods (juice types) offered in variable amounts and with different action costs. Importantly, the task design dissociated computation of the action cost from planning of any particular action. Neurons in ACCd encoded the chosen value and the binary choice outcome in several reference frames (chosen juice, chosen cost, chosen action). Thus, this area provided a rich representation of post-decision variables. In contrast to the OFC, neurons in ACCd did not represent pre-decision variables such as individual offer values in any reference frame. Hence, ongoing decisions are unlikely guided by ACCd. Conversely, neuronal activity in this area might inform subsequent actions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinying Cai
- Department of Neuroscience, Washington University in St Louis, Saint Louis, United States.,NYU Shanghai, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics (Ministry of Education), School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China.,NYU-ECNU Institute of Brain and Cognitive Science at NYU Shanghai, Shanghai, China
| | - Camillo Padoa-Schioppa
- Department of Neuroscience, Washington University in St Louis, Saint Louis, United States.,Departments of Economics, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, China.,Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, China
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