1
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Hervig ME, Fiddian L, Piilgaard L, Božič T, Blanco-Pozo M, Knudsen C, Olesen SF, Alsiö J, Robbins TW. Dissociable and Paradoxical Roles of Rat Medial and Lateral Orbitofrontal Cortex in Visual Serial Reversal Learning. Cereb Cortex 2021; 30:1016-1029. [PMID: 31343680 PMCID: PMC7132932 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhz144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2019] [Revised: 05/17/2019] [Accepted: 06/08/2019] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Much evidence suggests that reversal learning is mediated by cortico-striatal circuitries with the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) playing a prominent role. The OFC is a functionally heterogeneous region, but potential differential roles of lateral (lOFC) and medial (mOFC) portions in visual reversal learning have yet to be determined. We investigated the effects of pharmacological inactivation of mOFC and lOFC on a deterministic serial visual reversal learning task for rats. For reference, we also targeted other areas previously implicated in reversal learning: prelimbic (PrL) and infralimbic (IL) prefrontal cortex, and basolateral amygdala (BLA). Inactivating mOFC and lOFC produced opposite effects; lOFC impairing, and mOFC improving, performance in the early, perseverative phase specifically. Additionally, mOFC inactivation enhanced negative feedback sensitivity, while lOFC inactivation diminished feedback sensitivity in general. mOFC and lOFC inactivation also affected novel visual discrimination learning differently; lOFC inactivation paradoxically improved learning, and mOFC inactivation had no effect. We also observed dissociable roles of the OFC and the IL/PrL. Whereas the OFC inactivation affected only perseveration, IL/PrL inactivation improved learning overall. BLA inactivation did not affect perseveration, but improved the late phase of reversal learning. These results support opponent roles of the rodent mOFC and lOFC in deterministic visual reversal learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- M E Hervig
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.,Behavioral and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.,Department of Neuroscience, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen N, Denmark.,Research Laboratory for Stereology and Neuroscience, Copenhagen University Hospital, Bispebjerg, Copenhagen NV, Denmark
| | - L Fiddian
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.,Behavioral and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - L Piilgaard
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.,Behavioral and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - T Božič
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.,Behavioral and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - M Blanco-Pozo
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.,Behavioral and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - C Knudsen
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.,Behavioral and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - S F Olesen
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.,Behavioral and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - J Alsiö
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.,Behavioral and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - T W Robbins
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.,Behavioral and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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2
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Schmidtke D. Age affects procedural paired-associates learning in the grey mouse lemur (Microcebus murinus). Sci Rep 2021; 11:1252. [PMID: 33442034 PMCID: PMC7806666 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-80960-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2020] [Accepted: 12/29/2020] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The ability to associate memorized objects with their location in space gradually declines during normal aging and can drastically be affected by neurodegenerative diseases. This study investigates object-location paired-associates learning (PAL) in the grey mouse lemur (Microcebus murinus), a nonhuman primate model of brain aging. Touchscreen-based testing of 6 young adults (1–5 years) and 6 old adults (> 7 years) in the procedural rodent dPAL-task revealed significant age-related performance decline, evident in group differences in the percentage of correct decision during learning and the number of sessions needed to reach a predefined criterion. Response pattern analyses suggest decreased susceptibility to relative stimulus-position biases in young animals, facilitating PAL. Additional data from a subset of “overtrained” individuals (n = 7) and challenge sessions using a modified protocol (sPAL) further suggest that learning criteria routinely used in animal studies on PAL can underestimate the endpoint at which a stable performance is reached and that more conservative criteria are needed to improve construct validity of the task. To conclude, this is the first report of an age effect on dPAL and corroborates the role of mouse lemurs as valuable natural nonhuman primate models in aging research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Schmidtke
- Institute of Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany.
