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Ham JR, Szabo M, Annor-Bediako J, Stark RA, Iwaniuk AN, Pellis SM. Quality not quantity: Deficient juvenile play experiences lead to altered medial prefrontal cortex neurons and sociocognitive skill deficits. Dev Psychobiol 2024; 66:e22456. [PMID: 38388195 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2023] [Revised: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
Reduced play experience over the juvenile period leads to adults with impoverished social skills and to anatomical and physiological aberrations of the neurons found in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). Even rearing rats from high-playing strains with low-playing strains show these developmental consequences. In the present study, we evaluated whether low-playing rats benefit from being reared with higher playing peers. To test this, we reared male Fischer 344 rats (F344), typically thought to be a low-playing strain, with a Long-Evans (LE) peer, a relatively high-playing strain. As juveniles, F344 rats reared with LE rats experienced less play and lower quality play compared to those reared with another F344. As adults, the F344 rats reared with LE partners exhibited poorer social skills and the pyramidal neurons of their mPFC had larger dendritic arbors than F344 rats reared with same-strain peers. These findings show that being reared with a more playful partner does not improve developmental outcomes of F344 rats, rather the discordance in the play styles of F344 and LE rats leads to poorer outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jackson R Ham
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
| | - Madeline Szabo
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
| | | | - Rachel A Stark
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
| | - Andrew N Iwaniuk
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
| | - Sergio M Pellis
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
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2
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Siviy SM, Martin MA, Campbell CM. Noradrenergic modulation of play in Sprague-Dawley and F344 rats. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2023:10.1007/s00213-023-06419-2. [PMID: 37428218 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-023-06419-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE For many mammals, engaging in social play behavior as a juvenile is important for cognitive, social, and emotional health as an adult. A playful phenotype reflects a dynamic interplay between genetic framework and experiences that operate on hard-wired brain systems so the relative lack of play in an otherwise playful species may be useful for identifying neural substrates that modulate play behavior. The inbred F344 rat has been identified as a strain that is consistently less playful than other strains commonly used in behavioral research. Norepinephrine (NE) acting on alpha-2 receptors has an inhibitory effect on play and F344 rats differ from a number of other strains in NE functioning. As such, the F344 rat may be particularly useful for gaining insight into NE involvement in play. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to determine whether the F344 rat is differentially sensitive to compounds that affect NE functioning and that are known to affect play behavior. METHODS Using pouncing and pinning to quantify play, the effects of the NE reuptake inhibitor atomoxetine, the NE alpha-2 receptor agonist guanfacine, and the NE alpha-2 receptor antagonist RX821002 on play behavior were assessed in juvenile Sprague-Dawley (SD) and F344 rats. RESULTS Atomoxetine and guanfacine reduced play in both SD and F344 rats. RX821002 increased pinning to a comparable extent in both strains but F344 rats were more sensitive to the play-enhancing effects of RX821002 on pounces. CONCLUSIONS Strain differences in NE alpha-2 receptor dynamics may contribute to the lower levels of play in F344 rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen M Siviy
- Department of Psychology, Gettysburg College, Gettysburg, PA, 17325, USA.
| | - Michelle A Martin
- Department of Psychology, Gettysburg College, Gettysburg, PA, 17325, USA
| | - Celeste M Campbell
- Department of Psychology, Gettysburg College, Gettysburg, PA, 17325, USA
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3
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Cooper MA, Grizzell JA, Whitten CJ, Burghardt GM. Comparing the ontogeny, neurobiology, and function of social play in hamsters and rats. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 147:105102. [PMID: 36804399 PMCID: PMC10023430 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2022] [Revised: 01/26/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 02/19/2023]
Abstract
Syrian hamsters show complex social play behavior and provide a valuable animal model for delineating the neurobiological mechanisms and functions of social play. In this review, we compare social play behavior of hamsters and rats and underlying neurobiological mechanisms. Juvenile rats play by competing for opportunities to pin one another and attack their partner's neck. A broad set of cortical, limbic, and striatal regions regulate the display of social play in rats. In hamsters, social play is characterized by attacks to the head in early puberty, which gradually transitions to the flanks in late puberty. The transition from juvenile social play to adult hamster aggression corresponds with engagement of neural ensembles controlling aggression. Play deprivation in rats and hamsters alters dendritic morphology in mPFC neurons and impairs flexible, context-dependent behavior in adulthood, which suggests these animals may have converged on a similar function for social play. Overall, dissecting the neurobiology of social play in hamsters and rats can provide a valuable comparative approach for evaluating the function of social play.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew A Cooper
- Department of Psychology, University of Tennessee Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, USA.
| | - J Alex Grizzell
- Neuroscience and Behavioral Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA; Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Conner J Whitten
- Department of Psychology, University of Tennessee Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - Gordon M Burghardt
- Department of Psychology, University of Tennessee Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, USA; Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, USA
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Stark RA, Brinkman B, Gibb RL, Iwaniuk AN, Pellis SM. Atypical play experiences in the juvenile period has an impact on the development of the medial prefrontal cortex in both male and female rats. Behav Brain Res 2023; 439:114222. [PMID: 36427590 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2022.114222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2022] [Revised: 11/06/2022] [Accepted: 11/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
In rats reared without play, or with limited access to play during the juvenile period, the dendrites of pyramidal neurons of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) exhibit more branching than rats reared with more typical levels of play. This suggests that play is critical for pruning the dendritic arbor of these neurons. However, the rearing paradigms typically used to limit play involve physical separation from a peer or sharing a cage with an adult, causing stress that may disrupt pruning. To limit this potentially confounding source of stress, we used an alternative approach in this study: pairing playful Long Evans rats (LE) with low playing Fischer 344 (F344) rats throughout the juvenile period. We then examined the morphology of medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) neurons, predicting that pruning should be reduced. LE rats reared with another LE rat had significantly greater pruning of mPFC pyramidal neurons compared to LE rats reared with a F344 partner. Furthermore, in previous studies, only one sex or the other was used, whereas in the present rearing paradigm, both sexes were tested, showing that play influences neuronal pruning in both. The neurons of the play deficient LE rats not only occupied more space, as determined by convex hull analyses, but the dendrites were also longer than in rats with more typical play experiences. Unlike studies using more stressful rearing paradigms, the present effects were limited to the apical dendritic projections, suggesting that the previously reported effects on the basilar dendrites may have resulted from developmental disruptions caused by stress. If correct, the present findings indicate that play experienced over the juvenile period affects how mPFC neurons develop and function.
