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Rosch KS, Batschelett MA, Crocetti D, Mostofsky SH, Seymour KE. Sex differences in atypical fronto-subcortical structural connectivity among children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: Associations with delay discounting. Behav Brain Res 2023; 452:114525. [PMID: 37271314 PMCID: PMC10527538 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2023.114525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2022] [Revised: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 05/31/2023] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Atypical fronto-subcortical neural circuitry has been implicated in the pathophysiology of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), including connections between prefrontal cortical regions involved in top-down cognitive control and subcortical limbic structures (striatum and amygdala) involved in bottom-up reward and emotional processing. The integrity of fronto-subcortical connections may also relate to interindividual variability in delay discounting, or a preference for smaller, immediate over larger, delayed rewards, which is associated with ADHD, with recent evidence of ADHD-related sex differences. METHODS We applied diffusion tensor imaging to compare the integrity of the white matter connections within fronto-subcortical tracts among 187 8-12 year-old children either with ADHD ((n = 106; 29 girls) or typically developing (TD) controls ((n = 81; 28 girls). Analyses focused on diagnostic group differences in fractional anisotropy (FA) within fronto-subcortical circuitry implicated in delay discounting, connecting subregions of the striatum (dorsal executive and ventral limbic areas) and amygdala with prefrontal regions of interest (dorsolateral [dlPFC], orbitofrontal [OFC] and anterior cingulate cortex [ACC]), and associations with two behavioral assessments of delay discounting. RESULTS Children with ADHD showed reduced FA in tracts connecting OFC with ventral striatum, regardless of sex, whereas reduced FA in the OFC-amygdala and ventral ACC-amygdala tracts were specific to boys with ADHD. Across diagnostic groups and sex, reduced FA in the dorsal ACC-executive striatum tract correlated with greater game time delay discounting. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest a potential neurobiological substrate of heightened delay discounting in children with ADHD and support the need for additional studies including larger sample sizes of girls with ADHD to further elucidate ADHD-related sex differences in these relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keri S Rosch
- Center for Neurodevelopmental and Imaging Research, Kennedy Krieger Institute, USA; Neuropsychology Department, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, USA.
| | | | - Deana Crocetti
- Center for Neurodevelopmental and Imaging Research, Kennedy Krieger Institute, USA
| | - Stewart H Mostofsky
- Center for Neurodevelopmental and Imaging Research, Kennedy Krieger Institute, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, USA; Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University, USA
| | - Karen E Seymour
- Center for Neurodevelopmental and Imaging Research, Kennedy Krieger Institute, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, USA; Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
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Hisey E, Purkey A, Gao Y, Hossain K, Soderling SH, Ressler KJ. A Ventromedial Prefrontal-to-Lateral Entorhinal Cortex Pathway Modulates the Gain of Behavioral Responding During Threat. Biol Psychiatry 2023; 94:239-248. [PMID: 36925415 PMCID: PMC10354215 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2023.01.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2022] [Revised: 01/11/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The ability to correctly associate cues and contexts with threat is critical for survival, and the inability to do so can result in threat-related disorders such as posttraumatic stress disorder. The prefrontal cortex (PFC) and hippocampus are well known to play critical roles in cued and contextual threat memory processing. However, the circuits that mediate prefrontal-hippocampal modulation of context discrimination during cued threat processing are less understood. Here, we demonstrate the role of a previously unexplored projection from the ventromedial region of PFC (vmPFC) to the lateral entorhinal cortex (LEC) in modulating the gain of behavior in response to contextual information during threat retrieval and encoding. METHODS We used optogenetics followed by in vivo calcium imaging in male C57/B6J mice to manipulate and monitor vmPFC-LEC activity in response to threat-associated cues in different contexts. We then investigated the inputs to, and outputs from, vmPFC-LEC cells using Rabies tracing and channelrhodopsin-assisted electrophysiology. RESULTS vmPFC-LEC cells flexibly and bidirectionally shaped behavior during threat expression, shaping sensitivity to contextual information to increase or decrease the gain of behavioral output in response to a threatening or neutral context, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Glutamatergic vmPFC-LEC cells are key players in behavioral gain control in response to contextual information during threat processing and may provide a future target for intervention in threat-based disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin Hisey
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina; Department of Psychiatry, McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Belmont, Massachusetts
| | - Alicia Purkey
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Yudong Gao
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Kazi Hossain
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Scott H Soderling
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Kerry J Ressler
- Department of Psychiatry, McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Belmont, Massachusetts.
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Biro L, Miskolczi C, Szebik H, Bruzsik B, Varga ZK, Szente L, Toth M, Halasz J, Mikics E. Post-weaning social isolation in male mice leads to abnormal aggression and disrupted network organization in the prefrontal cortex: Contribution of parvalbumin interneurons with or without perineuronal nets. Neurobiol Stress 2023; 25:100546. [PMID: 37323648 PMCID: PMC10265620 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2023.100546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2023] [Revised: 05/10/2023] [Accepted: 05/28/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Adverse social experiences during childhood increase the risk of developing aggression-related psychopathologies. The prefrontal cortex (PFC) is a key regulator of social behavior, where experience-dependent network development is tied to the maturation of parvalbumin-positive (PV+) interneurons. Maltreatment in childhood could impact PFC development and lead to disturbances in social behavior during later life. However, our knowledge regarding the impact of early-life social stress on PFC operation and PV+ cell function is still scarce. Here, we used post-weaning social isolation (PWSI) to model early-life social neglect in mice and to study the associated neuronal changes in the PFC, additionally distinguishing between the two main subpopulations of PV+ interneurons, i.e. those without or those enwrapped by perineuronal nets (PNN). For the first time to such detailed extent in mice, we show that PWSI induced disturbances in social behavior, including abnormal aggression, excessive vigilance and fragmented behavioral organization. PWSI mice showed altered resting-state and fighting-induced co-activation patterns between orbitofrontal and medial PFC (mPFC) subregions, with a particularly highly elevated activity in the mPFC. Surprisingly, aggressive interaction was associated with a higher recruitment of mPFC PV+ neurons that were surrounded by PNN in PWSI mice that seemed to mediate the emergence of social deficits. PWSI did not affect the number of PV+ neurons and PNN density, but enhanced PV and PNN intensity as well as cortical and subcortical glutamatergic drive onto mPFC PV+ neurons. Our results suggest that the increased excitatory input of PV+ cells could emerge as a compensatory mechanism for the PV+ neuron-mediated impaired inhibition of mPFC layer 5 pyramidal neurons, since we found lower numbers of GABAergic PV+ puncta on the perisomatic region of these cells. In conclusion, PWSI leads to altered PV-PNN activity and impaired excitatory/inhibitory balance in the mPFC, which possibly contributes to social behavioral disruptions seen in PWSI mice. Our data advances our understanding on how early-life social stress can impact the maturing PFC and lead to the development of social abnormalities in adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laszlo Biro
- Institute of Experimental Medicine, Laboratory of Translational Behavioural Neuroscience, 1083 Budapest, Szigony utca 43., Hungary
| | - Christina Miskolczi
- Institute of Experimental Medicine, Laboratory of Translational Behavioural Neuroscience, 1083 Budapest, Szigony utca 43., Hungary
- Janos Szentagothai Doctoral School of Neurosciences, Semmelweis University, 1085 Budapest, Ulloi ut 26., Hungary
| | - Huba Szebik
- Institute of Experimental Medicine, Laboratory of Translational Behavioural Neuroscience, 1083 Budapest, Szigony utca 43., Hungary
- Janos Szentagothai Doctoral School of Neurosciences, Semmelweis University, 1085 Budapest, Ulloi ut 26., Hungary
| | - Biborka Bruzsik
- Institute of Experimental Medicine, Laboratory of Translational Behavioural Neuroscience, 1083 Budapest, Szigony utca 43., Hungary
| | - Zoltan Kristof Varga
- Institute of Experimental Medicine, Laboratory of Translational Behavioural Neuroscience, 1083 Budapest, Szigony utca 43., Hungary
| | - Laszlo Szente
- Institute of Experimental Medicine, Laboratory of Translational Behavioural Neuroscience, 1083 Budapest, Szigony utca 43., Hungary
- Janos Szentagothai Doctoral School of Neurosciences, Semmelweis University, 1085 Budapest, Ulloi ut 26., Hungary
| | - Mate Toth
- Institute of Experimental Medicine, Laboratory of Translational Behavioural Neuroscience, 1083 Budapest, Szigony utca 43., Hungary
| | - Jozsef Halasz
- Institute of Experimental Medicine, Laboratory of Translational Behavioural Neuroscience, 1083 Budapest, Szigony utca 43., Hungary
| | - Eva Mikics
- Institute of Experimental Medicine, Laboratory of Translational Behavioural Neuroscience, 1083 Budapest, Szigony utca 43., Hungary
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Gonzalez-Burgos G, Miyamae T, Nishihata Y, Krimer OL, Lewis DA. Strength of Excitatory Inputs to Layer 3 Pyramidal Neurons During Synaptic Pruning in the Monkey Prefrontal Cortex: Relevance for the Pathogenesis of Schizophrenia. Biol Psychiatry 2023:S0006-3223(23)00047-1. [PMID: 36736420 PMCID: PMC10394116 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2023.01.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2022] [Revised: 01/06/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In schizophrenia, layer 3 pyramidal neurons (L3PNs) of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex exhibit deficits in markers of excitatory synaptic inputs that are thought to disrupt the patterns of neural network activity essential for cognitive function. These deficits are usually interpreted under Irwin Feinberg's hypothesis of altered synaptic pruning, which postulates that normal periadolescent pruning, thought to preferentially eliminate weak/immature synapses, is altered in schizophrenia. However, it remains unknown whether periadolescent pruning on L3PNs in the primate dorsolateral prefrontal cortex selectively eliminates weak excitatory synapses or uniformly eliminates excitatory synapses across the full distribution of synaptic strengths. METHODS To distinguish between these alternative models of synaptic pruning, we assessed the densities of dendritic spines, the site of most excitatory inputs to L3PNs, and the distributions of excitatory synaptic strengths in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex L3PNs from male and female monkeys across the periadolescent period of synaptic pruning. We used patch-clamp methods in acute brain slices to record miniature excitatory synaptic currents and intracellular filling with biocytin to quantify dendritic spines. RESULTS On L3PNs, dendritic spines exhibited the expected age-related decline in density, but mean synaptic strength and the shape of synaptic strength distributions remained stable with age. CONCLUSIONS The absence of age-related differences in mean synaptic strength and synaptic strength distributions supports the model of a uniform pattern of synaptic pruning across the full range of synaptic strengths. The implications of these findings for the pathogenesis and functional consequences of dendritic spine deficits in schizophrenia are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillermo Gonzalez-Burgos
- Translational Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
| | - Takeaki Miyamae
- Translational Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Yosuke Nishihata
- Translational Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Olga L Krimer
- Translational Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - David A Lewis
- Translational Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
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Patel S, Johnson K, Adank D, Rosas-Vidal LE. Longitudinal monitoring of prefrontal cortical ensemble dynamics reveals new insights into stress habituation. Neurobiol Stress 2022; 20:100481. [PMID: 36160815 PMCID: PMC9489534 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2022.100481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Revised: 08/12/2022] [Accepted: 08/24/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
The prefrontal cortex is highly susceptible to the detrimental effects of stress and has been implicated in the pathogenesis of stress-related psychiatric disorders. It is not well understood, however, how stress is represented at the neuronal level in the prefrontal cortical neuronal ensembles. Even less understood is how the representation of stress changes over time with repeated exposure. Here we show that the prelimbic prefrontal neuronal ensemble representation of foot shock stress exhibits rapid spatial drift within and between sessions. Despite this rapid spatial drift of the ensemble, the representation of the stressor itself stabilizes over days. Our results suggest that stress is represented by rapidly drifting ensembles and despite this rapid drift, important features of the neuronal representation are stabilized, suggesting a neural correlate of stress habituation is present within prefrontal cortical neuron populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sachin Patel
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA
| | - Keenan Johnson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA
| | - Danielle Adank
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Luis E. Rosas-Vidal
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center Nashville, TN, USA
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Lissek S, Klass A, Tegenthoff M. NMDA receptor-mediated processing in inferior frontal gyrus facilitates acquisition and extinction learning and strengthens renewal. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2022; 194:107672. [PMID: 35917993 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2022.107672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2022] [Revised: 06/14/2022] [Accepted: 07/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
While the renewal effect of extinction is considered to be invoked by attention to context during the extinction phase, there is also evidence that processing during initial learning (acquisition) may be important for later renewal. A noradrenergic agonist and a dopaminergic antagonist, administered before acquisition, did not affect renewal, however, the effects of NMDAergic neurotransmission in this regard are as yet unknown. In a previous study, administration of a single dose of the NMDA agonist D-cycloserine (DCS) before extinction learning facilitated extinction in the context of acquisition (AAA), but had no effect upon renewal. In the present fMRI study, DCS was administered prior to the initial acquisition of a predictive learning task, in order to investigate whether NMDA receptor (NMDAR) stimulation at this timepoint will modulate overall learning as well as the level of renewal, while increasing activation in the extinction- and renewal-relevant brain regions of inferior frontal gyrus (iFG) and hippocampus (HC). DCS facilitated acquisition, as well as extinction learning in the context of acquisition (AAA), and raised the level of ABA renewal. While BOLD activation during acquisition did not differ between treatment groups, activation in bilateral iFG showed a double dissociation during processing of AAA extinction trials, with DCS-mediated higher activation in right iFG and deactivation in left iFG. In contrast, placebo showed higher activation in left iFG and deactivation in right iFG. During the test (recall) phase, left iFG and right anterior hippocampus activation was increased in DCS participants who showed renewal, with activation in this region correlating with the ABA renewal level. The results demonstrate that NMDA receptor stimulation can facilitate both initial learning and extinction of associations, and in this way has an impact upon the resultant level of renewal. In particular NMDAergic processing in iFG appears relevant for the facilitation of AAA extinction and ABA recall in the test phase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silke Lissek
- Department of Neurology, BG University Hospital Bergmannsheil, Ruhr-University Bochum, Germany.