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3
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Hayes J, Laursen B, Eneberg E, Kehler J, Rasmussen LK, Langgard M, Bastlund JF, Gerdjikov TV. Phosphodiesterase type 1 inhibition alters medial prefrontal cortical activity during goal-driven behaviour and partially reverses neurophysiological deficits in the rat phencyclidine model of schizophrenia. Neuropharmacology 2021; 186:108454. [PMID: 33444639 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2021.108454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2020] [Revised: 11/27/2020] [Accepted: 01/04/2021] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Positive modulation of cAMP signalling by phosphodiesterase (PDE) inhibitors has recently been explored as a potential target for the reversal of cognitive and behavioural deficits implicating the corticoaccumbal circuit. Previous studies show that PDE type 1 isoform B (PDE1B) inhibition may improve memory function in rodent models; however, the contribution of PDE1B inhibition to impulsivity, attentional and motivational functions as well as its neurophysiological effects have not been investigated. To address this, we recorded single unit activity in medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and nucleus accumbens (NAc) in Lister Hooded rats treated with the PDE1B inhibitor Lu AF64386 and tested in the 5-choice serial reaction time task (5-CSRTT). We also asked whether PDE1B inhibition modulates neurophysiological deficits produced by subchronic phencyclidine (PCP) treatment, a rat pharmacological model of schizophrenia. Lu AF64386 significantly affected behavioural parameters consistent with a reduction in goal-directed behaviour, however without affecting accuracy. Additionally, it reduced mPFC neuronal activity. Pre-treatment with PCP did not affect behavioural parameters, however it significantly disrupted overall neuronal firing while increasing phasic responses to reward-predicting cues and disrupting mPFC-NAc cross-talk. The latter two effects were reversed by Lu AF64386. These findings suggest PDE1B inhibition may be beneficial in disorders implicating a dysfunction of the mPFC-NAc network.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Hayes
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology and Behaviour, University of Leicester, United Kingdom
| | | | | | - Jan Kehler
- Molecular Discovery and Innovation, Lundbeck A/S, Denmark
| | | | | | | | - Todor V Gerdjikov
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology and Behaviour, University of Leicester, United Kingdom.
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4
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Phencyclidine-induced cognitive impairments in repeated touchscreen visual reversal learning tests in rats. Behav Brain Res 2020; 404:113057. [PMID: 33316322 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2020.113057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2020] [Revised: 12/04/2020] [Accepted: 12/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Reversal learning, a component of executive functioning, is commonly impaired among schizophrenia patients and is lacking effective treatment. N-methyl-ᴅ-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonists, such as phencyclidine (PCP), impair reversal learning of rodents. Touchscreen-based pairwise visual discrimination and reversal test is a translational tool to assess reversal learning in rodents. However, to fully exploit this task in testing of novel compounds, it is necessary to perform several reversal learning experiments with trained animals. Firstly, we assessed whether PCP-induced deficits in visual reversal learning in rats would be detectable with a short (5 sessions) reversal learning phase, and whether the short reversal phases could be repeated with novel stimulus pairs. Secondly, we assessed whether the PCP-induced deficits in reversal learning could be seen upon repeated PCP challenges with the same animals. Finally, we tested the effect of a novel compound, a selective α2C adrenoceptor antagonist, ORM-13070, to reverse PCP-induced cognitive deficits in this model. A 4-day PCP treatment at a dose of 1.5 mg/kg/day impaired early reversal learning in male Lister Hooded rats without inducing non-specific behavioral effects. We repeated the reversal learning experiment four times using different stimulus pairs with the same animals, and the PCP-induced impairment was evident in every single experiment. The α2C adrenoceptor antagonist ameliorated the PCP-induced cognitive deficits. Our results suggest that repeated PCP challenges in the touchscreen set-up induce schizophrenia-like cognitive deficits in visual reversal learning, improve throughput of the test and provide a protocol for testing novel drugs.
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5
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Hatzipantelis C, Langiu M, Vandekolk TH, Pierce TL, Nithianantharajah J, Stewart GD, Langmead CJ. Translation-Focused Approaches to GPCR Drug Discovery for Cognitive Impairments Associated with Schizophrenia. ACS Pharmacol Transl Sci 2020; 3:1042-1062. [PMID: 33344888 PMCID: PMC7737210 DOI: 10.1021/acsptsci.0c00117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2020] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
There are no effective therapeutics for cognitive impairments associated with schizophrenia (CIAS), which includes deficits in executive functions (working memory and cognitive flexibility) and episodic memory. Compounds that have entered clinical trials are inadequate in terms of efficacy and/or tolerability, highlighting a clear translational bottleneck and a need for a cohesive preclinical drug development strategy. In this review we propose hippocampal-prefrontal-cortical (HPC-PFC) circuitry underlying CIAS-relevant cognitive processes across mammalian species as a target source to guide the translation-focused discovery and development of novel, procognitive agents. We highlight several G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) enriched within HPC-PFC circuitry as therapeutic targets of interest, including noncanonical approaches (biased agonism and allosteric modulation) to conventional clinical targets, such as dopamine and muscarinic acetylcholine receptors, along with prospective novel targets, including the orphan receptors GPR52 and GPR139. We also describe the translational limitations of popular preclinical cognition tests and suggest touchscreen-based assays that probe cognitive functions reliant on HPC-PFC circuitry and reflect tests used in the clinic, as tests of greater translational relevance. Combining pharmacological and behavioral testing strategies based in HPC-PFC circuit function creates a cohesive, translation-focused approach to preclinical drug development that may improve the translational bottleneck currently hindering the development of treatments for CIAS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cassandra
J. Hatzipantelis
- Drug
Discovery Biology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Monica Langiu
- Drug
Discovery Biology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Teresa H. Vandekolk
- Drug
Discovery Biology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Tracie L. Pierce
- Drug
Discovery Biology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Jess Nithianantharajah
- Florey
Institute of Neuroscience
and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Gregory D. Stewart
- Drug
Discovery Biology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Christopher J. Langmead
- Drug
Discovery Biology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
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6