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Affiliation(s)
- R A Stark
- University of Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada.
| | - B Brinkman
- University of Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
| | - R L Gibb
- University of Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
| | | | - S M Pellis
- University of Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
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Pellis SM, Pellis VC, Ham JR, Stark RA. Play fighting and the development of the social brain: The rat's tale. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 145:105037. [PMID: 36621585 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2022] [Revised: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
The benefits gained by young animals engaging in play fighting have been a subject of conjecture for over a hundred years. Progress in understanding the behavioral development of play fighting and the underlying neurobiology of laboratory rats has produced a coherent model that sheds light on this matter. Depriving rats of typical peer-peer play experience during the juvenile period leads to adults with socio-cognitive deficiencies and these are correlated with physiological and anatomical changes to the neurons of the prefrontal cortex, especially the medial prefrontal cortex. Detailed analysis of juvenile peer play has shown that using the abilities needed to ensure that play fighting is reciprocal is critical for attaining these benefits. Therefore, unlike that which was posited by many earlier hypotheses, play fighting does not train specific motor actions, but rather, improves a skill set that can be applied in many different social and non-social contexts. There are still gaps in the rat model that need to be understood, but the model is well-enough developed to provide a framework for broader comparative studies of mammals from diverse lineages that engage in play fighting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergio M Pellis
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alberta T1K3M4, Canada.
| | - Vivien C Pellis
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alberta T1K3M4, Canada
| | - Jackson R Ham
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alberta T1K3M4, Canada
| | - Rachel A Stark
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alberta T1K3M4, Canada
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Stark RA, Pellis SM. Using the 'stranger test' to assess social competency in adult female Long Evans rats reared with a Fischer 344 partner. Behav Processes 2021; 192:104492. [PMID: 34478804 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2021.104492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2021] [Revised: 08/02/2021] [Accepted: 08/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Rats reared with limited access to a play partner during the juvenile period develop into adults with impairments in various cognitive, emotional, and social skills. The present study assesses the consequences of play deprivation on adult social skills in female Long Evans (LE) rats that were reared with a low-playing Fischer 344 rat over the juvenile period. As adults, their social skills were assessed using the stranger paradigm, by pairing the deprived LE rats with a novel LE partner in a neutral arena. While the deprived rat engages its partner in play there were alterations in key aspects of play, such as reduced pinning and a longer latency to begin playing, that suggest there are impairments in the social ability of the deprived rat. Most notable were the changes in the behaviour of the typically reared partner, a reduction in the amount of play it initiated and fewer actions that produced reciprocal and prolonged interactions. The changes in the behaviour of the normally reared partner suggest that it detected subtle changes in the play deprived LE rats. These findings support the hypothesis that peer-peer play experiences during the juvenile period are important for the development of socio-cognitive skills.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel A Stark
- University of Lethbridge, 4401 Univerisity Drive W, Lethbridge, Alberta, T1K 3M4, Canada.
| | - Sergio M Pellis
- University of Lethbridge, 4401 Univerisity Drive W, Lethbridge, Alberta, T1K 3M4, Canada
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7
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Surakka A, Vengeliene V, Skorodumov I, Meinhardt M, Hansson AC, Spanagel R. Adverse social experiences in adolescent rats result in persistent sex-dependent effects on alcohol-seeking behavior. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2021; 45:1468-1478. [PMID: 34273113 DOI: 10.1111/acer.14640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2020] [Revised: 04/16/2021] [Accepted: 05/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Accumulating clinical evidence suggests that women with prior exposure to adverse childhood experiences are more susceptible to heavy drinking and other health-related behaviors. Yet, preclinical studies investigating sex-dependent effects of adolescent adverse social experiences (ASEs) on later alcohol-seeking behavior are lacking. This is mainly due to the unavailability of valid animal models and a shortage of studies that compare effects in males and females. Therefore, we sought to investigate the sex-dependent effects of ASE on adult alcohol-seeking behavior, locomotion, and reward sensitivity in male and female rats. METHODS We recently developed a rat model for childhood/adolescent peer rejection that allows us to study the long-term consequences of ASEs. Adolescent Wistar rats were reared from postnatal day (pd) 21 to pd 50 either within a group of Fischer 344 rats (ASE) or within a group of Wistar rats (control). Wistar rats housed with Fischer 344 rats do not reciprocate social play in adolescence. This reduced play across adolescence mimics peer rejection and results in chronic dysregulation of social and pain-related behaviors. We tested adult male and female rats in the reinstatement paradigm for cue-induced alcohol-seeking behavior, circadian locomotor activity, and sucrose consumption long after the termination of the peer rejection condition. RESULTS Peer rejection induced persistent sex-dependent changes in alcohol cue-induced reinstatement. Females showed an increased reinstatement effect while peer-rejected males demonstrated a decrease. Sex differences were observed in locomotor activity or reward sensitivity to sucrose. CONCLUSIONS Peer rejection has long-lasting sex-dependent consequences on alcohol-seeking behavior without affecting locomotion or sweet reward sensitivity. Our results suggest that peer-rejected female rats represent a vulnerable population in which to study relapse-like behaviors that are similar to clinical findings, while males seem to buffer the peer rejection effect and demonstrate resilience to later life alcohol-seeking behaviors, as measured by the reinstatement effect. Finally, we provide a novel approach to investigate the molecular and neurobiological underpinnings of ASEs on alcohol and other drug-seeking behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akseli Surakka