| | - Anne Klass
- Department of Neurology, BG University Hospital Bergmannsheil, Ruhr-University Bochum, Germany
| | - Martin Tegenthoff
- Department of Neurology, BG University Hospital Bergmannsheil, Ruhr-University Bochum, Germany
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7
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Abstract
The amygdala, a complex array of nuclei in the forebrain, controls emotions and emotion-related behaviors in vertebrates. Current research aims to understand the amygdala's evolution in ray-finned fish such as zebrafish because of the region's relevance for social behavior and human psychiatric disorders. Clear-cut molecular definitions of the amygdala and its evolutionary-developmental relationship to the one of mammals are critical for zebrafish models of affective disorders and autism. In this review, I argue that the prosomeric model and a focus on the olfactory system's organization provide ideal tools for discovering deep ancestral relationships between the emotional systems of zebrafish and mammals. The review's focus is on the "extended amygdala," which refers to subpallial amygdaloid territories including the central (autonomic) and the medial (olfactory) amygdala required for reproductive and social behaviors. Amphibians, sauropsids, and lungfish share many characteristics with the basic amygdala ground plan of mammals, as molecular and hodological studies have shown. Further exploration of the evolution of the amygdala in basally derived fish vertebrates requires researchers to test these "tetrapod-based" concepts. Historically, this has been a daunting task because the forebrains of basally derived fish vertebrates look very different from those of more familiar tetrapod ones. An extreme case are ray-finned fish (Actinopterygii) like zebrafish because their telencephalon develops through a distinct outward-growing process called eversion. To this day, scientists have struggled to determine how the everted telencephalon compares to non-actinopterygian vertebrates. Using the teleost zebrafish as a genetic model, comparative neurologists began to establish quantifiable molecular definitions that allow direct comparisons between ray-finned fish and tetrapods. In this review, I discuss how the most recent discovery of the zebrafish amygdala ground plan offers an opportunity to identify the developmental constraints of amygdala evolution and function. In addition, I explain how the zebrafish prethalamic eminence (PThE) topologically relates to the medial amygdala proper and the nucleus of the lateral olfactory tract (nLOT). In fact, I consider these previously misinterpreted olfactory structures the most critical missing evolutionary links between actinopterygian and tetrapod amygdalae. In this context, I will also explain why recognizing both the PThE and the nLOT is crucial to understanding the telencephalon eversion. Recognizing these anatomical hallmarks allows direct comparisons of the amygdalae of zebrafish and mammals. Ultimately, the new concepts of the zebrafish amygdala will overcome current dogmas and reach a holistic understanding of amygdala circuits of cognition and emotion in actinopterygians.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Mueller
- Division of Biology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, USA
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8
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Muralidharan V, Aron AR, Schmidt R. Transient beta modulates decision thresholds during human action-stopping. Neuroimage 2022; 254:119145. [PMID: 35342005 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.119145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2021] [Revised: 02/26/2022] [Accepted: 03/23/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Action-stopping in humans involves bursts of beta oscillations in prefrontal-basal ganglia regions. To determine the functional role of these beta bursts we took advantage of the Race Model framework describing action-stopping. We incorporated beta bursts in three race model variants, each implementing a different functional contribution of beta to action-stopping. In these variants, we hypothesized that a transient increase in beta could (1) modulate decision thresholds, (2) change stop accumulation rates, or (3) promote the interaction between the Stop and the Go process. We then tested the model predictions using EEG recordings in humans performing a Stop-signal task. We found that the model variant in which beta increased decision thresholds for a brief period of time best explained the empirical data. The model parameters fitted to the empirical data indicated that beta bursts involve a stronger decision threshold modulation for the Go process than for the Stop process. This suggests that prefrontal beta influences stopping by temporarily holding the response from execution. Our study further suggests that human action-stopping could be multi-staged with the beta acting as a pause, increasing the response threshold for the Stop process to modulate behavior successfully. Overall, our approach of introducing transient oscillations into the race model and testing against human electrophysiological data provides a novel account of the puzzle of prefrontal beta in executive control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vignesh Muralidharan
- Department of Psychology, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, California 92093, USA.
| | - Adam R Aron
- Department of Psychology, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, California 92093, USA
| | - Robert Schmidt
- Department of Psychology, The University of Sheffield, UK
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Seamans JK, Floresco SB. Event-based control of autonomic and emotional states by the anterior cingulate cortex. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 133:104503. [PMID: 34922986 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.12.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2021] [Revised: 11/25/2021] [Accepted: 12/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Despite being an intensive area of research, the function of the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) remains somewhat of a mystery. Human imaging studies implicate the ACC in various cognitive functions, yet surgical ACC lesions used to treat emotional disorders have minimal lasting effects on cognition. An alternative view is that ACC regulates autonomic states, consistent with its interconnectivity with autonomic control regions and that stimulation evokes changes in autonomic/emotional states. At the cellular level, ACC neurons are highly multi-modal and promiscuous, and can represent a staggering array of task events. These neurons nevertheless combine to produce highly event-specific ensemble patterns that likely alter activity in downstream regions controlling emotional and autonomic tone. Since neuromodulators regulate the strength of the ensemble activity patterns, they would regulate the impact these patterns have on downstream targets. Through these mechanisms, the ACC may determine how strongly to react to the very events its ensembles represent. Pathologies arise when specific event-related representations gain excessive control over autonomic/emotional states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy K Seamans
- Depts. of Psychiatry, Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, 2211 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6B2T5, Canada.
| | - Stan B Floresco
- Depts. of Psychology, Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, 2211 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6B2T5, Canada
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Cabrera-Mino C, Roy B, Woo MA, Freeby MJ, Kumar R, Choi SE. Poor Sleep Quality Linked to Decreased Brain Gray Matter Density in Adults with Type 2 Diabetes. Sleep Vigil 2021; 5:289-297. [PMID: 35243203 PMCID: PMC8887871 DOI: 10.1007/s41782-021-00170-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2021] [Revised: 08/13/2021] [Accepted: 09/16/2021] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Poor sleep is common in adults with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM), which may contribute to brain tissue changes. However, the impact of sleep quality on brain tissue in T2DM individuals is unclear. We aimed to evaluate differential sleep quality with brain changes, and brain tissue integrity in T2DM patients. METHODS Data were collected from 34 patients with T2DM and included sleep quality (assessed by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index [PSQI], and high-resolution T1-weighted brain images using a 3.0-Tesla MRI scanner. Gray matter density (GMD) maps were compared between subjects with good vs poor sleep quality as assessed by PSQI (covariates: age, sex, BMI). RESULTS Of 34 T2DM patients, 17 showed poor sleep quality. Multiple brain sites, including the hippocampus, cerebellum, prefrontal, amygdala, thalamus, hypothalamus, insula, cingulate, and temporal areas, showed reduced gray matter in T2DM patients with poor sleep quality over patients with good sleep quality. Negative associations emerged between PSQI scores and gray matter density in multiple areas. CONCLUSIONS T2DM patients with poor sleep quality show brain tissue changes in sites involved in sleep regulation. Findings indicate that improving sleep may help mitigate brain tissue damage, and thus, improve brain function in T2DM patients.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Bhaswati Roy
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Mary A. Woo
- UCLA School of Nursing, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Matthew J. Freeby
- Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, & Metabolism, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Rajesh Kumar
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
- Department of Radiological Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
- David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Brain Research Institute, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Sarah E. Choi
- UCLA School of Nursing, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
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11
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Nett KE, LaLumiere RT. Infralimbic cortex functioning across motivated behaviors: Can the differences be reconciled? Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 131:704-721. [PMID: 34624366 PMCID: PMC8642304 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2021] [Revised: 09/10/2021] [Accepted: 10/02/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
The rodent infralimbic cortex (IL) is implicated in higher order executive functions such as reward seeking and flexible decision making. However, the precise nature of its role in these processes is unclear. Early evidence indicated that the IL promotes the extinction and ongoing inhibition of fear conditioning and cocaine seeking. However, evidence spanning other behavioral domains, such as natural reward seeking and habit-based learning, suggests a more nuanced understanding of IL function. As techniques have advanced and more studies have examined IL function, identifying a unifying explanation for its behavioral function has become increasingly difficult. Here, we discuss evidence of IL function across motivated behaviors, including associative learning, drug seeking, natural reward seeking, and goal-directed versus habit-based behaviors, and emphasize how context-specific encoding and heterogeneous IL neuronal populations may underlie seemingly conflicting findings in the literature. Together, the evidence suggests that a major IL function is to facilitate the encoding and updating of contingencies between cues and behaviors to guide subsequent behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelle E Nett
- Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, United States.