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Alsiö J, Lehmann O, McKenzie C, Theobald DE, Searle L, Xia J, Dalley JW, Robbins TW. Serotonergic Innervations of the Orbitofrontal and Medial-prefrontal Cortices are Differentially Involved in Visual Discrimination and Reversal Learning in Rats. Cereb Cortex 2020; 31:1090-1105. [PMID: 33043981 PMCID: PMC7906782 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhaa277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2020] [Revised: 08/26/2020] [Accepted: 08/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Cross-species studies have identified an evolutionarily conserved role for serotonin in flexible behavior including reversal learning. The aim of the current study was to investigate the contribution of serotonin within the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) to visual discrimination and reversal learning. Male Lister Hooded rats were trained to discriminate between a rewarded (A+) and a nonrewarded (B−) visual stimulus to receive sucrose rewards in touchscreen operant chambers. Serotonin was depleted using surgical infusions of 5,7-dihydroxytryptamine (5,7-DHT), either globally by intracebroventricular (i.c.v.) infusions or locally by microinfusions into the OFC or mPFC. Rats that received i.c.v. infusions of 5,7-DHT before initial training were significantly impaired during both visual discrimination and subsequent reversal learning during which the stimulus–reward contingencies were changed (A− vs. B+). Local serotonin depletion from the OFC impaired reversal learning without affecting initial discrimination. After mPFC depletion, rats were unimpaired during reversal learning but slower to respond at the stimuli during all the stages; the mPFC group was also slower to learn during discrimination than the OFC group. These findings extend our understanding of serotonin in cognitive flexibility by revealing differential effects within two subregions of the prefrontal cortex in visual discrimination and reversal learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johan Alsiö
- Department of Psychology, Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EB, UK
| | - Olivia Lehmann
- Department of Psychology, Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EB, UK
| | - Colin McKenzie
- Department of Psychology, Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EB, UK
| | - David E Theobald
- Department of Psychology, Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EB, UK
| | - Lydia Searle
- Department of Psychology, Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EB, UK
| | - Jing Xia
- Department of Psychology, Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EB, UK
| | - Jeffrey W Dalley
- Department of Psychology, Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EB, UK.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0SZ, UK
| | - Trevor W Robbins
- Department of Psychology, Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EB, UK
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7
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Hervig ME, Piilgaard L, Božič T, Alsiö J, Robbins TW. Glutamatergic and Serotonergic Modulation of Rat Medial and Lateral Orbitofrontal Cortex in Visual Serial Reversal Learning. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2020; 13:438-458. [PMID: 33613854 PMCID: PMC7872199 DOI: 10.1037/pne0000221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2019] [Revised: 04/21/2020] [Accepted: 04/27/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Adapting behavior to a dynamic environment requires both steadiness when the environment is stable and behavioral flexibility in response to changes. Much evidence suggests that cognitive flexibility, which can be operationalized in reversal learning tasks, is mediated by cortico-striatal circuitries, with the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) playing a prominent role. The OFC is a functionally heterogeneous region, and we have previously reported differential roles of lateral (lOFC) and medial (mOFC) regions in a touchscreen serial visual reversal learning task for rats using pharmacological inactivation. Here, we investigated the effects of pharmacological overactivation of these regions using a glutamate transporter 1 (GLT-1) inhibitor, dihydrokainate (DHK), which increases extracellular glutamate by blocking its reuptake. We also tested the impact of antagonism of the serotonin 2A receptor (5-HT2AR), which modulates glutamate action, in the mOFC and lOFC on the same task. Overactivation induced by DHK produced dissociable effects in the mOFC and lOFC, with more prominent effects in the mOFC, specifically improving performance in the early, perseveration phase. Intra-lOFC DHK increased the number of omitted responses without affecting errors. In contrast, blocking the 5-HT2AR in the lOFC impaired reversal learning overall, while mOFC 5-HT2AR blockade had no effect. These results further support dissociable roles of the rodent mOFC and lOFC in deterministic visual reversal learning and indicate that modulating glutamate transmission through blocking the GLT-1 and the 5-HT2AR have different roles in these two structures. This study further supports dissociable roles of specific orbitofrontal subregions, as well as glutamatergic and serotonergic transmission in these subregions, in cognitive flexibility. This knowledge will add to the understanding of specific neural mechanisms underlying inflexible behaviour across psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mona E Hervig
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, and Department of Neuroscience, University of Copenhagen
| | - Louise Piilgaard
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, and Behavioral and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge
| | - Tadej Božič
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, and Behavioral and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge
| | - Johan Alsiö
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, and Behavioral and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge
| | - Trevor W Robbins
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, and Behavioral and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge
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8
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The medial prefrontal cortex - hippocampus circuit that integrates information of object, place and time to construct episodic memory in rodents: Behavioral, anatomical and neurochemical properties. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 113:373-407. [PMID: 32298711 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2019] [Revised: 02/25/2020] [Accepted: 04/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Rats and mice have been demonstrated to show episodic-like memory, a prototype of episodic memory, as defined by an integrated memory of the experience of an object or event, in a particular place and time. Such memory can be assessed via the use of spontaneous object exploration paradigms, variably designed to measure memory for object, place, temporal order and object-location inter-relationships. We review the methodological properties of these tests, the neurobiology about time and discuss the evidence for the involvement of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), entorhinal cortex (EC) and hippocampus, with respect to their anatomy, neurotransmitter systems and functional circuits. The systematic analysis suggests that a specific circuit between the mPFC, lateral EC and hippocampus encodes the information for event, place and time of occurrence into the complex episodic-like memory, as a top-down regulation from the mPFC onto the hippocampus. This circuit can be distinguished from the neuronal component memory systems for processing the individual information of object, time and place.