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Valentina Vengeliene
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Ivan Skorodumov
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Marcus Meinhardt
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Anita C Hansson
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Rainer Spanagel
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
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8
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Kogo H, Maeda N, Kiyokawa Y, Takeuchi Y. Rats do not consider all unfamiliar strains to be equivalent. Behav Processes 2021; 190:104457. [PMID: 34216685 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2021.104457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2021] [Revised: 06/20/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Humans show distinct social behaviours when we recognise social similarity in opponents that are members of the same social group. However, little attention has been paid to the role of social similarity in non-human animals. In the Wistar subject rats, the presence of an unfamiliar Wistar rat mitigated stress responses, suggesting the importance of social similarity in this stress-buffering phenomenon. We subsequently found that the presence of unfamiliar Sprague-Dawley (SD) or Long-Evans (LE) rats, but not an unfamiliar Fischer 344 (F344) rat, similarly mitigated stress responses in the subject rats. It is therefore possible that the subject rats recognised social similarity to unfamiliar SD and LE rats. In this study, we demonstrated that the Wistar subject rats were capable of categorizing unfamiliar rats based on their strain, and that the Wistar subjects showed a preference for unfamiliar Wistar, SD, and LE rats over F344 rats. However, the subject rats did not show a preference among Wistar, SD, and LE rats. In addition, the results were not due to an aversion to F344 rats, and preference was not affected when anaesthetised rats were presented to the subject rats. The findings suggested that rats recognise social similarity to certain unfamiliar strains of rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroki Kogo
- Laboratory of Veterinary Ethology, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8657, Japan
| | - Naori Maeda
- Laboratory of Veterinary Ethology, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8657, Japan
| | - Yasushi Kiyokawa
- Laboratory of Veterinary Ethology, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8657, Japan.
| | - Yukari Takeuchi
- Laboratory of Veterinary Ethology, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8657, Japan
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9
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O'Sullivan G, Humphrey RM, Thornton AM, Kerr DM, McGuire BE, Caes L, Roche M. Maternal presence or absence alters nociceptive responding and cortical anandamide levels in juvenile female rats. Behav Brain Res 2020; 392:112712. [PMID: 32479851 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2020.112712] [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: 02/28/2020] [Revised: 04/21/2020] [Accepted: 05/16/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
The influence of parental support on child pain experiences is well recognised. Accordingly, animal studies have revealed both short- and long-term effects of early life stress on nociceptive responding and neural substrates such as endocannabinoids. The endocannabinoid system plays an important role in mediating and modulating stress, social interaction, and nociception. This study examined the effects of maternal support or acute isolation on nociceptive responding of female rats to a range of stimuli during the juvenile pre-adolescent period and accompanying changes in the endocannabinoid system. The data revealed that juvenile female Sprague Dawley rats (PND21-24) isolated from the dam for 1 h prior to nociceptive testing exhibited increased latency to withdraw in the hot plate test and increased mechanical withdrawal threshold in the Von Frey test, compared to rats tested in the presence of the dam. Furthermore, isolated rats exhibited reduced latency to respond in the acetone drop test and enhanced nociceptive responding in the formalin test when compared to dam-paired counterparts. Anandamide, but not 2-AG, levels were reduced in the prefrontal cortex of dam-paired, but not isolated, juvenile rats following nociceptive testing. There was no change in the expression of CB1, FAAH or MAGL; however, CB2 receptor expression was reduced in both dam-paired and isolated rats following nociceptive testing. Taken together the data demonstrate that brief social isolation or the presence of the dam modulates nociceptive responding of juvenile rat pups in a modality specific manner, and suggest a possible role for the endocannabinoid system in the prefrontal cortex in sociobehavioural pain responses during early life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grace O'Sullivan
- Centre for Pain Research, National University of Ireland Galway, Ireland; School of Psychology, National University of Ireland Galway, Ireland
| | - Rachel M Humphrey
- Physiology, School of Medicine, National University of Ireland Galway, Ireland; Centre for Pain Research, National University of Ireland Galway, Ireland; Galway Neuroscience Centre, National University of Ireland Galway, Ireland
| | - Aoife M Thornton
- Physiology, School of Medicine, National University of Ireland Galway, Ireland; Galway Neuroscience Centre, National University of Ireland Galway, Ireland
| | - Daniel M Kerr
- Galway Neuroscience Centre, National University of Ireland Galway, Ireland; Pharmacology, School of Medicine, National University of Ireland Galway, Ireland
| | - Brian E McGuire
- Centre for Pain Research, National University of Ireland Galway, Ireland; School of Psychology, National University of Ireland Galway, Ireland
| | - Line Caes
- Psychology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Scotland, UK
| | - Michelle Roche
- Physiology, School of Medicine, National University of Ireland Galway, Ireland; Centre for Pain Research, National University of Ireland Galway, Ireland; Galway Neuroscience Centre, National University of Ireland Galway, Ireland.