| | - Ryan T LaLumiere
- Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, United States; Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, United States; Iowa Neuroscience Institute, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, United States
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12
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Luciana M, Collins PF. Is Adolescence a Sensitive Period for the Development of Incentive-Reward Motivation? Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2021; 53:79-99. [PMID: 34784026 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2021_275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Human adolescence is broadly construed as a time of heightened risk-taking and a vulnerability period for the emergence of psychopathology. These tendencies have been attributed to the age-related development of neural systems that mediate incentive motivation and other aspects of reward processing as well as individual difference factors that interact with ongoing development. Here, we describe the adolescent development of incentive motivation, which we view as an inherently positive developmental progression, and its associated neural mechanisms. We consider challenges in applying the sensitive period concept to these maturational events and discuss future directions that may help to clarify mechanisms of change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica Luciana
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
| | - Paul F Collins
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
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Green JT, Bouton ME. New functions of the rodent prelimbic and infralimbic cortex in instrumental behavior. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2021; 185:107533. [PMID: 34673264 PMCID: PMC8653515 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2021.107533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2021] [Revised: 09/24/2021] [Accepted: 09/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The prelimbic and infralimbic cortices of the rodent medial prefrontal cortex mediate the effects of context and goals on instrumental behavior. Recent work from our laboratory has expanded this understanding. Results have shown that the prelimbic cortex is important for the modulation of instrumental behavior by the context in which the behavior is learned (but not other contexts), with context potentially being broadly defined (to include at least previous behaviors). We have also shown that the infralimbic cortex is important in the expression of extensively-trained instrumental behavior, regardless of whether that behavior is expressed as a stimulus-response habit or a goal-directed action. Some of the most recent data suggest that infralimbic cortex may control the currently active behavioral state (e.g., habit vs. action or acquisition vs. extinction) when two states have been learned. We have also begun to examine prelimbic and infralimbic cortex function as key nodes of discrete circuits and have shown that prelimbic cortex projections to an anterior region of the dorsomedial striatum are important for expression of minimally-trained instrumental behavior. Overall, the use of an associative learning perspective on instrumental learning has allowed the research to provide new perspectives on how these two "cognitive" brain regions contribute to instrumental behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- John T Green
- Department of Psychological Science, University of Vermont, United States.
| | - Mark E Bouton
- Department of Psychological Science, University of Vermont, United States
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14
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Namvarpour Z, Afsordeh K, Amini A, Fathabady FF. Alpha lipoic acid ameliorates detrimental effects of maternal lipopolysaccharides exposure on prefrontal white matter in adult male offspring rats. J Chem Neuroanat 2021; 118:102038. [PMID: 34610418 DOI: 10.1016/j.jchemneu.2021.102038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2021] [Revised: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 09/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Activation of the maternal immune system by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) increases the production of proinflammatory cytokines, free radicals, and reactive oxygen species (ROS), all of which play a significant role in the pathogenesis of many offspring neurodevelopmental disorders. Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA) is a natural compound that has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. This study was performed to assess the effect of prenatal exposure to LPS on the prefrontal white matter of rat offspring and evaluate the potential protective effects of ALA co-administration during pregnancy. METHODS Pregnant Wistar rats were randomly divided into six groups (n = 6 each group): (1) control, (2) received LPS (100 μg/kg, intraperitoneally (IP) on gestational day 9.5 (GD 9.5), (3) received ALA (20 mg/kg) from GD1 to GD11, (4) LPS+ALA received LPS on GD9.5 and ALA from GD1 to GD11, (5 and 6) received LPS and ALA vehicle respectively. In each group, 21-day old male offspring (2 male pups from each mother) was harvested, and then their prefrontal white matter was separated and prepared for the ultrastructural, stereological, and molecular assays. RESULTS In utero exposure to LPS led to a significant decrease in nerve cell counts, ultrastructural alterations in myelinated axons, and abnormal changes in genes expression of Sox10,Olig1,yrf,Wnt in the prefrontal of the rat offspring. Co-administration of ALA resulted in amelioration of those abnormal changes in the LPS rat offspring. CONCLUSION The findings of our preclinical study, explore that prenatal ALA treatment efficiently protects the nervous system against LPS induced abnormal changes in the offspring.
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15
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Li DC, Hinton EA, Gourley SL. Persistent behavioral and neurobiological consequences of social isolation during adolescence. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2021; 118:73-82. [PMID: 34112579 PMCID: PMC8434983 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2021.05.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2021] [Revised: 04/05/2021] [Accepted: 05/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Meaningful social interactions are a fundamental human need, the lack of which can pose serious risks to an individual's physical and mental health. Across species, peer-oriented social behaviors are dramatically reshaped during adolescence, a developmental period characterized by dynamic changes in brain structure and function as individuals transition into adulthood. Thus, the experience of social isolation during this critical developmental stage may be especially pernicious, as it could permanently derail typical neurobiological processes that are necessary for establishing adaptive adult behaviors. The purpose of this review is to summarize investigations in which rodents were isolated during adolescence, then re-housed in typical social groups prior to testing, thus allowing the investigators to resolve the long-term consequences of social adversity experienced during adolescent sensitive periods, despite subsequent normalization of the social environment. Here, we discuss alterations in social, anxiety-like, cognitive, and decision-making behaviors in previously isolated adult rodents. We then explore corresponding neurobiological findings, focusing on the prefrontal cortex, including changes in synaptic densities and protein levels, white matter and oligodendrocyte function, and neuronal physiology. Made more urgent by the recent wave of social deprivation resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, especially amongst school-aged adolescents, understanding the mechanisms by which even transient social adversity can negatively impact brain function across the lifespan is of paramount importance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan C Li
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Emory University School of Medicine, USA; Graduate Training Program in Neuroscience, Emory University, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Emory University School of Medicine, USA; Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, USA.
| | - Elizabeth A Hinton
- Graduate Training Program in Neuroscience, Emory University, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Emory University School of Medicine, USA; Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, USA
| | - Shannon L Gourley
- Graduate Training Program in Neuroscience, Emory University, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Emory University School of Medicine, USA; Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, USA.
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16
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Upright NA, Baxter MG. Effects of nicotinic antagonists on working memory performance in young rhesus monkeys. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2021; 184:107505. [PMID: 34425219 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2021.107505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2021] [Revised: 08/09/2021] [Accepted: 08/17/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Acetylcholine plays a pivotal neuromodulatory role in the brain, influencing neuronal activity and cognitive function. Nicotinic receptors, particularly α7 and α4β2 receptors, modulate firing of dorsolateral prefrontal (dlPFC) excitatory networks that underlie successful working memory function. Minimal work however has been done examining working memory following systemic blockade of nicotinic receptor systems in nonhuman primates, limiting the ability to explore interactions of other neuromodulatory influences with working memory impairment caused by nicotinic antagonism. In this study, we investigated working memory performance after administering three nicotinic antagonists, mecamylamine, methyllycaconitine, and dihydro-β-erythroidine, in rhesus macaques tested in a spatial delayed response task. Surprisingly, we found that no nicotinic antagonist significantly impaired delayed response performance compared to vehicle. In contrast, the muscarinic antagonist scopolamine reliably impaired delayed response performance in all monkeys tested. These findings suggest there are some limitations on using systemic nicotinic antagonists to probe the involvement of nicotinic receptors in aspects of dlPFC-dependent working memory function, necessitating alternative strategies to understand the role of this system in cognitive deficits seen in aging and neurodegenerative disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas A Upright
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States.
| | - Mark G Baxter
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
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17
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Dixon ML, Moodie CA, Goldin PR, Farb N, Heimberg RG, Zhang J, Gross JJ. Frontoparietal and Default Mode Network Contributions to Self-Referential Processing in Social Anxiety Disorder. Cogn Affect Behav Neurosci 2021. [PMID: 34341966 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-021-00933-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is characterized by negative self-referential processing, which triggers excessive emotional reactivity. In healthy individuals, positive self-views typically predominate and are supported by regions of the default mode network (DMN) that represent self-related information and regions of the frontoparietal control network (FPCN) that contribute to metacognitive awareness and emotion regulation. The current study used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to examine patterns of DMN and FPCN activation during positive and negative self-referential judgments in SAD patients (N = 97) and controls (N = 34). As expected, SAD patients demonstrated a striking difference in self-beliefs compared with non-anxious healthy controls, endorsing fewer positive traits and more negative traits. However, SAD patients and controls demonstrated largely similar patterns of DMN and FPCN recruitment during self-referential judgements. No significant group differences were observed. However, equivalence testing identified numerous regions demonstrating effect sizes that were not small enough to conclude that they were practically equivalent to zero, despite the nonsignificant null hypothesis test. These regions may be key targets to investigate in future studies using larger samples.
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18
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Caulfield KA, Li X, George MS. Four electric field modeling methods of Dosing Prefrontal Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS): Introducing APEX MT dosimetry. Brain Stimul 2021; 14:1032-1034. [PMID: 34186248 PMCID: PMC8866033 DOI: 10.1016/j.brs.2021.06.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2021] [Accepted: 06/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Kevin A Caulfield
- Brain Stimulation Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
| | - Xingbao Li
- Brain Stimulation Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Mark S George
- Brain Stimulation Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA; Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center, Charleston, SC, USA
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Alexander L, Jelen LA, Mehta MA, Young AH. The anterior cingulate cortex as a key locus of ketamine's antidepressant action. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 127:531-554. [PMID: 33984391 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2021] [Revised: 05/02/2021] [Accepted: 05/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
The subdivisions of the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) - including subgenual, perigenual and dorsal zones - are implicated in the etiology, pathogenesis and treatment of major depression. We review an emerging body of evidence which suggests that changes in ACC activity are critically important in mediating the antidepressant effects of ketamine, the prototypical member of an emerging class of rapidly acting antidepressants. Infusions of ketamine induce acute (over minutes) and post-acute (over hours to days) modulations in subgenual and perigenual activity, and importantly, these changes can correlate with antidepressant efficacy. The subgenual and dorsal zones of the ACC have been specifically implicated in ketamine's anti-anhedonic effects. We emphasize the synergistic relationship between neuroimaging studies in humans and brain manipulations in animals to understand the causal relationship between changes in brain activity and therapeutic efficacy. We conclude with circuit-based perspectives on ketamine's action: first, related to ACC function in a central network mediating affective pain, and second, related to its role as the anterior node of the default mode network.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laith Alexander
- Department of Psychological Medicine, School of Academic Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom; St Thomas' Hospital, London, United Kingdom.
| | - Luke A Jelen
- Department of Psychological Medicine, School of Academic Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom; South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Mitul A Mehta
- Department of Psychological Medicine, School of Academic Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Allan H Young
- Department of Psychological Medicine, School of Academic Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom; South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
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20
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Jassim N, Baron-Cohen S, Suckling J. Meta-analytic evidence of differential prefrontal and early sensory cortex activity during non-social sensory perception in autism. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 127:146-157. [PMID: 33887326 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.04.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2020] [Revised: 03/26/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
To date, neuroimaging research has had a limited focus on non-social features of autism. As a result, neurobiological explanations for atypical sensory perception in autism are lacking. To address this, we quantitively condensed findings from the non-social autism fMRI literature in line with the current best practices for neuroimaging meta-analyses. Using activation likelihood estimation (ALE), we conducted a series of robust meta-analyses across 83 experiments from 52 fMRI studies investigating differences between autistic (n = 891) and typical (n = 967) participants. We found that typical controls, compared to autistic people, show greater activity in the prefrontal cortex (BA9, BA10) during perception tasks. More refined analyses revealed that, when compared to typical controls, autistic people show greater recruitment of the extrastriate V2 cortex (BA18) during visual processing. Taken together, these findings contribute to our understanding of current theories of autistic perception, and highlight some of the challenges of cognitive neuroscience research in autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nazia Jassim
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Douglas House, 18B Trumpington Road, Cambridge, CB2 8AH, United Kingdom.
| | - Simon Baron-Cohen
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Douglas House, 18B Trumpington Road, Cambridge, CB2 8AH, United Kingdom
| | - John Suckling
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Douglas House, 18B Trumpington Road, Cambridge, CB2 8AH, United Kingdom; Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Herchel Smith Building for Brain and Mind Sciences, Forvie Site, Robinson Way, Cambridge, CB2 0SZ, United Kingdom
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21
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Komaitis S, Liakos F, Kalyvas AV, Drosos E, Skandalakis GP, Neromyliotis E, Gerogiannis A, Troupis T, Stranjalis G, Koutsarnakis C. The corticotegmental connectivity as an integral component of the descending extrapyramidal pathway: novel and direct structural evidence stemming from focused fiber dissections. Neurosurg Rev 2021. [PMID: 33564983 DOI: 10.1007/s10143-021-01489-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2020] [Revised: 01/18/2021] [Accepted: 01/26/2021] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
This study opts to investigate the thus far ill-defined intra-hemispheric topography, morphology, and connectivity of the extrapyramidal fibers that originate from the frontoparietal cortex and project to the tegmental area and to explore structural correlations to the pyramidal pathway. To this end, twenty normal adult, formalin-fixed cerebral hemispheres were studied through the fiber micro-dissection technique. Stepwise and in-tandem medial to lateral and lateral to medial dissections were carried out in all specimens. The cortical termination of the fibers under investigation was carefully defined, and their entry zone at the tegmental area was meticulously recorded. We consistently identified the corticotegmental tract (CTT) as a distinct fiber pathway lying in the white matter of the genu and posterior limb of the internal capsule and travelling medial to the corticospinal tract (CST) and lateral to the thalamic radiations. The CTT exhibits a fan-shaped configuration and can be classified into three discrete segments: a rostral one receiving fibers from BA8 (pre-SMA, frontal eye fields, dorsal prefrontal cortex), a middle one arising from areas BA4 and BA6 (primary motor cortex and premotor cortex), and a caudal one stemming from areas BA1/2/3 (somatosensory cortex). The anatomical location, configuration, trajectory, and axonal connectivity of this tract are attuned to the descending component of the extrapyramidal system, and therefore, it is believed to be implicated in locomotion, postural control, motor inhibition, and motor modification. Our results provide further support on the emerging concept of a dynamic, parallel, and delocalized theory for complex human motor behavior.