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9
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Radke AK, Zweifel LS, Holmes A. NMDA receptor deletion on dopamine neurons disrupts visual discrimination and reversal learning. Neurosci Lett 2019; 699:109-114. [PMID: 30726715 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2019.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2018] [Revised: 01/31/2019] [Accepted: 02/01/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
The dopamine (DA) system is critical for various forms of learning about salient environmental stimuli. Prior work has shown that deletion of the obligatory NR1 subunit of the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor on neurons expressing the DA transporter (DAT) in mice results in reduced phasic release from DA-containing neurons. To further investigate the contribution of phasic DA release to reward-related learning and cognitive flexibility, the current study evaluated DAT-NR1 null mutant mice in a touchscreen-based pairwise visual discrimination and reversal learning paradigm. Results showed that these mutants were slower to attain a high level of choice accuracy on the discrimination task, but showed improved late reversal performance on sessions where correct choice was above chance. A number of possible interpretations are offered for this pattern of effects, including the opposing possibilities that discrimination memory was either stronger by the completion of training (overtraining effect) or weaker (learning deficit), both of which could potentially produce faster reversal. These data add to the extensive literature ascribing a critical role for DAergic neurotransmission in cognitive functions and the regulation of reward-related behaviors of relevance to addictions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna K Radke
- Department of Psychology and Center for Neuroscience and Behavior, Miami University, Oxford, OH, USA.
| | - Larry S Zweifel
- Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science & Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Andrew Holmes
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Genomic Neuroscience, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
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10
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Martis LS, Brision C, Holmes MC, Wiborg O. Resilient and depressive-like rats show distinct cognitive impairments in the touchscreen paired-associates learning (PAL) task. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2018; 155:287-296. [PMID: 30138691 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2018.08.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2018] [Revised: 08/06/2018] [Accepted: 08/18/2018] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Depression-associated cognitive impairments persist after remission from affective symptoms of major depressive disorder (MDD), decreasing quality of life and increasing risk of relapse in patients. Conventional antidepressants are ineffective in restoring cognitive functions. Therefore, novel antidepressants with improved efficacy for ameliorating cognitive symptoms are required. For tailoring such antidepressants, translational animal models are in demand. The chronic mild stress (CMS) model is a well-validated preclinical model of depression and known for eliciting the MDD core symptom "anhedonia" in stress-susceptible rats. Thus, cognitive performance was assessed in rats susceptible (depressive-like) or resilient to CMS and in unchallenged controls. The rodent analogue of the human touchscreen Paired-Associates Learning (PAL) task was used for cognitive assessment. Both stress groups exhibited a lack of response inhibition compared to controls while only the depressive-like group was impaired in task acquisition. The results indicate that cognitive deficits specifically associate with the anhedonic-like state rather than being a general consequence of stress exposure. Hence, we propose that the application of a translational touchscreen task on the etiologically valid CMS model, displaying depression-associated cognitive impairments, provides a novel platform for pro-cognitive and clinically pertinent antidepressant drug screening.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lena-Sophie Martis
- Translational Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Denmark; Centre for Cardiovascular Science, Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Claudia Brision
- Translational Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Denmark
| | - Megan C Holmes
- Centre for Cardiovascular Science, Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom; Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, University of Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Ove Wiborg
- Translational Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Denmark; Department of Health Science and Technology, Aalborg University, Denmark.