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10
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Siviy SM. How strain differences could help decipher the neurobiology of mammalian playfulness: What the less playful Fischer 344 rat can tell us about play. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PLAY 2020; 9:9-24. [PMID: 33717643 PMCID: PMC7954129 DOI: 10.1080/21594937.2020.1721024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2019] [Accepted: 12/10/2019] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Play is common among the young of many mammalian species. How that play is exhibited results from a dynamic interplay between genetic framework and experiential influences that, in turn, operate on hard-wired brain systems. One approach towards understanding how genes and environment interact with brain substrates to yield a particular playful phenotype is to take advantage of inbred strains of rats that come with a known genetic identity and assess the effects of varying early social experiences and targeted neurobiological interventions on rats of these strains. This paper primarily summarizes research utilizing the F344 inbred strain, a rat that consistently plays less than most other strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen M Siviy
- Dept. of Psychology, Gettysburg College, Gettysburg, PA 17325, USA
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11
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Modlinska K, Pisula W. The Norway rat, from an obnoxious pest to a laboratory pet. eLife 2020; 9:50651. [PMID: 31948542 PMCID: PMC6968928 DOI: 10.7554/elife.50651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2019] [Accepted: 12/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
The laboratory rat was the first mammal domesticated for research purposes. It is descended from wild Norway rats, Rattus norvegicus, which despite their name likely originated in Asia. Exceptionally adaptable, these rodents now inhabit almost all environments on Earth, especially near human settlements where they are often seen as pests. The laboratory rat thrives in captivity, and its domestication has produced many inbred and outbred lines that are used for different purposes, including medical trials and behavioral studies. Differences between wild Norway rats and their laboratory counterparts were first noted in the early 20th century and led some researchers to later question its value as a model organism. While these views are probably unjustified, the advanced domestication of the laboratory rat does suggest that resuming studies of wild rats could benefit the wider research community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Klaudia Modlinska
- Institute of Psychology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warszawa, Poland
| | - Wojciech Pisula
- Institute of Psychology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warszawa, Poland
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12
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Nijhof SL, Vinkers CH, van Geelen SM, Duijff SN, Achterberg EM, van der Net J, Veltkamp RC, Grootenhuis MA, van de Putte EM, Hillegers MH, van der Brug AW, Wierenga CJ, Benders MJ, Engels RC, van der Ent CK, Vanderschuren LJ, Lesscher HM. Healthy play, better coping: The importance of play for the development of children in health and disease. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2018; 95:421-429. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2018.09.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2018] [Revised: 08/27/2018] [Accepted: 09/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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13
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Stanley B, Perez-Rodriguez MM, Labouliere C, Roose S. A Neuroscience-Oriented Research Approach to Borderline Personality Disorder. J Pers Disord 2018; 32:784-822. [PMID: 29469663 DOI: 10.1521/pedi_2017_31_326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Traditionally, the study of personality disorders had been based on psychoanalytic or behavioral models. Over the past two decades, there has been an emerging neuroscience model of borderline personality disorder (BPD) grounded in the concept of BPD as a condition in which dysfunctional neural circuits underlie its pathological dimensions, some of which include emotion dysregulation (broadly encompassing affective instability, negative affectivity, and hyperarousal), abnormal interpersonal functioning, and impulsive aggression. This article, initiated at a joint Columbia University- Cornell University Think Tank on BPD with representation from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, suggests how to advance research in BPD by studying the dimensions that underlie BPD in addition to studying the disorder as a unitary diagnostic entity. We suggest that linking the underlying neurobiological abnormalities to behavioral symptoms of the disorder can inform a research agenda to better understand BPD with its multiple presentations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Stanley
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York City
| | | | | | - Steven Roose
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York City.,New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York City
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14
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Bassir Nia A, Eveleth MC, Gabbay JM, Hassan YJ, Zhang B, Perez-Rodriguez MM. Past, present, and future of genetic research in borderline personality disorder. Curr Opin Psychol 2018; 21:60-68. [PMID: 29032046 PMCID: PMC5847441 DOI: 10.1016/j.copsyc.2017.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2017] [Revised: 08/24/2017] [Accepted: 09/05/2017] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is a major mental illness with a lifetime prevalence of approximately 1-3%, characterized by a persistent pattern of instability in relationships, mood, impulse regulation, and sense of self. This results in impulsive self-damaging behavior, high suicide rates, and severe functional impairment. BPD has a complex, multifactorial etiology, resulting from an interaction among genetic and environmental substrates, and has moderate to high heritability based on twin and family studies. However, our understanding of the genetic architecture of BPD is very limited. This is a critical obstacle since genetics can pave the way for identifying new treatment targets and developing preventive and disease-modifying pharmacological treatments which are currently lacking. We review genetic studies in BPD, with a focus on limitations and challenges and future directions. Genetic research in BPD is still in its very early stages compared to other major psychiatric disorders. Most early genetic studies in BPD were non-replicated association studies in small samples, focused on single candidate genes. More recently, there has been one genome-wide linkage study and a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of subclinical BPD traits and a first GWAS in a relatively modest sample of patients fulfilling full diagnostic criteria for the disorder. Although there are adequate animal models for some of the core dimensions of BPD, there is a lack of translational research including data from animal models in BPD. Research in more pioneering fields, such as imaging genetics, deep sequencing and epigenetics, holds promise for elucidating the pathophysiology of BPD and identifying new treatment targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anahita Bassir Nia
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Matthew C Eveleth
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Jonathan M Gabbay
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Yonis J Hassan
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Bosi Zhang
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - M Mercedes Perez-Rodriguez
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; The Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center, James J. Peters Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Bronx, NY 10468, USA; CIBERSAM, Autonoma University, Fundacion Jimenez Diaz and Ramon y Cajal Hospital, Madrid, Spain.