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22
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Anastasiades PG, Collins DP, Carter AG. Mediodorsal and Ventromedial Thalamus Engage Distinct L1 Circuits in the Prefrontal Cortex. Neuron 2021; 109:314-330.e4. [PMID: 33188733 PMCID: PMC7855187 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2020.10.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2020] [Revised: 09/03/2020] [Accepted: 10/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Interactions between the thalamus and prefrontal cortex (PFC) play a critical role in cognitive function and arousal. Here, we use anatomical tracing, electrophysiology, optogenetics, and 2-photon Ca2+ imaging to determine how ventromedial (VM) and mediodorsal (MD) thalamus target specific cell types and subcellular compartments in layer 1 (L1) of mouse PFC. We find thalamic inputs make distinct connections in L1, where VM engages neuron-derived neurotrophic factor (NDNF+) cells in L1a and MD drives vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP+) cells in L1b. These separate populations of L1 interneurons participate in different inhibitory networks in superficial layers by targeting either parvalbumin (PV+) or somatostatin (SOM+) interneurons. NDNF+ cells also inhibit the apical dendrites of L5 pyramidal tract (PT) cells to suppress action potential (AP)-evoked Ca2+ signals. Lastly, NDNF+ cells mediate a unique form of thalamus-evoked inhibition at PT cells, selectively blocking VM-evoked dendritic Ca2+ spikes. Together, our findings reveal how two thalamic nuclei differentially communicate with the PFC through distinct L1 micro-circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul G Anastasiades
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, 4 Washington Place, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - David P Collins
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, 4 Washington Place, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - Adam G Carter
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, 4 Washington Place, New York, NY 10003, USA.
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23
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Abstract
In spite of being an intensive area of research focus, the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) remains somewhat of an enigma. Many theories have focused on its role in various aspects of cognition yet surgically precise lesions of the ACC, used to treat severe emotional disorders in human patients, typically have no lasting effects on cognition. An alternative view is that the ACC has a prominent role in regulating autonomic states. This view is consistent with anatomical data showing that a main target of the ACC are regions involved in autonomic control and with the observation that stimulation of the ACC evokes changes in autonomic states in both animals and humans. From an electrophysiological perspective, ACC neurons appear able to represent virtually any event or internal state, even though there is not always a strong link between these representations and behavior. Ensembles of neurons form robust contextual representations that strongly influence how specific events are encoded. The activity patterns associated with these contextually-based event representations presumably impact activity in downstream regions that control autonomic state. As a result, the ACC may regulate the autonomic and perhaps emotional reactions to events it is representing. This event-based control of autonomic tone by the ACC would likely arise during all types of cognitive and affective processes, without necessarily being critical for any of them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy K Seamans
- Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
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24
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Guérin SMR, Vincent MA, Karageorghis CI, Delevoye-Turrell YN. Effects of Motor Tempo on Frontal Brain Activity: An fNIRS Study. Neuroimage 2021; 230:117597. [PMID: 33418074 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.117597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2020] [Revised: 11/13/2020] [Accepted: 11/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
People are able to modify the spontaneous pace of their actions to interact with their environment and others. This ability is underpinned by high-level cognitive functions but little is known in regard to the brain areas that underlie such temporal control. A salient practical issue is that current neuroimaging techniques (e.g., EEG, fMRI) are extremely sensitive to movement, which renders challenging any investigation of brain activity in the realm of whole-body motor paradigms. Within the last decade, the noninvasive imaging method of functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) has become the reference tool for experimental motor paradigms due to its tolerance to motion artefacts. In the present study, we used a continuous-wave fNIRS system to record the prefrontal and motor hemodynamic responses of 16 participants, while they performed a spatial-tapping task varying in motor complexity and externally-paced tempi (i.e., 300 ms, 500 ms, 1200 ms). To discriminate between physiological noise and cerebral meaningful signals, the physiological data (i.e., heart and respiratory rates) were recorded so that frequency bands of such signals could be regressed from the fNIRS data. Particular attention was taken to control the precise position of the optodes in reference to the cranio-cerebral correlates of the NIR channels throughout the experimental session. Results indicated that fast pacing relied on greater activity of the motor areas whereas moving at close-to-spontaneous pace placed a heavier load on posterior prefrontal processes. These results provide new insight concerning the role of frontal cognitive control in modulating the pacing of voluntary motor behaviors.
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Abstract
The anatomical relevance and functional significance of medial parts of the rodent frontal cortex have been intensely debated over the modern history of neuroscience. Early studies emphasized common functions among medial frontal regions in rodents and the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex of primates. Behavioral tasks emphasized memory-guided performance and persistent neural activity as a marker of working memory. Over time, it became clear that long-standing concerns about cross-species homology were justified and the view emerged that rodents are useful for understanding medial parts of the frontal cortex in primates, and not the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Here, we summarize a series of studies on the rodent medial frontal cortex that began with an interest in studying working memory in the perigenual prelimbic area and ended up studying reward processing in the medial orbital region. Our experiments revealed a role for a 4-8Hz "theta" rhythm in tracking engagement in the consumption of rewarding fluids and denoting the value of a given reward. Evidence for a functional differentiation between the rostral and caudal medial frontal cortex and its relationship to other frontal cortical areas is also discussed with the hope of motivating future work on this part of the cerebral cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark Laubach
- Department of Neuroscience, American University, Washington, DC, United States.
| | - Linda M Amarante
- Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Marcelo S Caetano
- Center for Mathematics, Computing, and Cognition, Universidade Federal do ABC (UFABC), Santo André, Brazil
| | - Nicole K Horst
- Centre for Teaching and Learning and Postdoc Academy, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, England
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26
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Abstract
Research examining the functional underpinnings of anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and its relationship to cognitive control have been described as "perennially controversial" and a "Rorschach Test" for modern neuroscience. Although there is near universal agreement that ACC is important for the adaptation of behavior, debate, despite decades of work, stems from the exact manner in which ACC goes about doing this. This chapter provides a brief overview of the various past and present theoretical arguments and research surrounding ACC function, and highlights an emerging literature of single unit ACC recordings from several species that support these theories. We will finish the chapter by focusing on our work examining the firing of single neurons in rat dorsal medial striatum (DMS) and ACC, and examining DMS's dependency on ACC to accurately signal adaptive behavioral output. Ultimately, we will conclude that ACC carries a myriad of signals (error detection, reinforcement/feedback, value, response conflict, etc.) necessary for the modulation of attention and task-relevant/irrelevant signals so that difficult decisions can be made and action plans adapted when necessary.
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Godoy PBG, Simionato NM, de Mello CB, Suchecki D. Assessment of Executive Functions after Treatment of Childhood Acute Lymphoid Leukemia: a Systematic Review. Neuropsychol Rev 2020; 30:386-406. [PMID: 32720195 DOI: 10.1007/s11065-020-09446-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2019] [Accepted: 07/09/2020] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Individuals treated for childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) have a high survival rate. This fact, however, may lead to neurocognitive impairments in survivors, as shown in some studies. The prefrontal cortex and executive functions seem to be particularly vulnerable due to the late maturation in the development process. Executive impairments have been associated with poorer quality of life in childhood cancer survivors. A systematic review was carried out with studies that assessed executive functions in childhood ALL survivors.\ Studies were collected from five electronic databases: MEDLINE (PubMed); PsycInfo; WebOfScience; LILACS and IBECS. Eighty-four studies were retrieved from the database search, of which 50 were read in full and 26 met the inclusion criteria. The studies were heterogeneous as to the instruments used to assess executive function, the skills assessed and the comparison methods. Despite some discrepancies, ALL survivors seem to exhibit poorer executive functioning than typical controls, but this result did not hold true when subjects were compared to normative mean. Changes in brain structure and dynamics resulting from the disease itself, the toxicity of the treatment and difficulties in coping with the stress during treatment may be related to executive impairments in ALL survivors. Discussion proposed standardized methods and measures for assessing executive functioning in children during and after ALL treatment.
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Hernandez JS, Binette AN, Rahman T, Tarantino JD, Moorman DE. Chemogenetic Inactivation of Orbitofrontal Cortex Decreases Cue-induced Reinstatement of Ethanol and Sucrose Seeking in Male and Female Wistar Rats. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2020; 44:1769-1782. [PMID: 32628778 DOI: 10.1111/acer.14407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2020] [Accepted: 06/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) encodes internal representations of outcomes and subjective value to facilitate flexible reward seeking. OFC activation is associated with drug seeking in both human subjects and animal models. OFC plays a role in alcohol use, but studies in animal models have produced conflicting results with some showing decreased seeking after OFC inactivation but others showing increased seeking or no changes. In part, this may be due to the different measures of alcohol seeking used (e.g., homecage drinking vs. operant seeking). METHODS We characterized the impact of transient inactivation of OFC (primarily lateral and, to a lesser extent, ventral subregions) using inhibitory hM4Di designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs (DREADDs). OFC neurons were transiently inhibited during 10% and 20% alcohol (ethanol, EtOH) and sucrose homecage consumption, fixed ratio (FR1) operant self-administration, and cue-induced reinstatement of either 10% EtOH or sucrose in male and female rats. RESULTS OFC inactivation did not affect sucrose or EtOH consumption in the homecage, nor did it influence seeking or consumption under FR1 operant conditions. In contrast, OFC inactivation suppressed cued-induced reinstatement for both EtOH and sucrose in both male and female rats. CONCLUSIONS Our results are aligned with previous work indicating a selective suppressive effect of OFC inactivation on reinstatement for alcohol and other drugs of abuse. They extend these findings to demonstrate no effect on homecage consumption or FR1 seeking as well as showing an impact of sucrose reinstatement. These data indicate that OFC plays a uniquely important role when reward seeking is driven by associations between external stimuli and internal representations of reward value, both for natural and drug rewards. They further implicate the OFC as a key structure driving relapse-associated seeking and potentially contributing to alcohol use disorder and other diseases of compulsive reward seeking.