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11
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Nikiforuk A. Assessment of cognitive functions in animal models of schizophrenia. Pharmacol Rep 2018; 70:639-649. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pharep.2018.01.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2017] [Revised: 01/19/2018] [Accepted: 01/31/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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12
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Girotti M, Adler SM, Bulin SE, Fucich EA, Paredes D, Morilak DA. Prefrontal cortex executive processes affected by stress in health and disease. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2018; 85:161-179. [PMID: 28690203 PMCID: PMC5756532 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2017.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2017] [Revised: 07/01/2017] [Accepted: 07/05/2017] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Prefrontal cortical executive functions comprise a number of cognitive capabilities necessary for goal directed behavior and adaptation to a changing environment. Executive dysfunction that leads to maladaptive behavior and is a symptom of psychiatric pathology can be instigated or exacerbated by stress. In this review we survey research addressing the impact of stress on executive function, with specific focus on working memory, attention, response inhibition, and cognitive flexibility. We then consider the neurochemical pathways underlying these cognitive capabilities and, where known, how stress alters them. Finally, we review work exploring potential pharmacological and non-pharmacological approaches that can ameliorate deficits in executive function. Both preclinical and clinical literature indicates that chronic stress negatively affects executive function. Although some of the circuitry and neurochemical processes underlying executive function have been characterized, a great deal is still unknown regarding how stress affects these processes. Additional work focusing on this question is needed in order to make progress on developing interventions that ameliorate executive dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Milena Girotti
- Department of Pharmacology, Center for Biomedical Neuroscience, UT Health San Antonio, 7703 Floyd Curl Dr, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA.
| | - Samantha M Adler
- Department of Pharmacology, Center for Biomedical Neuroscience, UT Health San Antonio, 7703 Floyd Curl Dr, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Sarah E Bulin
- Department of Pharmacology, Center for Biomedical Neuroscience, UT Health San Antonio, 7703 Floyd Curl Dr, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Elizabeth A Fucich
- Department of Pharmacology, Center for Biomedical Neuroscience, UT Health San Antonio, 7703 Floyd Curl Dr, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Denisse Paredes
- Department of Pharmacology, Center for Biomedical Neuroscience, UT Health San Antonio, 7703 Floyd Curl Dr, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - David A Morilak
- Department of Pharmacology, Center for Biomedical Neuroscience, UT Health San Antonio, 7703 Floyd Curl Dr, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
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13
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Zurawek D, Salerno-Kochan A, Dziedzicka-Wasylewska M, Nikiforuk A, Kos T, Popik P. Changes in the expression of metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGluR5) in a ketamine-based animal model of schizophrenia. Schizophr Res 2018; 192:423-430. [PMID: 28433499 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2017.04.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2016] [Revised: 03/30/2017] [Accepted: 04/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
It has been shown that the metabotropic glutamate receptor subtype 5 (mGluR5) is functionally associated with the NMDA subtype of the glutamate receptor family (NMDA receptors). These two receptors colocalize in brain regions associated with schizophrenia. Although the role of the NMDA receptor in cognitive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia is well studied, information about the role of mGluR5 receptors in schizophrenia is sparse. In our work, we show that subchronic administration of ketamine, a well-studied, non-competitive antagonist of NMDA receptors, caused cognitive deficits in rats as shown by testing novel object recognition (NOR). Moreover, we reveal that subchronic administration of ketamine increased the mRNA and protein expression levels of mGluR5 receptors in regions CA1 and CA3 of the dorsal part of the hippocampus, both of which are strongly associated with the formation of visual memory, which is tested via NOR. We postulate that increased expression of mGluR5 receptors in the dorsal part of the hippocampus may reflect compensatory changes to imbalanced glutamate neurotransmission associated with the hypoactivation of NMDA receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dariusz Zurawek
- Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Department of Pharmacology, 31-343 Krakow, Smetna Street 12, Poland.
| | - Anna Salerno-Kochan
- Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Department of Pharmacology, 31-343 Krakow, Smetna Street 12, Poland
| | - Marta Dziedzicka-Wasylewska
- Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Department of Pharmacology, 31-343 Krakow, Smetna Street 12, Poland
| | - Agnieszka Nikiforuk
- Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Department of Behavioural Neuroscience and Drug Development, 31-343 Krakow, Smetna Street 12, Poland
| | - Tomasz Kos
- Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Department of Behavioural Neuroscience and Drug Development, 31-343 Krakow, Smetna Street 12, Poland
| | - Piotr Popik
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Collegium Medicum, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
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14
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Romberg C, Bartko S, Wess J, Saksida LM, Bussey TJ. Impaired object-location learning and recognition memory but enhanced sustained attention in M2 muscarinic receptor-deficient mice. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2018; 235:3495-3508. [PMID: 30327842 PMCID: PMC6267149 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-018-5065-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2018] [Accepted: 10/03/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Muscarinic acetylcholine receptors are known to play key roles in mediating cognitive processes, and impaired muscarinic cholinergic neurotransmission is associated with normal ageing processes and Alzheimer's disease. However, the specific contributions of the individual muscarinic receptor subtypes (M1-M5) to cognition are presently not well understood. OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to investigate the contribution of M2-type muscarinic receptor signalling to sustained attention, executive control and learning and memory. METHODS M2 receptor-deficient (M2-/-) mice were tested on a touchscreen-operated task battery testing visual discrimination, behavioural flexibility, object-location associative learning, attention and response control. Spontaneous recognition memory for real-world objects was also assessed. RESULTS We found that M2-/- mice showed an enhancement of attentional performance, but significant deficits on some tests of learning and memory. Executive control and visual discrimination were unaffected by M2-depletion. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that M2 activation has heterogeneous effects across cognitive domains, and provide insights into how acetylcholine may support multiple specific cognitive processes through functionally distinct cholinergic receptor subtypes. They also suggest that therapeutics involving M2 receptor-active compounds should be assessed across a broad range of cognitive domains, as they may enhance some cognitive functions, but impair others.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carola Romberg
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK. .,Wellcome Trust and MRC Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK. .,Department of Psychology, Research Unit Biological Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany.