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McDonnell-Dowling K, Miczek KA. Alcohol, psychomotor-stimulants and behaviour: methodological considerations in preclinical models of early-life stress. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2018; 235:909-933. [PMID: 29511806 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-018-4852-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2017] [Accepted: 02/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In order to assess the risk associated with early-life stress, there has been an increase in the amount of preclinical studies investigating early-life stress. There are many challenges associated with investigating early-life stress in animal models and ensuring that such models are appropriate and clinically relevant. OBJECTIVES The purpose of this review is to highlight the methodological considerations in the design of preclinical studies investigating the effects of early-life stress on alcohol and psychomotor-stimulant intake and behaviour. METHODS The protocols employed for exploring early-life stress were investigated and summarised. Experimental variables include animals, stress models, and endpoints employed. RESULTS The findings in this paper suggest that there is little consistency among these studies and so the interpretation of these results may not be as clinically relevant as previously thought. CONCLUSION The standardisation of these simple stress procedures means that results will be more comparable between studies and that results generated will give us a more robust understanding of what can and may be happening in the human and veterinary clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Klaus A Miczek
- Department of Psychology, Tufts University, 530 Boston Avenue, Medford, MA, 02155, USA
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Schneider P, Bindila L, Schmahl C, Bohus M, Meyer-Lindenberg A, Lutz B, Spanagel R, Schneider M. Adverse Social Experiences in Adolescent Rats Result in Enduring Effects on Social Competence, Pain Sensitivity and Endocannabinoid Signaling. Front Behav Neurosci 2016; 10:203. [PMID: 27812328 PMCID: PMC5071316 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2016.00203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2016] [Accepted: 10/04/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Social affiliation is essential for many species and gains significant importance during adolescence. Disturbances in social affiliation, in particular social rejection experiences during adolescence, affect an individual’s well-being and are involved in the emergence of psychiatric disorders. The underlying mechanisms are still unknown, partly because of a lack of valid animal models. By using a novel animal model for social peer-rejection, which compromises adolescent rats in their ability to appropriately engage in playful activities, here we report on persistent impairments in social behavior and dysregulations in the endocannabinoid (eCB) system. From postnatal day (pd) 21 to pd 50 adolescent female Wistar rats were either reared with same-strain partners (control) or within a group of Fischer 344 rats (inadequate social rearing, ISR), previously shown to serve as inadequate play partners for the Wistar strain. Adult ISR animals showed pronounced deficits in social interaction, social memory, processing of socially transmitted information, and decreased pain sensitivity. Molecular analysis revealed increased CB1 receptor (CB1R) protein levels and CP55, 940 stimulated [35S]GTPγS binding activity specifically in the amygdala and thalamus in previously peer-rejected rats. Along with these changes, increased levels of the eCB anandamide (AEA) and a corresponding decrease of its degrading enzyme fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) were seen in the amygdala. Our data indicate lasting consequences in social behavior and pain sensitivity following peer-rejection in adolescent female rats. These behavioral impairments are accompanied by persistent alterations in CB1R signaling. Finally, we provide a novel translational approach to characterize neurobiological processes underlying social peer-rejection in adolescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peggy Schneider
- Research Group Developmental Neuropsychopharmacology, Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of HeidelbergMannheim, Germany; Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of HeidelbergMannheim, Germany
| | - Laura Bindila
- Institute of Physiological Chemistry, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz Mainz, Germany
| | - Christian Schmahl
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg Mannheim, Germany
| | - Martin Bohus
- Institute for Psychiatric and Psychosomatic Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of HeidelbergMannheim, Germany; Faculty of Health, University of AntwerpAntwerp, Belgium
| | - Andreas Meyer-Lindenberg
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg Mannheim, Germany
| | - Beat Lutz
- Institute of Physiological Chemistry, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz Mainz, Germany
| | - Rainer Spanagel
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg Mannheim, Germany
| | - Miriam Schneider
- Research Group Developmental Neuropsychopharmacology, Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of HeidelbergMannheim, Germany; Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of HeidelbergMannheim, Germany
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Schneider P, Pätz M, Spanagel R, Schneider M. Adolescent social rejection alters pain processing in a CB1 receptor dependent manner. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2016; 26:1201-12. [PMID: 27157075 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2016.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2015] [Revised: 04/15/2016] [Accepted: 04/20/2016] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Experiences of social rejection represent a major source of distress and in particular peer rejection during adolescence has been implicated in various psychiatric disorders. Moreover, experimentally induced acute social rejection alters pain perception in humans, implicating overlapping neurocircuits for social and physical pains. We recently demonstrated that rearing of adolescent Wistar rats with inadequate, less playful play partners (Fischer 344) persistently decreases pain sensitivity, although the detailed mechanisms mediating the aversiveness during the social encounter remained unsettled. With the present study we examined the behavioral performance during acute interaction of female adolescent Wistar rats with either age-matched same-strain partners or rats from the Fischer 344 strain. We here identify the low responsiveness upon playful attacks, which appears to be characteristic for social play in the Fischer 344 strain, as one of the main aversive components for adolescent Wistar animals during cross-strain encounters, which subsequently diminishes thermal pain reactivity. A detailed behavioral analysis further revealed increased ultrasonic vocalization at 50kHz and an increased frequency of playful attacks for adolescent Wistar animals paired with a Fischer 344 rat compared to same-strain control pairs. Finally, an acute injection of a subthreshold dose of the cannabinoid type 1 receptor inverse agonist/antagonist SR141716 before the social encounter abolished enhanced play-soliciting behavior in Wistar/Fischer 344 pairs as well as the behavioral consequences of the rejection experience in adolescent Wistar rats, further emphasizing an important modulatory role of the endocannabinoid system in mediating the effects of social behavior and social pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peggy Schneider
- Research Group Developmental Neuropsychopharmacology, Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Monique Pätz
- Research Group Developmental Neuropsychopharmacology, Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Rainer Spanagel
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Miriam Schneider
- Research Group Developmental Neuropsychopharmacology, Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany; Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany.