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Affiliation(s)
- John S Hernandez
- From the, Neuroscience and Behavior Graduate Program (JSH, DEM), University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Annalise N Binette
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences (ANB, TR, JDT, DEM), University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Taryn Rahman
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences (ANB, TR, JDT, DEM), University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Jeffrey D Tarantino
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences (ANB, TR, JDT, DEM), University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA
| | - David E Moorman
- From the, Neuroscience and Behavior Graduate Program (JSH, DEM), University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA.,Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences (ANB, TR, JDT, DEM), University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA
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McCusker MC, Wiesman AI, Schantell MD, Eastman JA, Wilson TW. Multi-spectral oscillatory dynamics serving directed and divided attention. Neuroimage 2020; 217:116927. [PMID: 32438050 PMCID: PMC7573387 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.116927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2020] [Revised: 05/01/2020] [Accepted: 05/07/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Attention-related amplification of neural representations of external stimuli has been well documented in the visual domain, however, research concerning the oscillatory dynamics of such directed attention is relatively sparse in humans. Specifically, it is unknown which spectrally-specific neural responses are mainly impacted by the direction and division of attention, as well as whether the effects of attention on these oscillations are spatially disparate. In this study, we use magnetoencephalography and a visual-somatosensory oddball task to investigate the whole-brain oscillatory dynamics of directed (Experiment 1; N = 26) and divided (Experiment 2; N = 34) visual attention. Sensor-level data were transformed into the time-frequency domain and significant responses from baseline were imaged using a frequency-resolved beamformer. We found that multi-spectral cortical oscillations were stronger when attention was sustained in the visual space and that these effects exhibited informative spatial distributions that differed by frequency. More specifically, we found stronger frontal theta (4–8 Hz), frontal and occipital alpha (8–14 Hz), occipital beta (16–22 Hz), and frontal gamma (74–84 Hz) responses when visual attention was sustained than when it was directed away from the visual domain. Similarly, in the divided attention condition, we observed stronger fronto-parietal theta activity and temporo-parietal alpha and beta oscillations when visual attention was sustained toward the visual stimuli than divided between the visual and somatosensory domains. Investigating how attentional gain is implemented in the human brain is essential for better understanding how this process is degraded in disease, and may provide useful targets for future therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie C McCusker
- Center for Magnetoencephalography, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA; Cognitive Neuroscience of Development & Aging (CoNDA) Center, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Alex I Wiesman
- Center for Magnetoencephalography, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA; Cognitive Neuroscience of Development & Aging (CoNDA) Center, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA; Department of Neurological Sciences, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Mikki D Schantell
- Center for Magnetoencephalography, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA; Cognitive Neuroscience of Development & Aging (CoNDA) Center, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Jacob A Eastman
- Center for Magnetoencephalography, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA; Cognitive Neuroscience of Development & Aging (CoNDA) Center, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Tony W Wilson
- Center for Magnetoencephalography, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA; Cognitive Neuroscience of Development & Aging (CoNDA) Center, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA; Department of Neurological Sciences, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA.
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30
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Trapp NT, Bruss J, King Johnson M, Uitermarkt BD, Garrett L, Heinzerling A, Wu C, Koscik TR, Ten Eyck P, Boes AD. Reliability of targeting methods in TMS for depression: Beam F3 vs. 5.5 cm. Brain Stimul 2020; 13:578-581. [PMID: 32289680 DOI: 10.1016/j.brs.2020.01.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2020] [Accepted: 01/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND No consensus exists in the clinical transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) field as to the best method for targeting the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) for depression treatment. Two common targeting methods are the Beam F3 method and the 5.5 cm rule. OBJECTIVE Evaluate the anatomical reliability of technician-identified DLPFC targets and obtain consensus average brain and scalp MNI152 coordinates. METHODS Three trained TMS technicians performed repeated targeting using both the Beam F3 method and 5.5 cm rule in ten healthy subjects (n = 162). Average target locations were plotted on 7T structural MRIs to compare inter- and intra-rater reliability, respectively. RESULTS (1) Beam F3 inter- and intra-rater reliability was superior to 5.5 cm targeting (p = 0.0005 and 0.0035). (2) The average Beam F3 location was 2.6±1.0 cm anterolateral to the 5.5 cm method. CONCLUSIONS Beam F3 targeting demonstrates greater precision and reliability than the 5.5 cm method and identifies a different anatomical target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas T Trapp
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United States.
| | - Joel Bruss
- Department of Neurology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United States
| | - Marcie King Johnson
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United States
| | | | - Laren Garrett
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United States
| | - Amanda Heinzerling
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United States
| | - Chaorong Wu
- Institute for Clinical and Translational Science, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United States
| | - Timothy R Koscik
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United States
| | - Patrick Ten Eyck
- Institute for Clinical and Translational Science, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United States
| | - Aaron D Boes
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United States; Department of Neurology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United States; Department of Pediatrics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United States
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31
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Abstract
The neuromoral theory of antisocial behaviors argues that impairment to the neural circuitry underlying morality provides a common foundation for antisocial, violent, and psychopathic behavior in children, adolescents, and adults. This article reviews new findings in two research fields since this theory was first proposed: brain mechanisms underlying moral decision-making, and brain systems subserving antisocial behaviors. The neuromoral theory is updated to take into account new empirical findings. Key areas implicated in both moral decision-making and the spectrum of antisocial behaviors include fronto-polar, medial, and ventral prefrontal cortical regions, and the anterior cingulate, amygdala, superior temporal gyrus, and angular gyrus / temporoparietal junction. It is hypothesized that different manifestations of antisocial behavior are characterized by differing degrees of neuromoral dysfunction, with primary psychopathy, proactive aggression, and life-course persistent offending being more affected, and secondary psychopathy, reactive aggression, and crimes involving drugs relatively less affected by neuromoral dysfunction. Limitations of the current model, social contextual factors, neural remediation interventions, ascertaining whether the affective or cognitive component of empathy is most implicated, and directions for future research are outlined. One forensic implication of the model is that significant impairment to the neuromoral circuit could constitute diminished criminal responsibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrian Raine
- Departments of Criminology, Psychology, and Psychiatry, McNeil Building, University of Pennsylvania, 3718 Locust Walk, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6286, USA.
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32
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Rausch A, Zhang W, Beckmann CF, Buitelaar JK, Groen WB, Haak KV. Connectivity-Based Parcellation of the Amygdala Predicts Social Skills in Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder. J Autism Dev Disord 2018; 48:572-82. [PMID: 29119520 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-017-3370-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Amygdala dysfunction plays a role in the social impairments in autism spectrum disorders (ASD), but it is unclear which of its subregions are abnormal in ASD. This study compared the volume and functional connectivity (FC) strength of three FC-defined amygdala subregions between ASD and controls, and assessed their relation to social skills in ASD. A subregion associated with the social perception network was enlarged in ASD (F1 = 7.842, p = .008) and its volume correlated significantly with symptom severity (social skills: r = .548, p = .009). Posthoc analysis revealed that the enlargement was driven by the vmPFC amygdala network. These findings refine our understanding of abnormal amygdala connectivity in ASD and may inform future strategies for therapeutic interventions targeting the amygdalofrontal pathway.
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33
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Mothersill D, Donohoe G. Neural Effects of Cognitive Training in Schizophrenia: A Systematic Review and Activation Likelihood Estimation Meta-analysis. Biol Psychiatry Cogn Neurosci Neuroimaging 2019; 4:688-696. [PMID: 31072761 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2019.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2018] [Revised: 02/13/2019] [Accepted: 03/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cognitive dysfunction is a core feature of schizophrenia and a strong predictor of functional outcome. There is growing evidence for the effectiveness of behaviorally based cognitive training programs, although the neural basis of these benefits is unclear. To address this, we reviewed all published studies that have used neuroimaging to measure neural changes following cognitive training in schizophrenia to identify brain regions most consistently affected. METHODS We searched PubMed for all neuroimaging studies examining cognitive training in schizophrenia published until December 2018. An activation likelihood estimation meta-analysis was conducted on a subset of functional magnetic resonance imaging studies to examine whether any brain regions showed consistent effects across studies. RESULTS In total, 31 original neuroimaging studies of cognitive training were retrieved. Of these studies, 16 were functional neuroimaging studies, and 15 of these studies reported increased neural activation following cognitive training, with increased left prefrontal activation being the most frequently observed finding. However, activation likelihood estimation meta-analysis did not reveal any specific brain regions showing consistent effects across studies but rather suggested a broader, more distributed pattern of effects resulting from the interventions tested. CONCLUSIONS Although several studies reported increased left prefrontal cortical activation after cognitive training, the lack of statistically significant overlap of brain regions affected by training across studies suggests broad effects of training on brain activation, possibly due to the variety of training programs used.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Mothersill
- School of Psychology and Centre for Neuroimaging and Cognitive Genomics, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland.
| | - Gary Donohoe
- School of Psychology and Centre for Neuroimaging and Cognitive Genomics, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland
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34
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Ramirez-Cardenas A, Nieder A. Working memory representation of empty sets in the primate parietal and prefrontal cortices. Cortex 2019; 114:102-114. [PMID: 30975433 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2019.02.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2018] [Revised: 09/17/2018] [Accepted: 02/26/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
For the brain, representing empty sets as a precursor to zero is a challenge because it requires the active coding of a quantitative category that, by definition, contains no items. Recent neurophysiological recordings show that empty sets are distinctively encoded by neurons in the primate ventral intraparietal area (VIP) and the prefrontal cortex (PFC). However, how empty sets are represented in working memory is unknown. We simultaneously recorded from VIP and PFC while rhesus monkeys performed a delayed numerosity matching task that required the maintenance of numerosities in memory for a brief period. Countable numerosities (1-4) and empty sets ('numerosity 0') were included as stimuli. Single neurons in PFC, and to a lesser extent neurons in VIP, actively encoded empty sets during the delay period. In both cortical areas, empty sets were progressively differentiated from countable numerosities with time during the ongoing trial. Moreover, the tuning of neuron populations in VIP and PFC shifted dynamically towards empty sets so that they became increasingly overrepresented in working memory. Compared to VIP, the prefrontal representation of empty sets was more stable in time and more independent of low level visual features. Moreover, PFC activity correlated better with behavioral performance in empty set trials. These findings suggest that the representation of null quantity in working memory relies more on prefrontal and less on parietal processing. Overall, our results show that empty sets are dynamically and distinctly represented in working memory.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Andreas Nieder
- Animal Physiology, Institute of Neurobiology, University Tübingen, Germany.
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35
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Abstract
Genetic variation in the kidney and brain expressed protein (KIBRA) rs17070145 gene has been linked to episodic memory and cognitive aging; yet, the neural mechanism underlying this association remains to be fully understood. Using the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique, this study investigated the effect of KIBRA polymorphism on gray matter volume in 37 healthy, Chinese adults from the older population. Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) analysis revealed that KIBRA gene selectivity influences the prefrontal cortex and the parahippocampal cortex. The gray matter volume (GMV) in these structures is significantly lower in KIBRA C-allele carriers than in TT carriers. Moreover, multi-voxel pattern correlation analysis revealed that decreased prefrontal GMV could in turn affect individual cognitive function in C-allele carriers; whereas, TT individuals utilized more integrated gray matter volume in whole-brain voxels to achieve relatively better cognitive function. Overall, the findings suggest that the KIBRA rs17070145 polymorphism modulates gray matter volume, which in turn further influences cognitive function in the elderly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Li
- Center on Aging Psychology, CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 16 Lincui Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Wenyu Wan
- Center on Aging Psychology, CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 16 Lincui Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Juan Li
- Center on Aging Psychology, CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 16 Lincui Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101, China.
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging Research Center, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
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36
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Abstract
Recent research has demonstrated that the lateral prefrontal cortex is extensively involved in human memory, including working memory processes that support retention of information across short delays, and episodic long-term memory encoding and retrieval processes. This chapter reviews results from neuroimaging studies of memory, from noninvasive brain stimulation studies of memory, and from studies of memory in patients with prefrontal lesions. The available evidence is consistent with the idea that different prefrontal regions implement cognitive or executive control processes that support working memory and episodic long-term memory encoding and retrieval.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert S Blumenfeld
- Department of Psychology, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, CA, United States
| | - Charan Ranganath
- Center for Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, United States.