| | - Susan Bartko
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EB UK
| | - Jürgen Wess
- Molecular Signaling Section, Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892 USA
| | - Lisa M. Saksida
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EB UK ,Wellcome Trust and MRC Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EB UK ,Department of Psychology, Research Unit Biological Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany ,Brain and Mind Institute, Western University, London, ON Canada
| | - Timothy J. Bussey
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EB UK ,Wellcome Trust and MRC Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EB UK ,Brain and Mind Institute, Western University, London, ON Canada ,Molecular Medicine Research Laboratories, Robarts Research Institute & Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University, London, ON Canada
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15
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Early neuromodulation prevents the development of brain and behavioral abnormalities in a rodent model of schizophrenia. Mol Psychiatry 2017; 23:943-951. [PMID: 28373685 PMCID: PMC5552352 DOI: 10.1038/mp.2017.52] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2016] [Revised: 02/07/2017] [Accepted: 02/10/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The notion that schizophrenia is a neurodevelopmental disorder in which neuropathologies evolve gradually over the developmental course indicates a potential therapeutic window during which pathophysiological processes may be modified to halt disease progression or reduce its severity. Here we used a neurodevelopmental maternal immune stimulation (MIS) rat model of schizophrenia to test whether early targeted modulatory intervention would affect schizophrenia's neurodevelopmental course. We applied deep brain stimulation (DBS) or sham stimulation to the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) of adolescent MIS rats and respective controls, and investigated its behavioral, biochemical, brain-structural and -metabolic effects in adulthood. We found that mPFC-DBS successfully prevented the emergence of deficits in sensorimotor gating, attentional selectivity and executive function in adulthood, as well as the enlargement of lateral ventricle volumes and mal-development of dopaminergic and serotonergic transmission. These data suggest that the mPFC may be a valuable target for effective preventive treatments. This may have significant translational value, suggesting that targeting the mPFC before the onset of psychosis via less invasive neuromodulation approaches may be a viable preventive strategy.
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16
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Morosawa S, Iritani S, Fujishiro H, Sekiguchi H, Torii Y, Habuchi C, Kuroda K, Kaibuchi K, Ozaki N. Neuropeptide Y neuronal network dysfunction in the frontal lobe of a genetic mouse model of schizophrenia. Neuropeptides 2017; 62:27-35. [PMID: 28073591 DOI: 10.1016/j.npep.2016.12.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2016] [Revised: 11/18/2016] [Accepted: 12/22/2016] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Neuropeptide Y (NPY) has been found to play a critical role in various mental functions as a neurotransmitter and is involved in the development of schizophrenia, a particularly intractable psychiatric disease whose precise etiology remains unknown. Recent molecular biological investigations have identified several candidate genes which may be associated with this disease, including disrupted-in-schizophrenia 1 (DISC1). The role of DISC1 would involve neurogenesis and neuronal migration. However, the functional consequences of this gene defect have not yet been fully clarified in neuronal systems. In the present study, to clarify the neuropathological changes associated with the function of DISC1, we explored how DISC1 dysfunction can induce abnormalities in the NPY neuronal network in the central nervous system. We performed immunohistochemical analyses (including the observation of the distribution and density) of prefrontal cortex specimens from DISC1-knockout (KO) mice, which are considered to be a novel animal model of schizophrenia. We then evaluated the number and size of NPY-immunoreactive (NPY-IR) neurons and the length of NPY-IR fibers. The number of NPY-IR neurons and the length of the fibers were decreased in the prefrontal cortex of DISC1-KO mice. The decrease was particularly prominent in the superficial regions, and the distribution of NPY-IR neurons differed between wild-type and DISC1-KO mice. However, the size of the neurons in the cortices of the DISC1-KO and wild-type mice did not differ markedly. Our findings suggest that dysfunction of DISC1 may lead to the alteration of NPY neurons and neurotransmission issues in NPY-containing neuron systems, which seem to play important roles in both the mental function and neuronal development. DISC1 dysfunction may be involved in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia through the impairment of the NPY neuronal network.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shunsuke Morosawa
- Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya University, 65 Tsurumai, Showa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi 466-8550, Japan.