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Schriber RA, Guyer AE. Adolescent neurobiological susceptibility to social context. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2016; 19:1-18. [PMID: 26773514 PMCID: PMC4912893 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2015.12.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 137] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2014] [Revised: 11/18/2015] [Accepted: 12/19/2015] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Adolescence has been characterized as a period of heightened sensitivity to social contexts. However, adolescents vary in how their social contexts affect them. According to neurobiological susceptibility models, endogenous, biological factors confer some individuals, relative to others, with greater susceptibility to environmental influences, whereby more susceptible individuals fare the best or worst of all individuals, depending on the environment encountered (e.g., high vs. low parental warmth). Until recently, research guided by these theoretical frameworks has not incorporated direct measures of brain structure or function to index this sensitivity. Drawing on prevailing models of adolescent neurodevelopment and a growing number of neuroimaging studies on the interrelations among social contexts, the brain, and developmental outcomes, we review research that supports the idea of adolescent neurobiological susceptibility to social context for understanding why and how adolescents differ in development and well-being. We propose that adolescent development is shaped by brain-based individual differences in sensitivity to social contexts - be they positive or negative - such as those created through relationships with parents/caregivers and peers. Ultimately, we recommend that future research measure brain function and structure to operationalize susceptibility factors that moderate the influence of social contexts on developmental outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberta A Schriber
- Center for Mind and Brain, University of California, Davis, California, United States.
| | - Amanda E Guyer
- Center for Mind and Brain, University of California, Davis, California, United States; Department of Human Ecology, University of California, Davis, California, United States.
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21
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Hehar H, Ma I, Mychasiuk R. Effects of Metabolic Programming on Juvenile Play Behavior and Gene Expression in the Prefrontal Cortex of Rats. Dev Neurosci 2016; 38:96-104. [PMID: 26967530 DOI: 10.1159/000444015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2015] [Accepted: 01/14/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Early developmental processes, such as metabolic programming, can provide cues to an organism, which allow it to make modifications that are predicted to be beneficial for survival. Similarly, social play has a multifaceted role in promoting survival and fitness of animals. Play is a complex behavior that is greatly influenced by motivational and reward circuits, as well as the energy reserves and metabolism of an organism. This study examined the association between metabolic programming and juvenile play behavior in an effort to further elucidate insight into the consequences that early adaptions have on developmental trajectories. The study also examined changes in expression of four genes (Drd2, IGF1, Opa1, and OxyR) in the prefrontal cortex known to play significant roles in reward, bioenergetics, and social-emotional functioning. Using four distinct variations in developmental programming (high-fat diet, caloric restriction, exercise, or high-fat diet combined with exercise), we found that dietary programming (high-fat diet vs. caloric restriction) had the greatest impact on play behavior and gene expression. However, exercise also induced changes in both measures. This study demonstrates that metabolic programming can alter neural circuits and bioenergetics involved in play behavior, thus providing new insights into mechanisms that allow programming to influence the evolutionary success of an organism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harleen Hehar
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alta., Canada
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Enhanced Functional Activity of the Cannabinoid Type-1 Receptor Mediates Adolescent Behavior. J Neurosci 2016; 35:13975-88. [PMID: 26468198 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1937-15.2015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
UNLABELLED Adolescence is characterized by drastic behavioral adaptations and comprises a particularly vulnerable period for the emergence of various psychiatric disorders. Growing evidence reveals that the pathophysiology of these disorders might derive from aberrations of normal neurodevelopmental changes in the adolescent brain. Understanding the molecular underpinnings of adolescent behavior is therefore critical for understanding the origin of psychopathology, but the molecular mechanisms that trigger adolescent behavior are unknown. Here, we hypothesize that the cannabinoid type-1 receptor (CB1R) may play a critical role in mediating adolescent behavior because enhanced endocannabinoid (eCB) signaling has been suggested to occur transiently during adolescence. To study enhanced CB1R signaling, we introduced a missense mutation (F238L) into the rat Cnr1 gene that encodes for the CB1R. According to our hypothesis, rats with the F238L mutation (Cnr1(F238L)) should sustain features of adolescent behavior into adulthood. Gain of function of the mutated receptor was demonstrated by in silico modeling and was verified functionally in a series of biochemical and electrophysiological experiments. Mutant rats exhibit an adolescent-like phenotype during adulthood compared with wild-type littermates, with typical high risk/novelty seeking, increased peer interaction, enhanced impulsivity, and augmented reward sensitivity for drug and nondrug reward. Partial inhibition of CB1R activity in Cnr1(F238L) mutant rats normalized behavior and led to a wild-type phenotype. We conclude that the activity state and functionality of the CB1R is critical for mediating adolescent behavior. These findings implicate the eCB system as an important research target for the neuropathology of adolescent-onset mental health disorders. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT We present the first rodent model with a gain-of-function mutation in the cannabinoid type-1 receptor (CB1R). Adult mutant rats exhibit an adolescent-like phenotype with typical high risk seeking, impulsivity, and augmented drug and nondrug reward sensitivity. Adolescence is a critical period for suboptimal behavioral choices and the emergence of neuropsychiatric disorders. Understanding the basis of these disorders therefore requires a comprehensive knowledge of how adolescent neurodevelopment triggers behavioral reactions. Our behavioral observations in adult mutant rats, together with reports on enhanced adolescent CB1R signaling, suggest a pivotal role for the CB1R in an adolescent brain as an important molecular mediator of adolescent behavior. These findings implicate the endocannabinoid system as a notable research target for adolescent-onset mental health disorders.