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37
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Moorman DE. The role of the orbitofrontal cortex in alcohol use, abuse, and dependence. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2018; 87:85-107. [PMID: 29355587 PMCID: PMC6072631 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2018.01.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2017] [Revised: 12/22/2017] [Accepted: 01/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
One of the major functions of the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) is to promote flexible motivated behavior. It is no surprise, therefore, that recent work has demonstrated a prominent impact of chronic drug use on the OFC and a potential role for OFC disruption in drug abuse and addiction. Among drugs of abuse, the use of alcohol is particularly salient with respect to OFC function. Although a number of studies in humans have implicated OFC dysregulation in alcohol use disorders, animal models investigating the association between OFC and alcohol use are only beginning to be developed, and there is still a great deal to be revealed. The goal of this review is to consider what is currently known regarding the role of the OFC in alcohol use and dependence. I will first provide a brief, general overview of current views of OFC function and its contributions to drug seeking and addiction. I will then discuss research to date related to the OFC and alcohol use, both in human clinical populations and in non-human models. Finally I will consider issues and strategies to guide future study that may identify this brain region as a key player in the transition from moderated to problematic alcohol use and dependence.
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Affiliation(s)
- David E. Moorman
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Neuroscience and Behavior Graduate Program, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst MA 01003 USA
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38
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Kundu P, Neese SL, Bandara S, Monaikul S, Helferich WG, Doerge DR, Khan IA, Schantz SL. The effects of the botanical estrogen, isoliquiritigenin on delayed spatial alternation. Neurotoxicol Teratol 2018; 66:55-62. [PMID: 29408209 PMCID: PMC5856646 DOI: 10.1016/j.ntt.2018.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2017] [Revised: 12/18/2017] [Accepted: 02/01/2018] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Age-related declines in cognitive function can impair working memory, reduce speed of processing, and alter attentional resources. In particular, menopausal women may show an acceleration in the rate of cognitive decline as well as an increased vulnerability to brain diseases as estrogens may play a neuroprotective and neurotrophic role in the brain. To treat menopausal symptoms, many women turn to botanical estrogens that are promoted as a safe and natural alternative to traditional hormone replacement therapy. However, the majority of these compounds have not been systematically evaluated for efficacy and safety. The current study investigated the efficacy of the commercially available botanical estrogenic compound isoliquiritigenin (ISL) to alter performance on an operant working memory task, delayed spatial alternation (DSA). ISL is a compound found in licorice root that has been shown to have a wide range of effects on different biological systems, including estrogenic properties. This botanical is currently being used in over the counter dietary supplements. Middle-aged (12-month old) Long-Evans female rats were ovariectomized and orally dosed with either 0 mg, 6 mg, 12 mg or 24 mg of ISL 60 min before testing on the DSA task. The DSA task required the rat to alternate its responses between two retractable levers in order to earn food rewards. Random delays of 0, 3, 6, 9 or 18 s were imposed between opportunities to press. ISL treatment failed to alter DSA performance. Previous work from our research group has found that estrogenic compounds, including 17β-estradiol and the botanical estrogen genistein impair performance on the DSA task. The goal of our botanical estrogens research is to find compounds that offer some of the beneficial effects of estrogen supplementation, without the harmful effects. This work suggests that ISL may not carry the cognitive risks associated with most other estrogenic compounds tested to date.
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Affiliation(s)
- Payel Kundu
- University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Beckman Institute, 405 N Mathews Ave, Urbana, IL 61801, USA; University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Neuroscience Program, USA.
| | - Steven L Neese
- University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Beckman Institute, 405 N Mathews Ave, Urbana, IL 61801, USA.
| | - Suren Bandara
- University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Beckman Institute, 405 N Mathews Ave, Urbana, IL 61801, USA.
| | - Supida Monaikul
- University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Beckman Institute, 405 N Mathews Ave, Urbana, IL 61801, USA.
| | - William G Helferich
- University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, 905 S. Goodwin, Urbana, IL 61801, USA.
| | - Daniel R Doerge
- National Center for Toxicological Research, U.S. Food & Drug Administration, 3900 NCTR Road, Jefferson, AR 72079, USA.
| | - Ikhlas A Khan
- The University of Mississippi, 1558 University Circle, P.O. Box 1848, University, MS 38677, USA.
| | - Susan L Schantz
- University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Beckman Institute, 405 N Mathews Ave, Urbana, IL 61801, USA; University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Department of Comparative Biosciences, Neuroscience Program, Veterinary Medicine Basic Sciences Bldg. 2001 South Lincoln Avenue Urbana, IL 61802, USA.
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39
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Samara Z, Evers EAT, Peeters F, Uylings HBM, Rajkowska G, Ramaekers JG, Stiers P. Orbital and Medial Prefrontal Cortex Functional Connectivity of Major Depression Vulnerability and Disease. Biol Psychiatry Cogn Neurosci Neuroimaging 2018; 3:348-357. [PMID: 29628067 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2018.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2017] [Revised: 01/12/2018] [Accepted: 01/16/2018] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pathophysiology models of major depression (MD) center on the dysfunction of various cortical areas within the orbital and medial prefrontal cortex. While independent structural and functional abnormalities in these areas are consistent findings in MD, the complex interactions among them and the rest of the cortex remain largely unexplored. METHODS We used resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging connectivity to systematically map alterations in the communication between orbital and medial prefrontal cortex fields and the rest of the brain in MD. Functional connectivity (FC) maps from participants with current MD (n = 35), unaffected first-degree relatives (n = 36), and healthy control subjects (n = 38) were subjected to conjunction analyses to distinguish FC markers of MD vulnerability and FC markers of MD disease. RESULTS FC abnormalities in MD vulnerability were found for dorsal medial wall regions and the anterior insula and concerned altered communication of these areas with the inferior parietal cortex and dorsal posterior cingulate, occipital areas and the brainstem. FC aberrations in current MD included the anterior insula, rostral and dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, and lateral orbitofrontal areas and concerned altered communication with the dorsal striatum, the cerebellum, the precuneus, the anterior prefrontal cortex, somatomotor cortex, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, and visual areas in the occipital and inferior temporal lobes. CONCLUSIONS Functionally delineated parcellation maps can be used to identify putative connectivity markers in extended cortical regions such as the orbital and medial prefrontal cortex. The anterior insula and the rostral anterior cingulate cortex play a central role in the pathophysiology of MD, being consistently implicated both in the MD vulnerability and MD disease states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zoe Samara
- Department of Neuropsychology and Psychopharmacology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
| | - Elisabeth A T Evers
- Department of Neuropsychology and Psychopharmacology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Frenk Peeters
- Department of Neuropsychology and Psychopharmacology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Harry B M Uylings
- Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Grazyna Rajkowska
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi
| | - Johannes G Ramaekers
- Department of Neuropsychology and Psychopharmacology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Peter Stiers
- Department of Neuropsychology and Psychopharmacology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
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40
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Molina V, Álvarez-Astorga A, Lubeiro A, Ortega D, Jiménez M, Del Valle P, Marqués P, de Luis-García R. Early neglect associated to prefrontal structural disconnectivity in schizophrenia. Schizophr Res 2018; 192:487-488. [PMID: 28601500 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2017.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2017] [Revised: 05/25/2017] [Accepted: 06/03/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Vicente Molina
- Psychiatry Department, School of Medicine, University of Valladolid, Av. Ramón y Cajal, 7, 47005 Valladolid, Spain; Psychiatry Service, Clinical Hospital of Valladolid, Ramón y Cajal, 3, 47003 Valladolid, Spain; Neurosciences Institute of Castilla y León (INCYL), Pintor Fernando Gallego, 1, 37007, University of Salamanca, Spain; CIBERSAM (Biomedical Research Network in Mental Health), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Salamanca (IBSAL), Spain.
| | - Aldara Álvarez-Astorga
- Psychiatry Service, Clinical Hospital of Valladolid, Ramón y Cajal, 3, 47003 Valladolid, Spain
| | - Alba Lubeiro
- Psychiatry Department, School of Medicine, University of Valladolid, Av. Ramón y Cajal, 7, 47005 Valladolid, Spain
| | - Daniel Ortega
- Psychiatry Department, School of Medicine, University of Valladolid, Av. Ramón y Cajal, 7, 47005 Valladolid, Spain
| | - Miguel Jiménez
- Psychiatry Department, School of Medicine, University of Valladolid, Av. Ramón y Cajal, 7, 47005 Valladolid, Spain
| | - Pilar Del Valle
- Psychiatry Service, Clinical Hospital of Valladolid, Ramón y Cajal, 3, 47003 Valladolid, Spain
| | - Patricia Marqués
- Psychiatry Service, Clinical Hospital of Valladolid, Ramón y Cajal, 3, 47003 Valladolid, Spain
| | - Rodrigo de Luis-García
- Imaging Processing Laboratory, University of Valladolid, Paseo de Belén, 15, 47011 Valladolid, Spain
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41
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Mannewitz A, Bock J, Kreitz S, Hess A, Goldschmidt J, Scheich H, Braun K. Comparing brain activity patterns during spontaneous exploratory and cue-instructed learning using single photon-emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging of regional cerebral blood flow in freely behaving rats. Brain Struct Funct 2018; 223:2025-2038. [PMID: 29340757 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-017-1605-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2017] [Accepted: 12/27/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Learning can be categorized into cue-instructed and spontaneous learning types; however, so far, there is no detailed comparative analysis of specific brain pathways involved in these learning types. The aim of this study was to compare brain activity patterns during these learning tasks using the in vivo imaging technique of single photon-emission computed tomography (SPECT) of regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF). During spontaneous exploratory learning, higher levels of rCBF compared to cue-instructed learning were observed in motor control regions, including specific subregions of the motor cortex and the striatum, as well as in regions of sensory pathways including olfactory, somatosensory, and visual modalities. In addition, elevated activity was found in limbic areas, including specific subregions of the hippocampal formation, the amygdala, and the insula. The main difference between the two learning paradigms analyzed in this study was the higher rCBF observed in prefrontal cortical regions during cue-instructed learning when compared to spontaneous learning. Higher rCBF during cue-instructed learning was also observed in the anterior insular cortex and in limbic areas, including the ectorhinal and entorhinal cortexes, subregions of the hippocampus, subnuclei of the amygdala, and the septum. Many of the rCBF changes showed hemispheric lateralization. Taken together, our study is the first to compare partly lateralized brain activity patterns during two different types of learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Mannewitz
- Department of Zoology/Developmental Neurobiology, Institute of Biology, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, Leipziger Straße 44, Bldg. 91, Magdeburg, 39120, Germany
| | - J Bock
- "Epigenetics and Structural Plasticity", Institute of Biology, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany.,Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - S Kreitz
- Institute of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, Friedrich-Alexander University, Fahrstr. 17, 91054, Erlangen, Germany
| | - A Hess
- Institute of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, Friedrich-Alexander University, Fahrstr. 17, 91054, Erlangen, Germany
| | - J Goldschmidt
- Department Acoustics, Learning and Speech, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Magdeburg, Germany.,Department Systems Physiology, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Magdeburg, Germany.,Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - H Scheich
- Department Acoustics, Learning and Speech, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Magdeburg, Germany.,Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Katharina Braun
- Department of Zoology/Developmental Neurobiology, Institute of Biology, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, Leipziger Straße 44, Bldg. 91, Magdeburg, 39120, Germany. .,Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Magdeburg, Germany.