| | - Shuji Iritani
- Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya University, 65 Tsurumai, Showa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi 466-8550, Japan.
| | - Hiroshige Fujishiro
- Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya University, 65 Tsurumai, Showa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi 466-8550, Japan.
| | - Hirotaka Sekiguchi
- Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya University, 65 Tsurumai, Showa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi 466-8550, Japan.
| | - Youta Torii
- Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya University, 65 Tsurumai, Showa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi 466-8550, Japan.
| | - Chikako Habuchi
- Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya University, 65 Tsurumai, Showa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi 466-8550, Japan.
| | - Keisuke Kuroda
- Department of Cell Pharmacology, Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya University, 65 Tsurumai, Showa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi 466-8550, Japan.
| | - Kozo Kaibuchi
- Department of Cell Pharmacology, Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya University, 65 Tsurumai, Showa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi 466-8550, Japan.
| | - Norio Ozaki
- Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya University, 65 Tsurumai, Showa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi 466-8550, Japan.
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17
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RP5063, an atypical antipsychotic drug with a unique pharmacologic profile, improves declarative memory and psychosis in mouse models of schizophrenia. Behav Brain Res 2017; 332:180-199. [PMID: 28373127 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2017.02.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2016] [Revised: 02/11/2017] [Accepted: 02/22/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Various types of atypical antipsychotic drugs (AAPDs) modestly improve the cognitive impairment associated with schizophrenia (CIAS). RP5063 is an AAPD with a diverse and unique pharmacology, including partial agonism at dopamine (DA) D2, D3, D4, serotonin (5-HT)1A, and 5-HT2A receptors (Rs), full agonism at α4β2 nicotinic acetylcholine (ACh)R (nAChR), and antagonism at 5-HT2B, 5-HT6, and 5-HT7Rs. Most atypical APDs are 5-HT2A inverse agonists. The efficacy of RP5063 in mouse models of psychosis and episodic memory were studied. RP5063 blocked acute phencyclidine (PCP)-as well as amphetamine-induced hyperactivity, indicating antipsychotic activity. Acute administration of RP5063 significantly reversed subchronic (sc)PCP-induced impairment in novel object recognition (NOR), a measure of episodic memory, but not reversal learning, a measure of executive function. Co-administration of a sub-effective dose (SED) of RP5063 with SEDs of a 5-HT7R antagonist, a 5-HT1BR antagonist, a 5-HT2AR inverse agonist, or an α4β2 nAChR agonist, restored the ability of RP5063 to ameliorate the NOR deficit in scPCP mice. Pre-treatment with a 5-HT1AR, a D4R, antagonist, but not an α4β2 nAChR antagonist, blocked the ameliorating effect of RP5063. Further, co-administration of scRP5063 prior to each dose of PCP prevented the effect of PCP to produce a deficit in NOR for one week. RP5063, given to scPCP-treated mice for one week restored NOR for one week only. Acute administration of RP5063 significantly increased cortical DA efflux, which may be critical to some of its cognitive enhancing properties. These results indicate that RP5063, by itself, or as an adjunctive treatment has a multifaceted basis for improving some cognitive deficits associated with schizophrenia.
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18
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Subchronic anesthetic ketamine injections in rats impair choice reversal learning, but have no effect on reinforcer devaluation. Behav Pharmacol 2017; 28:294-302. [PMID: 28118210 DOI: 10.1097/fbp.0000000000000289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Previous exposure to a variety of drugs of abuse has been shown to cause long-term impairments in reversal learning and reinforcer devaluation tasks. However, there is mixed evidence in the literature for a long-term effect of ketamine exposure on reversal learning and the long-term effect of ketamine exposure on devaluation is not known. We determined whether repeated injections of an anesthetic dose of ketamine would lead to impairments in choice reversal learning after discrimination learning or impairments in reinforcer devaluation. In two experiments, rats received three injections once-daily of ketamine (100 mg/kg, intraperitoneally) or saline and then began behavioral training 19 days later so that the key reversal learning and devaluation tests would occur about 1 month after the final ketamine injection. This ketamine exposure regimen did not impair learning in our discrimination task, but led to an increase in perseverative errors in reversal learning. However, the same ketamine exposure regimen (or injections of a lower 50 mg/kg dose) had no effect on behavior in the devaluation task. The behavioral patterns observed suggest possible neural mechanisms for the effects of ketamine, but future neurobiological investigations will be needed to isolate these mechanisms.