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Bates M, Emery M, Wellman P, Eitan S. Social environment alters opioid-induced hyperalgesia and antinociceptive tolerance in adolescent mice. Eur J Pain 2016; 20:998-1009. [DOI: 10.1002/ejp.825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/23/2015] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- M.L.S. Bates
- Behavioral and Cellular Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, and the Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience; Texas A&M Institute for Neuroscience (TAMIN), Texas A&M University; College Station TX 77843 USA
| | - M.A. Emery
- Behavioral and Cellular Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, and the Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience; Texas A&M Institute for Neuroscience (TAMIN), Texas A&M University; College Station TX 77843 USA
| | - P.J. Wellman
- Behavioral and Cellular Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, and the Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience; Texas A&M Institute for Neuroscience (TAMIN), Texas A&M University; College Station TX 77843 USA
| | - S. Eitan
- Behavioral and Cellular Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, and the Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience; Texas A&M Institute for Neuroscience (TAMIN), Texas A&M University; College Station TX 77843 USA
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Fonagy P, Speranza M, Luyten P, Kaess M, Hessels C, Bohus M. ESCAP Expert Article: borderline personality disorder in adolescence: an expert research review with implications for clinical practice. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2015; 24:1307-20. [PMID: 26271454 DOI: 10.1007/s00787-015-0751-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2014] [Accepted: 07/17/2015] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Borderline personality disorder (BPD) has onset in adolescence, but is typically first diagnosed in young adulthood. This paper provides a narrative review of the current evidence on diagnosis, comorbidity, phenomenology and treatment of BPD in adolescence. Instruments available for diagnosis are reviewed and their strengths and limitations discussed. Having confirmed the robustness of the diagnosis and the potential for its reliable clinical assessment, we then explore current understandings of the mechanisms of the disorder and focus on neurobiological underpinnings and research on psychological mechanisms. Findings are accumulating to suggest that adolescent BPD has an underpinning biology that is similar in some ways to adult BPD but differs in some critical features. Evidence for interventions focuses on psychological therapies. Several encouraging research studies suggest that early effective treatment is possible. Treatment development has just begun, and while adolescent-specific interventions are still in the process of evolution, most existing therapies represent adaptations of adult models to this developmental phase. There is also a significant opportunity for prevention, albeit there are few data to date to support such initiatives. This review emphasizes that there can be no justification for failing to make an early diagnosis of this enduring and pervasive problem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Fonagy
- Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK.
| | - Mario Speranza
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Versailles General Hospital, Faculty of Health Sciences, Research Unit EA4047, University of Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, 177 rue de Versailles, 78157, Le Chesnay, France
| | - Patrick Luyten
- Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
- Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Leuven, Tiensestraat 102, Box 3722, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Michael Kaess
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Centre for Psychosocial Medicine, University of Heidelberg, Blumenstrasse 8, 69115, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Christel Hessels
- Expertise Centre for Personality Disorders, GGz Centraal, PO Box 3051, 3800 DB, Amersfoort, The Netherlands
| | - Martin Bohus
- Department of Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health Mannheim, Heidelberg University, J5, 68159, Mannheim, Germany
- Faculty of Health, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
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Pain Processing after Social Exclusion and Its Relation to Rejection Sensitivity in Borderline Personality Disorder. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0133693. [PMID: 26241850 PMCID: PMC4524681 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0133693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2014] [Accepted: 06/30/2015] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE There is a general agreement that physical pain serves as an alarm signal for the prevention of and reaction to physical harm. It has recently been hypothesized that "social pain," as induced by social rejection or abandonment, may rely on comparable, phylogenetically old brain structures. As plausible as this theory may sound, scientific evidence for this idea is sparse. This study therefore attempts to link both types of pain directly. We studied patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD) because BPD is characterized by opposing alterations in physical and social pain; hyposensitivity to physical pain is associated with hypersensitivity to social pain, as indicated by an enhanced rejection sensitivity. METHOD Twenty unmedicated female BPD patients and 20 healthy participants (HC, matched for age and education) played a virtual ball-tossing game (cyberball), with the conditions for exclusion, inclusion, and a control condition with predefined game rules. Each cyberball block was followed by a temperature stimulus (with a subjective pain intensity of 60% in half the cases). The cerebral responses were measured by functional magnetic resonance imaging. The Adult Rejection Sensitivity Questionnaire was used to assess rejection sensitivity. RESULTS Higher temperature heat stimuli had to be applied to BPD patients relative to HCs to reach a comparable subjective experience of painfulness in both groups, which suggested a general hyposensitivity to pain in BPD patients. Social exclusion led to a subjectively reported hypersensitivity to physical pain in both groups that was accompanied by an enhanced activation in the anterior insula and the thalamus. In BPD, physical pain processing after exclusion was additionally linked to enhanced posterior insula activation. After inclusion, BPD patients showed reduced amygdala activation during pain in comparison with HC. In BPD patients, higher rejection sensitivity was associated with lower activation differences during pain processing following social exclusion and inclusion in the insula and in the amygdala. DISCUSSION Despite the similar behavioral effects in both groups, BPD patients differed from HC in their neural processing of physical pain depending on the preceding social situation. Rejection sensitivity further modulated the impact of social exclusion on neural pain processing in BPD, but not in healthy controls.