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Geha P, Schulman BR, Dib-Hajj SD, Waxman SG. Brain activity associated with pain in inherited erythromelalgia: stimulus-free pain engages brain areas involved in valuation and learning. Neurobiol Pain 2018; 3:8-14. [PMID: 31080911 PMCID: PMC6505710 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynpai.2018.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2017] [Revised: 01/15/2018] [Accepted: 01/16/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Inherited erythromelalgia (IEM) is a chronic pain disorder caused by gain-of-function mutations of peripheral sodium channel Nav1.7, in which warmth triggers severe pain. Little is known about the brain representation of pain in IEM. Here we study two subjects with the IEM Nav1.7-S241T mutation using functional brain imaging (fMRI). Subjects were scanned during each of five visits. During each scan, pain was first triggered using a warming boot and subjects rated their thermal-heat pain. Next, the thermal stimulus was terminated and subjects rated stimulus-free pain. Last, subjects performed a control visual rating task. Thermal-heat induced pain mapped to the frontal gyrus, ventro-medial prefrontal cortex, superior parietal lobule, supplementary motor area, insula, primary and secondary somato-sensory motor cortices, dorsal and ventral striatum, amygdala, and hippocampus. Stimulus-free pain, by contrast, mapped mainly to the frontal cortex, including dorsal, ventral and medial prefrontal cortex, and supplementary motor area. Examination of time periods when stimulus-free pain was changing showed further activations in the valuation network including the rostral anterior cingulate cortex, striatum and amygdala, in addition to brainstem, thalamus, and insula. We conclude that, similar to other chronic pain conditions, the brain representation of stimulus-free pain during an attack in subjects with IEM engages brain areas involved in acute pain as well as valuation and learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Geha
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06511, United States
- The John B. Pierce Laboratory, New Haven CT 06519, United States
| | - Betsy R. Schulman
- Department of Neurology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, United States
- Neurorehabilitation Research Center, Veterans Affairs Hospital, West Haven, CT 06516, United States
| | - Sulayman D. Dib-Hajj
- Department of Neurology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, United States
- Neurorehabilitation Research Center, Veterans Affairs Hospital, West Haven, CT 06516, United States
| | - Stephen G. Waxman
- Department of Neurology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, United States
- Neurorehabilitation Research Center, Veterans Affairs Hospital, West Haven, CT 06516, United States
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Zhu Y, Quan W, Wang H, Ma Y, Yan J, Zhang H, Dong W, Yu X. Prefrontal activation during a working memory task differs between patients with unipolar and bipolar depression: A preliminary exploratory study. J Affect Disord 2018; 225:64-70. [PMID: 28797920 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2017.07.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2017] [Revised: 07/12/2017] [Accepted: 07/17/2017] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND To identify bipolar disorder during the initial stages of a depressive episode has always been a great clinical challenge. Patterns of functional brain activity may underlie the differences in the neural mechanisms of bipolar depression (BD) and unipolar depression (UD). This study aimed to investigate the differences in neural activity between BD and UD patients during executive task. METHODS We performed a 52-channel near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) scan in 39 patients with BD, 35 patients with UD, and 36 healthy controls (HCs). The relative concentration changes in oxygenated hemoglobin ([oxy-Hb]) and deoxygenated hemoglobin ([deoxy-Hb]) during a 1-back working memory task were measured for each channel. Clinical characteristics including current mood were evaluated within one week prior to NIRS examination. RESULTS Compared to HCs, BD (CH34: Z = -2.354, P = 0.019) and UD patients (CH18: Z = -2.358, P = 0.018; CH30: Z = -2.174, P = 0.030; CH34: Z = -1.990, P = 0.047) showed reduced activation of [oxy-Hb] in the inferior prefrontal region. Compared to patients with UD, patients with BD showed less decreased [oxy-Hb] changes in the left frontopolar cortex (FPC) (CH18: Z = -2.366, P = 0.018), left pars opercularis and pars triangularis (POPE/PTRI) regions (Broca's area) (CH30: Z = -2.333, P = 0.020). No correlation existed between clinical characteristics and NIRS measurements. LIMITATIONS The effect of medication could not be excluded, and behavioral data was not systematically collected. CONCLUSION The results from this preliminary exploratory study suggest distinct prefrontal activation patterns underlie BD and UD, especially in the left frontopolar region and Broca's area. The NIRS-based prefrontal activation measurement may serve as a potential marker to aid in differentiating bipolar from unipolar depression.
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Szabó ÁG, Farkas K, Marosi C, Kozák LR, Rudas G, Réthelyi J, Csukly G. Impaired mixed emotion processing in the right ventrolateral prefrontal cortex in schizophrenia: an fMRI study. BMC Psychiatry 2017; 17:391. [PMID: 29216861 PMCID: PMC5721596 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-017-1558-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2017] [Accepted: 11/27/2017] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Schizophrenia has a negative effect on the activity of the temporal and prefrontal cortices in the processing of emotional facial expressions. However no previous research focused on the evaluation of mixed emotions in schizophrenia, albeit they are frequently expressed in everyday situations and negative emotions are frequently expressed by mixed facial expressions. METHODS Altogether 37 subjects, 19 patients with schizophrenia and 18 healthy control subjects were enrolled in the study. The two study groups did not differ in age and education. The stimulus set consisted of 10 fearful (100%), 10 happy (100%), 10 mixed fear (70% fear and 30% happy) and 10 mixed happy facial expressions. During the fMRI acquisition pictures were presented in a randomized order and subjects had to categorize expressions by button press. RESULTS A decreased activation was found in the patient group during fear, mixed fear and mixed happy processing in the right ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (VLPFC) and the right anterior insula (RAI) at voxel and cluster level after familywise error correction. No difference was found between study groups in activations to happy facial condition. Patients with schizophrenia did not show a differential activation between mixed happy and happy facial expression similar to controls in the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). CONCLUSIONS Patients with schizophrenia showed decreased functioning in right prefrontal regions responsible for salience signaling and valence evaluation during emotion recognition. Our results indicate that fear and mixed happy/fear processing are impaired in schizophrenia, while happy facial expression processing is relatively intact.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ádám György Szabó
- 0000 0001 0942 9821grid.11804.3cMR Research Center, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Kinga Farkas
- 0000 0001 0942 9821grid.11804.3cDepartment of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Semmelweis University, Balassa 6, Budapest, 1083 Hungary
| | - Csilla Marosi
- 0000 0001 0942 9821grid.11804.3cDepartment of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Semmelweis University, Balassa 6, Budapest, 1083 Hungary
| | - Lajos R. Kozák
- 0000 0001 0942 9821grid.11804.3cMR Research Center, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Gábor Rudas
- 0000 0001 0942 9821grid.11804.3cMR Research Center, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - János Réthelyi
- 0000 0001 0942 9821grid.11804.3cDepartment of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Semmelweis University, Balassa 6, Budapest, 1083 Hungary
| | - Gábor Csukly
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Semmelweis University, Balassa 6, Budapest, 1083, Hungary.
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Mayer AR, Hanlon FM, Claus ED, Dodd AB, Miller B, Mickey J, Quinn DK, Hagerty SL, Seaman B, Hutchison KE. An Examination of Behavioral and Neuronal Effects of Comorbid Traumatic Brain Injury and Alcohol Use. Biol Psychiatry Cogn Neurosci Neuroimaging 2018; 3:294-302. [PMID: 29486871 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2017.09.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2017] [Accepted: 09/30/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chronic alcohol use disorders (AUDs) and traumatic brain injury (TBI) are highly comorbid and share commonly affected neuronal substrates (i.e., prefrontal cortex, limbic system, and cerebellum). However, no studies have examined how combined physical trauma and heavy drinking affect neurocircuitry relative to heavy drinking alone. METHODS The current study investigated whether comorbid AUDs and mild or moderate TBI (AUDs+TBI) would negatively affect maladaptive drinking behaviors (n = 90 AUDs+TBI; n = 62 AUDs) as well as brain structure (i.e., increased atrophy; n = 62 AUDs+TBI; n = 44 AUDs) and function (i.e., activation during gustatory cue reactivity; n = 55 AUDs+TBI; n = 37 AUDs) relative to AUDs alone. RESULTS Participants reported a much higher incidence of trauma (59.2%) compared with the general population. There were no differences in demographic and clinical measures between groups, suggesting that they were well matched. Although maladaptive drinking behaviors tended to be worse for the AUDs+TBI group, effect sizes were small and not statistically significant. Increased alcohol-cue reactivity was observed in bilateral anterior insula and orbitofrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, medial prefrontal cortex, posterior cingulate cortex, dorsal striatum, thalamus, brainstem, and cerebellum across both groups relative to a carefully matched appetitive control. However, there were no significant differences in structural integrity or functional activation between AUDs+TBI and AUDs participants, even when controlling for AUD severity. CONCLUSIONS Current results indicate that a combined history of mild or moderate TBI was not sufficient to alter drinking behaviors and/or underlying neurocircuitry at detectable levels relative to heavy drinking alone. Future studies should examine the potential long-term effects of combined alcohol and trauma on brain functioning.
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Miguel-Hidalgo JJ, Hall KO, Bonner H, Roller AM, Syed M, Park CJ, Ball JP, Rothenberg ME, Stockmeier CA, Romero DG. MicroRNA-21: Expression in oligodendrocytes and correlation with low myelin mRNAs in depression and alcoholism. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2017; 79:503-514. [PMID: 28802862 PMCID: PMC5610939 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2017.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2017] [Revised: 07/21/2017] [Accepted: 08/07/2017] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
MiR-21 is a microRNA implicated in cancer, development, and cardiovascular diseases and expressed in the central nervous system (CNS), especially after injury. However, the cellular expression of miR-21 in the adult CNS has not been clearly established either in mice or human subjects, while its alteration in psychiatric disorders is unknown. MiR-21 expression was characterized in reporter mice expressing β-galactosidase (LacZ) under the endogenous miR-21 promoter (miR-21/LacZ). Brain co-localization of miR-21/LacZ with specific neural markers was examined by double immunofluorescence in reporter mice, while extent of immunostaining for myelin basic protein and PDGFRα was determined in miR-21 knockout and wild-type mice. Levels of miR-21, and mRNAs of selected miR-21 targets, miR-21 regulator STAT3 and myelin-related proteins were measured by qRT-PCR in the white matter (WM) adjacent to the left postmortem orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) of human subjects with major depressive disorder (MDD), alcoholism, comorbid MDD plus alcoholism (MDA) and non-psychiatric control subjects. MiR-21/LacZ was highly expressed in cell bodies of WM and myelinated portions of gray matter (GM). Labeled cell bodies were identified as oligodendrocytes, while miR-21/LacZ was barely detectable in other cell types. MiR-21, as well as the mRNAs of several myelin-related proteins, were reduced in the WM of subjects with MDD and alcoholism. MiR-21 positively correlated with mRNA of myelin-related proteins and astrocytic GFAP. High expression of miR-21 in adult oligodendrocytes and the correlation of miR-21 decrease with mRNA of some myelin proteins, regulator STAT3, and oligodendrocyte-related transcription factors suggest an involvement of miR-21 in WM alterations in depression and alcoholism.