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19
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Izquierdo A, Brigman JL, Radke AK, Rudebeck PH, Holmes A. The neural basis of reversal learning: An updated perspective. Neuroscience 2016; 345:12-26. [PMID: 26979052 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2016.03.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 316] [Impact Index Per Article: 39.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2015] [Revised: 02/24/2016] [Accepted: 03/07/2016] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Reversal learning paradigms are among the most widely used tests of cognitive flexibility and have been used as assays, across species, for altered cognitive processes in a host of neuropsychiatric conditions. Based on recent studies in humans, non-human primates, and rodents, the notion that reversal learning tasks primarily measure response inhibition, has been revised. In this review, we describe how cognitive flexibility is measured by reversal learning and discuss new definitions of the construct validity of the task that are serving as a heuristic to guide future research in this field. We also provide an update on the available evidence implicating certain cortical and subcortical brain regions in the mediation of reversal learning, and an overview of the principal neurotransmitter systems involved.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Izquierdo
- Department of Psychology, The Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| | - J L Brigman
- Department of Neurosciences, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - A K Radke
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Genomic Neuroscience, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - P H Rudebeck
- Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10014, USA
| | - A Holmes
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Genomic Neuroscience, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, MD, USA
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20
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Barnett JH, Blackwell AD, Sahakian BJ, Robbins TW. The Paired Associates Learning (PAL) Test: 30 Years of CANTAB Translational Neuroscience from Laboratory to Bedside in Dementia Research. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2016; 28:449-74. [PMID: 27646012 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2015_5001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
The origins and rationale of the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB) as a cross-species translational instrument suitable for use in human neuropsychopharmacological studies are reviewed. We focus on its use for the early assessment and detection of Alzheimer's disease, in particular the Paired Associates Learning (PAL) test. We consider its psychometric properties, neural validation, and utility, including studies on large samples of healthy volunteers, patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and Alzheimer's disease. We demonstrate how it can be applied in cross-species studies using experimental animals to bridge the cross-species translational 'gap'. We also show how the CANTAB PAL has bridged a second translational 'gap' through its application to the early detection of memory problems in primary care clinics, using iPad technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer H Barnett
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
- Cambridge Cognition, Cambridge, UK.
| | - Andrew D Blackwell
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Cambridge Cognition, Cambridge, UK
| | - Barbara J Sahakian
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Medical Research Council/Wellcome Trust Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Cambridge, UK
| | - Trevor W Robbins
- Medical Research Council/Wellcome Trust Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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21
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Hvoslef-Eide M, Mar AC, Nilsson SRO, Alsiö J, Heath CJ, Saksida LM, Robbins TW, Bussey TJ. The NEWMEDS rodent touchscreen test battery for cognition relevant to schizophrenia. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2015. [PMID: 26202612 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-015-4007-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE The NEWMEDS initiative (Novel Methods leading to New Medications in Depression and Schizophrenia, http://www.newmeds-europe.com ) is a large industrial-academic collaborative project aimed at developing new methods for drug discovery for schizophrenia. As part of this project, Work package 2 (WP02) has developed and validated a comprehensive battery of novel touchscreen tasks for rats and mice for assessing cognitive domains relevant to schizophrenia. OBJECTIVES This article provides a review of the touchscreen battery of tasks for rats and mice for assessing cognitive domains relevant to schizophrenia and highlights validation data presented in several primary articles in this issue and elsewhere. METHODS The battery consists of the five-choice serial reaction time task and a novel rodent continuous performance task for measuring attention, a three-stimulus visual reversal and the serial visual reversal task for measuring cognitive flexibility, novel non-matching to sample-based tasks for measuring spatial working memory and paired-associates learning for measuring long-term memory. RESULTS The rodent (i.e. both rats and mice) touchscreen operant chamber and battery has high translational value across species due to its emphasis on construct as well as face validity. In addition, it offers cognitive profiling of models of diseases with cognitive symptoms (not limited to schizophrenia) through a battery approach, whereby multiple cognitive constructs can be measured using the same apparatus, enabling comparisons of performance across tasks. CONCLUSION This battery of tests constitutes an extensive tool package for both model characterisation and pre-clinical drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Hvoslef-Eide
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK. .,MRC and Wellcome Trust Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK.
| | - A C Mar
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK.,MRC and Wellcome Trust Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK.,Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, New York University Medical Center, New York, NY, 10016, USA
| | - S R O Nilsson
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK.,MRC and Wellcome Trust Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK
| | - J Alsiö
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK.,MRC and Wellcome Trust Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK.,Department of Neuroscience, Unit of Functional Neurobiology, University of Uppsala, 75124, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - C J Heath
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK.,MRC and Wellcome Trust Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK
| | - L M Saksida
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK.,MRC and Wellcome Trust Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK
| | - T W Robbins
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK.,MRC and Wellcome Trust Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK
| | - T J Bussey
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK.,MRC and Wellcome Trust Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK
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