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27
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Schaefer C, Enning F, Mueller JK, Bumb JM, Rohleder C, Odorfer TM, Klosterkötter J, Hellmich M, Koethe D, Schmahl C, Bohus M, Leweke FM. Fatty acid ethanolamide levels are altered in borderline personality and complex posttraumatic stress disorders. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2014; 264:459-63. [PMID: 24253425 DOI: 10.1007/s00406-013-0470-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2013] [Accepted: 10/29/2013] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Borderline personality (BPD) and complex posttraumatic stress disorders (PTSD) are both powerfully associated with the experience of interpersonal violence during childhood and adolescence. The disorders frequently co-occur and often result in pervasive problems in, e.g., emotion regulation and altered pain perception, where the endocannabinoid system is deeply involved. We hypothesize an endocannabinoid role in both disorders. We investigated serum levels of the endocannabinoids anandamide and 2-arachidonoylglycerol and related fatty acid ethanolamides (FAEs) in BPD, PTSD, and controls. Significant alterations were found for both endocannabinoids in BPD and for the FAE oleoylethanolamide in PTSD suggesting a respective link to both disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carola Schaefer
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, J5, 68159, Mannheim, Germany
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Nelson EE, Lau JYF, Jarcho JM. Growing pains and pleasures: how emotional learning guides development. Trends Cogn Sci 2014; 18:99-108. [PMID: 24405846 PMCID: PMC4219354 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2013.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2013] [Revised: 11/14/2013] [Accepted: 11/15/2013] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The nervous system promotes adaptive responding to myriad environmental stimuli by ascribing emotion to specific stimulus domains. This affects the salience of different stimuli, facilitates learning, and likely involves the amygdala. Recent studies suggest a strong homology between adaptive responses that result from learning and those that emerge during development. As in motivated learning, developmental studies have found the salience of different classes of stimulus (e.g., peers) undergoes marked fluctuation across maturation and may involve differential amygdala engagement. In this review, by highlighting the importance of particular stimulus categories during sensitive periods of development, we suggest that variability in amygdala response to different stimulus domains has an active and functional role in shaping emerging cortical circuits across development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric E Nelson
- Section on Development and Affective Neuroscience, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda MD, USA.
| | - Jennifer Y F Lau
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College, London, UK
| | - Johanna M Jarcho
- Section on Development and Affective Neuroscience, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda MD, USA
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Schmahl C, Herpertz SC, Bertsch K, Ende G, Flor H, Kirsch P, Lis S, Meyer-Lindenberg A, Rietschel M, Schneider M, Spanagel R, Treede RD, Bohus M. Mechanisms of disturbed emotion processing and social interaction in borderline personality disorder: state of knowledge and research agenda of the German Clinical Research Unit. Borderline Personal Disord Emot Dysregul 2014; 1:12. [PMID: 26401296 PMCID: PMC4579501 DOI: 10.1186/2051-6673-1-12] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2014] [Accepted: 08/22/2014] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The last two decades have seen a strong rise in empirical research in the mechanisms of emotion dysregulation in borderline personality disorder. Major findings comprise structural as well as functional alterations of brain regions involved in emotion processing, such as amygdala, insula, and prefrontal regions. In addition, more specific mechanisms of disturbed emotion regulation, e.g. related to pain and dissociation, have been identified. Most recently, social interaction problems and their underlying neurobiological mechanisms, e.g. disturbed trust or hypersensitivity to social rejection, have become a major focus of BPD research. This article covers the current state of knowledge and related relevant research goals. The first part presents a review of the literature. The second part delineates important open questions to be addressed in future studies. The third part describes the research agenda for a large German center grant focusing on mechanisms of emotion dysregulation in BPD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Schmahl
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health Mannheim, Medical Faculty Mannheim / Heidelberg University, J 5, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
| | - Sabine C Herpertz
- Department of General Psychiatry, Center of Psychosocial Medicine, Medical Faculty Heidelberg / Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Katja Bertsch
- Department of General Psychiatry, Center of Psychosocial Medicine, Medical Faculty Heidelberg / Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Gabriele Ende
- Department of Neuroimaging, Central Institute of Mental Health Mannheim, Medical Faculty Mannheim / Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Herta Flor
- Institute of Neuropsychology and Clinical Psychology, Central Institute of Mental Health Mannheim, Medical Faculty Mannheim / Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Peter Kirsch
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Central Institute of Mental Health Mannheim, Medical Faculty Mannheim / Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Stefanie Lis
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health Mannheim, Medical Faculty Mannheim / Heidelberg University, J 5, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
| | - Andreas Meyer-Lindenberg
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health Mannheim, Medical Faculty Mannheim / Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Marcella Rietschel
- Department of Genetic Epidemiology in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Miriam Schneider
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim / Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Rainer Spanagel
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim / Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Rolf-Detlef Treede
- Department of Neurophysiology, Center for Biomedicine and Medical Technology Mannheim, Medical Faculty Mannheim / Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Martin Bohus
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health Mannheim, Medical Faculty Mannheim / Heidelberg University, J 5, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
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