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Affiliation(s)
- José Javier Miguel-Hidalgo
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, USA.
| | - Katherine O. Hall
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi, USA
| | - Hannah Bonner
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi, USA
| | - Anna M. Roller
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi, USA
| | - Maryam Syed
- Department of Biochemistry at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi, USA
| | - Casey J. Park
- Department of Biochemistry at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi, USA
| | - Jana P. Ball
- Department of Biochemistry at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi, USA
| | - Marc E. Rothenberg
- Division of Allergy and Immunology, Department of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Craig A. Stockmeier
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi, USA
| | - Damian G. Romero
- Department of Biochemistry at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi, USA
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Liemburg EJ, van Es F, Knegtering H, Aleman A. Effects of aripiprazole versus risperidone on brain activation during planning and social-emotional evaluation in schizophrenia: A single-blind randomized exploratory study. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2017; 79:112-119. [PMID: 28558941 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2017.05.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2017] [Revised: 04/28/2017] [Accepted: 05/26/2017] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Impaired function of prefrontal brain networks may be the source of both negative symptoms and neurocognitive problems in psychotic disorders. Whereas most antipsychotics may decrease prefrontal activation, the partial dopamine D2-receptor agonist aripiprazole is hypothesized to improve prefrontal function. This study investigated whether patients with a psychotic disorder would show stronger activation of prefrontal areas and associated regions after treatment with aripiprazole compared to risperidone treatment. In this exploratory pharmacological neuroimaging study, 24 patients were randomly assigned to either aripiprazole or risperidone. At baseline and after nine weeks treatment they underwent an interview and MRI session. Here we report on brain activation (measured with arterial spin labeling) during performance of two tasks, the Tower of London and the Wall of Faces. Aripiprazole treatment decreased activation of the middle frontal, superior frontal and occipital gyrus (ToL) and medial temporal and inferior frontal gyrus, putamen and cuneus (WoF), while activation increased after risperidone. Activation increased in the ventral anterior cingulate and posterior insula (ToL), and superior frontal, superior temporal and precentral gyrus (WoF) after aripiprazole treatment and decreased after risperidone. Both treatment groups had increased ventral insula activation (ToL) and middle temporal gyrus (WoF), and decreased occipital cortex, precuneus and caudate head activation (ToL) activation. In conclusion, patients treated with aripiprazole may need less frontal resources for planning performance and may show increased frontotemporal and frontostriatal reactivity to emotional stimuli. More research is needed to corroborate and extend these preliminary findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edith J Liemburg
- BCN Neuroimaging Center, Department of Neuroscience, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands; Rob Giel Research Center, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
| | - Frank van Es
- Rob Giel Research Center, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands; University Center Psychiatry, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
| | - Henderikus Knegtering
- BCN Neuroimaging Center, Department of Neuroscience, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands; Rob Giel Research Center, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands; Lentis Research, Center for Mental Health, Groningen, The Netherlands.
| | - André Aleman
- BCN Neuroimaging Center, Department of Neuroscience, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands; Department of Psychology, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
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Rampino A, Taurisano P, Fanelli G, Attrotto M, Torretta S, Antonucci LA, Miccolis G, Pergola G, Ursini G, Maddalena G, Romano R, Masellis R, Di Carlo P, Pignataro P, Blasi G, Bertolino A. A Polygenic Risk Score of glutamatergic SNPs associated with schizophrenia predicts attentional behavior and related brain activity in healthy humans. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2017; 27:928-939. [PMID: 28651857 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2017.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2016] [Revised: 04/13/2017] [Accepted: 06/10/2017] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Multiple genetic variations impact on risk for schizophrenia. Recent analyses by the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium (PGC2) identified 128 SNPs genome-wide associated with the disorder. Furthermore, attention and working memory deficits are core features of schizophrenia, are heritable and have been associated with variation in glutamatergic neurotransmission. Based on this evidence, in a sample of healthy volunteers, we used SNPs associated with schizophrenia in PGC2 to construct a Polygenic-Risk-Score (PRS) reflecting the cumulative risk for schizophrenia, along with a Polygenic-Risk-Score including only SNPs related to genes implicated in glutamatergic signaling (Glu-PRS). We performed Factor Analysis for dimension reduction of indices of cognitive performance. Furthermore, both PRS and Glu-PRS were used as predictors of cognitive functioning in the domains of Attention, Speed of Processing and Working Memory. The association of the Glu-PRS on brain activity during the Variable Attention Control (VAC) task was also explored. Finally, in a second independent sample of healthy volunteers we sought to confirm the association between the Glu-PRS and both performance in the domain of Attention and brain activity during the VAC.We found that performance in Speed of Processing and Working Memory was not associated with any of the Polygenic-Risk-Scores. The Glu-PRS, but not the PRS was associated with Attention and brain activity during the VAC. The specific effects of Glu-PRS on Attention and brain activity during the VAC were also confirmed in the replication sample.Our results suggest a pathway specificity in the relationship between genetic risk for schizophrenia, the associated cognitive dysfunction and related brain processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Rampino
- Department of Basic Medical Science, Neuroscience and Sense Organs - University of Bari "Aldo Moro", Piazza Giulio Cesare 11, 70124 Bari, Italy
| | - Paolo Taurisano
- Department of Basic Medical Science, Neuroscience and Sense Organs - University of Bari "Aldo Moro", Piazza Giulio Cesare 11, 70124 Bari, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Fanelli
- Department of Basic Medical Science, Neuroscience and Sense Organs - University of Bari "Aldo Moro", Piazza Giulio Cesare 11, 70124 Bari, Italy
| | - Mariateresa Attrotto
- Department of Basic Medical Science, Neuroscience and Sense Organs - University of Bari "Aldo Moro", Piazza Giulio Cesare 11, 70124 Bari, Italy; Psychiatry Unit - Bari University Hospital, Piazza Giulio Cesare 11, 70124 Bari, Italy
| | - Silvia Torretta
- Department of Basic Medical Science, Neuroscience and Sense Organs - University of Bari "Aldo Moro", Piazza Giulio Cesare 11, 70124 Bari, Italy
| | - Linda Antonella Antonucci
- Department of Basic Medical Science, Neuroscience and Sense Organs - University of Bari "Aldo Moro", Piazza Giulio Cesare 11, 70124 Bari, Italy
| | - Grazia Miccolis
- Department of Basic Medical Science, Neuroscience and Sense Organs - University of Bari "Aldo Moro", Piazza Giulio Cesare 11, 70124 Bari, Italy
| | - Giulio Pergola
- Department of Basic Medical Science, Neuroscience and Sense Organs - University of Bari "Aldo Moro", Piazza Giulio Cesare 11, 70124 Bari, Italy
| | - Gianluca Ursini
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins University Medical Campus, 21205 Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Giancarlo Maddalena
- Department of Basic Medical Science, Neuroscience and Sense Organs - University of Bari "Aldo Moro", Piazza Giulio Cesare 11, 70124 Bari, Italy; Psychiatry Unit - Bari University Hospital, Piazza Giulio Cesare 11, 70124 Bari, Italy
| | - Raffaella Romano
- Department of Basic Medical Science, Neuroscience and Sense Organs - University of Bari "Aldo Moro", Piazza Giulio Cesare 11, 70124 Bari, Italy
| | - Rita Masellis
- Psychiatry Unit - Bari University Hospital, Piazza Giulio Cesare 11, 70124 Bari, Italy
| | - Pasquale Di Carlo
- Department of Basic Medical Science, Neuroscience and Sense Organs - University of Bari "Aldo Moro", Piazza Giulio Cesare 11, 70124 Bari, Italy
| | - Patrizia Pignataro
- Department of Basic Medical Science, Neuroscience and Sense Organs - University of Bari "Aldo Moro", Piazza Giulio Cesare 11, 70124 Bari, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Blasi
- Department of Basic Medical Science, Neuroscience and Sense Organs - University of Bari "Aldo Moro", Piazza Giulio Cesare 11, 70124 Bari, Italy; Psychiatry Unit - Bari University Hospital, Piazza Giulio Cesare 11, 70124 Bari, Italy
| | - Alessandro Bertolino
- Department of Basic Medical Science, Neuroscience and Sense Organs - University of Bari "Aldo Moro", Piazza Giulio Cesare 11, 70124 Bari, Italy; Psychiatry Unit - Bari University Hospital, Piazza Giulio Cesare 11, 70124 Bari, Italy.
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Jury NJ, Pollack GA, Ward MJ, Bezek JL, Ng AJ, Pinard CR, Bergstrom HC, Holmes A. Chronic Ethanol During Adolescence Impacts Corticolimbic Dendritic Spines and Behavior. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2017; 41:1298-1308. [PMID: 28614590 PMCID: PMC5509059 DOI: 10.1111/acer.13422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2017] [Accepted: 05/13/2017] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Risk for alcohol use disorders (AUDs) in adulthood is linked to alcohol drinking during adolescence, but understanding of the neural and behavioral consequences of alcohol exposure during adolescence remains incomplete. Here, we examined the neurobehavioral impact of adolescent chronic intermittent EtOH (CIE) vapor exposure in mice. METHODS C57BL/6J-background Thy1-EGFP mice were CIE-exposed during adolescence or adulthood and examined, as adults, for alterations in the density and morphology of dendritic spines in infralimbic (IL) cortex, prelimbic (PL) cortex, and basolateral amygdala (BLA). In parallel, adolescent- and adult-exposed C57BL/6J mice were tested as adults for 2-bottle EtOH drinking, sensitivity to EtOH intoxication (loss of righting reflex [LORR]), blood EtOH clearance, and measures of operant responding for food reward. RESULTS CIE during adolescence decreased IL neuronal spine density and increased the head width of relatively wide-head IL and BLA spines, whereas CIE decreased head width of relatively narrow-head BLA spines. Adolescents had higher EtOH consumption prior to CIE than adults, while CIE during adulthood, but not adolescence, increased EtOH consumption relative to pre-CIE baseline. CIE produced a tolerance-like decrease in LORR sensitivity to EtOH challenge, irrespective of the age at which mice received CIE exposure. Mice exposed to CIE during adolescence, but not adulthood, required more sessions than AIR controls to reliably respond for food reward on a fixed-ratio (FR) 1, but not subsequent FR3, reinforcement schedule. On a progressive ratio reinforcement schedule, break point responding was higher in the adolescent- than the adult-exposed mice, regardless of CIE. Finally, footshock punishment markedly suppressed responding for reward in all groups. CONCLUSIONS Exposure to CIE during adolescence altered dendritic spine density and morphology in IL and BLA neurons, in parallel with a limited set of behavioral alterations. Together, these data add to growing evidence that key corticolimbic circuits are vulnerable to the effects of alcohol during adolescence, with lasting, potentially detrimental, consequences for behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas J Jury
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Genomic Neuroscience, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Gabrielle A Pollack
- Department of Psychological Science, Program in Neuroscience and Behavior, Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, New York
| | - Meredith J Ward
- Department of Psychological Science, Program in Neuroscience and Behavior, Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, New York
| | - Jessica L Bezek
- Department of Psychological Science, Program in Neuroscience and Behavior, Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, New York
| | - Alexandra J Ng
- Department of Psychological Science, Program in Neuroscience and Behavior, Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, New York
| | - Courtney R Pinard
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Genomic Neuroscience, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Hadley C Bergstrom
- Department of Psychological Science, Program in Neuroscience and Behavior, Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, New York
| | - Andrew Holmes
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Genomic Neuroscience, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
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50
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George O, Hope BT. Cortical and amygdalar neuronal ensembles in alcohol seeking, drinking and withdrawal. Neuropharmacology 2017; 122:107-114. [PMID: 28435008 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2017.04.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2017] [Revised: 04/17/2017] [Accepted: 04/19/2017] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Alcohol induces many alterations in the brain that are thought to contribute to alcohol addiction. Most of the known alterations are induced in all neurons of a brain area or all neurons of a given cell type, regardless of whether they were activated during behavior. While these alterations can have important modulatory effects on behavior, they cannot explain why animals respond specifically to alcohol-paired cues as opposed to all other non-paired cues and evoke highly specific goal-directed learned responses in models of drug craving. As an alternative, we hypothesize another class of alterations that are induced only within sparsely distributed patterns of neurons, called neuronal ensembles, that are selectively activated by alcohol-specific cues during behavior and encode the long-term memories underlying these learned behaviors in animal models of alcohol addiction. Here we review recent studies and techniques used to identify the role of neuronal ensembles in animal models of different phases of the alcohol addiction cycle. This article is part of the Special Issue entitled "Alcoholism".
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivier George
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
| | - Bruce T Hope
- National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
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